Ergonomics, Aging in Place and Universal design
I’m sure many of you have heard ergonomics.
Today’s topic are a few different things that I personally feel play into each other. They are; ergonomics, anthropometrics, universal design and aging in place design. The reason why these are all interrelated in my mind is because they all have to do with ways the body functions, such as reach ranges, heights and depths of objects etc. That are at a comfortable enough range for people to do basic functions depending on where you are in your home.
Anthropometry is “the science dealing specifically with the measurement of the human body to determine differences in individuals, groups, etc…” (pg 23 human dimension and interior space).
This plays with universal design because “no person is average in all (his) body dimensions. (He) simply is not built that way. This has been demonstrated by studies made of the middle range of a sample of 4,000 males, which showed that of twn body dimensions measured, only 25 percentt were average in a single dimension and less than 1 percent were average in five dimensions. Despite this, we are constantly exposed to literature suggesting designs to suit the average user.” ( epilogue 303 human dimension and interior space). These measurements of the human body play a role with heights, and depending on where you are; such as a kindergarten classroom, the heights will be different compared to an office space. The function and the people using a space be it a family, or just adults can differ in how a space is used and how to manage it in a way that everyone can use said space. Having hooks hung at lower levels for children to hang their coats, with higher hooks for adults at an entrance of a home, is one way this can come into play. It also comes into play with those who use the world differently such as being in a wheelchair, blind, etc. There are a multitude of variables that play into how people interact with a space and universal design uses the understanding of anthropometrics to see how to allow all people to use a space in as close to the same way as possible.
Aging-in-place design is similar to that in that it is so as you age you can live in your home longer. Many people don’t want to leave their home as they age but they find that they cannot use their home the way they once could, and perhaps won’t go up the stairs because they don’t feel safe climbing them, or they can’t climb them for whatever reason. Planning ahead, or taking the time to think about designs and functions and how they would be used so you can age in a home safely is important. Slippery floors, too tiny kitchens or bathrooms, etc are all things that are generally the things to think about at first. Others could be tight hallways, stairs ( as mentioned before) and even things like door knobs or knob handles on cabinetry. These are harder to grasp as you age and loose your grip. Having things like levers or drawers so you don’t have to bend down so low to grab a pot are different ways to think about how to reorganize and simplify a space so you can grow into it and remain there for the long term.
Lastly is ergonomics. This is when “the human biological sciences: anatomy, physiology and psychology.” Or as “an interdisciplinary science which studies the relationships between people and their environments.” (pg 18 human dimension and interior space). These are generally thought of in places such as an office setting with the height of a desk and keyboard, the shape of a mouse to alleviate wrist pain, the tilt of a monitor or even the chair you sit in and how many variables it has to be comfortable for you. It is also generally considered when in a vehicle. But ergonomics are aspects of design that are with daily life too. How easy is it to press a button on an electric stove, or turn on a faucet? How easy is it to open a door and walk through? What about opening a window, or how comfortable holding a knife is when preparing food?
So how you interact with a space, and how you feel you fit and can function within that space is relative to ergonomics.
These are basic run-downs of what these are and if you see them out in the wild, how you can more readily understand or think about your spaces and functions of those areas for the future.
As usual please comment below if you have any questions, comments, or any information I may have gotten wrong or mixed-up. Thank you so much!!!
Source: I have a hardback copy, but I found one online of the book
https://archive.org/details/humandimensionin0000pane