Week 5 Design Thinking and Doing

Based on your life experience, skills and interests, what would a design process that is both uniquely yours and effective look like?

Through the lens of a biology student, the design process is very much form after function. The priority is the plants, and what they are doing to improve the space they are in, and whatever else is necessary comes next. This means that the rest of the project is designed around those plants. Whatever system used to grow those plants, or effort put into making the rest of the wall look nice, must be adapted so that the wall can most efficiently grow the plants on it. The sustainability of materials is an important part of the wall’s development, but it is not necessarily the first decision made, instead a parameter set for designing the rest of it, a challenge we must meet. In a laboratory setting, you are trying to find an answer, and you do this by any means possible. Oftentimes you even invent techniques so that you can find the answers you are looking for more efficiently. Everything is about the result. THis does bring a challenge to this project–much of what we are trying to achieve has to do with beautification of campus. To ignore what our solution is just to achieve our desired impact may not result in a product as effective or useful as we’d like

Through the lens of an HMS student, I see the great importance of thinking about the long term effects of whatever we create. As we discuss what a living wall actually is, and what we want it to do, it is important that we spend just as much time thinking about what our product could do that is outside of our frame. Side effects and external costs are often louder than any good we may want to do, resulting in a project that isn’t sustainable, potentially even harmful. Attempts to mitigate this are never perfect, but solving these problems before they come up is certainly better than waiting until they’re here.

Hypothesis

1. Students will experience improved levels of stress when in a workspace near the living wall
2. The construction of this living wall will be considered a ‘good investment’ for Lehigh. Either it will save Lehigh money, or will increase student engagement, or some other parameter of perceived benefit.
3. The nature deficit is a common phenomenon with the Lehigh student population.
4. Students will seek out areas that have integrated green infrastructure. 
5. Students will be more productive/time efficient when working in the presence of a living wall or increased nature integration.
6. The construction of a living wall on Lehigh’s campus will reduce noise pollution.
7. A living wall on Lehigh’s campus will reduce air pollution in Bethlehem.
8. A living wall is sustainable itself. (considering the maintenance of a living wall)
9. A living wall inside a building will increase the indoor air quality
10. Hydroponic systems will limit the amount of pests drawn indoors due to the living wall

 

Assumptions

1. Indoor greenery is good for student mental health. This assumption comes from research done in hospitals that shows that being able to see nature from a hospital room led to shortened hospital stays and improved healing time.
2. Students will be interested in participating in the wall’s maintenance. Students we have interviewed have expressed interest in an interactive component of the wall, and we have seen several other clubs similar, like the community garden, with student interest.
3. Some students want more ways to increase their interactions with nature and plants in their daily lives. This is grounded in the conversations we have had with students. 
4. The nature deficit is true and connection with nature is important for mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. This assumption is grounded in previous research conducted in response to the proposal of the nature deficit theory by Richard louv. 
5. The assumption that students will work more productively around nature connects to the assumption that it will also reduce stress levels, as decreased stress levels should clear one’s mind and therefore enhance productivity.
6. Studies done on spaces that included a living wall in part of their design demonstrate that this infrastructure decreases ambient noise levels; in fact, these studies have shown that noise levels can decrease as much as 40 decibels due to the presence of living walls. Hence, we assume that a similar correlation will exist if we build a living wall at Lehigh.
7. A living wall will increase air quality not only in its respective area, but also for the immediate area in Bethlehem. This assumption is based on previous research from case studies on how living walls affect air quality.
8. A living wall actually saves energy keeping in mind the possible hydroponics system of the living wall and etc. This assumption comes from having a hydroponics system which uses a lot of energy is actually more energy efficient than other alternatives.
9. Schools and businesses are willing to spend money on a living wall. This assumption is based on the fact that Lehigh is most likely willing to fund our fellowship, and that other Universities such as Drexel already have living walls.
10. Allergies will be avoidable by selecting plants that most people aren’t allergic to. This assumption is based on that there are plants that many people are not allergic to, but if Lehigh has or will have who does, this would be a problem.