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Title: HYBRID TO SOCIAL CONDENSER: COMPETING APPROACHES TO MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT
Creator: Zagow, Maged
Date: 2016, 2016-12
Description: In the last two decades, mixed use has taken center stage in urban planning development in the United States. The research frequently cites...
Show moreIn the last two decades, mixed use has taken center stage in urban planning development in the United States. The research frequently cites this development as a model that can address a variety of socioeconomic problems. Also, it has enjoyed a recent surge in popularity in redeveloping cities by providing more affordable housing opportunities, ensuring safety, reducing auto-dependency, and for providing a sense of place and community. However, its affordability, physical design, and outcomes are highly variable. This study is particularly interested in whether and how mixed use affects the socioeconomics configuration of the built environment. This study uses multilevel data from the county level to the zip code level that represents all US neighborhoods. I use different implementation methods of mixed-use development and different cultural and historical backgrounds to examine the data. The study adopts six mixed-use models that present different methodological interactions between socioeconomic spatial metrics and urban forms. These models represent the realistic constraints of urban geometry and of the socioeconomic structure that comprises the charateristics of race, income, accessibility, safety, adjacency, accessibility, environment, and density. This study finds that the built environment produces a rich landscape of information that appears to guide the opportunities for facilities. The analysis shows that mixed-use development may have certain effects on the number of facilities, housing, income, diversity, crime rate, employment, health, and environment. The analysis of this research works in two dimensions. First, urban models (Hybrid and Social Condenser in general and under two categories Metropolis and Neighborhood Community). The second dimension is the urban characteristics (zoning programming, land use mix, streets fabric), socioeconomics variables (Population density, occupied housing, median age, diversity of race, income, and employment rates), and location variation (states, and cities). The results confirm that mixing the facilities in hybrid communities create more jobs opportunities but limit the affordability of housing, social cohesion and the race diversity. But in Social Condenser models, there are more race diversity safety and healthy environment. These results reflect complexity demands more than mixed-use developments, beyond Jane Jacobs' requirements, and beyond the designation of selected mixed-use zones. This study contributes to the study of how mixed-use development models shift because of various social and economic conditions. The findings from this study can inform architects, investors, policymakers, economists, and planners about factors that sustain mixed-use neighborhoods in the United States and beyond. Urban designers will be able to inform how the seemingly necessary act of laying out mixed-use development can affect the socioeconomic structure of a city. Thus, this study is a useful source for more accurate planning ideas than generic abstract theories or slogans.
Ph.D. in Architecture, December 2016
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Title: URBAN SPRAWL AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN CHINA
Creator: Wang, Xiaoxiao
Date: 2012-07-11, 2012-07
Description: Compared to the rich literature on urban sprawl in Western cities, relatively little is known of the driving factors, processes, and future...
Show moreCompared to the rich literature on urban sprawl in Western cities, relatively little is known of the driving factors, processes, and future trends of urban sprawl in China. This research will analyze the socio-economic forces behind two parts of urban sprawl in China: urban decentralization (the creation of development zones and new towns) and urban renewal (infrastructural changes to existing urban fabrics) and reveal two basic characteristic for Chinese urban sprawl: a). de-densification; and b). expansion of urbanized areas (urban built-up areas). This proposal aims to use the term “urban sprawl” to consider the reasons behind urban land-use changes and urban pattern transformations on a regional level. It begins with definitions of sprawl in Western and Eastern countries, and follows an analysis of the social, political, and cultural factors of sprawl. Three case studies will focus on three urban centers in China: Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Still another component is data analysis with the program SPSS based on related Index for urban sprawl and sustainable development for 15 top urban regions in China during 10 years. This research has explored causes of urban sprawl in China: a). the changing residential preferences of some residents: willing to move out of the core; and b). overcrowded, deteriorated, and old-fashioned structures in central cities becoming targets for demolition in pursuing a new era of modernity, prosperity, and renaissance. Then, this research has pointed out: a). uneven land reform is the key to understand Chinese-style urban sprawl and it is also the necessary condition to the paradox posed by development zones and urbanized villages; b). China’s urban sprawl is driven by both market and government forces; and c). there are a series of new conditions for urban sprawl in China, for example: rising private automobile ownership, rising demand for space and changing residential preference, local public policy, and the real-estate industry. This research intends to provide a comprehensive definition of “urban sprawl” in China, identify the patterns of urban sprawl and growth in three urban regions (Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou), and illustrate the concepts and possible alternative strategies for green urban growth and change in China. Finally, it will offer suggestions on how to effectively control urban sprawl in China, as well as provide a pathway to achieving sustainable development.
