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Title: ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY IMPLICATIONS OF DOWNTOWN HIGH-RISE VS. SUBURBAN LOW-RISE LIVING: A CHICAGO CASE STUDY
Creator: Du, Peng
Date: 2015, 2015-12
Description: This research is focused on quantitatively investigating and comparing the environmental and social sustainability of people’s lifestyles in...
Show moreThis research is focused on quantitatively investigating and comparing the environmental and social sustainability of people’s lifestyles in terms of embodied energy, operational energy use, and overall satisfaction with their quality of life in both downtown high-rise and suburban low-rise living using Chicago, IL and a surrounding suburban area of Oak Park, IL as a case study. Specifically, in both cases, the study seeks to evaluate factors such as the embodied energy of the materials that comprise buildings in each location; the predicted and actual monthly energy consumption of the homes; travel via all modes of transport including automobile, public transport, walking, and biking; and the embodied and operational energy of the infrastructure to support each mode of transportation. In addition, this research also engages with the individual building occupants, including single individuals, couples, and families, in a large subset of downtown and suburban Chicago households to directly evaluate perceptions of their life satisfaction and sense of community, which offers a unique direct comparison between dense high-rise and suburban low-rise living. The findings of the study show that downtown high-rise living in Chicago accounts for approximately 58% more life-cycle energy per person per year than Oak Park low-rise living, on average, contrary to some common beliefs (best estimates were ~260 and ~165GJ/person/year, respectively). Building operational energy was estimated to be the single largest contributor of the total life-cycle energy in both the downtown high-rise and suburban low-rise cases, followed by vehicle OE. The findings of the study also show that downtown high-rise residents were associated with higher life satisfaction than suburban low-rise residents when controlling for demographic differences in the research sample. Residence type was not found to be associated with sense of community when controlling for demographic differences, and the factor that was found to be significantly associated with sense of community was household size in the research sample. Also, accessibility and safety were found as the strongest predictors of overall residential environment for individuals.
Ph.D. in Architecture, December 2015
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Title: A MASTER PLAN FOR A DETROIT NEIGHBORHOOD MADE IN DETROIT
Creator: Rios, Adriana Teresa
Date: 2014, 2014-05
Description: A MASTER PLAN FOR A DETROIT NEIGHBORHOOD MADE IN DETROIT Adriana Teresa Rios, M.S.Arch Illinois Institute of Technology, May 2014 Adviser: Tom...
Show moreA MASTER PLAN FOR A DETROIT NEIGHBORHOOD MADE IN DETROIT Adriana Teresa Rios, M.S.Arch Illinois Institute of Technology, May 2014 Adviser: Tom Brock Co-Adviser: George Schipporeit This thesis was written on behalf of the Sustainable New Cities program for the Illinois Institute of Technology. The goal of this Thesis is to establish a working definition of sustainability and the framework necessary for rebuilding a neighborhood in Detroit. The neighborhood in this Thesis being rebuilt is directly Southwest of Downtown Detroit. For the purpose of this thesis, sustainability is defined materially, socially, environmentally and economically. The plan for this Thesis is accomplished in phases to allow for an appropriately sized and conscientiously executed change. There is a large portion devoted to the history of Detroit and current state of the city; the reason for such an examination is to fully understand the past mistakes and successes throughout the history of Detroit. The systems and infrastructure designed in this Thesis effectively create a walkable thriving community that is diverse in it’s ecology, economy, and demographics. A major component for making this Thesis viable is the design of a Technology Campus that will collaborate with the city, local universities, and various technical companies to educate and train existing and new members of the local population. The second intergral aspect of this design is the light rail that will improve and simplify transportation outside of automobile traffic. Aside from the tangible infrastructure benchmarks, this Thesis also establishes the necessary theory behind a neighborhood that will continue to grow change and thrive. This Thesis has achieved a plan that considers all aspects of reconfiguring a neighborhood with sustainability as the focus.
M.S. in Architecture, May 2014
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Title: FERN CREEK MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HOSPITAL DESIGN
Creator: Groszko, Larissa A.
Date: 2012-11-10, 2012-12
Description: During the past fifty years, mental and behavioral health treatments and patient needs have changed drastically within the psychiatric field....
