The Environments
for People Research Centre
Start date:
2005
End Date: 2008
At the time research in architecture and the built environment at
This EfP
Research Centre brought together a team of psychologists and other social
scientists, surveyors, architects and other built environment professionals,
physical scientists and engineers. The Centre reflected my belief that
producing successful architecture and built environments is predicated on their
evaluation by reference to the widest possible group of people for whom they
are designed. This interdisciplinary focus on evaluating and catering for user
needs is reflected in the Policy on Architecture for Scotland, UK Government
policy on housing, the environment, sustainability and climate change, the evolving
structure and concerns of professional bodies in built environment and the
increasing customer focus of the more enlightened sectors of the construction
industry.
The
Centre’s approach to research was problem-focused, involving the search
for solutions to real design, social and economic problems defined by industry
and Government agencies, as well as by academics. Solving these problems
involved a network of inter-linked activities and skills. The diverse issues
dealt with include the design of assistive technology systems, the modelling,
planning and design of urban open space, social issues arising from new ways of
building houses, the sustainability of new housing, mapping social research on
architecture across Europe, the design of new university buildings, a directory
of green materials, life-cycle issues in the design of hospital environments
and understanding of experience in virtual environments. These projects were
funded by a wide range of academic, research and policy bodies. The aimed to be
relevant to industry and grounded in real buildings and projects. For example
the Centre designed and assessed of the use of a number of housing projects,
several of which have been associated with recent design awards.
In summary,
social science research undertaken by the Centre staff dealt with the
assessment of present and future built environments in terms of their
suitability for the people for whom they are designed, and was also underpinned
by a practical grounding in the design, production and assessment of
innovative, ground-breaking buildings, mostly in the field of housing,
achieving national and international recognition. In addition to this social
science and design work, the need for a physical and material science research
base was also recognised and primarily based in the Masonry Conservation
Research Group, which covers a diverse range of research projects and
consultancy in the material science field. Led by Dr Maureen Young, now of
Historic Scotland, the MCRG no longer operates at RGU.
Pressure on
financial resources at RGU led to the diversion of a lot of EfP funding to the
teaching activity and the departure of many key research staff, but the Centre
still exists at least as a theoretical grouping of some researchers.
Click here
for a link to the EfP site at RGU