Ph.D. in Architecture, July 2012
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Title: MODELING THE PERFORMANCE OF A SOLAR CHIMNEY WITH BUILT-IN PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS TO IMPROVE NATURAL VENTILATION
Creator: Khorraminejad, Aysan
Date: 2014, 2014-12
Description: The use of solar chimneys to improve natural ventilation in buildings has been shown to yield energy savings while maintaining thermal comfort...
Show moreThe use of solar chimneys to improve natural ventilation in buildings has been shown to yield energy savings while maintaining thermal comfort in some climate zones. However, one disadvantage is that the ability to control passive ventilation with solar chimneys is often limited by temporal variations of building function and diurnal weather patterns. The unique thermal properties of phase change materials (PCMs) may provide opportunities to manage some of the limitations of solar chimney strategies in buildings through the timed storage and release of thermal energy, which can aid in minimizing daytime heat gains and increasing the effectiveness of nighttime flushing by natural ventilation. This work explores the potential of PCMs combined with solar chimneys to support the passive ventilation of buildings using whole building energy simulation. Results are intended to inform architects and engineers on best practices for incorporating PCMs in buildings with solar chimneys. A model of a prototype office building designed to ASHRAE Standard 90.1 was developed in EnergyPlus and investigated in five U.S. climate zones. A total of 1023 energy simulations were performed to address the following research questions: (1) In what U.S. climate zone is the use of PCMs most appropriate? (2) Can PCMs improve night flushing ventilation when used with a solar chimney? (3) What are the optimal locations for installation of PCMs in building and solar chimney construction in order to provide optimal cooling load reductions? and (4) How do PCM properties influence cooling load reductions? Results demonstrate that the solidification and melting process of PCMs can indeed be used to prolong natural ventilation for night flushing in the evening and nighttime, particularly in climate zones with large diurnal outdoor temperature fluctuations. Results also suggest the following: (1) the optimal location for installation of PCMs in most climates is within the structure of south-facing envelope assemblies; (2) the PCM melting temperature should be equal to or greater than the zone set point temperature; (3) thicker PCMs can yield slightly more cooling energy savings than thinner PCMs; and (4) the thermal conductivity of PCMs does not appear to have a substantial influence on performance.
Ph.D. in Architecture, December 2014
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Title: THE PALAIS GARNIER: TOWARD AN ARCHITECTURE OF DANCE AND MUSIC IN XIX CENTURY FRANCE
Creator: Vranas Olsen, Cynthia
Date: 2017, 2017-05
Description: As a doctoral candidate, this writer has focused on the Romantic Movement of 19th century France, where the arts mutually influenced each...
Show moreAs a doctoral candidate, this writer has focused on the Romantic Movement of 19th century France, where the arts mutually influenced each other, just as in ancient Greece and Rome. This research highlights the interrelationships of the Arts to Architecture by examining artists such as Hugo in drama, Gautier in literature, Delacroix in painting, Chopin and Adam in music, Noverre in dance and Garnier in architecture. Although Noverre’s specialty was dance, he believed that theater buildings were first monuments to the arts. For Garnier, 100 years later, the Arts and Architecture were not separate identities. They complemented and enhanced one another. Both books, Observations sur la Construction d’une Nouvelle Salle de l’Opera by Jean-Georges Noverre and Le Theatre by Charles Garnier, were publications translated extensively from French to the English language as primary sources. In designing a theater building, the architect is responsible for synthesizing and translating myriad information in order to create an appropriate and responsive language. An invaluable knowledge of technical considerations - set design, lighting, backstage equipment, sightlines, acoustics and facilities for performers - is critical, as is balancing the client’s concerns and the user/spectator’s needs. As performance expresses a cultural instinct for communicative involvement, this writer believes that a theater building, itself, is a reflection of the arts. It is art, therefore, that inextricably shapes the programs and designs of our theater buildings. The Palais Garnier, completed in 1875 for the Paris Opéra and its associated Paris Opéra Ballet, is thought to mirror the cultural complexity of the age. Before this time, the Paris Opéra was housed in the Salle Le Peletier, a temporary building with inadequate facilities that did not reflect the existing, lavish, highly skilled art that was performed. Garnier’s travels to ancient sites in Greece and Rome resulted in his classic book, Le Théatre. By writing, he immersed himself in the study of the physical qualities of the theater, and it eventually became his architecture. The form and character of the theater buildings studied reflect the changing social structures, technology and patronage that sponsored them. The Palais Garnier reflects a unique intersection of the arts, along with the political, social and economic influences of that time. Musicians turned their attention toward the expressions of intense feelings that were influenced by poetry and the visual arts. The Palais Garnier, with its grandeur and opulence, became its own “performance”. The multi-disciplinary nature of architecture and the study of the interrelationships of the arts can inform creativity. Just like the timeless, majestic Palais Garnier in Paris, in 19th century France, new architectural structures can become their own profound monumental and memorable “performances” for future generations.