Show moreDuring the past fifty years, mental and behavioral health treatments and patient needs have changed drastically within the psychiatric field. However, architecture and design characteristics of a mental healthcare facility have not adapted to meet the demands. In addressing numerous aspects related to psychiatric care, a new hospital design needs to emerge in order to better serve those in need of treatment related to mental and behavioral health disorders. The design of a Mental and Behavioral Health Facility should focus on and incorporate recent healthcare design theories, such as Evidence-based Design and Biophilic Design Theories. The integration of current theories will aid in the development of a healing environment that will support the successful functioning of the facility and patient/family treatment. Facility designs must consider staff areas, inpatient and outpatient care, rehabilitation and family/patient education, as integral components that contribute to the treatment of mental health disorders and illness.
M.S. in Architecture, December 2012
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Title: IMAGINE PILSEN
Creator: Zouridis, Despina
Date: 2012-11-11, 2012-12
Description: The “mega museum” or museum designed by a superstar architect has become a common addition to cities around the world both large and small....
Show moreThe “mega museum” or museum designed by a superstar architect has become a common addition to cities around the world both large and small. The mega museum concentrates a collection of arts related functions in a single structure that is often either over-scaled for the neighborhood within which it placed or placed outside the urban center in order to make more room for an ever expanding collection of programs. Imagine Pilsen takes the mega museum’s collection of functions and spreads them throughout a three-block area of unoccupied buildings in Pilsen’s historic arts district. Rather than a single lateral or vertical volume, this project proposes eight programs within eight currently unoccupied structures. Eight buildings will express themselves as both architecturally unique to their individual programs and architecturally cohesive so as to be indentified and understood as individual parts and parts of a larger whole. Scale, material, color, structure and light will be utilized as common elements to allow for individual program expression and a cohesive identity available and obvious to the museum visitor. Museum visitors over the course of a day complete their three-block walk “through” of the museum or the museum reveals itself in parts to the visitor who discovers the museum’s components wholly over a longer period of time. Imagine Pilsen is a proposal for the decentralization of programming as a strategy for reinforcing the center of a once thriving community.
M.S. in Architecture, December 2012
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Title: REVISITING THE URBAN BLOCK IN THE LIGHT OF CLIMATE CHANGE A CASE STUDY OF BUDAPEST
Creator: Gal, Csilla Viktoria
Date: 2014, 2014-07
Description: Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the urban block configuration of free-standing buildings has been deemed superior to other built...
Show moreSince the beginning of the twentieth century, the urban block configuration of free-standing buildings has been deemed superior to other built forms, as it provided the necessities of modern healthy living: sunlight and fresh air. In light of climate change, the dissertation aims to reevaluate these long held beliefs and to reintroduce microclimate as an urban design consideration. The study takes four metropolitan block typologies of Budapest as cases to clarify the microclimate influence of key urban design parameters by means of a numerical simulation study. The effects of built form, orientation, vegetation and facade properties are evaluated for a typical summer day. The cases are assessed on the basis of diurnal potential air and mean radiant temperatures within the urban canopy layer. Numerical modeling is performed by ENVI-met and analysis is conducted with MATLAB. The findings indicate that built form and vegetation are key factors governing the microclimate. During the day, intraurban cool island develops between dense configurations and in tree-shaded urban canopies. Orientation is decisive in configurations with large open spaces, where east-west alignment corresponds with peak radiant and air temperatures. Apart from albedo, facade properties have little effect on the microclimate. The rise of air temperature with facade albedo is the outcome of canopy floor heating, resulting from the increased ratio of reflected shortwave radiation. A short-term field experiment was conducted in Budapest to complement the numerical simulation study and to evaluate ENVI-met. The measurement campaign utilized six air temperature and humidity loggers. Additionally, wind speed, air temperature and humidity were recorded at the pedestrian level during an anticyclonic period. In courtyards, thermal stratification developed by day with cool island intensities up to 7 C. In the case of open configurations, neither cool island, nor stratification was observed. The comparison of measured and predicted air temperatures revealed the strengths and weaknesses of the numerical model. In general, predicted temperatures had a decreased diurnal range with maximum values systematically underestimated. ENVI-met also failed to reproduce the thermal stratification in courtyards. Despite these shortcomings, the predicted trends and the relative microclimate differences between the configurations agreed with observations reasonably well.
