Architecture Commons^™

Environmental Barriers And Facilitators To Family-Centered Rounds In Pediatric Critical Care Settings, Swati Goel

All Dissertations

Rounding in healthcare settings involves the clinical team making routine trips to the patient room to evaluate the patient and devise a care plan (Lynch, 2015). In ICUs, multiple rounds occur throughout the day based on purpose, location, and timing (Mittal, 2014), including morning, surgical, and post-admission rounds (Gurses & Xiao, 2006). Due to the nature of patient illnesses in ICUs, multidisciplinary rounds are most effective in making patient care decisions (Gurses & Xiao, 2006; Lane et al., 2013).

This study discusses the morning rounds that an attending physician and their team lead to create a plan for the day …

Effortless Mindfulness Toolkit: Easy Meditation Scripts To Begin Each Class., Brett Whysel

Open Educational Resources

The Effortless Mindfulness in the Classroom Toolkit is an open educational resource designed to create happier classrooms, boost student engagement, and foster a sense of community through brief, effective mindfulness exercises. This comprehensive toolkit provides educators with everything they need to seamlessly integrate mindfulness practices into their teaching routines, regardless of prior experience. The toolkit includes introductory slides, 15 ready-to-use meditation scripts, and accompanying audio recordings, covering a variety of mindfulness techniques such as focused breathing, body scans, and loving-kindness meditations. Each meditation is paired with a reflective prompt to deepen student engagement and reinforce the benefits of mindfulness. Additionally, …

The Jazzy Building: A Revitalization Plan, Christine Bebawy

Honors Theses

The Jazzy building is located at 619-621 Market Street in Chattanooga, TN in the City Center downtown area. Both the interior and exterior of the building show signs of being vacant for a long period. The Jazzy building has significant historical value, especially the east and west facades that feature various ornamentations and details that testify to its significance. Although the building's interior has been severely damaged, it is still possible to salvage and reuse some of the materials. To determine the appropriate use of the Jazzy building, a market analysis of downtown Chattanooga research was referenced, along with a …

Timber Buckling Restrained Brace, Finn K. Burke

Architectural Engineering

Buckling Restrained Brace Frames (BRBs) are a lateral force resisting system providing near equal compressive and tensile capacities through the mitigation of compression buckling. BRBs have traditionally existed in the steel building market, with limited use in wood construction. The proposal of a Timber Bucking Restrained Brace Frame (TBRB) presents a BRB option for the low-rise and mid-rise wood framed market, using readily available materials within the low/mid-rise construction cost bracket. Five previous TBRB iterations have been built and tested, with results showing promising results for further TBRB development and exploration. The sixth and current iteration of the TBRB builds …

Carbon Capture And Renewable Energy Policies: Could Policy Harmonization Be A Puzzle Piece To Solve The Electricity Crisis?, Mahelet G. Fikru, Fateh Belaïd, Hongyan Ma

Economics Faculty Research & Creative Works

The electricity market crisis, driven by factors such as increased energy demand, rising fuel prices, aging infrastructure, and greenhouse gas emissions, requires a multifaceted approach including the strategic implementation of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies, which despite high costs and potential adverse impact on renewable investments, can allow the use of fossil fuels to maintain grid stability, and simultaneously lower carbon footprint. Across the world, several nations are designing financial incentives and improving regulatory frameworks to reduce barriers to the deployment of CCS. However, it is not clearly understood whether and to what extent such policy support would affect …

Investigation Of Faults In Air-Conditioning Systems In Commercial Buildings: Occurrence, Diagnostic Validation, And Energy Impacts, Yuxuan Chen

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

In commercial buildings, fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) tools have been developed for detecting and diagnosing faults in building systems, which can provide useful information regarding fault locations and potential causes of faults, so that building operators and facility staff can be notified in time and quickly respond as problems arise. Nowadays, there are many commercial FDD tools available in the market, and these tools have been widely adopted in large- and medium-scale commercial buildings in the United States. Several studies have demonstrated the energy saving potential with the use of FDD in commercial HVAC systems, and one critical aspect …

Evaluation And Improvement Of The Design 4 Every Drop Course, Kenzy Fogle

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Utah and the greater Intermountain West are experiencing a water crisis. Many factors are contributing to this situation, including an arid climate exacerbated by climate change, rapid population growth, and a high-water-demanding landscape typology. Landscapes currently consume an estimated 60-80% of Utah’s potable water, representing a significant opportunity for water savings. However, changing the traditional water-dependent landscape typology requires educating the public regarding water-wise landscape design processes, best practices, and implementation approaches. Utah State University is the land grant university for Utah and home to one of the oldest Landscape Architecture departments in the Intermountain West. Utah State University’s community …

