Essay

The emergence of big data is bringing with it some very interesting insights into how we can better understand the world around us, and the way we live within its fluctuations. Of course, analyzing this without a plan could be overwhelming and complex, but with data visualization and analysis techniques you can begin to get unique insights into how to make positive changes for better living. For instance, did you know that you can begin to use collected data to help improve the way you design? By knowing what questions to ask about your design process or about your design outcome, you can zoom in on important data that can give you insights into how well your buildings function for the occupants which they serve.

What Data Would You Like to Visualize about Your Building?

To begin, you need to start by asking questions about the way you design, or by simply asking how you can improve your designs. By asking such questions — more questions will surface, and these will lead you to collect the right data to give you the insights you seek.

In essence, there are five critical steps to the data analysis cycle as taught by Professor Tim Chartier, PhD. of University of Colorado, Boulder in his course called Big Data: How Data is Transforming the World. These steps are as follows:

Data Analysis Cycle (1)

1. Collect data,

2. Visualize data,

3. Analyze data,

4. Question the data (even ask an expert)

5. Make a change or correction (then look for changes in data)

Applying Data Analysis to Building Design

For example, you may explore questions to improve building performance for your occupants. And from this point, you simply begin to collect the data that completes the “picture” and solves for your question. Thus, if you are trying to design better office buildings, you may consider asking how you can improve the reduction of stress levels, minimize sick days, and create an environment that boosts productivity. For this case, you could collect the following data:

• Minimize stress levels to boost health and productivity: Collect data on heart rate, temperature, and time-dependent surveys, deadlines met or missed and sick days. You may begin to make correlations between environmental factors, time, and occupant stress levels. And to get to these correlations, it helps to visualize your data so you can analyze it. Once analyzed, you can begin to make corrections or changes to that environment — and then look for consequential effects (either positive or negative).

By using sensors within the environment together with time-based tracking, you could collect just the right data to help your architectural environments be healthier, stress-reducing places in which occupants can be most productive. And by visualizing your data and analyzing it, you can make building improvements and evolve your design process to help occupants to function better within your designed spaces. Thus, you are essentially solving for how you can make your design better based on the original question asked (before you collected any data). This is a great way to reach breakthroughs in your own design process, and to create environments in which your building occupants thrive.

Reference:

(1) Chartier, Tim. (2014) Big Data: How Data Analytics is Transforming the World. The Great Courses. Lecture 2.

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