Architecture Commons^™

Cultural Sustainability Of A Post-Industrial Brownfield In Wanzhou China: Maintaining Cultural Value Through Brownfield Redevelopment, Yi Zhang

All Theses

The post-industrial brownfield, generally regarded as one type of brownfield, is defined as an industrial property that remains abandoned or underutilized in part because of environmental contamination. In China, more and more post-industrial sites are abandoned because of changes to city land use, often becoming an obstacle for healthy city growth. This phenomenon places more concerns on brownfield redevelopment in China. Chinese professionals in landscape architecture can borrow some methods and techniques for addressing brownfields from more developed countries. While the brownfields in China share some similar characteristics with those in developed countries, they also have some specific features. For …

The Nebraska Sandhills Food Desert: Causes, Identification, And Actions Towards A Resolution, Andrew Thierolf

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses and Student Projects

Declining populations over the past several decades have created issues for residents in many rural areas. A serious concern is the emergence of “food deserts,” areas where people do not have sufficient access to nutritious foods. The Sandhills region in west-central Nebraska is a prime example of an area that is subject to the food desert phenomenon. It features a low-density rural population that creates a difficult economic environment for grocery retailers.

This paper looks at multiple aspects of the food desert issue in the region. It begins by reviewing literature to determine the definition of the term “food desert” …

Public Housing In The United States: Using Sustainable Urbanism To Combat Social Exclusion, Jasmine L. Edo

Scripps Senior Theses

The United States government has taken steps to assure underprivileged citizens housing in the form of public housing through the Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as various humanitarian programs in the form of homeless shelters. Yet, all housing is not equal. Our freedom to choose where we live and what type of house we live in is one revered aspect of life as a United States citizen. We can express our individuality, creativity, and personality through the architectural style of our homes. In this sense it is hard to ask for equal housing. I am suggesting that …

Corporeal Meeting Place: The Racialization Of The Suburban Demographic, Brandon Lee Maldonado

Honors Capstone Projects - All

The Modernist movement was able, through the industrial revolution, to eliminate the role of façade as load bearing member, fetishizing transparency. However, this new preeminence of visuality was not applicable to the suburban home, with its predisposition toward the creation and control of privacy. What separates the suburban condition from the urban, in addition to the role of the single-family home as purchasable symbol representing an ideal, is the front yard. Instead of a simple A-B division across a singular surface, the yard creates a “deep” façade, a series of layered spaces serving as filtration; sidewalks, fences, plantings, yards, and …

The Contemporary Islamic House, Hanna Ibrahim

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

Architectural design thesis-- proposes a contemporary house that is a manifestation of the practices of the Islamic religion.

School Facility Design: Are We Asking The Right People?, Dale C. Jerome

Ed.D. Dissertations

Realizing the need for changes in the design of new school facilities, architects and educators must reach beyond the norms of past designs. This mixed-methods study was conducted at four recently completed high schools. Questionnaires were utilized in the initial phase of research to identify statistically significant differences between the perceptions of teachers and students regarding the physical design characteristics of their learning environment. Structured interview sessions were then conducted with teachers, principals, and architects, to understand their perceptions regarding the involvement of students in the design and planning process of school facilities, and indicated the importance of providing a …

The Evolving Philosophy Of Climate Control For Historic House Museums In Subtropical Climates: Recommendations For The Aiken-Rhett House, Charleston, South Carolina, Mariah C. Schwartz

All Theses

This study was designed to determine the most appropriate type of climate control system for the Aiken-Rhett House (1820-22), a historic house museum located in Charleston, South Carolina. The Aiken-Rhett property is unique in that it has never been restored and the current stewards of the museum have taken a conservation philosophy to the interpretation of the house. This house museum is rare because it is one of the few remaining unrestored antebellum structures in the South. Although grand mansions were never intended to exist in a state of decline, as the Aiken-Rhett does now, the preserved layers of time …

The Making Of A Movement: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of The National Trust For Historic Preservation Magazine From 1949 To 2010, Katherine Marie Ferguson

All Theses

For over 60 years, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has published a magazine. Covering issues from preservation legislation to sustainability, this publication has been the predominant voice in the preservation movement. But what has it been saying, really? This study applies a communications approach to examine the messages the National Trust magazine has presented to its members and the public and studies the role this type of marketing tool has played in the movement for more than half a century.
This research identifies seven important eras in communications for the magazine. Trends in the kind of news being reported, …

City Food: Re-Imagining Urban Food Access Through Holistic, Multilayered Typologies Of Urban Agriculture Systems, Tiffany Managad

All Theses

Urban Agriculture is a growing movement that has resulted in response to the world's increasing urbanization. As global urban populations continue to multiply, the demand to supply healthy and nutritious food to cities has magnified. More than half of the global population now lives in cities and this trend continues to increase exponentially. This phenomena raises the question: How will cities continue to sustain and feed their growing populations now and in the future? Cities are hungry for sustainable ways to grow, access and consume healthier, more delicious food. The current industrialized food system is unsustainable due to escalated dependency …

Cultural Landscape Preservation: Analysis Of Five Preservation Models, Vineet Date

