Browsing by Author "Malinin, Laura, advisor"
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Item Embargo A framework to guide eco-cultural interior design in adaptive reuse(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Schmidt, Alea, author; Malinin, Laura, advisor; Kwon, Jain, advisor; Valdes Vasquez, Rodolfo, committee memberAs the current efforts of sustainability in the built environment shift in focus from the environment to including aspects of health and wellbeing, equity, diversity, and inclusion, there is a need to understand how these aspects connect to the concept of eco-cultural design and the role of the interior designer. This qualitative study explores the ways in which interior design has potential to contribute to eco-cultural design especially within the context of adaptive reuse. The conceptual framework for this study is informed by the concept of eco-cultural design and the coinciding assessment framework proposed by Qtaishat et al. (2020). The indicators within the main categories of the original framework were adjusted to focus on aspects that relate specifically to interior design. Purposive sampling and the content analysis of design firm websites were used to identify professionals working at the intersection of adaptive reuse, interior design, and sustainability. Nine professionals participated in open-ended, semi-structured interviews to discuss their lived experiences with interior design and adaptive reuse and how sustainability and aspects of ecocultural design are understood in the industry. The qualitative coding techniques of open coding and a priori themes were used to explore the applicability of the conceptual framework for practice, and the ways in which the roles of the interior designer relate to the different categories of eco-cultural design. The participants' experiences and insights informed the refinement of the conceptual framework toward a guideline for Eco-Cultural Interior Design, including the roles interior design professionals might play from pre-design through project administration. The findings suggest there are already efforts being made in the industry regarding aspects of eco-cultural design. However, due to the overwhelming number of terms and concepts that exist relating to sustainability, interior designers lack the language to clearly communicate with clients the value of considering aspects of eco-cultural design. The findings also suggest that the framework is more impactful when used to guide interior designers as they move through the design process, rather than as another building rating system. Instead, it may be better used to provoke critical thought regarding how to consider all dimensions of sustainability during interior design and adaptive reuse. In addition, there is potential for interior designers to have the most impact on the eco-cultural sustainability in the pre-design phases of the design process, demonstrating the importance of involving them from the start. The main contribution of this study is therefore the development of a framework to guide eco-cultural interior design in practice.Item Embargo Examining knowledge transfer between design research and healthcare design practices: an interpretive comparative case study(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Iedema, Alyssa, author; Malinin, Laura, advisor; Kwon, Jain, advisor; Graham, Daniel, committee memberThe utilization of research to inform design decisions has been a rising topic of discussion. There is a gap between design research, how it is communicated and its accessibility, and the design industry, the ones responsible for designing and building the environments people inhabit (Huber, 2017). There have been few studies investigating how interior design practitioners are acquiring and applying research to inform their design decisions (e.g., Dickson and White, 1993; Huber, 2016b; 2017). Architecture and design firms have started to invest in developing in-house research labs in attempt to bridge the gap (Donofrio, 2013; Huber, 2016a). The purpose of this comparative case study is to explore how architecture and design firms in the United States are engaging with design research throughout the design process, including if and how engagement differs between firms with in-house research labs and those without. A total of 8 firms were studied (4 of these had in-house research labs). A content analysis of each firm's website was conducted to understand how they are describing their engagement with research to find essential themes across cases. Ten individuals, consisting of interior design practitioners and design researchers, were then interviewed to gain an understanding of research utilization from their perspective. Findings suggest that eight themes in which research is involved in the design process: 1) motivation for research 2) definition of research 3) organization of research 4) identifying knowledge 5) selecting knowledge 6) adapting knowledge 7) implementing knowledge 8) disseminating knowledge. Findings also suggest that there is an inconsistent communication and expectation of research across all firms.Item Open Access Experiences of designing women: a portrait of female interior designers' job satisfaction across career-spans(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Goodnite, A. Elizabeth, author; Malinin, Laura, advisor; Ogle, Jennifer, committee member; Conroy, Samantha, committee memberThe subject of job satisfaction is one of the most highly researched topics among organizational psychology (Lu, Barriball, Zhang, & While, 2012). However, only few studies have examined factors of job satisfaction among interior designers due, in part, to infancy of the profession (e.g., Hill, Hegde, & Matthews, 2014). The purpose of this study was to compose a portrait of female interior design professionals currently employed in the workplace and explored the factors impacting their perceived job satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Twelve female interior designers from three career phases (early, mid, and late career) were interviewed to gain diverse perspectives of job satisfaction. Participants were asked to draw the way they felt about their work based on Marcus' (1995) drawing elicitation method. Then interviews were performed using their drawings as a starting point for discussion, along with semi-structured questions guided by the conceptual framework developed for this study from two career phase models (AIA, 2017; Mainiero & Sullivan, 2005) and literature review. Findings suggested dynamic relationships between 1) personal-life factors; 2) work culture; 3) professional mindset; 4) relationships; and 5) resources to support creative performance at work. Participants felt greatest job satisfaction when optimal creative performance was bolstered by ideal conditions with respect to work culture, relationships, and