VAST – Design planning heuristic



|Values |Activities |Site/System |Technology |

| | |(location, access, outlook, climate) |(building structure, skin, climate control, layout, |

|Whose values are reflected in the design of this space?|What activities are enabled by the design of this |What physical attributes of the site contribute |services, finishes) |

| |space? |positively to users’ experience of this space? |What technical aspects of the building design |

|General Public (i.e. tradepersons, campus security, | | |contribute positively to users’ experience of this |

|government employees), students, and staff. This space |Study, research, individual/group work, |Location – the garden is less than 200m away from the |space? |

|is very inclusive to each vocation and profession. |academic/general meetings, lunch, coffee/tea break, |main CBD of Melbourne (Central Station and State | |

| |relaxation, and leisure. |Library). Situated next to a campus café, and RMIT’s |The open planning, providing personal space, of the |

|What values are reflected in the design of this space? | |Urban Research department, focus on this space is to |garden along with native flora, water fountain, and |

| |What activities are inconvenienced or prevented by its |provide an oasis from the concrete, human-synthetic |rich earthen colours, offset the clinical, sterile, |

|A place for reflection and respite. Feelings of peace |design? |features found in cities. Access – open to the general |repetitive, and routine habits that can be felt in a |

|offered by the water feature, which also offer a value | |public, you only need to turn a few corners and |city. Or, in contrast, the hyperactive hustle and |

|in aesthetics and natural tranquillity in an urban |To set up for the day for study as no permanent shade, |discover the garden, and is not limited to students and|bustle of people moving quickly with their own agenda |

|setting. |and tables (and chairs) are provided – only benches and|staff of RMIT only. |in mind. This garden sits in the middle – not too |

| |two metal reclining chairs are available. Cannot also |Outlook – The garden has been designed with a sense of |clinical and not too busy with colours featured in the |

|Whose values are overlooked? |organise a group meeting that may involve various |composite ideas in mind. The synthetic lawn is balanced|physical design. Lines are straight, colours are soft, |

| |physical activities as the space is limited to Astro |out by the deep stained timber decking, and native |and tones deep yet, warm as the flora are also |

|People with a physical impairment. The only access |Turf and timber decking – activities may interfere with|flora. Additionally, lavender and wild rosemary grow in|perennials and change with the time of season. The |

|points to the garden are steps, and a ramp that has a |other users’ use of the space. No dividing walls are |the garden beds, inviting the Victorian climate of |garden is constantly changing it is own natural way. |

|step to it. This makes mobility difficult. |provided to offer privacy for study, for example to |coolness (it is a nice compliment to the heat of the |Users therefore, can feel like they are frozen in time |

|Additionally, people wishing to utilise technology as |practice a speech, and the disability access is |cement footpaths surrounding the location, in summer). |but also aware of the movement around them with the |

|only one power-point is present, and there are no |difficult to use for people with physical impairments. |Climate – As there are no man made constructs of shade |change of seasons. These technical designs are |

|tables set up to place tablets on. | |provided, this space relies on the flora to shelter the|structured to provide refuge, and encourage deep |

| | |users from rain, hail, and/or shine. Additionally, as |thinking. |

|What values are overlooked? | |the garden is positioned between the buildings, a wind | |

| | |vortex can occur tunnelling cool breezes in the space, |What technical aspects of the building design impact |

|A designed space that can offer intimate and a private | |or trapping heat on hotter days. The space is an oasis,|negatively on users’ experience of this space? |

|setting. The garden is all open planned, and hence we | |and native planting of flora has been wisely chosen, | |

|all can see what each person occupying the space is | |however, not to be a space that offers a long term use |The external factors such as climate impact on this |

|doing (i.e. eating, studying, conversing, relaxing and | |over the day – rather a space for temporary respite |space. There is no shade provided (man-made), and hence|

|so forth). Also, long term use of the space as there is| |from your daily activities. |you must choose wisely when to come as Melbourne has |

|no permanent shade provided from the weather. | | |four seasons in one day, so to speak. You can also feel|

| | | |a bit intimidated speaking too loudly in the space as |

| | | |sound travels due to the open planning. Finally, the |

| | | |fear that your laptop will run out of charge, or endure|

| | | |a sore back as the lack of power-points and tables for |

| | | |study, impacts quality time in the garden. |

| | |What physical attributes of the site impact negatively | |

| | |on users’ experience of this space? | |

| | | | |

| | |There are no shades (man-made), permanent tables (and | |

| | |chairs), various power points, or proper disability | |

| | |access to the site. | |

|System of human relationships |System of human activity |System to support human activity |Production of the built space system |

| | |For you, as learning space designer, what are the most |For you, as learning space designer what are the most |

|What feelings, attitudes, beliefs customs or laws does |What processes, information sources or support services|inspiring features of the site? |inspiring features of the building? |

|this learning space evoke for you? |assist your use of this space? | | |

| | |The water fountain. I was first drawn to this water |Horticulturally, the choice of native flora, including |

|A space for quality study and relaxation. I can read a |There is a power-point positioned underneath one of the|feature as it extends the back wall of the garden. The |perennials. I think the straight lines of the benches, |

|book for leisure in this space, study and do assessment|benches to connect the laptop into for study over a few|delicate sounds of water flowing remind me of |choice of rich stained decking and Astro-Turf lift the |

|– even eat my meals. I feel like I am in a botanical |hours. There is a water cooler for filling up bottles |waterfalls where I grew up on the Sunshine Coast, and I|space from a concreate setting, into a space that feels|

|garden, hidden from the concrete jungle less than 200m |for drinking, and some large trees to sit beneath when |am back there sitting and drawing in the rainforest. I |very open, clean, spacious, welcoming, and accepting of|

|away. |it is too hot. |think water has a soothing effect on learning, and can |most vocational/professional demands that users have. |

| | |offer the mind to breathe deeply and relax (but not too|It encourages people at any time of day to sit in the |

| | |much!) |garden for their own personal use. |

© Raylee Elliott Burns (2003) VAST designing heuristic. Prepared using the work of Dr Tom Heath. Permission is given for this page to be copied with this footnote retained. This document may not be published in any other form without the permission of Raylee Elliott Burns. Heath, T. (1989). Introduction to design theory. Brisbane: Queensland University of Technology. Adapted by Hilary Hughes 2013.

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