Architecture Commons^™

Ties That Bind: The Emergence Of Iron Tie Rod Reinforcement In Load Bearing Masonry Buildings Of Charleston, S.C., Jamie Lynn Wiedman

All Theses

Comprehensive studies of structural tie rods in Charleston's load bearing masonry buildings are scarce. While the presence of these anchors on building facades fascinates passersby and is appreciated throughout the city, a general knowledge of their history and emergence as a technology is lacking. Often associated with the earthquake of 1886, iron tie rods were in fact present in Charleston buildings as early as the 18th century. And while the effect of the 1886 earthquake on Charleston's built environment is typically looked at from a sociological or political perspective, and the physical effect has been studied extensively, rarely has the …

One Small Step: An Analysis Of International Space Law And How It Effects Historic Preservation, Joseph Patrick Reynolds

All Theses

From 1969 to 1972 NASA's Apollo Program successfully completed six separate manned lunar landings. Since 1972 there has been no human presence on the Moon. The lunar landing sites of Apollo's 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 have sat in situ for forty years in the absolute zero vacuum of outer space. As the next phase of lunar exploration draws closer, it is important to protect the Apollo Lunar Landing Sites from exploration and damage because of their importance to human cultural heritage. This thesis assesses the international treaties that govern outer space, the Moon, and other celestial bodies …

The Potential Of Virtual Heritage Reconstruction In Lost Ansonborough, Caglar Aydin

All Theses

The virtual reconstruction of vanished heritage is a well-known practice in the preservation field. The constant development in computer technologies has been improving visualization and interpretation techniques for virtual reconstructions of no longer extant or inaccessible sites. Reconstruction projects of vanished heritage sites implement various approaches because of different challenges at each site. This research involves 3D reconstructions, as well as historical research of early nineteenth century residences, Radcliffe-King and Gabriel Manigault houses in the Ansonborough neighborhood of Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
The demolition of these two mansions in the first half of the twentieth century leads to the loss …

Rethinking The Industrial Landscape - Revealing The Curative Potential Of Genetically Modified Plants, Susannah Horton

All Theses

At the turn of the 21st century, much like the turn of the 20th century there has been a major shift in North America with its industries and their impact on the landscape. With a trend of massive deindustrialization of large-scale production facilities throughout the (Gibbs 2003, 222-236) United States, it has directly impacted the landscape. There are currently changes underway in the American industrial landscape emphasizing a new technology whereby pharmaceuticals are manufactured in recombinant plants. These plant-derived pharmaceuticals are poised to become the next major part of the pharmaceutical industry. By recognizing the potential and studying the possible …

Solving Urban Conservation Issues Through Botanic Garden Functions, John Lashley

All Theses

Historically, botanical gardens have many contributing factors relating to their success. Attracting visitors to botanical sites all around the world and providing a unique set of resources are only a portion of what makes these types of gardens so successful. This paper will first analyze the effects botanical gardens, in their current state of operation; have on society from a cultural, economic, and environmental impact. This paper will then propose and discuss education, environmental and community awareness and urban potential. Through a past and present inventory, a proposed alternative future for botanical gardens will be revealed.
Botanical gardens have an …

Cultural Sustainability Of A Post-Industrial Brownfield In Wanzhou China: Maintaining Cultural Value Through Brownfield Redevelopment, Yi Zhang

All Theses

The post-industrial brownfield, generally regarded as one type of brownfield, is defined as an industrial property that remains abandoned or underutilized in part because of environmental contamination. In China, more and more post-industrial sites are abandoned because of changes to city land use, often becoming an obstacle for healthy city growth. This phenomenon places more concerns on brownfield redevelopment in China. Chinese professionals in landscape architecture can borrow some methods and techniques for addressing brownfields from more developed countries. While the brownfields in China share some similar characteristics with those in developed countries, they also have some specific features. For …

The Nebraska Sandhills Food Desert: Causes, Identification, And Actions Towards A Resolution, Andrew Thierolf

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses and Student Projects

Declining populations over the past several decades have created issues for residents in many rural areas. A serious concern is the emergence of “food deserts,” areas where people do not have sufficient access to nutritious foods. The Sandhills region in west-central Nebraska is a prime example of an area that is subject to the food desert phenomenon. It features a low-density rural population that creates a difficult economic environment for grocery retailers.

