Environmental Design Commons^™

Students' Perceptions Of Shared Living In A University Hostel At Dhaka, Bangladesh:A Post Occupancy Evaluation, Asma Siddika, Zannatul Ferdous

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

Hostels are popular accommodations for students. Urban based educational systems in Bangladesh encourage students to come to the city where shared living is preferable option for them. Theseaccommodations are inadequate, are highly populated and shared rooms are common scenarios. However, although shared living raises the question of personal space, it facilitates better use of resource and is a feature of sustainability. This study examines the students' perception of shared living at one of the leading universities in Bangladesh. A post-occupancy evaluation is used to address physical and social variables. By assessing residential satisfaction, this paper hopes to provide valuable feedback …

Re-Reading Dutch Architecture In Relation To Social Issues From The 1940s To The 1960s, Pat Seeumpornroj

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

This paper seeks to connect the work of J.J.P. Oud, Aldo van Eyck, and Herman Hertzberger, the three Dutch protagonists to the dominant social issues that occurred from the 1940s to the 1960s. Theyaddressed the following issues: poverty, the housing shortages from the pre-World War II period, the sociopolitical issues in the collective expression of the public, rapid economy recovery, large population growth, and white-collar labor in the post-World War II period. The author will examine the role played by the Dutch government in advancing a progressive social agenda, and will demonstrate both continuities and discontinuities between them.

The Motorcycle Taxi Driver As A Community Reporter: Guidelines For The Promotion Of A Marginalized Group's Participation In The Improvement Of Public Space By Using Information And Communication Technology, Nattapong Punnoi

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

Motorcycle taxi drivers are a group of laborers in the informal sector who are socially shunned and are often harassed by the authorities and local infl uential people. Research has found that motorcycletaxi drivers have the potential to gather information concerning problems occurring in public spaces to be compiled into a database to encourage problem solving. Furthermore, smartphones are found to be a tool that assists motorcycle taxi drivers in effectively collecting information relating to problems that they encounter. Thus, the researcher, in collaboration with motorcycle taxi driver groups, has developed key concepts and an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) …

Influences Of Urban Infrastructure Development On Urban Forms And Lifestyle Of Greater Bangkok, Chaweewan Denpaiboon, Kundoldibya Panitchpakdi, Hidehiko Kanegae, Pattamon Selanon, Yanisa Boonnun

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

By considering the influences of urban infrastructure development impact on land-use and structure, the objectives of this study are; (1) to categorizing urban networks into five index factors for analyzinga pattern of urban form, and (2) to analyze a relationship between urban forms and socioeconomic behavior with uses of urban geo-simulation modelling. The study employed the selection of four areas of study in the Greater Bangkok area. A measurement of each index of urban networks was analysis and then an analysis of the mutual relationships between the two variables was made. The findings demonstrate that residents in the areas understand …

Paradigm Of Eco-Urban-Agriculture For The Sustainable City:Integrating The Concept For Urban Dhaka, Ayasha Siddiqua

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

The geographical location of Bangladesh is gifted with enormous natural recourse: water, alluvial land, suitable climatic conditions for bio diversity and other natural assets. The capital, Dhaka, surrounded by rivers on four sides, was once a blue-green-built environment offering a healthy living atmosphere for its habitants. The city was dotted with huge and crisscrossed water bodies, a tolerable population density, and enough open spaces. Urban and peri-urban areas of the city complemented its food demand which subsequently maintained the environmental equilibrium. The modern concept of eco-urban-agriculture will definitely be beneficial in such a dense city which is rapidly losing its …

Differences In Patterns And Factors Influencing Preference And Willingness To Pay For Physical Developments Of A Streetscape In The Old Town Of Chiang Mai, Thailand, Apichoke Lekagul

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

This paper identifies the influences of environmental characteristics and personal factors on preference and willingness to pay (WTP) for the physical development of a streetscape, and the relationshipbetween preference and WTP. A questionnaire with computerized montage pictures portraying streetscape development solutions was used to collect data from 440 respondents in Chiang Mai city. Tobit models were formed to analyze the preference and WTP dependent variables with environmental and personal characteristic variables. The results revealed differences in patterns as well as influencing factors of preference and WTP for the development solutions. Preference was significantly influenced only by environmental variables, while WTP …

