Architecture Commons^™

What Design Practices Do Professionals Use For Sustainability And Innovation?, Jeremy Faludi, Alice M. Agogino

Dartmouth Scholarship

Interviews with 27 professionals were performed to investigate what designers, engineers, and their managers value in sustainable design practices, and see how sustainable design practices might also provide innovation. Quantitative and qualitative analysis found that only 1/6th of design practices were valued for both sustainability and innovation; two often-mentioned practices were systems thinking and The Natural Step. Providing a new lens, broadening scope, and problem redefinition were some of the reasons these and other design practices were valued for both sustainability and innovation.

A Qualitative Analysis On The Feasibility Of Implementing Elements Of The Main Street Approach For The City Of Mason, Ohio, Mykaelah Mercer

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The City of Mason is a thriving community of roughly 30,000 residents to the Northeast of Cincinnati, Ohio. Mason is projected to see continued and significant growth, in terms of both population and development, over the years to come. In 2010, the City of Mason released a Comprehensive Plan that detailed input from a variety of stakeholders and a list of priorities and goals to implement over the course of the plan’s projected 15-to 20-year lifetime. The priorities and goals proposed in the plan have varying timelines projected for completion and differ in nature for each different department within the …

Car-Less Cities, Maryam Moeinian

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The rapid growth of world population along with the sprawl growth of towns and suburbanization, has affected the human life and its surrounding nature dramatically. The fact is this level of growth is not sustainable with the current patterns of development. Most cities all around the world are designed in a way that encourages car dependency which is harming the environment and human health.

During the past decade, urban planners formulate new principles of land use development to preserve the environment and protect public health, safety and general welfare of the citizens. These concepts are characterized by some movements such …

Walls And Wilderness: Analyzing The Impacts Of Border Barriers On U.S. Government Lands Of The United States - Mexico Border, Bryce Garrett Fugate

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This paper seeks to describe the impacts of physical structures (fences, walls, barricades, etc.) on five selected areas of federally-protected U.S. lands along the U.S.-Mexico border that fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of the Interior. The five selected areas are: Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Big Bend National Park, Organ Mountains - Desert Peaks National Monument, the Tohono O'odham Nation Reservation, and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. The research looks into the historical development of structures put in place on the U.S. - Mexico border, how they have become ever more ubiquitous in the region, and what …

Direct Strength Approach To Predict The Flexural Strength Of Cold-Formed Z-Section Purlins On Sloped Roofs, Ali Parva, Michael W. Seek

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

In this study, the strength of cold-formed Z-section purlins is predicted considering the effects of roof slope in real roof systems. The study applies to simple span purlins with torsion restraints at support locations and at paired locations along the length of the member. A previously developed method has shown through comparisons to base tests that when the biaxial bending and torsion stresses are incorporated into the analysis, the Direct Strength Method can accurately predict the strength of a purlin. These stress distributions can deviate substantially from the constrained bending approximation typically assumed in analysis and therefore impacts the local …

Reproduction Of Space In The Mountains Of Morocco: A Case Study In The Western Rif, Ismail Medkouri

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The environmental history of the mountains in Morocco was written under the French colonial administration; and its revision upon independence was biased toward an Arabist perspective. These historical narratives significantly influence the study of contemporary spatial phenomena, typically by undermining the validity of the vernacular mode of production of space. This study (1) reviews key myths pertaining to the spatial history and transformation in mountainous areas in Morocco; and (2) analyzes the contemporary mountain settlement of Ain Mediouna, Province of Taounate in light of a revised environmental narrative. Methods include the following: (1) historical document analysis; and (2) morphogenetic analysis …

Adaptive Repurposing Of Smith Elementary, Kelsey L. Fields

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

For almost 100 years Smith Elementary School has been an institution of learning and a place of growth for children across the community of Kenmore, including myself. While its closing marks the end of an era it also presents a unique opportunity. Through adaptive reuse, Smith Elementary can have a second life and remain a cornerstone building in the community. The central goal of maintaining the beautiful original architectural details blends with the challenge of making this a functional space where a business can flourish, in the same rooms as hundreds of children have done before. This idea will set …

Evaluation The Effect Of Washing On The Heat Transfer Capacity And Air-Side Flow Resistance Of Air Cooled Condensers, Mehdi Mehrabi, David Yuill

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

17th International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference at Purdue, July 9-12, 2018

Infrared Thermography For Weld Inspection: Feasibility And Application, Sattar Dorafshan, Marc Maguire, William Collins

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Traditional ultrasonic testing (UT) techniques have been widely used to detect surface and sub-surface defects of welds. UT inspection is a contact method which burdens the manufacturer by storing hot specimens for inspection when the material is cool. Additionally, UT is only valid for 5 mm specimens or thicker and requires a highly skilled operator to perform the inspections and interpret the signals. Infrared thermography (IRT) has the potential to be implemented for weld inspections due to its non-contact nature. In this study, the feasibility of using IRT to overcome the limitations of UT inspection is investigated to detect inclusion, …

Hvac System Remote Monitoring And Diagnosis Of Refrigerant Line Obstruction, Fadi M. Alsaleem

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a building includes a refrigerant loop. A monitoring system for the HVAC system includes a monitoring device installed at the building. The monitoring device is configured to measure a first temperature of refrigerant in a refrigerant line located between a filter - drier of the refrigerant loop and an expansion valve of the refrigerant loop. The monitoring system includes a monitoring server, located remotely from the building. The monitoring server is con figured to receive the first temperature and, in response to the first temperature being less than a threshold, generate …

Becoming The Preservation Executive Director: A Journey Through The Educational And Professional Development Of Preservation Nonprofit Leaders, Allison G. Bacon

