Environmental Design Commons^™

Exploring Passive Solar Design In Minnesota’S Residential Construction Sector, Luke Albers

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

This directed project analyzes the cost and benefit relationship of incorporating passive solar heating and cooling designs into a national home builder’s standard house plan. The orientation, glazing area, glazing type, and solar shading features of the home are all analyzed. The goal of this directed project is to determine if passive solar can make an impact on energy costs for a national home builder’s standard house plan. The focus of the study is on one standard home plan and analyzing what impact passive solar design changes can have on annual heating and cooling energy consumption. The construction costs of …

Encouraging Creativity In The Workplace Through The Physical Environment: Focusing Of The Office Workstation, Dale R. Landry

Architecture Masters of Science Program: Theses

People can be creative anywhere but how can designers and organizations encourage this process to occur at an office workstation through the physical work environment? This four stage study investigated what Interior Designers, experts in a field that judges creativity, felt they needed to enhance their creativity while occupying a workstation in a commercial or home office.

An exploratory mixed method of social science qualitative and quantitative research was employed that applied methodological triangulation validating the data through cross verification of codes produced through the narrative process that were perceived to influence the creative phenomena in office workers. In stage …

American Home: Shelter Optimized For Climate, Karen Kentile

Architecture Senior Theses

"Architecture attuned to building form and energy production and consumption can, in turn, suggest an alternate landscape for the country...

This book addresses architecture's role in the energy crisis, recognizing that residential buildings account for 53.7% of the built environment and their gridded energy produces over 21% of the United States' carbon emissions. This thesis begins to implement a process for design which can essentially optimize shelter based on climate, and further develop a local context for dwelling."

New York : Mount Morris

Kansas: Saline River Valley, Smokey Hills

Arizona: Salt River

Florida: Moonshine Bay

A Sacred And Secular Landscape: Empowering Social Agency, Shreya Shah

Architecture Senior Theses

"I contend that landscape can provoke an idea for a productive, public space using the people of the city as social agents to create a sensitive rather than oppressive water remediation system. By inventing a program that uses landscape as a water remediation space as well as landscape as a religious and social space, the project will exhibit the idea that social agents can inform a change in the water pollution crisis."

Team Las Vegas Solar Decathlon 2013: Team Selection Celebration, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas. Solar Decathlon Team.

DesertSol: Marketing and Promotion

This is a flyer for a celebration of UNLV being selected to participate in the 2013 Solar Decathlon competition.

The Economic Case For Early Adoption Of Facilities Management, Barry Mcauley, Alan V. Hore, Roger West, John Wall

Conference papers

The construction industry in Ireland has been the sector hit the hardest during the recession with a potential return to output volumes of the mid-1990s. In order to compete within this struggling construction sector the traditional way of doing business must be re-engineered. One of the ways to achieve this is by introducing the Facilities Management (FM) process much earlier into the construction process, in order to maximize long term sustainability, and above all whole life construction costs. This paper will focus on a recently constructed sports clinic in Dublin, in which an aggressive programme was introduced around energy management …

Hemp Lime Bio-Composite As A Building Material In Irish Construction, Patrick Daly, Paolo Ronchetti, Tom Woolley Dr

Articles

This report presents the findings of scoping study into the potential application of hemp lime biocomposite as a construction material in Irish context. The research was carried out under STRIVE funding administered under the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) examining the state of play of hemp lime in construction toward assessing its potential application in Ireland.

The research involved a range of methods, mainly qualitative, including significant literature review and extensive collation of data on hemp lime performance and testing data, semi structured interviews and field work / review of key case studies in Ireland, UK and Europe.

The study …

Ua12/13 2012 Sustainability Report [Western Kentucky University], Christian Ryan-Downing, Wku Office Of Sustainability

Sustainability Publications and Resources

The Office of Sustainability has occupied the house at 503 Regents for approximately four months. The space is used to house the Big Red Bikes mechanic shop and program, and other programs and activities. Eight students work in the Office of Sustainability in various roles including bike mechanic, student assistant, four PowerSave Interns, a student “handy-man” who works on various physical improvements, and a student that is completing his Honors Thesis on the project.

