Environmental Design Commons^™

Stitching The Void, Taylor Van Ness

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

My thesis asks how architecture can play a role in the scientific surveying and ecological healing of a landscape of declining biodiversity in order to assist reforestation, while offering an invitation to returning wildlife. A series of architectural interventions stitched into the landscape are inhabited by reforestation activation devices. The symbiotic relationship between architecture and the devices allow for the implementation of a number of dynamic and pragmatic functions based on a pre-determined protocol.

Mental Sensorium, Brittany Adkins

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

According to ADAA, nearly one-half of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are highly treatable but only 36.9% are receiving any kind of treatment. Anxiety disorders develop based on a set of factors including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events. Many do not realize but our environment, especially the built environment we inhabit every day can have a positive or negative effect on our mental well-being. Architecture should not just focus on the physical needs of their inhabitants but the mental health needs as well.

The built environment has a considerable impact …

Resurrecting A Fallen Angel: Architecture Remediating Pollution In Mexico City, Karen Rios

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Mexico City's population of over twenty-one million inhabitants makes it the second largest city in the world. Consequently, air pollution levels in the capital are outrageous.

The following proposal is not an attempt at fixing the city's pollution issues but, rather, presenting an innovative solution to be adopted throughout the city. The thesis aims at solving the contamination crisis' physical and psychological aspects.

That is, a combination of architectural intervention and community involvement will help slow down the rising pollution levels in a once beautiful city. Perhaps starting at a micro scale and spreading throughout the city.

Community-Based Healthcare | Interlace Of Biophilic Design In Outpatient Facilities, Joshua Robinson

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis questions how architects can redesign typical healthcare typology in response to the medical and sociological needs of the community while integrating the measures of wellness and biophilic design. By redefining architectural programs within a wellness clinic, this can allow the facility to prioritize the communities needs through non-medical determinants. The research will look at both the social and medical needs of a community, along with the Seven Standards of Wellness as defined by the Well Building Standard and The Fourteen Patterns of Biophilic Design as defined by the Terrapin Bright Green, to develop a connection between the facility …

Combating Zombie Subdivisions In Teton Valley, Idaho, Taylor Cook

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses

This research examined the history, background, and viable solutions to deal with zombie subdivisions in the Teton Valley area (Teton County, Idaho). Overdevelopment, lack of responsible zoning code enforcement and the 2008 economic recession are just some of the key factors that contributed to the ongoing dilemma of zombie subdivisions in the Teton Valley. The current and past long-range plan for Teton County, Idaho was reviewed and analyzed to understand the workings and planning mechanisms that were and are currently set in place. Zoning code, Idaho state statutes and development agreements between Teton County officials and developers, were closely reviewed …

Quality Assessment Of Conventional And Electric Vehicles In Terms Of Fuel Economy, Annual Fuel Cost, And Maintenance, Kay Rand Morgan

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Today, automotive industries and their consumers are demanding more information on electric vehicles in response to the ongoing transportation transition from conventional to electric vehicles (EVs), the problems of greenhouse gas emissions from conventional vehicles (CVs) and fossil fuel usage, and interests in green energy production and the overall environmental health of this world. This study identified four variables - fuel economy (FE), annual fuel cost (AFC), maintenance frequency (f), and maintenance intensity (I) - and used comparative statistical quality assessment and failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA), a reliability management tool, for data analysis comparing conventional and electric vehicles. …

Automated Generation Of Daily Evacuation Paths In 4d Bim, Kyungki Kim, Yong-Cheol Lee

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Spatial movements of workers and equipment should be carefully planned according to project plans. In particular, it is crucial for workers’ safety to prepare emergency evacuation paths according to changing construction site configurations and construction progress. However, creating evacuation paths for all crews for each day can be an extremely labor-intensive task if it is done manually. Consequently, in most construction projects, evacuation plans are not provided to managers and crews throughout the entire construction. Even state-of-the-art technologies do not suggest ways to generate evacuation paths according to changing progresses presented in 4-Dimensional Building Information Model (4D BIM). This research …