resources when personal-life factors placed pressure on their lives. Furthermore, professional well-being seemed to be largely shaped by professional authenticity and its development through meaning-making tasks and achievements.Item Open Access Exploring cultural perceptions of waiting area design features on mood and quality of care(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Abdal, Noor, author; Malinin, Laura, advisor; Yan, Ruoh-Nan, committee member; Miller, Jeffery, committee memberHealthcare organizations spend millions of dollars to improve the physical attractiveness of their facilities, particularly in more public areas such as lobbies and waiting rooms, however impacts of renovations on perceived quality of care is rarely measured (Becker & Parsons, 2007). This two-part study uses the servicescape lens to examine perceived impacts of waiting area design features on mood and quality of care with people from two different countries, Kuwait and the United States. The first part of the study used an electronic card sort to identify specific design elements (e.g. furnishings, lighting, interior architectural features,etc) that people associate with positive or negative mood. Positive mood associations informed three different servicescape approaches to the digital design of a waiting area: medical-focused, neutral/activating, and hospitality-focused. In part two of the study, a photorealistic rendering of each servicescape design was used for image elicitation during semi-structured interviews. Twenty adults (five females and five males from each country) were interviewed in their native language using online video-communications technology to share their perceptions of the experiences and quality of care they felt they would receive in each servicescape design. Findings suggest the importance of considering cultural differences when designing waiting areas, respect to atmospheres and affordances that support user's psychological, sociological, and physical needs, including colors, density, visual complexity, style, and spatial configuration.Item Open Access Patterns of behavior in Alzheimer units: examining the role of the physical environment interface(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Apple, Christine Elaine, author; Leigh, Katharine, advisor; Malinin, Laura, advisor; Wood, Wendy, committee memberThe purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among the physical environment and behaviors within individuals with Alzheimer’s in a Special Care Unit (SCU). The SCU was located in a skilled nursing facility in Fort Collins, CO providing care for individuals with mid to late stage dementia, including individuals with Alzheimer’s. Of interest in this research study was the impact of this relationship to influence positive, and negative, behaviors contributing to positive quality of life, or positive behaviors supported by one’s physical surroundings creating a living environment directed at acknowledging the person’s life experiences, opportunities for choice and decision, and activities replicating prior home/work activities for residents with Alzheimer’s or dementia. This study sought to enhance the existing body of knowledge about environmental impacts on behavior in care for individuals with Alzheimer’s. Day, Carreon, and Stump (2000) suggested design of the physical environment should be therapeutic, promoting well-being and functionality for individuals with Alzheimer’s or dementia. The research design was an instrumental case study investigating issues surrounding a specific phenomenon (i.e., the relationship of environment and behavior in the SCU) and collected both qualitative and quantitative data. Data collection began with a physical inventory documenting the environment through photographs noting furniture locations, lighting, colors, contrast, materials and finishes, and wear within the space. Observational data were collected over a 10 week consecutive period, during non-randomized times to accommodate the facility (three times a week) for 30 minutes each. Finally, the e-Survey with qualitative and quantifiable data obtained from staff (ns = 6) perceptions of the physical environment and residents’ (nr = 9) behaviors. Findings suggested staff behavior reinforcing a medical model of care in contrast to contemporary approaches providing person-centered care; staff perceptions of communications differed from observed instances of communication; resident wandering and communication were the two most frequently occurring behaviors recorded during observations. Instances where the physical environment impacted resident behaviors considered: a flooring transition strip instigated frustration by a resident in a wheelchair unable to move over the height difference; areas with greater levels of lighting, whether natural or artificial, appeared to promote greater socialization; and furniture placement and corridor planning in the unit shaped the pathways for movement through the unit. Two specific behaviors, not identified in the empirical literature, were found in the study to potentially contribute to a positive quality of life for residents with Alzheimer’s: physical touch and cleaning. Observed body language and facial expressions, of residents, during these behaviors suggest possible connection supporting in individual’s positive quality of life. The study revealed positive quality of life and person-centered care to be interlaced and not separate entities due to their concentration on personalization of care and establishing a connection to the individual’s past experiences.Item Open Access Third place: a qualitative examination of socialization and community building in CCRCs(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Ellis, Jared Paul, author; Malinin, Laura, advisor; Scolere, Leah, advisor; Cross, Jeni, committee memberContinuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) continue to be a popular option for senior living. Social activity is invariably tied to improved health trajectories and decreased loneliness but is often challenging for persons who may not have transportation available pointing at designers and architects to create quality social spaces within the CCRC itself. The concept of Oldenburg's third place and the breadth of literature tied to it provides a link between the built environment and network sociology informing this study. This case study utilized a spatial inventory, resident interviews and direct observations to investigate 1) whether CCRCs are utilizing Evidence-based design (EBD), 2) if there are naturally occurring or purpose-build third places internal to the community, and 3) whether these spaces were supporting socialization for the residents. While findings indicated limited use of EBD principals, the use of administrative policy lead to unique social leveling in the CCRC's purpose-built third place.