Human Factors / Design Construction

Human Factors / Design

Construction design is a very important aspect of building. Buildings, especially in rapidly expanding urban areas, are primarily used by human beings. As such, their interior spaces need to be designed for human use and comfort. This can be viewed from a number of angles, including practical human comfort, and a more aesthetic angle that would lead to greater human performance and the perception of enjoyment. These design issues are particularly important in spaces that are used for prolonged periods of time by a fairly large amount of people. Specifically, spaces that need to be designed with human comfort in mind include movie theaters, classrooms and churches.

Movie theaters entail spaces where human beings would be seated for long periods of time. Hence seats need to be optimally comfortable to such an extent that the movie visitor could forget his or her immediate environment. This should also be kept in mind with the rest of the design in mind. The movie theater is darkened, with the focus on the screen. The screen should therefore be prominent, with the rest of the interior fairly simple and not distracting in design, while still conducive to comfort and calm while the visitor is waiting to view the film. Perhaps a shortcoming in current movie theaters is a lack of receptacles for the storage and disposal of refreshments. The seats are also very close together, which may lead to a degree of discomfort during rush times. In order to optimize the comfort level, seats should therefore be either larger or some distance from each other, with adequate storage for food and beverage items to be enjoyed during the film. Air-conditioning is also very important consideration, as movie theatres do not generally have windows or views to the outside. The air should therefore be kept optimally fresh, and as close as possible in composition to natural, fresh air.

School classrooms should also be optimized in terms of design. Children spend a large part of their day here, and should therefore be optimally stimulated for their learning benefit. The problem with many current classrooms is the fact that desks and chairs tend to be uncomfortable to a great degree of distraction. Other distracting factors is the lack of general comfort level within a classroom. The classroom atmosphere should be pleasant and focus the attention on the teacher and the blackboard, where information is imparted. Air-conditioning in summer and heating in winter should therefore be primary considerations, along with providing children with comfortable seating arrangements. In movie theaters, clients are provided with the utmost comfort in padded seating, helping them to enjoy the experience. Children should be provided with the same courtesy, as learning is an infinitely more worthy activity than movie entertainment. Surely the long hours spend in school and classrooms justify a better seating arrangement than is currently the case.

In schools where windows provide a view to the outside, all these factors contribute to distraction from learning. Curtains or smaller windows, together with more comfortable seating, should provide children with encouragement to engage in learning. Minimizing the pain associated with this process will surely result in greater productivity and development in children.