Architecture Commons^™

Guidelines For Structural Optimization And Sustainable Retrofitting Of Re-Purposed Buildings Using Bim, Mariam Ehab, Mina Maxi, Gehan Nagy

Civil Engineering

Nowadays energy problems resulting from the building industry become very polluting along with the high expenses of the building operation. Designers tend to propose another solution which is the refurbishment of old buildings to be energy-optimized and more efficient. As a result, some solutions are addressed to prioritize keeping the architectural theme of the city as well as reducing land use. An extensive investigation is conducted to review past research approaches regarding energy optimization requirements as well as scoping on structural optimization through building refurbishment. Structural optimization resulting from structural repurposing is not studied in depth recently, as a result, …

Performance Evaluation Of A Prestressed Belitic Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement (Bcsa) Concrete Bridge Girder, Nick Markosian, Raed Tawadrous, Mohammad Mastali, Robert J. Thomas, Marc Maguire

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Belitic calcium sulfoaluminate (BCSA) cement is a sustainable alternative to Portland cement that offers rapid setting characteristics that could accelerate throughput in precast concrete operations. BCSA cements have lower carbon footprint, embodied energy, and natural resource consumption than Portland cement. However, these benefits are not often utilized in structural members due to lack of specifications and perceived logistical challenges. This paper evaluates the performance of a full-scale precast, prestressed voided deck slab bridge girder made with BCSA cement concrete. The rapid-set properties of BCSA cement allowed the initial concrete compressive strength to reach the required 4300 psi release strength at …

H2opulent, Reese Zimmerman

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This project is an experiment on resilience, in an attempt to set forth guidelines for a new architecture that is designed with water, for water, and against water. The intent of this project is to create a self-sustaining architectural model that will exist entirely detached from dry land in order to mitigate the affects of flooding and water level rise.

For this project I am analyzing projects in three categories: land, water and hybrid. Land includes projects built along the coast on solid ground, water includes projects that either float on top of the water or are built on stilts …

Evaluation Of Conventional Energy Conservation Strategies And Active Thermal Insulation Wall System And Economic Analyses., Li Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For the past few decades, the importance and the technology of building energy conservation is increasing. In support of this research into energy efficiency, the Department of Energy has developed simulation models of sixteen buildings representing most commercial buildings in the US. In this research, four of these sixteen prototype models were used in energy conservation analyses variety of energy conservation strategies in the seven US Climate Zones. To estimate the effectiveness of several common energy conservation measures on yearly building energy use, holistic analyses were conducted using software that accounts for the interactions of the building systems, occupants and …

Evaluating Urban Parks Accessibility And Equity: A Case Study Of Hartford, Ct And New Haven, Ct, Natalie Roach, Mara Tu

Honors Scholar Theses

Public parks provide cities with environmental benefits, positive health effects, recreational opportunities, community building, educational spaces, and public amenities. However, certain populations have been systematically denied their fair share of these benefits because of unjust practices in the creation and maintenance of urban parks. With a lens of environmental justice, the goal of this research was to assess park quality and accessibility of two Connecticut cities, Hartford and New Haven, by gathering publicly available information as well as using GIS tools.

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) has an existing ParkScore rating system that evaluates the quality of a city’s …

Quantifying Materials Waste In The Egyptian Construction Industry: A Critical Analysis Of Rates And Factors, Ayman Ahmed Ezzat Othman, Ahmed Osama Daoud Dr., Obas John Ebohon, Ali Bayyati

Architectural Engineering

Construction and demolition waste (CDW) is a critical challenge facing the construction industry. It leads to deterioration of the triple bottom line of sustainability. Unfortunately, the CDW management research in Egypt lacks studies investigating (1) the variations in CDW generation (CDWG) among different types of construction projects, and (2) the factors affecting CDW reduction (CDWR). Based on a benchmarking approach, this research (1) quantifies CDW in terms of generation rates and costs among different construction project types in Egypt, and (2) investigates the relationship between CDWG and different adopted CDWR factors. Using structured interviews, a comparative case study was conducted …

