Architecture Commons^™

Identification And Characterization Of Fine Particulate Matter Hot Spots On An Urban Arterial Corridor Integrating Probe Vehicle, Traffic And Land Use Data, Katherine Eleanor Bell

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the use of integrated probe vehicle, traffic and land use data to identify and characterize fine particulate matter (PM[subscript 2.5]) hot spot locations on urban arterial corridors. In addition, a preliminary analysis is conducted to consider volatile organic compound (VOC) hot spot locations. A pollutant hot spot is defined as a location on a corridor in which the mean pollutant concentrations are consistently above the 85th percentile of pollutant concentrations when compared to all locations along the corridor. In order to collect data for this study, an electric vehicle was equipped with …

Skateboarding As Transportation: Findings From An Exploratory Study, Tessa Walker

Dissertations and Theses

In recent decades skateboarding has expanded from recreation into a form of transportation. Skateboarders appear to use roadways much as other non‐motorized modes do. However, there is little academic research on the needs and characteristics of the skateboard as a mode. This research reports demographics, multi‐modal and travel behavior findings, and other data from an exploratory mixed‐methods study of skateboarding as a mode of transportation.

Diffusion Of Energy Efficient Technology In Commercial Buildings: An Analysis Of The Commercial Building Partnerships Program, Chrissi Argyro Antonopoulos

Dissertations and Theses

This study presents findings from survey and interview data investigating replication of green building measures by Commercial Building Partnership (CBP) partners that worked directly with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). PNNL partnered directly with 12 organizations on new and retrofit construction projects, which represented approximately 28 percent of the entire U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) CBP program. Through a feedback survey mechanism, along with personal interviews, quantitative and qualitative data were gathered relating to replication efforts by each organization. These data were analyzed to provide insight into two primary research areas: 1) CBP partners' replication efforts of green building …

Evaluation Of Phase Change Materials For Cooling In A Super-Insulated Passive House, Jeffrey Stephen Lauck

Dissertations and Theses

Due to factors such as rising energy costs, diminishing resources, and climate change, the demand for high performance buildings is on the rise. As a result, several new building standards have emerged including the Passive House Standard, a rigorous energy-use standard based on a super-insulated and very tightly sealed building envelope. The standard requires that that air infiltration is less than or equal to 0.6 air changes per hour at a 50 Pascal pressure difference, annual heating energy is less than or equal to 15kWh/m2, and total annual source energy is less than or equal to 120 kWh/m2. A common …

An Anthropology Of Urbanism: How People Make Places (And What Designers And Planners Might Learn From It), Brooke D. Wortham-Galvin

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

In their word play on what design praxis might succeed the New Urbanism movement in the United States, the July 2013 article “Newest Urbanism” in the Architect introduced to the uninitiated the concept of tactical urbanism. Defining tactical urbanism as "temporary, cheap, and usually grassroots interventions—including so-called guerrilla gardens, pop-up parks, food carts, and 'open streets' projects—that are designed to improve city life on a block-by-block, street-by-street basis," the article claims that it took this approach to shaping the city less than a decade to mainstream into the practices of US cities and firms alike. While Architect used the term …

A Post-Occupancy Daylight Analysis: Vernonia K-12 School, Julia Mollner, Corey T. Griffin

Research-Based Design Initiative

Daylight is an important aspect of design, specifically in school settings. Daylight is not only desirable but crucial for the growth of children, including: increased connection to nature, reduced electricity bills, and increased attention spans. Recent studies have shown the positive relationship between diffuse daylight and student performance (Melton, 2012). The proper design of daylight can enhance a space without electric light. The main goals of daylighting are (1) control direct light during occupied hours (2) provide balanced illuminance on interior surfaces (3) provide sufficient ambient daylight illumination for visual tasks (Pattern Guide for Advanced Daylight, 2014). This research is …

Renton Highlands Library Daylighting Analysis, Sergio Palleroni, Vanessa Vanderhoof, Huafen Hu, Ben Dienes, Angela Cutright

Research-Based Design Initiative

It is common knowledge that natural light is better for the built environment and occupying such environments. It also is important to note that society spends the better part of their lives in structures or buildings; these spaces have a hand in our daily experiences. Not only do people benefit from natural lighting, physically and mentally, but daylighting systems can also lower dependency on electricity, lowering the usability and lifetime costs of a structure. There is also a chance for creating too much daylight, bright surfaces and areas can hinder the occupants and some spaces do not need daylighting. It …

