Environmental Design Commons^™

The Impact Of American Kitchen Time-Use On Urban Design And Planning: A Case Study Of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Farshid Torabian

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Over the past century, the global environment has undergone significant changes, characterized by rising temperatures and a sharp increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Parallel to these environmental shifts, the U.S. has witnessed a tripling in energy demands, underscoring the pivotal role of household consumption in the nation's carbon footprint. Within this context, the kitchen, an integral component of the American home, becomes a focal point. Given that Americans predominantly spend their time indoors, it is imperative to understand the dynamics of kitchen usage and its broader implications on energy consumption and environmental impact. To delve into this complex interplay, this …

Evolvement Of Excusable Delay Clauses In Government Contracts Since The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jung Hyun Lee, Yunping Liang, Seyed Mohammad Ehsan Tabatabaee, Bryce Riccitelli

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Excusable delay clauses in government construction contracts, often considered boilerplate with minimal modifications, have increased in attention since the outbreak of COVID-19. Despite the studies enumerating triggering events of the clause in the background of the pandemic, it is necessary to capture insights into how the unprecedented event is systematically accommodated by contract languages. The overarching goal of this study is to identify changes in contract languages over the pre-and post-pandemic eras by state departments of transportation (DOTs), focusing on excusable delay clauses. This study conducts a content analysis and a comparative analysis of state DOT construction contract documents, including …

Lake Michigan Shoreline Landowner Survey, Colby Smock

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Hygrothermal Risk Assessment Of External Wall Insulation Retrofit To Non-Traditional Wall Types In An Irish Context, Using The Glaser Method And A Heat, Air And Moisture Transient Model, Gareth Mcdonnell, Joseph Little

Articles

The Climate Action Plan 2019 targets the low-energy retrofit of 500,000 existing Irish homes before 2030.1 Up to 80 per cent of building failures can be attributed to moisture risks.2 The literature indicated that external wall insulation (EWI, ETICS) failures are mostly due to moisture ingress at junctions and interfaces. A hygrothermal risk assessment of EWI on three walls with rendered concrete/concrete blockwork/cavity walls in Dublin, Belfast and Belmullet was undertaken using transient numerical simulation and the Glaser method. The guidance, common practice indicates a preference for Glaser. The initial simulation results were compared to assess the appropriateness of Glaser. …

Artificial Intelligence Can Help Detect Ada Accessibility Assets And Compliance, Camille Tischner

Research on Capitol Hill

Asset management is expensive. Computer vision makes collecting data efficient and saleable.

Water Efficient Landscaping At Utah State University Could Save 8 Million Gallons Of Water A Year, Mary Claire Jennings

Research on Capitol Hill

Utah has persistent drought conditions. Many discussions about land use revolve around water. As state institutions look at strategies to lower water usage, replacing turf with low water use plants is an attractive way to save significant volumes of water.

Flourishing Foliage: Exploring Hail City's Diverse Botanical Landscape, Asmaa Elantary Dr.

Journal of Engineering Research

This research explores the role of native plants in enhancing the distinctiveness of cities in Saudi Arabia, focusing on a specific case study of Al-Samra Park. The study aims to investigate the prevalence and effects of non-native and native plants in the park and their contribution to the uniqueness of the landscape. A questionnaire was designed and implemented to gather data, and the park's plant composition was examined.

The findings indicate that non-native plants dominate Al-Samra Park, while native plants are scarce. However, the abundance of non-native plants offers various benefits to park visitors. Some non-native plants possess medicinal properties, …

Using Biomimicry To Increase Daylighting Efficiency In Egyptian Office Buildings, . Nervana Osama Hanafy

Journal of Engineering Research

The aim is to design a biomimicry-inspired building skin for Giza City's business towers. Tasks to complete include enhancing daylighting efficiency and promoting visual comfort To improve the daylighting performance of office buildings in Giza City, Egypt, this article presents 144 alternatives for biomimicry-inspired building skin to improve daylighting efficiency and visual comfort for Giza City's business towers For modeling, Revit, Rhino v6, and Grasshopper were utilized. The suggested daylighting simulation application, ClimateStudio (v1.8.8244.25334), was chosen. The building orientation, used materials, surface level measurement, working hours, and pertinent weather file data have all been provided. The evaluation criteria include Annual …