The Future Of Living: Exploring Sustainable Residential Developments Through A Case Study Analysis Of The Sustainable City Dubai, Carys Davidson-Huxley

Honors Program Theses

With population growth continuing on an upwards trend and urban living projected to increase in the coming years, a redesign of typical property development is required to ensure that housing demand not only has a lesser impact on the environment, but also meets the needs of communities. Through a combination of literature review, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, this paper presents a case study of The Sustainable City Dubai (TSC), a key sustainable development within the United Arab Emirates (UAE), taking into account its social, economic and environmental strategies and consequent impacts. Investigation has been conducted into the importance of …

Vcu Monroe Park Campus 'Iconic Green' Pre-Planning And Design Study, Nicholas A. Jancaitis

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

The 'Iconic Green' pre-planning study for the Monroe Park Campus of VCU provides the framework and data necessary to support the intended 'nexus' on the proposed site. A review of the existing literature on various subjects included will highlight models and successful measures that have ensured success for previous similar built works. Having an understanding of the underlying factors and implications for the site, a needs assessment using existing literature and design precedents and in comparison with VCU's own desired end state and needs. Focusing on these comparisons within a theoretical framework called the Just Beautiful City, established in this …

A Framework For Achieving Sustainability By Overcoming The Challenges Of The Construction Supply Chain During The Design Process, Ayman Ahmed Ezzat Othman, Nooran Alnassar

Architectural Engineering

This paper aims to develop a framework to achieve sustainability by overcoming the challenges of the construction supply chain (CCSC) during the design process. To achieve this, two approaches, namely theoretical and practical, were used to accomplish four objectives. For the theoretical approach, based on literature review and case studies, the objective used was to identify, classify and validate the challenges that the construction supply chain (CSC) encounter. For the practical approach, a survey questionnaire was employed to quantify the CCSC and investigate the perception of architectural design firms (ADFs) in Egypt towards achieving sustainability by overcoming the CCSC during …

Brazil, Big Hydro, And A Beautiful Monster: “Green” Energy Generation In The Xingu River Basin, Ian F. Hirons

Student Works

Brazil is quickly becoming an influential actor on the world stage of geopolitics. The nation has achieved global economic and environmental recognition due to the extensive development of its hydrological resources in the form of hydroelectric power plants. As the world’s second greatest generator of hydroelectricity, Brazil has proven a staunch adherence to building dams in the large-scale. Though these dams have brought electricity to millions of people across the country, the socio-ecological toll inflicted by their construction has been devastating to natural biomes and local inhabitants. This article traces Brazil’s proclivity for large-scale hydropower to four motivational categories often …

Thermal Energy Assessment Of New Constructed Bio-Based Insulation Material Applied In Buildings, Abeer Fuad Othman Dar Saleh

Architectural Engineering Theses

The building sector is moving towards energy-efficient design "low energy consumption". The development of bio-based thermal insulation materials contributes strongly to this approach. The implantation of these materials in the new designed buildings will have an excellent impact in reducing the energy consumption and subsequently saving the non-renewable resources depletion and in decreasing the waste generation.

In this research, the energy performance of a new bio-insulation material prepared from rice will be evaluated. Focusing on its physical and thermal properties such as thermal conductivity and fire reaction evaluation. The developed insulation sample has been made by heating a fixed quantity …

Sustainable Development And Regenerative Sustainability In The Legal Urban Framework Of The Republic Of North Macedonia – Challenge Or Utopia, Strahinja Trpevski, Zaklina Angelovska

UBT International Conference

We abuse the land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see the land as a community to which we belong we may begin to use it with love and respect- is a deep thinking of Aldo Leopold. This promotes a regenerative shift in the sustainability concept, no longer only considering resources and energy, but also significant human-centric attributes and a space. This paper presents the context in which urban planners can contribute to raising the values of sustainability, attitudes and behavior in future regenerative societies, while critically analyzing 20 years of continuous profound change …

Typology Of Neighborhood Public Open Spaces: Case Study Of Pristina, Safete Veliu, Mimoza Sylejmani

UBT International Conference

Neighborhoods are an integral part of the city and their planning plays an important role in quality of life. They are composed of several elements that directly impacts on society, one of these components are public spaces.