Evaluating Sefaira: A Research Collaboration, Mart Schaefer, Sergio Palleroni, Huafen Hu, Ben Deines, Boora Architects

Research-Based Design Initiative

Sefaira Concept is a plug-in that runs in Trimble SketchUp, a 3D modeling program with wide usage in architecture design. Known for its ease of use, SketchUp is particularly useful during a project’s schematic design phase. Until now, however, it lacked robust analysis tools. Sefaira Concept fills that gap and allows designers to explore a variety of options for reducing energy impact early in a project’s life. Before a tool of this nature existed, energy modeling and analysis would be done by consultants with more specialized knowledge and at a point in the design process where it was too late …

Nicu Lighting Design: Responding To The Diverse Lighting Needs Of Nicu Users, Rachel Browne, Corey T. Griffin, Nada Maani, Srg Architects, Luma

Research-Based Design Initiative

SRG is redesigning a NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) for a major healthcare provider in the Portland, OR metro area.This is an intensive care unit for babies born prematurely and up to 6 months of age. The space is in an existing hospital and has previously been used as an NICU. For the last several years it was being used as overflow office space, but now is being remodeled and re-commissioned as an NICU. The healthcare provider who owns the hospital recently realized that this could be a value-added service for their business model.

This paper focuses on two factors …

Breezeway Wind Analysis, Andrew Borgerding, Scott F. Burns, Corey T. Griffin, Ben Deines

Research-Based Design Initiative

The project is focused on the wind strategies for the Black Butte Ranch site in central Oregon. The foundation is at the edge of a lake in the high desert with the central Oregon mountain ranges to the west. These mountains help to maintain a consistent wind direction for the majority of the year. Wind rose studies have given THA the basic idea of direction, west to east in the winter and slightly southwest to northeast in the summer. The Black Butte Ranch is rebuilding the main pool house along with a restaurant and new pool. The wind has been …

Thermal Imaging For Facade Performance Evaluation: Informing Decisions For Srg’S Psu School Of Business Renovation, Kelsy Colvin, Samuel North, Corey T. Griffin, Ben Deines, Srg Architects

Research-Based Design Initiative

This research serves to evaluate the current condition of existing building skins on The School of Business and The School of Education at Portland State University (PSU) through infrared thermography. The buildings were constructed at two different points: The School of Education in 1979 and The School of Business in 1986. Both have had minor renovations since their construction, and each are articulated in differing materiality. Infrared thermography is best suited for the researcher’s purposes as it is non-invasive and will allow them to produce a data analysis of building structures before any deconstruction is conducted.

The research will inform …

Portland State University Engineering Building Expansion Feasability Study, Nicole Dunbar, Huafen Hu, Sergio Palleroni, Ben Deines, Zgf Architects, Glumac

Research-Based Design Initiative

he building was certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold after its construction, achieving a 45% reduction in energy use from the original building. A geothermal (ground source heat pump) cooling system is the primary cooling device in the building, along with operable windows in classrooms for natural ventilation and cooling (PSU).

Portland State University’s commitment to sustainability sparked the impetus to push for a design that would achieve the LEED Gold standard. Originally designed by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca (ZGF) Architects and PAE Engineering, the building serves as the main space for all of the branches of Portland …

Calculating Energy Consumption For Building Materials, G. Antons, M. Hoover, W. Uebelacker, Sergio Palleroni, Huafen Hu, Ben Deines

Research-Based Design Initiative

Sustainability is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. With that, Life Cycle Assesment (LCA) was born and is now a standard tool in measuring how sustainable we are in building from material extraction to end of life.

Architects have adopted the responsibility to lead the building industry down a green and sustainable path; as a part of this, many architecture firms have expanded their practices to include studios that work specifically on green buildings or green energy audits for clients. Throughout history sustainable design has used …

Life Cycle Assessment American Center, Rangoon, Myanmar, W. Uebelacker, Cole Poland, Corey T. Griffin, Ben Deines, Ygh Project Team

Research-Based Design Initiative

This LCA looks at the cradle to grave operations of a building, quantifying the environmental impacts of the materials, production process, transportation, operating use, deconstruction, and disposal. There are several environmental categories that can be identified for evaluating global impacts including global warming, ozone depletion, eutrophication, acidification, smog formation, particulates, and fossil fuels. According to the International Organization for Standardization, there are four phases for performing LCA of a building: goal and scope definition, life cycle inventory (LCI), impact assessment and analysis of results. The goal and scope defines the intent of the LCA (cradle to gate, cradle to grave) …