Much of the past four months have been spent setting up the bike shop, painting, installation of walkway and way finding sign, and otherwise improving the …

From The Personal To The Communal - Support For An Evolutionary Urban System, Noel Brady

Conference papers

A short discussion towards a model for the future of urban and interurban development. From the personal tot he communal argues for a futurist city that is an organic physiological time filled environment.

Insites, 2012, Utah State University

inSites

Magazine of the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning

2:1 The Paper Tube Project, Noel Brady

Articles

Review of applied technological solution to rapid building techniques using paper tube and analogous materials to create space enclosing geodesic systems.

A Directionally Tunable But Frequency-Invariant Beamformer On An Acoustic Velocity-Sensor Triad To Enhance Speech Perception, Yue Ivan Wu, Kainam Thomas Wong, Xin Yuan, Siu-Kit Lau, Shiu-Keung Tang

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Herein investigated are computationally simple microphone-array beamformers that are independent of the frequency-spectra of all signals, all interference, and all noises. These beamformers allow the listener to tune the desired azimuth-elevation “look direction.” No prior information is needed of the interference. These beamformers deploy a physically compact triad of three collocated but orthogonally oriented velocity sensors. These proposed schemes’ efficacy is verified by a jury test, using simulated data constructed with Mandarin Chinese (a.k.a. Putonghua) speech samples. For example, a desired speech signal, originally at a very adverse signal-to-interference-and-noise power ratio (SINR) of -30 dB, may be processed to become …

Application Of Drum-Buffer-Rope Methodology In Scheduling Of Healthcare System, Arefeh Mohammadi, Emmanuel S. Eneyo

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Theory of constraints (TOC) is a management philosophy that seeks to increase throughput (efficiency or performance) of the system by identifying those processes that are constraining the system bottlenecks. There have been very few profound studies of TOC in health care systems. In order to fill this gap, this study was conducted to determine how healthcare systems are utilizing components of TOC to schedule operations and what results are being obtained. This is done by using a patient flow model for a radiotherapy section of a hospital. The drum-buffer-rope (DBR) was used as the methodology for scheduling this flow. Successful …

Teaching Sustainable Design Using Bim And Project-Based Energy Simulations, Zhigang Shen, Wayne Jensen, Tim Wentz, Bruce Fischer

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

The cross-disciplinary nature of energy-efficient building design has created many challenges for architecture, engineering and construction instructors. One of the technical challenges in teaching sustainable building design is enabling students to quantitatively understand how different building designs affect a building’s energy performance. Concept based instructional methods fall short in evaluating the impact of different design choices on a buildings’ energy consumption. Building Information Modeling (BIM) with energy performance software provides a feasible tool to evaluate building design parameters. One notable advantage of this tool is its ability to couple 3D visualization of the structure with energy performance analysis without requiring …

Learning Outcomes From A Multidisciplinary, Hands-On, Think Tank., Shannon Chance, John Marshall, James Barber

Conference papers

No abstract provided.

Suan Nai Bangkok And Suan Nok Bangchang: The Emergence And Transformation Of Floating Markets In The Chao Phraya River Delta Of Thailand, Luxana Summaniti, Wannasilpa Peerapun, Khaisri Paksukcharern

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

This article aims to analyze the emergence and transformation of orchard-based fl oating markets in Suan Nai Bangkok in Thonburi district, Bangkok and Suan Nok Bangchang, Samut Songkhramprovinces on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River Delta, Thailand. Riverside settlements originated as ridge and groove orchard farming and developed into a complex water network of fl oating markets as the trading centers of the regional community. However, the development of roads as the main routes for transportation has altered the larger regional system from water to land-based distribution and communication. From an analysis using geo-informatics and the Space Syntax …

The Ghostless Garden City: Evaluating The Clean And Green Movement In Singapore, Jun Yi Ong

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

The Garden City image of Singapore is visually projected through roadside tree-planting, parks and nature reserves. This image has been promoted by the Clean and Green Movement, which broadlyrefers to government policies that enforce regulations in relation to cleaning and greening. So far, literature concerning the Movement has focused on promoting the Garden City. On the contrary, this paper argues that the lack of the original sense of place through constructed greenery has lead to the Ghostless Garden City, which can also be seen as being authentic to Singapore.

