Architecture Commons^™

Material Sustainability, Jessica Meadows, Natasha Morris

Architectural Engineering

This paper addresses the sustainability of the materials used to construct buildings today. Timber, concrete and steel are analyzed for carbon output, cost, and recyclable-ability.

Green Can Bring Green: An Evaluation And Comparison Of The Economic Effects Of Sustainable And Economic Redevelopment, Kathryn Young

All Theses

The process of redevelopment is a relied upon method of breathing new life into downtowns and urban areas. Though several common redevelopment approaches contribute to a sustainable atmosphere, more significant environmentally- and ecologically- sustainable approaches can be implemented in redevelopments to repair and support the environment and ecology of an area. But do economic and sustainable redevelopment models have similar impacts on the surrounding economies? This report conducted an evaluation and comparison of the economic effects of sustainable redevelopments and economic redevelopments. Though research is considered exploratory, the results demonstrate that sustainable and economic redevelopments are both viable options for …

Sustainable Commercial Interior Design, Órla Keane

Dissertations

This dissertation looks at the environmental benefits of 3 key areas in relation to interior design: Energy, Water and Air; energy efficient lighting, water efficient plumbing fixtures and the effects of interior materials and finishes on indoor air quality.

Qualitative research methodology: Extensive literature review of texts available on these topics, and also of the relevant building codes and environmental legislation applicable to Irish interior designers and the built environment.

Quantitative research methodology: A comprehensive survey of then currently practicing Irish interior designers, and their use of sustainable design strategies (or lack thereof). The survey was conducted in conjunction with …

Sustainability In Higher Education In 24 Different Universities, Omidreza Saadatian

No abstract provided.

Planning For Climate Change Mitigation And Adaptation In North Central Texas: A Roundtable Discussion, Jeff Howard, Kent Hurst

School of Urban and Public Affairs Publications

On July 16, 2009, the School of Urban and Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Arlington hosted a daylong roundtable on how “climate leader” municipalities of North Central Texas—and urban planners in those communities—are responding to the looming challenge of climate change. The organizers invited the planning directors in selected North Central Texas communities to send staff members to participate. The targeted municipalities were those who are members of Cities for Climate Protection (ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability) or whose mayors have signed the Climate Protection Agreement (U.S. Conference of Mayors). Of the 17 such communities in the …

Making Connections - Envisioning Springfield's North End, David M. Ahronian, Kelly R. Ashton, Erin G. Bassett, Maxwell A. Cohen, Victor J. Czulak, Gregory S. Dunbar, Brendan T. Farragher, Jonathan L. Gorman, Peter L. Guy Ii, Timothy J. Iles, Piyawut Inthasorn, Travis A. Johnson, Jonathan Koch, Justin J. Kronewitter, Zachary B. Livingston, Matthew Morano, Brian Mulvehill, Kevin C. Murphy, Sean P. O'Connell, Peter W. Stephens Jr., Christopher Tourigny, Bryce P. White, Timothy E. Young

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Studio and Student Research and Creative Activity

This work explores a service learning strategy in the context of the senior Urban Design Studio taught in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The primary goal of this project is to stimulate a conversation in the neighborhoods of the North End, to develop green design strategies, to improve services and businesses for residents and the employees of local businesses, and to foster cultural engagement and interaction in the North End that will enhance the vibrancy, resilience, and quality of life of this urban community. Making connections - Envisioning Springfield's North End …

The Fundability And Marketability Of Green Buildings At Public Universities: Transcending The Funding Paradigm At Cal Poly, Eileen E. Joseph

Master's Theses

While in recent years Cal Poly has moved in the direction of sustainable building, my research indicates that where other CSU’s have succeeded, Cal Poly has been challenged in developing the type of green buildings that would truly make new construction projects more sustainable. The most commonly cited barriers are cost and lack of funding. The outcome however (as evidenced by other CSU’s) is not just driven by the state’s capital outlay process that has historically supported new construction on CSU campuses. It is determined by the priorities, perceptions and values that have influenced Cal Poly’s decision makers and driven …

The Poetry Of Sustainability: Inhabiting The Landscape Through Sustainable Design, Sarahjo Bellissimo

Architecture Thesis Prep

"Our society is a dependent of the inevitably doomed industry of fossil fuels. We rely heavily on nonrenewable resources to maintain our lifestyles. Ethically, our relationship to the earth is unbalanced. In order to balance the scales of our future in architecture we must look toward sustainability through technology."

