This dissertation defines and develops transitional space of housing, which is adaptable to the Chinese environment. It is the integration of community, culture element and sustainable development. Although the lifestyle is changing today, the concept of courtyard which comes from the Chinese vernacular building remains in peoples’ minds. It’s not only a form but also an expression of national culture and a sense of space. There are some attempts for Chinese architects to renovate or reconstruct the “courtyard”, but most of them are low-rise buildings. Facing with the high density, high volume urban living environment, Chinese architects only set vii the first floor yard and roof garden in multi-story or high-rise buildings. To improve the community environment, various levels courtyard space, such as the courtyard among units, community courtyard, are set. These courtyards are regarded as public space which not only plays the role of landscaping but also make people feel comfortable. However, there are still some problems, such as sustainable development, privacy. While there are some good attempts for foreign architects to design courtyard in terms of sustainable technology, the housing they design lack the Chinese culture character. So the design of multi-function transitional space raises the interesting questions for future research and development.

Virtual reality is a technology that has seen unprecedented growth since the turn of the century with increasing applications within business, entertainment, and educational applications. As virtual reality technologies continue to develops and markets expand, the world may see an increased demand for virtual classrooms: virtual environments (VEs) that students may access through immersive virtual reality technologies to receive guided instruction, conduct simulations, or perform tasks typical in a classroom setting. While many studies document how virtual reality is beneficial to educational processes, there is little discussion on how virtual environments should be architecturally designed. Thus one may hypothesize that physical design strategies translated to virtual environments may have similar results. This thesis investigates virtual environments for education by creating several virtual classrooms embedded within a selective digital twin of the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus. The design of the virtual classrooms was influenced by current architectural trends in classroom design while capturing unique abilities present within a virtual context. A physical teaching module was also designed to create a platform for educators within the university to deliver instruction within the virtual campus.

Information Technology (IT) Project Management methodologies are numerous, often varying from organization to organization, and sometimes from project to project within the same organization. Although project type and scope can be a powerful indicator of what methodologies may work best for a given project, choosing which methodology to use can be daunting for project teams. At times, even after due diligence has been practiced to identify the management options available for a given project, there may not be a perfect fit. At such times, or when a formal methodology does not exist in an organization or project management office, the best approach for a project may be to utilize a collective of “best practices,” instead of a concrete methodology. When tasked with the IT Project Management of the new Gary Ransdell Hall on WKU’s main campus, the IT Project Manager (PM) did not have a tried-and-true methodology to use for managing the project. As a result, the IT PM and project team chose to research best practices, as reflected in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), to formulate a project plan that would maximize efficiency while protecting the triple constraints. Early in this paper, the author outlines assumptions, constraints, and risks that faced the IT team throughout the project cycle. Afterwards, the resulting methods and procedures used to manage the IT scope for the project are discussed, with figures included for reference. Next, a brief project summary is included to summarize the results of the project, with performance and scope metrics and limited end-user feedback. Finally, the lessons learned section outlines changes that have been implemented since project completion, as part of a continuous improvement effort by the WKU IT Division.