Ph.D. in Architecture, July 2014
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Title: Sustainable High-Rise Building at Nanjido Park in Seoul
Creator: Kwon, Osung
Date: 2011-08-08, 2011-07
Description: n/a
M.Arch., July 2011

Title: MULTI-DISCIPLINARY PERFORMANCE-BASED FORM GENERATION PROCESS: DEVELOPING AN OPTIMIZATION APPROACH FOR LONG SPAN ROOFS
Creator: Nicknam, Mahsa
Date: 2013, 2013-05
Description: This research is intended to incorporate multiple performances into the architectural form generation process of long span roofs. To this end,...
Show moreThis research is intended to incorporate multiple performances into the architectural form generation process of long span roofs. To this end, it proposes a multidisciplinary performance-based form generation process (MPGP) using Genetic Algorithm (GA) for the exploration of form based on performance criteria. This process leads us to a new integrated design approach in architecture. Conceptual design decisions have the greatest impact on building performance. However in conventional linear approaches, energy and structural issues are typically dealt with after these program, massing, and enclosure decisions are well articulated. This locks in life-cycle performance, and leads to costly redesigns when results fail to satisfy requirements. Research has shown how successful buildings emerge from the rapid and systematic generation and multidisciplinary analysis of many alternatives. However, until recently Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) design teams were constrained by tools and schedule and only be able to generate a few alternatives, and analyze these from just a few perspectives. The rapid emergence of parametric and generative design, building simulation, and design space exploration and optimization tools now make it possible for a design team to construct and analyze far larger design spaces more quickly, and better understand the importance of design variables on the overall building performance. The proposed process, moves beyond the current form generation approaches by using the dynamic potential possibilities of simulation tools in which form generation is based on their performance feedback. The simultaneous integration of multiple xvi performances at the early stage of design minimizes the need to move back and forth later on the design development phase, therefore reducing the overall design circle. MPGP uses the potential of parametric algorithm to generate the form and uses an optimization algorithm, Genetic Algorithms (GAs), as a search algorithm to explore the proper design satisfying required performances. This method will demonstrate how a flexible 3D model can be parametrically altered toward targeted solutions with the help of near real-time feedback generated by performance-based analysis tools within an optimization framework. Hence, in this approach, design is considered to be a process of a repeated loop of generation, evaluation, and modification until the targeted objectives are satisfied. The integration of generative tools and performance analytical tools in the early stage of design provides great opportunities for the designers to enhance the design space and select the proper design among different design solutions based on their preferences. As a result, designers develop architectural forms based on informed decisions by observing the impact of the varying parameters on the structural and energy efficiency performances. Consequently, this process will greatly benefit engineering by achieving a more collaborative and information-based design environment. Increasing the number of efficient design alternatives, dealing with different levels of complexity in the architectural design process, promoting multi-disciplinary collaboration, and improving overall design understanding are the main benefits of the proposed process.
PH.D in Architecture, May 2013
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Title: Design of an industrial town on Black Lake, Michigan
Creator: Simmons, Charles Read, Anning, Harold Edmund, Marx, Emmet Raymer
Date: 1915
Publisher: Armour Institute of Technology
Description: http://www.archive.org/details/designofindustri00simm
Thesis (B.S.)--Armour Institute of Technology; Includes folded leaves in back pocket...
Show morehttp://www.archive.org/details/designofindustri00simm
Thesis (B.S.)--Armour Institute of Technology; Includes folded leaves in back pocket Bibliography: leaf 3
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Title: THE BIOENCLOS© FAÇADE PANEL: FROM SELECTION TO DESIGN, ASSESSMENT, AND BEYOND
Creator: Hassan, Ahmed Ali
Date: 2017, 2017-05
Description: Bio-polymeric materials derived from renewable biomass have successfully replaced conventional materials in many applications. Despite...
