Architecture Commons^™

Review On Law On Protection From Environmental Noise And Its Implementation In Kosovo, Elsa Buzhala, Eli Binxhija, Egzon Bajraktari

UBT International Conference

Despite its significant impact on public health and quality of life, noise pollution remains one of the least addressed forms of environmental degradation in Kosovo. This study aims to critically analyze the existing legal framework for environmental noise protection, with particular focus on Law No. 02/L-102, and to assess its practical implementation in the urban context of Kosovo. By employing an integrated methodological approach—including documentary analysis of domestic and European legislation, direct noise level measurements in selected urban areas, and interviews with citizens and institutional representatives—the study identifies a range of shortcomings in both the design and enforcement of noise …

The Impact Of Demographic Characteristics On The Development Of Formal Settlements And Spatial Planning Management In Kosovo: A Comparative Analysis With Eastern Europe, Venera Gonxha, Jetmire Gallopeni

UBT International Conference

This study investigates the critical relationship between demographic dynamics and urban development in post-conflict Kosovo, analyzing how population characteristics shape formal settlement growth and spatial planning efficacy. Using a mixed-methods approach, we integrated quantitative data from the Kosovo Agency of Statistics (2011-2024) with qualitative insights from expert interviews (n=15) and spatial analysis through GIS. Results indicate that Kosovo’s youthful demographic profile, rapid annual urbanization rate (1.8%), and intense internal migration have directly driven unregulated urban expansion, a proliferation of informal settlements, and significant strain on public infrastructure. Our analysis identifies a pronounced misalignment between demographic pressures and institutional planning capacities, …

Noise Pollution In Urban Environment – Comparison Between Czechia And Kosova And Lessons Learned, Egzon Bajraktari

UBT International Conference

In November 2024 a seminar was held addressing noise pollution and urban planning with the students of Czech Technical University in Prague (CTUP), Masaryk Institute of Advanced Studies (MIAS). During the course Urban Management the students are informed about sound, acoustics as the study of sound, environmental noise and measures and strategies for mitigation and control of noise pollution in urban environments. In particular the seminar addressed noise pollution in Czechia and Kosovo as separate case studies, compare the situation of noise pollution in both countries and derive lessons learned. With the students of, a small research study was initiated. …

Interpreting Post-1960 Turkish Modernism Through Architectural Journals: Pluralist Reflections, Luca Orlandi, Zeynep Sena Ekiz

UBT International Conference

This paper investigates how the idea of architectural pluralism was constructed in Turkish architectural journals and how this discourse contributed to the reinterpretation of modernism in the second half of the 20th century. Focusing on key publications such as Mimarlık, Arkitekt, Yapı, and Arredamento Mimarlık, it analyzes journals published between 1960 and 2000, with particular attention to articles that reflect on the architecture of the 1960s and 1970s and the emergence of pluralist discourse during that period, as seen through architectural and professional debates. Rather than approaching pluralism as merely a stylistic shift, this paper frames it as a multifaceted …

The Dialogue Of Light: Humanity, Spirituality And Sacred Spaces, Shkurte Dalipi, Sanelina Sadiki, Shaindera Krasniqi

UBT International Conference

The shape of human experience involved in sacred architecture has been always impacted by the light as a fundamental element. In addition, the profound relationship between natural light, spiritual perception, and the human presence in sacred spaces is elaborated in this theme. In religion, light symbolizes the truth, the triumph of good over evil, or even the God itself, and as such it is the key emotional medium in religious and spiritual architecture that evokes transcendence. The role of light in architecture is to invite a reflection on how daylight is intertwined with architectural form to create rooms that develop …

Critical Observations On Effectiveness Of Urban Planning Documents And Processes In Kosovo During 2000 - 2025, Egzon Bajraktari, Binak Beqaj, Shqiprim Ahmeti

UBT International Conference

The shrinking population in towns throughout Italy has left many abandoned public spaces. The sustainable revitalization of these public spaces and their historic backgrounds could bring back the city life in these towns and attract visitors from outside. Achieving the goals of environmental sustainability in small town historic sites should be done carefully inside their context, all the while focusing on bringing people together in a social space. The goal of this paper is researching of the use of sustainable technologies such as vertical gardening and Living Wall Systems to be used as sustainable solutions tackling climate issues, at the …

