Dr Lesley J. McIntyre

Lesley left the University of Dundee in August 2016 to take up a Senior Lectureship at Northumbria University. She remains engaged with the project.

Researcher Co-Investigator

My background is in the discipline of Architecture and the core concept and methodological framework for BESiDE stemmed from my PhD which investigated the phenomena of human way-finding within the context of public spaces, across a range of visual impairment. Through identifying the enabling and disabling components of architecture my broad research interest is on how digital technologies, prototypes and HCI methods have the potential to enable, support, enhance and define understanding of human-interaction, across a spectrum of needs, within architectural contexts.   Within BESiDE, my research interest is in gathering rigorous evidence (from both qualitative and quantitative sources) to aid architect’s understanding of what enables and disables older people’s wellbeing, physical activity, mobility and social connectivity within the context of Care Homes.  My key areas of focus include exploring factors of the built environment in relation to ageing, mobility, wellbeing, social connectedness and independence. My research is driven by working with the range of stakeholders in BESiDE (ranging from the residents and staff of care homes to architects and policy makers) and in refining methods of working with different types of users.

Skills: Architectural Design, Evidence-based design methods, User-centered research, Qualitative Research

lmcintyre's picture
Contact Details
Email

lesley.mcintyre@northumbria.ac.uk

Website

http://lesleymcintyre.com/

  • 23
    Mar

    Five characteristics of Supportive Care Home Buildings

    Two architectural researchers from the BESiDE team spent many months observing care homes in use.  These observations were notated and submitted to a rigorous process of analysis.  Using the ‘five ways to wellbeing’ as a guide, we observed activities which have the potential to improve resident’s wellbeing.  We studied the interactions with the buildings that set the context for these activities.

  • 20
    Sep

    Dundee Design Festival - Insights into Designing Better Care Homes

    Watch this talk recorded live at the Dundee Design Festival

    Dr. Lesley McIntyre delivers a fast, informative talk on how design has the potential to change the way we spend our old age – and how change can be delivered sooner and better. This is followed by a discussion with the audience of local designers on how to motivate change and the barriers faced.

    How can architects and designers change the way we spend our old age?

  • 27
    May

    Dundee Design Festival
    Designing Better Care Homes

    A Talk

    How can architects and designers change the way we spend our old age?

    What would you want and NEED if you lived in a care home? – with ground-breaking methods of investigation, the BESiDE project from the University of Dundee are influencing the design of care homes of the future. How easily can you move around, how comfortable is the space, is privacy more important than being connected – and would a dog or your own front door make all the difference?

  • 02
    May

    Using Affinity Mapping for Grounded Theory Analysis

    Based on the paradigm of Grounded Theory, our aim was to develop concepts/theories that developed inductively from the observation data. In order to make sense and be able to draw out concepts and theories, the data goes through a process of coding. To assist with coding we employed the method of Affinity Mapping.

  • 12
    Apr

    Using the Five Ways to Wellbeing to understand the positive potentials of everyday activites in care homes.

    BESiDE's aim is to understand how the built environment in care homes can facilitate physical ability and wellbeing.   We needed to focus our observation study in a way which allows us to highlight times the building affords or hinders opportunities for wellbeing. We ask:

    What are the opportunities for the wellbeing of older people to be supported by the care home building?

  • 21
    Mar

    Parliament Week 2015
    #DoDemocracy Goldsmith: A Changemaker

    An Online Event

    As part of ( a programme of events and activities that connects people across the UK with Parliament and democracy) Lesley McIntyre was asked to contribute some of her research on  to be included in a quiz focused on campaigners who were successful change-makers.

  • 30
    Sep

    Design School
    Dementia Services Development Services

    Other

    Lesley McIntyre attended a two day learning programme entitled 'Design School' at the DSDC which brought together care home managers and maintenance staff, architects, interior designers and researchers.

    During the course there was an informative talk about various aspects of design, light, landscape, active workshop sessions and a tour of examples of hospital rooms and bedrooms.

  • 02
    May

    Using AEIOU to structure ethnographic observations

    Ethnographic observation methods allow us to capture a narrative of everyday life in a care home. BESiDE researchers have spent many months observing and capturing snippets of activity in care homes in Scotland and England.

  • 21
    Apr

    Design for wellbeing
    Innovative research methods for understanding older people's everyday mobility

    A Scientific Meeting (conference, seminar etc.)

    There is wide recognition that the design of the environment can contribute to promoting independent mobility, healthy activity and social engagement among an increasingly older population (MRC, 2010, A strategy for collaborative ageing research in the UK). A growing corpus of research is focusing on how design influences older people’s mobility and how this directly and indirectly impacts wellbeing.

  • 30
    Mar

    Cafe Science
    Voices from Care Homes: Gathering evidence for better building design

    A Talk

    Dr Lesley Mcintyre gave a public talk as part of the Dundee Cafe Science Series.  

    We are living in an ageing world. This creates lots of design challenges for architects and designers if they are to design a supportive environment. This is really important in Care Home Environments.

