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Articles 1 - 23 of 23
Full-Text Articles in Environmental Design
Life Cycle Assessment And Cost Analysis Of Exterior, Electrical, And Appliance Systems In A Prefabricated Mass Timber Residential Unit, Ella Rohrbough
Life Cycle Assessment And Cost Analysis Of Exterior, Electrical, And Appliance Systems In A Prefabricated Mass Timber Residential Unit, Ella Rohrbough
Construction Management
This study presents a detailed process-based life cycle assessment and life cycle cost analysis of selected building systems within a prefabricated mass timber residential unit constructed through an interdisciplinary design build project at California Polytechnic State University. The research focuses specifically on exterior envelope systems electrical infrastructure and major appliances. Material quantities were derived from a comprehensive construction material takeoff and modeled in OpenLCA using the ecoinvent database. A cradle to site system boundary including modules A1 through A5 was applied to quantify embodied environmental impacts such as global warming potential acidification fossil fuel depletion and human toxicity. Results indicate …
Building A Sustainable Home On The Central Coast: An Owner’S Perspective, Austin Chase Anderson
Building A Sustainable Home On The Central Coast: An Owner’S Perspective, Austin Chase Anderson
Construction Management
As awareness and technology increase, sustainability as a focus in home construction is also increasing. This case study based research project seeks to understand the process of building a home on California’s Central Coast with sustainability in mind. An interview was conducted with an owner who built their home in Templeton in 2019. The interview was in a semi-structured format which included specific qualitative questions but mostly focused on an open-ended discussion which allowed the owner to share their own experience. The key challenges learned from this interview were that the owner believed price to be the main factor that …
Assessing Fire Risks In San Luis Obispo: The Impact Of Building Construction And Landscaping On Wildfire Vulnerability, Zachary A. Pollock
Assessing Fire Risks In San Luis Obispo: The Impact Of Building Construction And Landscaping On Wildfire Vulnerability, Zachary A. Pollock
Construction Management
As wildfires grow in frequency and intensity across California, understanding and mitigating residential fire risk has become a public safety priority. Communities in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), such as San Luis Obispo, are especially vulnerable due to their proximity to natural vegetation and the prevalence of older housing stock. While state and local agencies have introduced regulations and educational campaigns, there remains a need for accessible, scalable tools that help identify fire risks at the individual home level. This project assessed wildfire vulnerability across 140 homes in San Luis Obispo, California, using a custom visual grading rubric informed by academic …
Skip The Grid: Installing Solar Systems For Residents Of The Navajo Nation In Arizona, Joshua Zepeda Montero
Skip The Grid: Installing Solar Systems For Residents Of The Navajo Nation In Arizona, Joshua Zepeda Montero
Construction Management
An interdisciplinary service-learning program called Skip the Grid provides solar energy systems to Navajo Nation homes without consistent access to electricity. A group of 20 California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) students from different majors that include Construction Management, Mechanical Engineers, Business, and Electrical Engineers traveled to Arizona from March 23rd to 27th, 2025, to install Goal Zero solar energy systems on over 40 homes from the Navajo Nation. This project was made possible through the generous support and collaboration of SOLV Energy, Heart of America (HOA), Goal Zero, Chinle High School, and Cal Poly. These solar systems help give …
The Third Annual Hasslein Caed Collaborative, Marianne Nicole Bishai
The Third Annual Hasslein Caed Collaborative, Marianne Nicole Bishai
Construction Management
This paper details the planning, development, and impact of the third annual Hasslein CAED Collaborative Student Competition. The intention of the Hasslein Cup is to engage the students of the five College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED) majors in an industry-like scenario. The five majors, Architecture, Architectural Engineering, City and Regional Planning, Construction Management, and Landscape Architecture, make up the workforce of the construction industry, yet there has been very little opportunity for the students to work together and replicate a professional scenario. The competition began from research conducted by Greta Stout, class of 2022, which explored the benefits …
Efficacy Of Passive Ventilation With High Exhaust Demands: A Case Study Of Cal Poly Sst, Siddarth Bokka
