Poetic dwelling, both as the perception of and engagement with the environment, has predominantly been lost in contemporary society. As a result, the earth had become an ‘inexhaustible inventory’ in the eyes of the dweller, resulting in a culture that merely consumes without giving anything of itself. In response to a Regenerative approach to the making of architecture, the dissertation combines the theories of Robert. P. Harrison and Martin Heidegger, in that poetic dwelling finds its extension in the form of building, and its fulfillment in the garden. The design aims to facilitate the healing of both people and environment on a site scarred by the consumer model of modern industry, and does so on a derelict brick quarry site in Monument Park, Pretoria. / Dissertation MArch(Prof)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / Architecture / Unrestricted

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Biophilia, the affinity humans have for nature, has been widely demonstrated to manifest both physiological and psychological benefits in those who are exposed to natural settings. By incorporating such elements in architecture, biophilic design has been put forth as a remedy to many of the health concerns associated with urban environments. However, most of the focus has been on treatment rather than prevention, leaving the root causes unaddressed. This thesis aims to reorient the focus toward the proactive use of biophilic design to promote well-being and avert the onset of these issues. Design principles draw from the theory of Salutogenesis, which employs elements of Psychologically Supportive Design (PSD) and Attention Restoration Theory (ART) to promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being. This approach contrasts and augments the concept of Pathogenesis, the focus on resultant illnesses and disease that defines the current healthcare paradigm. If biophilia is salutogenic (i.e. generates health), this thesis postulates that such architecture will also act as a prophylaxis, or preventative medicine. To evaluate the potential efficacy of various biophilic strategies, an IRB-approved research study has been designed to gather qualitative and quantitative responses from individuals viewing alternative design proposals. Rather than putting forth a hypothesis to be supported, the project centers on a thesis proposition to be explored through an inductive process of seeking emergent theories. With funding from the American Institute of Architects through the AIAS Crit Scholar Program, design alternatives were developed and presented in Virtual Reality to individuals associated with a local organization, Community Health Center of the New River Valley. While the results presented are neither prescriptive nor universally generalizable, findings are relevant in both the context of healthcare and across building types. / Master of Architecture / In recent decades, designers and researchers alike have sought to understand what people have intuitively known for millennia – namely, that humans possess an innate affinity for nature, which can improve our physical and psychological health and well-being. The theory of biophilia, first popularized in 1984 by Edward O. Wilson, has framed this concept with the hypothesis that "Natural environments have a restorative advantage over artificial environments due to the role they played in our evolution as a species." Since then, countless studies have supported this claim, with far-reaching implications and opportunities. As more and more people move to cities, health crises have escalated dramatically, with urban environments tied to increased stress, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and memory disorders. As the world continues to urbanize, designers face a growing imperative to create spaces that are conducive to health and wellness. Biophilic design has been put forth as a remedy to many of these health concerns, yet most of the focus has been on treatment rather than prevention, leaving the root causes unaddressed. This thesis aims to reorient the focus toward the proactive use of biophilic design to promote well-being and avert the onset of these issues. Design principles draw from the theory of Salutogenesis, the idea that health is a condition that can be caused, rather than the mere absence of illness. If biophilia is salutogenic (i.e. generates health), this thesis postulates that such architecture will also act as a prophylaxis, or preventative medicine. To explore this topic, a hypothetical wellness center was designed in partnership with a local organization, Community Health Center of the New River Valley. Design alternatives were presented to a group of participants using Virtual Reality headsets to view four spaces, each focused on a different element of biophilia: vegetation, water, light, and air. Interviews and questionnaires resulted in a number of trends and conclusions regarding best practices for the inclusion of natural elements in architecture.

Healthcare workers' overall performance and patients' well-being are crucial to wellness design and the overall productivity of the working environment. The purpose of this thesis is to narrate how natural light - a key aspect of biophilic design - can give great health outcomes and enhance the placemaking of a healthcare setting. Hence, this dissertation attempts to deal with placemaking and formation as an inside-outside dialogue that connects users to nature by implementing the idea of transitioning natural light through space and structure. In doing so, lighting explorations were conducted as series of physical models and case studies to help understand and analyze various effects of light at different times of the day. These explorations narrate a story about the journey of the medical worker and the patient throughout the setting of the apertures, walls, path, and canopy. Also, in response to the topography, a south-facing aperture wants to be framed, while a north-facing aperture can be an open wall, a smooth polished continuous wall and path can act as a canvas when the filtered light falls on it, while rough fragmented walls rise from earth acting as structural walls, and a cluster of trees can act as a natural canopy to provide shelter from the sun, while a steel canopy can shelter other areas from the rain or sun. / Master of Architecture / Biophilia, the innate human instinct to connect with nature, is a foundational concept to biophilic architecture. This concept seeks to enhance the well-being of users when in a human-made environment, by incorporating vital aspects of nature in a building. Therefore, applying a biophilic-based design approach to a high stressed place like a hospital can be worthwhile in numerous ways to patients, their families, and healthcare workers. The thesis addresses the aspects of Biophilia and looks deeper into the effects and benefits of natural light in a healthcare setting.