Analysis Of Stabilized Adobe In Rural East Africa, Grace Ying Yu Chen

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

ANALYSIS OF STABILIZED ADOBE IN RURAL EAST AFRICA

Grace Ying Yu Chen

This project seeks to assist people in rural East Africa by proposing sustainable building methods which implement affordable and durable adobe bricks for construction. Adobe, one of the oldest sustainable building materials in the world, is strong when dry but lacks structural integrity when exposed to moisture. Chemical additives such as cement and lime are added into the adobe mix to protect the brick against moisture decomposition. Once the chemicals are added and the mix is formed into a brick, a stabilized adobe brick is formed.

Cement, …

The Very Basics Of Sustainability - An Alternative Viewpoint (Slides With Audio) (Large File! To Speed Up Download, Right-Click On "Download" Link To Save To Own Pc.), Jim Mcgovern

Other resources

This presentation sets out the very basics of ‘sustainability’, although a definition of sustainability is not attempted. Some of the very basics are the context in which the Earth and humankind exist in space and time, the Earth’s climate, the Earth’s population and humankind’s options and choices. The author advocates keeping an open mind on all available options, including the use of oil, gas, coal, tar sands, carbon capture and sequestration, nuclear power etc., as well as the technologies that are more widely considered ‘green’. The author also argues that, in addressing the challenges that humankind faces, globally concerted effort …

Application Of Pv Panels In Large Multi-Story Buildings, Sara Kayal

Master's Theses

Application of PV Panels in Large Multi-Story Buildings Feasibility Study Sara Kayal

The awareness of global warming along with an ever increasing demand for a new source of energy has brought a strong interest in harnessing natural resources such as solar energy. This thesis evaluates the viability of applying photovoltaic (PV) panels in high-rise commercial buildings of around 20 stories. Specifically, the thesis is intended to provide a pre-planning tool during the early design stage for architects and designers who are considering the deployment of PV panels in new multi-story construction.

The first three chapters cover a comprehensive literature review …

City Of Patterson Sustainability Plan, Colin Brian Clarke

Master's Theses

This Master’s Thesis / Professional Project is a Sustainability Plan developed for the City of Patterson, California. The Patterson Sustainability Plan (PSP) was developed concurrently with the General Plan Update, and will be presented to the City for adoption within a year. The Sustainability Plan will help inform decision-making by way of its Goals and Actions for implementation to improve community sustainability. Before the plan was developed, background research was conducted that included a Best Practices Review to assess what other cities are doing to address sustainability, a Needs Assessment to evaluate existing conditions in Patterson and determine its unique …

Revitalizing The South End - The Gateway For Downtown Springfield, Barbara J. Constable, Brian Giggey, Christopher J. Jennette, Julie P. Meyer, Megan M. Plante, Diana W. Slawniak, Ben Eli Webb, Duanchai Yomdit, Deborah A. Zervas

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Studio and Student Research and Creative Activity

This studio report explores a service learning strategy in the context of the Graduate Urban Design Studio taught in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The primary goal of this project is to design the South End as the future gateway for downtown Springfield that will help to transform it into a vibrant urban community.

Green design strategies, improvement of services and businesses for residents and the employees of local businesses, and new housing opportunities will enhance the vibrancy, resilience, and quality of life of this disadvantaged urban community. Revitalizing the South …

Leaving A Smaller Footprint: Optimizing Passive Systems For Single Family Attached Housing, David J. Silver

Architecture Senior Theses

"Creating the best internal comfort conditions for the resident, while using little to zero non-renewable energy, is ideal in creating a sustainable, innovative, and contemporary structure that embraces both a flexible and efficient lifestyle and, at the same time, addresses important energy issues that will be a solid foundation for a new modern world."

No Child Left Inside: Environmental Education Through A Reciprocal Relationship Between Architecture And The Natural World, Leah Kleinman

Architecture Senior Theses

"Through a reciprocal relationship between architecture and the natural world, this thesis contends that environmental education programs can teach children to appreciate and preserve our natural environment. Architecture becomes an instructional tool itself and a way of experiencing the natural world while sustaining it and providing a healthy and comfortable setting in which to learn and have fun."

{Perm] House: Performance Of Recycled Materials, Cristina Alonso

Architecture Senior Theses

"The construction of single-family housing units will prodive 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 comfort ventilation during the daytime."

