The thesis examines the living conditions of low-income households in Hanoi during a period of economic, social and political change. The aims are viewed in the context of rapid urbanisation. The study further considers how factors associated with low-income have affected the perceptions of respondents in regards to their domestic environments and to the environment at varying spatial levels. These perceptions are then compared to the contributions made by the State, non-governmental organisations and international donors to reveal that although information exists this rarely reaches those in low-income neighbourhoods. A number of research methods revealed that an econometric approach alone does not reveal the true characteristics or diversity of living conditions in the areas studied. Conditions varied within and between study areas highlighting the multi-dimensional nature of poverty and how, while lack of income can contribute to lack of environmental conditions, it is not the only factor. Education, political affiliation and age in particular are of crucial importance in explaining living conditions and attitudes to the environment. As a result the thesis contributes to the growing literature on sustainable urbanisation and illustrates the importance of adopting holistic and participatory approaches. By focusing on Vietnam during the 1990s, this thesis has revealed the importance of considering macro-level economic and political structures in the development of theory and policy during processes of transition.

Ubiquitous computing describes the aspirations of including information systems into the fabric of our daily lives. The emphasis of the user should be on what task needs to be achieved rather than how the system will do it. The interface of applications that are integrated into the home fabric needs to be delicate in the sense that it should give the feeling of being a part of the home rather than a piece of technology. The human computer interaction/interface needs to be cohesive with the environment people live in so as to maximise the interaction possibilities. Photographs are a very affective and efficient way of connecting people to each other. We should not forget the social role photographs have to play. The most important aspect of the picture is the story that it is trying to convey, the people in it, or the place it was taken. Emotions are a very private part of our personal life and how one displays it reflects one’s lifestyle. In recent years increasing efforts have been put into preserving emotions in photos particularly with the advent of digital cameras. Now photographs have become an important part of our lives and have significant social role as they provide an affective communication link between friends and families. This research will be looking at how people relate themselves to pictures and if we could capture their emotions and expressions to store them in a way that is representative of their feelings towards the picture. As emotions can be associated with pictures of family, friends, places, holidays, social gatherings or travel to mention some of the aspects, we will also be analysing as to how emotions change over a period of time and if it could be represented accordingly in association with digital photos. This will allow us to look into the factors, which can make digital photo sharing a more fun and enjoyable experience. This research will involve user based evaluations and a scenario based approach for modelling the photo sharing interface. The creation of photo sharing system, based on this approach, is then investigated using the method of prototyping. The research shows methods, architectures, and tools used to make the development process more efficient and help assess the viability of the system under conditions that simulate to everyday use of the photo sharing software. To generalise and communicate results, the project will seek to simulate the home environment in a laboratory setting, using prototypes based on current high-end computing devices. The .Net technologies used for rapid prototyping is introduced. The aim of this research is to provide a demonstration environment of a photo sharing software for the smart home, which will allow for Reception/Viewing/distribution of photos within the home environment. The data could incorporate Audio/Video/Text/Photos, and user input etc. The research will also help us understand various aspects of how people interact with Digital Photos, what they would like to do, how can storing photos be made simpler, annotation of pictures, how can sharing photo’s made simpler, and how we can design an application which would allow users to attach emotions to pictures. The photo sharing system will provide an effective means to receive and distribute emotional information based on personal and temporal relationships associated with photos. The research also analyses the role of human computer interaction when developing ubiquitous technologies for the smart homes where information is embedded in the environment people live in. The research will present an overview of how photo sharing systems can be developed and evaluated using prototypes and user evaluations.