This seminar will treat public spaces as part of neighborhood that impact on sustainability of them. Case study of this research are two neighborhoods, Ulpiana and Mati 1 in Pristina, which city has had a rapid construction after the last war. In this research is made a comparison between two neighborhoods planned in different periods, Ulpiana is one of the neighborhoods in Pristina …

Towards Sustainability Of Architectural Education Programs In Publicuniversities In Egypt: Cairo University Case Study, Asmaa Saleh

Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ)

More than a decade ago; the concept of sustainability had a great concern from the whole world because of the global warming dilemma. Sustainability is a paradigm that contains environmental, economic and social factors. Many governments have adopted the sustainability paradigm especially in the MENA region as they are the most affected by global warming. In Egypt, within the government role in paving the way to sustainability; principles of sustainable development has been integrated into the country's policies and programs in reflection to sustainable development strategy of Egypt's vision 2030. However, the concept of sustainability is still considered as a …

Communion Composed: Fostering Unity Through A Nourished Architecture, David Acevedo

Architecture Thesis Prep

This thesis looks to utilize food and its inherent social properties as a medium in which architecture can have greater agency in the unification of people, more specifically, distraught communities. Guatemala, a pillar of Central American culture, will be the chosen zone of exploration where such a collaboration can be implemented at a ceremonial scale, utilizing techniques and methods found in ecologically efficient urban food production, intimate domestic food consumption, and marrying them to methods of engaging ceremonial food preparation to create a new edible landscape of socially sustaining architecture.

Rising Level Of Hospital Consumption And Theenvironment: New Mazloum Hospital Initiatives, A. Yassin Phd Candidate, Faculty Of Business Administration

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

Nowadays, an acute environmental crisis is leading to an increasing number of health crises worldwide. The healthcare sector itself contributes to this crisis through the waste it produces and the energy it consumes. To address this growing problem, several strategies are being developed that attempt to move away from polluting methods of waste disposal such as incineration to more environmentally friendly methods, such as wind turbines and hydropower. In this paper, I discuss the state of the healthcare sector in Lebanon and refer to the case of the New Mazloum hospital in Tripoli. Lebanon is a country with an aging …

E-Commerce Within Lebanese Banks Sustainabilityconcerns; Advantages And Limitations, Mohamad Abdulwahab Wajih Tabsh

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

Electronic commerce is conducting and executing any trade, business or service through the electronic channels and the Internet website. By analyzing the advantages and limitations of e-commerce we identify the positive contribution to the traditional commercial practice and its Limitations. We also list the effects of ecommerce on the banks in Lebanon within the context of sustainability concern. We summarize the positive additions to the financial services provided and the negative aspects that are facing the banks in the financial economy and its own characteristics. The ease of conducting e-commerce transactions still carries with it many deficiencies intrinsic to the …

Rising Levels Of Consumption’S Influence On Theenvironment In The Real Estate Sector, Mohamad Samir Tabsh

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

This paper examines the influence of the increasing levels of consumption on the environment which increased pollution, specifically in the real estate sector in Lebanon. Demographic changes in population, immigration, and the middle class followed by competition and the increase of production are reasons for the increase in consumption levels. Based on a literature analysis, we first introduce the influence of consumption on the real estate sector globally and how the result of this increasing demand in the real estate sector has created challenges to supply the market with building material. In the literature review we also illustrate the effect …