This paper looks at multiple aspects of the food desert issue in the region. It begins by reviewing literature to determine the definition of the term “food desert” …

Electromagnetic Harvesting To Power Energy Management Sensors In The Built Environment, Evans Sordiashie

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Thesis, and Student Research

Recently, a growing body of scholarly work in the field of energy conservation is focusing on the implementation of energy management sensors in the power distribution system. Since most of these sensors are either battery operated or hardwired to the existing power distribution system, their use comes with major drawbacks. Battery maintenance and associated labor costs can make implementing sensors very expensive. Although hardwired sensors require very little post-installation maintenance, any energy savings they may procure is offset by the amount of energy expended during the course of the sensors normal operation. In response to these energy challenges, this thesis …

Assessing The Level Of Bicycle Planning In Local Planning Efforts: A Case Study, Christopher Michael Hussey

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses and Student Projects

The transportation system in the United States has long been dominated by motor vehicles. The US Department of Transportation has encouraged cities to increase bicycle transportation as a means to improve health and activity, reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, reduce congestion, improve air quality, and reduce vehicle miles traveled. Bicycle transportation is improved in a city when thorough planning documents have been created to help guide and improve bicycling facilities

This research creates a framework to evaluate a city’s planning documents for the purpose of bicycle planning. The framework is derived from a thorough literature review and from …

Residential Energy Recovery Radiant Heat System, Scott Sharp

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Thesis, and Student Research

Energy recovery systems aim to recover waste energy that is normally lost to the environment. Waste energy comes in a variety of forms. Many processes involving building HVAC involves transferring energy from one working fluid to another. Governing codes put strict requirements on ventilation requirements for various occupancy types. Increased ventilation demands more from the HVAC equipment since outdoor air (ventilation air) is being brought into the building and requires tempering in order to retain occupant comfort. The energy required to temper this air increases as ventilation rates increase. Many commercial buildings have implemented exhaust air energy recovery, or runaround …

Public Housing In The United States: Using Sustainable Urbanism To Combat Social Exclusion, Jasmine L. Edo

Scripps Senior Theses

The United States government has taken steps to assure underprivileged citizens housing in the form of public housing through the Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as various humanitarian programs in the form of homeless shelters. Yet, all housing is not equal. Our freedom to choose where we live and what type of house we live in is one revered aspect of life as a United States citizen. We can express our individuality, creativity, and personality through the architectural style of our homes. In this sense it is hard to ask for equal housing. I am suggesting that …

Corporeal Meeting Place: The Racialization Of The Suburban Demographic, Brandon Lee Maldonado

Honors Capstone Projects - All

The Modernist movement was able, through the industrial revolution, to eliminate the role of façade as load bearing member, fetishizing transparency. However, this new preeminence of visuality was not applicable to the suburban home, with its predisposition toward the creation and control of privacy. What separates the suburban condition from the urban, in addition to the role of the single-family home as purchasable symbol representing an ideal, is the front yard. Instead of a simple A-B division across a singular surface, the yard creates a “deep” façade, a series of layered spaces serving as filtration; sidewalks, fences, plantings, yards, and …

The Contemporary Islamic House, Hanna Ibrahim

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

Architectural design thesis-- proposes a contemporary house that is a manifestation of the practices of the Islamic religion.

