Environmental Design Commons^™

Implementing Eco-Friendly Housing Techniques In Western Montana: Green Home Montana: Eco-Friendly Housing And Living Practices - Final Capstone Portfolio, Nicolas Ray Ream, Karlyn Roberts, Savannah Willison, Dylan Trent

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

While the green building movement is common practice in the commercial realm, it is not yet widely popular with residential buildings. We considered the question “How can residents of western Montana adopt eco-friendly housing practices that are locally appropriate and relevant?” There is an opportunity to increase green living practices among renters and homeowners in western Montana through retrofitting, gardening, composting, and similar behaviors. By considering climatic factors relevant to the region, suggestions for relevant eco-friendly practices can be made available to homeowners and renters alike. We will research green living practices used in other countries with similar climatic factors …

Design Hub: Activating Community By Design, Ed Williams

Theses and Dissertations

MOTIVATION

At the turn of the century, Robert Putnam (2000, 27) wrote “...a powerful tide bore Americans into ever deeper engagement in the life of their communities, but a few decades ago that tide reversed and we were overtaken by a treacherous rip current.” Putnam is describing a loss of “social capital” throughout American society. Research suggests that many of our contemporary issues are the result of a decline in “social capital,” or “community.”

This pervasive lack of community is thought to be detrimental to “educational performance, safe neighborhoods, equitable tax collection, democratic responsiveness, everyday honesty, and even our health …

A Bridge Between Earth & Sky: How The Natural World Shaped The Civilizations Of Ancient And Early-Modern Persia, Sophia Cabana

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This project seeks to investigate the ways in which nature shaped the culture of ancient Persia through technology, architecture, agriculture, and art. Furthermore, this project investigates how the symbols and mentalities of ancient Persia were carried forward into the early-modern period. Achaemenid Persia and Babylon are studied as societies which influenced one another and combined to create the foundation of Persian culture as it is currently understood, which then combined in later centuries with other Middle Eastern and Central Asian cultural movements to produce the Safavid and Mughal Empires. The Safavids and Mughals imitated and revived Persian culture in order …

Building A Green Dorm: How Colleges And Universities Across America Have Embraced Sustainable Communal Living, Theresa M. Blickenstaff

Student Publications

Building a dorm is hard work. Building a green, sustainable dorm is doubly so. With their extensive lighting, appliances, heating and cooling needs, fans, and laundry machines, traditional college residence halls are notorious for their large energy footprints. Particularly for colleges such as Gettysburg where dorm living is mandatory for some or all four years, the environmental impact of residence halls is particularly large. As leaders with long histories of inspiring change, colleges and universities in the United States have an obligation to promote sustainable practices. Gettysburg College has announced that in the next few years, it is planning to …

A View From The City: Creation, Recreation, Y La Nueva Creación, Carmen Nanko-Fernández

Journal of Hispanic / Latino Theology

No abstract provided.

Disney: Castles, Kingdoms And (No) Common Man, Anahita Dalmia

Journal of Themed Experience and Attractions Studies

Disney: A company with media and experiences that are studied over and over again, almost exhaustively. However, there is good reason that this company, recognized by its emblematic castle, is studied so intensely. No other company has prolifically created such successful experiences across platforms and settled so comfortably in audiences’ hearts, making so many of them feel special. This paper explores why and how Disney creates this impact through examining Disney’s transmedia world building techniques through the lens of the psychological schema theory. The theory explains the way humans process information, empathize and learn from experiences which are not their …

Between The Lines: Children’S Literature And The Disney Theme Parks, Michaela Karis

Journal of Themed Experience and Attractions Studies

Though the Disney theme parks are a common subject of academic analysis, relatively little research has approached the parks from a literary perspective. In this paper, I apply a theory of children’s literature to the Disney parks. By tracing the similarities between the parks and children’s texts, including their use of a “double” level of address, their focus on oppositional binaries, and their deliberate elision of “adult” elements, I demonstrate how the parks legitimize themselves as both childlike and child-appropriate spaces.

