Architecture Commons^™

The Feasibility Of Incorporating Sustainable Materials In The Design Of Habitat For Humanity Homes, Meaghan Collins, '09

Outstanding Senior Seminar Papers

The concept of sustainable design has been one of increasing interest with regards to both personal choices and desire to reduce human impacts on the environment. This paper looks at the concept of sustainable housing design and why it is important. Particularly, it focuses on sustainable housing designs and materials that the McLean County Chapter of Habitat for Humanity can incorporate into the construction of its homes. This paper investigates three types of sustainable construction materials, flooring, cabinetry, and paints that Habitat for Humanity could incorporate into its homes.

Inside Unlv, Diane Russell, Michelle Mouton, Mamie Peers, Shane Bevell

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

The Sustainability Implications Of Building Adaptive Reuse, Craig A. Langston

Craig Langston

Building adaptive reuse is an important global topic. In the context of sustainable development and the effects of climate change caused by previous disregard for our environment, adaptive reuse has significant implications. This paper aims to examine how the construction industry can reposition itself to increase focus on the revitalization of existing buildings as an alternative to demolition and replacement. The paper reports on current research undertaken in Australia as part of a nationally-funded program in collaboration with industry, proposes a new model for early identification of adaptive reuse potential, tests this model with case study data, and looks at …

Supply Curves For Rooftop Solar Pv-Generated Electricity For The United States, Paul Denholm, Robert Margolis

Publications (E)

In this report, we examine several possible methods for generating PV supply curves based exclusively on rooftop deployment. We begin by introducing a framework methodology for a basic supply curve based on estimated distribution of population and buildings, rooftop availability and orientation, and geographical variation in resource. We then discuss limitations to this basic methodology and introduce alternative supply curves that consider additional factors – changes in PV efficiency and configuration, rooftop availability, and grid limitations – while emphasizing the data and methodological limitations to each approach. The resulting curves potentially could be used as inputs to other models or …

(Romp) House, Cristina Alonso

Architecture Thesis Prep

"The construction of single-family housing units wil provide an opportunity to design using recycled materials. This thesis seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of the unit's performance in a tropical climate, through means of passive cooling; in particular the promotion of comport ventilation during the daytime."

In Transit - Transition Movement Inspires Dramatic Carbon Cuts In House Refurb, Joseph Little

Articles

Drawing on the ‘Energy Descent Action Plan’ he developed at Kinsale, Rob Hopkins and his team launched Transition Town Totnes (in the UK) one and a half years ago. 64 recognised transition communities and 600 other groups (and counting) are now in communication with Rob’s team to launch their versions of this initiative in their communities worldwide.¹ The Transition Ireland Network is coordinated by Davie Philip of Cultivate and several transition initiatives are underway here.

Frame It - Thoughts On Education, Reducing Carbon And Vapour, Joseph Little, Robbie Cousins

Articles

Joseph Little believes timber frame can be the backbone of a new generation of low-carbon, energy-efficient housing, and be used as an intelligent response to Climate Change and fuel prices. But he tells Robbie Cousins that timber frame manufacturers, suppliers and architects need to gear-up and work more closely together if the true potential of this vision is to be realised.

Joseph Little’s chief bugbear is poor construction standards & details on site and the core of this issue is how the knowledge set of architects and builders and how standards are controlled. The seeds of this idea may have …

Designing A Base Station For Living Routes In Auroville, India, Vandita Mudgal

Living Routes Student Projects

Living Routes is a Non Governmental organization based in Amherst, MA that sends students overseas for semester long courses affiliated by the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. The courses comprise of sustainable living practices, ecological studies and a lifestyle that supports nature. These sites are primarily eco-villages spread throughout the world. In some of them Living Routes has its own campus and in others they function from temporary guest houses and hired accommodations.

This LARP Master’s study project worked to develop the spatial design for a campus located in Auroville, India for Living Routes. As the course is more established in …

The Naturing Spa: Recovering An Ecological Kinship With Newtown Creek, John Jedzinak

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Abstract not Included

Portland Me: Affordable Housing V. Open Space, Patrick Wright, Brett Richardson, Richard Barringer

Planning

Amid an acknowledged “affordable housing crisis”, a first-time developer approaches the City to release part of a tax-acquired property, promising a smart-growth development that would provide sorely needed starter homes for working families. The case highlights the complications of balancing competing interests in Portland ME. It shows where rational planning fails in the presence of strong neighborhood opposition, a disjointed city staff structure, and the absence of political will among City Councilors. It highlights the need for champions within local government when a project evokes competing interests. It demonstrates the extent to which “words matter” to policy outcomes, and who …

Brunswick Me: De-Militarizing The Bnas, Anne Holland, Brett Richardson, Richard Barringer

