Architecture Commons^™

Material Sustainability, Jessica Meadows, Natasha Morris

Architectural Engineering

This paper addresses the sustainability of the materials used to construct buildings today. Timber, concrete and steel are analyzed for carbon output, cost, and recyclable-ability.

Performance Based Analysis Of Steel Buildings, Matthew Joseph Williams

Master's Theses

This project investigated the performance of two separate building types, designed using ASCE 7-05, using the analysis procedures from ASCE 41-06. The results from the ASCE 41-06 analyses were compared to the expected performance level of Life Safety to determine the adequacy of the ASCE 7-05 design. ASCE 7-05 is intended to result in designs that perform to a Life Safety performance level regardless of the building type. A design using the AISC specifications for a steel Special Moment Frame and the lateral loads from ASCE 7-05 resulted in a building that slightly exceeded an Immediate Occupancy performance level for …

Processing Of The Planning Software For Buildings In The “Passivhaus”- Standard For Albanian Speaking Countries, Petrit Ahmeti

Theses and Dissertations

The consumption of fosile energy and specially the need of the electrical energy are increasing rapidly, which is also followed by many major problems. This is becoming a serious global problem.

This is one of main reasons that the European Union is working and making new regulations about the energy production and specially its consumption. These new regulations also include the regulations about the energy efficient buildings.

The “PassivHaus-Standard” is a building standard that fulfills the conditions that the European Parliament set for the energy efficiency for the next years. In the year 2015 this will be the Quality-Standard for …

Arrowmont At Loghaven: Craft And Art, Karen Bailey

Masters Theses

This thesis provides the theoretic framework along with the research into site, program and precedent to support a design proposal for Arrowmont at Loghaven. The goal was to show that spatial organization that both differentiates and unites opposites can be a catalyst for personal and cultural development. The methodology of Christian Norberg-Schulz’s structure of space was used to explore the dynamic tension that enlivens architecture at various levels. The thesis explores the hypothesis that relationships that are created by a process of integration, can bring balance, and therefore health, to the individual, the community and the culture. The final design …

Longitudinal Study Of Factors Impacting The Implementation Of Notebook Computer Based Cad Instruction, Richard F. Goosen

Dissertations

This study provides information for higher education leaders that have or are considering conducting Computer Aided Design (CAD) instruction using student owned notebook computers. Survey data were collected during the first 8 years of a pilot program requiring engineering technology students at a four year public university to acquire a notebook computer for a class formerly conducted in a conventional computer laboratory. Data from 148 students was used to develop five metrics which are described and quantitatively evaluated: (a) student preference for notebook computer instruction, (b) student perception of learning, (c) out of class hands-on operating time, (d) economic impact …

Design And Performance Of Load Bearing Shear Walls Made From Composite Rice Straw Blocks, Kevin Robert Camann

Master's Theses

Although rice straw and other grains have been used in building since pre-history, in the past two decades, there has been a move to utilize this rapidly renewable, locally available, agricultural byproduct as part of the sustainable construction movement. Up to this point, this has been done by simply stacking up the full straw bales. Stak Block, invented by Oryzatech, Inc., is a modular, interlocking block made of a composite of rice straw and binding agent that serves as an evolution in straw construction. This study investigates the feasibility of using these Stak Blocks as a structural system. The report …

The Redevelopment At Mill Creek, Jason Cater, Andrew Craig

City and Regional Planning

No abstract provided.

Conservation Design Guidelines For Botanic Gardens, C. Craig Houston

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Botanic gardens worldwide are asked to be centers of conservation. However, little is written about conservation-specific planning and design forms botanic gardens should use to fulfill this assignment. After looking at the history of botanic gardens, with a focus on the purpose/design relationship, examining design guidelines suggested in and inferred from the literature, and presenting habitat conservation principles and sustainable construction guidelines from other areas of practice, the author developed conservation design guidelines for botanic gardens focused on conservation. The guidelines address the following five categories: (1) Mission Statement and Site Character, (2) Presentation of Native Habitats, (3) Presentation of …

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. …

Redesigning The Megachurch: Reintroduction Of Sacred Space Into A Highly Functional Building, Javier Valencia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