The home is a physical place that provides isolation, comfort, access to essential needs on a daily basis, and it has a strong impact on a person’s life. Computational and media technologies (digital and electronic objects, devices, protocols, virtual spaces, telematics, interaction, social media, and cyberspace) become an important and vital part of the home ecology, although they have the ability to transform the domestic experience and the understanding of what a personal space is. For this reason, this work investigates the domestication of computational media technology; how objects, systems, and devices become part of the personal and intimate space of the inhabitants. To better understand the taming process, the home is studied and analysed from a range of perspectives (philosophy, sociology, architecture, art, and technology), and a methodological process is proposed for critically exploring the topic with the development of artworks, designs, and computational systems. The methodology of this research, which consists of five points (Context, Media Layers, Invisible Matter, Diffusion, and Symbiosis), suggests a procedure that is fundamental to the development and critical integration of the computationally enhanced home. Accordingly, the home is observed as an ecological system that contains numerous properties (organic, inorganic, hybrid, virtual, augmented), and is viewed on a range of scales (micro, meso and macro). To identify the “choreographies” that are formed between these properties and scales, case studies have been developed to suggest, provoke, and speculate concepts, ideas, and alternative realities of the home. Part of the speculation proposes the concept of DomoNovus (the “New Home”), where technological ubiquity supports the inhabitants’ awareness, perception, and imagination. DomoNovus intends to challenge our understanding of the domestic environment, and demonstrates a range of possibilities, threats, and limitations in relation to the future of home. This thesis, thus, presents methods, experiments, and speculations that intend to inform and inspire, as well as define creative and imaginative dimensions of the computationally-enhanced home, suggesting directions for the further understanding of the domestic life.

This research entails a close analysis of the contemporary home environment. The study of the home environment and the relationship between domestic spaces and residents is a noteworthy trend in design studies. This opens up the possibility of investigating gender influence on interior design. This study focuses on the role of women in designing living spaces’ interiors, to unveil the women's role and participation in their home environment. The main focus of this study is the design role of women in family living rooms, particularly in the context of Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia. The study articulates how women leave identity footprints on the space they have designed and used. My research indicates that the interior design of any space is more complex than simply shaping the use of space; it also reinforces the woman’s influence. The methodological framework has been structured into two main approaches: a case study approach, which involved in-depth case studies of living spaces, and an ethnographical approach, which involved in-depth interviews with middle-class housewives in their living rooms. The latter approach aimed to seek information about experiences, performances, interactions and values in the home environment, and enables identity presentation in the family living room. In addition, associated methods, such as photographic and video records, coding the living space features and visual observation of the living room were used to document every detail of the living space, to enrich data collection and unpack the environmental meanings. These mixed methods helped to understand the reality of women’s home experiences and provide a compelling portrait of women’s roles and identities within their living spaces. The main theoretical paradigms are Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity and Erving Goffman’s work on the presentation of self in social interaction, to investigate the gender roles and types of performance in the domestic living rooms. The practice of structuring the living room, furnishing and decorating the space interiors and the spatial arrangement illustrate the different circumstances in which women play their roles and have influence in distinct ways in the living rooms’ contexts. How Saudi women use the living space for their private activities and social relationships is examined, to investigate the presentation of Saudi women’s identity and position in the home and beyond. This research has explored Saudi women’s performativity through their design experience and everyday engagement with the interior space and objects within their domestic living rooms; these performances represent their priorities in various roles through which social visibility is assumed. This research has established a new understanding of what goes on behind the closed doors of Jeddah homes. It has been found that Saudi housewives (with no formal interior design education or qualifications) dominate the design of domestic interiors. A new group of designers has been identified, who need to be recognised and acknowledged. In this research context, these Saudi housewives in Jeddah are amateur homemakers and interior designers, designing their home spaces and doing the job like any other professional designers. In this case, they must be acknowledged socially.

The main focus of this work is the relationship between person and object. My initial hypothesis was that people are “creators of meaning”. It is one of our basic cognitive functions. We all need an understandable motivation to comprehend, consider and experience the everyday-life environment around us. We have all experienced a special connection with items that we own. This is also true for the subject of my analysis: luminaries. Light is the main protagonist of our life. Besides the obvious role in making us see the world around us, it has a major impact on modifying our feelings. Following deep literature research, I proposed to a selected group of volunteers a questionnaire to answer a concise but complex question: why we consider a special object that we care about. Despite this topic has been broadly analyzed in the field, it is my opinion that there is a lack of understanding about the influence that objects have on attachment bonds.  The purpose of my analysis was to understand what would make a person holding on to a lamp for all of his/her life and maybe giving it as an heirloom further on in the family. A variety of aspects related to the concept of bonding to a specific object have been identified: time, value to the person, love and care, irreplaceability, person-object interactions, an extension of self-identity, and emotions. In general, as a conclusion from my survey, I have identified three main aspects important for the person-luminaire bond:- the features of the person itself - the characteristic of a lamp in its duality - the relation bond between the two In general, people are focusing more broadly on the effect and the atmosphere created by the luminaire in the house and I can conclude that the connection is created through an important association between the psychological momentum and the home environment where they are immersed into. I finally proposed a guideline applicable to future design projects and to define the most important characteristics that an object should have to bond with a person for life.In future perspectives, an obvious implication would be to rethink our approach to design and drive professionals towards customer-oriented needs and expectations to extend the life cycle of products.

