Dwelling on Thresholds reflects upon different modes of living/being, how we feel in different rooms and whom we decide to share space with. It asks how the spaces we dwell in affect our ability to access common and private spheres when needed or wanted. Along the way, tactility has come to play a big part in the work which has visually crystallized into a 30 m2 threshold curtain made up of floor plans of all apartments I have lived in over the past 10 years. An abstract information graphics with textures and colour nuances reflecting levels of well-being, alienation and moods in-between. The accompanying publication investigates our constructed environment as well as modes of thinking and dwelling in ‘the common’.

This thesis reinterprets the architectural implications of Heidegger’s concept of dwelling. In particular it stresses the importance of the concept of poetry on dwelling that was outlined in ‘ ... Poetically Man Dwells ... ’. This essay from Heidegger’s late period has been less frequently quoted in the literature of the architectural profession than some of Heidegger’s more well known essays. The importance of poetry is developed in this thesis through creative practice explorations of Heidegger’s philosophy supplemented by deep textual analysis. By developing Heidegger’s concept of poetic dwelling, it is possible to reinterpret his ideas about building in richer ways than have previously been carried out in architecture. We will discover that space has a particular kind of emptiness that allows for poetic experience. Ways of building that manifest this emptiness can be considered building for dwelling. The focus on poetic dwelling unravels previous architectural interpretations of Heidegger’s concept of dwelling. These interpretations tend to focus on the creation of a certain type of product rather than on enabling the poetic dwelling process. Consequently, by shifting this understanding of dwelling new links can be suggested to the work of architectural writers and practitioners who hitherto have not been considered to be Heideggerian.

本研究針對住宅使用人為對象之火災保險市場作一研究，期能使住宅火災 保險市場順利採用顧客需求導向之觀念。 @ 在研究方法上，以經濟上 的供給面和需求面區分，探討問題。 在供給面，著重文獻探討，對住 宅火災保險市場潛在問題及未來發展方向作一探討。在需求面，以實證研 究方式進行。利用EKB消費者購買行為模型為骨幹，透過該模型，對社會 大眾火災保險消費者的需求進行瞭解。藉由住宅火災保險市場需求面和供 給面探討，尋求消費者的真正需求後，提出具體建議。

Background and Rationale: Falls are among the most common problems faced by elderly persons. While the physical risk factors for falls are well established, the psychosocial aspects have been largely neglected. Moreover, studies exploring the responses to falls from the individuals’ perspectives in an immigrant population are virtually non-existent. The older Chinese immigrant population is substantial and growing in the Greater Toronto Area. The cultural and immigrant-related factors that influence their responses to and recovery after a fall are important considerations as health and social care professionals develop falls prevention strategies, and provide services and care. This dissertation explored the nature of immediate and subsequent responses of community-dwelling older Chinese immigrants after falling. Method: Focussed Ethnography, as guided by elements from Critical Social Theory, was used as the research methodology. Eighteen informants over 70 years of age, living in the community who had experienced a recent fall were interviewed using a semi-structured guide developed after a detailed literature review. Thematic analysis of transcribed interviews was conducted. Results: Four major themes related to responses to falling were drawn forth from the interview data: 1) Help-seeking decisions immediately after the fall, 2) Psychological impact of the fall, 3) Care and support networks, and 4) Learning from the fall. Discussion: The psychosocial responses supported a “blended” explanatory model of illness. Respondents appeared to adhere to both Western medical models and traditional Chinese explanatory model depending on the severity of the fall injuries. Also, the roots of Chinese culture in the blended traditions and philosophies of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism appear to be the foundation for many of the beliefs and attitudes expressed in this study, and these beliefs and attitudes in turn influence how Chinese fallers experience falling. The wide range of psychosocial responses also illustrated the complexity of the Andersen’s Behavioural model for health services use and its potential to explain the different types of services an older Chinese immigrant may need post-fall. Conclusions: Findings from this study provided key, previously unexplored insights into the cultural and immigrant-related factors that influence the psychosocial experience, vulnerability and care-seeking behaviours of older Chinese immigrants following a fall.