Ph.D. in Architecture, May 2017
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Title: CONSIDERING THE FORM OF TALL BUILDINGS TO ACHIEVE MINIMUM STRUCTURAL WEIGHT REGARDING ALONG WIND EFFECT
Creator: Alaghmandan, Matin
Date: 2014, 2014-07
Description: One of the most influential parameters in structural design of tall buildings, in addition to gravity loads, is the lateral load resulting...
Show moreOne of the most influential parameters in structural design of tall buildings, in addition to gravity loads, is the lateral load resulting from wind and to some extend earthquakes. Tall buildings have to be designed for a larger base shear, resulting from wind forces rather than from seismic forces; however, ductile detailing is used when needed to account for seismic demands. The wind effect occurs primarily in two main modes of action: across wind and along wind. Wind also produces three different types of effects on tall buildings: static, dynamic, and aerodynamic. Structurally, static effect is measured independent of time, while dynamic analysis takes into account the system responses to the changes through the period of time. When the building is flexible, it interacts with the wind load and affects its response, which is called aerodynamic effect. To reduce the static and dynamic impact, there are two main solutions: Architectural and Structural. Architects can mitigate wind effect on tall buildings by designing the form aerodynamically or at least by utilizing aerodynamic modifications, which are categorized in macro and micro modifications such as tapering and setback. Structural engineers can reduce wind effect by choosing and designing efficient structural systems regarding the form of the buildings such as tube systems and diagrid system. This thesis, by utilizing the architectural and structural strategies to reduce wind effect, introduces a new design method in the realm of tall buildings. An innovative design method of tall buildings calls for an integrated approach with considerations for both architectural and structural design requirements and concepts. This design method which considers integrated architectural and structural concepts to reduce the along wind effect, for this particular research, is an effort to achieve the minimum weight of the structure. This method creates an innovative computational workbench to design efficient tall buildings, regarding the along wind effect. This can be achieved by connecting an architectural parametric design procedure in AutoLisp (AutoCAD) to generate the models with different forms of modifications, a Computational Fluid Dynamics program (ANSYS) to do the CFD simulations, a structural analysis program (SAP2000) and the ParaGen visualization interface to consider and compare the results to evaluate the models regarding the criteria such as weight of the structure (ParaGen has also a Genetic Algorithm based optimization procedure that is not used in this research). In this research, the most important architectural and structural parameters of seventy-three of the tallest buildings are also studied. Based on the information gathered, the future trend in the geometry and form and also the structural design used for tall buildings can be predicted. It is necessary to mention, based on the past and current trends in architectural features and structural design of tall buildings, and also the future prediction, the required architectural and structural parameters for an innovative proposed design method can be helped. However, it is not clear whether this trend is in a right way or not, it has to be improved based on the architectural and structural efficient parameters. The research shows that a careful study of core design concepts in architectural features and structural design of tall buildings, along with an integrated approach considering various design requirements, can be an effective method in design of new generation of tall buildings.
Ph.D. in Architecture, July 2014
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Title: COMPUTATIONAL MODELS OF TRANSPARENT WATER STORAGE ENVELOPES FOR ENERGY EFFICIENT COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS
Creator: Liu, Xiangfeng
Date: 2012-04-25, 2012-05
Description: Transparent Water Storage Envelopes (TWSEs) are climatic adaptive fenestration systems. The major part of the system is an array of modular...
Show moreTransparent Water Storage Envelopes (TWSEs) are climatic adaptive fenestration systems. The major part of the system is an array of modular transparent water containers which are integrated into frames of curtain walls, and serve as both façade and auxiliary water tanks for a commercial building. The concept originates from the idea of combing transparency with dynamic benefits of thermal mass in summer, as well as passive solar heating in winter. Optical and thermal characteristics of TWSEs, including their energy performance, have been studied systematically via numerical approaches. Two numerical procedures covered in the thesis: one is based on the simplified synchronized onedimensional nodal thermal model, and the other is based on the more complex and accurate synchronized CFD model. In each numerical procedure, a triple-step simulation methodology and the correlated computational models of TWSEs are employed. Based on the calculation and simulation results, it can be definitely concluded that TWSEs are energy efficient fenestration systems. They can outperform conventional glazing as long as being designed elaborately with the consideration of the unique physical characteristics, applied under suitable climatic conditions, and operated with appropriate energy efficiency measures. Furthermore, the innovative technical paradigm of TWSEs and the numerical approach developed for energy simulation of TWSEs demonstrate great potential to be implemented in engineering practice for energy efficient commercial buildings.
Ph.D. in Architecture, May 2012
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Title: INTEGRATION OF DAYLIGHT IN THE COMMERCIALLY USED BUILDINGS FOR ENERGY SAVING PURPOSES
Creator: Tabibzadeh, Meysam
Date: 2014, 2014-07
Description: The integration between different building systems’ operation in response to various room and weather conditions has a direct positive effect...
