In the last 10 years, domain-related EEG design studies (Nguyen & Zheng 2010; Liu et al. 2018; Liang et al. 2017), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) design studies (Shealy and Gero, 2019) and fMRI studies (Goucher-Lambert et al. 2019) of mechanical engineers, graphic designers (Elamil et al. 2011) and architects (Bermudez et al. 2017) have been used to understand designing from a neurophysiological perspective. This paper presents results from an experiment studying 18 professional architects’ neurophysiological activation differences, measured using EEG, when performing space layout design tasks and sketching. The tasks are a constrained layout task (Task 1), an open layout task (Task 3), and an open task that includes sketching (Task 4), prompting architects to change their design space, which produces progressively expanded activations. The constrained and open layout tasks setup is shown in Figure 1. Results are based on 18 right-handed participants, aged 28-51(M = 38.9, SD = 5.3), 10 men (age M = 40.9, SD = 5.5) and 8 women (age M = 35.1, SD = 2.4). This study was approved by the local ethics committee of the University of XXX. A typical design from the open task is shown in Figure 3. We compare neurophysiological activation and frequency bands power between the three tasks. Results show significant differences in activations between the constrained task and the open tasks from which we can infer these architects change the design space within which they are working. Results indicate that the open layout design shows higher neurophysiological activation than the constrained task in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and occipitotemporal cortices. The open design free-hand sketching shows higher neurophysiological activation in the prefrontal cortex and in the occipitotemporal cortices, Figure 4. When comparing the frequency bands power between the layout tasks, significant differences (p≤.05) were found in theta, alpha 1 and alpha 2 frequency bands, mainly of channels in the left hemisphere. highlighted with a solid circle, Figure 5. Higher theta and alpha 1 and beta 3 frequency band values seem to play key roles in the open layout design task when compared to the constrained layout task. In the open design sketching task higher activation is shown across all bands, Figure 6.
Space Layout Design and Sketching: A Study of Architects’ Neurophysiological Activations
S. Li;G. Cascini;
2020-01-01
Abstract
In the last 10 years, domain-related EEG design studies (Nguyen & Zheng 2010; Liu et al. 2018; Liang et al. 2017), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) design studies (Shealy and Gero, 2019) and fMRI studies (Goucher-Lambert et al. 2019) of mechanical engineers, graphic designers (Elamil et al. 2011) and architects (Bermudez et al. 2017) have been used to understand designing from a neurophysiological perspective. This paper presents results from an experiment studying 18 professional architects’ neurophysiological activation differences, measured using EEG, when performing space layout design tasks and sketching. The tasks are a constrained layout task (Task 1), an open layout task (Task 3), and an open task that includes sketching (Task 4), prompting architects to change their design space, which produces progressively expanded activations. The constrained and open layout tasks setup is shown in Figure 1. Results are based on 18 right-handed participants, aged 28-51(M = 38.9, SD = 5.3), 10 men (age M = 40.9, SD = 5.5) and 8 women (age M = 35.1, SD = 2.4). This study was approved by the local ethics committee of the University of XXX. A typical design from the open task is shown in Figure 3. We compare neurophysiological activation and frequency bands power between the three tasks. Results show significant differences in activations between the constrained task and the open tasks from which we can infer these architects change the design space within which they are working. Results indicate that the open layout design shows higher neurophysiological activation than the constrained task in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and occipitotemporal cortices. The open design free-hand sketching shows higher neurophysiological activation in the prefrontal cortex and in the occipitotemporal cortices, Figure 4. When comparing the frequency bands power between the layout tasks, significant differences (p≤.05) were found in theta, alpha 1 and alpha 2 frequency bands, mainly of channels in the left hemisphere. highlighted with a solid circle, Figure 5. Higher theta and alpha 1 and beta 3 frequency band values seem to play key roles in the open layout design task when compared to the constrained layout task. In the open design sketching task higher activation is shown across all bands, Figure 6.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
