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Design+ Evaluating a building code app

Table 7. (Continued)
Variable Definition Example
Negative Feelings Unpleasant emotions “I have always felt uncertain about occupancy classification and load. This
is actually what I am most nervous about for onboarding to my new place
of work in the industry.”
Interior design educational curriculum
Lack of emphasis/ Insufficient importance is given to a subject “I would like to know more but it makes it difficult when it is not
enforcement emphasized early into the program.”
Emphasis needed Give more attention to a subject “I think an earlier emphasis on codes would have helped me understand
things such as occupancy loads and egress a lot better.”
Interior design studio
Gained knowledge/ Enhancement of information or skill “My building code knowledge has developed the most during Studio VI.
understanding Before this year, I did not know much about building codes. After our
class lectures, I feel very knowledgeable in means of egress and occupancy
classifications.”
Practice codes Repeated application of skills to improve ability “Studio VI is helpful in terms of getting to practice the codes in our
project.”
Increased confidence Belief in one’s ability “After taking the capstone studio course I have felt much more confident in
knowing where to look to find the answers I need using our course content
material.”
Abbreviations: ADA: American disability act; IBC: International building code .
®

and preparedness. Integrating tools like the Building Code This study has several limitations that warrant
Calculator App into studio courses can bridge this gap consideration and provide directions for future research.
by providing practical, hands-on learning opportunities First, the low number of survey participants limits the
that improve understanding, reduce stress, and enhance generalizability of the findings, and future studies should
confidence in building code applications. aim to include a larger and more diverse sample to validate
these results. Second, participants had limited time to
6. Conclusion explore and use the Building Code Calculator App, which
This study underscores the critical importance of building may have constrained their ability to fully understand and
code knowledge in design education and practice while utilize its features. Extending the study duration would
demonstrating the potential of innovative tools like the allow for a more comprehensive evaluation of the app’s
Building Code Calculator App to address existing gaps long-term impact on learning and application. Finally,
in the curriculum. The findings reveal that while building while this study focused on participants’ perceptions of
code knowledge is widely recognized as essential, many the app, it did not examine the correlations between these
participants lack sufficient familiarity and experience with perceptions and their actual performance on building code
it due to limited exposure during their education. However, tasks. Future research should explore this relationship
the integration of the Building Code Calculator App into to determine whether positive perceptions of the app
learning environments significantly enhanced participants’ translate into measurable improvements in performance,
understanding, confidence, and ability to apply building providing a deeper understanding of its effectiveness as an
code concepts effectively. The app’s usability, efficiency, and educational tool.
ability to reduce stress associated with traditional methods
were consistently highlighted, making it a valuable Acknowledgments
addition to design studio courses. These results advocate None.
for a more comprehensive approach to building code
education that leverages technology to provide practical, Funding
hands-on learning opportunities. By bridging the gap
between theoretical knowledge and practical application, None.
such tools can better prepare students for professional Conflict of interest
responsibilities, fostering both competence and confidence
in building code applications. The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Volume 2 Issue 1 (2025) 13 doi: 10.36922/dp.4730