Architecture Commons^™

In.Form: The Journal Of Architecture, Design And Material Culture Volume 11: Design Process, Brian M. Kelly, Randall Teal, Timothy Hemsath, Sean M. Rotar, Lohren Ray Deeg, David Karle

Architecture Masters of Science Program: Theses

The College of Architecture and the Kruger Collection are proud to co-sponsor In.Form, the scholarly journal of the University of Nebraska College of Architecture. Each volume seeks to explore a different theme or concept relating to architecture, design and material culture. In.Form is a peer-reviewed journal.

An Evidence Based Design Guide For Interior Designers, Bethany Friedow

Interior Design Program: Student Creative Activity

The intent of this thesis is to provide an introductory guide for interior designers wishing to conduct research on various aspects of the built environment. It is tailored toward designers working in the healthcare field, but the concepts discussed can be translated into any realm of interior design or architecture.

Research is important to the profession and should play a role in every design project, particularly in the healthcare market. Credible design research will continue to elevate the profession and strengthen the credibility of design practitioners and firms who can successfully conduct a research program. Among the key areas of …

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

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses

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” …

Designing An "Information-Experience" Using Creativity Science Theory And Tools, Stephanie Belhomme

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

An “information-experience” encapsulated by a technological/digital audio-visual tool presents data and potentially meaningful information to prompt actionable knowledge concerning: “unspoken creative process elements;” their profound impacts on both how well our “physiology of creativity” functions; but also on how well foundational creative thinking and behavioral prerequisites (energy, motivation, imagination, and ownership) are leveraged.

The product: 1) introduces the user to one component of the CPS (Creative Problem Solving) Facilitation Process - Exploring the Challenge; 2) features a content specific component which prompts exploration of the many correlations between societal, organizational / community, human physiological / behavioral data, and the direct …

Rerigging From Offshore Platform To Coastal Fishing Community, Ryan Bertucci

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Fresholds: Connecting Eating And Urbanity, Megan Claire Harris

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Interact: An Architectural Thesis Addressing Design And Marginalization, Christine Leech

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

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.

Technocarpet Supporting A Culture Of Congestion, William Andrew Weigand

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

No Abstract

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

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis 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 …

Modus Vivendi: Ecological Intervention In The Future Korean Dmz, Sunchung Christine Min

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The demilitarized zone between North Korea and South Korea has been absent of any human development for 53 years. When the reunification between two divided nations occurs in the future, the land that stands as a buffer zone will become of interest to many as a potential open site for the beginnings of a new urban city, industrial complex, consumerism, and massive infrastructure. In other words, the DMZ is most likely to be consumed by its neighboring urban cities to meet the immediate needs of urban development and growth. However, it would be a shame if the last untouched landscape …

Fast/Fresh Food: Feed Syracuse Communities, Dorothy Ann Buttz

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Industrial agricultural practice coupled with urban planning and infrastructural development over the past century has placed an unfair environmental burden on low income urban communities across the United States of America. As Majora Carter explains in her 2006 TED talk titled “Greening the Ghetto,” race and class correlate directly with the availability of parks, space and quality of public programming, as well as proximity to undesirable things such as highways, dumps, power plants, distribution centers etc. Furthermore, the development of said highways, distribution centers and the like has precipitated the exodus of economic opportunity including healthy food programming from the …

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 …

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.

Electromagnetic Harvesting To Power Energy Management Sensors In The Built Environment, Evans Sordiashie

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

Recently, a growing body of scholarly work in the field of energy conservation is focusing on the implementation of energy management sensors in the power distribution system. Since most of these sensors are either battery operated or hardwired to the existing power distribution system, their use comes with major drawbacks. Battery maintenance and associated labor costs can make implementing sensors very expensive. Although hardwired sensors require very little post-installation maintenance, any energy savings they may procure is offset by the amount of energy expended during the course of the sensors normal operation. In response to these energy challenges, this thesis …

Damage Detection In Metamorphic Stone Blocks Utilizing Impact-Echo Testing And Modal Analysis, Alexander C. Jording

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

Existing buildings decay with the passage of time, and as a result, continually require maintenance or rehabilitation. When considering existing structures, testing is often necessary to complete structural analysis in preparation for rehabilitation or repair. Non-destructive testing provides a structural assessment method applicable to a variety of materials and structures. The hypothesis of this research is that impact-echo testing, one of the many NDT techniques, can be adopted to develop a reliable and standardized method to assess the condition of rectangular metamorphic stones. After the baseline material parameters and general response to impact-echo testing were established, a novel method to …

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 …

All Roads Lead Through Rome: Imperial Armatures On The Triumphal Route, Machal E. Gradoz

Classical Mediterranean and Middle East Honors Projects

The cityscape of ancient Rome was filled with opulent buildings that created armatures— fluid, connective thoroughfares throughout the city. These armatures came together to form narrative pathways. The triumphal route, the memorialized, celebratory course of victorious generals, is one such narrative pathway. Among other strategies to legitimize his sole rule, Augustus constructed a self-promoting armature along the triumphal route, thereby linking him with the triumph. This paper examines how the construction of the Augustan armature along the triumphal route promoted Augustus and how the Flavians responded to it in advertising their own legitimacy in the wake of a civil war. …

Transit Oriented Development Report, Taner R. Özdil, Pat D. Taylor, Jianling Li, Steve Mattingly, Brad Bell, Karla Weaver, Alma Morphis, Jack Buchanan, Yao Lin, Bhavana Kidambi, Nakjune Seong

Landscape Architecture Faculty Publications - Archive

The Transit Oriented Development Report is a comprehensive review of transit oriented development (TOD) projects, literature, and guidelines in order to build a knowledge base in the subject and set preliminary recommendations for the Dallas - Fort Worth metropolitan area. The goal of this report is to produce a resource for North Texas stakeholders in both public and private sectors by studying planning, design, and implementation activities of selected TOD projects in local, regional, national, and international scale.

