(click image to see in entirety)
I chose to measure myself and my boyfriend, Michael for this exercise in ergonomics. I found that for each of us, our wingspan was almost equal length to our heights. There were not many similarities between our measurements to one another. He is 6’3” and I am 5’6”. This made for drastic differences in our measurements. With that said this made me consider how I would design for two individuals with heights that are dramatically different. For one, the heights of cabinets, counter tops, sinks, the arms on chairs, tables, and shower walls/shower heads would have to be taken into serious consideration. All of these items would have to be to at such a height that both people could use them comfortably. I believe most of these would have to be adjustable (shower head, cutting surfaces, etc…). In his current home he has to bend his head to an uncomfortable degree just to be able to wash his hair. As designers we need to design these elements to suit the needs of our clients and not depend on industry standards to determine what we place in homes and commercial buildings. It is our job to consider humans, and that means in totality (height, weight, shape, disabilities, likes and dislikes, etc…).
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