"Megachurches offer a unique way of being religious in modern society; one that fits the social and religious context of many people says Scott Tumma “Beyond Megachurch myths”. These Massive congregations of two to fifteen thousand participants occupy an undeniable space in the religious and social landscape. It is not only their massive buildings, locations, activities or television broadcasts that make these churches important. It is the role that they play in changing society (Hartford, 2006)” Architecturally the Megachurch has failed today, it has become a “big box”, a well developed building which houses thousands of members and provides them …

The Fundability And Marketability Of Green Buildings At Public Universities: Transcending The Funding Paradigm At Cal Poly, Eileen E. Joseph

Master's Theses

While in recent years Cal Poly has moved in the direction of sustainable building, my research indicates that where other CSU’s have succeeded, Cal Poly has been challenged in developing the type of green buildings that would truly make new construction projects more sustainable. The most commonly cited barriers are cost and lack of funding. The outcome however (as evidenced by other CSU’s) is not just driven by the state’s capital outlay process that has historically supported new construction on CSU campuses. It is determined by the priorities, perceptions and values that have influenced Cal Poly’s decision makers and driven …

Analysis Of Stabilized Adobe In Rural East Africa, Grace Ying Yu Chen

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

ANALYSIS OF STABILIZED ADOBE IN RURAL EAST AFRICA

Grace Ying Yu Chen

This project seeks to assist people in rural East Africa by proposing sustainable building methods which implement affordable and durable adobe bricks for construction. Adobe, one of the oldest sustainable building materials in the world, is strong when dry but lacks structural integrity when exposed to moisture. Chemical additives such as cement and lime are added into the adobe mix to protect the brick against moisture decomposition. Once the chemicals are added and the mix is formed into a brick, a stabilized adobe brick is formed.

Cement, …

Optimization Of Two-Way Post-Tensioned Concrete Floor Systems, Gaelyn B. Krauser

Master's Theses

This thesis investigates a parametric study of a flat plate floor system designed using post-tensioning. The load balanced by the post-tensioning, the slab depth, and the strength of concrete were varied to create the parametric study of a hotel/condominium grid layout. In order to perform the parametric study, research was conducted on the development of post-tensioning, methods of analysis for two-way slab design, and post-tensioning methods of analysis. Design was conducted by hand through a series of Excel spreadsheets and compared to results found using the computer analysis program, ADAPT-PT. The designs found in the parametric study were then used …

Ecological Design In Resort Hotel Properties: Management Perceptions Of Ecologically Performative Landscape Practices, Kristen Leigh Mitrakis

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses

It has been argued that in order to bring about society's acceptance of sustainable landscape practices, landscape architects must make them transparent; that is, visible, and ultimately understandable, to the observer. Only when the members of society become familiar with these techniques do they move into the realm of aesthetic acceptability (Thayer 1994; Bohdanowicz 2005). But given that ecologically performative landscapes are often perceived as "messy" (Nassauer 2002, 196), a compatibility issue arises when considering implementation of such visible technologies within landscapes that require a high level of aesthetic refinement.This research examines perceptions of ecologically performative landscape practices held by …

Labyrinths In The Landscape: Who Is Recommending, Who Is Using, And Are There Benefits, William Skeet Norton

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses

The labyrinth is a symbol known to exist for at least for four thousand years. It has been used in many cultures and religions throughout its existence as a symbol for the journey of life, a sacred space to pray, and a place of meditation and contemplation. After several hundred years of absence, the labyrinth is regaining popularity in modern cultures and religions, and is thought to be beneficial to the mind, body, and spirit. Many of the contemporary labyrinths are in the outdoor-built environment. This research assists landscape architects in understanding who is recommending labyrinths, using labyrinths, and the …

Developing Eligibility Criteria For Daylighting Streams As Applied To Dallas' Mill Creek, Deepa Harkishore Koshaley

