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Solar radiation is energy, a natural and inexhaustible source of heat and light, and as such a major factor to be considered for enhancing urban environmental sustainability. Solar availability on buildings determines to a large degree their active and passive solar potential; whereas, the insolation of open spaces affects their microclimate and in turn, their use and liveability. Solar objectives are thus multiple and may also be conflicting in time and space, especially in temperate climates, where thermal comfort needs vary in seasons. The subject of the thesis is the relationship between urban geometry and environmental performance of urban forms, explored at the neighbourhood scale and in real urban areas. Specifically, the research investigates statistically casual relationships of urban geometry with environmental phenomena related, directly or indirectly, to the availability of solar radiation. Full consideration is given to the varying solar geometry as a major parameter affecting the interaction between urban geometry and solar radiation, lending it a temporal and geographical -related to latitude- character. The research subject is explored through three distinct studies, which share the same methodology investigating particular topics under the same thematic umbrella. The first and the third study, in the order of these being presented, investigate phenomena occurring in open spaces, namely insolation and thermal diversity; whereas, the second study examines solar availability in open spaces and on building façades. In the methodology, urban geometry is distinguished into built density, which is associated negatively with solar availability but positively with sustainability at the city-scale, and urban layout. The former expresses total built volume in a site, and the latter is represented by a set of quantified geometric parameters which characterise the way in which the built volume is allocated and distributed within the site. This distinction aims to provide evidence for the significance of urban layout in modifying the solar urban environment as well as addressing conflicting solar design objectives. The performance of the urban forms is examined through a series of performance indicators, namely sky view factor, insolation, solar irradiance and thermal diversity values. Both urban geometry variables and performance indicators are calculated on average in each urban form. The great size of the sample analysed allows their relationships to be investigated in statistical means. The research belongs to the new era of urban environmental studies which make use of digital 3D models of cities to study spatially expressed phenomena in the built environment. It is based entirely on the analysis of existing urban forms, of 500x500m area, found in two European cities, London and Paris. London constitutes the main case study city, whereas Paris is examined for comparison purposes. The two cities are located at similar geographical latitudes and within the same climatic context, but their urban fabrics exemplify very different geometries. The geometric and environmental analysis of the urban forms as well as the elaboration and processing of the output data are performed using computer-based tools and methods, such as MATLAB software and image processing techniques applied in urban digital elevation models (DEMs) and, SOLWEIG and the RADIANCE-based software, PPF, for SVF and solar simulations. The research findings contribute to the field of urban environmental studies and design at multiple levels, presenting a significant theoretical, practical, and methodological value. First, they produce a critical insight about the factors affecting the relationship of urban geometry and sun-related phenomena occurring in the urban environment and lending it a dynamic character. In addition, they provide solid evidence about the enormous potential of urban geometry for promoting multiple -and sometimes conflicting- solar and urban design objectives, informing the relevant on-going discourse. Third, having as case studies real forms in London and Paris, a part of the findings is interpreted into urban design guidelines for enhancing the environmental performance of new and existing areas in the two cities. Last, as the research employs new methods and techniques to explore diverse topics, some of which are relatively new in the literature, it constitutes an important, methodological precedent for future research works.

