An Exploration of 'Way-finding Hot-spots'

Lesley McIntyre
23rd March '11 12:30-2:00
Room 400, Crawford building.

The built environment is failing people with visual loss (Barker, Barrick, Wilson, & Royal National Institute for the Blind, 1995; Jokiniemi, 1998). The strategic task and skill of way-finding within a building is raised as a particular problem (Arthur & Passini, 1992). Goldsmith (1997) recognises this as a form of Architectural Disablement.

This doctoral research, based within the discipline of architecture, coins and defines the term 'Way-finding Hot-spot'. It explores the events and occurrences [positive/negative, temporal/ spatial] which are experienced and therefore influence a journey around a building. It introduces a new way of understanding way-finding.

This seminar presents the analysis of a 'Way-finding Scenario' [composed of purposeful conversation (Burgess, 1982), and a context specific way-finding task], participant evidence along with innovative methodology [founded in Grounded Theory (Robson, 2002)], has been essential in highlighting an architectural concept of journey within way-finding design.