School Facility Design: Are We Asking The Right People?, Dale C. Jerome

Ed.D. Dissertations

Realizing the need for changes in the design of new school facilities, architects and educators must reach beyond the norms of past designs. This mixed-methods study was conducted at four recently completed high schools. Questionnaires were utilized in the initial phase of research to identify statistically significant differences between the perceptions of teachers and students regarding the physical design characteristics of their learning environment. Structured interview sessions were then conducted with teachers, principals, and architects, to understand their perceptions regarding the involvement of students in the design and planning process of school facilities, and indicated the importance of providing a …

The Evolving Philosophy Of Climate Control For Historic House Museums In Subtropical Climates: Recommendations For The Aiken-Rhett House, Charleston, South Carolina, Mariah C. Schwartz

All Theses

This study was designed to determine the most appropriate type of climate control system for the Aiken-Rhett House (1820-22), a historic house museum located in Charleston, South Carolina. The Aiken-Rhett property is unique in that it has never been restored and the current stewards of the museum have taken a conservation philosophy to the interpretation of the house. This house museum is rare because it is one of the few remaining unrestored antebellum structures in the South. Although grand mansions were never intended to exist in a state of decline, as the Aiken-Rhett does now, the preserved layers of time …

The Making Of A Movement: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of The National Trust For Historic Preservation Magazine From 1949 To 2010, Katherine Marie Ferguson

All Theses

For over 60 years, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has published a magazine. Covering issues from preservation legislation to sustainability, this publication has been the predominant voice in the preservation movement. But what has it been saying, really? This study applies a communications approach to examine the messages the National Trust magazine has presented to its members and the public and studies the role this type of marketing tool has played in the movement for more than half a century.
This research identifies seven important eras in communications for the magazine. Trends in the kind of news being reported, …

City Food: Re-Imagining Urban Food Access Through Holistic, Multilayered Typologies Of Urban Agriculture Systems, Tiffany Managad

All Theses

Urban Agriculture is a growing movement that has resulted in response to the world's increasing urbanization. As global urban populations continue to multiply, the demand to supply healthy and nutritious food to cities has magnified. More than half of the global population now lives in cities and this trend continues to increase exponentially. This phenomena raises the question: How will cities continue to sustain and feed their growing populations now and in the future? Cities are hungry for sustainable ways to grow, access and consume healthier, more delicious food. The current industrialized food system is unsustainable due to escalated dependency …

Cultural Landscape Preservation: Analysis Of Five Preservation Models, Vineet Date

All Theses

In the recent past there has been a rise in concerns regarding the management and preservation of cultural landscapes. This project attempts to understand and analyze contemporary approaches taken by organizations around the world to preserve cultural landscapes. Five organizations are (1) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), (2) Australian Heritage Council (AHC), (3) New Zealand Historic Places Trust (NZHPT), (4) National Park Service (NPS) and (5) Archeological Survey of India (ASI) have been selected for study. The existing preservation guidelines and two case studies from each organization are examined. The results of the study will help in …

The Making Of A Legacy: Three Generations Of Drayton Family Women And Their Influences On The Landscape Of The Lowcountry And Eighteenth And Nineteenth Century Charleston, Brittany V. Lavelle

All Theses

For eight generations, the Drayton family of South Carolina and their properties have played significant roles in the history and development of the city of Charleston. As scholars have extensively explored the successes of the Drayton patriarchs of the colonial era, this thesis will showcase the accomplishments of the three generations of eighteenth and nineteenth century Drayton family women in property management and estate development, revealing their influences on the establishment and expansion of one of Charleston's most recognized family legacies in property wealth and architectural grandeur. This study intends to prove through property and genealogical research that the legendary …

Does Design Affect Behavior? A Case Study Of Pomona And Sontag Halls, Erin F. Morgan

Pomona Senior Theses

This paper investigates the successes and failures of architectural design techniques used to improve the sustainability of occupants. It looks broadly at research that has taken place in the past and focuses specifically on the strategies used in Pomona and Sontag Halls - two dormitories constructed at Pomona College.