Efficacy Of Passive Ventilation With High Exhaust Demands: A Case Study Of Cal Poly Sst, Siddarth Bokka
Construction Management
The Simpson Strong Tie Demonstration Laboratory serves as a multipurpose space allowing students at the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at California Polytechnic State University to build full scale construction projects. The building features a material storage area, a high bay for construction of full-scale projects, and a mezzanine level that houses digital fabrication equipment. However, the building was never designed to house the specific equipment currently installed on the mezzanine and ventilate the exhaust fumes from them. Rather, the building relies on passive natural ventilation that is likely ineffective at properly exhausting hazardous fumes, resulting in complaints from …
Designing A Modular French Drain Driveway: Addressing The Impact Of Stormwater Runoff From Residential Communities, Tomer Baltinester
Designing A Modular French Drain Driveway: Addressing The Impact Of Stormwater Runoff From Residential Communities, Tomer Baltinester
Construction Management
Stormwater runoff poses a significant threat to the environment and can have in impact on public health. Contaminants from our homes accumulate in stormwater and flow down our streets into our sewer systems. Ultimately, the hazardous water ends up in various natural waterways, creating a substantial pollution problem which harms the local ecosystem. Of the millions of driveways across the country, almost all are underutilizing the footage of land that they are occupying. By developing an easy-to-incorporate drainage system, a large portion of stormwater that would normally flow into the street can be contained within the property beneath the driveway. …
Exploring The Potential Of Pavegen’S Kinetic Energy Generating Floor For Sustainable Energy Solutions: A Proposal For Cal Poly Slo, Brandon J. Cuneo
Exploring The Potential Of Pavegen’S Kinetic Energy Generating Floor For Sustainable Energy Solutions: A Proposal For Cal Poly Slo, Brandon J. Cuneo
Construction Management
This paper proposes the installation of Pavegen's kinetic energy generating floors at Cal Poly’s campus as a sustainable energy solution. Pavegen has developed a pioneering technology that converts footsteps into clean and renewable energy. The versatility of these floors is demonstrated through successful implementations in various settings, such as transportation hubs and public spaces, generating power from foot traffic. Collaborations with Schneider Electric, installation at Dupont Circle, and integration at Heathrow Airport showcase the potential for sustainable urban infrastructure. This paper outlines research conducted on Pavegen and similar solutions, including communication with company representatives and examining proposed installation locations at …
Attainable And Sustainable Home Building Solutions, Katrina Matthews
Attainable And Sustainable Home Building Solutions, Katrina Matthews
Construction Management
Sustainability has fortunately been a recent concern in the construction industry as climate change continues to impose potentially insurmountable threats to the global environment. Although many new methods have been adopted in efforts to lessen the adverse environmental effects of construction-related activities, as a society, we still have much room for growth as the built environment accounts for almost 50% of global emissions. Many changes and standards must be adopted to make these solutions efficiently beneficial. To set industry standards, we must start with the most basic form of construction- residential building. This report covers two attainable framing solutions for …
City Farm Slo Garden For All Accessible Planter Beds, Allison C. Wild
City Farm Slo Garden For All Accessible Planter Beds, Allison C. Wild
Construction Management
This paper outlines the design, coordination, and construction efforts to build the Accessible Planter Boxes for the City Farm SLO’s Garden for All. The Garden for All was a concept created by the City Farm SLO staff to meet the need for an accessible learning space for students. The full design for the Garden for All also included mobile benches and tables, a shade structure, and decomposed granite pathways that were completed by other students. This project included the construction of 6 raised planter beds of differing heights and designs. Each planter bed was approximately 10 feet long and varied …
Rainwater Catchment System Designed For California Polytechnic State University Building 34, Jonah S. Aere
Rainwater Catchment System Designed For California Polytechnic State University Building 34, Jonah S. Aere
Construction Management
