Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes special report study entitled : Perception of open space in public architecture. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Thesis (M. Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Cover title: Gathering space environment. Includes bibliographical references.

The project is a new city hall for the city of Lethbridge, Alberta, intended to replace the current building which was outgrown over twenty years ago, forcing several departments and city council to be housed in separate buildings. Past proposals for a new city hall have been confined to the current location in the Civic Centre, located on the periphery of the central business district. The primary objective of this project, however, was to create a city hall that was a successful public building, functioning not only as a setting for civic functions and ceremonies, but also as a place of everyday gatherings and activities that would contribute to the vitality of the city. For this reason a site was chosen downtown, on a block across from Gait Gardens, a park that at one time was the early coal mining settlement's town square. Once the commercial centre of the city, the blocks around Gait Gardens contain many heritage buildings, including the original city hall building. As retail activity moved to other locations the area and the park went into general decline. The block chosen as the site was cleared in 1965 and is currently occupied by a supermarket and a parking lot. In recent years the City of Lethbridge has made plans to reestablish Gait Gardens as the heart of the downtown area. Part of this strategy includes a radical redesign of the park itself which destroys much of its original formal plan. Locating an important public building, like City Hall, adjacent to the park would be a positive contribution to the revival of the area. City offices wrap around a wind-sheltered courtyard and large interior public space in order to fill up the block and to allow the building to come out to the street. The original twenty-five foot lot lines that ran east-west across the site govern the location and dimensions of major building elements. A tower, housing chimes and wind driven panels, marks the ceremonial entrance facing the park. A restaurant and small retail outlet are located along the west side of the building to support activity outside city hall hours. The southeast corner of Gait Gardens is redesigned to become a public plaza. Its main feature is a square reflecting pool and skating rink that corresponds exactly to the dimensions of the city hall courtyard. The park otherwise retains its original character and layout.

Urban history is a topic which has been seriously neglected by historians who prefer to concentrate on the more glamorous intrigues of kings, queens, power brokers, and wars between countries. Yet, while the monarchs of Europe were fighting wars, the average person was moving off the farm, into the city and, in the process, forever altering the course of history.Particularly scant is the information we have about life in early German towns. Not only has little been done to explore this subject, but most of the research that has been done has been written in German, with little being translated into English.For my creative project, I will examine life in early German towns by researching the role that the townhall (Rathaus) played in the life of the city. This will be especially significant because next-to-nothing has been written in English about the fascinating role of the German Rathaus. Therefore, much of the research, of necessity, will be of German language sources.The Rathaus, hundreds of which dot the German countryside centuries after their construction, was a multi-purpose structure which served as a governmental and judicial center for the town, as well as a mercantile and social center. The creative project will examine the diverse and important role that this unique building played in the life of the medieval German city. In doing so, we will also come to a better understanding of life in the medieval city, an entity which Fritz Rorig describes in The Medieval Town as "one of the most important impulses in world history."(1) / Department of Urban Planning

Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Special report entitled : Gathering space environment. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

The project is a new city hall for the city of Lethbridge, Alberta, intended to replace the current building which was outgrown over twenty years ago, forcing several departments and city council to be housed in separate buildings. Past proposals for a new city hall have been confined to the current location in the Civic Centre, located on the periphery of the central business district. The primary objective of this project, however, was to create a city hall that was a successful public building, functioning not only as a setting for civic functions and ceremonies, but also as a place of everyday gatherings and activities that would contribute to the vitality of the city. For this reason a site was chosen downtown, on a block across from Gait Gardens, a park that at one time was the early coal mining settlement's town square. Once the commercial centre of the city, the blocks around Gait Gardens contain many heritage buildings, including the original city hall building. As retail activity moved to other locations the area and the park went into general decline. The block chosen as the site was cleared in 1965 and is currently occupied by a supermarket and a parking lot. In recent years the City of Lethbridge has made plans to reestablish Gait Gardens as the heart of the downtown area. Part of this strategy includes a radical redesign of the park itself which destroys much of its original formal plan. Locating an important public building, like City Hall, adjacent to the park would be a positive contribution to the revival of the area. City offices wrap around a wind-sheltered courtyard and large interior public space in order to fill up the block and to allow the building to come out to the street. The original twenty-five foot lot lines that ran east-west across the site govern the location and dimensions of major building elements. A tower, housing chimes and wind driven panels, marks the ceremonial entrance facing the park. A restaurant and small retail outlet are located along the west side of the building to support activity outside city hall hours. The southeast corner of Gait Gardens is redesigned to become a public plaza. Its main feature is a square reflecting pool and skating rink that corresponds exactly to the dimensions of the city hall courtyard. The park otherwise retains its original character and layout. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School of / Graduate

M.S.

This thesis grew from a curiosity to understand monumentality, form, and design in a project that is rooted in constructional development. The program is a city hall in Rockville, Maryland, in the spirit of a basilica. A city hall should act as a room for the city. This is a place for public matters to be debated, people to meet others, events to be celebrated, and ideas to be discussed. / Master of Architecture

Master of Science

This thesis has five objectives. They are as follows: (a) to present a study of the existing conditions of local government facilities within the city of Welch, West Virginia, showing the need for a new local government building and fire station; (b) to present the findings of a study made to determine the facilities needed to fulfill the requirements of the city government and fire department; (c) to present the findings of a study made to select the best available site; (d) to present a study of the possibilities of remodeling an existing building for use as a city hall and fire department; (e) to present a design of a new local government building which shall house the administrative and enforcement offices and departments of the city government, together with a fire department. This building shall be designated, “A City Hall for Welch, West Virginia.” / Master of Science