Opportunities And Challenges Of Generative Ai In Construction Industry: Focusing On Adoption Of Text-Based Models, Prashnna Ghimire, Kyungki Kim, Manoj Acharya

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

In the last decade, despite rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) transforming many industry practices, construction largely lags in adoption. Recently, the emergence and rapid adoption of advanced large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s GPT, Google’s PaLM, and Meta’s Llama have shown great potential and sparked considerable global interest. However, the current surge lacks a study investigating the opportunities and challenges of implementing Generative AI (GenAI) in the construction sector, creating a critical knowledge gap for researchers and practitioners. This underlines the necessity to explore the prospects and complexities of GenAI integration. Bridging this gap is fundamental to optimizing GenAI’s …

Diagnosis Of Disease Affecting Gait With A Body Acceleration‑Based Model Using Reflected Marker Data For Training And A Wearable Accelerometer For Implementation, Mohammad Ali Takallou, Farahnaz Fallahtafti, Mahdi Hassan, Ali Al‑Ramini, Basheer Qolomany, Iraklis I. Pipinos, Sara A. Myers, F. M. Alsaleem

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

This paper demonstrates the value of a framework for processing data on body acceleration as a uniquely valuable tool for diagnosing diseases that affect gait early. As a case study, we used this model to identify individuals with peripheral artery disease (PAD) and distinguish them from those without PAD. The framework uses acceleration data extracted from anatomical reflective markers placed in different body locations to train the diagnostic models and a wearable accelerometer carried at the waist for validation. Reflective marker data have been used for decades in studies evaluating and monitoring human gait. They are widely available for many …

Biobased Construction From Agricultural Crops: Paper 1 - A State Of Play Of Commercial Solutions In Europe, Patrick Daly, Paula G. Barril

Articles

In response to environmental concerns and the global warming issue in particular there is a growing drive to decarbonise the building sector and transition it to more circular practices.

Biobased construction materials, products and systems are an important low carbon and circular strategy as they can enable low to negative carbon construction and have strong circularity advantages notably being able to enter the bio cycle, using renewable, low to zero toxic resources and provide a range of other performance benefits, including moisture and vapour regulation.

This novel research presents a unique state of play on the commercial application of biobased …

Learning Curve: Designing An Inclusive Early Childhood Learning Center, Sarah Alrumayh

Theses and Dissertations

This research centers on the improvement of early childhood education environments in hopes to reduce the disparities in outcomes among children aged 2-6, widely known as "the achievement gap." It sheds light on designing an inclusive, child-centered school for students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) and speech or language impairments (SLI). Drawing on the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), it underscores the benefits of integrating students with special education needs into mainstream education, thereby fostering inclusive learning environments. (IDEA, 1975).

The research question probes how to create a nurturing and adaptable school environment tailored to the diverse needs of …

Moonshine Babies, Arghavan Heydareslam

Theses and Dissertations

Moonshine Babies is a two-screen film made of collage/cut-out stop-motion and live-action. It is a visual poem based on my journals from when I recently started living in the US as an outsider. The experience left me feeling divided between the empty present and memories of the past. suggesting that there are collective memories among a group of interconnected individuals that unite them within a single narrative.

There was a moment when I asked, "If you are your memories, what does it mean to be somewhere you have no memories of and no one has memories of you there?"

Memories …

Using Biophilic Design To Enhance Resilience Of Urban Parks In Semarang City, Indonesia, Novia Sari Ristianti, Santy Paulla Dewi, Retno Susanti, Rina Kurniati, Naily Syafira Zain

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

Biophilic design is an approach for creating resilient, sustainable cities by constructing resilient buildings that connect humans and nature by integrating natural adaptation and aesthetic appeal in urban spaces. Biophilic design enables improved climate resilience and mental health. Semarang City in Java, Indonesia is a concrete jungle metropolis that will benefit from the application of biophilic design. Although several urban parks are constructed in public areas, certain design elements remain extremely simple. For example, the vegetated-setting contextminimal and unable to generate sufficient interest in community physical activities. Hence, the connection between humans and nature is limited, which demonstrates the lack …