Entryway Wind Impact Assessment, Andrew Borgerding, Scott F. Burns, Kelsy Colvin, Sergio Palleroni, Haufen Hu, Ben Deines

Research-Based Design Initiative

The project consists of a current medical facility located in Gresham, Oregon. This site is subjected to fierce winds pushing west out of the Columbia River Gorge. These winds have the ability to reach hurricane wind speeds which will ultimately guide the shape of the building footprint and overall orientation/ building envelope. ZGF is looking for a qualitative study between multiple massing models in relationship with wind turbulence. These models are desired to reveal not only the effects of the wind on the massing models, but the existing buildings surrounding the new building. The goal behind this series of wind …

Parametric Analysis For Building Efficiency Developing A Tool For Diagramming Programmatic Relationships Using Adjacency Requirements, Christopher Boon, Lyee Chong, Sergio Palleroni, Huafen Hu, Ben Deines, Zgf

Research-Based Design Initiative

Emerging Parametric technologies are opening new opportunities in Architecture. Generally, it is seen primarily as an engine to drive formal exploration and renderings. Its implications however are larger and it is possible to employ it is at many stages in the design process. During the initial design stage, much of what is explored involves theoretical concepts. The work is expressed diagrammatically. If the concept can be distilled to its parameters, then it is possible to begin including parametric analysis. This type of analysis will allow designers to develop a much wider range of options in a much shorter timeframe. This …

Evolutionary Analysis For Building Efficiency: Inventing Generative Tools For Diagramming Spatial Relationships, Christopher Boon, Corey T. Griffin, Sergio Palleroni, Huafen Hu, Lyee Chong, Ben Deines, Zgf

Research-Based Design Initiative

This project attempts to utilize generative software in order to create an analytical system intended to enhance order and efficiency within groups of complexly inter-connected architectural programs. The focus of the research involves developing a parametric definition that can diagrammatically arrange spatial volumes. These volumes represent the various building functions (programs) in terms of square footage. The driving condition for these experiments is adjacency. The theory is that if two functions in a building need to be connected, they should be adjacent to one another. The degree of adjacency is here viewed as the distance between the centers of programmatic …

Maximixing Daylight In Lower Level Classrooms Using Lightwells, J. Primozich, R. Webber, Corey T. Griffin, Ben Deines, Tha Architecture

Research-Based Design Initiative

Student and worker performance has been shown to share a correlation with access to natural sources of lighting (Heschong, 2002). Natural lighting also provides environmental benefits through the reduction of a building’s energy dependence (Ihm, P., Nemri, A., Krarti, M., 2008). Lower-level classrooms are particularly troublesome to daylight because skylight strategies are unavailable and relying on exterior glazing increases solar heat gain as well as increased envelope costs. Lightwells offer a potential solution for daylighting without the costs associated with traditional solutions. A lightwell is a vertical shaft extending from an opening in the roof structure to lower level rooms. …

Wall Assembly And Material Analysis, Sam North, Cole Poland, Reid Weber, Sergio Palleroni, Huafen Hu, Ben Deines, Tha Architecture

Research-Based Design Initiative

We researched the thought process and reasoning behind the design of wall assemblies from start to finish. We explored the specific reasoning for placement and use of every material in the wall and brought to light where the reasoning came from. The wall assemblies in question are those of an academic building currently under construction on Portland Community College, Cascade Campus designed by Thomas Hacker Associates Architecture (THA).

The project consists of two new buildings and a plaza space. The building programs consist of classrooms, open study rooms, a cafeteria and administrative offices. We analyzed the wall type and assembly …

Daylight And Artificial Lighting Strategies For A Nicu Remodel, Rachel Browne, Huafen Hu, Elham Masoomkhah, Nada Maani, Karina Adams, Sergio Palleroni, Ben Deines, Srg Partnership, Inc., Luma Lighting Design

Research-Based Design Initiative

SRG is proposing an NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) remodel for a major healthcare provider here in the Portland metro area.This is an intensive care unit for babies born prematurely and up to 6 months of age. The space is in an existing hospit al and has previously been used as an N ICU. However, it is currently being used as overflow office space and is now under consideration for being remodelled and re-commissioned as an N ICU.The healthcare provider who owns the hospit al has recently realized that this could be a value-added service for their business model.