Show moreBio-polymeric materials derived from renewable biomass have successfully replaced conventional materials in many applications. Despite covering 10-15% of the current global plastic market, the application of the Bio-polymeric materials in the field of building facades has hitherto been limited. Unlike the conventional façade materials, Bio-polymeric materials can lessen the carbon footprint of the building façade significantly, reduce a considerable percentage of heat loss, and contribute in alleviating the amount of C&D waste dumped in landfills each year. This will help in saving the natural resources, conserving landfill spaces, decreasing pollution rates, and reducing the overall building weight and energy consumption. Accordingly, this research aims at developing a revolutionary lightweight building façade panel, made from Bio-polymeric agri-based materials, to replace the curtain wall glass and aluminum panel in office buildings, and to assess its impact on the environment, the building energy consumption, thermal performance and structural stability. To achieve that, the research discusses in the first place the potentiality of employing these materials while exploring the main physical and environmental challenges they may confront when introduced to the building facades realm. Secondly, the research adopts rigorous selection criteria to facilitate proposing innovative opaque/transparent materials capable of handling all the environmental, thermal, optical, functional, and economic considerations of the building facade. Thus, 1236 state-of-the-art Bio-polymeric materials have been exposed to a strict methodical screening process through structured quantifiable constraints. MCDM methods have then been employed to enable sorting and ranking the resulted set of candidates considering their order-of-preference in achieving the aforementioned performance criteria. Finally, computational simulation tests have been carried out to ensure that the BioEnclos© Façade Panel satisfies all the energy and building code requirements in terms of heat transfer, energy performance, optical properties, and structural behavior. Consequently, the simulation findings have demonstrated the great capabilities the BioEnclos© Façade Panel can provide to the future of the building façades. Through its several options, the BioEnclos© Façade Panel can reduce the weight of the entire building façade by a range of 43-53%. It also can improve the façade’s thermal resistance and energy savings by a range of 31-52%. In addition, it can maximize the visible light transmittance through the façade’s assembly by a range of 15-31%. Moreover, the BioEnclos© Façade Panel can be commissioned in different colors/textures with good UV radiation resistance, self-extinguishing abilities, exceptional 50-70% reduction in CO2 emissions, and multiple end-of-life options.
Ph.D. in Architecture, May 2017
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Title: A FORGOTTEN FOUNDATION OF THE BAUHAUS: PSYCHO-PHYSIOLOGICAL AESTHETICS AND THE INCEPTION OF MODERN DESIGN THEORY
Creator: Kalkatechi, Mina
Date: 2016, 2016-12
Description: This dissertation investigates the Bauhaus during its activity in Weimar and Dessau, as a pedagogical paradigm of modern era that drew upon...
Show moreThis dissertation investigates the Bauhaus during its activity in Weimar and Dessau, as a pedagogical paradigm of modern era that drew upon different aesthetic ideas of its past, which were set in motion by a vigorous interaction with human sciences during the era of 1890-1914. As a much-contested account of modernism, the story of the Bauhaus has been rewritten in many ways. While the dominant narrative considered the school as a forceful, autonomous entity that stood triumphant in its supposed denial of history and an innovation in modern pedagogy, studies that challenge this autonomy have been exclusive to social and political precedents of the Wilhelmine era. Yet, there remains a significant need in scholarship to fully grasp the scope of the Bauhaus as an aesthetic paradigm that goes beyond an elusive devotion to modern aesthetic ideals. My inquiry aims to position the Bauhaus as an outcome of a broader epistemological framework of its immediate past. Primarily set to address the aesthetics of everyday objects, scientific endeavors in psychology and psychophysiology during this time initiated a new aesthetics, whose main aim I argue, was to render a more humanistic prospect for modern art and architecture. This different connotation of modernity was decisive to counteract the extreme skepticism and negative mentality towards technological progress that was devoid of emotion and affect. Through discussing four discursive themes, I concoct a trajectory of different artistic attempts during 1890-1914 that act as precedents to those of the Bauhaus in 1920s. By so doing, this study highlights a significant contribution to inception of modern design at the Bauhaus: the interaction of human sciences with aesthetics at the turn of the century. This new aesthetics sought to understand its perceptual borders and created a theory of affect that engaged the Bauhaus more than it has been acknowledged in the scholarship. Although this new theory pervaded artistic realms through its interaction with social aspects of design, theories of craft and industry, and modern abstraction, it still remains a forgotten contribution to the Bauhaus. As such, the era of 1890-1914 shaped modern architectural theory more vigorously than previously realized.
