Author(s): Jacklynn Niemiec
Contemporary circulation spaces provide value and agency to occupants. Whereas traditional forms of circulation, such as the double-loaded corridor, prioritize enclosed rooms along the building鈥檚 perimeter. This type of direct circulation may be the most efficient solution, but a courtyard layout, for example, can increase a sense of community by establishing a semi-private shared space for interaction. Civic, cooperative, educational, or public works of architecture are most relevant for considering how circulation design flattens physical differences, offers flexibility for the cognitive continuum, and empowers occupants鈥 agency. It is critical to consider educational environments alongside the evolution of circulation spaces. This paper reviews the literature on factors related to circulation in learning environments, including accessibility, sensory impacts, and spatial cognition. In parallel, graphic representations of movement within interior environments tend to omit these human factors. A typical circulation diagram conveys information about movement through space, often reducing it to one potential path. The deterministic quality of this reduction forces assumptions about use, destination, and physical ability and limits any opportunity for alternatives. While the diversity of scenarios cannot exist within a single diagram, the diagram can evolve to become a tool for making the 鈥渃omplexities of diverse human occupation of built space鈥 visible.1 Reducing a diagram to a single line leads to clarity for some, namely the designer, but exclusion for occupants; 鈥渆nvironments that are not universally usable are not value-neutral; on the contrary, they are value-implicit鈥.2 Physical properties establish how circulation spaces are used and who can use them. Subtle changes in dimension or slope can impact the speed at which someone moves, while the color or material wrapping a corridor can signify meaning about use or direction. Each criterion connects physical properties to the occupant experience and acknowledges the effect of various approaches. This review guided the design factors and relevance of mixed methods selected for assessing and documenting circulation spaces and suggested a deeper assessment of circulation spaces through a range of lenses for inclusion. This review was applied using the H-B Woodlawn School, designed by BIG and Leo Daly Architects, as a case study. The history and mission of the school underscore how fundamental daily activity and movement is within the school. The graphic analysis coordinates data from digital models using VASA, depthmapX, interviews, and site visits.3,4 The digital models simulate a variety of paths in the building and align the following design factors: distance, elevation change, daylight, view to exterior, and social density. Diagrams revealing these layers, related design matrices, and a discussion of their impact on the school provide future consideration for the design of contemporary learning environments.
Volume Editors
ISBN
978-1-944214-49-4