This thesis addresses a problematic of meaning and of semiotics in architecture by considering a number of questions. Why have meaning and semiotics been of concern in architectural discourse? How did semiotics enter that discourse? How does it operate there? The first chapter explores the notion of meaning in art, assuming this to have bearing on meaning in architecture. Functionalism is investigated as an implicitly semantic view of architecture: it is proposed that it is the failure of functionalism in practice which underlies the recent concern with meaning. Chapter 2 introduces the work of eight semioticians: Saussure, Peirce, Morris, Mukarovsky, Jakobson, Levi-Strauss, Barthes, and Eco. Chapter 3 poses the question of why semiotics has been attractive to architects. Attention is given to Tafuri's notion that semiotics serves both to bolster the current status of architecture (by blockading investigation of its discursive characteristics) and as radial criticism. Work by Norberg-Schulz and by Jencks is shown to be blockade; that by Agrest and Gandelsonas more nearly critical. It is proposed that semiotics and the discourse of modern architecture are epistemologically analogous, which circumstance has facilitated and been conditional to the entry of semiotics into architecture. The fourth chapter examines Eco's and Preziosi's rigorous semiotic theories of the built. Both have been posited, however, as theories of architecture; as such they impede rather than foster theorizing with respect to architectural discourse. Chapter 5 assumes a (semiotic) model of architecture as a hierarchy of codes (building, language, drawing, photography). The role of language in architecture is shown to be more important than is generally conceded. Architectural discourse is also shown to be dependent on photography, and, by implication, on other graphic modes. While bearing in mind the links between the postmodern and radical strains of semiotics, the final chapter surveys architecture in culture's present postmodern moment. If the problematic of meaning in architecture has been motivated by the 'emptiness' of the built world constructed under the aegis of functional architecture, this problematic cannot be taken as a recuperation. Rather, the advent of semiotics in the discourse of architecture may signify its transposition to an unknown discursive configuration. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

This thesis addresses a problematic of meaning and of semiotics in architecture by considering a number of questions. Why have meaning and semiotics been of concern in architectural discourse? How did semiotics enter that discourse? How does it operate there? The first chapter explores the notion of meaning in art, assuming this to have bearing on meaning in architecture. Functionalism is investigated as an implicitly semantic view of architecture: it is proposed that it is the failure of functionalism in practice which underlies the recent concern with meaning. Chapter 2 introduces the work of eight semioticians: Saussure, Peirce, Morris, Mukarovsky, Jakobson, Levi-Strauss, Barthes, and Eco. Chapter 3 poses the question of why semiotics has been attractive to architects. Attention is given to Tafuri's notion that semiotics serves both to bolster the current status of architecture (by blockading investigation of its discursive characteristics) and as radial criticism. Work by Norberg-Schulz and by Jencks is shown to be blockade; that by Agrest and Gandelsonas more nearly critical. It is proposed that semiotics and the discourse of modern architecture are epistemologically analogous, which circumstance has facilitated and been conditional to the entry of semiotics into architecture. The fourth chapter examines Eco's and Preziosi's rigorous semiotic theories of the built. Both have been posited, however, as theories of architecture; as such they impede rather than foster theorizing with respect to architectural discourse. Chapter 5 assumes a (semiotic) model of architecture as a hierarchy of codes (building, language, drawing, photography). The role of language in architecture is shown to be more important than is generally conceded. Architectural discourse is also shown to be dependent on photography, and, by implication, on other graphic modes. While bearing in mind the links between the postmodern and radical strains of semiotics, the final chapter surveys architecture in culture's present postmodern moment. If the problematic of meaning in architecture has been motivated by the 'emptiness' of the built world constructed under the aegis of functional architecture, this problematic cannot be taken as a recuperation. Rather, the advent of semiotics in the discourse of architecture may signify its transposition to an unknown discursive configuration. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

