Architecture Commons^™

Democracy And Bureaucracy Of Smart Place: Coral Gables, Fl And The Role Of Aspirational Content In Local Governance, Ramon Trias

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the role aspirational content on democracy and bureaucracy for governance of place in the United States. Place is a fundamental concept for municipal democracy and bureaucracy, as it defines the physical qualities of a community and their effect on people and quality of life. Smart Place would update theory and practices for local governance. Research reviewed process and content for the implementation of place, a gap in public administration theory. Literature review, historical research on 20^th century planning and zoning, research on 1920’s best practices on architecture and archival, qualitative findings and quantitative data on Coral …

Design Of Low Impact Development And Green Infrastructure At Flood Prone Areas In The City Of Miami Beach, Florida, Usa, Noura Alsarawi

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the effectiveness of Low Impact Development Infrastructure (LIDI) and Green Infrastructure (GI) in reducing flooding resulting from heavy rainfall events and sea-level rise, and in improving stormwater quality in the City of Miami Beach (CMB). InfoSWMM was used to simulate the 5, 10, and 100-year, 24-hour storm events, total suspended solids (TSS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) loadings, and in evaluating the potential of selected LIDI and GI solutions in North Shore neighborhood.

Post-development results revealed a decrease of 48%, 46%, and 39% in runoff, a decrease of 57%, 60%, and 62% in …

Understanding Immigrants' Travel Behavior In Florida: Neighborhood Effects And Behavioral Assimilation, Nishat Zaman

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to develop Multinomial Logit models for the mode choice behavior of immigrants, with key focuses on neighborhood effects and behavioral assimilation. The first aspect shows the relationship between social network ties and immigrants’ chosen mode of transportation, while the second aspect explores the gradual changes toward alternative mode usage with regard to immigrants’ migrating period in the United States (US). Mode choice models were developed for work, shopping, social, recreational, and other trip purposes to evaluate the impacts of various land use patterns, neighborhood typology, socioeconomic-demographic and immigrant related attributes on individuals’ travel behavior. …

Reactive Architecture : Urban Recreational Center, Michael Figueredo

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores how architecture can be designed to react to changing conditions. In the design I address how the occupants of a building may change the exterior façade based on a change of events or on group size. This creates an architectural language on the façade for pedestrians and motorists to read those activities that are occurring.

The design project is a hybrid recreational center and plaza that is designed for the use of small groups and can be adapted for larger groups. By manipulating the ground plane I create spaces where the spectator becomes the display and the …

Architecture As Contextual Re-Interpretation : A Mixed-Use Cultural Center In Old Havana, Cuba, Gabriel Fuentes

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis addresses contextual design in the city, particularly the design of contemporary architecture in historic places.

The research focuses on an analysis of Old Havana's urban architecture, particularly the spatial qualities of colonial Cuban houses as well as visual, social, and functional qualities of their urban façades. Additionally, I analyze specific mid-twentieth century houses that reinterpret Cuba’s colonial architecture in order to derive architectural principles that are tested in my design process.

The design project is a mixed-use cultural center at the Plaza Vieja in Old Havana, Cuba. As a cultural destination currently under going restoration, the Plaza Vieja …

Kit-Of-Parts Architecture : An Exploration Into The Standardization And Simplification Of An Urban Residential Building Unit, John Anderson Allmand

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on the design of a construction method that utilizes a single adaptable kit-of-parts system. The new system is designed to be flexible while also enhancing construction speeds without severely limiting the building's ability to merge into an urban fabric. This thesis proposes a residential structure to be built from a handful of simple structural units.

This is accomplished through the design of a residential building situated in an area of Miami currently under reconstruction.