Evaluating Perspectives Of Virtual And Mixed Reality For The Performing Arts In The U.S. And Canada, Collin Huse

Journal of Themed Experience and Attractions Studies

What are the current trends of virtual and mixed reality in the performing arts? In this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of academics and professionals in the performing arts who are using virtual and mixed reality. Grounded Theory was used to analyze the themes that emerged over the course of the interviews. This study found that this technology is already fitting into entertainment within both the performance aspect and the design process. Many challenges exist for innovators in AR/VR such as lack of common knowledge, lack of structure needed for innovation, and difficulty finding financial backing. …

Physical And Digital Architecture For Collection And Analysis Of Imparted Accelerations On Zip Line Attractions, Kai David Quizona, Shelly Sicat, Nicholas Holman, Madison Glozer, Alan Black, Alex Ferworn, Kathryn Woodcock

Journal of Themed Experience and Attractions Studies

The accelerations experienced by riders of Zip Line attractions is an underexplored area of public safety assurance. These amusement devices require complex processes to collect and analyze acceleration data. Highly versatile and effective rider-worn and ride-carried devices are necessary to collect acceleration and velocity data without affecting the integrity of the ride. This paper introduces the use of a sensor device for collecting Zip Line acceleration data in the form of a Trailing Trolley. This architecture extends the work of Sicat et. al.’s which proposed the use of a Sensor Vest and Headwear to collect linear and rotational accelerations of …

Dark Rides And The Evolution Of Immersive Media, Joel Zika

Journal of Themed Experience and Attractions Studies

The dark ride is a format of immersive media that originated in the amusement parks of the USA in the early 20th century. Whilst their numbers have decreased, classic rides from the 1930s to the 70s, such as the Ghost Train and Haunted House experiences have been referenced is films, games and novels of the digital era. Although the format is well known, it is not well defined. There are no dedicated publications on the topic and its links to other media discourses are sparsely documented. Today, entertainment media is utilising technology extensively to create immersive experiences for audiences, transporting …

Disability And Participation In Amusement Attractions, Kathryn Woodcock

Journal of Themed Experience and Attractions Studies

Eligibility to participate on an amusement attraction may be limited for patrons with certain characteristics, including size, age, disability, and health conditions. Human rights and equal access laws increasingly mandate the inclusion of people with disabilities in as many activities as possible, although safety is an accepted basis for exemption. This paper reports on practices and evidence pertaining to eligibility and safety of patrons with disabilities, including a content analysis of status quo criteria from 100 amusement ride manufacturers’ manuals and prevalence of references to disability in reports of serious and fatal injury. The analysis found that restrictive criteria exclude …

Leveraging Neo-Localism For Experience Innovation: A Case Study Of An Urban Park And Entertainment Venue, Lori J. Sipe

Journal of Themed Experience and Attractions Studies

In the past decade, spending on experiences relative to other types of consumer spending has increased dramatically. Companies with an experience economy mindset focus on differentiation as opposed to standardization and rely on innovation activities for growth. This design research project examined how an urban park and entertainment venue leveraged its unique brand and core experience to design and innovate memorable guest experiences. The Quartyard study integrated key concepts of experience economy logic and memorable tourism experiences with principles of human centered design. Interviews were conducted with key stakeholders to include the architects, general manager, members of the local business …

Roller Coaster Dynamics At Purdue University, Jeffrey F. Rhoads, Charles M. Krousgrill

Journal of Themed Experience and Attractions Studies

Inspired by a handful of passionate students, in the fall of 2009, the School of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University offered a new course entitled Roller Coaster Dynamics. Little did the instructors of the course (the co- authors of this paper) know, but that course and the many variants that followed would have a marked impact on students and instructors alike, prepping scores of civil and mechanical engineering students for careers in the themed entertainment and amusement attraction industry and opening up new avenues for technical exploration in the areas of nonlinear and multi-body dynamics. This paper adopts a balanced …

Soft Skills With Teeth: Creating Authentic Learning Environments With Charismatic Mega-Projects, J .E. Johnson, Karen Maness

Journal of Themed Experience and Attractions Studies

In every industry, effective teams depend upon a collection of non-technical competencies often described as soft skills: leadership, verbal and written communication, collaboration, analytical thinking, creativity, decision-making, problem-solving, and flexibility. Though the importance of soft skills is widely acknowledged, soft skills curricula are either non-existent or underdeveloped in most universities. This soft skills training gap leaves students under- prepared and often over-confident as they enter the workforce. In response to this gap in our department at The University of Texas at Austin, we defined and implemented an emergent, project-based pedagogical framework to recruit an interdisciplinary roster of students and deliver …