Architects' Reflection Of Cities: Yenagoa Losing City, Lost Dream Of The Oil Rich Niger Delta, Allison John, Dimabo Fenibo, Crispin Allison, Gift Josiah

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

A city's character influences behaviour while people's behaviour determines a city's character. As a development engine, the authors described cities impressions derived from media and how media caninfluence perceptions of Yenagoa, the oil rich city of the Niger Delta. The city can be described as a life support system with policies and human actions affecting a city. How Yenagoa has performed as perceived by visitors and its users 21years after. It will also include a discussion of the significance of cultural relativism in the developmental evolution of Yenagoa. It concludes by suggesting the imperative need for orientation of the Yenagoa's …

Poly Canyon Observation Deck, Sitora Vaxidova, Emir Kuljancic

Architectural Engineering

Poly Canyon Observation Platform is a proposed CM/ARCE interdisciplinary senior project with a goal of providing an observation point/rest stop for hikers and bikers. The platform has a shaded cover and seating area overlooking Poly Canyon for a rewarding experience after a long trek out to the lookout point.

Proposal For An Advanced Structural Elective Pertaining To Fire Protection, Avery James Kwong, Taylor Sanchez, Lindsey Macdonald, Alvaro Gonzalez

Architectural Engineering

ARCE 401 Fire Protection is a class that will finally give ARCE students an introduction to fire-resilience and its major importance in the structural and planning spheres. The class would have a structural emphasis along with interdisciplinary qualities, unlike the graduate classes offered in the CE and ME departments. ARCE 401 covers a broad spectrum of topics and is meant to bring ARCE students closer to a comprehensive understanding of the overall work environment.

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 …

Farming The Bronx: The Potential For Controlled-Environment Agriculture To Address Environmental Degradation And Urban Social Issues, Reyna Wang

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper and design proposal explores the possibilities of controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) to address the issue of impending global food insecurity and widespread loss of ecosystem services while providing communities in the Bronx with tools for social empowerment. Chapter 1 presents quantitative data from sources like the Millenium Ecosystem Assessment regarding the widespread environmental impacts of industrial agriculture and shows how these harmful impacts can be limited or reduced through a transition to CEA in urban areas. Chapter 2 describes CEA design methods and technologies that can be combined in different ways to suit a diverse variety of settings and …

From Envelope T Skin Exploration Of The Facade As A Synthetic Organic Material, Eduardo Gonzalez

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

Building facades comprise a large area of unexplored potential. Facades present large surface footprints in the archetype of the high-rise and tower buildings; which, if properly designed, can benefit from the direct contact to the sun, light, wind, and water to solve multiple energy and environmental issues at different levels.

Sustainable Interiors: Green Design Methods And Its Influence On Ecopsychology, Tillie M. O'Reilly

Student Theses 2015-Present

The profession of interior design proposes to enhance interior spaces through the use of furnishings, lighting, and color palettes while adhering to safety standards and building codes. Although designers follow strict codes to beautify a space, they may disregard the natural environment when choosing materials that are aesthetically pleasing. It is difficult for designers to design sustainably when they must balance many demands in design such as functionality, aesthetics, safety, and clients’ tastes. This paper addresses how sustainable design methods can be incorporated into the field of interior design to benefit the environment, while simultaneously improving the beauty of the …

Urban Oasis, Hailey Wilkins

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

We are living in the society with basic needs for connection, meaning, and purpose. This is because our generation is experiencing its highest level of documented mental illness patients in years due to a rise in urban sprawl, causing pollution, traffic, anxiety, depression and more, this is known as urban stress. The majority of our built environment is designed and constructed by architects and urban planners who disagree with the programmatic identity of the spaces that they are creating and how it starts to affect the user of the environment. The spaces they are creating without establishing a connection to …

