Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Supportive Environment for Aging Population: Three Approaches to Utilizing the Indoor Environmental Features to Create Psychologically Supportive Environment for Older Adults With Dementia(Saudi Digital Library, 2026) Alrahyani, Mohammed Nasser M; Sharp, Nina; Dongwoo, Jason Yeom; Lesselyong, JuliaThe physical environment is a critical determinant of psychological and physiological well-being in long-term care facilities. However, most memory care facilities are characterized by unfamiliarity, sensory deprivation, and inadequate lighting, which may exacerbate agitation, depression, and sleep disturbances among older adults with dementia. Thus, this dissertation investigates three non-pharmacological environmental approaches, namely biodynamic lighting, a bi-sensory “Arosound” environment (aroma + sound), and affordable multisensory environments, to enhance the quality of life for older adults with dementia living in memory care settings. Three studies were conducted in memory care facilities. Study one evaluated the feasibility and effects of biodynamic lighting, a circadian lighting system that varies in intensity and spectrum throughout the day, using a 7-week counterbalanced crossover design with ten participants (mean age = 75.6). Biodynamic lighting improved total sleep time by 82 minutes compared to Baseline and 57 minutes compared to constant moderate lighting, with trends toward reduced depressive symptoms and lower aggressive behaviors. Study two examined a bi-sensory “Arosound” environment combining aroma and sound, compared to single-sensory aroma and sound exposures. Fifteen residents participated over twelve weeks, with two-week washouts. All interventions reduced evening depressive symptoms, with the strongest effects during aroma exposure. Sound exposure significantly reduced agitation, while Arosound showed balanced improvements across both mood and behavior. Study three tested two affordable, passive multisensory environments, a morning stimulating environment (MSSE) and an evening relaxing environment (MSRE) as well as their combined effect, in eleven participants. The combined MSSE+MSRE condition significantly improved sleep efficiency and reduced depressive symptoms and heart rate compared to Baseline, while MSSE reduced morning non-aggressive behaviors. Collectively, the findings demonstrate that ambient features of the indoor built environment, when strategically designed, can serve as scalable, supportive interventions to improve behavioral and physiological well-being among individuals with dementia. The results provide evidence-based design guidance for architects, designers, and care providers aiming to create supportive, human-centered environments in memory care settings.9 0Item Restricted The Effect of Darkness on Cyclist Numbers(Saudi Digital Library, 2026) Balela, Maan; Uttley, Jim; Fotios, SteveCycling remains a marginal mode of transportation in many countries despite its known benefits and the efforts made by those countries to promote it. Darkness may be one barrier to cycling, as without sufficient light cyclists may experience a reduced sense of safety because it is more difficult to see obstacles in their path and to be seen by other road users like motorists to avoid collisions. The main aim of this thesis is to investigate the effect of darkness on cycling rates. Previous studies have used a comparison of cyclist counts in case hours (that change between daylight and darkness) and control hours (that remain in the same ambient light condition) to assess the effect of darkness on cycling. These studies tended to use only one to two case and control hour combinations in their analysis, when up to 88 other combinations are possible across their datasets. This thesis shows that the choice of case and control hours significantly impacts the measured effect of darkness. An alternative method is therefore proposed to combine all possible case and control hour combinations into a single measure of the effect of darkness on cycling. The improved method is then applied to cycling data from 15 cities around the world to investigate the effect of darkness on their cyclists. The findings from this analysis confirm a reduction in cyclist numbers after dark, with the size of this effect varying across cities. When exploring this variance at a city scale, the effect of darkness tended to decrease in cities higher in latitude and stronger in cycling culture; when exploring this variance at the scale of cycling sites within the city, the effect of darkness tended to decrease in sites dominated by utilitarian cycling and closer to the city centre.Item Restricted Office Workspace Environments: Understanding the Influence of Financial Workers’ Personality on Their Control of Their Physical Environment and Sense of Satisfaction(Arizona State University, 2024) Naseef, Rawan; Sharp, Nina; Koro, Mirka; Brooks, Kenneth; Mohammad, HassnaaThis study explores financial professionals in Saudi Arabia's banking sector, examining how their unique personalities shape their experiences with workplace lighting, acoustics (speech privacy), and spatial layout, while also considering the degree of control they have over these conditions. Using a qualitative approach, the research delves into employees’ perceptions, behavioral responses, and preferences to build design theories aimed at enhancing job satisfaction in office environments. Guided by a constructivist theoretical framework and employing constructivist grounded theory for data analysis, the study used semi-structured interviews as primary data collection methods and photo elicitation as a supportive method. Findings reveal that employees’ interactions with lighting, speech privacy, and spatial layout vary based on personality traits, leading to actionable insights for workplace design. Three theories emerged from these insights, offering guidance for both design practices and future research. This research was conducted across three different banks in two major regions of Saudi Arabia, with implications suggesting future studies could explore the role of Saudi culture in shaping diverse personality experiences in mixed-gender office environments.