Gated Communities; Images Of Sustainability;Al-Rehab & Madinaty Case Studies, Nader Azab Associate Professor, Beirut Arab University – Faculty Of Architecture, Design & Built Environment,, Baher Farahat Associate Professor, Beirut Arab University – Faculty Of Architecture, Design & Built Environment

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

The surge of newly developed gated communities (GC’s)/ neighbourhoods on the outskirts of the Greater Cairo Region has triggered research to understand the unprecedented phenomenon in Egypt in the late 1990’s. This paper investigates images of a sustainable lifestyle from the perspective of the residents of two communities; Al-Rehab and Madinaty. Qualitative and quantitative approaches are followed to explore and document residents’ perception of a sustainable lifestyle promised in these two-gated communities. Indepth interviews and a survey were conducted to assess reasons behind the move to these new communities that were a new trend in urban development in Egypt in …

Ouzai Road Slumsan Exploratory Study For Social And Environmental Problems, Nader Azab Associate Professor, Faculty Of Architecture - Design & Built Environment,, Kareem Jalal Assistant Professor, Faculty Of Architecture - Design & Built Environment,, Osama Omar Assistant Professor, Faculty Of Architecture - Design & Built Environment

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

The notion of health and wellbeing issues in urban areas has triggered genuine advances in research and applications striving to achieve valid sustainable outcomes for living environments. According to the 2017 UN Climate Change Conference held in Bonn, Germany, the world is becoming attentive to depending on sustainable policies and practices which are supported in several international environmental agreements and conferences that were initially held to tackle the issue of global warming, economy crisis and social equity. This research addresses one of the most compelling problems in Lebanon; informal settlements and the vice of sustainability and related health and wellbeing …

A Methodology For Shifting Egyptian Portsinto Sustainable Green Ports, Ashraf Mansour Civil & Architectural Department

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

Egypt has a capacity of more than fifteen ports, situated on both the Mediterranean and the Red sea, with a totalarea of around 518 Km2. They are either commercial, or specialized ports which includes Mining Ports ,Petroleum Ports, Tourist Ports, Fishing Ports and Berths. The main Egyptian commercial ports are Alexandria,El Dekheila, Damietta, El Arish, West Port Said, East Port Said, Suez, Petroleum Dock, Adabiya, Sokhna Port, Hurghada, Safaga, El Tour, Nuweiba and Sharm El Sheikh. Establishing a methodology for shifting Egyptian Ports into sustainable green ports is of a major benefit as it incorporates a balance between environmental, social …

Zero Carbon City- Masdar City Critical Analysis, Walid Fouad Omar Professor, Department Of Architecture, Faculty Of Fine Arts

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

Climate has a direct impact on the performance of buildings and their energy consumption especially in hot arid areas. In these areas, the lack of water and energy sources forces people to build their houses with several strategies, based on minimum energy consumption as using the environment natural climatic strategies for coping with harsh conditions as vernacular architecture. In order to apply and achieve sustainable building in hot and humid climates, efforts must be put into understanding the local climate, and integrating appropriate building technologies into the architectural and urban designs. Today, the continuous progress in technologies offered new means …

Incorporating Behavioral Theory In Design Ideation For Changing Sustainability Behaviors, Aysha Alwazzan, G. Mauricio Mejía, Yumeng Xie, Daniel Fischer

DRS Biennial Conference Series

As design research develops, theory is increasingly available for designers. However, there is a limited understanding of how practitioners incorporate theory in activities such as ideation. This exploratory study aims to understand how novice designers respond to and incorporate theory in the ideation phase of the design process. A theory from behavioral economics – nudging – was introduced to the participants while ideating in problems of changing sustainability behaviors. Data collected included focused observations and interviews. Participants appeared to understand some behavioral theoretical concepts, which can be explained in the current pervasive use of human-centered approaches. While there were some …