Planning

Closure of the Brunswick Naval Air Station in 2011 will have profound economic impacts on the entire mid-coast Maine region of Maine, with an estimated loss of 6,500 jobs and $330 million annual income. Throughout the Base Realignment and Closure process, Brunswick, the region, and the State of Maine followed federal rules and developed the federally-funded Brunswick Local Redevelopment Authority (BLRA) to plan for reuse of the 3300 acre base. In its planning process, the BLRA adhered to a number of well thought-out Guiding Principles, including the use of extensive public participation and the consideration of “smart growth” principles and …

Sustainable Portland: Implementation Series 1, New England Environmental Finance Center

Climate Change

When the Sustainable Portland Task Force Report was released in November 2007, under the leadership of Mayor Jim Cohen, Portland Councilor Kevin Donoghue had the idea that students at the Muskie School of Public Service might be able to help implement recommendations from the report. It may have helped that Kevin was himself a graduate of the Community Planning and Development Master’s program at the Muskie School, but it was a good idea nevertheless. He approached Professor Sam Merrill in the CPD program, who spoke with the new Mayor Ed Suslovic about a possible partnership between the City and the …

Selecting The Best Thermal Building Insulation Using A Multi-Attribute Decision Model, Theodore J. Sotoropolis

Theses and Dissertations

Thermal building insulation has traditionally been viewed as a means to reduce thermal conductivity through the building envelope. Builders typically choose the least expensive material which meets the specifications in order to remain competitive. Other factors regarding long term health and environmental consequences are typically dismissed. However, a recent shift toward sustainability requires that architects and engineers take a more responsible approach to building design. This research takes a holistic approach to selecting thermal building insulation through the use of a multi-attribute decision model. Several types of insulating products from a variety of manufacturers were investigated in order to determine …

Mining Association Rules Between Credits In The Leadership In Energy And Environmental Design For New Construction (Leed-Nc) Green Building Assessment System, Benjamin J. Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Building Assessment System is a performance-based tool for determining the environmental impact of a facility from the whole-building perspective. Taking this vision into account, the individual credits that comprise LEED are designed to reward design teams for employing sustainable design strategies that reduce the total environmental impact across several sustainability issues. This study analyzed projects that have been certified in LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC) versions 2.0 and 2.1. Data on the credits achieved by the projects were mined using the Apriori algorithm which produced 641 association rules. These results were then …

Sustainable Design Policy And Leadership In Energy And Environmental Design Certification, David M. Nyikos

Theses and Dissertations

The 2007 Air Force Sustainable Development and Design Policy mandates the use of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED ) criteria for military construction projects. Additionally, the policy authorizes adding two percent of the original building budget to the total building budget in order to fund the resulting sustainable design costs. To determine if the specific sustainable design goals of this policy had statistical support in the population of LEED certified buildings, the author gathered construction, cost, and utility data on a sample of 160 LEED certified buildings. Simple correlation and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the resulting …

Optimal Adoption Of Green Roofs: Hydrology And Public Finance Applications, Luke D. Stumme

Theses and Dissertations

New growth within established communities puts undue pressure on existing infrastructure which in turn, drives tax rate increases for all residents to cover. However, there are sustainable methods that municipalities can turn to that diminishes the local impacts of new growth on the community. Based on the absorptive nature of green roofs, the delayed release of stored rainfall volume diminishes the instances of combined sewer outflows as well as reduces the need for increased infrastructure to convey and treat stormwater discharge. A municipality can introduce planned percentages of green roof coverage which will diminish infrastructure improvement costs over time and …

Edra 39: Bibliography Of Books On Display, Kathleen Demsky

Bibliographies

edra 39 | Linking Differences / Defining Actions - Asumiendo Diferencias / Definiendo Acciones | Veracruz, México

Porchscapes: Between Neighborhood Watershed And Home, Community Design Center

Project Reports

Located on the Ozark Plateau, this 43-unit housing development is a LEED-ND (Neighborhood Development) pilot project to be built for $60/sf plus $2.3 million in infrastructure costs. The studio objective is to design a demonstration project that combines affordability with best environmental practices as designated by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Porchscapes is a pioneering Low Impact Development (LID) project funded under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Section 319 Program for Nonpoint Source Pollution. LID manages stormwater runoff through ecological engineering technologies. A contiguous network of rainwater gardens, bioswales, infiltration trenches, sediment filter strips, green streets, and wet meadows …

Socially Explicit Fire Regimes, Bruce Evan Goldstein, R. Bruce Hull

Bruce Evan Goldstein

No abstract provided.

Tips For Going Green, City Of Las Vegas, Nevada

Publications (SD)

No abstract provided.

