Greenery on residential buildings: Does it affect preferences and perceptions of beauty?

Recently there has been a surge in the number of green roofs and façades (vegetation on the roofs & walls of a building) installed in the UK, with advocation of their use by policy-makers and claims that they are aesthetically pleasing and promote restoration. But these claims rely on generalisations from different landscapes, raising concerns about validity. The present study examined whether houses with vegetation would be more preferred than those without, be perceived as more beautiful and restorative, and have a more positive affective quality. Differences between types of building-integrated vegetation were also examined. Two studies were conducted: an online survey in which participants (N = 188) rated photographs of houses with and without vegetation on each of these measures, and interviews (N = 8) which examined preference and installation concerns. Results showed that houses with (some types of) building-integrated vegetation were significantly more preferred, beautiful, restorative, and had a more positive affective quality than those without. The ivy façade and meadow roof rated highest on each. These findings are consistent with other areas of landscape research and the claims of those in the industry, and suggest that building-integrated vegetation would be a valuable addition to the urban environment.     

“Is this really a police station?”: Police department exteriors and judgments of authority, professionalism, and approachability

This study examined the relationship between exteriors of police department facilities and participants’ ratings of the buildings’ authority, professionalism, and approachability. After a pilot study, research was conducted with 122 participants who were undergraduate students from a small, liberal arts college in the Northeast. On each of three characteristics (authority, professionalism, and approachability), participants rated 16 color images of police departments located in the United States. The façade ratings for each characteristic were then categorized into factors through factor analyses. There were three factors for authority (Ineffectual, Strong, and Outdated); three for professionalism (Unskilled, Non-traditional, and Governmental); and four for approachability (Uninviting, Accessible, Public, and Impenetrable). The results were compared to participants’ scores on the Right-Wing Authoritarianism Scale (Altemeyer, 1981) and the Social Dominance Orientation scale (Sidanius & Pratto, 1999). Although the primary goal for the study was to determine whether there are consistent responses to police department exteriors, it was hypothesized that the façade ratings would relate to the authoritarianism ratings, with more authoritarian people expected to rate the façades higher in authority. Although this hypothesis was not supported, significant findings were related to gender. Applications to architectural design are discussed.     

Infill McMansions: Style and the psychophysics of size

The number and size of infill oversized houses, or McMansions, has increased in the U.S. and the world. To maintain desirable neighborhood appearances, communities should know what constitutes “too big.” This paper reports six studies that used color simulations of blocks of houses to examine compatibility and visual appeal in relation to attributes of the infill house and its context. Following psychophysical findings, the relative size of the infill house should have larger effects on response than its actual size. The studies confirmed that the infill ratio had more weight than size for perceived compatibility. Compatibility did not always translate into visual appeal. For visual appeal, infill style had larger effects than did size or size ratio, height had larger effects than width, and, for larger sizes and ratios, infill ratio had larger effects than actual size. To maintain visual quality in relation to infill houses, communities should first seek an architecturally compatible style, and then try to control its relative size (the infill façade area). Tests of responses to real infill houses can show how well these findings generalize.     

Creating sense of community: The role of public space

A strong sense of community has been associated with improved wellbeing, increased feelings of safety and security, participation in community affairs and civic responsibility. Although interest in how the broader built environment influences sense of community is gaining momentum, there is a dearth of empirical research examining the association between sense of community and the quality of public space. This study investigates the relationship between four public spaces – Public Open Space (POS), community centres, schools and shops – and sense of community in residents of new housing developments in the Perth metropolitan area, Western Australia. Data was obtained from a cross-sectional survey (n = 911), a POS audit, and Geographical Information Systems, and analysed using linear regression. The perceived quality of neighbourhood POS and shops was significantly and positively associated with sense of community. This relationship appears to be unaffected by how frequently people use these spaces. High quality public spaces may be important settings for enhancing sense of community within residents of new housing developments.     

Effect of environmental conditions on perceived psychological restorativeness of coastal parks

We investigated the hypothesis that perception of psychological restorativeness during visits to coastal parks is modified by objective and perceived environmental conditions. Visitors (n = 1153) to California beaches completed a survey on perceived weather, environmental quality, and perceived restorativeness. We used generalized ordinal logistic models to estimate the association between environmental parameters and odds of perceiving higher levels of restorativeness. Visitors perceived greater restorativeness at beaches when ambient temperatures were at or below mean monthly temperatures and during low tides. The odds of perceiving the environment as more psychologically restorative were three times greater when visiting on days defined by government policy as having good air quality (OR = 3.25; CI: 1.69–6.28). Visitors’ perception of air (OR = 1.56; CI: 1.14–2.18) and water quality (OR = 1.78; CI: 1.28–2.49) also affected perceived restorativeness; with perceived healthy days more restorative. Warmer temperatures with less space due to sea level rise and poor environmental quality will restrict restorative experiences in recreational facilities designed for urban populations.     