Bridging The Scale Gap In Climate Action Plans: Conceptual And Spatial Fragmentation From Ecocity Visions To Building-Scale Strategies, Gizem Köprülü

UBT International Conference

Cities are increasingly developing strategies to adapt to the impacts of climate change. The need for strategies from urban planning to building-scale interventions, is also emphasized in the climate action plans of European capitals. In this context, considering values such as climate resilient design and citizen involvement in the process should be the most important part of an effective climate response. This paper examines this disconnect in the context of Europe’s differing climatic problems—floods and heavy rainfall in the North, drought and urban heat island effects in the South—and the shifts in climate zones that cause these problems to become …

14th International Conference On Business, Technology And Innovation 2025, University For Business And Technology - Ubt

UBT International Conference

Welcome to IC – UBT 2025

UBT Annual International Conference is the 14th international interdisciplinary peer reviewed conference which publishes works of the scientists as well as practitioners in the area where UBT is active in Education, Research and Development. The UBT aims to implement an integrated strategy to establish itself as an internationally competitive, research-intensive university, committed to the transfer of knowledge and the provision of a world-class education to the most talented students from all background. The main perspective of the conference is to connect the scientists and practitioners from different disciplines in the same place and make …

Assessing Thermal Comfort In A Landmark Urban Park: A Case Study And Methodological Framework Of Alamo Square In San Francisco, Usa, Xiwei Shen, Yuqian Guo, Quiyi Yang, Wenwen Cheng, Mingze Chen, Xiayuanshan Gao, Sihua Cheng, Ling Wang

Architecture Faculty Research

Urban green spaces are increasingly challenged by climate stressors, yet strategies for climate-adaptive renewal are often difficult to evaluate in culturally and historically significant sites. This study exames Alamo Square in San Francisco, a globally recognized tourist landmark parkas a single-case analysis of how incremental reforestation and shading interventions influence human activity patterns and thermal comfort. This study integrates geotagged social media data (Flickr/Instagram), ENVI-met microclimate simulations, and spatial statistical analyses (Kernel Density Estimation, hot spot analysis). Focusing on Alamo Square’s reforestation initiativeaimed at doubling tree density with drought-tolerant species-the research reveals that pre-intervention activity clustered densely near the iconic …

Utilizing Ensemble Learning Techniques To Enhance Corn Price Prediction: A Case Study On South Dakota, Youssef Harrath, Jihene Kaabi, Ethan Price

Research & Publications

Predicting crop prices is a complex challenge that farmers must navigate each year, but machine learning algorithms can provide valuable insights to support more informed decision making. In recent years, agricultural price prediction models have made significant advances, with architectures achieving varying degrees of success. However, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of these models remains an ongoing challenge. This research explores the use of stacking, an ensemble learning technique, to enhance the performance of base models in predicting corn prices in many regions of the state of South Dakota in the USA. We propose a hybrid architecture that combines Long …

Review: The Visionary Art Of Minnie Evans, Cynthia Fowler

Art Inquiries

The Visionary Art of Minnie Evans was a small exhibition of 16 drawings and paintings by Minnie Evans (1892-1987) on loan to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) from the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, North Carolina, which holds a significant collection of her work. Evans was born in North Carolina and spent most of her life in Wilmington. Her artworks are colorful compositions rich with decorative details that illustrate her dreams and visions. But the exhibition attempted to expand our understanding of Evans’s work beyond them. Divided into three categories — “Wilmington Landscapes,” “Spiritual Nature,” and “Visual Culture” …

Review: 60th October Salon - What’S Left?, Rachel Klipa

Art Inquiries

Spread across nine venues and public spaces in Belgrade, Serbia, the 60th October Salon’s concept posed a pressing question: What’s Left? In a moment marked by oppressive capitalism, cultural erasure, and the slow dismantling of socialist ideals, this year’s biennial resisted nostalgia and nationalism. Instead, it probed the emotional and political residues of systems in flux, examining how art can sustain memory, provoke continuity, and imagine new futures in uncertain times.

Front Matter, Kris K. Belden-Adams

Art Inquiries

No abstract provided.

