Improving the Effectiveness of Anti-COVID Measures in Buildings: Learning from Users’ Perception
The COVID-19 spread abruptly changed the fruition of indoor environments, where necessary adaptive measures have since been implemented. Buildings open to the public were suddenly equipped with physical devices aiming to encourage users’ appropriate behaviors, such as hand sanitizing, social distanc...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Buildings |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/12/8/1161 |
| _version_ | 1827623425249640448 |
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| author | Elisa Zatta Massimiliano Condotta Valeria Tatano Alice Bettelli Elena Zanella Nicola La Magna Luciano Gamberini |
| author_facet | Elisa Zatta Massimiliano Condotta Valeria Tatano Alice Bettelli Elena Zanella Nicola La Magna Luciano Gamberini |
| author_sort | Elisa Zatta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The COVID-19 spread abruptly changed the fruition of indoor environments, where necessary adaptive measures have since been implemented. Buildings open to the public were suddenly equipped with physical devices aiming to encourage users’ appropriate behaviors, such as hand sanitizing, social distancing, and temperature monitoring. Through a twofold architectural-psychological perspective, the paper presents a research aiming to understand how users perceive these devices in the Italian context and to identify the design features that could improve their effectiveness in enhancing individuals’ awareness. With an interdisciplinary approach, four methods were adopted: observational field surveys, background and normative framework analysis, survey research through an online questionnaire, and case studies survey research. The results confirm the overall effectiveness of the implemented anti-COVID strategies, their suitability in encouraging individuals’ appropriate behaviors, and the importance of regulating the users’ flow indoors. The research allowed defining the devices (hand-sanitizing devices and temperature-measurement instruments) and wayfinding systems more suited to be included in the prevention strategy and identified their more appropriate design features in relation to the users’ feedback. Operational suggestions are presented as well. The adopted experimental approach can be useful in supporting decision making in managing of the built environment in both the current and future contexts. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T11:46:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6864bf4499414c3fabfbc3dc020fc1ca |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-5309 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T11:46:30Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Buildings |
| spelling | doaj.art-6864bf4499414c3fabfbc3dc020fc1ca2023-11-30T23:20:10ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092022-08-01128116110.3390/buildings12081161Improving the Effectiveness of Anti-COVID Measures in Buildings: Learning from Users’ PerceptionElisa Zatta0Massimiliano Condotta1Valeria Tatano2Alice Bettelli3Elena Zanella4Nicola La Magna5Luciano Gamberini6Department of Architecture and Arts, Iuav University of Venice, Santa Croce 191, 30135 Venezia, ItalyDepartment of Architecture and Arts, Iuav University of Venice, Santa Croce 191, 30135 Venezia, ItalyDepartment of Architecture and Arts, Iuav University of Venice, Santa Croce 191, 30135 Venezia, ItalyDepartment of General Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia 8, 35121 Padua, ItalyDepartment of General Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia 8, 35121 Padua, ItalyDepartment of General Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia 8, 35121 Padua, ItalyDepartment of General Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia 8, 35121 Padua, ItalyThe COVID-19 spread abruptly changed the fruition of indoor environments, where necessary adaptive measures have since been implemented. Buildings open to the public were suddenly equipped with physical devices aiming to encourage users’ appropriate behaviors, such as hand sanitizing, social distancing, and temperature monitoring. Through a twofold architectural-psychological perspective, the paper presents a research aiming to understand how users perceive these devices in the Italian context and to identify the design features that could improve their effectiveness in enhancing individuals’ awareness. With an interdisciplinary approach, four methods were adopted: observational field surveys, background and normative framework analysis, survey research through an online questionnaire, and case studies survey research. The results confirm the overall effectiveness of the implemented anti-COVID strategies, their suitability in encouraging individuals’ appropriate behaviors, and the importance of regulating the users’ flow indoors. The research allowed defining the devices (hand-sanitizing devices and temperature-measurement instruments) and wayfinding systems more suited to be included in the prevention strategy and identified their more appropriate design features in relation to the users’ feedback. Operational suggestions are presented as well. The adopted experimental approach can be useful in supporting decision making in managing of the built environment in both the current and future contexts.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/12/8/1161COVID-19buildingsindoor environmentsadaptive measureswayfindingflows management |
| spellingShingle | Elisa Zatta Massimiliano Condotta Valeria Tatano Alice Bettelli Elena Zanella Nicola La Magna Luciano Gamberini Improving the Effectiveness of Anti-COVID Measures in Buildings: Learning from Users’ Perception Buildings COVID-19 buildings indoor environments adaptive measures wayfinding flows management |
| title | Improving the Effectiveness of Anti-COVID Measures in Buildings: Learning from Users’ Perception |
| title_full | Improving the Effectiveness of Anti-COVID Measures in Buildings: Learning from Users’ Perception |
| title_fullStr | Improving the Effectiveness of Anti-COVID Measures in Buildings: Learning from Users’ Perception |
| title_full_unstemmed | Improving the Effectiveness of Anti-COVID Measures in Buildings: Learning from Users’ Perception |
| title_short | Improving the Effectiveness of Anti-COVID Measures in Buildings: Learning from Users’ Perception |
| title_sort | improving the effectiveness of anti covid measures in buildings learning from users perception |
| topic | COVID-19 buildings indoor environments adaptive measures wayfinding flows management |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/12/8/1161 |
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