California Polytechnic State University currently receives its water supply from either Whale Rock Reservoir, for distilled water, or pumped from six ground wells, for agricultural use. Although the university’s Agricultural College requires a certain amount of water to grow crops, these demands are often not met due to the lack of water within these underground wells. A rainwater capture system could be constructed to ease the water supply burden which is already depleting, reduce wasted drainage, and maintain a sustainable agricultural water source without being dependent on other locations. This would benefit the institution by reducing imported water thereby saving …
Electrochromic Windows: Return On Investment Analysis, Thomas Michael Caprio
Electrochromic Windows: Return On Investment Analysis, Thomas Michael Caprio
Construction Management
In recent years, sustainability in construction has become a topic of undeniable interest. With sustainability certifications becoming more prominent and desirable, members of the construction industry have begun to seek alternatives for standard systems to keep up with market trends. One of the main issues that the construction industry faces is accessibility of technology. While there are new products and technologies being released frequently, members of the construction industry lack knowledge on the specific details and implications of working with newer systems. One piece of technology that was recently introduced is electrochromic glass, or smart glass. Electrochromic windows analyze sunlight …
Reasons And Remedies To The Dying Plant Walls, Hayley Q. Mcgough
Reasons And Remedies To The Dying Plant Walls, Hayley Q. Mcgough
Construction Management
Sustainability in construction has been increasingly popular and detrimental with the state of the planet and climate change. One of the more popular solutions is the addition of plant façades to a building, which are plants that are put on the vertical of a building. The benefits that come with plant facades include and are not limited to: Reduction of the urban heat island effect, improved air quality, local job creation, improved energy efficiency, building structure protection, noise reduction, increased biodiversity, urban agriculture. These benefits are not reaching their full potential because these plant façades keep dying creating a bigger …
Difficulties Building Low-Income Housing And The View Of One Company: A Case Study, Kyle Henriken
Difficulties Building Low-Income Housing And The View Of One Company: A Case Study, Kyle Henriken
Construction Management
This case study investigates low-income housing and why it can be more difficult to build compared to other construction projects. Five individuals of PREMIER Design + Build Group were interviewed and gave their opinions on the subject. Each person interviewed has a different role in the company a market leader, project manager, superintendent, and a project engineer to gain a more diverse view on low-income housing. These interviews were semi-structured and open ended to create dialogue about their experiences in affordable housing. This paper investigates a single project called The Cottages located in Lake Elsinore CA. This process found that …
Cm Member Of Slocoe Peace Conference Center Feasibility Study, Jackson Reynolds
Cm Member Of Slocoe Peace Conference Center Feasibility Study, Jackson Reynolds
Construction Management
This paper describes the parking design and estimate portion of a whole feasibility study conducted by an interdisciplinary team. The interdisciplinary team consisted of three senior undergraduate industrial engineering students, and one senior undergraduate construction management student. This feasibility study was conducted for the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education (SLOCOE) to determine if it is feasible to construct a new, 400-person conference center on a site in San Luis Obispo, CA. The complete study includes analyses of the following topics: economic, utilities, traffic/road, approval from Chumash Tribe, social/historical, climate, geological, vegetation and wildlife, noise and pollution, parking, mandatory …
How Green Buildings Effect Both Price And Desire In The Real Estate Housing Market, Bryson Lino
How Green Buildings Effect Both Price And Desire In The Real Estate Housing Market, Bryson Lino
Construction Management
There has been a recent emphasis on green building certification. Unlike other conventional building approaches, green building has emerged as a sustainable way of building in the real estate housing market. As a result of the green building revolution, the real estate developers have been prompted to acknowledge the essence of environmental and social factors on the investment properties’ value. It is through such a paradigm shift that the green building has redefined the real estate business. Given that climate change has emerged as a major global issue, interventions have been made to avert the emission of high levels of …
Comparing The Environmental Impacts Of Using Mass Timber And Structural Steel, Khang Hoang Nguyen, Steelee Knight Morgan
