Architecture Commons^™

Symbols Of A Bourgeois Empire: The Intersection Of Class And Government During Paris's Transformation Into A Middle-Class Capital, Brian Teitelbaum

Honors Theses

Between 1853 and 1870 the face of Paris was dramatically altered by the modernization effort on the part of the Second French Empire. Hundreds of thousands were displaced, billions of francs were paid out by the government, and old Paris gave way to the new. This is important today to the study of history as it marks the definitive end of an era of aristocratic oriented government and the start of the prominence afforded to the middle classes.

The renovation of Paris and the Palais Garnier defined an architectural style called Second Empire that was copied by many cities across …

Suburban Space And The City Of Rome: Liminality Fluidity And Differentiation, Henry Scherck

Honors Theses

The suburbs of the ancient Rome are a geographical area which is difficult to define, but a space which is filled with interactions between social classes which differ from those which exist within the urban space of Rome. Conceptualizing the suburbs as a space which is utilized for spectacle and as a means of exerting physical influence outside of the city of Rome, serving as a space which operates as a blank canvas as opposed to Rome as a palimpsest, this research surveys the Sallustian Gardens, the Tomb of Eurysaces the Baker and the Villa of Hadrian. Using research on …

United States War Memorials: The Transformation Of Design And Significance Influenced By The Vietnam Veteran’S Memorial, Victoria Quinlan

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the change United States war memorials underwent after the Vietnam War ended in 1975 and when the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial was created in 1982. The first memorials analyzed are the Marine Corps Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Gettysburg National Military Park, which were all built prior to the Vietnam memorial. The stark differences of the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial are then examined. The Korean War Veteran’s Memorial, the National WWII Memorial, and the 9/11 Memorial in New York City conclude the study of memorials built after the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial. These separate sets of memorials represent most …

Analyzing The Leed Certification & Energy Usage Of The Peter Irving Wold Center, Andrea Schwartz

Honors Theses

This report discusses the Leadership in Environmental & Energy Design (LEED) Gold certification of the Peter Irving Wold Center, located in Schenectady N.Y. The credits that the Wold Center achieved in the LEED process are discussed as well as what credits were not achieved. Each credit is described in detail and the feasibility of implementing the credits that were not achieved is considered. The feasibility of achieving Platinum certification is discussed. It is important to note that this analysis, while post-construction, is determining whether or not the building could have achieved Platinum certification during the planning and building process. A …

Using Green Building To Mitigate Climate Change In The Twenty-First Century, Lisa Battiste

Honors Theses

The need for green buildings are rapidly becoming more important as the nation faces impending energy crises and the world heats up from the overabundance of greenhouse gases. Buildings in America are one of the largest consumers of energy and one of the greatest contributors to CO2 emissions; more than the total emissions from all the transportation vehicles used every day. By making the construction and use of buildings more resource efficient, this can help alleviate the environmental strain of climate change. Neutralizing or eliminating carbon emissions from building use will significantly reduce the amount of greenhouse gases in the …

A Test Of Simple Ledges For Facilitating Mammal Passage Through Inundated Culverts, Amy Kelley

Honors Theses

Culverts under roadways can provide safe crossings for many animal species and are readily available, numbering over 12 million in the United States. In this pre and post construction study, I added a simple wooden ledge to 7 culverts in Saratoga County, New York to investigate their effect on wildlife crossings. A motion sensor camera was used to monitor each culvert for 2 consecutive summers, 2012 summer without a ledge and 2013 with a ledge. Six species of small mammals accounted for the 55 culvert crossings in 2012 and 58 crossings in 2013. The ledges did not increase culvert crossings …

Destruction Of Place: Policy Diffusion And Schenectady's Urban Redevelopment, Alistair Phaup

Honors Theses

Cities search for solutions to local problems in other cities and on national policy menus. This process results in many cities relying on the same solution to the same problem. Usually this diffusion of policy across multiple cities produces positive results as environmental protection, water treatment, and other city services are expanded. However in urban redevelopment policy diffusion cannot be successful as redevelopment relies on providing unique, and sometimes competitive, projects to distressed downtowns. The of writings by Jane Jacobs, Gratz and Mintz, and Richard Florida result in a group of methods that can be used to determine the potential …

Yuppies And Bootstraps: The Impact Of Gentrification On The Preservation Of Community Identity And Urban Youth Culture In Somerville Ma., Kathleen Portillo

Honors Theses

Gentrification has been at the forefront of dialogue within major social science research fields, as it is a crucial urban phenomenon that prompts fascinating interchange regarding changing definitions of community. Traditional interpretations of this process have highlighted a dynamic in poor urban areas when residential shifts, urban planning, and other forces significantly alter the spatial, social, and cultural configuration of a particular city. Furthermore, much of the gentrification literature focuses on the displacement of poor pre-gentrification residents living in declining “broken” cities. The city of Somerville, MA, provides an interesting and refreshingly different context in which to observe the impact …