The mainstream theories of international relations (IR) can be categorized under two approaches: Cultural and Systems. Although the two approaches appear to be at the opposite ends of the spectrum, this paper aims to evaluate both approaches, and to provide a systemic approach to foreign policy: The systems thinking and culture (STC). STC attempts to incorporate domestic culture, a unit-level force, in analyzing states’ behavior in the international system, while still preserving the structure, as emphasized in systemic theories like neorealism. The STC model shows how the domestic culture as a unit-level force, and the structure as a systems-level force, can shape a state’s behavior and policies in the international political system.

Les risques liés à l’environnement immédiat, notamment le manque d’accès à l’eau potable, à l’assainissement, à un logement décent et à un milieu de vie sain constituent un des facteurs à l’origine de la mauvaise santé des enfants de moins de cinq ans dans les pays en développement. Les objectifs principaux poursuivis dans cette recherche sont de mesurer l’influence de ces risques de l’environnement immédiat sur la prévalence des symptômes des troubles oculaires et celle des symptômes des troubles cutanés chez les enfants de moins de cinq ans à Ouagadougou et de rechercher les autres déterminants sous-jacents de la prévalence de ces symptômes dans cette ville. Nous utilisons les données de l’enquête réalisée en février 2010 sur l’état de santé et le comportement sanitaire associé aux maladies et symptômes récents et les données sur les événements démographiques et sur les conditions de vie des ménages collectées en mai 2009 durant le round 1 de l’enquête ménage. L’échantillon de l’étude est constitué de 950 enfants issus de 736 ménages sélectionnés aléatoirement dans cinq quartiers périphériques de la ville de Ouagadougou. Nous avons recouru à l’analyse descriptive fondée sur les tableaux croisés et les tests du chi-2, et à l’analyse de la régression logistique multivariée ayant permis d’étudier les risques relatifs de la survenue desdits symptômes. L’analyse descriptive montre que certaines variables de l’environnement immédiat, en l’occurrence le mode d’évacuation des ordures ménagères, le type de toilette utilisé le plus souvent par la plupart des membres du ménage et le type de quartier de résidence, sont associés à la prévalence des troubles oculaires. Mais une analyse approfondie à l’aide de la régression logistique multivariée n’a confirmé que l’effet du type de quartier de résidence. Concernant la prévalence des symptômes des troubles cutanés, en analyse bi-variée, les variables de l’environnement immédiat qui y sont associées sont la nature du sol intérieur et le mode d’évacuation des eaux usées. L’analyse multivariée semble confirmer les effets de ces variables. Nous avons relevé quelques limites des données utilisées, notamment la faible taille de l’échantillon, la non-confirmation par voie médicale des données sanitaires et le caractère transversal desdites données. Toutefois, les résultats trouvés pourront être utiles aux planificateurs et décideurs qui ont la charge de la gestion de l’espace urbain dans le but de mieux concevoir de nouvelles politiques urbaines mettant l’accent sur la restructuration des quartiers précaires afin de mieux combattre les maladies évitables. En conclusion, en tenant compte des limites relevées, il serait utile de procéder à d’autres investigations afin de tirer des conclusions moins sujettes à débat du point de vue méthodologique. / Risks related to domestic environment, including a lack of access to safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation, poor housing conditions and an unhealthy environment are some of the factors that can explain the poor health of young children in developing countries. The main goals of this research are to assess the influence of such local environmental risks on the prevalence of symptoms of eye and skin diseases among children aged under five and to examine the effects of other possible determinants of these problems in Ouagadougou, capital city of Burkina Faso. Data are from a survey conducted in February 2010 that collected information on the health status and behaviors associated with recent disease episodes; these are linked to data collected in May 2009 by an earlier round of the Ouagadougou DSS on demographic events and the living conditions of households. Our sample consists of 950 children from 736 randomly selected households in five suburbs of the city. The descriptive analysis (cross-tabulations and chi-2 tests) showed that several variables of domestic environment, namely the waste disposal, the type of toilet used by the members of the household and the type of neighborhood are associated with the prevalence of the symptoms of eye diseases. The multivariate analysis using multivariate logistic regressions, however, confirmed only the effect of neighborhood type – zoned versus spontaneous settlements. Concerning the skin diseases, the descriptive analysis indicated that the only aspects of the domestic environment that are associated with their symptoms are the type of floor in the living union and the method of household waste disposal. The multivariate analysis confirmed the significant effects of these variables on children’s health. We note some limitations of the data used, including the relatively small size of the sample, the fact that disease symptoms were reported by the children’s guardians and not verified by doctors, and the cross-sectional nature of the data. The data however do provide unusual information on the domestic living environment and are of relatively good quality. The results of the study may be useful to planners and decision makers who are responsible for the management of urban space, in order to improve the design of policies aiming to improve the structure and living conditions in precarious (spontaneous, non-zoned) neighborhoods to better fight preventable diseases. That said, further research is needed to attain stronger conclusions that are based on larger data sets that are less subject to possible self-reporting inaccuracies.

