Architecture Research Staff

• Dean Graeme Hutton
• Jeanette Paul
• Professor Jennifer Harris

AHRC Doctoral Studentship and Martin Jones Scholarship

• 18th March 2011: Accessibility Seminars, 4th Year Architectural Students
• 12th March 2010: Accessibility Seminars, 4th Year Architectural Students

Themes of these Seminars related to design discussion, analysis, critique, representation, accessibility, Equality Act (2010), way-finding, disability, impairment, visual loss/visual ability, the medical model of disability, the social model of disability, the architectural model of disability and participant narrative in relation to way-finding journeys around public buildings.

• September 2008 - August 2010: Part-Time Design Studio Teaching in the Masters of Architecture programme (5th year students) and in the Humanities Design Research Unit of the Bachelor of Arts in Architecture (4th year students).
• December 2007 - December 2008: PhD Seminar Co-ordinator in Architecture at University of Dundee (in association with the Geddes Institute, University of Dundee: http://www.dundee.ac.uk/geddesinstitute/phdseminars.htm).

• 2011: Doctor of Philosophy in Architecture (PhD), University of Dundee
• 2007: Master of Architecture (Distinction), University of Dundee
• 2006: Bachelor of Art in Architecture (Honours), University of Dundee
• 2004: Bachelor of Science in Architecture, University of Dundee

• 2011: Design 4 Health Conference, Sheffield, Peer Reviewed Presentation Prize
• 2010: Graduate Junction Poster Competition, 1st place Arts and Humanities Category
• 2010: Graduate Junction Poster Competition, 2nd place Overall Competition
• 2010: Knowledge Transfer Scotland Impact Poster Competition, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Shortlisted
• 2008: Shanghai Biennale Design Summer School, Tongji University, Shanghai, Gold Award
• 2008: Gordon Matheson Exemplary Project Award, Dundee School of Architecture
• 2008: RIBA President's Medals Student Awards, Nominee

Architecture and Design, Way-finding Journey, Public Buildings, Visual Ability, Architectural Model of Disability, Participatory Research, Social Model of Disability, Grounded Theory, Case Study, Visual Aesthetics, Less-visual Aesthetics, Non-visual Aesthetics, Medical Model of Disability, Experiential Components, Sensory Experience, Way-finding Hot-spots, User-centred Methods and Methodologies, Journey Stages, Tasks Components, Communication Requirements, Data Coding, Way-finding Scenarios, Participatory Research, Equality Act [2010], Accessibility, Building Legislation, Connectedness, Dissemination, Elements of Architecture, Ego-centric Position, Methods of Data Recording and Transcribing...

• 2007: Ushida Findlay Architects Part 2 Architectural Assistant, Edinburgh
• 2005: Misra & Associates Architects Part 1 Architectural Assistant, New York

The Way-finding Journey within a Large Public Building: A user centred study of the holistic way-finding experience across a range of visual ability.

Context: The built environment has been identified as failing people with visual loss (Barker et al., 1995;Jokiniemi, 1998;Arthur and Passini, 1992). The strategic task and skill of way-finding within a building has been raised as a particular problem (Arthur and Passini, 1992). Under the social model of disability (Oliver, 1990) Goldsmith (1997) recognises this problem as a form of Architectural Disablement.

There are few evidence-based studies of way-finding in a building. Furthermore, there are no studies of real-life experiences of way-finding, undertaken by real-life participants with a range of visual ability within the context of a real-life building. This doctoral research, based within the discipline of architecture has been immersed in investigating the holistic experience of way-finding in buildings by people who have a range of visual ability.

PhD Research Questions:

• What are the design issues revealed by participants, who have a range of visual ability, as they way-find in a large public building?
• What is an appropriate Methodology and set of Methods to investigate experiential components of way-finding suited to people with limited visual ability?

To fill an important gap in current knowledge a research enquiry, based on a user-centred design approach, was implemented. Exploratory in nature, the methodology was inductive and it evolved throughout the study. A series of Research Principles, borrowed from the established methodologies of Grounded Theory (Glaser, 1968) and Case Study (Yin, 2003a;Yin, 2003b), guided this study.

Ten participants [with varying degrees of visual ability, different ages and other forms of disability] undertook a ‘Way-finding Scenario’ designed to evaluate both existing memories of way-finding and present way-finding experience. Each participant undertook three phases: 1. A Purposeful Conversation (Burgess, 1982), 2. A Context Specific Way-finding Task, and 3. A Post-Task Purposeful Conversation and Debriefing

Focused on the holistic experiential components of a Journey this research coins and defines the term Way-finding Hot-spot as it explores the events [positive and negative] which are experienced and therefore impact on a Way-finding Journey around a building. Based on user experience in a real-world way-finding context, participant data contributed to a new Theory of Way-finding – A Charting of a Way-finding Journey – which is composed of three elements: Journey Stages, Tasks Components and Communication Requirements.