Ph.D. in Architecture, December 2016
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Title: THE DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF A MULTI-PERFORMANCE 3D PRINTED CONSTRUCTION UNIT: AN ALGORITHM TO UPGRADE THE STRUCTURAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND ASSEMBLY PERFORMANCE IN MASONRY UNITS CONSTRUCTION
Creator: Kalkatechi, Maryam
Date: 2016, 2016-12
Description: This dissertation investigates the design and prototyping process of a new masonry unit. Drawing on the advantages offered by 3D printing...
Show moreThis dissertation investigates the design and prototyping process of a new masonry unit. Drawing on the advantages offered by 3D printing industry, it seeks to improve the unit’s structural efficiency and at the same time experiment with the potential benefits of ABS plastic for its realization. The first step of this process was to formulate a parametric algorithm based on a construction unit that provided different data-sketches. Through a case-by-case analysis, the research process either used these data-sketches as the preliminary step of analysis, or used trial and error to experiment first-hand with 3D printing processes to delineate the scope of their implementation and to account for the design consequences that production techniques brought upon the final product. By such examinations, the aim is to propose a new structural system that forms a new tectonic language and offers constructability solutions for a new wall system. As the most inexpensive and available plastic, using ABS plastic for 3D printed masonry units is a promising endeavor, which all the more necessitates addressing its design challenges. To do so, this research conceived of a 3D printed unit as an arrangement of cells that combined different considerations such as handling the unit, its structural performance and modularity in a uniform, ergonomic and sustainable wall system. The key features of this assembly comprised of a waffle plate that attached the EPS panel to the slab, a sprayed EPS, the ABS plastic unit that had ties as a design element for EPS installation, an interlocking snap-fit joint that vertically fastened the units together, and a custom-designed dovetail joint for horizontal connections. The parametric algorithm modified and redefined individual cells in the corners to realize these connections. The final step of this process entailed a comprehensive comparison of the proposed wall system to alternative wall systems, namely a solid wall system, an ICF wall system, and a cavity wall system for thickness, weight and thermal performance. Using Rescheck software, I compared these wall systems to a base model set in Chicago. Ultimately, this research is a detailed elaboration of a problem-solving process that exploits the capabilities of parametric design beyond its common emphasis on creating new geometries, by means of which the proposed system offers practical solutions to the prevalent challenges in masonry unit construction.
Ph.D. in Architecture, December 2016
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Title: Toward Net Zero Energy: The Correlation Between Achitectural Forms of Tall Buildings and Wind Power Production
Creator: Babsail, Mohammed Omar
Date: 2011-07, 2011-07
Description: Tall buildings are a major component in today’s urban fabric in many parts of the world. The amount of energy they consume is extremely high....
Show moreTall buildings are a major component in today’s urban fabric in many parts of the world. The amount of energy they consume is extremely high. Architects have been showing an increasing interest in designing highly energy efficient tall buildings to reduce the energy consumption significantly and, more recently, to integrate onsite renewable energy production technologies. This integrative approach is referred to as net zero energy building (net ZEB) design. The applications of wind power in tall buildings have been of interest to many designers as the speed and, therefore, the power of the wind increases with height above the ground. A few notable international projects have been constructed that incorporate building integrated wind turbines (BIWT’s). The research presented in this thesis investigated the correlation between the architectural forms of tall buildings and the enhancement of wind power production in office buildings, towards the realization of net zero energy towers through extensive use of computer simulation software and wind tunnel testing. The wind enhancement characteristics of different case studies were determined, and the Wind Enhancement Factor (WEF) was calculated for each case, along the with annual electricity consumption based on five different climate zones. The results indicated significant wind speed enhancement by over 35% in the single tower with openings, and up to 45% in the twin tower arrangement, multiplying the energy production of the turbines by a factor of over three times. Results also showed that wind turbine technology could significantly contribute toward the net ZEB goal by generating up to 45% of the electricity demand by 2025 if the building is designed with 70% energy efficiency, when compared to the baseline of ASHRAE 90.1-2004.
Ph.D. in Architecture, July 2011
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Title: ART ECO, CHONGMING ISLAND, CHINA
Creator: Thadhani, Monika
Date: 2011-04-26, 2011-05
Description: Architecture has always been the result of the delicate balance between art and science & form and function. This thesis project simply...
