Environmental Design Commons^™

Precious Plastics - Plastic Brick Machine Fabrication, Timothy Ukaobasi Kanu, Evi Paraskevi Troulis

Architectural Engineering

The goal of this research is to determine the structural parameters of the recycled plastic polypropylene when molded into bricks resembling CMU blocks. To accomplish this, three mechanisms had to be assembled: the shredder, the injector, and the 1x1 mold. A tensile and compression test were to be performed on the plastic brick, and the values would be used to compare the tensile and compressive strength of PP plastic bricks, as well as their modulus of elasticity and stress vs. Strain performance. These values would be analyzed to determine whether it would be feasible to build an entire plastic wall. …

Riverine Commons And Institute Framework Plan, Community Design Center

Community Design Center Project Reports

The nonprofit Watershed Conservation Resource Center is restoring a 98-acre riparian wetland landscape near downtown Fayetteville as a River Commons and Institute. The Framework Plan combines watershed restoration with architecture and urban design to house a river education center, a visitor interpretive center, walking trails, passive recreation facilities including bird watching and canoeing, and outdoor heritage exhibitions. The Plan operates at the intersection of anthropology, ecology, and design in developing a lasting and robust riverine knowledge fund across space and time.

A Framework To Predict Variability Characteristics In Building Load Profiles, Sam Moayedi, Andrew Parker, Kevin James, Xiaoyue Cheng, Michael Hempel, Hamid Sharif, Mahmoud A. Alahmad

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

The expansion of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) has provided building operators and researchers detailed information on building energy consumption. The majority of AMI systems, however, record data at relatively low resolutions of 15, 30, or 60 minutes, due to cost, storage and bandwidth limitations. Emerging applications in power flow analysis, Quasi-Static Time-Series Simulation (QSTS), smart grid integration and load matching, however, require data at higher resolutions. Short-term energy demand can deviate significantly from long-term averages, with an unknown magnitude and frequency when only low-resolution load profile data is available. This paper presents a novel data-driven approach to predict characteristics of …

A Survey Of Universal Design At Museums: Current Industry Practice And Perceptions, Jennifer K. Fortuna, Kayleigh Thomas, Jenna Asper, Laura Matney, Kyra Chase, Stephanie Ogren, Julia Vandermolen

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Museums are key educational and cultural resources in the community, yet many are not accessible to visitors with disabilities. Universal design promotes products and environments usable to the greatest extent possible by all people, regardless of ability. This study explores current industry practice and perceptions of accessibility and universal design in a small sample of American museums. Suggestions for how occupational therapists can help museums go above and beyond ADA guidelines are provided.

Method: An 17-item cross-sectional survey was used to collect data. Twenty-five museum associations assisted with recruitment. A descriptive numerical summary and qualitative analysis were …

Integration Of Real-Time Semantic Building Map Updating With Adaptive Monte Carlo Localization (Amcl) For Robust Indoor Mobile Robot Localization, Matthew Peavy, Pileun Kim, Hafiz Oyediran, Kyungki Kim

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

A robot can accurately localize itself and navigate in an indoor environment based on information about the operating environment, often called a world or a map. While typical maps describe structural layouts of buildings, the accuracy of localization is significantly affected by nonstructural building elements and common items, such as doors, appliances, and furniture. This study enhances the robustness and accuracy of indoor robot localization by dynamically updating the semantic building map with non-structural elements detected by sensors. We propose modified Adaptive Monte Carlo Localization (AMCL), integrating object recognition and map updating into the traditional probabilistic localization. With the proposed …

Properties Of Cement Mortar Containing Recycled High-Density Polyethylene (Hdpe), Amany G. Micheal Prof., Esraa Torky, Merna Amir

Centre for Advanced Materials

Millions of tones of plastic waste are generated globally and only less than 10 per cent has been recycled. It is crucial to segregate and circulate plastic waste and repurposing it for countless other uses. There are many ways to repurpose and reuse these discarded plastics. One use that can be examined is the use of plastic as partial sand replacement in mortar. To contribute to this important and valid discourse, the research studies the mechanical and thermal properties of recycled HDPE mortar as an active way of integrating plastic waste into the construction industry to partially eliminate some of …

Plural Communities: A Cultural Mapping Project + A Framework Plan For Cherokee Village, Arkansas, Community Design Center

Community Design Center Project Reports

What do urban designers do with culture? How might we redevelop a mid-century modern planned community through the mapping of cultural influences that shaped it? We explored memory and heritage central to cultural mapping and its participatory-based forms of public inquiry. 54 drawings integrate maps, folklore materials, archived media, photographs, and new drawings into five synchronic cultural frameworks that shaped Cherokee Village—Native American heritage, Ozark pioneer and folk heritage, camping and scouting, midcentury planned communities, and regional modernism in design and planning.

