Abstract

The environment we are immersed in affects the way we interact with it. We would interact with our space differently if we were in public compared to being in a private space. Due the COVID-19 pandemic, we now spend the majority of our time socially distancing at home, a building we typically reserve for only a certain amount of time. Within the frame of Human-Building Interaction (HBI), we want to explore interactions within the indoor home setting. In particular, we are interested in how occupants associate and perceive their home space, how the COVID-19 pandemic affects home interactions and how technology can be used to forgo infrastructural change. A special focus is put onto the wall as a potential solution space for technology. To research our questions, we conduct an exploratory online qualitative user study consisting of a semi-structured interview and an online survey with 12 participants. We present findings in how the home is defined, the usage and activities that are associated with it, its perception, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on activities and the home office, preliminary information on wall usage and potential, and stances on smart home technology. Using this information, we connect our findings in initial frameworks. We draw a comparison between the home definition and the Maslow's hierarchy of needs and discuss about how the home definition mirrors the interactions performed within it. We outline comfort, a central value of the home, by explaining how it is attained, influenced and its trade-off with productivity and privacy in relation to home office and smart home devices. We also elaborate spatial needs, differentiate their types, and discuss the privacy and utility cost of smart home devices. Using our frameworks, we consequently brainstorm and design a scenario which utilizes mobile-based Web AR as an implementation method.

Results/Implementation/Project Description

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