An approach is discussed whereby architects can learn to predict user responses to the buildings they design. An argument for the importance of prediction in architecture is presented, initial research efforts are discussed, specific scale-and media-development experiments are reported, and two professional applications of the resulting instrument are described.

Background

The recent history of architecture has been marked by an increasing involvement of architects with client-user groups with which they had had little or no contact. Commissions are obtained by architects not only in their own communities, but also throughout the country and, for some firms, throughout the world.They are obtained not only from clients from the same socioeconomic class or even the ruling elite, as was the case in previous centuries, but also from client groups having widely diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds (Appleyard, 1969). Often the clients represent user groups with special age, health, or mobility problems (Carp, 1970). Occasionally, user groups or potential user groups are so large or ill-defined as to be virtually unobservable in any primary way. And almost invariably, because of pressures brought on by rapidly increasing construction costs, architects are expected to perform their services in the shortest conceivable period of time, “fast-tract” becoming the commonplace rather than the exception.

From a technological viewpoint, architects appear to be managing quite well under these circumstances. New buildings for all clients and users incorporate the finest materials and systems to provide physical conveniences far beyond those offered in previous times.