Show moreThe integration between different building systems’ operation in response to various room and weather conditions has a direct positive effect on buildings energy performance and cost effectiveness. A Building Automation System (BAS) or an integrated Building Energy Management System (BEMS) typically control five major building systems, including people occupancy detection, shading control, HVAC, and lighting systems. Other building systems and internal energy loads also need to be considered when developing integrated controls and energy efficiency in office buildings. The controls are designed to operate in different building zones (lighting and thermal), while communicating with the main building management system. Whether the zone is being occupied or not will define further actions by other control components. The main goal of this research is to improve energy performance in commercial office buildings by developing the integration between various building controls and the use of natural light indoors and outside views while maintaining both the occupants’ visual and thermal comfort and high building energy performance at the same time. In this research, the proposed synchronization between building occupancy, daylighting, and integrated controls for various building systems in a commercial office space was assessed using computer simulations. The study uses Microsoft Excel as the primary database and result compiling platform. The work flow algorithm of the integrated control (in Visual Basic Application for Excel) automatically defines the new simulation criteria, makes adjustments in the simulation inputs, and runs DOE2.2 energy simulations for the proposed models with integrated controls as well as the baseline model (compliant with the ASHRAE 90.1-2010 standard) for further analysis. The simulations are conducted for eight simulation dates over five years. The results from the proposed model are analyzed and compared with the baseline results in order to evaluate its energy performance and to determine possible savings. The simulation results analysis determines how the implementation of the proposed system can improve the daylighting and energy performance in the building by maximizing the integration between different building systems controls in response to different parameters, such as occupancy, weather conditions, and daylight. The evaluated results of the proposed system are summarized as the system and sub-system algorithms, features, and components of each system, and, finally, as the design guidelines for implementation of the new fully integrated controls for commercial office buildings. From the evaluation of the proposed system performance, the list of research outcomes and deliverables will be concluded, by determining the impact of integrated controls on the overall energy performance of the office work space. The fact that if and when the energy efficiency and improved comfort and environmental quality work hand in hand, in addition to and the role of integrated occupancy in improving the energy efficiency will define the level of success for the proposed control system. The final research outcome is the development of the integrated workflow that can be used in new Building Automation Systems (BAS) or incorporated into the simulation engine for “Simulation Assisted” (see section 2.2.2) Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS).
Ph.D. in Architecture, July 2014
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Title: THE POLYMORPHIC DIAGRAM: CONCEPTS FOR DESIGN TECHNOLOGY TO MODEL SPATIAL CRITERIA IN ARCHITECTURE DESIGN
Creator: Hamadah, Qutaibah
Date: 2012-11-03, 2012-12
Description: In Architectural design, reasoning about space and its configuration lies at the center of the conceptual design workflow. The process unfolds...
Show moreIn Architectural design, reasoning about space and its configuration lies at the center of the conceptual design workflow. The process unfolds in a reflective and adaptive modeling methodology, through which architects structure their understanding of the design problem, and mediate its responsive and sensitive resolution. Paradoxically, however, modeling and representing spatial information – knowledge about the design problem’s spatial requirements and its relational orders – is perhaps the least welldeveloped feature in modern design systems. With all its importance in architecture design, existing design technology offers only limited assistance to one of architecture’s most critical and difficult design workflows, the definition of space, its layout and configuration. Moving forward, modern design systems must extend their ability to assist the architect in modeling spatial and relational design criteria. They must profit an integrated workflow where the problem definition, and the solution proposition develop in unison. In particular, it should pay heed to the architect’s cognitive and generative parameters, which necessarily relies on an adaptively and reflective modeling workflow, one that bridges between the problem definition and its solution proposition using multiple forms of representation. Towards this end, this dissertation presents the Polymorphic Diagram: a concept for a design technology to assist the architect in modeling spatial and relational design criteria using an interactive, graph-based, multi-representational medium.
PH.D in Architecture, December 2012
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Title: FROM FIREPLACE TO STEAM: DOMESTIC HEATING TECHNOLOGY IN NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES, 1840-1890
Creator: Morais, Caroline
Date: 2012-12-07, 2012-12
Description: Why study nineteenth-century domestic heating technology? Besides its pop- ular appeal and utilitarian value, domestic heating technology is...
