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PresentationDesign Strategies for Immersive virtual Reality Meditation Spaces(IDEC - Interior Design Educators Council, 2025-03-16)The increasing stress and emotional difficulties faced by college students highlight the need for effective and innovative approaches to stress management (Feinberg et al., 2022; Martin et al., 2022). Meditation for relaxation is proven to enhance emotional resilience (Burns et al., 2011). While traditional standard meditation spaces aid stress reduction (Husgafvel, 2023), Virtual Reality (VR) offers a new approach (Ma et al., 2023). This study establishes a framework for designing virtual meditation settings by integrating interior design and technology. A comparison of virtual and physical meditation spaces assesses their effectiveness in reducing stress. The focus is on spatial design elements and their impact on emotional health. The two research questions are: •What design criteria most effectively create transcendence and relaxing meditation spaces? •How do VR-based meditation spaces compare to physical meditation spaces in reducing stress and improving emotional well-being? A mixed-method approach combined pre- and post-surveys with qualitative assessments and compare two data sets quantitatively. User-centered design and human-computer interaction frameworks informed the design criteria (see Table 1). The application of design criteria in the virtual setting centered on integrating spatial openness, biophilic elements, and adaptable layouts to enhance the meditation experience. The virtual environment was crafted to engage users dynamically, providing a calming atmosphere tailored to support emotional regulation and stress reduction. The study compares two settings: a virtual meditation space (see Figure 13,5&6) and a campus wellness room (see Figure 28). Group A engaged with a custom virtual meditation space, the researcher designed based on design criteria, for reduce potential distractions , and provide a more cognitive engagement experience. Conversely, Group B acted as the control group, engaging in meditation sessions within a physically designed meditation space on campus. XX22 participants were involved in this research in the mid-west area during an academic year. Data collection involved the use of the Pleasure-Arousal-Dominance (PAD) scale and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to assess shifts in emotional states and stress levels both before and after the meditation interventions. Statistical comparisons were made between the two settings, assessing how the spatial design criteria, influenced participants' participation. The data analysis aimed to identify correlations between critical design parameters and their impact on emotional resilience, offering insights into the effectiveness of immersive versus Ineffective physical spatial layouts.
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PresentationBridging Generations: How Cultural Dimensions Influence Wellness Priorities in Workplace Design.(IDEC - Interior Design Educators Council, 2025-03-16)This study examines cultural diversity in workplace design to prioritize wellness elements and reduce generational gaps in inclusive environments. Workplace design has evolved with generational shifts and new workplace demands (Su et al., 2021; Malani et al., 2023). Understanding the role of cultural diversity, particularly between individualism and collectivism, in design preferences is key to creating inclusive environments (Lupu & Rasca, 2024; Qiu et al., 2022). This study explores six key themes—social interaction, open communication, recognition and rewards, collaboration, cultural sensitivity, and well-being—and how they connect to wellness design elements. The goal is to prioritize design elements that bridge generational gaps and foster diverse, supportive workplaces. This research investigates how cultural differences influence the selection of workplace themes and their connection to design elements. The research questions guiding this study are: (1) How do cultural differences influence the selection of workplace themes such as social interaction, collaboration, and well-being? (2) Which wellness design elements are prioritized to create supportive environments that reduce generational gaps in workplace design? A mixed-methods approach was used, drawing on responses from 308 college students across three U.S. regions. Most participants were domestic (66.9%) and undergraduate (68.7%). Cultural diversity was assessed using Triandis and Gelfand’s (1998) instrument. Content analysis of participant responses identified six key themes, which were then analyzed alongside 20 wellness design elements from previous research. Statistical analysis examined how cultural differences shaped theme selection and their link to design elements. Participants showed a stronger preference for vertical collectivism (M = 4.08, SD = 0.76) over vertical individualism (M = 3.66, SD = 1.09), emphasizing group loyalty and hierarchy. No significant differences were found between international (M = 3.45, SD = 0.89) and domestic students (M = 3.47, SD = 0.91), p = 0.449. Significant differences were observed between undergraduate (M = 3.42, SD = 0.88) and graduate students (M = 3.54, SD = 0.92), p = 0.041 (see Table 1). The six themes (see Figure 1) showed that Social Interaction (38%) and Collaboration (35%) were the most frequently mentioned, emphasizing teamwork and group dynamics (see Figure 2). Analysis of the design elements (see Table 3) revealed that Well-being was most strongly associated with elements like Fresh Air, Temperature, and Safety, while Recognition and Rewards had fewer connections to design elements, indicating a more limited role in workplace design. Minimal keyword matches were found between participant responses and design elements, suggesting potential misalignment between workplace features and employee expectations to minimize generational gaps. The results presented that design elements in aesthetic design criteria shared the keywords most. This research shows that individualist cultures align more with Well-being and User Control Environments, prioritizing autonomy and comfort. In contrast, collectivist cultures emphasize Collaboration, Social Interaction, and Cultural Sensitivity, reflecting teamwork and inclusivity. These findings demonstrate how cultural dimensions shape workplace design preferences. The findings offer valuable insights into how cultural diversity impacts workplace design, helping designers create inclusive environments that reduce generational gaps. This research also suggests the development of a design assessment tool to guide the creation of adaptable, inclusive workplaces.