An Analysis Of Selected Climate Action Plans In California, Christopher R. Dedo

City and Regional Planning

This project involves the research and comparison of seven cities’ climate action plans, each from its own region within California. The areas selected roughly represent major California regions, each with unique characteristics that will impact the characteristics of the climate action plan’s framework and contents. This analysis will identify similarities in framework and content among each plan, highlighting organizational differences, some generalized observations, and the consistency of topics covered and not covered within the plans. This project reviews the California Office of Planning & Research’s General Plan Guidelines Chapter 8, the California Office of Emergency Services’ California Adaptation Planning Guide, …

Performance Of Concrete Containing Waste Plastic Straw Fibers, Jamal Khatib, Ali Jahami, Oussama Baalbaki, Adel Elkordi, Abed Bakri, Roba Alaina

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

Using fibers in concrete applications has become a common practice. This is partly due to improvement in ductility and crack control of concrete. There will be an added advantage if these fibers come from a waste source as it would lead to reduction in environmental pollution and the need for landfill spaces. This paper forms the initial part of a wide range investigation on the use of waste plastic fibers in concrete applications. This study attempts to apply the concept of sustainability and reduces the environmental pollution by producing fibers from waste plastic straws and adding them to plain concrete …

Case Study: Google’S Unique Canopy Styled Construction, Ray A. Cuevas

Construction Management

In today’s rapidly changing world, builders are pushing to implement more sustainable practices and incorporate innovative techniques to integrate green practices into their structures. One of the latest examples of this push towards sustainability is seen in Google’s new headquarters, Charleston East located in Mountain View, California. Combining their widely known mission to provide a positive work environment for their employees with their passion to be more environmentally friendly, Google has set out to create a Living Building with LEED Platinum certification. In order to accomplish this Google has collaborated with Bjarke Ingels Group, Heatherwick Studio, and Hathaway Dinwiddie. The …

Guaya Symbiosis, Diana Gil

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Located two degrees from the equator, west of the Amazon rain forest, and perched between the Guayas River and the Pacific Ocean, an Ecuadorian city named Guayaquil is home to the most bio-diverse environment in the world. In Red Book of Endemic Plants of Ecuador (2000), biologist Lorena Endara’s research was cataloged providing evidence that Ecuador has the highest concentration of species biodiversity. Based on this seminal report, the Ecuadorian government amended its constitution so the Red Book would be accepted as a governmental document, which was an important step for conservation planning and policy (2012). Unfortunately, the uncontrollable urban …

Rural Sustainability In The Intermountain West, Mary L. Oliver

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Assessing the sustainability of communities is important for planners and citizens alike. Sustainability plays a central role in forming healthy, successful communities and in planning for responsible growth and development. Most current sustainability evaluations favor urban environments due to their high densities and resulting efficiencies, leaving rural areas labeled “unsustainable” because of their decentralized growth patterns. Characterized as “not urban,” they fall short of urban sustainability benchmarks (Isserman, 2005). The importance of rural sustainability to both small communities and regions leads to the question: how can rural sustainability be characterized and assessed?

This study applies a comparative assessment model to …

Solving Pollution Through Design Integration: A Sustainable Model For Underdeveloped Mexican Cities, Marcos Cruz

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Oaxaca requires an architecture that can cleanse the environment, provide affordable and clean energy, and mitigate the crime and poverty within their city. Community awareness is key to the development of this architecture, and this project will focus on creating a design that influences and informs the community about a safer and more sustainable way of life. This project will focus on using the United Nations sustainability goals to address the global challenges we face including poverty, climate, and inequality. This thesis will create a building that will integrate these goals while still maintaining the cultural aspect within the region. …

L.I.F.E. Is Beautiful, Adalia Fullbeck

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

My title Life is Beautiful: An inquire on the use of small living and architectural design. I chose this title because my focus is in looking at the phases of architecture and creating beautiful and life changing architecture with the help of engineering. I aim to transform my families life by creating a small living space that does not only let earth blossom but also our family. Everyone asks me why I wanted to become an architect. If I had to sum it up, I would say I became an architect so that I could mix my love of art …