Introduction To Landscape Architecture State Standards And Curriculum For Utah High Schools, Joseph Pancoast

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Utah State University (USU) offers a successful Introduction to Landscape Architecture class for college students; this class increases awareness and understanding of landscape architecture as a profession. Though this is a wonderful resource offered at the college level, high school is a key time for career awareness. Unfortunately, there is a lack of student awareness surrounding the profession of landscape architecture. In Utah and the rest of the United States, there are currently no in-person Introduction to Landscape Architecture classes available in a high school setting to increase awareness and understanding for students in a high school setting. Providing a …

Understanding The Challenges To Robotic-Assisted Surgery Adoption From The Perspectives Of The Human-Robot Interaction, Built Environment, And Training, Patrick A. Fuller

All Theses

Introduction: Robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) is a form of minimally invasive surgery that is increasing in both its adoption and development due to many perceived advantages such as tremor reduction and motion scaling. However, RAS is still relatively new and there are a variety of novel barriers and challenges to the adoption of these platforms. Objectives: This study aims to understand how the integration of RAS platforms impacts the interactions and outcomes of interactions between surgical team members to explore the barriers from three aspects critical to facilitating Robotic-assisted-surgery (RAS) adoption: the human-robotic interaction, built environment, and RAS training. Future …

A Study Of The Impact And Mitigation Strategies For Community-Defined Historic Places At Immediate (Within Three Decades) Risk Of Sea Level Rise, Isaac Quaye

All Theses

The rising sea level casts formidable threats on community-based historic places within coastal communities. These community-defined historic places derive their meaning from local values and are more recognized within the local community. Unlike recognized iconic historic places, these resources are confronted with inadequate resources to address the impacts of punctuated climate events. This study investigates the imminent threats posed by sea level rise (SLR) to community-defined historic places within the next three decades (2025) and explores mitigation strategies proposed by stakeholders. The study used a GIS-based (enhanced bathtub model) to model the impact of coastal inundation on three historic places …

Assessing The Efficacy: Statistical Models Vs. Machine Learning (Ml) Approaches For Prediction Modeling In The Construction Industry, Stuti Garg

All Theses

The construction industry has witnessed a significant surge in the daily volume of objective data (i.e., precise data sources representing actual project progress) accumulated across a project's lifecycle. This abundance of data presents an opportunity to extract valuable organizational insights and potential remedies for project management issues. The construction technology landscape is gradually evolving towards integrated software platforms to meet customer needs more effectively. However, the construction sector lacks comprehensive predictive analytics solutions for projects or industry-wide applications - a significant portion of descriptive analytics tools rely on trade association surveys or dashboards constructed from collected company data, suffering from …

The Sustainable Sites Initiative As It Applies To Existing Parks In Logan Utah, Randall Smith

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

The Intermountain West of the United States consists of a variety of climates and landscapes. Despite their diversity, all of these regions face similar issues, such as water shortage, lack of biodiversity, invasion of non-native plant species, land development, and population growth. The pursuit of sustainability has become imperative in order to meet the needs of the present, while simultaneously safeguarding the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Many influential landscape architects have advocated for sustainable design; namely, Frederick Law Olmsted, Ian McHarg, and Laurie Olin. However, sustainability is used too often as a generic buzzword, diminishing …

Integrating Artificial Intelligence And Augmented Reality For Enhanced Task Performance In The Construction Industry, Aasish Chandrika Bhanu

All Dissertations

The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector, characterized by its complex tasks, often faces challenges in adopting cutting-edge technologies, a trend that can significantly hinder productivity improvements compared to other industries. This dissertation explores the emerging integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) within the AEC domain, investigating how effectively this can be implemented to potentially revolutionize industry practices. AI could be used in the AEC domain for advanced analytical and decision-making processes, while AR could be used for training, visualization, and remote collaboration.

In scenarios where construction site workers require expert guidance, these technologies could be helpful. …

Presence Of Other People In Urban Parks: Exploring Psychological Effects Using Virtual Reality, Eye Tracking, And Qualitative Methods, Shuai Yuan

All Dissertations

Urban parks are essential public spaces that provide numerous benefits, but the presence of others can significantly influence these benefits. This dissertation explores the complex and context-dependent effects of the presence of other people on urban park experiences by drawing on diverse disciplinary perspectives and employing multiple methodological approaches, including theoretical synthesis, virtual reality, eye tracking, and qualitative methods.