Disney: Castles, Kingdoms And (No) Common Man, Anahita Dalmia

Journal of Themed Experience and Attractions Studies

Disney: A company with media and experiences that are studied over and over again, almost exhaustively. However, there is good reason that this company, recognized by its emblematic castle, is studied so intensely. No other company has prolifically created such successful experiences across platforms and settled so comfortably in audiences’ hearts, making so many of them feel special. This paper explores why and how Disney creates this impact through examining Disney’s transmedia world building techniques through the lens of the psychological schema theory. The theory explains the way humans process information, empathize and learn from experiences which are not their …

Between The Lines: Children’S Literature And The Disney Theme Parks, Michaela Karis

Journal of Themed Experience and Attractions Studies

Though the Disney theme parks are a common subject of academic analysis, relatively little research has approached the parks from a literary perspective. In this paper, I apply a theory of children’s literature to the Disney parks. By tracing the similarities between the parks and children’s texts, including their use of a “double” level of address, their focus on oppositional binaries, and their deliberate elision of “adult” elements, I demonstrate how the parks legitimize themselves as both childlike and child-appropriate spaces.

Evaluating Perspectives Of Virtual And Mixed Reality For The Performing Arts In The U.S. And Canada, Collin Huse

Journal of Themed Experience and Attractions Studies

What are the current trends of virtual and mixed reality in the performing arts? In this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of academics and professionals in the performing arts who are using virtual and mixed reality. Grounded Theory was used to analyze the themes that emerged over the course of the interviews. This study found that this technology is already fitting into entertainment within both the performance aspect and the design process. Many challenges exist for innovators in AR/VR such as lack of common knowledge, lack of structure needed for innovation, and difficulty finding financial backing. …

Physical And Digital Architecture For Collection And Analysis Of Imparted Accelerations On Zip Line Attractions, Kai David Quizona, Shelly Sicat, Nicholas Holman, Madison Glozer, Alan Black, Alex Ferworn, Kathryn Woodcock

Journal of Themed Experience and Attractions Studies

The accelerations experienced by riders of Zip Line attractions is an underexplored area of public safety assurance. These amusement devices require complex processes to collect and analyze acceleration data. Highly versatile and effective rider-worn and ride-carried devices are necessary to collect acceleration and velocity data without affecting the integrity of the ride. This paper introduces the use of a sensor device for collecting Zip Line acceleration data in the form of a Trailing Trolley. This architecture extends the work of Sicat et. al.’s which proposed the use of a Sensor Vest and Headwear to collect linear and rotational accelerations of …

Dark Rides And The Evolution Of Immersive Media, Joel Zika

Journal of Themed Experience and Attractions Studies

The dark ride is a format of immersive media that originated in the amusement parks of the USA in the early 20th century. Whilst their numbers have decreased, classic rides from the 1930s to the 70s, such as the Ghost Train and Haunted House experiences have been referenced is films, games and novels of the digital era. Although the format is well known, it is not well defined. There are no dedicated publications on the topic and its links to other media discourses are sparsely documented. Today, entertainment media is utilising technology extensively to create immersive experiences for audiences, transporting …

Disability And Participation In Amusement Attractions, Kathryn Woodcock

Journal of Themed Experience and Attractions Studies

Eligibility to participate on an amusement attraction may be limited for patrons with certain characteristics, including size, age, disability, and health conditions. Human rights and equal access laws increasingly mandate the inclusion of people with disabilities in as many activities as possible, although safety is an accepted basis for exemption. This paper reports on practices and evidence pertaining to eligibility and safety of patrons with disabilities, including a content analysis of status quo criteria from 100 amusement ride manufacturers’ manuals and prevalence of references to disability in reports of serious and fatal injury. The analysis found that restrictive criteria exclude …

Leveraging Neo-Localism For Experience Innovation: A Case Study Of An Urban Park And Entertainment Venue, Lori J. Sipe