Show moreArchitecture has always been the result of the delicate balance between art and science & form and function. This thesis project simply embraces this belief by creating a museum and its distinctive form collectively with its sustainable design and environmentally conscious program and operation. Art Eco Museum is an element of prospective sustainable city development on Chongming Island in China. The Museum site is located near Shanghai metropolitan area at the Yangtze River outlet by the East Sea. The Island is an escape from the urban dynamic lifestyle of one of the world's most populated city - Shanghai. Chongming Island is a sanctuary that has 1200 square kilometers of undeveloped land with wildlife, wetlands, agriculture and forest preserves. The Art Eco Museum and its site, designed with a consideration of existing environment and Asian culture, becomes an innovative local and global approach and a model for future energy efficient projects while showcasing Chinese and international art. The museum program creates a culture of sustainability, employing all potential sustainable features to minimize energy use and utilize natural resources in its design and operation. The proposed project is not only a sustainable solution for the museum design but is also an example of the architecture which expression emerges from nature in its symbolic implication, form and function. The use of its organic architectural form insinuates the symbolic object of China - bamboo, and its economic and cultural significance. Bamboo, as a symbol of long life in China, became an inspiration for the project design, with its form and meaning. The Art Eco Museum floor plan layout was arranged according to Bamboo Chinese painting composition. Focusing on design that have lead to positive approaches towards a sustainable future, the exhibition at Art Eco Museum takes a step towards making these ideas a reality for consumers and designers in the current ethical and environmental awareness. The idea of sustainability combines the intelligent use of renewable resources with forward-thinking solutions. Most importantly, museum exhibitions place emphasis on the involvement of the consumer, giving them the tools and the knowledge necessary to understand the general concept of sustainability and its application to everyday life. The Art Eco Museum project is an example of aesthetically beautiful art form which serves functional purpose of science to remodel the world and peoples lifestyle to make it more perfect for human habitation.
M.S. in Architecture, May 2011
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Title: Volumes of Light - A School of the Performing and Visual Arts, Brooklyn.: School of the Arts Brooklyn booklet
Creator: Cabal González, Sara
Date: 2012, 2012-05
Description: The school is a proposal for high-level academic performance in the form of an art condenser that will also be used after hours to house...
Show moreThe school is a proposal for high-level academic performance in the form of an art condenser that will also be used after hours to house community art events. Thus, it will act as a catalyst for future college students and serve as a magnet for neighborhood residents. As the art disciplines require, the classroom and their respective studio are integrated and considered as the basic unit that define different volumes for each art form. The massing, orientation, and materiality bring a unique quality of light to those “volumes of light”.
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Title: Achipelago the Future City
Creator: Song, Gil Ryong
Date: 2011-12-05, 2011-12
Description: We are in search for many who are thinking about the methods of achieving an international sustainable environment internationally. The low...
Show moreWe are in search for many who are thinking about the methods of achieving an international sustainable environment internationally. The low carbon green city is one of the most advanced models to deal with thus related urban issues. The approach this thesis has been to find a new traditional city model for Korea that’s amalgamated with the latest technology. Until recently from the recent liberation from the Japanese colonial rule, the top priority of any policies of Korea were economic growth and national development which has enabled the nation to achieve rapid economic growth over past decades. However, through this urban transforming process we have lost our city identity. In order to achieve the nation’s quality based growth, designing the low carbon green city with a traditional identity is essential.
M.S. in Architecture, December 2011
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Title: Incorporating the Structure of Tall Buildings within an Architectural Form Generation Process
Creator: Almusharaf, Ayman M.
Date: 2011-05-04, 2011-05
Description: Traditionally, the development of tall buildings’ forms was a direct product of a close and meaningful collaboration between the architect and...