Future implications of urban intensification on residential water demand

Over recent decades Auckland, New Zealand, metropolitan area has vastly expanded as a result of rapid population growth and low-density housing developments. In order to manage the uncontrolled low-density urban sprawl, Auckland Council proposed a compact city model through promoting higher density housing developments. In order to understand the implications of this transition on future residential water demand, this study first evaluated water consumption in three major housing types in Auckland including single houses, low-rise and high-rise apartments. Using the geographic information system, the water consumption information, estimated from a large sample of 60,000 dwellings across Auckland, was subsequently integrated with the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan outlining the future housing composition over different areas in Auckland. Through developing different growth scenarios, the study showed that the housing transition from single houses to more intensified multi-unit houses cannot considerably affect the average per capita water consumption in Auckland.     

What’s Wrong with the Tap? Examining Perceptions of Tap Water and Bottled Water at Purdue University

The environmental impacts of bottled water prompted us to explore drinking water choices at Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, IN. A random sample of 2,045 Purdue University students, staff, and faculty was invited to participate in an online survey. The survey assessed current behaviors as well as perceived barriers and benefits to drinking tap water versus bottled water. 677 surveys were completed for a response rate of 33.1%. We then conducted qualitative interviews with a purposive sample of university undergraduates (n = 21) to obtain contextual insights into the survey results and the beliefs of individuals with a variety of drinking water preferences. This study revealed that women drink disproportionately more bottled water then men while undergraduate students drink more than graduate students, staff and faculty. The study also uncovered a widespread belief that recycling eliminates the environmental impacts of bottled water. Important barriers to drinking tap water at Purdue include: perceived risks from tap water and the perceived safety of bottled water, preferring the taste of bottled water, and the convenience of drinking bottled water. The qualitative interviews revealed that drinking water choices can be influenced by several factors—especially whether individuals trust tap water to be clean—but involve varying levels of complexity. The implications of these results for social marketing strategies to promote tap water are discussed.     

Ammonia emissions from swine houses in the southeastern United States

Ammonia (NH3) from confined animal feeding operations is emitted from several sources including lagoons, field applications, and houses. This paper presents studies that were conducted to evaluate NH3 emissions from swine finisher and sow animal houses in the southeastern USA. Management and climate variables including animal weight, feed consumption, housing gutter water temperature, total time fans operated per day, house air temperature, house ambient NH3 concentration, and animal numbers were measured to determine their individual and combined effect on NH3 emissions. Ammonia emissions varied on daily and seasonal bases with higher emissions during warmer periods. For finishers, the summertime housing emissions on a per-animal basis were 2.4 times higher than wintertime (7.0 vs. 3.3 g NH3 animal(-1) d(-1)) or 3.2 times higher when compared on an animal unit (AU) basis (1 AU = 500 kg) because of climate and animal size differences between measurement periods. For summertime, the emission factor for the finishing pigs was 7.8 times higher than for sows on an animal basis and 25.6 times higher on an AU basis. Simple models were developed for housing emissions based on (i) all measured factors that were independent of each other and (ii) on three commonly measured management factors. The two models explained 97 and 64%, respectively, of variations in emissions. Ammonia emissions were found to be somewhat less than other studies on the same type housing due to more representative housing concentration measurements and calibration of exhaust fans; thus, emission factors for these type houses will be less than previously thought.     

The issue of sustainability and disclosure. A case study of selective garbage collection by the Urban Cleaning Service of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - COMLURB

The Urban Cleaning Company of the City of Rio de Janeiro - COMLURB launched the Recycling Separation Center Project (Projeto Central de Separação de Recicláveis or CSR) in 2003. The objectives of the project were the adequate disposal of solid urban waste as well as the generation of employment and income. The COMLURB Project had economic, environmental and social facets, and the researchers sought to establish whether COMLURB had prepared reports that would enable evaluation of the investment made and the results obtained. In particular, the researchers sought to establish whether COMLURB financial statements set out the results of actions inherent to the CSR. We concluded from our analysis of the Project that the three elements of sustainability (social, environmental and economic), despite being fully present, were not adequately demonstrated. This study therefore proposes a model report with a view to enabling various information users to evaluate the results of the CSR Project.     

