Education is often viewed as a catalyst of change. Arguably, the future of our Planet is dependent on education that nurtures sustainable ways of thinking and living in our environment. This thesis seeks to argue that in order for abstract principles of sustainability to be understood, individuals need to have opportunities to explore and be a part of designing and experiencing their own places. Specifically, my thesis suggests that high school students in public schools should take an active part of this educational process. To test this theory, I investigated three high school sustainability programs in Austin, Texas that utilize place-based pedagogy. What was realized is that each program envisions sustainability programming that is integrative and experiential, but due to the current mechanistic education system the daily programming can be difficult. This result has led me to theorize that the entire educational system needs to be transformed in order for sustainability education to exist. However, I finally propose a more practical approach, and thus offer twelve generalized heuristic questions for sustainable design educators to consider and assist them in building social capital between themselves and the public school system. / text

Historic buildings live a double life between climate-adapted largely-passive structures and draughty, poorly-maintained ones. Preservation professionals argue that preserving these structures is more resource effective than constructing new buildings, and that pre-electricity structures were built to take advantage of climate and geography, using passive technologies to perform efficiently. Modern technologies have also been adopted- electrical lights, air conditioning, fire alarms - as a natural progression of inhabitation. Yet in historic house museums, there is still the promise of historic representation, one unmarred by ‘inauthentic’ additions. If modern and past technological changes have been accepted and integrated, how is the historic house museum not a ‘living building culture’? And if house museums are indeed a living building culture, why not allow a more flexible representation of our historic properties if they are interpreted with integrity and honesty? The EPA estimates that buildings represent 65% of the U.S. electricity use, and predictions estimate 80% of the 2030 building stock exists today. If we truly plan to reduce our energy consumption, we must confront the reality that existing buildings are a significant contributor to our output. If, as curators, it is our hope for historic buildings to represent preservation, then we must admit that in preserving the past for the future, we must begin by preserving our future. This thesis analyses the opportunities and risks for historic house museums to respect their historic interpretation but adapt to changing conditions. Examples of energy efficiency strategies both historic and current, will be examined in historic structures, illustrating that caretakers of historic buildings are making value judgments about the future of their property, in terms of environmental, fiscal and historical sustainability. This thesis includes the analysis of a case study historic house museum in Austin, Texas, the French Legation Museum, which is used as a base model for estimating energy efficiency gains from the adoption of some low-energy technologies. Calculations based on this information indicate which integrations and additions could offer the greatest return on investment for this historic building to operate as or more efficiently than a modern code construction without visible or egregious alteration to the historic fabric. / text

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are widely recognized as an important part of the economy, particularly important in countries like Mexico, where SMEs make up almost 90% of the industry. However these SMEs do not consider their impact on the environment and surrounding communities to be a priority, and lack the proper information with regards to how to reduce it. The research presented in this thesis sets out to explore the implementation of Sustainable Design in Mexican SMEs, through the use of a guidebook in the form of a web based tool. This tool, tailored to the specific needs of the Mexican SMEs' aims to deliver·· clear and concise information, raise awareness and improve their environmental and social performance. Through a series of studies it was possible to identify that the socio-cultural and political context of the Mexican SMEs have an impact on the implementation of Sustainable Design. As well, these studies analyze if the proposed prototype tool is capable of working without external support. The findings from the studies were used to develop a theoretical framework for the future development of Sustainable Design information tools aimed at Mexican SMEs.

This PhD thesis looks at the meaning of website effectiveness and their influence on design decision-making. The research is focused within the context of designing by 16+ students and concerning sustainability. Design practice is explored within Advanced level General Certificate of Education (commonly referred to as AS/A2) Design and Technology, in order to define its particular characteristics. The study uses a theoretical position developed from the Assessment of Performance Unit s (APU) discussion document from 1982 as a framework to explore information retrieval within designing. The position of the study within designing and its place within research related to the use of knowledge, skills and values in designing is clarified. A literature review conducted conceived information retrieval as a characteristic of skill in the APU model. This study has established a consensus position on what is good practice in website development and design, and illustrates the structure of selected sustainable design websites, as well as assessing their navigation. The study indicates which types of information AS/A2 level student designers are seeking and how they use websites within their design work. The drivers behind sustainable design decision-making are identified. The understood consensus of sustainable development and sustainable design as an emerging area in designing is defined. The research is situated within the Sustainable Design Award (SDA) scheme that aimed to implement sustainable development into Design and Technology education and also outlines the content embodied in selected sustainable design websites. AS/A2 level Design and Technology education is used as the context for the main study. Action research was used to help develop the SDA website which was created as a primary assessment tool for the research study, concentrating on students aged 16 to 18. The usability of the selected websites was assessed by undergraduate designers from Loughborough University. A framework was developed and the effectiveness of the SDA website was measured before use, during use and after use . Quantitative and qualitative research methods were used to gather data from the students such as questionnaires, folio assessments and interviews. The results indicate a prominence of website use and sustainable design within AS/A2 level design work, however sustainable design is taught as a separate entity and is not fully integrated into design practice. Sustainable design websites were accessed by half of the 72 students questioned, but only 28% had used the SDA website. The information that the student designers sought fell into two categories: specific information and inspiration, supporting Lofthouse (2001a). The use of these decreased dramatically as projects progressed in AS/A2 level and undergraduate level design education, this pattern was consistent in website use, sustainable design and sustainable design website use. Cluster analysis was carried out on the sustainable design websites with the informative cluster identified as representing the appropriate strategy for effective higher level website design. This cluster included characteristics such as comprehensive content information on sustainability, inspirational images and product examples. Appropriate approaches to the detailed design and development of the SDA website are reported. Future recommended work includes a focus on before use, to investigate the affects of increasing awareness of the website. Relating wider sustainability issues to AS/A2 Design and Technology education is discussed, investigating further the use of eco-design tools as the discussion highlights conflicting opinions. An expansion to the cluster analysis to help define further the four website cluster groups. The development of a website that correlates the emerging patterns of website, sustainable design and sustainable design website use, with work on value judgements completed by Trimingham (2007).