Landscraper, Erik Maso

Architecture Thesis Prep

"The LANDSCRAPER project challenges the re-establishment of perceptually stable and natural orders. It is specifically attracted to the claim that one of the largest infrastructural projects exists in the intermountain region of western United States with the abundance of reclaimable mining territories. The project is in the conception of organizational system that instrumentalizes mining techniques to shape, stabilize, and revegetate unclaimed waste rock edifices, maximizing the potentials of a nature whose production and consumption is perpetually fueled by cultural needs and desires. Its intentions are to consider the imaging of nature, extend the perception of nature in the context of …

Insites, 2008, Utah State University

inSites

The Newsletter of the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning

Evaluation Of A Virtual Refrigerant Charge Sensor, Woohyun Kim, James E. Braun, Haorong Li

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

This paper presents a thorough evaluation of a method for determining refrigerant charge that employs low-cost, non-invasive measurements (i.e., surface mounted temperature measurements). The method could be used as part of a protocol for verified service providers (VSPs) in AC diagnostic tune-up or refrigerant charge, air flow (RCA) verification programs. Ultimately, the method could be embedded within a portable virtual refrigerant charge gauge for a technician’s use or permanently installed on the AC unit. The accuracy of the virtual refrigerant charge sensor method is evaluated in this paper using laboratory data for a number of different systems and over a …

On Modern Architecturein Italy, Paolo Vincenzo Genovese

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

The main goal of paper is to discuss the history of Modern Architecture in Italy, betweenthe beginning of the 20th Century and 1970. We intend to show the main character ofItalian architecture by itself and give a context of the main trend of the European Modernism.To do this, we have to discuss the idea of "Modernity" and the relationships between Italy andother centres of creation in Europe in this age.The discussion is concentrated on the temporal sequence of different architects and a shortdescription of the most significant masterpieces during the 20th Century in Italy. At the sametime, we have the …

The Logic Of Multi-Useof Public Open Spacesin Chiang Mai City, Kan Nathiwutthikun, Wannasilpa Peerapun, Khaisri Paksukcharern

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

This study aims to define the logic of the multi-use of public open spaces in Chiang MaiCity by taking into account people, time and activity diversity. The study hypothesizesthat the multi-use of public open spaces is influenced by three significant factors, namelyspecific characteristics of space, urban morphological structure, and users.The research methodology consists of surveying forty-two public open spaces in Chiang MaiCity. The resulting data are then used to conduct matrix analyses and the analysis of urbanmorphological structure using overlay mapping and figure-ground techniques. The studyareas are grouped according to district, function, setting, and management. Subsequentlythree public open spaces, namely …

Bangkok : River City, Banasopit Mekvichai, Nicolas Detries, Perissol Pierre-Andre, Claude Prelorenzo, Bertrand Warnier

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

An international expert workshop on the theme "Bangkok: River City" is organized bythe Bangkok Metroplitan Administration (BMA) in collaboration with Les Ateliers,The Raimond Land and the Faculty of Architecture Chulalongkorn University. The workshopwas held in Bangkok Thailand from 1st-13th June 2008. Participants are professionals of differentnationalities from specializations such as urban planning, architecture, engineering, geographyand design. They were divided into three teams: 1.) Urban Archipuncture 2.)Flowing City and3.)Bangkok Water City. They competed with the ideas to make the best use of the water network.All teams suggested ideas and projects to develop the water network and surrounding areasfocusing on the sustainability …

Impact Of Urban Expansion Onwater Demand :The Case Study Of Nakhonrachasima City,Lam Ta Kong Watershed, Saowanee Wijitkosum, Thavivongse Sriburi

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

This research analyzes the urban expansion of Nakhonrachasima City, the regional centerof Northeastern Thailand, in terms of water demand and water usage in the Lam TaKong Watershed. Lam Ta Kong Watershed has had a severe water shortage problem for a longtime. Nakhonrachasima City is a small city with 172,387 persons. The results show that theurbanization effect on changing land use rapidly and increases water consumption. The trendof the water consumption rate in Nakhonrachasima increases at a high rate. Presently, waterconsumption in the city is 64,336 cu m/d and the water consumption rate is 358 lcd, which ishigh when compared with …

The Application Of British Neoclassical Design Principles: The Greek Island Of Kefalonia, Nicholas Patricios

Nicholas Patricios

A fascinating example of taking available designs and then engaging in the act of designing new designs is the application of the British Neoclassical architectural style to new buildings in the Ionian Islands off the west coast of Greece. This occurred when Britain occupied these Islands in 1809 which then received independent status in 1815 under the British crown. It is ironical that the country that created classical architecture had neoclassical architecture introduced from the outside. The largest of the Ionian Islands, Kefalonia, provides an insightful case of the application of British neoclassical design principles to new civic buildings and …