This thesis addresses a problematic of meaning and of semiotics in architecture by considering a number of questions. Why have meaning and semiotics been of concern in architectural discourse? How did semiotics enter that discourse? How does it operate there? The first chapter explores the notion of meaning in art, assuming this to have bearing on meaning in architecture. Functionalism is investigated as an implicitly semantic view of architecture: it is proposed that it is the failure of functionalism in practice which underlies the recent concern with meaning. Chapter 2 introduces the work of eight semioticians: Saussure, Peirce, Morris, Mukarovsky, Jakobson, Levi-Strauss, Barthes, and Eco. Chapter 3 poses the question of why semiotics has been attractive to architects. Attention is given to Tafuri's notion that semiotics serves both to bolster the current status of architecture (by blockading investigation of its discursive characteristics) and as radial criticism. Work by Norberg-Schulz and by Jencks is shown to be blockade; that by Agrest and Gandelsonas more nearly critical. It is proposed that semiotics and the discourse of modern architecture are epistemologically analogous, which circumstance has facilitated and been conditional to the entry of semiotics into architecture. The fourth chapter examines Eco's and Preziosi's rigorous semiotic theories of the built. Both have been posited, however, as theories of architecture; as such they impede rather than foster theorizing with respect to architectural discourse. Chapter 5 assumes a (semiotic) model of architecture as a hierarchy of codes (building, language, drawing, photography). The role of language in architecture is shown to be more important than is generally conceded. Architectural discourse is also shown to be dependent on photography, and, by implication, on other graphic modes. While bearing in mind the links between the postmodern and radical strains of semiotics, the final chapter surveys architecture in culture's present postmodern moment. If the problematic of meaning in architecture has been motivated by the 'emptiness' of the built world constructed under the aegis of functional architecture, this problematic cannot be taken as a recuperation. Rather, the advent of semiotics in the discourse of architecture may signify its transposition to an unknown discursive configuration. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

This thesis addresses a problematic of meaning and of semiotics in architecture by considering a number of questions. Why have meaning and semiotics been of concern in architectural discourse? How did semiotics enter that discourse? How does it operate there? The first chapter explores the notion of meaning in art, assuming this to have bearing on meaning in architecture. Functionalism is investigated as an implicitly semantic view of architecture: it is proposed that it is the failure of functionalism in practice which underlies the recent concern with meaning. Chapter 2 introduces the work of eight semioticians: Saussure, Peirce, Morris, Mukarovsky, Jakobson, Levi-Strauss, Barthes, and Eco. Chapter 3 poses the question of why semiotics has been attractive to architects. Attention is given to Tafuri's notion that semiotics serves both to bolster the current status of architecture (by blockading investigation of its discursive characteristics) and as radial criticism. Work by Norberg-Schulz and by Jencks is shown to be blockade; that by Agrest and Gandelsonas more nearly critical. It is proposed that semiotics and the discourse of modern architecture are epistemologically analogous, which circumstance has facilitated and been conditional to the entry of semiotics into architecture. The fourth chapter examines Eco's and Preziosi's rigorous semiotic theories of the built. Both have been posited, however, as theories of architecture; as such they impede rather than foster theorizing with respect to architectural discourse. Chapter 5 assumes a (semiotic) model of architecture as a hierarchy of codes (building, language, drawing, photography). The role of language in architecture is shown to be more important than is generally conceded. Architectural discourse is also shown to be dependent on photography, and, by implication, on other graphic modes. While bearing in mind the links between the postmodern and radical strains of semiotics, the final chapter surveys architecture in culture's present postmodern moment. If the problematic of meaning in architecture has been motivated by the 'emptiness' of the built world constructed under the aegis of functional architecture, this problematic cannot be taken as a recuperation. Rather, the advent of semiotics in the discourse of architecture may signify its transposition to an unknown discursive configuration. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