This thesis charts the rise of sustainable buildings and traces the evolution of design management from a process used in design to its current position in the construction industry in the UK. The established fact that design plays a vital role in achieving sustainability in building presents itself from different perspectives. For projects to achieve their sustainability targets, the industry must understand the issues surrounding sustainability. The industry can look to Soft Landings to be the next step in the evolution of design management. With the industry having to deal with ever stringent targets from policymakers, and the uncertainty surrounding the decision of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, how can Soft Landings be positioned to be effective in closing the performance gap in non-residential buildings? 'Intellectual inquisitiveness' should lead us to ask how we can get the best out of the current processes. The thesis looks at the working processes of Soft Landings projects at the design stage to discover how the interactions between the design team and other team members can foster collaborative working. It also aims to develop a framework for quality communication and information flow. Using case studies and interviews with the professionals involved in the projects, the research uncovers important elements for achieving sustainability. The research discovered that although the projects adopted Soft Landings, there was still an atmosphere of holding back information that may be important to the project because of future competition. There was also a lag in the flow of information during the distinct stages of the project which had a negative effect on some of the projects. The research concludes that although the framework for Soft Landings is comprehensive and can enhance energy efficiency in buildings, it does not adequately address communication between teams, especially during the design process. The implications of this research for design teams is the use of communication and information flow frameworks specific to Soft Landings to assist them in communication with other teams. The contribution of this research is adding to the body of work for academic research into Soft Landings. It has shed light on the practical adoption and the challenges of the process.

This thesis conceptually stems from the researcher’s experience in participatory design practice in India and her subsequent experience in research and practice of the analytical and evidence informed design approaches of Space Syntax in the UK. Urban design is a set of complex relationships between all the elements of built and unbuilt space in cities. It is imperative that the design processes address these complex socio-spatial relations that govern its form. Whilst, current design approaches attempt to respond to the socio-spatial structure of the city, they have certain limitations. This study focuses on two such limitations - a disconnect between the user and the architect; and a lack of credible rationalisation and evidence to address this complexity through design decision making. In order to address these limitations, an integrated design approach is suggested, that uses spatial analysis in an engagement led design process. The relation between spatial analysis, engagement and evidence in this design approach is made through the concepts of user behaviour and user experience in space. Space Syntax theories have been selected as an example of spatial analysis methods. These are based on two fundamental principles - first, that spatial and environmental behaviour is a function of the configuration of spaces (spatial patterns) and not individual spaces; second, that the vitality of a space is not a result of its local qualities but that of the properties of the larger urban grid (global). This thesis argues that in order for spatial analysis to be complete, it should be supported by both behavioural and experiential evidence. The effective application of this is suggested through an integrated ‘mixed method’ approach where the spatial analysis applied and experiential evidence gathered from community engagement be identified as a key agenda as part of the project (vision) and a structured program, not an afterthought.

This study constructs new understandings regarding the impact of the transformations that have taken place in the domestic environment of Saudi Arabia following the discovery of oil. While most previous research in this area has highlighted the loss of identity caused by this transformation, my research reveals how these developments have also resulted in new modes of cultural preservation in a domestic environment. It also explores the significant role of private museum making as a network of cultural practices that reflect and preserve Saudi culture for future generations. Despite the high price of land for housing and construction materials, some individuals in Saudi society have invested their savings to collect and preserve traditional artefacts in private museums in their homes. Through analysis of a number of such examples in the Eastern Province, with an in-depth study of one, this research explores the relationship between cultural practice, cultural preservation and resilience, and interprets this from an architecture perspective. Framed by a set of key theoretical concepts (cultural trauma, cultural resilience and cultural preservation), this study aims to highlight the positive cultural adaptation of domestic environments after the rapid transformation brought about by the discovery of oil. An in-depth qualitative case study provides an example of how a resident transformed an imported, villa style residence to reflect her identity, religion, culture, and past experience and how, through a practice of museum making in her home, not only translated her memories, identity, tangible and intangible heritage into a museum, but also gave herself new agency in public life. This research offers fresh perspective and insight into the role of women as social influencers and explores their creative ability in cultural preservation. These findings fill a knowledge gap in the study of home interiors and cultural preservation, explained with reference to two intersecting perspectives: the transformation of the national discourse on heritage and the transformation of the role of women on Saudi society. It also shows evidence of the shift that occurred from the oil boom in 1938 to the museum boom in 2014. This research explores and identifies the Private Museum Movement (PMM), defining it as: an individual’s attempt to preserve Saudi cultural heritage through the practice of museum-making within their private home.