Chapter 2 develops a comprehensive theoretical framework that bridges social psychology, environmental psychology, and practice-based fields. It categorizes the impacts of the presence of others on park users' experiences into perceptual, behavioral, cognitive-emotional, and symbolic domains. Chapter 3 utilizes virtual reality …

Threat And Hazard Identification And Risk Assessment (Thira) Guidance For Railroads, Frances L. Edwards, Daniel C. Goodrich

Mineta Transportation Institute

Climate change creates new challenges for all critical transportation infrastructure, especially for railroads with an open system that is continuously exposed to the elements. A Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) is a necessary first step for an organization to understand the challenges and develop strategies for adaptation to them. In many cases, the railroad sector is uniquely positioned to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions through mitigation steps. This guide will assist railroad risk managers and emergency managers to evaluate the risks and determine how best to respond to them through preparation, mitigation, or adaptation. The THIRA is the …

The Influence Of Business Development Areas On Leadership Positions Within Landscape Architecture Professional Practice, Catherine E. Frost

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Landscape architecture is a discipline that connects natural, physical, and human sciences, and which operates as a professional design practice. While technical skills and design proficiency have historically been the focus of landscape architecture programs, the literature indicates a recognition of the indispensable role of entrepreneurial skills alongside design expertise (Marsh, 1928; Pray, 1911; Rice, 2017; Shepphard et al., 2018). However, there remains a scarcity of research specifically investigating business development skills within landscape architecture practice (Evans & Leccese, 1991; Gobster et al., 2010; Granet, 2021; Littlefield, 2015; Powers & Walker, 2009).

To bridge this gap, this study engaged in …

A Framework To Unveil Design Decisions In Ecological Urbanism, Addison C. Martin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Ecological urbanism offers a framework for landscape architecture to address the challenges posed by dynamic infrastructure projects in the face of changing climates and human impacts. As Nature-based Solutions (NbS) become more prevalent, the role of aesthetics in these solutions becomes increasingly important. However, there has been a lack of systematic approaches to assess the design aesthetics of landscape architecture in practice. This study aims to fill this gap by providing a rapid assessment framework tailored for landscape architecture practitioners. Drawing from the concepts of regenerative design and ecological urbanism, the framework comprises three sections: Ecological Function (EFx), Anthropocentric Function …

Revisiting Bodies In Interior Design Practice, Paramita Atmodiwirjo, Yandi Andri Yatmo

Interiority

Addressing human bodies is inevitable in interior inquiries and practices. Integrating knowledge about human bodies into design practice can extend beyond the idea of bodies as merely static entities with fixed dimensions. The idea of bodies as the basis for spatial design practice views the human body as a living entity that dwells, occupies, moves, and engages in space. Knowledge about bodies as the basis of practice also needs to view bodies' presence as sociocultural entities. The emergence of the virtual environment provides another context with a shifting materiality of bodies and interior spaces. This issue of Interiority acknowledges the …

Uncertain Future Dwelling: Emergent Interiors Of The Metaverse, Belinda J. Dunstan, Michael Stonham, Demet Dincer

Interiority

Contemporarily, a flood of digital interior architectural imagery has emerged of spaces developed for the Metaverse, a forthcoming immersive 3D virtual world. These spaces are not bound by the conventions of architectural practice nor the demands of the physical world, providing an opportunity for design exploration and innovation in the future of interiors and positing challenges to core architectural concepts that have accompanied traditional practice. This research offers a visual analysis of aesthetic trends and new typologies present in the interior architectural spaces designed for the Metaverse. The analysis features a curated and collaged collection of works from ten creators …

Assessing Relations Among Visual Variables In Hotel Lobbies Using Deep Learning, Taraneh Saniei, Mansoureh Kianersi, Shervan Fekri-Ershad

Interiority

To understand the relationships between cognitive variables like visual complexity, coherence, and colour contrast in interior spaces, direct numerical analysis is crucial. Conventional approaches are limited due to the brain's struggle to process visual information without cognitive manipulation. However, advancements in artificial intelligence enable direct examinations. This study used a convolutional neural network to assess the intensity of colour contrasts in images of 5-star hotel lobby interiors with high levels of coherence and complexity. The results indicated that visually complex lobby interiors have less warm-cool and dark-light contrast but more pronounced complementary contrast than coherent lobby interiors. Additionally, a negative …