Les risques liés à l’environnement immédiat, notamment le manque d’accès à l’eau potable, à l’assainissement, à un logement décent et à un milieu de vie sain constituent un des facteurs à l’origine de la mauvaise santé des enfants de moins de cinq ans dans les pays en développement. Les objectifs principaux poursuivis dans cette recherche sont de mesurer l’influence de ces risques de l’environnement immédiat sur la prévalence des symptômes des troubles oculaires et celle des symptômes des troubles cutanés chez les enfants de moins de cinq ans à Ouagadougou et de rechercher les autres déterminants sous-jacents de la prévalence de ces symptômes dans cette ville. Nous utilisons les données de l’enquête réalisée en février 2010 sur l’état de santé et le comportement sanitaire associé aux maladies et symptômes récents et les données sur les événements démographiques et sur les conditions de vie des ménages collectées en mai 2009 durant le round 1 de l’enquête ménage. L’échantillon de l’étude est constitué de 950 enfants issus de 736 ménages sélectionnés aléatoirement dans cinq quartiers périphériques de la ville de Ouagadougou. Nous avons recouru à l’analyse descriptive fondée sur les tableaux croisés et les tests du chi-2, et à l’analyse de la régression logistique multivariée ayant permis d’étudier les risques relatifs de la survenue desdits symptômes. L’analyse descriptive montre que certaines variables de l’environnement immédiat, en l’occurrence le mode d’évacuation des ordures ménagères, le type de toilette utilisé le plus souvent par la plupart des membres du ménage et le type de quartier de résidence, sont associés à la prévalence des troubles oculaires. Mais une analyse approfondie à l’aide de la régression logistique multivariée n’a confirmé que l’effet du type de quartier de résidence. Concernant la prévalence des symptômes des troubles cutanés, en analyse bi-variée, les variables de l’environnement immédiat qui y sont associées sont la nature du sol intérieur et le mode d’évacuation des eaux usées. L’analyse multivariée semble confirmer les effets de ces variables. Nous avons relevé quelques limites des données utilisées, notamment la faible taille de l’échantillon, la non-confirmation par voie médicale des données sanitaires et le caractère transversal desdites données. Toutefois, les résultats trouvés pourront être utiles aux planificateurs et décideurs qui ont la charge de la gestion de l’espace urbain dans le but de mieux concevoir de nouvelles politiques urbaines mettant l’accent sur la restructuration des quartiers précaires afin de mieux combattre les maladies évitables. En conclusion, en tenant compte des limites relevées, il serait utile de procéder à d’autres investigations afin de tirer des conclusions moins sujettes à débat du point de vue méthodologique. / Risks related to domestic environment, including a lack of access to safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation, poor housing conditions and an unhealthy environment are some of the factors that can explain the poor health of young children in developing countries. The main goals of this research are to assess the influence of such local environmental risks on the prevalence of symptoms of eye and skin diseases among children aged under five and to examine the effects of other possible determinants of these problems in Ouagadougou, capital city of Burkina Faso. Data are from a survey conducted in February 2010 that collected information on the health status and behaviors associated with recent disease episodes; these are linked to data collected in May 2009 by an earlier round of the Ouagadougou DSS on demographic events and the living conditions of households. Our sample consists of 950 children from 736 randomly selected households in five suburbs of the city. The descriptive analysis (cross-tabulations and chi-2 tests) showed that several variables of domestic environment, namely the waste disposal, the type of toilet used by the members of the household and the type of neighborhood are associated with the prevalence of the symptoms of eye diseases. The multivariate analysis using multivariate logistic regressions, however, confirmed only the effect of neighborhood type – zoned versus spontaneous settlements. Concerning the skin diseases, the descriptive analysis indicated that the only aspects of the domestic environment that are associated with their symptoms are the type of floor in the living union and the method of household waste disposal. The multivariate analysis confirmed the significant effects of these variables on children’s health. We note some limitations of the data used, including the relatively small size of the sample, the fact that disease symptoms were reported by the children’s guardians and not verified by doctors, and the cross-sectional nature of the data. The data however do provide unusual information on the domestic living environment and are of relatively good quality. The results of the study may be useful to planners and decision makers who are responsible for the management of urban space, in order to improve the design of policies aiming to improve the structure and living conditions in precarious (spontaneous, non-zoned) neighborhoods to better fight preventable diseases. That said, further research is needed to attain stronger conclusions that are based on larger data sets that are less subject to possible self-reporting inaccuracies.