Technological innovation in architecture can often be attributed to the work or works of individual designers and their unique (tacit) working method. Through an analysis of my published work (articles, essays, edited, coauthored and authored books), I will present how the aberrant creative process which the economist Joseph Schumpeter described as the ‘innovating entrepreneur’ can enlarge the palette of technological possibilities for the architect and define a unique role within the construction industry. The published works survey and explore atypical and innovative technologies and working practices in relation to architecture. The ‘McLean’s Nuggets’ column presented a series of short articles, factual and outliers (provocations in some instances) and established an expansive view of the variety and potential of technology and its application in architecture as a socially beneficial design tool. The essays, papers and books develop these themes in more detail in specific regards to five practitioners of architecture, engineering and art. The thesis has been developed through a literature review and additional interviews with featured professionals to help establish a socio-technicalhistorical context for the published works. The critical research commentary will draw together key themes of the work including innovative construction technologies and the relative acceptance and uptake of these technologies and how the architect designer through innovative or ‘aberrant’ modes of practice can better embrace these innovations in a sociotechnical understanding of architecture. This thesis features the work of five protagonists each working within the field of architecture and each of whom has innovated as much through their working method as through the work itself.

The topic of this research project is Nek Chand's Rock Garden, an 18 acre development built on the edge of Chandigarh, India. It contains a large collection of natural rocks, sculptures and architectural works built incrementally from 1958 by an untrained artist/architect called Nek Chand. The garden is a significant intervention in the planned Modernist city of Chandigarh and was developed in contradistinction to the original planning laws. Despite the size and popularity of the site it has remained an unknown entity in terms of its contents and the process of its development. Alms The aim of this thesis is to document the Rock Garden and through an analysis of its material and built fabric, to develop further interpretations of it, as a component of Chandigarh and postcolonial India. Cataloguing and Documentation The process of documenting a large site made up of sculptural, architectural and landscape works, all built without plans and in some cases out of found, natural and discarded objects requires a specific methodology and clearly defined approach. What constitutes 'a work' and what aspects of the site are to be recorded, as well as omitted, are duly considered. Analysis and Interpretation Creative output of this nature needs careful methods of interpretation and analysis. This research has focused almost entirely on the material fabric of the work, rather than the external factors of influence. Specific components of the Rock Garden were chosen for analysis based on the three basic distinctions of sculpting, architecture and landscape. Through these lenses, the analysis considered the changes and developments in the gardens growth and possible reasons for particular decisions and aesthetic choices. The sculpting focused on the development of the anthropomorphic aspects of the sculptures, which form the largest type of the sculptural works and as such give the broadest amount of data. With the architectural analysis the discussion stems from the initial colonisation of the site through to the larger, less functional works, seeking to identify the reasons for the changes and possible influences. The landscape is considered along with the notion of 'journey' and the passage through the site. The analysis and cataloguing were then used as a base from which three interpretative chapters were developed. These chapters conceptualise the Rock Garden according to the themes of collection, ruin and theatre. These themes are all interwoven with the agenda's of Modernism and thus provide a means of considering the Rock Garden and its relationship with Modernity.

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The architect Patrick Alban Gwynne (1913-2003) designed The Homewood for his parents in 1938 at the age of 24. An immensely private man, Gwynne ran his life, his home and his architectural practice in a meticulous manner quite separate from the mainstream modernist architects of his day. In Modern Houses in Britain, Jeremy Gould considers The Homewood to be one of the finest modern houses in terms of composition and detailing. It is an accomplished translation of Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye with an elegantly English flavour. Gwynne acknowledged the stylistic influences of his former employer Wells Coates, but whereas an idealistic functionalism was a component of Coates’s architecture, Gwynne took an elegant approach to his work, which was domestic and client led. He created a sensual, more decorative modernism that lay somewhere between the idealism of the Modern Movement and a still extant English tradition. Architectural history emphasises wider reassessments of Modernism during the Interwar period and the thesis is an opportunity to reflect on the development of an architect and his architectural ideas for a series of unique houses for his clients. The seamless integration of The Homewood with the Modern Movement and the country house idiom is crucial to the research and Gwynne merged the two, ensuring that every detail was specific to his tastes. The house was a testing ground for new materials and architectural processes and has been described as Gwynne’s “design laboratory’. The Homewood’s acquisition by the National Trust has ensured that Gwynne’s home and his collection are secure for the future and will continue to be a testament to his abiding interest in high-quality craftsmanship, his attention to detail and a lifetime of changing tastes of one individual. The thesis will enhance Gwynne’s recognition in British architectural history and the house will be used as a point of reference to chart the progression of his elegant style and understand his work in greater depth.