The prefabricated house: Is it really a home?

This paper examines the viability of the prefabricated detached dwelling, in France, as a home and shelter. It also considers its symbolic nature, and its role both as an investment and a form of inheritance. It is based on an exploratory survey in which 20 householders were interviewed in depth and their comments analysed by means of a specific method of content analysis. Consumer choices are investigated by establishing what prefabrication offers in relation to traditional housing, in terms of the construction process, acquisition procedures, architectural style and cost. Then the author examines ‘inhabiting’ and the feasibility of these houses as an inheritable property with reference to the cultural models of the purpose-built house.It was found that prefabricated housing is a solution suited to all professionally mobile people and to the retired. This adaptation makes home ownership compatible with residential mobility, quite the reverse of what is popularly believed.     

Residential satisfaction in students' housing

This paper reports the results of a study of residential satisfaction in students' housing in Nigeria. The study examined how satisfied students were and the factors which predicted residential satisfaction. Specifically, it examined whether the morphological configurations of the halls of residence would predict residential satisfaction. Data were obtained from questionnaires distributed to a sample of 1124 respondents from all the halls of residences in four residential universities in Southwestern Nigeria. The data comprised objective and subjective measures of the physical, social and management attributes of the halls of residence. These were analyzed using frequencies, factor analysis and categorical regression models. More than half (53%) of the respondents were dissatisfied with their residences and the variables which explained satisfaction were the social qualities of the residences, especially, the social densities; the kitchenette, bathroom and storage facilities and some demographic characteristics of the students. The morphological configuration of the halls of residence was also found to be a predictor of satisfaction and the characteristics which appeared most significant were the plan form and the length of the corridor. The regression model explained 65% of the variance in R². An instructive finding was that satisfaction appeared most critical in the bedroom.     

The effects of color and light on indoor wayfinding and the evaluation of the perceived environment

This study was designed to explore the effects of color and light on indoor wayfinding and the subjective judgments of those perceiving the environment. Furthermore, how problems experienced in buildings with complex floor plans and successive spaces are addressed using variables such as color, brightness, and correlated color temperature through a desktop virtual reality environment. The experiment was conducted with the participation of 102 university students who experienced the indoor environments with various color and light variables, and evaluated these environments using concrete concepts like clear/blurry, attractive/unattractive, navigable/unnavigable and inviting/repellent. The scores for attractiveness and remembrance of warm colors were found to be higher than those for other colors, and the median scores for the positive perception of correlated color temperature were found to be higher than those concerning high and low level temperatures. However, it was confirmed that the use of warm and cool colors in indoor environments with low light levels were not taken into consideration by users of a space and were perceived negatively. Moreover, it was determined that compared to the males, females preferred high brightness levels.     

Engaging with the natural environment: The role of affective connection and identity

Research has shown pro-environmental behaviour to be positively associated with the strength of emotional connection towards the natural environment. The present study (N=199) investigated the predictive utility of an extended model of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) [ Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behaviour. Organizational Behaviour and Human Decision Processes, 50, 179–211] for people's intentions to engage with the natural environment. It was hypothesised that both affective connection and identification with the natural environment would contribute significantly to the prediction of people's intentions. A secondary hypothesis was that participants who had grown up in rural areas would report more positive orientations towards engaging with the natural environment than would urban participants. The research found that affective connection was a significant independent predictor of intentions to engage with the natural environment. Environmental identity was only a significant predictor in the absence of affective connection in the regression model. As predicted, rural and urban participants differed significantly along the measured variables.     

Comparing the impacts of mitigation and non-mitigation on mountain pine beetle populations

Mountain pine beetles, Dendroctonus ponderosae (Hopkins) attack and can ultimately kill individuals and groups of pine trees, specifically lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex. Loud var. latifolia Engl.). In British Columbia, beetle attack has increased from 164 000 ha in 1999 to over 13 million ha in 2008. Mitigation efforts can play a key role in addressing the impact beetle infestations can have on the forested landscape. In this research, the impact of mitigation on a mountain pine beetle infestation is examined within a network of 28 research plots where sanitation harvesting was completed (10 mitigated plots) and not completed (18 unmitigated plots). Three forest stand level modelling scenarios which predict the number of attacked trees, based on current infestation within the plots, were utilized to compare the differences between mitigated and non-mitigated plots. In the first scenario in the non-mitigated plots, 125 trees were infested after 10 years, while in the mitigated plots no trees were infested in the same time period. The second scenario indicates the level of mitigation required to suppress beetle infestations where the proportion of mitigated trees was calculated for each plot by counting the residual attack and the number of mitigated trees. The average mitigation rate over all plots of 43% (range 0–100%) is not sufficient to provide control. In the non-mitigated plots, the average population expansion rate was 5 (range of 0–18) which requires a detection accuracy of 74% to reliably detect infestation. The third scenario estimated the length of time required for ongoing detection, monitoring, and mitigation to bring an infestation under control. If mitigation efforts were maintained at the current rate of 43%, the beetle population would not be adequately controlled. However, when aided by continued detection and monitoring of attacked trees, mitigation rates greater than 50% are sufficient to control infestations, especially with persistent implementation, aided by continued detection and monitoring of infested trees.     

