The word "vecindad" in Spanish means neighborhood, but the word is also used to describe a dwelling form. The vecindad is usually known as a row of one-room dwellings surrounding an open space or patio. This kind of dwelling form exists in most Latin American countries as well as in Spain, however the word "vecindad" is used exclusively in Mexico. This dwelling form existed in Spain under the name of "corrales" and it was brought to Mexico in the XVI century with the Conquest of 1521. Initially, vecindades were built as multi-family tenements to rent to low-income artisans or workers in Mexico. There are two kinds: the multi-storied ones which were built within the Traza, which was the first design of Mexico City by the Spaniards; and the one-storied buildings built in the Indian barrios located on the periphery of the Traza. / While each vecindad is different, they share the same elements such as the zahuan (entrance), the patio, the dwellings and the accesorias (commercial spaces). The number and dimensions of these elements vary depending on the characteristics of each vecindad. / From the XVI century until the early XX century, vecindades comprised the majority of the housing stock in Mexico City. In the 1940's, due to the ideas of Functionalism, vecindades ceased to be built and were relegated as an old and traditional dwelling form in the center of the city. / This thesis presents the origin, evolution and present condition of vecindades within the Traza of Mexico City. Their adaptability to fulfill social, cultural and political circumstances throughout the history of Mexico City reveals their importance as the city's main collective urban dwelling form.

China has become one of the world’s economic engines. One major driving force is the rapid urbanization. Such fast development results in resource and energy depletion, pollution and environmental deterioration. The government has recently endorsed green buildings and urged ministries to work out a national action plan. It is predicted that green building will be the next big thing in China. But before importing any foreign green technology and green designs, is there something to be learned from the Chinese ancestors? In the long history of China, the Chinese have always employed a system of construction with the influences of geography, climate, culture, philosophy, economy and politics deeply rooted in China, making the Chinese traditional architecture distinct. Embedded in the formation of the city, siheyuan 四合院, the courtyard house in Beijing was one exceptional dwelling example that inherited the quintessence of the thousand years of building experiences and knowledge of the ancestors. This traditional urban type not only celebrated the rich and unique cultural heritage of China, it also played an important role in maximizing the natural forces to create a pleasant and comfortable environment for living. Population growth, political and economic reforms over time however have drastically changed the fate of this historical heritage. Especially under the pressure of the fast development and economic boom after the introduction of the Open Door Policy in 1978, the traditional courtyards were the first to be demolished due to the lack of modern facilities and the inability to accommodate the growing population. They were often replaced by apartment blocks and high-rise towers – imported types based on planning regulations developed in the West, outside the cultural and environmental milieu of Beijing. As a result, the city is now filled with many energy intensive buildings that eat away both the “city’s essence” and the valuable natural resources. With the current policy and ambition of China, the teardown courtyard sites within the old city wall that are still waiting for development offer the potential to address the remediation and reinterpretation of the traditional typology in a contemporary city. The thesis investigates the essences of the traditional courtyard house and explores the way to apply such qualities to the design of a new courtyard typology in contemporary Beijing. The proposal anticipates a holistic approach on both environmental, social, cultural and economic level, so as to carry out preservation that manifests in experience rather than physical restoration, and to create a project that is truly sustainable.

Diploma thesis describes the design and assessment of the roof structure that covers the courtyard of office buildings. Structure has a regular floor plan and roof height is 15,0 m. The material if the structure is steel S355, bolts 8.8., steel of the pins is S355. Construction is located in Brno. Two options were produced and designed, evaluated according to the latest standards.

