Atelier Red+Black (AR+B) architects have announced the release of a new data retention website, RateMyBuilding.com.au, which will document the experiences and opinions of the general public with regards to the built environment.
The website invites people to rate their home or office by completing a five-minute online questionnaire and begins by categorising them into four different building types to be rated - House, Townhouse, Apartment and Office.
The survey then asks for information about the house/office design including size, comfortability, light and ventilation, acoustics and noise, energy costs, and building defects.
It is hoped that as the project develops further surveys will be included on the site.
Whilst it is too early to draw specific conclusions about what the research will find, AR+B says that from the initial data received, over half of the respondents found their house size to be either too big or small for their needs.
“In offices, a large percentage of the initial respondents are unsure about the availability of important Health and Safety equipment such as first aid kits and defibrillators,” they said.
“Further responses will be required to determine if this is statistically significant, however the examples highlight the value of undertaking such research.”
“Architects are always concerned with how occupants will use their buildings. This research will shed further light on what is working and what isn’t. This can then enable us to design better performing buildings that actively respond to the end user requirements.” Sonia Sarangi, Co-Director of Atelier Red + Black
Once sufficient responses are collected and the data analysed, AR+B hopes to share the insights of the project with architects across Australia in a bid to improve future buildings and make them more responsive to the needs of the end user.
