Architecture Commons^™

Parafiction And The Architectural Imagination, Ashley Glesinger

Masters in Architecture Program: Theses

I observe current architecture practice to be too reality-driven. As a response to this issue, this thesis demonstrates parafiction as one productive method of exercising architectural imagination. I define parafiction as a type of fiction that begins with a fact and is presented as a fact in order to demonstrate what the world could be. To create parafictions, I have used multi-medium techniques of representation. Through the representations, this thesis strives to “make present” one person’s imagination.

I see parafiction and architecture both as projective activities. Specifically, that both redefine relationships to what already exists and create tension between the …

A Vernacular For Lincoln, Nebraska, Austin Riggins

Honors Theses

The contemporary vernacular architecture in the United States is a product of industrialization and globalization. One homogenous, mass produced vernacular has dominated nationwide and overshadowed the unique, contextual, and regional designs of the past. While the contemporary, industrialized vernacular has led to increases in the quality of life for many in the developed world, it has also left in its wake a homogenous and placeless environment devoid of environmental sensitivity or cultural references. There is a need for a set of new vernaculars that embrace modern building technologies while simultaneously responding more directly to local climatic needs and facilitating a …

Migratory Patterns And How They Affect They Relocation Of The Age Cohort 20 To 40 Into Nonmetropolitan Communities Of Nebraska, Mariah Tobin

Masters in Architecture Program: Theses

Nebraska’s nonmetropolitan communities have been rapidly declining in population. However, recent research has shown an uncharacteristic increase in the population of those age 20 to 40. The survival of nonmetropolitan communities is crucial to the societal ecosystem of America. The people moving into these nonmetropolitan areas believe in rural; they are “Rural by Choice”.

If Nebraska is to keep this way of life alive and thriving, small towns must re-evaluate their communities and strive to meet the demands of today’s globally connected world and the expectations of these younger generations. People are moving into nonmetropolitan areas in search of communities …

Analysis Of The Geographical Distribution Of Primary Care Physicians In Nebraska, Chanhyun Park

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses and Student Projects

Many articles point out that there is a disparity between rural and urban areas in healthcare service. The disparity is derived from the locational choices of physicians which are influenced by diverse factors such as backgrounds where they grew up or type of facility at which they worked. This study examines physician movements which vary depending on the types of physician and facility in Nebraska. The research dataset are annual practicing records of all primary care physicians and business information of the facilities in Nebraska from 1998 to 2019. The study result shows that there is little difference in physicians’ …

An Evaluation Of Public Open Space In Downtown Lincoln, Nebraska, Karl Dietrich

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses and Student Projects

Public open space provides many benefits to a downtown area. Among the benefits are economic growth, social connectivity, health, and helping to create an identity for a city. As many cities continue to sprawl outwards, it is important that their downtown areas create a sense of place so that businesses and people stay and visit. Public open spaces can help provide that much needed sense of place. This study examines whether the “public space index” designed by Vikas Mehta (2014) is effective at evaluating public open spaces. This was done by using four public open spaces (Foundation Garden, Tower Square, …

Road Diet Feasibility Analysis For Nebraska, Brandon L. Purintun

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Many rural towns and cities throughout Nebraska have experienced consistent population decline over the past 50 years, and the highway system once built to accommodate hoped-for growth is not serving the population as well as it could. These towns and cities would benefit from implementing a road diet conversion on their main highways. Within rural communities, road diets are an increasingly popular method of improving safety along major arterials through the reduction of excess capacity in favor of increasing refuge areas for turning vehicles. A typical application might be the restriping of a four-lane undivided highway into a three-lane highway …

Wetland Conservation Effects Result In Enhanced Playa Functionality In The Rainwater Basin, Nebraska, Hong Zhang

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses and Student Projects

This study assessed the functionality level of wetland hydrology, hydrophyte and soil conditions, and then identified the restorable potential of conserved playas. The distribution of hydrology and hydrophyte were geospatially examined through annual tracking the quantity and quality of wetlands on historical hydric soil footprints under different conservation programs in the Rainwater Basin (RWB) in Nebraska, USA during 2004-2015. The results show that the historical hydric soil footprints with the conservation programs had significantly higher functionality of ponded water and hydrophyte than non-conserved wetlands. The yearly average of ponded water areas within footprints varies at 12.59% for the Waterfowl Production …

Housing Availability, Accessibility And Affordability For Nebraska's Rural Aging Populations, Jordan G. Grummert Rasmussen

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses and Student Projects

Rural America and the nation as a whole has entered a phase of significant demographic change, as the number of Americans over the age of 65 is estimated to double by 2050. Nebraska counties and the state are, too, experiencing this shift in the age demographic. As the population ages, consideration must be given to the housing options for older adults, specifically those who reside and wish to remain in rural areas.

While broad consideration is given to either population aging or housing in rural areas, there is limited county level analysis adjoining these demographic and housing realities. This study …

Geological Principles Illustrated In The Art Along The Antelope Valley Hiker/Biker Trail – The Big X (Salt Creek Roadway/Antelope Valley Parkway) South To Q Street, Robert Diffendal, Jr.