This thesis addresses a problematic of meaning and of semiotics in architecture by considering a number of questions. Why have meaning and semiotics been of concern in architectural discourse? How did semiotics enter that discourse? How does it operate there? The first chapter explores the notion of meaning in art, assuming this to have bearing on meaning in architecture. Functionalism is investigated as an implicitly semantic view of architecture: it is proposed that it is the failure of functionalism in practice which underlies the recent concern with meaning. Chapter 2 introduces the work of eight semioticians: Saussure, Peirce, Morris, Mukarovsky, Jakobson, Levi-Strauss, Barthes, and Eco. Chapter 3 poses the question of why semiotics has been attractive to architects. Attention is given to Tafuri's notion that semiotics serves both to bolster the current status of architecture (by blockading investigation of its discursive characteristics) and as radial criticism. Work by Norberg-Schulz and by Jencks is shown to be blockade; that by Agrest and Gandelsonas more nearly critical. It is proposed that semiotics and the discourse of modern architecture are epistemologically analogous, which circumstance has facilitated and been conditional to the entry of semiotics into architecture. The fourth chapter examines Eco's and Preziosi's rigorous semiotic theories of the built. Both have been posited, however, as theories of architecture; as such they impede rather than foster theorizing with respect to architectural discourse. Chapter 5 assumes a (semiotic) model of architecture as a hierarchy of codes (building, language, drawing, photography). The role of language in architecture is shown to be more important than is generally conceded. Architectural discourse is also shown to be dependent on photography, and, by implication, on other graphic modes. While bearing in mind the links between the postmodern and radical strains of semiotics, the final chapter surveys architecture in culture's present postmodern moment. If the problematic of meaning in architecture has been motivated by the 'emptiness' of the built world constructed under the aegis of functional architecture, this problematic cannot be taken as a recuperation. Rather, the advent of semiotics in the discourse of architecture may signify its transposition to an unknown discursive configuration. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

Master of Science / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Stephanie A. Rolley / Academic design/build programs can serve as vehicles for community development. As design professionals working within the community context, architects hold the potential to create community betterment and build community assets through their work, although this focus does not appear to be central to the culture of American architecture. In particular, a review of architecture curricula in the United States reveals the lack of design/build opportunities for students. Design/build programs integrated in academic architectural programs have been in existence for just about two decades. As such, development of their pedagogy and organizational structure is emerging. It is timely to identify the common and distinguishing factors of established design/build efforts in architecture schools and to examine the role community development plays in each. Established academic design/build programs were identified for further study, enabling identification of commonalities within the structural frameworks of programs as well as contextual nuances; the identification of programs which purposely instigate community development; and the identification of the factors within those programs which act as mechanisms for community development. The result is a framework for organizing a community development initiative which is central to the architectural process and to design/build pedagogy.

Master of Science / Department of Architectural Engineering and Construction Science / Sutton F. Stephens / Conventional wood framing, also known as stick framing, has been around for hundreds of years. It is an easy, effective method for building new houses and small commercial projects. However, it may no longer the best option for new construction. The development of Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) began over 70 years ago at the United States Forest Products Laboratory in Wisconsin. Scientists believed that plywood sheathing alone could provide adequate strength to support the loads a structure encounters. Over the years, SIPs have evolved to what they are today: a rigid insulation foam core sandwiched between two skins, often made of oriented strand boards (OSB). Compared to stick framing, SIPs are faster to erect in the field and also provide more strength to resist most loads; they are better with axial and transverse loads. Stick framing can be built more robust to resist in-plane shear loads. The quality of the material of SIPs also means better quality construction. The insulating values SIPs provide are far superior to that of fiberglass insulation used in stick framing, saving money for the owner as well as energy from natural resources. Not only do they provide better thermal protection, but they are also better for the environment because of manufacturing processes and construction practices. When it comes to other issues such as fire, smoke, termites, and ventilation, SIPs are no worse than stick framing. SIPs follow the same steps for construction used in stick framing with, perhaps a little more care needed to insure proper ventilation. SIPs have proven themselves in the laboratory and in the real world. SIPs should be considered more often as an option, replacing stick framing for the major structure elements and insulation for new buildings.