Cherokee Village was developed within a mid-twentieth century planning ethos that valued uniformity …

La Floresta; An Appreciation And Reimagination Of My Barrio, Ana Rodríguez

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis is a love letter to my barrio, La Floresta in Quito, Ecuador. I have divided it into three different sections: a creative writing piece where I walk readers through my barrio and my life in it, a historical section where I analyze its history and the reasons for its uniqueness and current identity, and finally a project proposal for a community center called "Casa La Floresta".

Evaluating Biophilic Design Characteristics In Lincoln Public Schools, Sarah Burr

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

A mixed qualitative-quantitative study was conducted in Lincoln, Nebraska to observe and evaluate the biophilic design characteristics in Lincoln Public Schools (LPS). There is a significant lack of nature in urban environments, especially in older buildings and schools, therefore incorporating natural elements in school buildings can promote the success of students and contribute to improved well-being. The research question this study aims to address is: How and to what degree are Lincoln Public Schools integrating biophilic design characteristics in their high school buildings? Four high schools were toured utilizing an evaluation form with 10 biophilic design characteristics and a 5-point …

Planting Seeds, Cynthia Smith

Goal 4: Intrapersonal Intelligence Narrative

It is easy to become inundated with school, work, and daily life that we forget to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness “is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us” (Mindful Staff, 2020). The goal of this activity is to demonstrate mindfulness through planting a seed and practicing daily mindfulness as we take care of the seed while it grows. The act of planting a seed requires one to be mindful because this is a delicate process. Cal State Assistant Professor …

Dissipated Hysteretic Energy Reconstruction For High-Resolution Seismic Monitoring Of Instrumented Buildings, Milad Roochi, Eric M. Hernández, David V. Rosowsky

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

This paper proposes a high-resolution seismic monitoring framework that employs dissipated energy as a feature for damage detection and localization in instrumented building structures. The the methodology consists of (1) implementing a nonlinear state observer to reconstruct the dynamic response at all degrees of freedom (DoF) of a structural model, (2) employing the reconstructed response to estimate element-by-element forces and displacements, and (3) using estimated displacement, forces, and constitutive laws to estimate elementlevel dissipated energy. The main advantages of the proposed energy-based approach are that i) the proposed feature is physically meaningful and correlates well with the level of cyclic …

Redesigning Pitzer's East Mesa Parking Lot, Maisie Debruyn

Pitzer Senior Theses

Pitzer College’s East Mesa parking lot has been greatly outgrown and hardly adapted in its history. This thesis aims to redesign the lot as something highly usable for the present as well as the future needs of the school. At the core of the design are three design principles: Biophilic design, Human Centered Design, and adaptable architecture. I also pulled conceptual ideas from three precedent buildings from both on and off campus. The on-campus sites are Pomona’s “The Hive” and Harvey Mudd’s “Makerspace” and the off campus site is JaJa Architects’ PARK’N’PLAY. Utilizing each of the three principles in conjunction …

Effectiveness Of Travel Demand Management Policies In Promoting Rail Transit Use And Reducing Private Vehicle Emissions : A Stated Preference Study Of Bangkok, Thailand, Phathinan Thaithatkul, Patanapong Sanghatawatana, Ornicha Anuchitchanchai, Saksith Chalermpong

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

In this study, we focused on policies to promote reduction in the use of private vehicles that could be implemented in Bangkok during periods of severe PM2.5 levels, including a flat charge for use of private cars, private vehicle bans, and public transport fare subsidization. The objective was to investigate how these policies can be used to help convince private car users to shift their travel modes to rail transit, and, thus, reduce vehicle emissions that contribute to air pollution. We conducted a stated preference survey of 731 private car users in Bangkok, Thailand, where stated-choice scenarios were specified with …

Tabo Monastery (996 Ce) A Vernacular Architecture Of Lahaul And Spiti Region Of Himachal Pradesh, India : A Preliminary Investigation Of Deterioration And Conservation Of Murals Of Gser-Khang Gumpha, Amit Kumar Mishra

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

Tabo monastery of 996 CE, an example of vernacular architecture of the Lahaul and Spiti region of Himachal Pradesh, is one of the most significant examples of world cultural heritage, being not only a globally significant Buddhist site but also the oldest earthen building in India. Cultural heritage acts as a mirror of human civilization, culture, history, and development. This monastery has its own identity, which tells the story of its glorious past;  the structures of the monastery are the most authentic example of the use of earthen raw materials and indigenous architectural features. The major creative …