Comparing The Environmental Impacts Of Using Mass Timber And Structural Steel, Khang Hoang Nguyen, Steelee Knight Morgan
Construction Management
Although mass timber has seen a gradual rise in demand in the past, there has been a lack of extensive research on the environmental impacts of using mass timber as a primary structural framing material. This paper compares structural steel, and mass timber’s total embodied carbon emissions. Accurate estimates were made using plans and specs for different projects retrieved from semi-structured interviews. The estimates were input through the EC3 Calculator to provide extensive total carbon emissions measurements between each construction material. Using structural steel framing increased the project’s overall environmental impact by roughly 84% compared to using mass timber. The …
Case Study: Google’S Unique Canopy Styled Construction, Ray A. Cuevas
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 …
Journeyman International - Rubagabaga Evc And Ace - Rwanda, Africa, Jake M. Stom
Journeyman International - Rubagabaga Evc And Ace - Rwanda, Africa, Jake M. Stom
Construction Management
Rubagabaga EVC and ACE, or Empowering Villages Center and Agricultural Center of Excellence, is an interdisciplinary project based senior project completed by California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo students. College of Architecture and Environmental Design students Jake Stom, Mackenzie Diaz, Julia De Hart, and Jenna Williams completed the design and preconstruction services with the help of non-profit humanitarian organization, Journeyman International. The deliverable aims to serve the client, Empowering Villages, by providing the complete design of a community center and agricultural training facility near Kaseke Village in Rwanda. The goal is to provide the local community with development efforts …
Implementing Net Zero Energy Into The Construction Innovations Center, Marlo Arleen Castro
Implementing Net Zero Energy Into The Construction Innovations Center, Marlo Arleen Castro
Construction Management
As the environmental status of our planet declines, it is becoming more and more important for the construction industry to adapt. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is becoming an unspoken requirement for all new and tenant improvement construction, and now, with the goal of Net Zero Energy (NZE) for all new commercial buildings by 2030, NZE is becoming the way of the future. As of late, California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) has made grand efforts to retrofit several of the older buildings on its campus in order to achieve LEED certification. One of …
Far West Water Ski Club Floating Dock Replacement, Jeffery L. Hadley
Far West Water Ski Club Floating Dock Replacement, Jeffery L. Hadley
Construction Management
A project based senior project, the Far West Floating Dock Project included the design, procurement and construction of two 20’x 20’ floating docks for the Lake Nacimiento based nonprofit Far West Water Ski Club. Constructed of polyethylene coated floats, 4x Pressure Treated lumber, hot-dipped galvanized hardware and composite decking, the dock is designed to have a lifespan of at least 35-40 years. This case study provides an overview of the complete project delivery, beginning with the conception and research, transitioning to design and procurement, and finishing with construction and lessons learned. The overall project cost landed at $21,712.00, made possible …
Is Zero Net Energy 2020 Actually Attainable, Perceptions Of Various Professionals Effected, Michael Aldridge
Is Zero Net Energy 2020 Actually Attainable, Perceptions Of Various Professionals Effected, Michael Aldridge
Construction Management
California has created a mandate that will require all new residential buildings to become Zero Net Energy by 2020. Some are already doing it others don’t know what it means, and some don’t think it will be possible. Those that already do it are doing it without any extra cost. All that is required is, on average, a 4KW roof solar panel system. This is something that easy to install and only requires a little more planning during the design phase. There are many other things that a designer and builder can do to successfully reach ZNE including focus on …
Water Reduction In Single-Family California Homes, Jaclyn B. Hawkins
Water Reduction In Single-Family California Homes, Jaclyn B. Hawkins
Construction Management
Many Californian families do not realize how much water they use per day. Since California frequently experiences periods of drought, it is important for the public to understand how they can reduce their water use. This research paper explains ways that Californian families can easily reduce water consumption within their homes. The paper explains how much water is used per fixture, and how much water can be saved making modifications of updates to existing fixtures.