Show moreWhy study nineteenth-century domestic heating technology? Besides its pop- ular appeal and utilitarian value, domestic heating technology is one of the most signi cant yet least explored subjects in American history. American processes of industrialization, manufacturing, and transportation are well known, however, the impact of technological changes on the home is less familiar. Understanding past everyday lives is crucial to recognize the processes of adjusting to new technologies, particularly those technologies essential to today's American lives that have been overlooked. This dissertation examines the shift in domestic heating modes in North- eastern United States between the decades of 1840 and 1890. After carefully reviewing the literature on the subject of nineteenth-century heating technology, I asked myself why the domestic setting has received little schol- arly or historical attention in comparison to those of industrial and commercial set- tings. The answer lies on the fact that, traditionally, historians have been more interested in public events than in those within the private environment. The signi - cance of domestic heating technology has also been reduced duo to divisions between scholarly elds and disciplines. Also, the interpretation of artifacts has been more the eld of anthropologists than that of historians. Thus, few studies have narrowed their focus to a speci c topic of technology and the di erences in form, function, and cultural settings of its development. Investigating a historically obsolete technology and understanding the way people used it can be challenging. Domestic heating technology has advanced, and attitudes towards it have changed over time. It has been di cult to nd physical evidence of early examples in the form in which people originally used it daily. Addi- tionally, few people took the time to record their everyday-life interactions with the equipment and actual models of the old technology are hard to nd. Mid-nineteenth iv century American household heating apparatuses are a clear example of that. The ine ciency of systems previous to central heating challenged inventors and manufac- tures to search for and invest in more convenient and economical options to improve the quality of life. With the development of household heating technology, people gradually abandoned replaces and stoves and adopted furnaces and central heating as their primary source of heating. My goal was to explore the evolving meaning of domestic heating systems as a technological symbol. By analyzing the changing responses from one technological development to the other, I was able to identify some main points that made appro- priate domestic heating and ventilation a necessity for both comfort and health of Americans who lived in the focused period. I chose the ve decades between 1840 and 1890 because most of the modern conveniences were introduced into American homes for the rst time during those years and for their signi cance to the country's technological history. The Northeastern region was chosen as the geographical focus because the dispersion of knowledge began there, especially knowledge in heating and ventila- tion technology and apparatus manufacturing. The sources for the study included domestic advice manuals, architectural pattern books, engineering and architectural periodicals, patent records, manufacturers' and dealers' sales catalogs, and census schedules. The technological development of heating and ventilation systems culmi- nated with the advent of central heating, which currently represents the technology of domestic heating methods. In the design of American homes, central heating systems have superseded previous apparatuses such as replaces and stoves. They have become an option rather than a necessity of a comfortable and convenient domestic life. This disserta- tion is a brief study of that moment of transition. My intention was to expand on v basic assumptions about the technological development of the American home, not to challenge them. There has already been a considerable amount of attention given to the study of the American home and home life. Therefore, I see my research as an addition to the growing knowledge of the history of American domestic technology and the people and innovations that enabled its development.
PH.D in Philosophy in Architecture, December 2012
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Title: VISUAL TRAINING AT ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY: AESTHETICS IN ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION
Creator: Jones, Kristin
Date: 2016, 2016-05
Description: Over the course of 78 years, an aesthetic ideal which embodies architectural values has been collectively cultivated through Visual Training...
Show moreOver the course of 78 years, an aesthetic ideal which embodies architectural values has been collectively cultivated through Visual Training at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) school of architecture in Chicago. This dissertation provides a comprehensive explanation of Visual Training as it has been conducted at IIT. It promotes a better understanding of the background of Visual Training, the pedagogical practice of the Visual Training exercises, and the ongoing value of the course. The dissertation traces the underpinnings of Visual Training through the writings of Walter Peterhans, founder and Professor of Visual Training at IIT from 1938-1960, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Professor and Director of Architecture at IIT from 1938-1958 and other key figures. The thesis shows how the Visual Training program at IIT was influenced by movements in philosophy and mathematics in early 20th century Germany and how existing pedagogy at the Bauhaus was adapted to serve its aim. The dissertation includes an explanation of each exercise in the Visual Training program. It makes explicit the point of each exercise, how each one is conducted and why. Original detailed descriptions, illustrated with examples, show what a student gains from each exercise and how the process of performing the exercise achieves that end. The dissertation compares the way in which the Visual Training program originally developed in relation to other courses in the architecture curriculum to disclose the meaning of architecture, and what has happened in Visual Training as the architecture program at IIT has continued to evolve. The thesis brings to light enduring epistemological tensions underlying architectural education.
Ph.D. in Architecture, May 2016
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Title: PEDESTRIAN URBANISM: THE CULTURAL IMPACTS OF WALKABLE COMMUTES AND TRANSIT USE IN CHICAGO (UNITED STATES), PARIS (FRANCE), AND SEOUL (KOREA)
Creator: Jeong, Hyesun
Date: 2016, 2016-12
Description: In the past several decades, followers of Jane Jacobs have sought to codify her concept of “eyes on the street.” Jacobs used Greenwich Village...