The Potential Of Downtown Las Vegas Becoming A Creative Milieu, Ana Magdalena Barragan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The city of Las Vegas is attempting to revitalize downtown through a creative economy by bringing cultural and experiential activities to the area in a mixed use arrangement with residential, business and civic uses. This study looks at the possibility of not only revitalizing downtown, but on it becoming a true creative milieu - a place that fosters creativity and innovation. It does so by first identifying three major forces working upon the realization of these goals: 1) the regional socio-economic conditions, 2) the government strategies, and 3) the creative population's participation.

The study conducts a quantitative assessments of each, …

What Do You Call A Place Where Books Are Kept?, Taryn Elizabeth Mcgann

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The public library as a single grand building, gated by massive columns and filled with rows of dusty tomes, is a severely outdated conception. The model of library as a permanent, stable landmark in the city has been debased with the advent of digital technology and a new model is forming that embraces the ephemeralness of modern media. However, the image of a building filled with books still holds power over architects and bibliophiles and continues to wield influence over the design of new libraries. Consequently, the modern library is caught between trying to provide adequate technological and educational resources …

Residential Energy Recovery Radiant Heat System, Scott Sharp

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

Energy recovery systems aim to recover waste energy that is normally lost to the environment. Waste energy comes in a variety of forms. Many processes involving building HVAC involves transferring energy from one working fluid to another. Governing codes put strict requirements on ventilation requirements for various occupancy types. Increased ventilation demands more from the HVAC equipment since outdoor air (ventilation air) is being brought into the building and requires tempering in order to retain occupant comfort. The energy required to temper this air increases as ventilation rates increase. Many commercial buildings have implemented exhaust air energy recovery, or runaround …

Assessing The Engineering Performance Of Affordable Net-Zero Energy Housing, Jordan P. Wallpe

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to evaluate affordable technologies that are capable of providing attractive, cost-effective energy savings to the housing industry. The research did so by investigating the 2011 Solar Decathlon competition, with additional insight from the Purdue INhome. Insight from the Purdue INhome verified the importance of using a three step design process to design a net-zero energy building. In addition, energy consumption values of the INhome were used to compare and contrast different systems used in other houses.

Evaluation of unbiased competition contests gave a better understanding of how a house can realistically reach net-zero. Upon …

Legal Issues In Green Construction, Namrata Shrestha

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The most recent "green construction movement", made a significant impact on the design and construction industry in the United States. Organizations such as the American Institute of Architects (AIA) have lobbied governmental entities to provide financial incentives to promote green construction. The green construction community also promotes the notion that a healthier working and living environment is achieved. Due to finical incentives coupled with projected long-term energy cost savings, many owners of new construction are considering green construction as an option. Accompanying the "green construction movement", new kinds of legal issues, particularly relating to green aspects such as certification, energy …

Interpreting The Standards: Design Professionals & Historicized Design, Alexandra D. Skerry

Historic Preservation Theses

Research Question: This thesis intends to discover how and why architects make design decisions for projects in historic districts. Subquestions are based on the methods of architects; differing opinions between preservation and architectural professionals; and the inconsistent interpretation of standards and guidelines.

Results: The researcher was able to analyze each informant and position them on a self-defined design spectrum. A visual representation of this spectrum can be found in Appendix D.

Practical Implications: The results of this study show a conflict that prevents Standard 9 from both allowing the progression of contemporary architectural theory in historic areas, and requiring a …

Layered Transparency: The Performance Of Exposure, The Exposure Of Performance, Colin Gadoury

Architecture Theses and Projects

The thesis seeks to explore relationships between people based on their proximity and condition of viewing to an event. As evidenced in the images to the left, the inspiration for such a thesis draws on ideas of privacy, voyeurism, retail and most importantly performance.

Each element of inspiration presents elements of intrigue to the proposed theater. As one walks the streets of Times Square in New York City, you cannot help but let yourself be enveloped by the marketing of hundreds of retailers - each drawing the customer in with exploitation of their products through the transparent medium of glass. …

Design Of A Constructed Wetland For Wastewater Treatment And Reuse In Mount Pleasant, Utah, Yue Zhang

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Municipalities in the Intermountain West are facing water shortages based on their current population growth projections. Utah has the second highest per-capita culinary water use in the United States. Among other cities, Mount Pleasant, Utah, is seeking innovative and cost-effective ways to reduce culinary water use. This study presents a feasibility analysis of and a design for using a free water surface constructed wetland system to treat the city’s wastewater. The study further presents a cost-benefit assessment of using the treated water for landscape irrigation in the city. The study is based on an analysis of existing wastewater quality, local …

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 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 …

Measuring Spillover Effects Of Residential Amenity Improvements Using Spatial Hedonic Approach, Shruti Bishan Tandon

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this dissertation is to develop a methodology for the estimation of the appropriate welfare benefits in the presence of spillover externalities. The ability to capture influences of the not so easily observed variables allow spatial lag models to measure the direct and indirect spillover effects. The direct effect measures the value of the property in question and the indirect captures the influences of neighboring properties, through a spatial multiplier effect.

Kim et al. (2003) through a path breaking approach estimated welfare benefits of air quality improvement. Their methodology captured spillover effects of amenity changes that lump both …