Modes, Means And Measures: Adapting Sustainability Indicators To Assess Preservation Activity's Impact On Community Equity, Mackenzie M. Greer

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Preservation of and reinvestment in the built environment as a redevelopment tool has been used by cities and towns across the country, in many cases providing significant social, economic and environmental benefits. Potential social effects have often been the least explored aspect of sustainable development, especially with regard to preservation, yet they are often the most challenging, particularly given the potential for displacement.

This thesis reviews literature where the issues of preservation, redevelopment and sustainability intersect. A set of best practices was developed that can be applied to other cities and towns to help balance preservation- and equity- enhancing activities. …

Regenerative Architecture: A Pathway Beyond Sustainability, Jacob A. Littman

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

The current paradigm in the field of architecture today is one of degeneration and obsolete building technologies. Regenerative architecture is the practice of engaging the natural world as the medium for, and generator of the architecture. It responds to and utilizes the living and natural systems that exist on a site that become the “building blocks” of the architecture. Regenerative architecture has two focuses; it is an architecture that focuses on conservation and performance through a focused reduction on the environmental impacts of a building.

This paper introduces regenerative architecture as a means for architectural design. I present the Nine …

Santiago De Querétaro, Ciudad Dispersa Y Fragmentada ¿Un Futuro Sostenible? / Santiago De Querétaro, A Fragmented And Sprawl City. A Sustainable Future?, Yanet Lezama-López

Yanet Lezama-López

A través de una revisión crítica de la teoría y práctica de la planificación urbana predominante en México, basada el paradigma del movimiento modernista o lecorbusiano desde el Siglo XX, esta ponencia toma como estudio de caso la ciudad de Santiago de Querétaro para mostrar cómo este paradigma, sumado a la discrecionalidad que ejercen las autoridades locales responsables de su planificación urbana, la han convertido en una ciudad en dónde el interés público se ha subordinado al de los agentes privados. Esto se evidencia en el modelo de ciudad “dispersa”, de bajas densidades, y al mismo tiempo fragmentada, en dónde …

Bridging The Gap: A Symbiotic Approach, Nicholas Czarniecki

Architecture Theses

Some architectural themes to be explored in this project have to deal with sustainability, passive environment systems, the play between new and old, and public and private. These themes are important because of the obvious need for solutions for energy usage when it comes to building sustainably. The goal of the thesis is to creat a culture that is sustainable through the interaction of young and old people in a built environment.

Learning Through Nature: Mount Holyoke Environmental Research And Education Center, Sari M. Lipnick

Architecture Theses

I plan on doing this by creating an area located along a river or body of water that people will be able to interact and learn from its ecosystem and wildlife. I would like this to be a space that allows for the public to come and learn either indoors or outdoors with a variety of tools. By creating two defined areas functioning as elementary learning and university learning it would allow the variety of participants to come into the space and even interact with each other. One goal of mine would be to explore this interaction and control it, …

Corporate Social Responsibility Of Architectural Design Firms Towards Sustainable Built Environment In South Africa, Ayman Ahmed Ezzat Othman

Architectural Engineering

The construction industry makes a vital contribution to the social and economic development of every country. Buildings provide their users with places for housing, education, culture, medication, business, leisure and entertainment. None of these buildings will perform its function unless supported with efficient road networks, superlative telecommunications facilities, water and electricity. On the other hand, the construction industry has major impacts on the environment. It is a very large consumer of non-renewable resources, a substantial source of waste, pollution, land dereliction and energy consumption. This highlights the responsibility of present generations to use the available resources in a way that …

Lovington Dpac Master Plan, Petra Morris, Julia Oliver, Dominique Hinds Dupont, Jessica Dunn, Kristina Guist, Ron Guistinella, Yekaterina Yushmanova, Jessica Medrano, Chance Munns, Matthew Bollinger, Cesar Cruz, Robert Frankis, Cristel Haught, Sam George

Design and Planning Assistance Center - Projects

DPAC partners with New Mexico Main Street, a national nonprofit community organization that is administered in the State of New Mexico through the New Mexico Economic Development Department. Main Street's goal is to revitalize downtown centers. This revitalization comes in terms of physical infrastructure and aesthetic improvements, as well as economic stimulation. Thirteen students from the 2009 DPAC Studio were given the opportunity to work with the community of Lovington, NM.