Empathetic Design: How Elementary School Environments Designed to Reduce Stress can Foster Inclusion of High Functioning Autistic Children

All people experience stress in their environments. The specific causes of stress vary from person to person as does one's ability to cope with each stressor. This thesis introduces the concept of Empathetic Design, a design strategy possible only when empathy for the inhabitant is achieved by the designer. An Empathetic Designer is able to identify environmental stressors and can employ appropriate design strategies that reduce stress. Though this strategy is meant to be applicable for all people in all environments, the scope of this thesis focuses on the design of elementary school environments. Specifically, the scope is limited to how Empathetic Design can reduce stress and foster the inclusion of high functioning autistic children in a mainstream educational environment. This thesis combines current learning theory and autism research with a visual exploration of building types from six periods of American school design. The hope is to create Empathetic Designers who will inform design of future elementary school facilities.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Architecture

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Architecture

Department dc:contributor.department

Architecture

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2017

Author dc:creator

• Puttock, Robin Leigh Ziegenbalg

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Piedmont-Palladino, Susan C.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Feuerstein, Marcia F.
• Emmons, Paul F.

• Mainstream Educational Environment
• Elementary School Design
• Reduce Stress
• High Functioning Autism
• Empathetic Design

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:9270

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/83865