The UK is committed to reducing the environmental impact of construction, but due to growing population there is a requirement for new domestic housing. The embodied environmental impact is going to become an increasingly significant proportion of the whole life cycle of a building. There is therefore a requirement for research into low environmental impact construction materials. There has been a resurgence of earthen construction techniques as a response to growing environmental awareness and consideration. This has led to a renewed interest in earth construction and an increased use of earth within contemporary architecture. However, there are many barriers to the mainstream adoption of traditional methods of earthen construction, and only with the widespread adoption can the benefits be fully utilised. Extruded earth bricks that are manufactured using the well established fired brick production methods, without the firing can produce consistent, high quality, low cost bricks. As the bricks are of the same dimensions as current masonry there are fewer barriers to the adoption. This form factor, crucial for contemporary construction, relies on wall thicknesses of only 100mm. It has been shown that extruded earth bricks have a suitable strength for typical domestic loading. However, there are concerns about structural use due to loss of strength under elevated moisture contents; representing the greatest barrier to adoption. Stabilisation is a method by which the soil properties can be changed to increase strength under saturated condition. This thesis aim is to develop suitable methods of stabilisation for extruded earth bricks, with a lower environmental impact than existing masonry units. The scope is limited to the extrusion process and the soil currently used for fired brick production. To this extent seven brick soils used in the manufacture of commercially fired bricks were investigated into their physiochemical properties and engineering properties with respect to the identified mineralogy. There has been limited literature focusing on extruded earth bricks which is in part due to the difficulties of specimen manufacture. Two methods of laboratory scale specimen production were investigated and compared to full scale unfired bricks. A small scale extruder was used to make one third linear scale bricks and was shown to be suitable representation for unstabilised conditions. This allowed for laboratory scale testing of extruded specimens. Three categories of chemical stabiliser were investigated including cement, lime and alkali hydroxides. Compressive strength development over 7, 14 and 28 days was determined for specimens tested in ambient conditions and following 24 hours fully submerged in water. Varying mass fractions and initial curing regimes were investigated to determine the effect on compressive strength. Only 5% lime initially cured at 60 ◦C met the required structural criteria of a ‘dry’ and ‘wet’ compressive strength of 2.9 and 1.0MPa respectively. Metakaolin was subsequently added as a secondary stabiliser to improve the strength for all the primary additives. The change in compressive strength was variable, but did enable a total of six specimens to meet the required criteria, all with 5% lime as the primary stabiliser. A cradle-to-gate LCA was undertaken for the unstabilised and stabilised extruded earth bricks. The analysis only considered embodied energy and global warming potential and compared the results to conventional masonry units. Environmental criteria were developed based on the conventional masonry unit with the minimum impact. Considering this criteria, only two mixes were able to offer an improvement of the global warming potential. The reliance on highly processed commercial metakaolin was investigated by the partial thermal treatment of the brick soil. While the investigated chemical properties of this material were comparable to the metakaolin, the particle size distribution was significantly different. This resulted in a decrease in density, and no strength development when used with 5% lime. This study has shown the potential for extruded earth masonry to be used structurally and the requirement for stabilisation. A possible stabilisation technique has been proposed which will allow for the reduction of the embodied global warming potential, whilst meeting the structural requirements.