Show moreTraditionally, the development of tall buildings’ forms was a direct product of a close and meaningful collaboration between the architect and structural engineer. This was particularly evident in Chicago during the Modern Era in the architectural design of tall buildings, which provided the key ingredient of architectural form–structure interaction. The quest for iconic, individualistic forms during the Postmodern Era, however, has led to the shift away from the traditional format. New approaches to design began to overemphasize aesthetics and style while paying less attention to structure and the rigorous discipline it requires. In such approaches, issues pertaining to structure are typically addressed after the fact – that is, after the architectural form is well articulated – which necessarily limits the structural design role to solving the problem rather than integrating the structural solution into the architectural concept. This has resulted in an apparent disconnect between architectural form and structure in contemporary tall buildings. To address this disconnect, this research proposes a methodological digitallybased design approach that permits direct and concurrent interaction between the structural and formal design considerations pertaining to tall buildings during the conceptual design phase. Such an approach builds on the generative capabilities offered by available parametric/associative systems and the added potential of integrating them with structural analysis and evaluation tools. Through such integration, a performance feedback loop has been initiated to guide the iterative, parametric form development. Demonstration of the design approach has been carried out based on a number of design scenarios. Such demonstration illustrated the tool’s potential for assisting architects in realizing their conceptual ideas not only visually, but also structurally and materially. The process developed in this research yields architectural forms that respond positively to structure without in any way jeopardizing the visual intent of the architectural concept. The research concludes by remarking on the validity of the proposed approach, highlighting the research’s achievements, addressing the research’s limitations, and proposing directions for future research.
Ph.D. in Architecture, May 2011
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Title: GREEN FACADES IN ARID CLIMATE: EFFECTS ON BUILDING ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA
Creator: Binabid, Jamil
Date: 2017, 2017-05
Description: In recent decades, the population of Saudi Arabia has increased significantly, reaching thirty-two million in July 2016. This proliferation of...
Show moreIn recent decades, the population of Saudi Arabia has increased significantly, reaching thirty-two million in July 2016. This proliferation of residents, along with substantial economic growth, has precipitated the construction of numerous new buildings, particularly residential structures. Consequently, post-1940, with the introduction of subdivisions and setbacks, more surfaces were exposed to solar radiation, leading to rising levels of surface heat. With the growing use of air conditioning since the early 1970’s, electrical energy consumption increased, exacerbated by the poor performance of building envelopes, the common use of concrete blocks for construction and, as reported in 2013 by the Saudi Electricity Company, the fact that 70% of buildings are not thermally insulated, all of which contributes to high cooling loads and the increased use of air-conditioning to provide building occupants with the desired level of thermal comfort. In response to this trend, the Saudi government established the Saudi Energy Efficiency Center (“SEEC’) in 2014, requiring that all new construction must have insulation. This policy did not, however, address the study of existing buildings in order to adopt appropriate energy-efficiency solutions. Green facades present an important and efficacious approach to meeting this need. The following research focuses on green facade design strategies, which in conjunction with thermal insulation retrofitting can significantly enhance building envelope performance on existing low-rise (one to three floors) single-family home structures in the arid climate of Jeddah, the second largest city in Saudi Arabia, located in the western area in the most populated province of Mekkah. The city was selected as a case study because the residences require cooling and air-conditioning almost all year round due to low diurnal temperature variation resulting from low elevation and high humidity. Research methods included an experimental approach to understand how much solar radiation is blocked through green façade. After researching both native and nonnative plants, as well as certain vegetation properties provided from previous literature resembling evapotranspiration and thermal conductivity, Bougainvillea Glabra, Clerodendrum Inerme, Ipomoea Pes-Caprae, Jacquemontia Pentantha, and Pentalinon Luteum were chosen as the optimal plants for use in this study. Data collected from existing green façades in Jeddah during the summer season were analyzed for comparison and evaluation. In addition, energy simulation by Energy Plus was used to predict potential cooling and air-conditioning energy savings for buildings in Jeddah in respect to the differences between the types of plants and green façade systems used. Finally, the recommendations on the best design solutions for arid climate of Jeddah will be formulated and could be incorporated into the city policies and regulations from SEEC and the Municipality.
Ph.D. in Architecture, May 2017
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Title: BEYOND THE GREEN IDEAL - RESHAPING CHICAGO SOUTH LOOP
Creator: Hoeflich Brune, Vivian Eliese
Date: 2015, 2015-12
Description: Analyzing the growing metropolis, this research questions the relation between the built and open environment on its process of densification....
