Back to Search Start Over

Improving the Effectiveness of Anti-COVID Measures in Buildings: Learning from Users' Perception.

Authors :
Zatta, Elisa
Condotta, Massimiliano
Tatano, Valeria
Bettelli, Alice
Zanella, Elena
La Magna, Nicola
Gamberini, Luciano
Source :
Buildings (2075-5309); Aug2022, Vol. 12 Issue 8, p1161, 45p
Publication Year :
2022

Abstract

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20755309
Volume :
12
Issue :
8
Database :
Complementary Index
Journal :
Buildings (2075-5309)
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
158749702
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12081161