Equitable, ethical, and environmental approaches to building control interfaces

Abstract

Long-term change lies in cultural, rather than technological, solutions. Building designs must shift in ways that are equitable, ethical, and environmentally conscious, down to small details, such as the building interface. The many building control interfaces we use each day—from light switches and thermostats to window treatments and furniture—affect access to comfort, health, and energy savings. A thermostat that is difficult to use or even illegible for someone with differing visual acuity hinders an occupant’s ability to enjoy and effectively live within an interior space. As part of an interior’s ecology, building control interfaces influence fundamental ways we interact with our immediate environment, and compound interior behaviors to affect local and global ecologies. The design of building control interfaces rarely engages human-centered approaches, let alone considering how the interfaces relate to equitable access or sustainable use of energy. There is not a clear unified design theory to guide the design and integration of building control interfaces. This essay provides an interdisciplinary framework for ethical building control interface design informed by philosophies of justice, environmental ethics, wicked problem theory, and principles of equity, Universal Design, and human rights.

Keywords:

• Design ethics
• justice
• building control interfaces
• sustainability
• ecology

Authors contributions

Both authors contributed to the preparation and writing of the manuscript, supplying perspectives and examples from their respective backgrounds.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 This scenario is a fictionalized version of real experiences shared with the authors.

2 Building control interfaces (BCIs) are distinguished from occupant-centric controls (OCCs) by focus within different disciplines. BCIs emphasize human interaction (often manual) to control for human need and experience; OCCs typically emphasize modeling, building management systems, and sensing technology to manage indoor environmental quality (eg pre-set programs or time clocks, occupancy-triggered protocols). The term ‘occupant-centric’ is misleading since the occupants are typically not encouraged to interact with these types of controls; the use of sensing technology to prompt system control based on human occupancy or movement is the driving factor, as opposed to human need, preference, or interaction.

3 Active professional and ethical debates about design professionals’ roles in creating spaces of control (eg prisons, death chambers, mental health institutions, long-term care facilities, and educational facilities) focus on if designers can create such spaces without condoning and supporting harm to fellow humans. Designers have also been challenged for work that actively sought to exclude, control, or disguise some groups for the benefit of others (eg limiting physical access; intentionally manipulating public input processes).

4 Most common smoke detectors rely on small amounts of radioactive material to identify changes in air particulates (U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 2021). Some communities require smoke detectors to be disposed of following hazardous waste requirements.

5 While Adele’s grandmother and her neighbor are fictionalized individuals, the quotations are anonymous statements from real research participants (Ruiz and Day 2023).

6 In contrast, shallow ecology emphasizes the instrumental values of nature for humanity and directs us to act ethically towards nature for the ways it will affect our fellow humans.

7 Nussbaum recognizes the intrinsic value of other aspects of the environment, such as plants or geographic form, but does not ascribe rights to these entities.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bryan D. Orthel

Bryan D. Orthel, PhD, is associate professor of design at Indiana University Bloomington (USA). His scholarship explores how we understand and use history and heritage in design and in daily living. He also researches the pedagogy of design and design thinking. Email: [email protected]

Julia K. Day

Julia K. Day, PhD, is associate professor of construction management at Washington State University (USA). Her research interests include occupant behavior and energy efficiency, daylighting design, and post-occupancy evaluation of buildings.