Sammanfattning Vad är en transformation, och vad den kan vara? Hur kan en strategi för hur man kan förhålla sig till transformationsprojekt se ut? Jag har definierat det som att en transformation handlar om att ta en befintlig byggnad och införa ett nytt program som skapar en ny verklighet. Det kan finnas flera anledningar till att göra en transformation istället för att bygga nytt. Den viktigaste anledningen som jag har valt att arbeta med handlar om att fånga upp de värden som finns i en byggnad och få med sig dem och bygga vidare på dem istället för att skapa helt andra värden. Värden är saker som yta, volym, rumshöjd, ljusförhållanden, material och detaljer. Det är saker som de gjutna betongtrapporna och de speciella fönsterpartierna i byggnaden. För mig är det detta som är själva idén och meningen med en transformation. För värdena som bevaras knyter an till historien och bär och bevarar minnen och identiteter. De skapar en kontinuitet i byggnadens berättelse. I en transformation uppkommer en mängd stora konflikter eftersom det nya programmet efterfrågar värden som byggnaden saknar. Hur man väljer att lösa dessa konflikter är det mest kritiska och svåraste i en transformation. Jag gör transformationen i två steg. Det första steget går ut på att definiera så mycket värden som möjligt och försöka få med dem in i det nya programmet samtidigt som jag bortser något från helheten. Boendena fanns där sedan tidigare, för mig handlade det bara om att isolera värdena och föra med dem in i det nya programmet. Jag har behållit så mycket av det befintliga som möjligt för att hålla värdena intakta och bara lagt till väggar för att avgränsa lägenheterna. Det jag då får är väldigt speciella boenden, många har egna ingångar, breder ut sig i två plan och har ljusinsläpp från två håll. Det här är ett säkert och relativt enkelt sätt att bevara värden. När dessa bevarade boenden är definierade uppkommer de svåra konflikterna som också gör transformationen så pass intressant. Ytorna som är kvar efter att jag lagt ut dessa behållna boenden är svåra att skapa bra boenden ifrån. Jag tror att det är viktigt att tilläggen som måste till i en transformation anknyter till byggnaden som var. Annars är risken stor att värdena som fanns förstörs. Anknytning handlar för mig om att det nya tar upp saker som rumsliga koncept, formmässiga, materialmässiga eller strukturella koncept. Innergårdarna som finns där idag används dåligt. Egentligen är innergårdar något fantastiskt. De drar inte bara in solljus utan även skugga, regn, snö, ljud, växtlighet, insekter och fåglar djupt in i en byggnadsvolym. Därför har jag valt att utveckla de innergårdar som redan finns genom att lägga till några fler. I och runt kring skolan finns också flera platsgjutna betongtrappor. För att skapa förbindelser har jag lagt till nya liknande trappor. En bra transformation skapar förutsättningar för ett nytt behov samtidigt som den behåller de viktigaste värdena i en byggnad och bygger vidare på identiteten istället för att förstöra den. Min strategi för transformationer i två steg handlar om att först få med sig vissa speciella värden in i ett nytt program utan att ta hänsyn till byggnaden som helhet. Därefter skapas ett tillägg som relaterar till det befintliga men samtidigt löser de konflikter som alltid uppkommer vid en transformation. Resultatet i det här fallet är boenden som är väldigt speciella jämfört med boenden som normalt byggs idag. Det är inga typlägenheter utan boendena som skapas har ytor, volymer, detaljer och andra egenskaper som nybyggda boenden sällan har. / Abstract What is a transformation, and what could it be? How could a strategy for how to approach a transformation project look? I have defined a transformation as the act of taking an existing building and inserting a new program that creates a new reality. There can be many reasons to do a transformation instead of building something new. The most important reason that I have chosen to work with is about capturing the qualities or values that exists in a building and bring them into the new reality and build on them instead of creating whole different values. Values in this case are things like surface area, volumes, height, light conditions, material and details. It is things like the cast concrete stairs and the very special windows in some parts of the building. To me this is the core idea and purpose of any transformation. Because the values that are kept ties the present to the history, and carries and keeps memories and identities. They create continuity in the story of the building. In a transformation a number of mayor conflicts arise because the new program demands values that the existing building lacks. How you chose to solve these conflicts is the most critical and most difficult aspect of any transformation. My transformation is done two steps. The first step is about identifying as much values as possible and trying to bring them into the new program while overlooking the whole. The dwelling was there already, all I had to do was isolate the values and bring them in to the new program. I have kept as much of the existing material as possible to keep the values intact and only added walls to define the new apartments. The result is very particular dwellings; a lot of them have their own entrances, they are spreading out both horizontally and vertically and have sunlight from two directions. This is a safe and rather easy way of keeping values. When these kept dwellings are defined the more difficult conflicts arises that makes the transformation so interesting. The surface areas that remain after I have laid out these kept dwellings are hard to create good dwellings from. I think it’s important that the additions that has to be made in a transformation relates to the building that used to be. Otherwise there´s a great risk that the existing values are destroyed. Relation for me is about picking up things like spatial concepts and concepts relating to form, material or structure. The courtyards that exist today are rarely in use. Courtyards are actually something amazing. They don’t only retract sunlight but also shadow, rain, snow, sounds, foliage, bugs and birds deep into a building. Therefore I have chosen to develop the courtyards that already exists by adding some more. In and around the school there are also several stairs in cast concrete. To create connections I’ve added new similar stairs.   A good transformation creates the conditions needed for a new demand, while keeping the most important values in a building and adds to the identity instead of destroying it.   My strategy for transformations in two steps is about first bringing certain special values into a new program without considering the building as a whole. Afterwards an addition is created which relates to the existing while solving the conflicts that always arise when doing a transformation. The result in this case is dwellings that are very particular compared to the dwellings which are usually built today. They are not standard flats but dwellings with surface areas, volumes, details and other characteristics that newly built dwellings rarely has.