Historic Preservation Theses

Historic preservation executive directors are tasked with using their preservation skills and knowledge to preserve and protect the built environment. However, they are also responsible for running a business, in the form of nonprofit organization, where they manage people, projects and budgets to keep the organization functioning. This thesis explores the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOCs) required of historic preservation executive directors to lead preservation nonprofits using the method of job analysis. Preservation graduate programs and educational standards are analyzed to demonstrate the gap in preservation academic programs to prepare professionals to lead nonprofit organizations. Recommendations are …

The Democratic Architecture Of George W. Maher: A Preservation Perspective, Cody Chase

Historic Preservation Theses

As a branch of the international Arts and Crafts Movement, American Prairie Style architecture was a nostalgic ode to the horizontality and natural landscape of the Midwestern prairie and a departure from European design. Today, the work of Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan comprise the most memorable examples of the era, leaving a considerable number of architects largely understudied. One of these architects was the prolific theoretician and designer George W. Maher.

Ambitious from a young age, Maher had his own firm by his mid-twenties and produced over 160 structures in his thirty-eight-year career. During that time he was …

The Andrews Complex Development Feasability Study For Newport Art House’S “Residency 2020” Project, Tracy Jonsson

Historic Preservation Theses

This paper is a needs-driven feasibility study for acquiring and rehabilitating the Andrews Complex, located at 7-10 Fir Street, Newport RI for use in Newport Art House’s Residency 2020 Project.

Newport Art House (NAH) commissioned this study responding to the need for affordable housing and studios within Newport’s artist community in the face of social change resulting from years of municipal economic investment in seasonal tourism. The Residency 2020 Project is one solution addressing equity, sustainability, and community authenticity issues identified by the City of Newport. It is an example of innovation at the intersection of historic preservation, placemaking, and …

Preserving Historic Qilou Districts In Southern China: Consideration Of Western Models, Qiming Li

Historic Preservation Theses

The historic qilou buildings are essential to the people in Southern China. Unfortunately, due to some of the urban renewal policies, many of the qilou districts have been either demolished or abandoned. For years, many scholars had written books and articles about how to preserve these significant historic urban elements. However, these studies failed to include examinations of the historic preservation program in other countries or the existing ones in China. This thesis was written in the hope of filling the gap. This study discusses the historical developments of the qilou buildings and their significances in four selected cities: Guangzhou, …

Designing Efficiently For Natural Disaster Relief: Cultural Integration And Prevention Methods, Bryan Smith

Architecture Theses and Projects

Our world is more separated now than it has ever been. We pride ourselves on the technologies that we create, and the feats that we have accomplished, but we seldom stop to think about what the implications are. More than often we design to fit what we think we “need”, however, we need to design and build to a better future.

Natural disasters have become something that designers cannot ignore anymore due to the fact that nearly one tenth of the world’s population lives in low lying coastal areas and the rising sea levels are being seen throughout the world. …

Where Do We Go From Here? Best Practices For Adapting Historic Buildings For Climate Resiliency In Newport, Rhode Island, Olivia Katherine Needham

Historic Preservation Theses

When looking to the future, it is hard to ignore the significant effects climate change will have on our historic built environment. Roughly 2,459.32 acres of land throughout the historic City of Newport, Rhode Island fall within the hundred-year floodplain associated with sea level rise. Through examination of precedents in Louisiana and Charleston, South Carolina, this study analyzes best practices and government policies for adapting historic structures to be more climate-change resilient. The goal is to identify best practices from the precedent areas and use them as guidance for the creation of new initiatives to protect historic structures in Newport. …

Impermanence Materialized: Exploration Of Temporary Architecture At The Kumbh Mela In Allahabad, India, Taylor Sutherland

Architecture Theses and Projects

This thesis project will explore and implement a system of structure and construction that can be assembled and disassembled with extremely efficient labor and production of materials. The design and specifications will engage lightweight, sustainable materials, a system of spaces or buildings can be erected, deconstructed, and transported efficiently. Locally sourced materials contribute to both the constructability and authenticity of the architecture. Especially in projects that can be applied to multiple sites, it is imperative that the context and vernacular are considered and respected.

Community Connections: Relief Through Athletics, Joshua Arthur

Architecture Theses and Projects

A sports based recreation facility can significantly enhance the quality of life in a community. Activities held within these facilities can encourage participation, promote health and well-being, and foster a sense of community and togetherness. Today with crime and obesity being increasingly troublesome in the US a space focused on athletics, health, and wellness would allow for kids to have a plethora of activities to do after school and on weekends. There they can make friends, learn about health, and stay off of the streets. Sports and recreation can demonstrate and contribute to the sustainable use of natural resources. They …

Bioharvest: Energy Efficient Design For The Standardization Of Biomimetic Technologies At Stanford University In Palo Alto, Ca, Usa, Gabriella Santostefano

Architecture Theses and Projects

The thesis serves as an investigation of the possibilities of biomimicry as well as an exploration of harvesting energy from the sun, the wind, the rain, and the earth.

Biomimicry, derived from the Greek words bios meaning “life” and mimesis meaning “imitate,” is the examination of nature in order to create systems that are derived from the natural world and provide sophisticated solutions to human problems.

Biomimicry asks the question. “What in nature has already solved what I am trying to solve?” In the case of this project, nature will inspire the creation of a new building typology, Bio-Inspired Solutions …

Snacking In Bed: Blending Residential And Agricultural Typologies, Taylor Chin

Architecture Theses and Projects

The project will explore the generation of a productive residence in an urban setting. The thesis analyzes the cultural conditions of such a building and how it might fit into the urban fabric of a city. In addition, it will investigate the scaling of such a building and how a plot of land will answer to population density as well as agricultural use. A standardized set of building layers will be clearly defined as a rationale for designing a building that conforms to the site and cultural concerns. The summation of these considerations and intents will be a building that …