Interior Design Commons^™

Forget-Me-Not: Facilitating Social Vibrancy In Spaces Designed For Alzheimer's Disease, Torilyn Mossner

Honors Theses

The objective of this capstone project is to create a foundation for vibrant community interactions and connections that support those living with Alzheimer’s disease, their loved ones, and the broader members of the community through interior design. This work is relevant because Alzheimer’s disease affects 1 in 9 people over the age of sixty-five worldwide. Without a cure, as people continue to age, there is going to be a constant need for development of care. Additionally, design should go a step further than healthy living and begin to prioritize creating a vibrant life and community integration for those living with …

Lighting And Furniture In Higher Education: The Impact Of Classroom Environmental Features On Student Learning Perceptions, Robert Mcdonald

Honors Theses

Universities worldwide are undertaking extensive renovations and new construction projects to enhance their facilities. These efforts include upgrading flooring, repainting walls, purchasing new furniture, and updating lighting. With many outdated classrooms, institutions redesign older spaces and invest in more modern facilities to create comfortable and collaborative environments. Researchers and commercial manufacturers have studied the significant impact of classroom environments on students' mental well-being, perceptions, and learning performance. However, while research shows the effects of school environments on Pre-K - 12 students, limited studies have focused on the impact of classroom environments in higher education. This research aims to fill this …

Traveling With A Purpose: Sustainable Tourism, Nina Rossman

Honors Theses

The act of traveling is often seen as exciting for many travelers looking for adventure or to experience something different than their everyday routines. However, many current tourism trends force negative burdens onto local communities and environments. For instance, when development increases consumption in an area where natural resources are scarce to begin with, it can put pressure on those resources. There is a certain level of visitor use that an environment can manage; negative impacts occur when the changes in visitor use exceed this limit.[1]

While tourist destinations experience negative impacts from the tourism industry, tourism also supports …

United Families Through Interior Design, Marissa Heintz

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the current problems and support systems within the foster care system and how it could be improved upon. It studies the removal process of children from a hurtful home, the common reasons for placement within foster care, what some of the major problems within foster care are based surveys and existing research. Furthermore, this study seeks to understand the different perspectives of those involved in foster care including; biological parents, foster parents, children and social care workers. In order to better understand what would be best for all of the people involved, research also explores the effects …

Re-Purposing A Dead Mall Into An Art And Innovation Center, Veronika Gaska

Honors Theses

Many years ago, when the shopping industry was booming, shopping malls were being built one after another—more than were needed to support the population. They served as a hub for all kinds of people. But with time, the focus of the retail industry shifted to the convenience of online buying instead of in-store, which contributed in the lack of demand for retail stores, running them into the ground, and leaving the malls empty. Approximately 1/3 of the 1,200 malls in America are dead or dying. With malls emptying out, the future of these buildings comes into question. Either they need …