Architecture Commons^™

Fun-Ctional Mega-Structure: A Formula For What Is Beyond Necessities In East Asian Cities, Sooji Jung

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

No abstract provided.

Popularity Of Virtual Reality Immersion In Theme Park Attractions Of North America, Jessica A. Jelinski

Honors Theses

Theme parks continually change to incorporate new technology. Since the development of virtual reality, designers of theme park attractions have utilized several different immersion technology systems. Most of the current attractions are based on the Head-Mounted Display system and the Cave Automatic Virtual Environment system. To date, few studies or papers have been published concerning the effect virtual reality and the accompanying immersion technology may have on theme park attractions. One hundred and seventy-eight attractions from eight theme parks were categorized based on level of immersion and then analyzed for this study. Wait times for these attractions were used to …

Validity Of Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization For Detecting Myofascial Adhesions Through Secondary Diagnostic Ultrasound Analysis, Kaitlyn Silbaugh

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Marston Quadrangle: Past, Present, And Proposals For A Sustainable Future, Meryl Seward

Pomona Senior Theses

Pomona College has professed a commitment to sustainable leadership and decreased water use, exemplified by shifts to garden areas with native landscaping. However, the central college green space, Marston Quadrangle, was renovated in the summer of 2012 and only a few native plants were added to the landscape. In this thesis, I explore Pomona’s Marston Quadrangle as a visual and symbolic space, attempting to better understand the intentions of the landscaped area. I first briefly examine recent campus dialogue surrounding sustainability, water issues, and native landscaping. Then, I look at the history and architectural iconography Marston Quadrangle is steeped in, …

Precast/Prestressed Concrete Truss-Girder For Roof Applications, Peter S. Samir

Department of Construction Engineering and Management: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Steel trusses are the most popular system for supporting long span roofs in commercial buildings, such as warehouses and aircraft hangars. There are several advantages of steel trusses, such as lightweight, ease of handling and erection, and geometric flexibility. However, they have some drawbacks, such as high material and maintenance cost, and low fire resistance. In this paper, a precast concrete truss is proposed as an alternative to steel trusses for spans up to 160 ft. without intermediate supports. The proposed design is easy to produce and has lower construction and maintenance costs than steel trusses. The proposed design is …

Pump Controller Design For Variable Primary Flow Configuration Systems, Yifan Shi

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Pump systems are utilized widely in Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems. There are mainly three configuration types: (1) the constant primary-only flow configuration, (2) the constant primary/variable secondary flow configuration, and (3) the variable primary-only flow configuration. This thesis focuses on finding the optimal control strategy for it and programming a controller for easy in-field usage.

In this thesis, the pump brake horse power (BHP) of the three pump configurations is simulated and compared using varying control methods. The best pump efficiency staging and DP reset control methods are implemented into the pump controller. A one month field experiment …

Sustainable Urban Rail Trails: Designing The Cross Kirkland Corridor, Mia Cooledge

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis is a guide to building a sustainable rail-trail, wherein I focus on invasive species removal, green pavement, and creating an inviting space with the inclusion of integrated art. When the City of Kirkland, WA purchased the 5.75 mile long section of railroad going through the city, I approached city manager Kurt Triplett to ask about his plans for the corridor. He liked the idea of aiming for a sustainable trail, so I wrote a guide to building an environmentally friendly trail based on a number of prominent readings on sustainable design.

Investigating The Effect Specific Credits Of The Leed Rating System Have On The Energy Performance Of An Existing Building, Richelle Fosu

Department of Computer Graphics Technology Degree Theses

Throughout this thesis the potential financial and energy usage impact an upgrade to green building standards would have on an antiquated building has been analyzed. The extent of the implementation of specific LEED rating system credits that relate directly or indirectly to the energy consumption of a building have been demonstrated, through the means of several simulations using Revit, eQuest, Ecotect and Vasari simulation tools. This thesis also attempted to provide a clear understanding and overview of the plausibility of the suggested upgrades to be made, with regards to financial investment required for such upgrades, by using simple payback calculations …

Participatory Design Of Purdue University’S Active Learning Center Final Report, Nancy Fried Foster, Teresa Balser, Rae Lynn Boes, Dianna Deputy, William Ferrall, Michael Fosmire, Jeremy R. Garritano, Amanda Gill, Vicki Killion, Monica Kirkwood, Clarence Maybee, Kristen Twardowski, Jane Yatcilla, Tao Zhang

Libraries Reports

Purdue University’s commitment to active learning requires facilities that support small-­‐group work, peer learning, the use of technology, and other classroom innovations. The Active Learning Center is intended to provide classroom space combined seamlessly with library space to meet these needs. Members of the Libraries faculty and staff conducted a series of information-­‐gathering activities to gain insight into the range of activities, work practices and preferences that the new building must support. It is our hope that the building will indeed support these activities, serve as a centrally located, flagship building for Purdue University, and support and inspire learning for …

Negotiating Neoliberalism: Community-Based Organizations And The Production Of Urban Place, Caroline S. Devany

Geography Honors Projects

Focusing on two community-based organizations’ roles in producing urban place, this thesis contributes to the “New Urban Politics” literature that explores the neoliberal governance of space. Synthesizing participant observation, informant interviews and ideas introduced in Henri Lefebvre’s Production of Space my thesis explores the possibility of aesthetic practices rooted in everyday life to create alternate subjectivities of people and place. While both organizations engage urban governance in ways that do not directly contest neoliberalization, they each affirm participants as agents in the production of urban place in ways that can destabilize the marketization of everyday life.

