Research Article Open Access

TRANSITION SPACE IN HIGHEREDUCATION BUILDINGS AS AN EFFICIENT “BEHAVIOR SETTING” MODEL

Abstract

Recently, behavioral factors have become an important value, integrated with other values such as function, affecting the built environment. Accordingly, new terms in research, such as environment-behavior studies (EBS), have arisen. These studies describe the relationship between the environment and human behavior and identify its use in the design process. Besides, their emphasis is on fulfilling the needs of users through the correct application of behavioral design criteria. Behavior setting is one of these studies that can be considered as an important attempt to understand the psychology of human behavior in other than intrapsychic or person-centered terms. This type of study considered that the ultimate object of design is to create a form that satisfies behavior. Students’ social behaviors at higher-education buildings, their social interactions, and their gathering areas are among the most significant issues of architectural design. Transition spaces in such type of buildings have an elastic environment; this gives the designer some freedom to express space in a way that is not usually considered. Recent architects stated that a well-designed higher-education transition space (HETS) will help to create an environment of interaction where students can interact with their peers and their professors, thus enhancing the overall performance of such spaces. This performance can be developed by supporting HETS with a variety in functions and activities in order to create an interactive environment that is invaluable to the educational process. The paper will present an analytical approach as an attempt to identify HETS as an efficient ―behavior setting‖ model for better utilization of these spaces. Several samples of international HETS will be described and analyzed to make a better understanding of these spaces and to provide designers with a developed vision about their performance. This proposed vision can be subjected to further researches to identify criteria for assessing HETS performance.

Usama A. Nassar , Hosam S. El-Samaty

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