Architecture Commons^™

A Framework For Assessing Alternative Agro-Ecosystems: Finding Multi-Functional Solutions For Sustainable Urban Landscapes., Thais H. Thiesen Ms.

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Creating sustainable urban landscapes in light of growing population pressures requires interdisciplinary multi-functional solutions. Alternative agro-ecosystems described as food forests, permaculture gardens, and/or edible landscapes among others could offer potential ways to address the social, economic and ecological goals of various stakeholders simultaneously. The present research used a unique rubric, the Permaculture and Agro-ecosystems Sustainability Scorecard (PASS) that combines existing agricultural and landscape sustainability indicators in order to assess alternative agro-ecosystems. The rubric evaluates provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural ecosystem services such as pollinator presence, biodiversity, pesticides and fertilizer use, carbon sequestration and human interactions. The PASS was used to …

Cultural Identity In Landscape Architecture, Renovation Of Managua's Lakeside, Julio Alvarez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines a design approach in landscape architecture in which cultural and historical values are reinterpreted in a contemporary urban environment. The site of this project is located in Managua's lakeside area, which was destroyed by hurricane Mitch in 1998. The lakeside area has been an attraction to Managua's residents because of its beautiful views and fresh breezes.

The majority of Nicaragua's population is of indigenous descent; however, Managua's urban environment is predominantly of European influence. The pre-Columbian heritage of Nicaraguans is hidden in their cultural expressions, such as the names of places and religious rituals.

This project provides …

Baywalk Developing Landscape Memory, Rebecca Agnes Conable

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this thesis was to investigate the narrative potential in the contours of a site, specifically, in contours shaped by dredge and fill. Contours provide a record of weather, growth and erosion as well as the processes of dredge and fill. In South Florida, our modification of both the coastline and inland swamps document the history of our occupation of the land. The record or memory of this change is often apparent only as an absence. This thesis design exposes the landscape narrative of dredge and fill in Miami's Biscayne Bay through the design of two areas …

Mountain Lake Colony Pinewood Estate Garden Historic Preservation, Elisabeth Matthies Barón

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pinewood Estate is a significant resource in the history of the theory and practice of landscape architecture. The purpose of this thesis is to provide a landscape plan to restore the Pinewood Estate to its historic integrity in order to retain and reflect its past.

In order to determine the criteria used to establish how and to what period the estate should be restored to, the Secretary of the Interior's Guidelines for the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes was followed. This process involved documenting the existing conditions of the estate. Site inventory and analysis and onsite interviews were conducted. Natural and …