The Hutongs Blooming 08, L Khawn Din

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

China’s rapid development has altered the city’s landscape on a massive scale, continually eroding the delicate urban tissue of old Beijing. Such dramatic changes have forced an aging architecture to rely on chaotic, spontaneous renovations to survive the ever-changing neighborhood. In addition, poor standards of hygiene have turned unique living space and potential thriving communities into a serious urban problem. Hutongs are gradually becoming the local inhabitants’ dumpster and the haven for the wealthy. The hutongs blooming 08, will be inserted into the urban fabric, structure like clouds, attracting new people, activities, and resources to reactivate entire neighborhoods. They exist …

This Is Not A Memorial, Kaitlin Burger

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

After the Vietnam / American War, both lives

and land were left devastated and still remain

scarred, acting as a tangible memory of the

violence that occurred on Vietnamese soil.

Craters the size of lakes cover the countryside.

People live daily with the injuries and birth

defects resulting from malicious warfare. Though

the fighting is over, the suffering is not. Also

left behind were thousands of pounds of unexploded

ordinance embedded into the landscape, waiting to

resurface. In many unfortunate cases, the

curiosity of children has lead them to these

brightly-colored objects and, thus, their death.

My architectural installation will …

Repercussions, Rebecca Small

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

A redesign of the existing ferry system between the 5 boroughs with the addition of eco parks.

Bio-Architecture Feedback Loop, Nicole Samuelu

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Biomimicry is the imitation of the models, systems, and elements of nature for the purpose of solving complex human problems. There is an incredible opportunity for architecture to use biomimicry as a model for design in which a resulting architecture can become an operating part of its environment. While this project will consider the efficiency and beauty of nature, those elements will not be the focus. This thesis will aim to create a more cohesive relationship between architecture and its environment by treating the human-made structures as if they were a participating member of its habitat and part of the …

Transfused Architecture: Ascent Of A Developing World, Sandy Ferrier

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Because there is a lack of adequate health care facilities in developing countries, there is a substantial amount of unrealized, optimal health gains and effective, architectural interventions which are not fully realized. With 80% of its population living below the world poverty line, Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the Western hemisphere. The United Nations Development Program’s 2014 report shows the extents of poverty at 75% mainly in the rural areas of Haiti. Only 25% of households benefit from adequate sanitation, thus people become more susceptible to infections and diseases. Reoccurring natural catastrophes have also dented the country's …

Emulated Ecology, Erik Graves

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Natural versus built environment. Nature versus man made. Organic versus inorganic. These are arguments that have been stated and debated since the early architectural times of Vitruvius and are still prevalent even in today’s popular practice. As a whole architecture has moved towards a more green direction with the introduction of programs such as LEED and Architecture 2030. We have become more and more strict on the way we grade and evaluate the sustainability of a project, not just in the energy used and stored in the construction and operation of a building, but we have even begun to look …

Solar And Rain Catching Canopy. Urban Oasis, Afolabi Ibitoye, Langston Clark, Elena Zimareva, Evan Banks, Alexander Aptekar

Publications and Research

The Urban Oasis is designed to work within existing “pocket parks” in New York City as a combined rainwater collector, personal electronics charging station and resting designation for New Yorkers. Intended to not only lessen the demand on the city power grid by using renewable energy to charge devices, the urban oasis is also intended to mitigate grey water overfill in New York’s combined sewer system and, in general, serve as a model for responsible environmental stewardship in urban areas.