‘Net Positive Water’ explores the capability of domestic architecture to combat the developing urban water problem. Urban intensification is contributing to the volatility of urban waters and the breakdown of the urban water cycle. Inhabitant water misuse and overconsumption is overwhelming aging municipal utilities, resulting in the decay of urban water quality. LEEDTM and The Living Building Challenge are recognized Green Building Guidelines prescribing sustainable site and building water standards. Case Studies of domestic Green Building projects will showcase water conservation to enable domestic water renewal. Net Zero Water Guidelines based on the Green Building Guidelines outline Potable and Non-Potable water use to achieve a sustainable volume of water demand at 70 litres per capita per day. Sustainable water practices are encouraged by utilizing domestic building systems to increase water value and water awareness. Time-of-Use and Choice-of-Use exposure for household water related tasks establish water savings through the use of best-performing water fixtures and appliances. Net Positive Water Guidelines will establish On-site and Building standards for sustainable harvesting and storage of water resources. Clean and Dirty water management will prescribe Passive design and Active mechanical processes to maintain best-available water quality in the urban domestic environment. Net Positive Water building typology will integrate urban inhabitation as a functional component of the urban water cycle to use, reuse, and renew water resources. The method will be tested using a Mid-rise Pilot project to deploy the necessary Passive and Active mechanisms to generate Net Positive Water quality through Net Zero Water sustainable water use. The pilot project is situated in Waterfront Toronto - The Lower Don Lands development to harness regional interests for water renewal and environmental revitalization.

‘Net Positive Water’ explores the capability of domestic architecture to combat the developing urban water problem. Urban intensification is contributing to the volatility of urban waters and the breakdown of the urban water cycle. Inhabitant water misuse and overconsumption is overwhelming aging municipal utilities, resulting in the decay of urban water quality. LEEDTM and The Living Building Challenge are recognized Green Building Guidelines prescribing sustainable site and building water standards. Case Studies of domestic Green Building projects will showcase water conservation to enable domestic water renewal. Net Zero Water Guidelines based on the Green Building Guidelines outline Potable and Non-Potable water use to achieve a sustainable volume of water demand at 70 litres per capita per day. Sustainable water practices are encouraged by utilizing domestic building systems to increase water value and water awareness. Time-of-Use and Choice-of-Use exposure for household water related tasks establish water savings through the use of best-performing water fixtures and appliances. Net Positive Water Guidelines will establish On-site and Building standards for sustainable harvesting and storage of water resources. Clean and Dirty water management will prescribe Passive design and Active mechanical processes to maintain best-available water quality in the urban domestic environment. Net Positive Water building typology will integrate urban inhabitation as a functional component of the urban water cycle to use, reuse, and renew water resources. The method will be tested using a Mid-rise Pilot project to deploy the necessary Passive and Active mechanisms to generate Net Positive Water quality through Net Zero Water sustainable water use. The pilot project is situated in Waterfront Toronto - The Lower Don Lands development to harness regional interests for water renewal and environmental revitalization.