The thesis has detailed findings which generate design dialogue leading to the design of way-finding systems (suitable for a diverse range of way-finders). It has provided a research-based foundation to open the problem area and provide an insight into the issues people with different visual abilities encounter as they undertake a Way-finding Journey around a building. It has generated a greater understanding of the problems and joys of way-finding in a building which will be of use in professional practice across disciplines of architecture and design as well as in areas of rehabilitation, policy-making and academia.

As an early career researcher new proposals aim to address some of the issues revealed by the PhD and will add to the very limited knowledge base in this field. Encompassing new research questions, reviews of multidisciplinary literature and creative use of method. Studies will further explore visual ability/loss and the phenomenon of way-finding within the context of public buildings.

This PhD study has been widely published within conferences, articles, educational seminars and workshops such as:

Design 4 Health Conference Sheffield - MCINTYRE, L. HARRIS, J. & PAUL, J.(2011) ‘Let me show you what happens as I get from A-to-B’: Way-finding Design, Visual Ability & ‘Way-finding Hot-spots’. Design for Health Conference Sheffield (Full paper to be published online with ISBN number in Summer 2012

Access by Design Journal - MCINTYRE, L. HARRIS, J. & PAUL, J. (2010) Signs unseen: seeking ways out of the visual way-finding maze. Access by Design, 122, 20-23

Graduate Junction Competition - MCINTYRE, L. 2010 Poster: Non-Visual Way-finding [online] http://www.graduatejunction.net/posters/archive

The Future of Global Disability Research Conference - MCINTYRE, L.(2010) Poster: ‘Let me show you how I get from A-to-B’ Way-finding Signs Unseen. The Future of Global Disability Research. London, University College London: Centre for International Health and Development

The Future of Global Disability Research Conference - MCINTYRE, L.(2010) Poster: ‘Let me show you how I get from A-to-B’ Way-finding Signs Unseen. The Future of Global Disability Research. London, University College London: Centre for International Health and Development

Knowledge Transfer Scotland: Impact Poster Competition. Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University - MCINTYRE, L. HARRIS, J. & PAUL, J.(2010) Poster: Non-Visual Way-finding

Lancaster Disabilities Conference - MCINTYRE, L. HARRIS, J. & PAUL, J.(2010) Let me show you how I get from A to B: Non-Visual Way-finding Hot-spots in Buildings: A Methodological Approach. Lancaster Disabilities Conference. Lancaster

Research has also been presented (unpublished) within conferences, articles and educational seminars and workshops such as

PhD Thesis - MCINTYRE, L., (2011) The Way-finding Journey within a Large Public Building: A user centred study of the holistic way-finding experience across a range of visual ability. University of Dundee.

PhD Seminars at Dundee School of Architecture - MCINTYRE, L.(2011) An Exploration of 'Way-finding Hot-spots'. Geddes Institute for Urban Research. PhD Doctoral Research Seminars. Dundee, University of Dundee. MCINTYRE, L.(2010) Non-Visual Way-finding: Architectural Hot-spots. Geddes Institute for Urban Research. PhD Doctoral Research Seminars Dundee. University of Dundee. MCINTYRE, L.(2009) 'Finding my Way' through this Research. Geddes Institute for Urban Research. PhD Doctoral Research Seminars. Dundee, University of Dundee.

Accessibility Workshops at Dundee School of Architecture - MCINTYRE, L.(2011) Accessibility Workshop. Dundee, University of Dundee. MCINTYRE, L.(2010) Accessibility Workshop. Dundee, University of Dundee.

Aiming for Accessibility: Meeting Standards Making Change Conference - MCINTYRE, L., HARRIS, J. & PAUL, J.(2010) Signs Unseen: Seeking a Way Out of the Visual Way-finding Maze, Aiming for Accessibility Meeting Standards, Making Change Conference. Canada, University of Guelph.

Scottish Federation of University Woman Research Presentation Day - MCINTYRE, L., HARRIS, J. & PAUL, J.(2009) Non-Visual Way-finding. Scottish Federation of University Women Dundee Association. Dundee.

Masters Thesis - Masters Dissertation: MCINTYRE, L., (2007) Finding the Way: Mapping the Senses. University of Dundee.

• ARTHUR, P. & PASSINI, R. (1992) Wayfinding : people, signs, and architecture, Toronto, McGraw-Hill Ryerson.
• BARKER, P. J., BARRICK, J., WILSON, R. & ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND (1995) Building sight : a handbook of building and interior design solutions to include the needs of visually impaired people, London, HMSO in association with the Royal National Institute for the Blind
• BURGESS, R. G. (1982) Field research : a sourcebook and field manual, London, G. Allen & Unwin.
• GLASER, B. G. (1968) The discovery of grounded theory : strategies for qualitive research, London, Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
• GOLDSMITH, S. (1997) Designing for the disabled : the new paradigm, Oxford, Architectural Press.
• JOKINIEMI, J.:(1998) An Environment suitable for all. Visually Impaired Persons Evaluating the Built Environment. Publications in Architecture. Helsinki, Helsinki University of Technology
• OLIVER, M. (1990) The politics of disablement, Basingstoke, Macmillan.
• YIN, R. K. (2003a) Applications of case study research, London, Sage Publications.
• YIN, R. K. (2003b) Case study research : design and methods, London, SAGE.