Highly reflective roofing systems have been analyzed over several decades to evaluate their ability to meet sustainability goals, including reducing building energy consumption and mitigating the urban heat island. Studies have isolated and evaluated the effects of climate, surface reflectivity, and roof insulation on energy savings, thermal load mitigation and also ameliorating the urban heat island. Other sustainable roofing systems, like green-roofs and solar panels have been similarly evaluated. The motivation for the present study is twofold: the first goal is to present a method for simultaneous evaluation and inter-comparison of multiple roofing systems, and the second goal is to quantitatively evaluate the realized heating and cooling energy savings associated with a white roof system compared to the reduction in roof-top heat flux. To address the first research goal a field experiment was conducted at the International Harvester Building located in Portland, OR. Thermal data was collected for a white roof, vegetated roof, and a solar panel shaded vegetated roof, and the heat flux through these roofing systems was compared against a control patch of conventional dark roof membrane. The second research goal was accomplished using a building energy simulation program to determine the impact of roof area and roof insulation on the savings from a white roof, in both Portland and Phoenix. The ratio of cooling energy savings to roof heat flux reduction from replacing a dark roof with a white roof was 1:4 for the month of July, and 1:5 annually in Portland. The COP of the associated chillers ranges from 2.8-4.2, indicating that the ratio of cooling energy savings to heat flux reduction is not accounted for solely by the COP of the chillers. The results of the building simulation indicate that based on energy savings alone, white roofs are not an optimal choice for Portland. The benefits associated with cooling energy savings relative to a black roof are offset by the winter-time penalty, and the net benefit from adopting white roof technology in Portland is small. That said, there are other potential benefits of white roofing such as impact on urban heat islands and roof life that must also be considered.

This thesis investigates the emergence of a new specialisation within the profession of architecture, namely that of the architectural technologist. The main original contributions from the research concern a deep understanding of how that emergence has been realised, and a study of the implications for buildings in the longer term. Using the UK and Denmark as examples it finds that this profession has existed for a long time, but until recently without formal recognition. It also finds that the consequences of the lack of attention are potentially major, and it suggests why recognition came so late. By researching literature the history of the building and architecture industries was investigated and it is shown how the architects were cooperating with well-trained craftsmen for many centuries. This is compared with the kind of cooperation with architectural technologists going on today, and what will most likely occur in the future. Questionnaires, to provide data about current architectural and architectural technologist education, were sent to groups of newly graduated professionals. After statistical treatment the resulting quantitative data were thoroughly analysed by discussing the possible interpretations. Focus groups of highly qualified professionals also interpreted the data and insights into the needs of industry in both the UK and Denmark were provided. Finally, the thesis concludes by identifying necessary means of improvement, and points at the serious risk of a further division of the construction industry into more consulting companies. This increases the risk of future architecture failing to properly integrate technology and design.

The miniaturization of projection technology has enabled a new class of lightweight mobile devices with embedded projectors. Projection engines as small as a postage stamp are currently being embedded in thousands of mobile devices. Mobile projector-based devices differ in very fundamental ways from the display-based devices we commonly use. Mobile projectors can be carried with the user and project imagery into almost any space, projected content is visible to multiple users and supports social interaction, physical objects and surfaces can be augmented with projected content, and embedded projectors can enable new form-factors for mobile displays. This research investigates the potential of mobile projectors as a new platform for human-computer interaction. I aim to demonstrate that the unique affordances created by the miniaturization of projection technology can inspire new and compelling interaction with single-users, multi-users, the environment, and projector-embedded objects. This research presents a comprehensive survey of mobile projector-based interaction – documenting interaction with historic projection devices; introducing novel interaction techniques, metaphors, and principles for mobile projector-based systems; providing implementation details of functional prototype devices using mobile projectors; presenting technical innovations, such as the development of specialized projectors and custom marker tracking algorithms; and detailing results from preliminary user testing with the prototype systems created. This research forms a systematic investigation of the past, the present, and a possible future for interaction using mobile projectors.