Biophilia: the close relationship between architecture and nature. In my thesis, I look to embrace that relationship by designing housing for homeless veterans. For veterans, this connection helps the space become a place of healing and reconnection to nature, which is proven to have a positive impact in our health and wellness. The building becomes a container of nature, where the presence of green features and natural elements are present from the moment you come into the building, the choice of materials, the different activities and position of the spaces to welcome the most amount of natural elements into the building. This creates an indoor/outdoor environment where the resident feels secure by the walls but also welcome by nature. The building captures nature through different activities and moments, where both nature and architecture work together to create a space of healing and peace, a place of freedom, but at the same time a place of security and stability. An oasis in the city, which helps homeless veterans start over and create a space they can call home. The building is equipped to offer different activities and purposes not only for the residents, but also for the employees and visitors. The building becomes a welcoming space for the neighbors but also for nature. The building welcomes different species and promotes the creation of different habitats that can serve the growth of the ecosystem. / Master of Architecture / How can Architecture and Nature work together to create healing spaces? The purpose of this thesis was to study the relationship between nature and architecture. Today, rapid growth in cities and urbanization has cause these two to be seen as separate or different, creating spaces that do not promote human well-being and healthy spaces. When in fact, when both nature and architecture work together, it creates the best and healthiest spaces for human health, performance and well-being. In this project, I focused on creating healing spaces for homeless veterans; a group that is increasing in number in large cities such as Washington D.C. Veterans are falling into homelessness due to Post-traumatic stress disorder, making it hard for them to adapt back into their normal life. Many of them live in poor conditions on the street, shelters and cars; spaces that are not suitable for people living with this disorder. Instead, I am proposing a transitional housing project where they will be trained, offered job opportunities, and a space where they will in constant presence of nature from the moment they walk into the building until they get to their room. This is because biophilic design has proven to improve the perfomance, quality of life, and health of humans. The residents of this project will have an efficient building with communal spaces, spaces for active and passive recreation, and different connections to nature to improve and expedite their healing.

This thesis is an interdisciplinary analysis of humans' relationship to the natural environment, specifically how wetlands are reflected in our legislative decisions. Our perceptions of wetlands and our relationship to the environment are influenced by our locality, history, and inter-generational relationships. These perceptions shape decision-making within a community. Our relationship to the natural environment and the way we interact with it can be explained through psychological and geographical theories. Historical trends reveal our consistently negative perspectives of wetlands in the United States and a rapid decline in wetlands acreage. At the federal, state, and local level, Americans have attempted to agree upon regulations that protect both essential wetland functions and private property rights. Literature, academic discourse, newspaper articles, local voices, county employees, and legislation help reveal the relationship between perceptions of wetlands and the regulations that affect these ecosystems. Hillsborough County's wetland controversy exemplifies a debate between differing public attitudes toward wetlands similar to that seen across the state and country. Pressure from landowners and developers encouraged the Hillsborough Environmental Protection Commission to vote to eliminate the county wetland protection division in the summer of 2007. Public concern following this decision led to debate about the significance of local wetland regulations. The decision to eliminate the wetland protection division was placed on hold for further discussion. In the first four chapters I examine the historical, social and psychological roots of our relationship to wetlands. Then, chapters five and six address wetland regulations on the federal and state levels. Chapter seven is a case study of Hillsborough County's wetlands controversy that arose in summer 2007 with a commission vote to do away with the county wetlands protection. Finally, in chapter eight I attempt to bring together all sides of the wetlands conversation into towards finding a solution to what position county governments should take in regulating wetland impacts and use.

This thesis examines case studies and historical accounts taken from different periods of the history of recording technology, and addresses questions concerning the impact of mediatization, manipulation, and mediation on listeners' and performers' approaches to music. The project considers the development of the idea of "copies without originals," and of the ideological frameworks that have been used to describe and classify recorded sound. The first case study covers the early days of the phonograph and its development in Victorian society, then contrasts the values and motivations of those early years with modern-day rock performance and its own value systems. Moving into the mid-twentieth century, a chapter of this thesis is devoted to the work of Glenn Gould, and the possibilities for tape manipulation that the Canadian pianist explored during the period of his career that was focused on the recording studio. Lastly, this project examines the innovative, user-driven methods of music-making that are gaining momentum today, including Bjork's "Biophilia" app album, and the emergence of a new genre of popular music in Asia that uses vocal synthesizers in place of live performers. By exploring these case studies alongside the works of scholars in musicology, media studies, sound theory, film and television, and popular music studies, this thesis demonstrates how cultural need, individual innovation, and social involvement interact to direct the development and application of emerging media technologies.

At the heart of this thesis research lies the theory of biophilia which describes the innate affinity that humans have for nature and suggests a scientific hypothesis for environmental behavioral responses within the creative fields of architecture and design. Natural environments afford healing and restorative benefits in the form of positive shifts in cognitive, physical, and social functioning. Stress relieving benefits of natural environments are also widely recognized for their ability to provide a sense of control or privacy, a means for social support and interaction, opportunities for physical exercise and movement, and positive distractions through connection to nature. By creating verdant environments that are sensory-rich and accommodate physical experiences with nature beyond the passive experience of simply viewing it from the interior, a garden can provide healing benefits that extend past the architectural walls of the healthcare building. Through the introduction of guidelines and considerations, the field of healing landscape architecture has been able to design for positive environmental responses to create successful exterior healing environments. However, the same supportive characteristics, preferences, and stress relieving benefits of a natural healing environment need to be considered for the interior healthcare environment. To further facilitate well-being, the built spaces need to be environments that reconnect the body and mind and foster a sense of place. These healing effects can be achieved through biophilic and sensory encounters within the facility. By focusing more on the human-environmental response research from environmental psychology, the methods for healing landscape architecture, and expanding on the principle of connection to nature in evidence-based healthcare design, healing interior environments can begin to be redefined. Using concepts of biophilic design to guide decisions for the built environment, spaces are designed to support healing through biophilic responses and connection to natural elements and systems. This thesis is meant to be viewed as a contribution towards developing evidence-based biophilic interior design solutions for healthcare environments. The interdisciplinary research and proposed guidelines are hypotheses for how to further design with nature for human well-being. They offer support and design considerations for psychological responses to nature within the interior healthcare environment. / text