A thesis: “Building Design for Persons with the Functional Impairment Electrophypersensitivity…”:
From Olle Johansson:
I have for years served as Ph.D. supervisor for Eva-Rut Lindberg, The Royal Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and the Built Environment, who now intends to defend her thesis entitled “Building Design for Persons with the Functional Impairment Electrohypersensitivity: a Project in the Voltage Field between Belief and Knowledge”.
Address: Alfred Nobels AllƩ 10 in Flemingsberg (The STH School)
Venue: Room 3-221 of the house ANA10.
Time: Friday December 2, at 13:00-17:00.
The thesis can be downloaded from: http://kth.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2:455407
Note that the thesis is in Swedish
Abstract :
Electrohypersensitivity in Sweden is an official functional impairment. According to The National Board of Health and Welfare”™s questionnaire from 2009, 3.2 percent of the population aged between 18 and 80 answered that they are sensitive / hypersensitive or allergic to electric and magnetic fields, which represents just over 200 000 people. 0.4 percent said they have severe problems. This corresponds to nearly 30 000 persons who receives severe sickness-like symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, headaches, problems with sleeping and skin disorders when they are visiting electricity-intensive environments that are not bothering most of the population.
The thesis consists of theoretical studies of radio-frequency emissions and how these can be shielded as well as a survey to investigate how the country’s municipalities, social insurance offices and three county councils are receiving these persons.
By the architect-oriented research methodology “research by design”¯ a proposal for a type-building free from electricity, which also can shield the higher frequencies from the radio-frequency radiation, is designed but not yet built.
The questionnaire survey indicates that persons with the functional impairment electrohypersensitivity very rarely receive the dwelling accessibility adaptation assistance they, according to Swedish law, are entitled to. The thesis shows what can be done by building construction to improve the living for persons with the functional impairment electrohypersensitivity.
Olle Johansson
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