Students' Works in Graduate Studio

2015-2016 Spring:

The Effects of Lighting and Seating Density of Cafes on Customers’ Perception of Crowding: A Study of Mozart Cafes in Bilkent University, Ankara

Students: Naz Bilgiç, Esra Kürkçü, Alara Tigrel

In this study, the effects of lighting and seating density on crowding in a café are examined. Lighting level and seating density of a café are expected to influence the customer’s perception of crowding. In order to test these factors, two surveys are conducted in two Mozart cafés located in Bilkent University. Each factor is tested with a likert type questionnaire. Results from 50 participants show that when the lighting level increases, crowding decreases. When seating density increases crowding is also increases. Also the results from 22 male and 28 female participants show that perception of crowding is affected by gender.

Keywords: Café, perception of crowding, lighting, seating density

The Effects of Color Coding on Users’ Wayfinding Performance in a Virtual Shopping Mall Environment

Students: Elif Aksel, Ela Fasllija, Ali Ranjbar

This study was designed to understand the effect of color coding on users’ wayfinding performance in complex buildings such as shopping malls. The experiment was conducted in a virtual environment with two environmental settings; consisting of color coded and neutral schemes. Thirty-two undergraduate and graduate students resident in Ankara were randomly chosen as participants for this study. Participants have equally divided in terms of having a background of visual training and knowledge about color and design issues, and the remaining half have not. There were asked to perform free walk process starting from the entrance to end point in the generic shopping mall in virtual environment. They have been observed in terms of time, route selection, and number of the errors. A clear conclusion could not be derived from the effect of color coding on users’ wayfinding performance but it is inferred that color-coding has no significant effect on users’ wayfinding performance.

Keywords: wayfinding, color coding, zoning, virtual environment

Speech Intelligibility and Privacy in Eating Facility

Students: Tuna Zişan Emirtekin, Ebru Özgüner, Pardis Taherzadeh

This article reports the initial finds of a research that is concerned with the speech intelligibility and privacy in eating facilities within Bilkent University and Middle East Technical University. Three eating facilities in Bilkent university campus and two in METU campus was selected for research. Although there are studies concerned with the acoustical characteristics of eating facilities, there isn’t enough research focusing on users’ expectation and interpretation of their soundscape environment. This study focused on the user’s speech intelligibility and privacy of their surrounded area in different eating facilities. The interviews were through questionnaires. In depth interviews are held with the people sitting in the eating facilities. Based on their subjective responses to the questions, a theoretical framework is generated to gain an insight on the factors that affect most the user’s speech intelligibility and speech privacy. Acoustical characteristics of the eating facilities measured through in-situ measurements of sound pressure levels (SPL) and equivalent continuous noise level (Leq). According to the data that were analyzed from questionnaires and in situ measurements, statistical analyzes were done.

Keywords: speech intelligibility, speech privacy, eating facilities

2012-2013 Fall:

Design Guidelines for Nonclinical Areas in Hospitals: Case of Güven Hospital

Students: Eray Erdemli, İdil Esen, Selin Hilal, Kanat Jakshybekov, Zeynep Öktem, İpek Özmen, Buse Ceren Şengül, Ayça Turgay, Çetin Tünger, Başak Zeka