Thesis (MTech (Architectural Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2014. / The growth of Cape Town's northern suburbs during the first few decades of the twentieth century is closely related to the socio-economic history of local Afrikaners who, during this time, left the farms to seek employment in Cape Town's industrial areas. Most of them settled in or near these industrial areas, causing the expansion of the northern suburbs. The first railway line in Cape Town, which was inaugurated in 1862, passed through Bellville on its way from Cape Town station to its terminal point in Eersterivier. The first official station at Bellville was only built in 1882, however, and a stop in Parow only followed in 1903The first Bellville town council was established as recently as 1922 (Bergh, 2009: 5-6). This is an indication of how sparsely populated this area was at the time. The Dutch Reformed Church has traditionally played a central role in the cultural and spiritual life of Afrikaners, and consequently the establishment of Dutch Reformed churches in the northern suburbs stands in clear correlation to the growth of Afrikaner populations in these suburbs (see below). Because of the low population of the Parow and Bellville areas, Dutch Reformed Church members living there were initially part of the Cape Town congregation, and, from 1832 onward, part of the newly established Durbanville congregation. It is only in April 1900 when, in the Bellville area, numbers had increased considerably, that monthly services were held in a school building. By 1920 membership had grown so much that weekly services had to be held. In 1922 a church hall with 300 seats was inaugurated (Bergh, 2009: 7-8). Local services in Parow were only instituted in 1905, with the first church building, a Neo-Gothic structure, following in 1907. In 1917 a separate congregation was established in Parow (i.e. separate from the Durbanville mother congregation), with Bellville following suit in 1934. Goodwood congregation became independent in 1926, having separated from Parow (Van Lill, 1992: 6-9; Bergh, 2009: 8). In subsequent years, as numbers increased, numerous other congregations were established after separating from these three mother congregations, most of which built Modernist churches. The first Dutch Reformed church built in the Goodwood-Parow-Bellville area was the old Parow church. This building no longer exists, but it was built in the Neo-Gothic style which had been current throughout the 19th century, and which was still, at the beginning of the 20th century, the accepted traditional style (see Le Raux, 2008: 21). The Rondebosch Dutch Reformed church, for example, was built in this style during the last decade of the 19th century. (The southern suburbs, which include Rondebosch, had developed gradually over the previous three centuries, and by the early 20th century were well established, leaving relatively few prospects for working class Afrikaners to settle there). At the beginning of the 20th century, with the emergence of a nationalistic consciousness in the wake of the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902), there was a fervent search for a 'true' Afrikaans church architecture. This search was lead and directed by Gerhard Moerdijk (1890-1958) and Wynand Louw (1883-1967). They emphatically rejected the Gothic style for various reasons. Firstly, because it was designed around the Roman Catholic liturgy and was therefore unsuitable for Protestant worship, and secondly, because it is historically identified with the growth and expansion of the Catholic Church and therefore also with the persecution of Protestants, including that of the Huguenots who fled to the Cape to become ancestors of many Afrikaners (Le Roux, 2008: 22). However, if this style was indeed so offensive to Huguenots because of its Catholic associations, it would possibly not have become so popular during the 19th and zo= centuries. These Neo-Gothic churches are, in fact, unmistakably Protestant in the austerity of their interiors which could not be mistaken for a Catholic Gothic church interior with its abundantly rich ornamentation and sacred imagery. Likewise, the exteriors of these Neo-Gothic churches are distinctly Protestant in their reserved use of ornamentation. Nevertheless, Gothic churches were originally designed around the Catholic liturgy and consequently their layout does not serve the Protestant liturgy well. Here Moerdijk makes a very valid point, and one which would be taken up by subsequent architects as well as writers (see Chapter Seven below). Moerdijk, in his published writings, upholds Classicism and the Renaissance as examples worthy of following (Le Roux, 2008: 22). The resulting new style which he and Louw pursued from the 1920s onwards, and which became enormously popular, is generally referred to as sentraalbou (due to its centralised floor plan) (see Le Roux, 2008: 25-28). Later writers on Afrikaner Protestant church design tend to stress the supposed Byzantine ancestry of this type of church (see below).

