1 Mar 2015

Selected Research (completed)

Therapeutic Intervention: Using the Sensory Garden to Enhance the Quality of Life for Children with Special Needs. Research Leader. 2006-2009. Funds for Women Graduates.
Author with Jane Stoneham, the director of Sensory Trust and the author of the book, Landscape design for elderly and disabled people
Objectives:i) Observe and record how users responded to and engage with the individual behaviour settings in a sensory garden; ii. Investigate the design process and intentions of the landscape architect; iii. Investigate the teachers and therapists' thoughts and experiences with reference to the benefits and problems in having the sensory garden; iv. Assess the opportunities for users' activity in the sensory garden. 
Results: i) The layout of the circulation network enables user behaviour and use of area. Continous pathways that link the sensory garden to the site context, with easy access to the functional behaviour settings that are places along it, have the highest number of users. ii)Users spent a longer time in zones where sensory, rather than aesthetic value, were emphasised.
Outputs: 
Hazreena Hussein (2007) Sensory Gardens: Assessing their design and use.Open Space People Space: International Conference in Innovation Approaches to Research Excellence in Landscape and Health
Hazreena Hussein (2009) Sensory GardensAccess by Design (spring) Issue 118:13-17.
Hazreena Hussein (2009) Sensory garden in special schools: The issues, design and use. Journal of Design and Built Environment 5:77- 95.
Hazreena Hussein (2010) Using the sensory garden as a tool to enhance the educational development and social interaction of children with special needsBritish Journal of Learning Support, 25(1): 25-31doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9604.2009.01435.x
Hazreena Hussein (2010) Sensory Gardens: Assessing their Design and UseIntelligent Buildings International 2(2)116-123(8).

Hazreena Hussein (2011) The Influence of Sensory Gardens on the Behavior of Children with Special Educational NeedsAsian Journal of Environment- Behavior Studies 2(4): 78-93. SlideShare
Hazreena Hussein (2013) Patterns of seated activity in sensory gardens among children educated in special schoolsSupport for Learning 28(2): 73-78. doi10.1111/1467-9604.12021
Hazreena Hussein, Nik Malik Nik Zainal Abidin & Zaleha Omar (2013) Engaging research and practice in creating for outdoor multi-sensory environments: Facing future challenges. AicE-Bs 2013 London. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 105:536-546. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.11.057 SlideShare
Hussein, H. & Daud, M.N. (2013) Taman Sensori: Kanak-Kanak Bekeperluan Khas. Penerbit Universiti Malaya.
Hazreena Hussein and Md Nasir Daud (2015) Examining the Methods for Investigating Behavioral Clues of Special-schooled ChildrenField Methods 27: 97-112.doi:10.1177/1525822X14537579
Hazreena Hussein and Md Nasir Daud (2016) An Observation Method for Qualitative Data Gathering. In M. Rezaul Islam and Cathleen Jo Faruque (Eds.), Qualitative Research Tools and Techniques. USA: Farwood Publishing.  

The Importance of Having a Safe Campus Environment with Landscape Planting. Principal Investigator. 2011-2012. UM Research Grant. 
Objectives: i) To identify issues, requirements and constraints of campus users in using the route along Lingkungan Budi, University of Malaya. ii) To investigate and analyse the existing landscape planting along the route of Lingkungan Budi in University of Malaya, in terms of its species, aesthetic value, durability , growth and use.
ResultsThe results are used to identify the alternative solution for the betterment of existing pedestrian walk and to suggest an appropriate design for walkable campus environment in Malaysia. The most related problems instead of safety and accidents, are the weather-related issues. With hot and humid climates, pedestrian especially students facing with seasonal weather, neither the extreme hot sun nor the heavy downpour. The findings of this study wraps up two results; statistical analysis from survey questionnaire on users satisfaction, and on the observational findings on walkway design and planting characteristics. The statistical analysis shows that most of the users are satisfied enough with the current conditions of current walkway facilitate along Lingkaran Budi. However, there is some improvement that is need to be done in order to achieve the maximum comfort to the pedestrian environment, since there are about a quarter of the users feels discomfort with current walkway. For instance, the signage can be improved by its presence in each of the transitions area i.e. additional on number of signage. Besides, the appearance could be improvised, by not only using lettering information, for instance by providing interactive features. Nevertheless, there is also an issue on landscape planting along the pedestrian walkway that needs to be pruning and maintained.





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