Show moreIn the past several decades, followers of Jane Jacobs have sought to codify her concept of “eyes on the street.” Jacobs used Greenwich Village in New York City to illustrate how her concept could be enhanced through the density and diversity of mixed neighborhoods. This study’s core hypothesis emphasizes density, mixed use, and the cultural pattern of Bohemia on walkability. Mainly based on Jacobs’s argument, this study encourages urban development and neighborhood vitality, and then expands it with walking, bicycling, and public transit use. The study uses a comparative analysis of Chicago (USA), Paris (France), and Seoul (Korea) to examine public policy towards a walkable city in contexts where this policy adjusts to local neighborhoods. The study redefines the concept of Bohemia by numerically codifying and measuring it as a cultural variable together with other urban variables to evaluate their relationship to commuting choice and transit ridership in three cities and their countries. The findings from the statistical analysis show that Bohemia and the presence of the arts are strongly associated with non-auto commuting modes and public transit ridership.
Ph.D. in Architecture, December 2016
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Title: Architectural Considerations for Lunar Long Duration Habitat
Creator: Bahrami, Payam
Date: 2011-07, 2011-07
Description: The future of space exploration science and technology is expected to move toward long duration missions. During this long duration missions...
Show moreThe future of space exploration science and technology is expected to move toward long duration missions. During this long duration missions the most important factor to success will be the habitation system, the place that crew will live and work. The broad range of future space exploration, new advances in technology and increasing demand for space travel and space tourism will create great opportunities for architects to use their special abilities and skills in the realm of space. The lunar habitat is defined as a multidisciplinary task and cannot be considered an independent project from the main module. Therefore, habitability will become the most important aspect of future human exploration. A successful design strategy should integrate architecture, structure and other disciplines and should bring in elements such as psychological and physiological factors, human interfaces, and privacy. The current research provides “Habitat Architectural Design System (HADS)” in order to evaluate lunar habitat concepts based on habitability, functional optimization, and human factors. HADS helps to promote parametric studied and evaluation of habitat concepts. It will provide a guideline dependent upon mission objectives to standardize architectural needs within the engineering applications and scientific demands. The significance of this research is the process of developing lunar habitat concepts using an architectural system to evaluate the quality of each concept via habitability aspects. This process can be employed during the early stage of design development and is flexible enough to be adjusted by different parameters according to the objectives of lunar mission, limitations, and cost. It also emphasizes the importance of architecture involvement in space projects, especially habitats.
Ph.D. in Architecture, July 2011
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Title: OPTIMIZING THE PERFORMANCE OF BUILDING ENVELOPE FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY CONSIDERING ADAPTIVE THERMAL COMFORT: A CASE OF TROPICAL CLIMATE IN DHAKA
Creator: Rahman, Anisur
Date: 2014, 2014-05
Description: As demand for fossil fuel increases and availability decreases, energy consumption reduction in building becomes critical component of a city...
Show moreAs demand for fossil fuel increases and availability decreases, energy consumption reduction in building becomes critical component of a city’s comprehensive energy strategy. The performance of a building’s envelope is pivotal to the energy consumption of office buildings and it must mediate between external climate conditions and people’s comfort. By optimizing a buildings envelope, the heat gain or loss of a building can be manipulated and it can reduce energy consumption. In Dhaka, a widespread desire for office building with glazing areas far greater than the percentage required achieving comfortable thermal and light levels, with high solar transmittance, is directly at odds with the need to curb cooling-related energy use. When addressing energy efficiency in a building, it is necessary to account for local climate first and foremost to define the thermal comfort condition. This determines the energy demand and consumption. Passive cooling and natural ventilation, when combined with appropriate window ratios and sun shading strategies, can reduce mechanical system energy demands significantly. This research presents a workflow that integrates adaptive thermal comfort, natural ventilation and envelope optimization to develop a pre-policy statement as a guideline for energy efficient office buildings in Dhaka, Bangladesh. First, a common practice baseline model was developed from data collected from energy audits to gain a clear understanding of the energy consumption in typical existing office buildings in Dhaka. Adaptive Comfort Algorithms from EN15251 and ASHRAE 55 were used to calculate variable set-points related to running mean and monthly mean xv of the outdoor temperature respectively. Variable set-points have been used in EnergyPlus AirflowNetwork to determine the potential energy saving of adaptive comfort control strategy of HVAC equipment and for encouraging natural ventilation envelope strategies to create comfortable indoor environment in the local climatic context of Dhaka. A method of envelope optimization was developed by combining an optimization tool with a building energy simulation tool to determine the optimum solution for improving building envelope performance. GenOpt, a generic optimization program, has been coupled with EnergyPlus for this optimization. Then, the values of envelope and glazing parameters for optimum energy performance were determined using this automatic optimization method. The reduction of a building’s energy consumption was also addressed with regards to capital and operational costs. An economic analysis was performed to establish a correlation between energy saving and capital cost increase associated with the energy-efficient envelope measures. This research shows that significant reductions in energy consumption are possible with the application of fundamental, but not complicated, changes to local building codes and establishment of a comprehensive energy conservation code. This reduction could be even greater if inhabitant behavior can be changed, if users start to take more responsibility for their interaction directly with a building’s envelope and systems to have some degree of control over daily comfort. Technology and design innovations should be utilized for adaptive threshold of appropriate, responsive architecture.