The Future Needs The Past:Problems And Challenges Of Post-Cataclysm Heritage Management In Kotagede, Jogjakarta Special Province, Indonesia, Widjaja Martokusumo

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

In addition to traditional causes of decay, cultural heritage is increasingly threatened by natural disasters. Earthquakes interrupt the historical continuity of place making and create an opportunityto both reconstruct historical fabrics and to create new meanings and functions. As demonstrated in Kotagede, Jogjakarta Special Province, Indonesia, sustainable conservation should evolve with new contemporary needs and not be about making static museum places. Two case studies of post-calamity reconstruction illustrate the utilization of existing urban fabric, in which through redefi nition and reprogramming do not reveal solutions, but demonstrate the challenges in response to the urban dynamics after the 2006 earthquake.

The Signifi Cance Of Implicit Socio-Cultural Values In Self-Built Housing Transformation, Tareef Hayat Khan

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

Households' spatial needs change along with inhabitation. At certain points in time, these needs may reach a critical point when households decide to make changes in the usage of space. Moving or transforming are the two basic options. Studies show that irrespective of location or context, scale or affl uence, users prefer transforming instead of moving. Moreover, transformation can occur more than once during inhabitation. Besides being identifi ed as economicaly a more sustainable option, there are several explicit reasons behind the preference for transformation. But this study goes deeper and investigates the impact of implicit values behind those explicit …

Anthropological View Of Architecture: An Alternative Approach To Study Human Environments, Supakit Yimsrual

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

Architectural descriptions mostly focus on the material aspects of a building with relatively little said about the social life of the people who inhabit architecture. In recent decades, many architects andanthropologists have begun to connect architectural works with the development of social and cultural anthropology. The term "architectural anthropology" has been suggested to describe the interrelation between humans and their built environment. Based on historical documents, this paper outlines the development of architectural anthropology and aims to illustrate how this approach can help us to understand the relation between people, their ideas of the world and the creation of a …

Embankment Settlement In Bangladesh: A Study On The Self-Generated Pattern Of Vernacular Architecture, Masud Ur Rashid, Naimul Aziz

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

Due to the erosion caused by the aggressive river Jamuna in Sirajganj, Bangladesh, every year many villagers have move their homes. The poor, who cannot afford land at a safe distance fromthe aggressive river, generally move to the nearby fl ood protection embankment. Without any land ownership, the embankment settlement in some ways appears as a 'rural slum.' But the embankment settlement differs from traditional rural architecture. Scarcity of land and strong linear direction of the embankment control the total organization of the settlement. This paper is focused on the unique features of fl ood embankment settlement as a self …

Thermal Comfort In The Traditional Rural Bangladesh House, Rumana Rashid, Mohd. Hamdan Bin Ahmed, Sayem Khan

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

Bangladesh Traditional House (BTH) is considered to be a prime example of environmental design responses to regional conditions. The house forms, building styles and materials used in construction have signifi cant variations in different areas of Bangladesh, but one element in common is the design concept for the upper space. The upper space of BTH plays a vital role with diurnal variation of ambient environment to provide comfortable interiors. This paper analyses the above hypothesis in the traditional stilt house in the city of Dhaka. The analysis of actual performance of the traditional house may provide information on the effectiveness …

The Architecture Of Batak Toba: An Expression Of Living Harmoniously, Himasari Hanan, Surjamanto Wonorahardjo

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

Batak Toba people have a fi gurative imagination through which they orientate themselves to nature and the surrounding landscape. The architecture of the house is created to create a beautiful fi gure in the natural landscape as well as to act in moderating warm-humid climate. Dramatic roof forms have been developed as an expression of this culturally determined sensitivity towards natural forces and practical wisdom towards thermal comfort. Building a house deals with human needs within a structure of static and living components from the environment. Aesthetic qualities emerge genuinely out of the adaptive process within the corresponding multidimensional aspects …

