Evaluating design features to support inclusive, self-directed, and active healthy living behaviours

Active healthy living design has typically focused on urban and community environments to support physical activity; this article looks at an expanded definition of active healthy living opportunities at building level design for various groups. We wanted to engage youth, adults, and diversely abled...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Eleni Tracada, MaryAnn Sorensen Allacci
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Built Environment
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbuil.2023.1232248/full
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author Eleni Tracada
MaryAnn Sorensen Allacci
author_facet Eleni Tracada
MaryAnn Sorensen Allacci
author_sort Eleni Tracada
collection DOAJ
description Active healthy living design has typically focused on urban and community environments to support physical activity; this article looks at an expanded definition of active healthy living opportunities at building level design for various groups. We wanted to engage youth, adults, and diversely abled people through a form of inclusive design that encourages individuals to venture out of their private homes, workplaces, or other isolating conditions and explore areas of shared spaces or get outside of personal environments and buildings for self-directed, restorative activity. Incentives for people to venture outside of private spaces became even more important for maintaining healthy minds and bodies during the recent pandemic. The objectives of this discussion are to propose a multidisciplinary tool to facilitate decisions around creating shared spaces in different building typologies that promote active, self-directed behaviour by occupants to engage physically, socially, or psychologically with features that support health and wellbeing. We first examined a wide range of theories and design practices for potential applications to building-centred design that supports healthy behaviour, reduces environment stress, and employs space syntax and the Biophilic Healing Index to help encourage healthy behaviours by a wide range of occupant ages and abilities in and around buildings. A rating scale was then associated with criteria representing evidence-based guidelines, and capable of being fitted for use as a teaching-learning and discussion aid. An overview of data from demonstration of the tool is presented, along with feedback on proposed improvements and how these might impact professional practice.
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spelling doaj.art-6c14b53ac84f4b9f8bb46925d12a24d52023-08-25T04:29:07ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Built Environment2297-33622023-08-01910.3389/fbuil.2023.12322481232248Evaluating design features to support inclusive, self-directed, and active healthy living behavioursEleni Tracada0MaryAnn Sorensen Allacci1School of Built and Natural Environment, College of Science and Engineering, University of Derby, Derby, United KingdomNew York School of Interior Design, New York, NY, United StatesActive healthy living design has typically focused on urban and community environments to support physical activity; this article looks at an expanded definition of active healthy living opportunities at building level design for various groups. We wanted to engage youth, adults, and diversely abled people through a form of inclusive design that encourages individuals to venture out of their private homes, workplaces, or other isolating conditions and explore areas of shared spaces or get outside of personal environments and buildings for self-directed, restorative activity. Incentives for people to venture outside of private spaces became even more important for maintaining healthy minds and bodies during the recent pandemic. The objectives of this discussion are to propose a multidisciplinary tool to facilitate decisions around creating shared spaces in different building typologies that promote active, self-directed behaviour by occupants to engage physically, socially, or psychologically with features that support health and wellbeing. We first examined a wide range of theories and design practices for potential applications to building-centred design that supports healthy behaviour, reduces environment stress, and employs space syntax and the Biophilic Healing Index to help encourage healthy behaviours by a wide range of occupant ages and abilities in and around buildings. A rating scale was then associated with criteria representing evidence-based guidelines, and capable of being fitted for use as a teaching-learning and discussion aid. An overview of data from demonstration of the tool is presented, along with feedback on proposed improvements and how these might impact professional practice.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbuil.2023.1232248/fullactive healthy living designself-directed healthy behaviourbiophiliabiophilic healing indexinclusive designRatings Tool
spellingShingle Eleni Tracada
MaryAnn Sorensen Allacci
Evaluating design features to support inclusive, self-directed, and active healthy living behaviours
Frontiers in Built Environment
active healthy living design
self-directed healthy behaviour
biophilia
biophilic healing index
inclusive design
Ratings Tool
title Evaluating design features to support inclusive, self-directed, and active healthy living behaviours
title_full Evaluating design features to support inclusive, self-directed, and active healthy living behaviours
title_fullStr Evaluating design features to support inclusive, self-directed, and active healthy living behaviours
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating design features to support inclusive, self-directed, and active healthy living behaviours
title_short Evaluating design features to support inclusive, self-directed, and active healthy living behaviours
title_sort evaluating design features to support inclusive self directed and active healthy living behaviours
topic active healthy living design
self-directed healthy behaviour
biophilia
biophilic healing index
inclusive design
Ratings Tool
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbuil.2023.1232248/full
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