The important technical aspects of the canopy specifically analyzed were:

a) how much rainwater could the canopy be expected to …

The 21st Century Energy Hub, Farhaan B. Samnani

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Developing countries face problems like pollution, unsafe construction, poverty and lack of clean stable energy. These areas are the most in need of sustainable and net positive design since they lack the resources to design long-term solution. An architecture that can make energy affordable through onsite rapidly renewable resources, help reduce on site pollution and provide stable housing would be a welcome intervention. As we approach the new century, buildings will aim to become an energy hub. Cities do not look at a building as an energy source. Currently Energy production centers sit on the outskirts of the city. But …

A Spatiotemporal Analysis To Identify Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities In Nebraska, Sangho Lee

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses

This study aims to identify the geographic locations of “naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs)” and whether there were spatiotemporal patterns of naturally occurring retirement communities in Nebraska for the time periods of 2000 to 2010, and to 2015. As the American population continues to age, older people generally prefer to live in their own homes for later years of life, instead of moving into assisted living. These demands have resulted in the increase of elderly populations who are “aging in place”. Nevertheless, there have been few spatiotemporal analyses about the distribution patterns of elderly households in terms of NORCs for …

Solar Power In Architecture, Meagan Leeth

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper investigates the barriers and solutions to the use of solar power in architecture. It examines the emergence of solar power and its history. It looks into social, political, economic, and design issues surrounding solar panels in architecture.

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.

Development Of A Model To Predict The Likelihood Of Complaints Due To Assorted Tone-In-Noise Combinations, Joonhee Lee, Lily M. Wang

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

This paper develops a model to predict if listeners would be likely to complain due to annoyance when exposed to a certain noise signal with a prominent tone, such as those commonly produced by heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems. Twenty participants completed digit span tasks while exposed in a controlled lab to noise signals with differing levels of tones, ranging from 125 to 1000 Hz, and overall loudness. After completing the digit span tasks under each noise signal, from which task accuracy and speed of completion were captured, subjects were asked to rate level of annoyance and indicate the likelihood …

Architecture: A Tool For Fighting Air Pollution, Ana Lorena Rode Viesca, Khoury Ibrahim

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

Air pollution is a threat to cities all across the globe. Architecture surrounds us and shapes our everyday lives; employing architecture to help fight air pollution could have a big impact on the quality of life in both developed and developing countries.

Ranking Of Human Senses In Relation To Different In-Flight Activities Contributing To The Comfort Experience Of Airplane Passengers, Joyce Bouwens, Suzanne Hiemstra-Van Mastrigt, Peter Vink

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Bubb, Bengler, Grünen, and Vollrath (2015) identified six environmental comfort factors and ordered them from most important to least important (smell, light, vibrations, sound, climate and anthropometry). This paper attempts to verify whether this suggested order of comfort-related factors also applies to the expectations of aircraft passengers. For this purpose, two studies were carried out. First, a survey was conducted among 183 aircraft passengers between 19 and 64 years old. In this survey, respondents were asked to rank six comfort factors by selecting the most important factor from 15 pairs of factors (e.g. light versus smell). The respondents indicated anthropometry …

Salvation Of Landscape: Landscape Remediation Of Desertification In China, Chenliang Ma

LSU Master's Theses

The evolution of human civilization has been accompanied by the replacement of the Earth’s natural landforms. The cities, oases and grasslands from 1000 years ago may have now been transformed into desert. Now, desertification has become a global environmental problem. Many regions and countries are facing development constraints and environmental challenges posed by desertification. Arid and semi-arid areas are extremely prone to land degradation leading to desertification. China faces the threat of a quarter of its land being degraded. Desertification is one of the most serious outcomes of land degradation. Ironically, the part of China with the most serious desertification …

Vertex: A Compendium Of Research And Design, Alberto De Salvatierra, Alfredo Fernandez-Gonzalez, Samantha Solano, Josh Vermillion, Attila Lawrence, Dak Kopec, Phillip Zawarus, Glenn Nowak, Eric Weber, Rafael Armendariz, Nancy J. Uscher

VERTEX Annual Publication

From the foreword: Vertex was organized to showcase some of the UNLV School of Architecture’s most prominent areas of strength. Our multidisciplinary design foundation program is the initial building block that instills in students an ethos of systematic inquiry through making. Appropriately structured processes of experimentation and production using a variety of tools and media help students develop significant spatial understandings through the sequential act of drawing and making. The spatial understandings developed in the design foundation, supplemented by a culture of inquiry through making that is cultivated in our design studios, prepare our students to creatively engage in a …