Our …

Post-Occupancy Daylight Analysis: Vernonia K-12 School, Portland State University. School Of Architecture

Research-Based Design Initiative

Early design approaches are becoming increasingly important in the architectural design process. Studying the buildings performance after occupancy has allowed our field to study the accuracy of design modeling. This has been especially true with daylight analysis. Specifically in school settings, daylight is not only desirable but crucial to the health and performance of children. Analysis of daylight in the architectural field has increased as the opportunity to perform more accurate simulations during the design process. Alongside this development, there is a move to explore the efficiency of software analysis to real world projects. This research examines the effectiveness of …

Faulty Measurements And Shaky Tools: An Exploration Into Hazus And The Seismic Vulnerabilities Of Portland, Or, Brittany Ann Brannon

Dissertations and Theses

Events or forces of nature with catastrophic consequences, or "natural disasters," have increased in both frequency and force due to climate change and increased urbanization in climate-sensitive areas. To create capacity to face these dangers, an entity must first quantify the threat and translate scientific knowledge on nature into comprehensible estimates of cost and loss. These estimates equip those at risk with knowledge to enact policy, formulate mitigation plans, raise awareness, and promote preparedness in light of potential destruction. Hazards-United States, or Hazus, is one such tool created by the federal government to estimate loss from a variety of threats, …

Neighborhood Commercial Corridor Change: Portland, Oregon 1990-2010, Kelly Ann Howsley-Glover

Dissertations and Theses

Commercial corridors in neighborhoods experiencing change have been relegated to a footnote in research on residential phenomena. It is taken for granted that the process of change experience by businesses within these neighborhoods mirrors that of the residential change. This assumption is often predicated on the underlying model of invasion succession, suggesting that inmovers displace native populations, whether they are residents or businesses. Analyzing time series data on neighborhood commercial corridor change, research attempted to first test data against the invasion succession model to see if it is an effective framework for analysis. Second, through comparison of case study areas …

Measuring The Effects Of Environmental Certification On Residential Property Values - Evidence From Green Condominiums In Portland, U.S., Xi Yang

Dissertations and Theses

Green building, as an environmentally responsible and resource-efficient product, has emerged in recent decades. Along with the growing interest in green building design and operating practices, a number of green building certification standards and rating systems have been developed by different organizations worldwide. Those rating systems allow government regulators, building professionals, and consumers to embrace green building with confidence. Many recent studies find that LEED and Energy Star certified commercial buildings gain significant rental and sales price premiums and have higher occupancy rates. However, little research has been conducted to measure the market value of certified multi-family residential buildings, for …

The South Kelso Revitalization Plan, Ashley Harris, Aaron Lande, Chris Myers, Beth Otto, John Verssue, Kate Williams

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

The city of Kelso has a rich history based in a strong community ethic, hard-working people, and an economy deeply rooted in the bounty of the natural environment. This economy has changed over the last several decades, however, and the difficult transition has left its mark on the community. South Kelso in particular- one of the four neighborhood quadrants- is battling its fourth generation of disinvestment and widespread poverty. To help the City revitalize South Kelso, the aim of the South Kelso Revitalization Plan is to give voice, strength, and direction to the concerns and priorities of the South Kelso …

Public Space And Urban Life: A Spatial Ethnography Of A Portland Plaza, Katrina Leigh Johnston

Dissertations and Theses

The Urban Center Plaza at Portland State University is a high profile place situated in downtown Portland, Oregon. In some ways it is the ideal university plaza providing space for eating, conversing, or limited recreational activity. It is a place that has been studied before, but not in a more in-depth method incorporating quantitative and qualitative analyses. It is also a place that has gone through several stages of development and is the target of many opinions based on casual observations, at times due to these changes. This thesis focuses on an ethnography of place in this particular plaza in …

Development Of Dynamic Thermal Performance Metrics For Eco-Roof Systems, Seth Sinclair Moody

Dissertations and Theses

In order to obtain credit for an eco-roof in building energy load calculations the steady state and time-varying thermal properties (thermal mass with evapotranspiration) must be fully understood. The following study presents results of experimentation and modeling in an effort to develop dynamic thermal mass performance metrics for eco-roof systems. The work is focused on understanding the thermal parameters (foliage & soil) of an eco-roof, further validation of the EnergyPlus Green Roof Module and development of a standardized metric for assessing the time-varying thermal benefits of eco-roof systems that can be applied across building types and climate zones. Eco-roof foliage, …