Following the surrounding local urban structure I have designed the block structure of buildings. One of the blocks were chosen for polyfunctional building that include mix of urban dwellings – shopping floor in ground floor and offices in the second floor. These functions are supplemented by three floors of rent apartments, senior living and apartments in public ownership. The central part of building is courtyard surrounded by porch, terraces and balconies.

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Even if the courtyard as a specific area lacks a clear description within PBL, there is a relatively unified view of what the courtyard is within research and academic work. The view of the courtyard as an extension of the living room has been repeated by several and suggests that the courtyard is a place that should accommodate and enable uses connected to the home. This common meaning is not only valid for our time but also historically. The Swedish courtyards have throughout history been marked as a compiling surface for what the home was unable to provide as well as being an insight into the spirit of the times. In a period where we live more isolated from our neighbors, the social context has changed, and the purpose of courtyards has become increasingly blurred.Based on three selected study areas, this paper aims to examine, from a planning perspective, the role of the Swedish courtyards in society and how they are used and can be used to fulfill more sustainable cities. Results show a generally passive attitude to the design of today's courtyards, where its outcome relies heavily on the developers' implementation. The result also shows the importance of creating spatiality, perceived emotions, and assets within the courtyard already during the planning stage in order to not only be able to offer attractive courtyards, but also sustainable environments within cities in a metropolitan environment. / Även om bostadsgården som specifik yta saknar tydlig skildring inom plan- och bygglagen (PBL) finns det inom forskning och verk en relativt enad syn på vad bostadsgården faktiskt är. Synen på bostadsgården som en förlängning av hemmet är en skildring som återkommer, vilken står för uppfattningen att gården är en plats som ska tillgodose och möjliggöra användning som är kopplat till hemmet. Denna gemensamma bild är inte bara giltig för vår tid utan även historiskt. Utöver att bostadsgårdar under historien utgjort en kompletterande yta till hemmet har de vidare speglat, och därmed även gett en insyn i, tidens anda. I en period där vi lever mer isolerat från våra grannar har gården som en självklar social yta ändrats och bostadsgårdars syfte har blivit alltmer suddigt. Baserat på tre utvalda studieområden har denna studie utifrån ett planeringsperspektiv undersökt bostadsgårdars roll i dagens samhälle, och hur de används och kan användas för att bidra till mer hållbara städer. Resultatet visar på en generellt passiv hållning till utformning av dagens bostadsgårdar, där utfallet till stor del överlämnas åt byggherrarna i själva genomförandefasen. Resultatet visar även på vikten att redan under planeringsskedet lägga fokus på att skapa rumslighet, planera för vilka känslor man tänker sig att bostadgården ska ge upphov till samt vilka funktioner gårdarna ska fylla. Detta för att inte bara kunna erbjuda attraktiva bostadsgårdar, utan även hållbara miljöer som en viktig beståndsdel i storstadsmiljöer.

The thesis aims to create architectural and urban proposals for the use of selected parts of the Stare Brno.

The chosen locality of the diploma project is situated in the centre of Brno, on the edge of the historical part of the city. It borders on the main green belt and the biggest city park Lužánky. The analyzed block is unique because of its oversize and its composition. However, objects in a courtyard contrasts to the representative town houses on the perimeter. They appear very unordered; it is not possible to walk through this part of the city. The secondary functions, like storages and on-ground parking, are located there. The greenness is not maintained. The objects split the courtyard into not specified and separated spaces, which are even complicated by sloping topography. Nowadays the block makes a barrier in the city structure. The main values of the courtyard are its location, size and calm atmosphere. The potential of the site is possible to use for a proposal of a high-quality dwelling complex. The proposed structure is designed on a linear base, it correspondents to the shape of the chosen site. It creates also public and semiprivate open spaces, which can serve for the new inhabitants. The simple look of the new structure seems to be in harmony with the existing buildings. Even more, the open character of the proposal cultivates the entire block and improves the city structure.

The chosen solution is based on a significant element of the axis intersecting the studied area and allows for new possibilities and throughput bottlenecks as well as the needs of indigenous residents. The new structure is compact but permeable, is one of total serenity set into court. Buildings define its own square on which the park. Living rooms are oriented to this element, as generated by the spontaneous dvorcům compared to the other, where we are going gardens. Old and new buildings mainly divided foliage, to a greater extent original. Height was chosen so that does not diaphragm the existing development and that the occupant was still in touch with events in the street. Distance from the neighboring area is sufficient for satisfactory insolation. The appearance of buildings and facades in the treatment of natural materials give a greater sense of coziness.