PH.D in Architecture, May 2014
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Title: EVALUATION OF TALL OFFICE BUILDING FORM TO ENHANCE WIND ENERGY PRODUCTION IN BUILDING INTEGRATED WIND TURBINE, A PERFORMANCE BASED APPROACH FOR EARLY DESIGN STAGE
Creator: Abdolhossein Pour, Farid
Date: 2014, 2014-12
Description: A newly emerging way to promote sustainability in the built environment is through the incorporation of wind power within buildings, resulting...
Show moreA newly emerging way to promote sustainability in the built environment is through the incorporation of wind power within buildings, resulting in minimum transmission losses (distributed generation). However, the effectiveness of the proposed solutions are seriously dependent on early integration with the architectural design process. Wind power is considered a potential renewable energy source in tall buildings due to the possibility of accessing greater wind velocities at higher altitudes. In addition, airflow patterns around buildings are considerably influenced by a buildings’ geometric characteristics. Hypothetically, proper modification of building form can turn this unstructured phenomenon in to a massive concentrator effect, capable of boosting power production in tall buildings with an integrated wind turbine (BIWT). These aerodynamic modifications are typically evaluated via CFD simulation or wind tunnel testing. However, these methods are too expensive and time-consuming to analyze all annual fluctuations of local wind regimes (velocity, direction, and density) and is therefore inappropriate for use in early design stages when architectural concepts quickly evolve. As a result, existing wind analysis techniques are often used under simplified conditions (steady state analysis, single velocity, and angle). This approach simply disregards the wide variety of other criteria influencing “BIWT annual energy output” including fluctuations of local wind regimes, and surrounding urban terrain roughness. This research seeks to address the issues indicated above, and proposes a performance based parametric design tool, primarily for the early design stages when architectural concepts evolve rapidly. The automated output delivers real time assessment of BIWT potential energy enhancement for each alternation of the concept, as well as analysis of multiple BIWT typologies simultaneously. The parametric tool employs hourly weather data, different terrain condition mathematical models, and two databases of CFD measurements to approximate annual energy enhancement as result of BIWT geometrical transformations. The tool develops a decision mechanism to find the best BIWT typology and optimum angle, based on the long-term local climatic trends and adjacent terrain context. The outcome of this dissertation is an automated parametric tool which addresses all above indicated difficulties associated with incorporation of current wind analysis method and the architectural design process of BIWT.
Ph.D. in Architecture, December 2014
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Title: TOWARDS REDUCING BUILDING ENERGY CONSUMPTION: COMPARISON OF THE RESIDENTIAL PLANNING PATTERNS IN BEIJING, SHANGHAI AND GUANGZHOU
Creator: Wang, Nan
Date: 2013, 2013-07
Description: The objective of this research is to investigate the influence of urban planning patterns on building energy consumption in different climate...
Show moreThe objective of this research is to investigate the influence of urban planning patterns on building energy consumption in different climate zones. Urban planning patterns affect the thermal performance and energy efficiency of buildings. This research focuses on the planning aspects, explores the energy consumption of a group of buildings with different planning pattern by utilizing single building as a baseline, and identifies planning patterns that can help to reduce the total heating and cooling energy consumption of the buildings. The investigations are carried out in the three largest cities in China – Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, which represent different climate zones. The results of these three cities are compared to find out the influence of local climate on building energy consumption. Different planning patterns are investigated in this research through changing building parameters: aspect ratio, orientation and layout. It is found that these parameters have important influence on reducing building’s energy consumption. It is also found that in different climate conditions, the influence of planning patterns on building’s energy consumption is different, which suggests that the selection of planning pattern will be different for each location. This research makes a significant contribution to the reduction of building energy consumption from urban planning perspective. In addition, two case studies of carefully selected residential communities with fixed site and fixed density are evaluated, and some suggestions for improvement are proposed as a result of the study. Such suggestions can help to propose a prototype model guiding the future architectural and urban planning work.
PH.D in Architecture, July 2013
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Title: HOSPITAL FACILITY DESIGN: A GUIDE TO SPACE PLANNING FOR A NEW GENERAL HOSPITAL IN VIETNAM
Creator: Pham, Tuan Anh
Date: 2015, 2015-07
Description: Vietnam is a relatively small and populous developing country. Over the past several decades, the change in the country’s market economy and...