All Theses

In the recent past there has been a rise in concerns regarding the management and preservation of cultural landscapes. This project attempts to understand and analyze contemporary approaches taken by organizations around the world to preserve cultural landscapes. Five organizations are (1) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), (2) Australian Heritage Council (AHC), (3) New Zealand Historic Places Trust (NZHPT), (4) National Park Service (NPS) and (5) Archeological Survey of India (ASI) have been selected for study. The existing preservation guidelines and two case studies from each organization are examined. The results of the study will help in …

The Making Of A Legacy: Three Generations Of Drayton Family Women And Their Influences On The Landscape Of The Lowcountry And Eighteenth And Nineteenth Century Charleston, Brittany V. Lavelle

All Theses

For eight generations, the Drayton family of South Carolina and their properties have played significant roles in the history and development of the city of Charleston. As scholars have extensively explored the successes of the Drayton patriarchs of the colonial era, this thesis will showcase the accomplishments of the three generations of eighteenth and nineteenth century Drayton family women in property management and estate development, revealing their influences on the establishment and expansion of one of Charleston's most recognized family legacies in property wealth and architectural grandeur. This study intends to prove through property and genealogical research that the legendary …

Does Design Affect Behavior? A Case Study Of Pomona And Sontag Halls, Erin F. Morgan

Pomona Senior Theses

This paper investigates the successes and failures of architectural design techniques used to improve the sustainability of occupants. It looks broadly at research that has taken place in the past and focuses specifically on the strategies used in Pomona and Sontag Halls - two dormitories constructed at Pomona College.

Biophilic Design At Pomona College: An Analysis Of The New Sontag And Pomona Residence Halls, John W. Hasse

Pomona Senior Theses

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for New Construction (or LEED-NC) has become one of the most commonly used green building standards during the turn of the 21^st century. While many champion LEED-NC, certain architects and academics believe that its low-environmental impact design approach toward green building isolates people from nature and thus cannot achieve sustainable development over the long-term. Pomona College’s green buildings, including its newest LEED Platinum certified Sontag and Pomona Residence Halls, exemplify this fact, as their designs fail to communicate their sustainable goals or inspire sustainable behavior. By examining the LEED-NC standards, the history …

The Relationship Of Outdoor Recreation And Gardening With Depression Among Individuals With Disabilities, Justin Floyd Wilson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Activities involving natural environments have positive psychological impacts on participants. Both outdoor recreation and gardening have been shown to reduce feelings of depression. However, the effects of these activities on the depression levels of individuals with disabilities have not yet been studied. In order to better understand the relationship between these activities and depression among individuals with disabilities, two separate studies were conducted.

The first study seeks to better understand the relationship between outdoor recreation participation and depression among Montana residents with disabilities using publicly available Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. It hypothesizes that depression would be negatively …

Perceptions Of Naturalized Playgrounds: A Qualitative Study, Jeffrey C. Hamarstrom

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Play is an important part of childhood as it helps to develop social skills and ensure proper mental and physical development. Electronic media, stranger danger, and urbanization have reduced both the time and access children have to play in natural areas. Many people believe that this is an integral part of childhood and, therefore, concern that children are not interacting with the natural world is becoming a popular topic. Research has shown that natural environments can have various benefits such as reducing anxiety and promoting developmental skills. Play providers are now creating playgrounds that attempt to recreate natural settings, referred …

The Wellness Clinic: A New Approach To Healthcare Design, Timothy Michael Creasy

Masters Theses

The healthcare industry is currently undergoing a paradigm shift in the delivery of care; it is moving from a system that treats illness to one that prevents disease and promotes wellness. The goal of this thesis is to present a design solution that is an example of what a healthcare facility of the future can be. The design presented in this document is one that demonstrates the attributes for a successful healthcare environment; one which allows the programmatic functions of a primary care clinic, an education center, and a fitness center to function as an integrated wellness platform facility.

By …

Designing A Complete Community Center: Responsive Design In A Rural Setting, Sheryl Tubbs

Capstone Collection

It is a common sight to see community centers in use in various parts of the world. They have fulfilled a variety of roles in many communities for a number of years. This project’s focus is on the design of community center for a rural town. The main research question in this research asks, “What type of community center does this area need?” The sub questions also help to establish the kind of community center that is needed and wanted.

A review of current literature shows no specific way to build a community center or what to include. However there …

Bs News May/June

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Roger Williams Park Edible Forest Garden, Mark S. Scialla

Senior Honors Projects

An edible forest garden is a low-maintenance system that uses edible native and regionally-adapted plants arranged in beneficial relationships to meet human, wildlife and ecosystem needs. The forest garden in Roger Williams Park will transform underutilized urban land into a highly productive parcel producing market-viable fruits, nuts, vegetables, medicine and fiber. Forest gardens mimic natural forest systems in architecture and complexity. The design follows ecological principles to create a system that promotes biodiversity and enhances the surrounding ecosystem. This project also demonstrates the potential to grow food and create land-based livelihoods in the city.

Located on the edge of a …

Transit Oriented Development For Nashville: Learning From Europe, Erin Ashley Gray

Masters Theses

A popular movement in the past decade has been to implement transit oriented development in city planning. Transit-oriented development, or TOD, is nationally characterized as mixed-use development located within a 2,000 feet diameter from a mass transit center. However, the typical format for TOD in the United States, initiated by Peter Calthorpe and fermented in the West Coast, lacks consideration in unifying various forms of transit. Individuals are more likely to participate in public transportation if they do not have to solely rely on one method of travel. On the other hand, TOD has been wildly more successful in European …