The Impact of Traffic Noise on the Values of Single-family Houses

The objective of this paper is to provide an empirical analysis of the impact traffic noise has on the values of single-family houses. Under the assumption that negative externalities are capitalized into house values, the hedonic price method is used. Issues of asymmetric information and disequilibrium are discussed and tested. Furthermore, the cost-benefit valuation has been corrected for the existence of property tax. Noise pollution was found to have a substantial negative effect on housing values. A single-family house of SEK975 000 would sell for SEK650 000 if located near a road where noise is loud, equivalent to a total discount of 30%.     

Determinants of noise annoyance in teachers from schools with different classroom reverberation times

A high proportion of school teachers report that they are disturbed by noise during teaching. The aim of the study was therefore to identify determinants of self-reported noise exposure and disturbance attributed to noise among secondary school teachers (n = 419) in 10 schools in Copenhagen, Denmark. The schools were selected to show contrasts in classroom reverberation times (RT), and were classified as “Short RT” (3 schools, mean RT 0.41–0.45 s), “Medium RT” (3 schools, mean RT 0.51–0.55 s) and “Long RT” (4 schools, mean RT 0.62–0.73 s). Significant determinants of self-reported noise exposure were a high number of children in the class, young age of the children, and low teacher seniority. “Long RT” classification was of borderline significance. Significant determinants of disturbance attributed to noise from children in the class were teacher seniority and “Long RT” acoustic classification of the school. The associations between work characteristics and noise disturbance measures were attenuated by low self-rated work capacity, suggesting that the consequences of noise and poor acoustics may not be limited to disturbance attributed to noise, but may have a wide negative impact on the perceived working environment.     

Perceived causes, exposures and adjustments to seasonal heat in different residential areas in Ibadan, Nigeria

Local perception can be an important resource for assessing and managing climate-related extremes and identifying adjustment strategies unique to specific settings. The objectives of the study are two-fold. Firstly, it examined the perceived causes, exposures and adjustments to seasonal heat events using different residential density areas of Ibadan, Nigeria, as spatial units of analysis. Secondly, it investigated the relationship between heat exposure, built environment, socio-economic and cultural factors. Results show that intense heat from the sun, climate change and absence of rains, among others, was identified as perceived causes. Number of electricity hours, distance from water supply points and the number of neighborhood trees were listed as the three most important factors affecting heat exposure. In addition, there were considerable variations in the perceived causes (F?=?4.86, p?<?0.05), in exposures (F?=?3.61, p?<?0.05), and in adjustments to seasonal heat (F?=?8.75, p?<?0.05) across different residential density areas in Ibadan, Nigeria. The study demonstrates that local knowledge based on the perceptions, exposures and adjustments to seasonal heat waves has the potential in some cases to provide valid inputs into vulnerability and adaptation assessments.     

A training consultancy for an Ethiopian I.D.A. urban programme evaluated

The author contributed to a short ‘in service’ course for staff engaged on a World Bank upgrading project for Ethiopian housing. The project includes both the building of new houses by self‐build co‐operatives on the periphery of Addis Ababa, and the upgrading of a dense inner city area in conditions of acute deprivation. The paper is a highly personal account of the author's impressions of the value of such initiatives.     

Adaptation of local building materials — a key to rapid housing development in Nigeria

There are some experts who are dealing with research on locally made materials for building in the Ministry of Housing and Works in Nigeria. It has been discovered in the Ministry that lateriate clays can be fired and used for building even two‐storey buildings depending on the firing and the pressure (Ogunbamwo, 1975). The Ministry has constructed a block of bungalows of low‐cost housing units with mud at Ikoyi, off Kingsway Road. No one will know that these houses are mud houses if not at closer inspection. Unfortunately, no effort has been made to continue or improve on this laudable adventure in Nigeria.