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses

Daylighting is a deliberate act of exposing the full or partial flow of previously buried rivers, creeks and streams into restored surface waterways. Human development has encroached upon natural streams and confined them in concrete channels and pipes, covered them partially or fully, and altered their natural courses. Eventually this has caused reductions in flow capacity, increase in flow velocity, and water pollution, leading to floods, erosion, and loss of natural resources. Stream daylighting is in a developmental phase, meaning that most of the daylighting projects have been undertaken without proper hydrological, geomorphological, and ecological assessment or knowledge of the …

Labyrinths In The Landscape: Who Is Recommending, Who Is Using, And Are There Benefits, William Skeet Norton

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses

The labyrinth is a symbol known to exist for at least for four thousand years. It has been used in many cultures and religions throughout its existence as a symbol for the journey of life, a sacred space to pray, and a place of meditation and contemplation. After several hundred years of absence, the labyrinth is regaining popularity in modern cultures and religions, and is thought to be beneficial to the mind, body, and spirit. Many of the contemporary labyrinths are in the outdoor-built environment. This research assists landscape architects in understanding who is recommending labyrinths, using labyrinths, and the …

Influences And Mental Processes Involved In Generating Creative Products: Their Implications For Landscape Architects, Theunis Willem Devilliers

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses

Creativity is the ability to bring something new into existence consciously with `something new' being a product resulting from a process initiated by a person (Barron, 1988.) It may be an idea, an artwork of acknowledged greatness, a scientific discovery, the solution to a problem, leadership abilities, or theories and products that are unique and novel (Barron, 1988.)Influences involved in generating creative products include the social and historical milieu in which creativity is carried out, a culturally defined domain, the creative person's personality, cognitive factors, and motivational characteristics. The topic of creativity is appropriate for landscape architecture because creative products …

Dialectic Aesthetics: The Landscape Aesthetics Of Steven Bourassa And The Architecture Aesthetics Of Roger Scruton, Jacob M. Baker

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses

This paper explores the similarities and differences between Roger Scruton's The Aesthetics of Architecture and Steven Bourassa's The Aesthetics of Landscape. The purpose of Scruton's book, according to Scruton, is to introduce readers to aesthetics. Architecture was chosen as the explanatory device because it poses unique problems to aesthetics. One such problem, Scruton explains, is that architecture is not just an aesthetic object; it also must satisfy human needs. This separates architecture from other arts that are not required to satisfy the same human needs. Scruton also chose architecture because in his opinion, no one up to that point, (1979,) …

Dialectic Aesthetics: The Landscape Aesthetics Of Steven Bourassa And The Architecture Aesthetics Of Roger Scruton, Jacob M. Baker

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses

This paper explores the similarities and differences between Roger Scruton's The Aesthetics of Architecture and Steven Bourassa's The Aesthetics of Landscape. The purpose of Scruton's book, according to Scruton, is to introduce readers to aesthetics. Architecture was chosen as the explanatory device because it poses unique problems to aesthetics. One such problem, Scruton explains, is that architecture is not just an aesthetic object; it also must satisfy human needs. This separates architecture from other arts that are not required to satisfy the same human needs. Scruton also chose architecture because in his opinion, no one up to that point, (1979,) …

An Examination Of The Role For Landscape Architects In The No Child Left Inside Movement, Wade Miller

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses

The disconnection, or lack of interaction and experience, between children and nature has been coined Nature Deficit Disorder and popularized by Louv (Louv 2005, pp. 139-140). Current research and writing regarding the child and nature disconnect has spawned the No Child Left Inside movement. This movement is an initiative being adopted by cities, states, federal agencies and other organizations committed to reconnecting children with nature by providing a wide range of opportunities to experience nature directly, while building the next generation of environmentally conscious citizens.This research examines how landscape architecture is viewed by those associated with Children and Nature Network …

Innovative Storm Water Best Management Practices : Their Influence On Landscape Architecture In North Texas, Jason Christopher Voight

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses

The land development process is essentially a three step progression consisting of input from developers who envision and fund a project, designers who translate the developer's vision into a buildable project, and the regulators who ensure that the project upholds, to the extent allowable by law, the health, safety, and welfare of mankind including the environment.As an outgrowth of this development model, the modern American city has evolved overtime into a sprawling metropolis, which has had a direct, deleterious impact on watersheds. To address these detrimental impacts, storm water regulations have been authored on federal, state, and local levels, which …