Bs News May/June

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

A Feasability Study For Local Food System Application Of A Peer Group Lending Microfinance Model, Anna V. Whitener

All Theses

Economic development has evolved since the Great Depression era in the United States from a stance of pure “smokestack chasing” to a more diverse set of strategies aimed at business retention and expansion. One method that has been successfully used domestically and internationally is the use of microloans to finance small businesses. One major component of microfinance strategies used abroad that allows for lower transaction costs is the use of Peer Group Lending Programs (PGLPs). This paper first reviews the cited social, political, and financial reasons for the lack of such programs in U.S. microfinance initiatives. It simultaneously addresses why …

Development And Validation Of Heat Transfer Model To Predict Indoor Air Temperatures In Roofpond Buildings, Afzal Hossain

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Roofponds mimic the ways in which nature tempers and controls the global climate; they utilize higher heat capacity of water to passively control the temperature of the interior space. From a thermal standpoint, roofponds are strong performers, providing high solar savings fractions, interior temperature stability, enhanced thermal comfort and very low operational power requirements. Moreover, due to convective heat transfer within the water bags, heat gains or losses are quickly distributed throughout the roofpond to create a very homogeneous distribution of heat throughout the floor area covered by the system.

Research by Harold Hay and John Yellott (Hay & Yellott, …

Quantifying Visitor Impact And Material Degradation At George Washington's Mount Vernon, Laurel Lynne Bartlett

All Theses

Over one million visitors per year traverse the visitor path through George Washington's home at Mount Vernon. Increased visitation has tested the limits of the architectural materials and created the single most threatening source of degradation. While the history of Mount Vernon is dotted with attempts to mitigate damage caused by visitors, scientific analysis of the dynamic impacts to the historic fabric is needed to preserve the integrity of the preeminent national house museum. The following thesis presents a holistic analysis of visitor impact and material degradation occurring at Mount Vernon.
Visitor impact issues are acknowledged at historic sites around …

The Stonecutters And Tomb Builders Of Lafayette Cemetery No.1, New Orleans, Louisiana, Emily Anne Ford

All Theses

This thesis explores the building history of Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, established 1833. The historic cemetery, located in what is now the Garden District of New Orleans, Louisiana, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, but has continued to experience preservation issues concerning its traditional above-ground tombs and other landscape features.
By investigating the building methods and background of the historic craftsmen who helped develop Lafayette No. 1, the cemetery will be better understood and, thus, better preserved. A combination of structural surveys and archival research, this thesis constructs a dimensional portrait not only of specific …

Systematic Comparison Of Two Habitat Connectivity Modeling Approaches: Least Cost Path And Circuit Theory, Adam Rose

All Theses

Intensifying human development requires landscape-level planning to restore connectivity to fragmented and ecologically isolated habitats. The rapidly growing field of conservation planning has produced a variety of approaches to modeling habitat connectivity. The objective of this research is to inform the choice and use of appropriate software packages for connectivity conservation planning. I focused on comparing two prevalent approacheds, 1) least cost path, patch-patch modeling using CorridorDesigner software and 2) electrical circuit-theory based approaches for patch-patch and 'all points' connectivity using Circuitscape software. Additionally, I compared two dominant connectivity modeling approaches: 1) the focal species approach and 2) a generalized …

A New Clinical Model For Primary Care: A Critical Component Of Healthcare Innovation Zones, Judith Crews

All Theses

The overall aim of this research and design project is to develop a primary care setting that responds to the current changes in the healthcare system and accommodates predicted developments in the future. It takes advantage of opportunities created by the Affordable Care Act and initiatives started under the new Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. One of these includes the creation of Healthcare Innovation Zones as a way to bring integrative, comprehensive health services to a wider population through the network of a teaching hospital, physicians, and other clinical entities. The proposed ambulatory care setting is a model for …

The Best Brick House In All The Country: Documenting The Structural Evolution Of Medway, Mount Holly, South Carolina, Neale Canter Nickels

All Theses

This thesis represents the assembly of physical architectural analysis, archival investigation, and the study of the work of previous historians on the subject of the main house at Medway Plantation. Medway is a property whose origins can be traced back to the seventeenth century. Since then, it has changed form many times. A great amount of research has been conducted on Medway by historians, both amateur and professional. Few, however, if any have ever been able to study Medway with the stucco removed from the exterior and walls and floors exposed on the inside.
This was the impetus for researching …

Cultivating America's Working Lands: A Study Of The Sociocultural Value Of Family Farms, Katherine Lloyd

All Theses

Our ability to produce food in a sustainable, healthy and humane manner is threatened, both in the United States and on the global scale. This difficulty is exacerbated by expected population growth, creating a need for 60% more food worldwide by 2050 to feed a population of 9.3 billion (United Nations Chronicle, 2012). How we produce food affects local economies, the cultural vitality of communities, and the health of regional ecosystems. Industrial or conventional agriculture is damaging all three of these systems, by draining local economies through corporate business practices, isolating farmers and attributing to rural population losses, while depleting …

The Urban Environment As A Barrier To Historic Preservation: A Mitigation Plan For Falmouth, Jamaica, Daniel Heinz Watts

All Theses

The principle question asked in this thesis is can widespread historic preservation occur in Falmouth, Jamaica without improvements to the town's urban environment? The question will be answered by researching the condition of Falmouth's historic district in light of its history, economic decline and current challenges. Background analysis revealed that the town has been economically stagnant for more than a century, that this weakness has incidentally allowed it to retain the largest collection of Georgian-era structures in the Caribbean, but has also led to a continuing decline in the condition of historic resources faster than preservation efforts can provide remediation. …