Pleang (แผลง) : Portraying Prince Naris’ Cultural Hybridity In Architectural Forms, Chittawadi Chitrabongs, Malin Phlernjai

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

His Royal Highness Prince Narisaranuvativongse (1863 –1947) was a court designer whose works transcended various fields of art, design, music, and architecture in Siam. Since his death, the prince’s legacy has been fading from the public consciousness. This research comprises an architectural design proposal to resurrect recognition of his designs, and to create public connectivity in terms of physical spaces by focusing on Prince Naris’ way of thinking, as expressed in a Thai word, pleang (แผลง), employed by Prince Naris himself. Pleang does not mean conventional, nor does it mean atypical. Pleang is a way of thinking that has limited …

Applying The A-Kano Model To Assess The Impact Of Common Area Elements On Customers’ Perceptions Of Subdivision Housing Projects In Metropolitan Bangkok, Kongkoon Tochaiwat, Damrongsak Rinchumphu, Jatuphon Wangsong, Patcharida Pultawee

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

In the field of residential real estate development, understanding customer perception contributes to project success. This quantitative research studied customer perception towards common area elements in housing projects by applying the Analytical Kano (A-Kano) Model. Information was collected from a questionnaire survey of 150 buyers of detached and semi-detached houses in housing projects situated in metropolitan Bangkok who purchased their properties within five years. The quota sampling method was used, and the data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and the A-Kano Model. The research results identify important characteristics of three groups of residential development common area elements: (1) must-have elements, …

The Indonesian Government’S Role In Setting Renewable Energy Targets To Reduce Ghg Emissions From The Electrical Energy Sector, Adelhard Rehiara, Sabar Setiawidayat, Lion Ferdinand Marini, Syafrudin Raharjo

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are being blamed for global warming, and the Indonesian government is concerned about it. The government has proven its concern for GHG reduction by participating in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and signing the Paris Agreement. In order to meet the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target in the National Energy General Plan (RUEN) 2015-2050, the government has issued regulations and plans designed to achieve the objective of producing up to 31% of the nation’s electrical energy from renewable sources by 2050. The RUEN transcription in the General Plan of Regional Energy (RUED) will be implemented …

Building Adaptations And Laboratory Safety Concerns : A Case Study Of High-Rise Academic Laboratories In A Thai University, Kawin Dhanakoses, Pirasri Povatong, Waricha Wongphyat, Chatchai Wiriyakraikul

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

Academic laboratory buildings face unique challenges due to the dynamic nature of laboratory tasks, technological advancements, and the utmost importance of maintaining safety. While flexible design strategies are recommended for laboratory facilities, there is a need to explore the empirical evidence of building adaptations and their impact on safety in real-world cases. This study employs a case study approach to investigate how academic laboratory buildings have been adapted to changing requirements and the resulting implications for laboratory safety. Four high-rise academic laboratories on a university campus were selected as case studies, and data were collected through as-built and updated architectural …

Postmodern Architecture In Thailand 1982–1997 : Key Concepts And Case Studies, Santirak Prasertsuk, Winyu Ardrugsa

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

Since the 1960s, Postmodern architecture has been popular in Western societies. It emerged as a response to the Modernism style by rejecting the abstract elements of architecture and included a return to the communication of architectural meaning for the public. This approach led to the representation of architectural elements from the past and re-considered how culture was reflected in design. Postmodern architecture became popular in Thailand during the 1980s, resulting in the creation of numerous Postmodern buildings in all regions of the country. The objective of this article is to characterize Postmodern architecture in Thailand from 1982 to 1997 (2525–2540 …

The Concurrent Effect Of Building Height Diversity And Cool Pavement Materials On Air Temperature Near The Surface Of An Urban Façade : A Case Study Of Shahriar Street In Esfahan, Iran, Zahra Gholami, Samaneh Jalilisadrabad

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

The rise in urban temperatures is a significant threat to the urban heat island effect, increasing building energy demand. This increase is worrisome because the supply of renewable energy is a big challenge. The approach to improving the urban microclimate offers a promising solution. This research investigates the concurrent effect of urban morphological parameters and physical characteristics of urban surfaces, such as cool materials, on the urban microclimate near the building's facades in an urban street. This evaluation was conducted by ENVI-met(v4). The results show that the concurrent effects of increasing building height diversity and by using cool pavement materials …