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Lee R. Skabelund / Since the mid-1960s a paradigm shift in environmental values has been initiated in Europe, parts of the United States, and many other parts of the world, culminating in a focus on green infrastructure based development (Ahern et al., 2007b). During the 1980s and 1990s sustainability and landscape ecology began to be important aspects of landscape architecture education and practice (Swaffield, 2002; Ahern, 2005). The effort to create sustainable cities, neighborhoods, and sites is making a difference in urban areas, which is very important since global census data shows that a majority of the earth’s population now lives in urban settlements (United Nations, 2014). Personal and cultural values reveal an environmental consciousness and strong interest in sustainability in many communities (Peiser & Hamilton, 2012). Nevertheless, many developments associated with landscape construction seem to implement few, if any, sustainable practices as new neighborhoods in many parts of the U.S. are developed. This study develops a modified ecological approach and applies this outlook to an existing exurban neighborhood in Manhattan, Kansas. Quantitative and qualitative research includes: 1) a review of relevant literature and precedent studies; 2) a multi-tiered site analysis informed by landscape ecology principles; and 3) surveys of local homeowners regarding landscape maintenance practices and their willingness to install more ecologically appropriate landscapes. It is anticipated that sustainable design considerations for Lee Mill Heights and nearby areas will emerge to inform future neighborhood retrofits, helping move existing subdivisions towards more ecologically appropriate patterns and processes.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 191-178).

This thesis proposes a reinterpretation of assumptions towards material value. It is a positive argument in favour of adaptive re-use, not only as a means to divert waste but also as encouragement to reconsider our current habits of consumption. This paper promotes a discussion of our current environmental predicament rather then a one-sided statement and acts as a guide to re-evaluate our sense of value. This dissertation puts forward design solutions and alternatives to certain materials that are part of our everyday lives. The design projects herein adapt existing objects into ordinary household items, as an intended gesture of nostalgia toward the object’s previous form, while at the same time, taking on a raw elegance of aesthetic quality: the projects are raw in their material origins and elegant in their form and function. This work is intended to evolve into an ongoing discussion of salvaged material as a response to problems of consumption and waste, as well as to highlight an ongoing process of design.

This thesis proposes a reinterpretation of assumptions towards material value. It is a positive argument in favour of adaptive re-use, not only as a means to divert waste but also as encouragement to reconsider our current habits of consumption. This paper promotes a discussion of our current environmental predicament rather then a one-sided statement and acts as a guide to re-evaluate our sense of value. This dissertation puts forward design solutions and alternatives to certain materials that are part of our everyday lives. The design projects herein adapt existing objects into ordinary household items, as an intended gesture of nostalgia toward the object’s previous form, while at the same time, taking on a raw elegance of aesthetic quality: the projects are raw in their material origins and elegant in their form and function. This work is intended to evolve into an ongoing discussion of salvaged material as a response to problems of consumption and waste, as well as to highlight an ongoing process of design.

As demand for energy is skyrocketing around the globe, environmental challenges are becoming more severe than ever before. Carbon dioxide, methane gas and other greenhouse gases are rapidly contributing to global warming and ozone depletion phenomenon. Buildings are among major contributors of greenhouse gases. They are consuming more than 40% of total energy and three quarter of the total electricity in the United States. It is to some distance the responsibility of building design professionals to address the impacts of their practice on the environment by reducing the energy consumption and carbon emission of their projects. This thesis aims to create a practical design guideline to help architects design energy-neutral homes in North America. The study's primary emphasis is on reducing building energy demand by implementing core principles of building physics into the design process throughout a case study project. What makes this process unique compared to other existing green design programs is its focus on architect's knowledge to implement core energy saving design strategies into design and evaluate their performance with a normative simulation tool. Selection and analysis of building systems, financial evaluation of cost effective systems and materials, uncertainty analysis of building systems, construction cost estimating and marketing analysis of the case study project, demonstrate simple strategies for designers to use in projects with higher sensitivity. In conclusion, the idea behind this methodology is building marketable energy-neutral homes in the current market with existing materials and none-complex technologies. The success of this design method is depends on the knowledge and skills of architects in building science, architectural design, and building construction. Despite barriers and many uncertainties embedded in this process, moving toward energy-neutral homes will have positive impacts on environment even if it could not reach the Net-Zero balance.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Sydney, 2009. / A thesis presented to the University of Western Sydney, College of Health and Science, School of Engineering, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Includes bibliographies.