An Examination Of The Role For Landscape Architects In The No Child Left Inside Movement, Wade Miller

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses

The disconnection, or lack of interaction and experience, between children and nature has been coined Nature Deficit Disorder and popularized by Louv (Louv 2005, pp. 139-140). Current research and writing regarding the child and nature disconnect has spawned the No Child Left Inside movement. This movement is an initiative being adopted by cities, states, federal agencies and other organizations committed to reconnecting children with nature by providing a wide range of opportunities to experience nature directly, while building the next generation of environmentally conscious citizens.This research examines how landscape architecture is viewed by those associated with Children and Nature Network …

Innovative Storm Water Best Management Practices : Their Influence On Landscape Architecture In North Texas, Jason Christopher Voight

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses

The land development process is essentially a three step progression consisting of input from developers who envision and fund a project, designers who translate the developer's vision into a buildable project, and the regulators who ensure that the project upholds, to the extent allowable by law, the health, safety, and welfare of mankind including the environment.As an outgrowth of this development model, the modern American city has evolved overtime into a sprawling metropolis, which has had a direct, deleterious impact on watersheds. To address these detrimental impacts, storm water regulations have been authored on federal, state, and local levels, which …

Le Corbusier And The Daughter Of Light: Color And Architecture Of The 1920s, Gayla Jett Shannon

School of Architecture Theses

Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, Le Corbusier, used color in his architecture to modulate form and volume. This research evaluates the possible rationales for the application of color in his architecture of the Purist phase, the 1920s, and compares it to the Munsell system of color notation in two case studies; Maison La Roche and Villa Savoye.

With And Against: Architecture Jazz Mondrian, Charles Mark Draper

Masters Theses

My thesis centers around the painter Piet Mondrian and a prophetic position that he held at the end of his life that architecture and painting could be united sometime in the future through the introduction of sound, namely jazz music. This is a test if a synthesis between art, architecture, site, space, content, and structure can be elicited by the infusion of jazz, rhythm, arythmos, and syncopation. The metaphorical aspect of synthesis is imperative for the current state of art and architecture and ultimately a bridge between sensory inputs and a sensorial unconscious can be reduced to a larger analogy …

Enhancement Plan For Downtown Cayucos, Ca, Rachelle Sarai Sneh Lopez

Master's Theses

An area can be torn by the competition between the preservation of its character and the desire for new development. Cayucos’ downtown area is recognized by both residents and visitors as a special place with a strong, small, coastal town feel. However, issues such as accessibility, public amenities, parking, maintenance, and general development needs have to be dealt with. This thesis deals with the issue of how to plan for change while maintaining the character of Cayucos, and presents an enhancement plan proposal for its downtown. The development of this plan was based on a research-based design methodology, which included …

Accessibility In Metropolitan Transportation Planning : Visualizing A Gis-Based Measure For Collaborative Planning, Aditi Sarkar

Dissertations

Passed by the US Congress in 1995, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), requires Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to further the trend of collaboration by employing visualization techniques for Transportation Improvement Programs (TIPs). In the first part of this two-part research, three New Jersey MPOs are investigated to understand how accessibility is considered by their organizations, how TIPs are evaluated, and how collaborative planning and visualization techniques are used to evaluate TIPs. In the second part of this study, a small segment of a MPO's jurisdiction is selected to develop a visualization of …

Dynamics Of School Playground Use In Low-Income Neighborhoods : Four Case Studies From Newark, New Jersey, Caryn Schneider Yaacov

Dissertations

Physical activity during youth contributes to enhanced health and development, and time spent outdoors is a positive correlate of children's physical activity levels. Despite the importance currently attached to building healthy communities, children in the United States from economically disadvantaged urban neighborhoods often lack access to quality open space. In response to insufficient outdoor play options for children in Newark, New Jersey, several existing inner-city elementary school playgrounds have been rebuilt through public-private partnerships involving the municipal government, school district, and nonprofit agencies. This study explores the extent to which neighborhood children use these renovated playgrounds outside of school hours. …