Architecture Commons^™

Evaluation And Improvement Of The Design 4 Every Drop Course, Kenzy Fogle

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Utah and the greater Intermountain West are experiencing a water crisis. Many factors are contributing to this situation, including an arid climate exacerbated by climate change, rapid population growth, and a high-water-demanding landscape typology. Landscapes currently consume an estimated 60-80% of Utah’s potable water, representing a significant opportunity for water savings. However, changing the traditional water-dependent landscape typology requires educating the public regarding water-wise landscape design processes, best practices, and implementation approaches. Utah State University is the land grant university for Utah and home to one of the oldest Landscape Architecture departments in the Intermountain West. Utah State University’s community …

Artificial Intelligence In Landscape Architecture: A Survey Of Theory, Culture, And Practice, Phillip J. Fernberg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This dissertation explores the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in shaping the landscape architecture profession. It looks at how AI has evolved in the field, its current influence, and its potential to change research, teaching, and professional practice. The research includes a detailed review of existing literature to identify trends in AI applications and gaps in knowledge. It also examines landscape architects' attitudes towards AI, revealing a mix of enthusiasm for its benefits and concerns about its impact on creativity and design processes, and proposes new ways of thinking about and working with AI. The work brings a unique perspective …

Design Guidelines For Homeless Shelter And Resource Center Site Plans, Samuel Johnson

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Homelessness is one of the most pressing humanitarian issues facing the country today. Lack of affordable housing, among many other complicating factors, have led to many cities scrambling to find both short-, middle-, and long-term solutions to the issue. The Covid-19 pandemic added a disruption in services, critical record-keeping, and data-gathering, which has further confounded experts looking for an effective path forward. As it stands, there is a significant gap in academic research addressing best practices for shelter site design, particularly as it relates to landscape. The role of landscape and greenspace within and around a shelter is not well …

Community Space Planning And Design Guide For Enhanced Wildfire Resilience In Heber, Utah, Devin Macfarlane

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The wildland urban interface (WUI) is the fastest growing land type in the conterminous United States. These areas are prone to catastrophic wildfire events. In response to rapid population growth, Heber City, Utah is planning a significant amount of development within the WUI. This thesis project is aimed at proactively addressing wildfire risk in the WUI of Heber through two main strategies: regional geospatial planning and public space design to create wildfire resilient communities. Researching principles of wildfire adaptive practice and planning for defensible space led to the development of a list of criteria. This list was developed in the …

Conserving Water Through Modular Planting Design: Water-Wise Templates For Ogden's Residential Front Yard Landscapes, Jessica Clements

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Due to the arid climate of the Wasatch front and the projected population growth in the next thirty years, water conservation is essential. Consequently, because the landscape consumes 60% of Utah residences’ purified drinking water, water-wise landscaping needs to be a priority. This thesis creates water-wise landscape templates that can be applied to the front yards of Ogden rental properties using a modular planting method. This study determines best practices by researching topics such as water-wise plants for Northern Utah, templates utilized in other areas, modular planting, and existing organizations with similar goals. This results in a user-friendly guide that …

How Virtual Reality Impacts The Landscape Architecture Design Process At Various Scales, Drew M. Hill

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the field of landscape architecture, the use of virtual reality (VR) is increasing as a tool for visualization and presentation in the late stages of the design process. Many of the benefits that make VR valuable in the later stages of the design process suggest that VR may also be valuable when used in earlier stages such as analysis and concept development. However, existing research does not provide a detailed study of design within VR during those early stages. Recent advancements in technology allow the potential to bring significant changes in the way that design-related professionals collaborate and design. …

A Critical Evaluation Of The Sustainable Sites Initiative's Guidelines And Performance Benchmarks 2009 As Applied To The Design And Development Of The Orem, Utah Intermodal Center, Jeffrey E. Dzikowski

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

In 2006 the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, the United States Botanical Garden, and additional stakeholders joined together to form the Sustainable Sites Initiative^TM (SITES^TM), an organization dedicated to the promotion of sustainable land development and management practices. As part of this effort SITES recently released its Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks 2009, a document which provides a voluntary guideline and rating system for the development, operation, and maintenance of sustainable landscapes.

This guideline and rating system is currently being tested through the Sustainable Sites Initiative pilot program, in which a select …

A Water-Efficient Landscape: Public Lands Center, Montrose, Co, Marcus Pulsipher

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The problem of water-wasting landscapes is prevalent throughout the western United States. For decades western settlers struggled to turn their arid lands into the more familiar settings of lush vegetation found in their native New England and Western Europe. This mind set has been passed down through generations and has transformed into the basis of the current western water crisis (Brundin and Pearson 2001). Only in the last few decades has this mentality been challenged and we've seen the emergence of several water-efficient landscape models. Through careful application of water-efficient landscape principles, western communities can greatly extend the life of …

A Study Of Social Carrying Capacity In Motorized Recreation Settings, Rachel Lyn Turk

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In the summer of 2004, I served as a recreation planning intern with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), at the Ely Nevada Field Office. I was responsible for the preparation of the "Recreation Project Plan for the Chief Mountain Motorized Trailheads" (Appendix 1), which was a tremendous learning opportunity for me, since I had little experience with planning and designing for motorized use. The project piqued my interest into learning more about motorized recreation on public lands, which in turn led to this thesis on social carrying capacity of motorized users. This is a new area of research that …

Community United Methodist Church: United Methodist Regional Ministry Campus Master Plan, Saori Endo

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The United Methodist Church has sought for the place that members can worship, learn, social and recreate. The purchase of 24 acres of land in South Weber, Utah made its opening to the place, and they are looking for their identity that they can be proud of ultimately. The intention of this project is generating ideas to help them to find out what they are looking for, yet guide the ideas properly.

Utilizing Irrigation Canals In Northern Utah For Recreational Trail Use: An Evaluation Of Issues And Concerns, James G. Carlson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This study fills a need for documentation of the issues and concerns related to planning recreational trails along irrigation canal rights-of-way through interviews with canal company officials and research of related literature. While this study provides valuable information for recreation planners and cities involved in the planning and development of these canal trails within northern Utah, it also has a universal application that will aid anyone interested in taking on the often complex task of developing a canal trail.

The report will be reformatted and summarized in a smaller publication for the purpose of informing and educating planners. The report …

The Functional And Aesthetic Uses Of Two Cache Valley, Utah, Canals, James S. Culberson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This report is a local supplement to a wider-focused report on multiple uses of irrigation canals (Kennedy and Unhanand, 1974), primarily concerned with recreational uses. Increasing magnitude and variety of use generated several use conflicts, and the need for a closer look at canal-oriented activities arose. The intent of the study is to show local residents and planning officials the present physical condition of local canals and canal corridors, their present multiple uses, the importance of Cache Valley irrigation canals as recreation systems, and some possible future canal use alternatives.

A Campus Planning Concept And Its Applicability To Utah State University, J. Mcray Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The primary assumption used in justifying this thesis is that growth and expansion will continue to occur for Utah State University. This is almost a certainty in view of the national trend and a general increase in the enrollment at Utah State University of from 6% to 7% over the past 10 years.