Bird Mortality In The Human Built Environment, Stacie Schwartz

Honors Theses

Human development is having a detrimental effect on bird populations around the world. One hundred million to one billion birds are killed every year from colliding with human-built structures. I explored factors influencing the inability of birds to avoid man-made structures. If we can better understand these reasons, we can find solutions to this problem. After a known bird avoidance method, fritted glass, was installed in the Wold building, I investigated whether this glass actually deters birds from striking windows. Strikes on windows were noted daily through observation of specific windows on campus. Results show that vegetation outside of windows …

Adopting Green Building Codes To Mitigate The Effects Of Climate Change And Improve Environmental Health Hazards For Public Housing Residents: A Case Study Of Environmental Justice And Climate Justice In Bridgeport Ct, Jane S. Williams

Honors Theses

There is a lack of environmental justice in the public housing sector in the United States today. Prejudice in public housing policy and environmental hazards over the last 20th century have disproportionately affected populations based on race, ethnicity, and income. As global climate change becomes a reality, we need to protect the most vulnerable populations from direct and indirect effects of extreme weather events such as hurricanes and heat waves. We can protect residents of public housing by strengthening their homes structurally using green building techniques. Buildings are a huge drain on our nation’s energy sector. If we use green …

Combating Suburban Sprawl In The Capital District: An Outline For Regional Sustainable Development, Andrew J. Cahill

Honors Theses

Urban centers in America have commonly been plagued by high rates of pollution, decaying infrastructure, and the overall image of being undesirable places to live. Beginning in the second half of the twentieth century, masses of people vacated the cities that they called home, for literally greener pastures, settling in outlying, low-density living areas that became known as the suburbs. Suburbanization has particularly impacted the land use pattern in the Capital District of New York State, as countless suburbs developed away from the region’s urban centers of Albany, Schenectady and Troy. Recently people have moved back into the Capital District’s …

Sustainable Cities As The Gateway To The Future: A Case Study Of New Rochelle, Andrea B. Grenadier

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the characteristics of sustainable cities and uses New Rochelle, New York as a case study to further describe initiatives synonymous with green communities. Five prominent topics of sustainable cities and urban planning are discussed within the literature review and later mirrored throughout the case study of New Rochelle. These topics include, smart growth, energy efficiency, green buildings, transportation, and recycling. The mayor of New Rochelle and Sustainability Coordinator completed questionnaires and their responses contributed to an assessment of the contemporary issues facing sustainable cities.

Fallingwater: Structure And Design, Avery Gray

Honors Theses

Fallingwater is the country home designed in 1935 for the wealthy Pittsburgh merchant Edgar Kaufmann Sr. by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Since its completion in 1940 it has enthralled the American public and architectural enthusiasts; received countless awards and recognitions; and is generally held as one of the greatest pieces of architecture of the modern world. It is the most well known residential building in the world excluding those made for royalty. Whether this great fame is deserved or not is a matter of opinion but there are a number of features of this buildings design that cause it …

An Environmental Economic Analysis Of Green Building And The Leadership In Energy And Environmental Design Rating System, John A. Manna

Honors Theses

Buildings account for over 70% of U.S. energy consumption and produce 30% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. With growing concerns over future energy prices, the green building industry and the LEED rating system have made it their goal to produce better performing, more efficient buildings. LEED projects have been implemented in all 50 states, with 46 implementing LEED into public policy. In this study we evaluate the environmental and economic benefits of the LEED certification process. A cost-benefit analysis provides a framework for assessing the life cycle of a LEED building, incorporating both energy and cost savings, as well …

The Darker Side Of Americas Wonderland A Study Of The First Four Decades Of Yellowstone National Park, Elizabeth M. Sargent

Honors Theses

Those who first stumbled across the steaming, bubbling land of Northwestern Wyoming in 1860s and early 1870s described it as “Hell on Earth.” Over the course of a few decades, the land underwent a vast transformation, which replaced “Hell” with “Wonderland” in visitors’ minds. The year 1872 represents a turning point in environmental legislation and marks the conception of Yellowstone, America’s first national park. While creating a national park preserved, for the first time, the country’s natural wonders, the 1872 act included no direction for management, no allocation of funds for upkeep, and no system set in place to manage …

Improving The Energy Efficiency Of Fero House Home Of Alpha Delta Phi, Matt S. Stankiewicz

Honors Theses

As our country continues to grow and prosper we are faced with a growing number of environmental issues. While many of these issues were ignored in the pursuit of economic growth, we are now facing the harsh realities of our unmitigated expansion. The continual mining and use of fossil fuels has scarred our landscapes, polluted our air, and contaminated our waterways. Our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions are higher than ever and contributing heavily to global warming. With the United States’ population constantly on the rise and projected to hit 350 million in little over a decade1, it appears that our …

Characterization Of Green Roofs And Their Potential Effects On The Union College Campus, Cybil Tribie

Honors Theses

A green roof is the construction of protective layers and vegetation on the roof of a building. Green roofs are capable of providing ecological benefits to the environment as well as economic advantages for the client. Therefore, my thesis will explore the characterization features of green roofs by focusing on the layers they are made up of, the different types of green roofs, and the benefits they can provide. Although this technology is relatively new to the United States in comparison to places such as Germany, where green roofs have been extensively used for over 40 years, there is a …