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PresentationTeaching and Learning in the Round: Hands-on Exercises for Understanding of Five Human Factors in Interior Design(IDEC – Interior Design Educators Council, 2025-03-16)This presentation outlines five innovative experiential exercises designed to enhance interior design students' engagement and understanding of Human Factors and Ergonomics by bridging theoretical concepts with real-life applications, fostering their comprehension of sensory analysis, safety, wayfinding, human dimensions, and inclusive design.
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PresentationBreaking the Uniformity: Visuals Factors in Rendering Applications(IDEC - Interior Design Educators Council, 2025-03-16)Ease of use drives rendering software choice; light and shadow factors most affect atmospheric quality; tool usage and preferences vary. Recent advancements in rendering technologies have drastically transformed visual communication within architecture and interior design (Yu et al., 2022). The availability of user-friendly rendering software has democratized computational rendering, eliminating the need for specialized illustrators (Kim & Suk, 2018). Industry practices favor real-time rendering software for its efficiency and interactivity, often choosing it over AI-generated methods despite its potential for producing intricate, atmospheric effects (Architect Magazine, 2023). However, this accessibility has led to a proliferation of similar rendering styles, particularly in student work, limiting the potential for distinctive and memorable visual communication (Liao & Wang, 2021). Further exploration is necessary to break away from uniformity, focusing on renderings that evoke atmosphere, convey a natural presence, and inspire. This study aims to understand the design factors influencing this preference and explore how to enhance the emotional and atmospheric depth in renderings. The research questions include: (1) What rendering software is primarily used by design students and practitioners, and why is it preferred? (2) How do visual elements in rendering software impact atmospheric quality in interior design? (3) Does design experience affect the ability to identify atmospheric elements in renderings? The study used a mixed-methods approach, gathering quantitative and qualitative data through an online survey of 177 participants, including 146 students and 31 non-students. The sample included 147 design-related and 32 non-design-related participants. Participants reviewed renderings of Tadao Ando's Church of the Light, created using three different software (see Figure 1), and evaluated them based on nine visual factors identified in the literature. The results indicate that ease of use is the primary reason for software preference in educational and professional settings, influencing 25.40% of users (see Table 1). Factors related to light and shadow—such as realistic sunlight and shadow expressions (M = 4.27, SD = 0.74), appropriate ambient lighting (M = 4.21, SD = 0.79), and realistic colors of materials and finishes (M = 4.15, SD = 0.77)—are the most influential in achieving high atmospheric quality (see Table 2). While Enscape was the most widely experienced software (59.32%), Lumion emerged as the preferred choice for creating atmospheric scenes (33.33%) (see Table 3). Enscape excels in visual factors such as material reflectivity and color, while Lumion performs better in rendering natural elements like weather and sky (see Figure 2). Twinmotion offers balanced performance across atmospheric rendering categories, though it does not dominate in any specific area. The findings suggest that while ease of use drives software adoption, the ability to render specific atmospheric qualities influences the preference for particular software. The variation in strengths across software indicates that users may select different tools based on the atmospheric elements they aim to emphasize. Additionally, the absence of a significant correlation between design experience and the ability to identify atmospheric elements suggests that proficiency in recognizing these elements is accessible to students and experienced designers alike. This approach moves beyond photorealism, focusing on renderings that evoke sensory responses, aligning with Zumthor's (2006) concept of a "beautiful, natural presence." Future applications of these findings will involve integrating these criteria into curricula and practice, fostering a nuanced understanding of the atmosphere in rendering. This research contributes to the discourse on interior design visualization and offers valuable insights for software developers, educators, and designers seeking to enhance the emotional impact of their work.
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PresentationTangential Heave Stress on Piles in Cold Regions(American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), 2025-02-27)The United States is one of the leading countries in photovoltaic energy production with 179 gigawatts of cumulative capacity. An ideal location for photovoltaic panels is in the Northern United States. However, the construction of piles for solar panels might be challenging because of frost jacking (frost heaving) induced by the tangential heave stresses. Several factors will impact the tangential heave stress including temperature, soil type, normal stress, and initial moisture content of soil. In this study, the tangential heave stress of specimens collected from Cass County, Indiana, was measured in lieu of using estimates from country-wide standard codes. To do so, a custom temperature-controlled direct shear box was utilized to measure the tangential heave stress and adfreeze shear strength at temperatures of 0℃, -3℃, and -6℃ under normal stresses of 30 kPa, 60 kPa, and 100 kPa. The results showed that the temperature influenced the adfreeze shear strength but did not have a significant effect on tangential heave stress since the tangential heave stress stems from the friction that is developed between the pile and the soil after 2 mm of displacement. The mechanism involved during heaving is introduced to highlight the differences between the tangential heave stress and the adfreeze shear strength. Furthermore, the measured tangential heave stress was found to be lower than the values estimated using the recommendations in standards and codes.