Mould growth affects a significant proportion of dwellings in the UK and Europe. The house dust mite is also known to inhabit most dwellings and is one of the key factors affecting the health of the occupants. One of the key variables affecting mould growth and house dust mite populations is relative humidity. The relative humidity in a dwelling is dependent upon both the moisture levels and the temperature. The ability to assess the impact of different interventions on the relative humidity depends upon the ability to model both the internal temperature and the internal vapour pressure. This thesis develops, tests and assesses the impact of four combined moisture and thermal models which predict micro-environmental relative humidity. Two thermal models are tested, the BREDEM-8 monthly model, and the BREDEM-12 seasonal model. To each of these, two moisture models have been integrated including Loudon's steady-state moisture model and Jones' admittance moisture model. The BREDEM-8 Loudon model has been shown to be the most accurate model for predicting the airspace relative humidity in 36 dwellings during the heating season. The BREDEM-8 Loudon model has then undergone further development and testing and the applications of the model are investigated. A variable infiltration calculation has been implemented and tested within the BREDEM-8 Loudon model and the results show no improvement in the model prediction accuracy. Surface relative humidity calculations have also been incorporated for all dwelling surfaces, including cold bridges, and the significance of predicting surface conditions has been evaluated. The impact of fuel poverty is tested using simple versions of the BREDEM-8 Loudon model which have been adapted to account for situations where the expenditure available for fuel is limited and where the heating system is inadequately sized. Finally, a Mould Index has been developed which indicates the risk of mould growing on the coldest surfaces in a dwelling and various interventions in dwelling design and use are tested against this index and against the Affordable Warmth Index which defines the affordability of a particular dwelling. The results demonstrate a number of significant limitations in the current British Standard for condensation in buildings, BS 5250: 1989. It has been shown that the geographical and seasonal variations in internal relative humidity are significant, and that the highest relative humidity is unlikely to coincide with the coldest period of the year. It has also been shown that the modelling of surface conditions is critical in the assessment of mould growth in dwellings. Sensitivity studies carried out on the BREDEM-8 Loudon model have shown the most significant variables affecting the relative humidity predictions are the demand temperature, the heating pattern, the number of occupants, the ventilation rate and the level of insulation. The adequate sizing of the heating system and the ability of the occupants to afford to heat the dwelling to a comfortable temperature have been shown to be essential. It has also been shown that a change in the dwelling design or use may improve the affordability but may also lead to an increased risk from mould growth.

Historically, a disconnect has existed between the education and practice of architecture. Architectural education has long prided itself on the value of creative problem-solving, research, and the fine arts. In contrast, the practice of architecture has evolved to emphasize technical knowledge, specialization, communication, business, and collaboration. This disconnect has led education to miss opportunities to teach students business skills and knowledge required for the workplace, and allowed practice to lose sight of the importance of artistry and research. Architecture educators, students, and practitioners each have a unique set of knowledge and skills to offer the other, and a corresponding set of need and challenges which must be addressed for the profession’s continued success. By analyzing history, current debates in the field, and case studies of current innovative practices and educational models, this thesis addresses these issues with a new model of architectural synergy, embodied through a facility for lifelong learning in architecture. The primary goal of this building is to inspire integrative and collaborative processes between students, researchers, educators, and practitioners to address the current disconnect between them. Through this facility, each group will have the opportunity to leverage their unique strengths and successes to help the others. This collaborative model will allow each role mutually beneficial opportunities for lifelong learning through the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and processes between different groups.

The very foundation of transportation relies on its ability to efficiently move people and goods through a transitional space. Transportation hubs are key to achieving this goal. However, many transit terminals are outdated or poorly designed to fit the needs of the modern world. At the core of this thesis are two overarching questions. First, how do we design intermodal transit terminals so that they successfully integrate into an existing urban fabric? Second, how do we design for innovative modes of transportation, such as hyperloop technology? This thesis explores how architectural design can recover existing transit connections within an urban context and provide new modes of transportation for a faster and more efficient user experience. Exploring the current issues within the transit sector today was a major focus of this research as well as selecting a site within an active city center. Furthermore, research into the emergence of new modes of transportation, like hyperloop technology and autonomous vehicles helped to identify potential transit solutions. Much of this research investigated the history of transit centers in addition to studying several important case studies that facilitated a solution to improving transit connections. Several design options were explored through this research and a selected design was integrated into a final design solution to help lay the path for a more efficient future in transit architecture.