3d Procedural Maze & Cave Generation, Jacob Sharp

Student Scholar Showcase

The goal of this project is to generate a maze or cave procedurally so that a player may be able to explore infinitely without a reoccurring pattern. The project also utilizes Virtual Reality (VR); the user will be able to put on a VR Headset and become more immersed in a procedural environment. One of the challenges that needed to be overcome was simple random number generators did not generate natural looking worlds. Introducing VR to the project created the additional challenge of preventing the user from becoming motion sick. These challenges were both addressed through many hours of research …

Reimagining Future Sustainable, Climate-Resilient Urban Design For Apia, Samoa: Developing Plans For A Developing Nation, Alyssa Kaewwilai

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Small island developing states are arguably the most vulnerable, exposed nations on a global scale to the harmful effects of climate change. Particularly in Samoa, an abundance of environmental, economic, and social impacts have severe impacts on both the country as a whole as well as on an individual level. This study analyzes future mitigation strategies of land use and urban design to recreate Samoa’s capital of Apia as a more climate-resilient city to encourage economic growth and to ensure the well-being of all inhabitants. This planning is based upon current challenges of Samoa driven by climate change such as …

Design For Living Complexities, Peter J. Taylor

Working Papers in Critical, Creative and Reflective Practice

Lectures from a 12-session course that addresses the intersection of design with critical thinking. Design in this course means intentionality in construction, which involves a range of materials, a sequence of steps, and principles that inform the choice of materials and the steps. Design also always involves putting people, as well as materials, into place. This happens by working with the known properties of people, as well as the known properties of material, and trying out new arrangements to work around their constraints (at least temporarily). Critical thinking, as I define it, involves understanding ideas and practices better when we …

Remembering Wonder, Emily Andreasson, Lindsey L. Fay

Oswald Research and Creativity Competition

This is a booklet about research on alternative play and memorial structures.

The Wheel House - An Intergenerational Space Creating Bonds Between At-Risk Teens And Seniors, Jessica M. Keegan

Theses and Dissertations

MOTIVATION

Two main groups in American society today are floundering: adolescent children of low income families and the elderly.

Between the hours of 3:00 and 6:00 p.m., one in five children are unsupervised. Left to their own devices, many become involved in negative behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse, sexual activity or in the worse cases, delinquency (Afterschool Alliance, 2016). It is proven that when children are alone after school, they not only miss out on valuable learning opportunities, but also their parents are affected as well by having to lose as many as eight work days annually to …

Shizen Nōhō: Restoring The Relationship Between Food, Nature, And People In Japan, Katharine Graham

Scripps Senior Theses

In Japan’s postwar era, agriculture has become highly industrialized, involving heavy machinery, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides, all in the name of “progress.” Through employing such practices, humans have attempted to improve upon nature’s way of doing things, and in turn have degraded the soil’s fertility, natural ecosystems, and human health. In response to this, Shizen Nōhō has emerged in Japan as an alternative way of cultivating food. Shizen Nōhō practitioners challenge the notion that we need chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and machinery to farm successfully. Rather, they advocate for a way of growing food that functions seamlessly with natural ecosystems. This …

Interpreting And Presenting Intangible Heritage: Concepts And Designs For The Buffalo Italian-American Heritage Museum, Michaela Worosz

Museum Studies Projects

The purpose of this Master’s Thesis Project is to provide insight to important practices in the museum profession in relation to interpreting and exhibiting intangible heritage, and provide detailed steps on incorporating community involvement and participation in a museum setting, specifically for this paper, Centro Culturale Italiano di Buffalo (CCI). Through the practices learned in the Museum Studies MA program, exhibits and programs were designed to suit CCI’s goals. This research resulted in the development of a new mission statement, collections policy and oral history interviews were conducted to assist in their collection and provide CCI with a presence in …

Climate Futures 1| Climate Futures, Design And The Just Transition, Schedule, Liberal Arts Division, Ncss Graduate Program

Climate Futures Symposia

Schedule of events distributed at the Symposium.