Journal of Themed Experience and Attractions Studies

In the past decade, spending on experiences relative to other types of consumer spending has increased dramatically. Companies with an experience economy mindset focus on differentiation as opposed to standardization and rely on innovation activities for growth. This design research project examined how an urban park and entertainment venue leveraged its unique brand and core experience to design and innovate memorable guest experiences. The Quartyard study integrated key concepts of experience economy logic and memorable tourism experiences with principles of human centered design. Interviews were conducted with key stakeholders to include the architects, general manager, members of the local business …

Roller Coaster Dynamics At Purdue University, Jeffrey F. Rhoads, Charles M. Krousgrill

Journal of Themed Experience and Attractions Studies

Inspired by a handful of passionate students, in the fall of 2009, the School of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University offered a new course entitled Roller Coaster Dynamics. Little did the instructors of the course (the co- authors of this paper) know, but that course and the many variants that followed would have a marked impact on students and instructors alike, prepping scores of civil and mechanical engineering students for careers in the themed entertainment and amusement attraction industry and opening up new avenues for technical exploration in the areas of nonlinear and multi-body dynamics. This paper adopts a balanced …

Soft Skills With Teeth: Creating Authentic Learning Environments With Charismatic Mega-Projects, J .E. Johnson, Karen Maness

Journal of Themed Experience and Attractions Studies

In every industry, effective teams depend upon a collection of non-technical competencies often described as soft skills: leadership, verbal and written communication, collaboration, analytical thinking, creativity, decision-making, problem-solving, and flexibility. Though the importance of soft skills is widely acknowledged, soft skills curricula are either non-existent or underdeveloped in most universities. This soft skills training gap leaves students under- prepared and often over-confident as they enter the workforce. In response to this gap in our department at The University of Texas at Austin, we defined and implemented an emergent, project-based pedagogical framework to recruit an interdisciplinary roster of students and deliver …

3d Procedural Maze & Cave Generation, Jacob Sharp

Student Scholar Showcase

The goal of this project is to generate a maze or cave procedurally so that a player may be able to explore infinitely without a reoccurring pattern. The project also utilizes Virtual Reality (VR); the user will be able to put on a VR Headset and become more immersed in a procedural environment. One of the challenges that needed to be overcome was simple random number generators did not generate natural looking worlds. Introducing VR to the project created the additional challenge of preventing the user from becoming motion sick. These challenges were both addressed through many hours of research …

Building A Better Batture: A Regional Recreational Enhancement Around The Morganza To The Gulf Levee, Taylor N. Fehmel

LSU Master's Theses

Twenty-five years ago, the existing flood protection levees along the Louisiana coastline were removed and construction was started by Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District on a new project called ‘Morganza to the Gulf’ or MTG. This project was undertaken to construct a new flood protection levee system around Louisiana in the communities in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parish. The MTG Levee is one of the first coastal projects in Louisiana to incorporate a risk-based analysis for a double levee system containing both local parish drainage levees and future storm surge levees of MTG. It was designed to protect approximately 250,000 people …

Primitive Palms: A Density Study On The Impacts Of Harvesting Natural Materials For Construction Purposes On Sumak Allpa Of The Amazon Rainforest, Zachary Bull

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In an effort to better understand how rural construction techniques affect a surrounding environment, this study combines a density test of the natural building materials used in the construction of a school on Sumak Allpa island of the Orellana Province in the Amazon basin of Ecuador. The focus of the study measures the density of the bamboo species Guadua angustifolia and the Panama hat plant Carludovica palmata on the island while noting a comprehensive compilation of the techniques and materials used in the building process. Using a mix of plots and transects, a comparison of harvested material to remaining material …

Solar Responsive Façade In An Urban Environment, Cheriyah Wilmot

Publications and Research

Due to the high energy consumption in cities like New York, I am designing a shading system to be retrofitted on an existing façade that responds to external thermal conditions. I’ve conceptualized the functions of the shading system to either block/allow sunlight and analyzed its effectiveness in terms of energy use and illuminance in comparison to the modeled office space. Materials will be explored as well as how it’ll function in the future.