A Formidable Female Network: The Role Of Women In William Henry Fox Talbot’S Establishment Of Early Photography, Rose Teanby Phd

Art Inquiries

This paper explores how women assisted William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877) to establish his Photogenic Drawing and Calotype photographic processes in Great Britain and Europe. Utilising preserved contemporary correspondence as a primary source of unedited transcribed conversations, the genesis of photography can be revisited from an alternative viewpoint of extensive familial collaboration. Letters between Talbot and his female relatives exposed a sophisticated network of interconnected mid 19^th century social elite, providing multiple opportunities for informal advocacy and timely dissemination of the new scientific art.

Epistolary exchanges from 1839 to 1858 provide new insights into women’s subtle, less visible influence …

Review - Shahzia Sikander: Collective Behavior, Annie Dell'aria

Art Inquiries

Shahzia Sikander’s work spans traditions from multiple continents, eras, and media. Trained in the traditional miniature painting of South Asia and Persia, yet creating monumental pieces that command space both inside and outside the gallery, this artistic polymath maintains a signature style rooted in sumptuous detail and motifs that drip with layers of meaning. In Collective Behavior, a multi-part, career-spanning traveling museum exhibition of works made over the past 35 years, Sikander’s full array of talent and artistic evolution is on display.

Art Inquiries Volume Xx No 1 2025 - Full Issue, Kris K. Belden-Adams

Art Inquiries

No abstract provided.

Exhibition Review - Sung Tieu: 1992, 2025, Lina Alam

Art Inquiries

Over the last decade, we have witnessed the ascendancy, consolidation and mobilization of far-right movements around the world – not least in Germany. The Vietnamese-German artist Sung Tieu lives there and produces mixed-media work on recent histories of state violence, racism, migration and surveillance. In her solo show 1992, 2025 at the KW (Kunst Werke) Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin, Tieu expanded on her previous projects about the 1980 labor recruitment agreement between the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam that resulted in nearly 70,000 Vietnamese workers relocating to Germany. Her new body of work …

Review: Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy, Jessica J. Stephenson

Art Inquiries

In 1987, Luna Luna, a fairground/immersive art installation, opened in Hamburg, Germany. A decades-long project in the making, it was conceived and realized by André Heller, a Vienna-based avant-garde artist, musician, film-maker, and author favoring multimedia work including circuses, parades, variety shows, firework displays and poetic gardens. Over the course of three months, about 300,000 attendees traversed Heller’s Luna Luna’s exuberant space with performances, music, and rides on art works that took the form of Ferris wheels, carousals, infinity mirror rooms, puppet shows and other theatrics. The works were created by more than 30 artists including notable 20 …

Tangible And Design Assistance In Historic Preservation Courses To Assist Communities In The Recuperation Of Their Existing Built Cultural Resources In New Mexico, Francisco Uviña-Contreras

Faculty Publications

The presentation proposed for the NCBDS 41 Conference to be hosted at the School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P) Department at the University of New Mexico (UNM) concerns the arduous work in the Historic Preservation and Regionalism (HP+R) Program in this institution. This significant opportunity to present courses in the HP+R Program aims to "exchange and disseminate information and ideas concerning preservation education and its relationship to community engagement and its connections to its historical past." This issue is particularly relevant in the context of the NCBDS 41 Conference, which touches on aspects of the "Pedagogy in Cultural Heritage through …

Synergistic Effects Of Orifice Geometry And Inclination Angle On The Damping Performance Of Tuned Liquid Column Vibration Absorbers, Mohamed M. Abou Elenin, Younes K. Younes, Mohamed F. Younes

Mansoura Engineering Journal

This study experimentally investigates the dynamic damping performance of passive tuned liquid column vibration absorbers (TLCVAs), focusing on the influence of vertical column inclination angle and orifice disc configuration. Free vibration tests were conducted on a primary system equipped with a TLCVA using a custom-designed test rig. The experimental framework systematically varied inclination angles from to and tested both single-hole and multi-perforated orifice discs, each designed with an equivalent total flow area. A MATLAB-based signal processing framework was employed to analyze time-domain responses, and the logarithmic decrement method was applied to determine the damping ratio of the primary system. The …