Carmen Gibes
cgibes@ltu.eduGibes is a Master of Architecture student at Lawrence Technological University and has pursued the thesis course to further explore her deep interest in environmental psychology. Receiving her Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Lawrence Technological University in 2018, she was accepted into the Challenge Detroit Fellowship and engaged in hands-on community driven projects with local nonprofits and organizations throughout Detroit. Gibes currently works at WaitTime, a Michigan native start up that addresses spatial analysis through AI algorithms to optimize crowds across various verticals. Future aspirations for Gibes include starting her own design firm that focuses on aiding individuals through design-build interventions that incorporate continued research in environmental psychology as guiding philosophies.
TITLE
Work-from-Home Vantage: Responsive Spaces for Disadvantaged Personality Characteristics
MajorArchitecture
DescriptionSince the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, there has been a significant increase of time spent in the home and the concept of working-from-home is a growing phenomenon. Even today, three years since the pandemic’s onset, 59% of the population is still working from home, a trend that is expected to remain. This has imposed working needs into dwelling spaces, which are environments that may not be spatially, cognitively, or technologically fabricated for that purpose. Consequently, 68% of people who work from home do so from undesignated working spaces which now must adapt to this new junction. Research of the environmental impact on brain functions suggests that perception of spaces is highly subjective to personality traits, providing unique experiences to each user. The measure of this perception is examined further in this thesis, specifically personality types that are disadvantaged by work-from-home conditions not conducive to their needs. Investigating these trait characteristics in relation to their intrinsic and extrinsic motivations highlights areas of focus for spaces that are responsive and adapt to conditions in the home. The intrinsic perceptions of disadvantaged Big-Five personality traits can be better supported through responsive design interventions that react to spatial needs by optimizing the undesignated work-from-home environments. This thesis seeks to examine personalities and explore programmatic, spatial, and material characteristics of work-from-home space interventions that will best support their needs. The beneficial success of this prototype will be measured through experimental study designs advanced by qualified and quantified metrics according to the specific spatial and personality needs. The goal of this thesis is to explore the optimization of work-from-home environments for a disadvantaged personality trait through the responsive adaptation of atmospheric conditions and spatial qualities.