Ecological Architecture With Vernacular Character: Contemporary Mud Architecture Practices In Bangladesh, Rumana Afroz, Mohammad Zakaria Ibne Razzaque

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

The vernacular construction technique of mud architecture in Bangladesh has been in practice for a long time and forms a major part of rural buildings. However, a lack of formal practice and patronagehas allowed the vernacular techniques to be neglected. Thus the indigenous architecture appears as incompatible with mainstream development and modern knowledge. Therefore, support is necessary to sustain vernacular mud architecture. This paper examines an internationally awarded case study where modern knowledge and ecological building techniques have been initiated as an inter-cultural initiative of mud architecture to improve the current situation. This paper intends to critically investigate how far …

Suburban Self-Suffi Cient Living: An Implementation Of The Philosophy Of Suffi Ciency Economy, Sirimas Hengrasmee

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

Sufficiency signals a combination of having enough and being satisfi ed. In Thailand, the idea of sufficiency has been reintroduced as the philosophy of Sufficiency Economy. Self-reliance and self-sufficiency are playing a big part of its implementation. This paper suggests a hypothetical adaptation of suburban lifestyles under such philosophy, where the immediate environment of the house is considered the main source for exploitation of food, water, and energy. It illustrates the possibility of being more self-reliant at a household level. The link between outcomes and the reduction of environmental impacts through simple Ecological Footprint estimation affirms that practice of self-sufficiency …

Study On The Fire-Protection: Characteristics Of Green Spaces In Central Sakai City, Misato Kagioka, Yuji Hara, Kazuaki Tsuchiya

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

The purpose of this study is to include among close-at-hand shelter zones urban green spaces other than parks, and to examine the safety that those spaces provide against fi res in terms of lot size,tree coverage ratio, and the fi re-protection functions of trees. For our study we chose the district in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture. This study found that because the tree coverage ratio, which affects a shelter zone's defense against fi re, is changed by the effect of the tree canopy and not by lot size, it is necessary to use methods which ensure a good crown spread, …

City Of Water:Architecture, Urbanism And The Floods Of Phnom Penh, Shelby Elizabeth Doyle

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

The following is a summary of ongoing research conducted in 2011-2012, funded in part by the Fulbright Program and entitled City of Water: Architecture, Urbanism and the Floods of Phnom Penh. This work documents the relationships between water, architecture, and infrastructure in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The objective of the project is to record the architectural and urban conditions sustained by and subject to the cyclical fl oods of the city's rivers and the challenges faced by Phnom Penh as it rapidly urbanizes in a fl ood plain.

Edra 43: Bibliography Of Books On Display, Kathleen Demsky

Bibliographies

edra 43 | Emergent Placemaking | Seattle, WA

Effects Of Roof Pitch On Air Flow And Heating Load Of Sealed And Vented Attics For Gable-Roof Residential Buildings, Shimin Wang, Zhigang Shen

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Pitch value is an important consideration in residential gable roof design and construction. However, how roof pitch, coupled with air flows in attic space, affects the energy performance of building attics has been barely investigated. In this paper, a 2D unsteady computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is employed to investigate the effects of roof pitch on air flow and heating load of both sealed and vented attics for gable-roof residential buildings. The simulation results show that air flow in the sealed attics is steady and asymmetric, while that in the vented attics is a combination of an essentially symmetric base …

Effects Of Inclusion Shapes Within Rigid Porous Materials On Acoustic Performance, Hyun Hong, Siu-Kit Lau

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

The present study investigates the influence of various shapes of inclusions having same volume embedded in a porous rigid material. Previous studies showed improvement of the broadband sound absorption with particular shapes of inclusions. However, different volumes of the inclusions have been considered; therefore, the bulk densities are not the same for comparison. The present study extends the investigations of inclusions in porous materials with same volume (or bulk density) to eliminate the influence by the change of bulk density. The effects of shape will be discussed. Finite element modeling will be used for this study. Total four different shapes: …