Conserving Thailand’S Wooden Built Heritage : Developments, Approaches, And Current Challenges, Teranetr Tienthavorn

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

This study investigated the developments and current status of stakeholders involved in preserving wooden heritage in Thailand, specifically from the government, private sectors, and academia. The methodologies consisted of documentary analyses, in-depth interviews, and on-site observations of wooden conservation sites.  The findings revealed three periods in the development of wooden built heritage: government-led building registration, the evolution of conservation approaches by various stakeholders including private and academic entities, and a collaborative phase emphasizing intangible aspects such as craftsmanship. The study examined current wooden conservation approaches, expanding from traditional methods applied in registered buildings to contemporary and flexible conservation approaches in …

From Physics To Environmental Policy : Exploring Boltzmann Distribution For Carbon Trading Permit Allocation, Ji-Won Park

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

Combating climate change and reducing atmospheric CO2 emissions are imperative. While carbon trade, including taxes and trading systems, has been proposed, the allocation of initial permits is challenging. This study addresses this issue, exploring the application of the Boltzmann distribution for carbon emission permit allocation in carbon trading. The Boltzmann distribution method uniquely considers each country's environmental and economic contexts, assigning more responsibility to nations with larger populations and higher emissions, and providing incentives to lower-emission countries. This promotes fairness in global climate change efforts and influences national environmental policies. High-emission countries like China receive a high number of permits, …

Chiang Mai's Royal Crematorium: Siamese Influence Evident In Lanna Cremation Heritage, Sumavalee Chindapol, Piyadech Arkarapotiwong

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

The Chao Luang crematorium was a temporary architecture made for the cremation and funeral of Chao Luang Chiang Mai (King of Chiang Mai). The creation of the Chao Luang crematorium reflected the social and political pressures of Siam that influenced Lanna territories during the reign of Phra Chao Inthawichayanon in 1873 till 1932 (coup d’etat), resulting in a change in the architectural style of these funeral structures. This research aims to study the architectural style changes of Chao Luang crematorium in Chiang Mai from the moment when Siam began to draw power from Lanna to the central part of the …

Potential Advantages And Disadvantages Of Case Study As Methodological Approach In Streetscape Research, Ferdy Sabono, Indah Widiastuti, Iwan Sudradjat

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

In recent decades, streetscape research has advanced quickly in tandem with societal understanding of the impact of urban environmental quality on aesthetic satisfaction and urban dwellers' well-being. The case study method is one of the methodological approaches that has grown in popularity in streetscape research. However, no researchers have yet conducted a comprehensive investigation into the efficacy of case studies when used in streetscape research. Based on the experiences and findings of other researchers using case studies as their research design, this study explores the potential advantages and drawbacks of using case studies in streetscape research. The study uses the …

Heritage Values And Community Perception : A Look Into The Historic Ruins Of Dinajpur Rajbari, Murchana Madhury, Labanya Sarker

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

The establishment of the value and effective protection of historical ruins comprises a subject of rising interest, as evidenced by an increasing amount of research involving several disciplines. In Bangladesh, debates on the relevance of such abandoned, degraded, deformed, or empty structures—unlike other intact monuments in heritage studies—rarely take into account the attitude of the locals towards these ruins. Analyzing the case of Dinajpur Rajbari, Bangladesh, the paper intends to explore the value ascribed to historic ruins by the surrounding community. The study uses a case study approach built on Mason’s value typology, which has widely contributed to the identification …

Exploring Thai Vernacular Houses For Heritage Tourism Along The Western Bangkok Canals, Asadaporn Kiatthanawat, Patiphol Yodsurang, Aracha Krasae-In

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

The tourism industry in Bangkok, Thailand, has predominantly focused on urban attractions within the city, overlooking the significant cultural heritage and historical value of the canal-side areas. This research seeks to explore the untapped potential of heritage canal-side tourism in Western Bangkok. The objective is to identify and map the Thai and vernacular houses situated along the canal in the western region of Bangkok, an area of important cultural and heritage significance, and analyze their clustering and distribution patterns, utilizing a rapid survey—a comprehensive and swift data collection method characterized by quick on-site assessments and visual inspections. The findings reveal …