Show moreAnalyzing the growing metropolis, this research questions the relation between the built and open environment on its process of densification. Urban areas depend upon landscape and broader natural areas to be sustained. The current system, in which landscape is the center of extraction and production and cities centers of consumption, has an unhealthy one-direction flow of energy and materials. By linking the urban landscape, buildings, and parks, a new ecological infrastructure breaks this traditional system and can become the own natural living system of the urban environment. By preserving existing open spaces in the city and introducing new ones, this thesis explores how to increase urban density and, at the same time, create new social-ecological associations. Movement from outside city to its center resulted in urban population increase and recently is transforming the near South region of Chicago. Therefore, this study explores the introduction of a set of open spaces for collective experiences in two scales. First, is investigated the impact of inserting a new landscape infrastructure on the existing urban fabric of Chicago South Loop neighborhood. Through the study of the current site, the identification of underutilized or public lots set a framework for intervention, adding available spots into a network of open spaces that support diverse programs for the area. Rethinking the traditional urban block consists the second studied topic, exploring the relation of built and open spaces on a smaller scale. Not only the continuity to the open space infrastructure is essential for the project but also the creation of a new urban lifestyle inside one city block and its nearby areas. Being on a strategic site connected to the public transportation system and Museum Campus, the proposal works as a condensed program center. Both local neighborhood and a broader public of visitors and tourists are attended, combining a multiplicity of programs, users, built and open space typologies.
M.S. in Architecture, December 2015
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Title: SUSTAINABLE URBAN DESIGN WITHIN CONTEMPORARY URBAN POLICY: A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN CHICAGO AND TAIPEI
Creator: Cheng, Chien-ke
Date: 2013, 2013-05
Description: This research and methodology develop a set of statistical measurements to evaluate sustainability – in terms of desired high urban density,...
Show moreThis research and methodology develop a set of statistical measurements to evaluate sustainability – in terms of desired high urban density, walkability for community amenity and convenience for everyday life – at the level of urban design for the cities of Chicago, USA and Taipei, Taiwan. The method, based upon GIS (Geographical Information System) technology, is used at this spatial level and for this type of academic study for the first time. The research analyzes and compares the percentage of each city’s population living within the “Quarter Mile Radius Sphere of Influence” (QMSI) for three classes of community amenities: parks, public elementary schools, and subway stations. The new and unique statistical data obtained in this thesis show a great disparity between the two cities. 1. Chicago has 31.98% of its population living within the QMSI of public elementary schools. Taipei has 49.64% of its population living within the QMSI of public elementary schools. 2. For subway stations, Chicago has only 8.09% of its population living in the QMSI, while Taipei has 25.99%. 3. For urban parks, Chicago has 44.06% of its population living in the QMSI, while Taipei has 88.80%. Further, based upon comparison, this research also discovers that the “sweet spot” areas – intersection of the QMSIs of all three community amenities – are mostly distributed along subway lines. With this indication, the research visualizes and supports the objective of improved public transit and walkability as key factors for sustainability in urban design in this case. The research also demonstrates the usefulness of GIS April 16, 2013 p.0B-xi PDD TF 0 20130416-13.doc xi technology’s new application in urban design studies for the future. The research shows that this new method has applicability for academic studies in other urban contexts, and for future international urban design and planning.
PH.D in Architecture, May 2013
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Title: THE GARDEN BLOCK: A NEW MODEL OF SUPERBLOCKS TOWARDS SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL COHESION
Creator: Sharari Alzraikat, Saly Azmi
Date: 2016, 2016-12
Description: It is said that the contemporary Chinese city is a global model of future urban development, in terms of superblocks’ development, advanced...
Show moreIt is said that the contemporary Chinese city is a global model of future urban development, in terms of superblocks’ development, advanced technological applications and accelerated expansion. However, this model’s characteristics can be perceived as its own challenges; this mono-functional gated community is built on a blank slate without taking into consideration culture, transportation and socio-ecological infrastructure, creating bedroom communities that lack social cohesion, and ecological sensitivity and awareness. A hybrid typology is a potential adaptive prototype that generates community stability, public benefit and sustainable practices. Chinese authorities proposed the "Sponge City" initiative to ensure healthy urban expansion, control water flooding and diminish pollution. By proposing a “Garden System” as a solution that responds to the "Sponge City" objectives, quality of life of the block's users can be enhanced by juxtaposing contemporary garden applications that would directly target the current superblock conditions in China, and produce a superblock model that balances the socio-ecological infrastructure with density, culture, program and context.
M.S. in Architecture, December 2016
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