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

When the weather is good (and even sometimes when it isn’t) I occasionally walk around the periphery of the UNL city campus, often over the lunch hour, now that the trails and the sidewalks allow one to walk a complete circuit. The walk along Antelope Creek from the Big X to Q Street is beautiful. The designers of the project made nice art works on the floor of the creek and on the retaining walls on the valley sides that add to the beauty of nature.

I am a geologist and wondered about some of the art and its meaning …

Gis Spatial Analysis Of Segregation Clustering Evolution In Lincoln, Nebraska, Sarah Aftika

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses and Student Projects

Rising immigration growth in the Midwest creates Multi-racial communities and segregation such as social class segregation, economic segregation, education segregation, and also housing segregation. In urban America, there are three major sets of explanatory causal factors that have been hypothesized to explain ethnic residential segregation. They are: housing discrimination, socioeconomic status (SES) and ethnic group preferences (French 2008, 1).

Lincoln, as a metro city in Nebraska, shows signs of segregation phenomena as well as other metro cities in Midwest. The analysis tool used for this study is Geographic Information System (GIS) spatial analysis. This tool enables us to examine the …

The Nebraska Sandhills Food Desert: Causes, Identification, And Actions Towards A Resolution, Andrew Thierolf

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses and Student Projects

Declining populations over the past several decades have created issues for residents in many rural areas. A serious concern is the emergence of “food deserts,” areas where people do not have sufficient access to nutritious foods. The Sandhills region in west-central Nebraska is a prime example of an area that is subject to the food desert phenomenon. It features a low-density rural population that creates a difficult economic environment for grocery retailers.

This paper looks at multiple aspects of the food desert issue in the region. It begins by reviewing literature to determine the definition of the term “food desert” …

The Earth All Around Us: Selected Building Stone In Lincoln, Nebraska. A Walking Tour, William J. Wayne

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Stone has been a primary building material for millennia. Cities, therefore, are treasure troves of earth materials. A wide variety of stones from many places are used for walls, as foundations to support entire buildings, as trim, and more recently as cladding (facing, an overlay). The Earth science teacher can find, in the limited space of an urban environment, a superb collection of stones with which to introduce students to these materials. The surfaces of stones on the outsides of buildings illustrate the durability and the vulnerability of each kind of stone to the local climate. And the history of …

Landscape Ecology Of Hedgerows And Fencerows In Panama Township, Lancaster County, Nebraska, Richard K. Sutton

Landscape Architecture Program: Faculty Scholarly and Creative Activity

This study investigated woody plant composition, structure, and biomass of hedgerows and fencerows, and for effects between human attitudes and managemnet practices. Fencerows arise as narrow strips of woody and herbaceous plants at feild margins and property boundaries. Hedgerows grow from intentional linear plantings. Exotic species wer more important in fencerow composition. Hackberry, Missouri goosberry, American plum, and white mulberry readily inhabited both fencerows and hedgerows. Woody plant exhibited clumped distribution in both hedgerows and fencerows. A moisture gradient emerged as a factor in distribution of species. Management caused a significant difference in speicies richness and biomass in both hedgerows …

Trees And Shrubs For Noise Abatement, David I. Cook, David F. Haverbeke

Historical Research Bulletins of the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station

The study, Trees and Shrubs for Noise Abatement, was a joint effort by the University of Nebraska and the U.S. Forest Service. The principal objective was to determine effective means for reducing traffic noise levels by the use of trees and shrubs, wherever intrusive noise is a problem.

The Existing Space In Nebraska Multistory Square Farm Houses, Jerre Lewis Withrow, Florence Mckinney

Historical Research Bulletins of the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station

The present study was made by the University of Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station to determine the extent of similarity in the plans of one particular style of house, the square house of more than one story. Patterns of remodeling will be developed if the similarity of existing houses justifies such a project. The two story square house was chosen for study because it is one of the predominant old style houses still in existence throughout the North Central Region.

The Existing Space In Nebraska Multistory Tee Houses, Virginia Y. Trotter

Historical Research Bulletins of the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station

The objectives of this study: (1) To determine the nature of the occupied tee house of more than one story in terms of placement on the farm, condition of the structure, the floor plan, the existing utilities, work areas and storage space. (2) To determine the adequacy of tee houses of more than one story in terms of recommended minimum health requirements and the stage of the family cycle. (3) To suggest recommendations for remodeling the tee house of more than one story.

Hog Houses For Nebraska, O. W. Sjogren, I. D. Wood

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

The material contained in this bulletin is a culmination of several years' study and investigation of the different types of hog houses used in Nebraska. It is realized that the plans given will not suit all conditions that may arise, but an effort has been made to bring out the essential factors so that the plans may serve as a guide in planning a house suited to particular conditions.

Hog Houses For Nebraska, O. W. Sjogren, I. D. Wood

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

The material contained in this bulletin is a culmination of several years' study and investigation of the different types of hog houses used in Nebraska. It is realized that the plans given will not suit all conditions that may arise, but an effort has been made to bring out the essential factors so that the plans may serve as a guide in planning a house suited to particular conditions.