Architecture Commons^™

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 …

Structures Serving The Visibly Homeless: An Emergency Shelter Response In Charleston, South Carolina, Ellen Martin

All Theses

This thesis is an architectural exploration into how to partially address the housing crisis affecting the visibly homeless population of Charleston, South Carolina. Thousands of men, women, and children in the United States are homeless in Charleston there is a significant and increasing number of visibly homeless. Those who sleep outside shelters are generally known as the 'visibly homeless' or street homeless. The visibly homeless is the most underserved group within the entire homeless population and is composed of those who sleep in places not intended for human habitation, such as bus stations, subway trains, automobiles, doorways, and abandoned buildings. …

The Inside Outside Hospital, Robert Thompson

All Theses

This thesis examines how the historical development of healthcare architecture was influenced by social and cultural forces that eventually led to the contemporary thick building form, which is common today. These settings can have a negative impact upon patient and staff health, compromising the optimal medical response needed for patient healing. The hospital environment should be designed to increase day lighting, natural ventilation, and access to nature in order to contribute to the healing process, support the health of care providers, and optimize their effectiveness and efficiency.
This thesis first explores the development of hospital forms and, their impact on …

Ripe For Change: Roles Of Planners And Landscape Architects At The Interface Of The Land And The Network In An Alternative Agriculture Model For Upstate South Carolina, Jennifer Johnson

All Theses

Both historically and in select areas today, local food systems are the main food supply for communities. Despite the fact that they are not a main source of food for most Americans, since the 1970s there has been a resurgence of U.S. local food systems (Qazi & Selfa, p.161). The movements exist in places where high-profile and vocal personalities (restaurateur, Alice Waters; author, Michael Pollan; or activist Carlo Petrini) also reside. This thesis examines whether the viability of the resurgence in local food systems depends on the commitment of a single person, and if not, whether those who affect the …

Energy Efficiency In Historic Structures, Sarah Welniak

All Theses

Preservation and sustainability have long shared fundamental goals. Historic structures are inherently sustainable and will continue to be if their sound construction and superior materials are preserved properly. Despite this fact, historic buildings have gained a stigma for being inefficient and therefore unsustainable in the face of modern, energy efficient structures. Historic structures are and can be energy efficient when retrofitted properly. This study tested and analyzed the efficiency of historic structures in the context of a warm, wet, coastal climate in order to determine how they could be improved without damage to their historic fabric. With this aim, the …

A Condition Assessment Of The Old Island At Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, South Carolina, Sarah Kollar

All Theses

Cemeteries face a number of condition problems, both naturally and through human destruction. Without protection, historic cemeteries will eventually be diminished or lost. Magnolia Cemetery of Charleston, South Carolina, is one of the many cemeteries facing various preservation problems. In an attempt to assist the cemetery, the failing conditions assessment of the Old Island section of Magnolia highlights the major problems of the area.
The Old Island is a section of Magnolia Cemetery located in the rear of the cemetery that has clearly defined boundaries with marsh and a small lake surrounding it. Plus, many of the people buried in …

The Movement Of Architectural Elements Within Charleston, South Carolina, Laura Burghardt

All Theses

The movement of architectural elements from one building to another within Charleston, South Carolina, is an integral part of historic preservation in the city. From the earliest days of the city's historic preservation movement in the 1920s, preservationists have understood the importance of preserving elements of historic structures. In the early twentieth century, architectural elements were threatened by antique dealers and collectors of architecture who sought to purchase decorative elements, even out of standing houses. Buildings were also threatened with demolition as gas stations and other modern structures were constructed. Rather than seeing pieces of history lost, preservationists salvaged materials …

Antibody Architecture: Responding To Bioterrorism, Heather Voorhaar

All Theses

Bioterrorism, the use of biological and chemical agents for terrorist purposes, is one of the most potentially significant health and security threats currently facing the United States. Healthcare facilities as isolated entities are alone unable to provide sufficient, adaptable emergency response options during a bioterrorist attack--an unpredictable, low probability, high consequence event. Bioterrorism response must be systemic, distributed, flexible, and responsive for a wide range of event incidents, scenarios and contexts. A significant problem yet to be adequately addressed is the mitigation of the walking well--those who are not sick or injured but have the potential to inundate any designated …

Planning For Coastal Community Resiliency: A Case Study Analysis Of South Carolina Beachfront Communities, Ida Wood

All Theses

Because dynamic coastal processes and hazards threaten the resiliency of coastal communities throughout the United States, hazard mitigation and coastal management policies are constantly evolving. While various agencies throughout all levels of government have attempted to mitigate the impacts of coastal hazards, it is difficult for local communities to converge the separate requirements of state and federal agencies. Because there are many land use planning and hazard mitigation steps involved in building resiliency, this manuscript attempts to combine the hazard mitigation knowledge of a wide array of practitioners, researchers, and visionaries to develop a comprehensive land use model that integrates …

Rammed Earth Architecture's Journey To The High Hills Of The Santee, Jessica Golebiowski

All Theses

Rammed earth, a form of earthen architecture and construction that has been used for thousands of years, has gone through periods of resurgence and decline. Its modern era rediscovery through practice and publications during the late 18th and early 19th century was fueled by writers and practitioners who disseminated the ideas of pisé starting in France extending to England and eventually to other European countries and the United States. Once these ideas reached America, farmers and intellectuals alike were interested in this simple yet durable means of construction.

Rammed earth ideas, while intellectualized in Europe, originated from practice in Africa …

One-Way To Two-Way Street Conversions As A Preservation And Downtown Revitalization Tool: The Case Study Of Upper King Street, Charleston, South Carolina, Meagan Baco

All Theses

In the first half of the twentieth century, historic urban areas in America were retrofitted to accommodate a mass amount of automobile traffic. These retrofits came in the form of highways, thruways, and one-way streets. Many historic commercial streets in American downtowns were converted to one-way streets, because of traffic engineers' narrow perspectives. After decades of decline, largely linked to automobile dominance, downtown economic revitalization emerged in the 1990s. One technique that appears to be remarkably successful is the re-conversion of one-way streets to two-way streets.
One-way streets allow for greater traffic capacity and higher automobile speeds, while two-way streets …