About
Dr Warawoot Chuangchai is a postdoctoral researcher and interior architect from Thailand. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in interior architecture and a PhD in medical engineering from Thammasat University, as well as certificates in developmental psychology and cognitive behaviour therapy from Chulalongkorn University. He is a former junior visiting academic at the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, University of Oxford. He is a member of the Ergonomics Society of Thailand and accepts invitations as a university lecturer, a doctoral examination chairperson, a clinical trial specialist, and an international journal peer reviewer. His academic interests encompass multidisciplinary fields spanning from art and design to health in bioengineering, both theoretically and practically. His research focuses on population ageing and its interconnections with design, health promotion, and quality of life.
Research
At CRASSH, Warawoot will be working on research among vulnerable populations, particularly people with disabilities. The main context concentrates on public design within social spaces. This research aims to provide discussion surrounding tangible and intangible barriers encountered by people with disabilities in their societies. He currently examines design guidelines and standards, including inclusive design and universal design, to enhance physical, psychological, and social accessibility for people with multiple or severe disabilities. This work attempts to suggest alternate approaches and recommendations for public policies and national regulations tailored to countries in the global south. His prospective research will pay more attention to experimental and design studies in the elderly and people with special needs for successful health and sustainable living, with a specific focus on cognitive function, the autonomic nervous system via heart rate variability, human factors and ergonomics, and biomedical innovations and technologies. He plans to expand and strengthen his research platform through cross-disciplinary collaborations with worldwide experts and international grants.
Publications
- ‘Improving Accessibility to Urban Greenspaces for People with Disabilities: A Modified Universal Design Approach’, 2023, Journal of Planning Literature.
- ‘Residential Interior Design for People with Special Needs in Thailand Based on Physical Abilities: Age, Gender, and Living Environment Considerations’, 2023, Buildings, Vol 13(9), 2170.
- ‘The Importance of Urban Green Spaces in Enhancing Holistic Health and Sustainable Well-Being for People with Disabilities: A Narrative Review’, 2023, Buildings, Vol 13(8), 2100.
- ‘Walking Activity Increases Physical Abilities and Subjective Health in People with Seven Different Types of Disabilities, 2023’, Frontiers in Public Health, Vol 11, 1120926.
- A Review Article: ‘Fall Incidents and Interior Architecture—Influence of Executive Function in Normal Ageing’, 2022, Journal of Architectural/Planning Research and Studies, Vol 20(1), 139–151.
- ‘Postural Changes on Heart Rate Variability among Older Population: A Preliminary Study’, 2021, Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research, Vol 2021, 6611479.
