Generations of Evaluation and Design

¶ … Generations of Evaluation and Design of Correctional Facilities

Wener, R., Frazier, W., Farbstein, J.

The study was designed in order to investigate whether the experiences of one innovatively designed correctional facility could influence the design of another facility that was designed for a different use. Behavioral research has been invested into designing of architecture. Authors were interested in assessing whether:

intent of design invested in one facility could transplant to another facility for another user, and how behavioral research over several generation for several clients can result with improved development of the design and increased confidence over the effect of the design.

Design Criteria:

Authors concluded that behavioral design used for one facility (a federal correctional facility in this case) can be clearly and successfully transposed to another (a general county jail in this case) even after various generation transmission and even for a different client. The results may lead to changes for the other client, but this will lead to improvements in the design as a whole.

InformeDesign Identified:

General design behavior principles apply regardless of country, culture, and client. Specific slight changes though may have to be introduced to suit specific client and setting.

Key Concepts

Behavioral research that is applied to design assess who and in which way building can meet user's needs.

There have been few multi-generational studies that have been conducted to assess whether behavioral research conducted on one building can last through several generations. And whether the effects can be successfully transposed to another clinet

The few multignerational projects that have been conducted on transmission of behavioral design have been only on one client.

Research method

Authors conducted a three-generational survey.

The federal Bureau of Prisons had constructed a model for detention facilities known as the Metropolitan Correctional Centers (MCC).

The MCC model was evaluated and a new model (2nd generation) called the Contra Costa County was built on this. This too was evaluated.

A developed set of modifications are in the process of being developed for a new correctional facilities.

Authors used observations to study result of designs; analyzed minuteaa of history, purpose, and structure of designs; and conducted inmate and staff questionnaires regarding how the design affected their job and quality of life.

160 inmates and 209 staff members participated in survey

Limitations

Surveys are generally biased and have some shortfalls. This includes the fact of interviewer and interviewee bias where either may perceive the other in a certain way that influences response. Furthermore, context of mood and place may influence response too. The participants may be inadequately aware of their opinion or of their reason for their actions.

In a similar way, they may erroneously attribute their actions to certain intentions that are really contingent on a third issue that may be overt or covert, or concealed to them.

The researchers, in other words, were investigating whether the behavioral components of one place can effect the actions and decisions as well as quality of life of users of another. The clients of the other facility, however, may have been influenced by so many other elements that went unnoticed by researchers and it may have been these that drove their actions.