Masters of Architecture / Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / 1219 Colorado is the documentation of the nonlinear process of design as it applies to the reconfiguration of a residential dwelling. This process is illustrated through a collection of sketches, design drawings, construction documents and images produced from 1999 to 2005. 1219 Colorado investigates materiality the physical substance of architecture, as well as the nature of thoughtful connection physical and theoretical through the process of making. The need to build, to make, to design, and explore is what drives the process. While the space of architecture is most often designed and perceived as lines on paper, it is through the making of physical models that the creative act of discovery reveals its greatest potential. The process explores the design of a model constructed at full-scale. No longer representational, the study is the product; the materials and methods are genuine. This process differs from the process of building in that the intention is no longer to construct only that which is designed. Rather the challenge is to explore beyond the design, reveal new possibilities, refine design decisions, and most importantly to take advantage of unforeseen opportunities that are revealed through the act of making. The scope of the task expanded periodically as a function of increasing knowledge of construction, declining acceptance of the quality of the existing condition and in order to accommodate an evolving set of programmatic requirements. To date the construct has under gone no less than three different design schemes, and a fourth will follow as the process continues to be refined and reconsidered. The project continues to evolve, grow, and change directions. 1219 Colorado explores design is not a linear process. Architecture is not always pretty.

Master of Architecture / Department of Architecture / Richard Hoag / Sensory qualities of a place are those that help people perceive a place through their senses (Lynch 1976). Responsiveness of a place is its ability to provide the user with a wide range of choices and opportunities (Bentley et al 1985). This thesis demonstrates a study of sensory and responsive qualities of urban spaces through the description of two civic nodes in the city of Calcutta, India – the Dalhousie Square and the Salt Lake City Center. The demonstration technique adopted for the study uses Geographic Information System. This system, with the help of specialized computer software can manipulate, summarize, query, edit and visualize geographic information stored in a database. In this study site observations on the two civic nodes are presented as layers of information in Geographic Information System. The civic nodes selected for this study were built at different times. The Dalhousie Square is the historic city center of the city of Calcutta, built during the British rule (1776-1947) over India. The Salt Lake City Center is a mixed-use retail development designed by the Indian architect Charles Correa.

A belief based on a personal experience that asthma incidence in New Zealand is interrelated with the indoor environment, led the author to establish the study between asthma and housing. A considerable period of time was spent first on studying the roots of the two issues, asthma and New Zealand housing. The historical experience showed that health and housing problems at the national level in the 19 th century in England were solved by state interference. The architectural background of this study created a need to cover some medical knowledge to understand the causes, symptoms and cure of asthma, if any. This knowledge was crucial while monitoring houses, designing the questionnaire, and analysing results. Two stages of monitoring were achieved in 2000 and 2001. In addition to the monitoring, there was an attempt to find out as much information as possible about any issues related to the health conditions, especially the respiratory disorders, and the houses. The study of housing included building construction, house dust mite allergen levels in the carpet, building drawings, and other issues in preparation for the next stage of analysis. The overwhelming quantity of information gathered about the 30 houses investigated in 2000 was so confusing that no statistical software package was seen as a perfect way for analysing it. It was decided then to establish comparisons between each factor investigated and asthma presence. Also, in most of the cases, the correlation between more than one factor with asthma rates was examined. The investigation of the relations between many issues and asthma showed that there were links between asthma incidence and some indoor conditions of houses. Raised timber floors, which were found in most of the houses to be un-insulated, and in all the cases to be on unprotected ground, were found to have a strong relation with asthma incidence. In these houses, it was found that high asthma incidence was related to a higher level of moisture indoors. Asthma incidence in houses having old carpet, moulds, pets, or smokers indoors was higher than asthma incidence in houses without these. Old houses were found to have more asthma incidence than new houses. All the allergen levels in the carpets were extremely high and they were all above the allergen levels induced by house dust mites that can provoke asthma in susceptible individuals. Based on the knowledge gained about the defective factors in housing affecting asthma, upgrading of the houses was designed. A house was chosen to be upgraded in three stages, each stage providing a different level of insulation. The upgrading costs were compared with the current national costs of health and heating to see what level of upgrading would be logical and cost-effective. National costs and savings were estimated in four cases each with different level of insulation. It was decided at the final stage of the study that insulating ceilings and floors in addition to other basic upgrading factors would provide savings in health and heating costs and would result in less CO2 emissions to the atmosphere of New Zealand. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.