Chinese Garden Of Friendship And Sydney’S Chinatown : Friendship And Something Beyond At Darling Harbor, Wendy W. Tan

Publications and Research

Chinese Garden of Friendship was a gift from China; Sydney’ Chinatown is a Chinese Australian community, and they are adjacent to each other at Darling Harbor of Sydney, Australia. The author made visits there to witness their beauties. Besides, she also explored other connections—friendship; Feng Shui; and cultural diversity within these two famous tour sites.

James Joyce: I. Am. A. Discover Dublin By Reading And Running, Barry Sheehan

Academic Articles

You are walking through it howsomever. I am, a stride at a time. A very short space of time through very short times of space.

James Joyce (Ulysses,p.31).

In Ulysses, on the morning of the 16th June 1904, Stephen Dedalus is striding on Sandymount strand, thinking about time and place as he moves. Later in the day, Leopold Bloom writes I. AM. A.with a stick in the sand on the same Sandymount strand. His scrubbed words will wash away with the tide but remain forever in the novel.

Using geotracking, I recreated the same ephemeral I. AM. …

Radical Social Ecology As Deep Pragmatism: A Call To The Abolition Of Systemic Dissonance And The Minimization Of Entropic Chaos, Arielle Brender

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper aims to shed light on the dissonance caused by the superimposition of Dominant Human Systems on Natural Systems. I highlight the synthetic nature of Dominant Human Systems as egoic and linguistic phenomenon manufactured by a mere portion of the human population, which renders them inherently oppressive unto peoples and landscapes whose wisdom were barred from the design process. In pursuing a radical pragmatic approach to mending the simultaneous oppression and destruction of the human being and the earth, I highlight the necessity of minimizing entropic chaos caused by excess energy expenditure, an essential feature of systems that aim …

Edith M. Richardson: Woman Of Mystery And Her Subjects, Adam J. Barnes

Museum Studies Projects

This paper and corresponding exhibit fulfill the final requirement for a M.A. in Museum Studies. They are both titled Edith M. Richardson: Woman of Mystery and Her Subjects because the people involved, including the donors of the collection, did not know or could not find anything about Richardson. In this paper I will write about my search for Richardson and her subjects as well as implementing the exhibit.

James Joyce Run: Nothing Happens In The Public Houses, People Drink, Barry Sheehan

Academic Articles

I write a blog www.jj21k.com which looks at the works of James Joyce, the environment which he wrote about and changes that have taken place since he wrote about them. The blog posts are predominantly about Dublin. As part of discovering Dublin by reading and running, I have written several longer pieces.

This piece creates a running narrative that runs past every pub that is mentioned in Ulysses that is still a pub.

You can see more background information and other posts on www.jj21k.com.

U.S. Geological Survey (Usgs) Topographic Map Collection, Kentucky Library Research Collections

Research Collections

This is a listing of the Topo maps housed in the KLRC; 7.5, 15 and 30 minute Kentucky and Boundary State Maps. These maps are helpful in genealogy to show how the landscape may have changed and they may have the locations of lost towns and cemeteries and indicate houses, barns, and other structures and how place names, roads, and streams changed over time.

Preservation Of A Vietnam War-Era Slide Collection: A Master’S Project To Research, Catalogue, Digitize And Exhibit The Photo-Documentary Collection Of Kenneth L. Swain Jr., United States Air Force Veteran, Amanda L. Niemi

Museum Studies Projects

The purpose of this master’s project thesis is to explore and implement the necessary professional museum practices to care for and preserve the private Vietnam War-era slide collection of Kenneth L. Swain Jr., an Air Force veteran. Through museum practices presented by leading museum professionals, the slide collection was examined and a plan implemented for slide care and maintenance. In conjunction with the preservation of this slide collection, an exhibition was curated in honor of Swain’s unique photo-documentary slide collection.

How Useful Is Gsv As An Environmental Observation Tool? An Analysis Of The Evidence So Far., Katherine Nesse, Leah Airt

SPU Works

Researchers in many disciplines have turned to Google Street View to replace pedestrian- or carbased in-person observation of streetscapes. It is most prevalent within the research literature on the relationship between neighborhood environments and public health but has been used as diverse as disaster recovery, ecology and wildlife habitat, and urban design. Evaluations of the tool have found that the results of GSV-based observation are similar to the results from in-person observation although the similarity depends on the type of characteristic being observed. Larger, permanent and discrete features showed more consistency between the two methods and smaller, transient and judgmental …