  • 27
    Mar

    Wave 102 Radio Interview with Dr Lesley McIntyre

    Lesley was interviewed by about her upcoming ;

  • 02
    Dec

    Digital Economy All Hands Meeting 2014

    A Scientific Meeting (conference, seminar etc.)

    BESiDE contributed to the Digital Economy All Hands Meeting 2014 'The application of Digital Innovation'.

    The Digital Economy All Hands conference brings together the UK's most innovative thinkers and researchers to share ideas on how to impact society across a range of sectors; including, transport, healthcare, financial services, and the creative industries.

  • 18
    Nov

    RIBA Perspectives in Architecture
    Perspectives on Architecture: Selwyn Goldsmith and the Architectural Model of Disability at the RIBA.

    A Talk

    The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) often, through their education program, provide a platform for presenting emerging architectural research and debate.  As part of the RIBA Perspectives in Architecture lecture series, Lesley was invited to present her work on Selwyn Goldsmith (funded by an RIBA Research TRUST Award) and give an overview of the research we are currently undertaking within the BESiDE Project. 

    In explaining the aim of such lectures and debates the RIBA state:

  • 16
    Oct

    Dr McIntyre on Attendance at ASSETS'14 : The premier research conference on computing and accessibility.​

    Dr Lesley McIntyre has provided us with an account of going to ACM ASSETS 2014. She was one of many members of BESiDE staff at ASSETS 2014.
    Read more about the team's presence at the event here.

    My full technical paper was accepted. I packed my case and off I went to the 16th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility, in Rochester, New York. ACM ASSETS'14, the premier research conference on computing and accessibility.

  • 15
    Oct

    ACM
    ASSETS 2014

    A Scientific Meeting (conference, seminar etc.)

    BESiDE were at ASSETS 2014, to present our work and hear about cutting edge developments in accessibility research. ASSETS is a significant international conference attracting the experts in accessible computing.

    The BESiDE team were be there as part of the School of Computing’s Social Inclusion team who had an exceptionally high acceptance rate this year. BESiDE's Principal Investigator Prof. Vicki Hanson presented the keynote as a consequence of her Award for Outstanding Contributions to Computing and Accessibility.

  • 14
    Oct

    The Barriers Encountered when Designing Care Homes.

    BESiDE has highlighted a need and an opportunity to enhance the connection between designers of the built environment and the experiences of those living, working and visiting older peoples care homes. 

    To find out more about the process of designing a care home, Lesley started by interviewing designers who work in Architects offices in Scotland. These interviews (10) have started to ‘set the scene’ and have provided insight into the current processes and methods of contemporary design practice focused on designing for the future of the ageing population.

  • 10
    Mar

    Winning research confirms link between built environment & wellbeing

    At Ecobuild last week, BRE and UBM Built Environment announced Dr Lesley Mcintyre among the winners of the research paper competition called to investigate the intrinsic link between buildings and the wellbeing of those who occupy them.

  • 02
    Mar

    BRE Designing for Wellbeing
    BiTKIT [Building Interactions ToolKit] introduced by Dr Mcintyre at the BRE Designing for Wellbeing workshop at Ecobuild 2014

    A Talk

    Dr Mcintyre was awarded best non-domestic paper by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) for her paper entitled 'A Case Study of BIT-Kit: A Method Uncovering the Impact buildings have on People' which she presented on 4th March 2014 at 'EcoBuild 2014', ExCeL, London.

  • 26
    Feb

    Research Assistant explores how Architecture can enable and disable

    Dr Lesley McIntyre was interviewed about her role in computing, her expertise in architecture and her passion for technology in her role as a Postdoctoral Research Assistant at the School of Computing.

  • 06
    Nov

    Lifelong Health and Wellbeing Showcase
    The Architect, the Built Environment and the Ageing Population: We need a better connection with the design needs of older people

    A Scientific Meeting (conference, seminar etc.)

    In designing a supportive built environment that encompasses, inclusion, wellbeing, independence and mobility, Architects encounter key challenges as they try to connect with the requirements of an ageing population. Within the context of the BESiDE project (which investigates how older people can be better supported by the built environment of care homes) we examine how Architecture is preparing for the needs of an ageing population.

  • 23
    Oct

    'When HCI meets Architecture' at Rochester Institute of Technology.

    A Talk

    Lesley was invited to present to The University of Rochester HCI Seminar which is a joint colloquium of HCI researchers from the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology.

    Lesley presented SiDE and our research projects, introduced her PhD research and explained how the methods developed in this work led her, an architectural researcher, to working within the field of HCI.

  • 21
    Oct

    'When HCI meets Architecture' at the IDEA Centre, University at Buffalo, NY.

    A Talk

    Lesley was invited to present to the IDEA Centre (Centre for inclusive design and environmental access), ISE (Industrial and Systems Engineering) and the Rehab Sciences Department in Buffalo, NY.

    Lesley presented SiDE and our research projects, introduced her PhD research and explained how the methods developed in this work led her, an architectural researcher, to working within the field of HCI.