Show moreVietnam is a relatively small and populous developing country. Over the past several decades, the change in the country’s market economy and the population growth have greatly affected the lives, activities, and the demands for heath care as well as impacted the healthcare system. Since 1994, the time when the United States abolished the trade embargo against Vietnam, the economic development and the growth of the healthcare system in the country have been extraordinary. Even though substantial investment has been obtained from the Vietnamese government, limitations remain in the physical facilities in the healthcare system as well as in the facility design. Designing a new general hospital is a complicated process and requires a lot of attention and knowledge from a design team. Generally, the design process consists of two phases: a planning phase and a design phase. The planning phase is extremely important and will decide the success of the general hospital. G D Kunders, an Indian professional hospital administrator and a healthcare facility planner, has stated “Failing to plan is planning to fail” (Kunders 2004, 61). The main objective of this dissertation, “HOSPITAL FACILITY DESIGN: A GUIDE TO SPACE PLANNING FOR A NEW GENERAL HOSPITAL IN VIETNAM,” is to produce a guide that will be a reference source for the Vietnamese government to improve the current standard for hospital design. As a reference source, the proposed guide can be used as a tool to assist Vietnamese architects and other professionals in healthcare design areas in improving the quality of the hospital planning and design in Vietnam. This dissertation also aims to be a teaching reference source for architecture educators to use in their instruction at universities in Vietnam and a learning resource to help architecture students understand requirements for spaces in a general hospital as well as how a general hospital functions so they can better plan and design it. The proposed guide is set in an arrangement that can help educators and students without strong backgrounds in hospital design to easily understand how to plan a new general hospital. The research methods used in this dissertation are (i) document reviews, (ii) qualitative research based on Post-occupancy Evaluation (POE), and (iii) comparative analyses. The findings are used to create a guide to space planning for a new general hospital to use to improve the current Vietnamese standards, TCVN 4470: 2012, General Hospital - Design Standard, in hospital planning and design for Vietnam. This dissertation consists of eight chapters, which include Chapter 1 - Introduction, Chapter 2 - Literature Review, Chapter 3 - Problem Statement, Chapter 4 - Methodology, Chapter 5 - Data Analysis, Chapter 6 - Findings, Chapter 7 - A Guide to Space Planning for a New General Hospital in Vietnam, and Chapter 8 - Conclusion.
Ph.D. in Architecture, July 2015
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Title: EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF VEGETATION AND GREEN WALLS ON BUILDING THERMAL PERFORMANCE AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION
Creator: Susorova, Irina
Date: 2013, 2013-05
Description: Urban development poses multiple problems, including environmental pollution, a reduction in biodiversity, and the disappearance of the...
Show moreUrban development poses multiple problems, including environmental pollution, a reduction in biodiversity, and the disappearance of the natural environment. Man-made environments and structures consume a large amount of limited natural resources through their extensive use of energy and materials. This research explored the use of vegetation in building facades as a potential solution to the problems of urban ecology and the excessive energy consumption in buildings. Vegetated facades have the ability to reduce building energy use, reduce the urban heat island effect, improve air quality, and increase the biodiversity of plants and animals in cities. The goal of this research was to evaluate the effects of plants on thermal performance and energy consumption of buildings by developing a thermal model of a building facade covered with a layer of plants. The developed mathematical model accounts for thermal physical processes in a vegetated exterior wall, including solar radiation, infrared radiative exchange between the facade and sky, the facade and ground, the facade and vegetation layer, convection to and from the facade, evapotranspiration from the plant layer, heat storage in the facade material, and heat conduction through the facade. The model calculates vegetated facade surface temperature and heat flux through the facade for multiple weather conditions, plant physiological characteristics, and facade properties. The model was validated with the results of a week-long experiment measuring the thermal properties of bare and vegetated facades on a building at the Illinois Institute of Technology campus. The experiment and subsequent sensitivity analysis demonstrated that a plant layer can effectively reduce the facade exterior surface temperature, daily temperature x viii fluctuations, exterior wall temperature gradient, and, as a result, provide as much additional thermal insulation to the facade as a 2.5 cm layer of expanded polystyrene insulation, depending on a range of plant parameters. The vegetated facade model was also used to analyze the reduction in energy consumption in generic office and residential thermal zones for multiple parameters. The simulations showed that energy reduction could be as high as 6.2% of annual total energy use and 34.6% of cooling energy use in residential thermal zones, depending on building characteristics, plant parameters, and climate zone. Overall, the vegetated wall model developed and validated herein provides a new tool for evaluating the impact of plant layers on facade thermal performance in existing buildings retrofitted with green walls and for designing green walls for optimal energy efficiency in new construction.
PH.D in Architecture, May 2013
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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: 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: 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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