Background and Rationale: Falls are among the most common problems faced by elderly persons. While the physical risk factors for falls are well established, the psychosocial aspects have been largely neglected. Moreover, studies exploring the responses to falls from the individuals’ perspectives in an immigrant population are virtually non-existent. The older Chinese immigrant population is substantial and growing in the Greater Toronto Area. The cultural and immigrant-related factors that influence their responses to and recovery after a fall are important considerations as health and social care professionals develop falls prevention strategies, and provide services and care. This dissertation explored the nature of immediate and subsequent responses of community-dwelling older Chinese immigrants after falling. Method: Focussed Ethnography, as guided by elements from Critical Social Theory, was used as the research methodology. Eighteen informants over 70 years of age, living in the community who had experienced a recent fall were interviewed using a semi-structured guide developed after a detailed literature review. Thematic analysis of transcribed interviews was conducted. Results: Four major themes related to responses to falling were drawn forth from the interview data: 1) Help-seeking decisions immediately after the fall, 2) Psychological impact of the fall, 3) Care and support networks, and 4) Learning from the fall. Discussion: The psychosocial responses supported a “blended” explanatory model of illness. Respondents appeared to adhere to both Western medical models and traditional Chinese explanatory model depending on the severity of the fall injuries. Also, the roots of Chinese culture in the blended traditions and philosophies of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism appear to be the foundation for many of the beliefs and attitudes expressed in this study, and these beliefs and attitudes in turn influence how Chinese fallers experience falling. The wide range of psychosocial responses also illustrated the complexity of the Andersen’s Behavioural model for health services use and its potential to explain the different types of services an older Chinese immigrant may need post-fall. Conclusions: Findings from this study provided key, previously unexplored insights into the cultural and immigrant-related factors that influence the psychosocial experience, vulnerability and care-seeking behaviours of older Chinese immigrants following a fall.

What is home, and why are we drawn to spaces which elicit this feeling within us? Why is it that we are immediately able to achieve a type of rapport with some spaces, while others remain indifferent to us? What is it about home that makes it such a special place? These are questions that would give pause to many designers. We spend so much time learning about the history of architecture, the science of buildings, and the economics of development, but how many of us can say with certainty that they can make a space in which an individual will feel at home? Can we tell our clients, in no uncertain terms, that we know how to make their lives better through design? The thesis seeks to establish the importance of the concept of home to our development as individuals and our ongoing psychological and physical well being, as well as demonstrate the connection between what recent psychological study has found to make us feel comfortable or “at home”, and factors over which architects hold sway. While previously thought of as ethereal, the feeling and space of home are too important to continue to allow their creation be left to chance. Research, both empirical and otherwise has granted us knowledge of how individuals communicate with spaces, and we are thus able to create spaces which will be more in tune with our entire being. It is our responsibility to use this knowledge to the benefit of our clients and the credibility of our profession.

What is home, and why are we drawn to spaces which elicit this feeling within us? Why is it that we are immediately able to achieve a type of rapport with some spaces, while others remain indifferent to us? What is it about home that makes it such a special place? These are questions that would give pause to many designers. We spend so much time learning about the history of architecture, the science of buildings, and the economics of development, but how many of us can say with certainty that they can make a space in which an individual will feel at home? Can we tell our clients, in no uncertain terms, that we know how to make their lives better through design? The thesis seeks to establish the importance of the concept of home to our development as individuals and our ongoing psychological and physical well being, as well as demonstrate the connection between what recent psychological study has found to make us feel comfortable or “at home”, and factors over which architects hold sway. While previously thought of as ethereal, the feeling and space of home are too important to continue to allow their creation be left to chance. Research, both empirical and otherwise has granted us knowledge of how individuals communicate with spaces, and we are thus able to create spaces which will be more in tune with our entire being. It is our responsibility to use this knowledge to the benefit of our clients and the credibility of our profession.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur fallfrekvensen var fördelad mellan män och kvinnor, hur antalet fall var fördelade i åldersgrupperna över respektive under 80 år, när de flesta fallolyckor i det egna hemmet inträffade och om fallen medförde några konsekvenser.Studien var en retrospektiv registerstudie och inkluderade fall hos personer i eget boende med trygghetslarm och/eller hjälp av nattpatrull. Fallolyckorna registrerades på ett instrument som var speciellt utvecklat för projektet. Data från en sex månaders studie med totalt 510 fall av 213 individer analyserades. Resultatet visade att det var främst äldre personer över 80 år som föll och som hamnade på sjukhus. Fallen inträffade oftast förmiddagar och eftermiddagar. Få fall inträffade mellan klockan 00-09. Kvinnorna föll framförallt under december månad. Antal fall som ledde till sjukhusvård var 4.5 % och av dessa var nästan alla individer över 80 år och flertalet var kvinnor. Av de fall som ledde till sjukhusvård inträffade 39 % vid första och enda fallet. Då många vårdtagare föll ett flertal gånger och antalet fall kunde vara mycket högt bör de fallförebyggande åtgärderna ses över. Downton fallriskindex skulle kunna vara ett komplement till övriga fallpreventioner i hemmet. Studien ger användbar data med möjlighet att till exempel utforma hemtjänstens schema utifrån studieresultatet och på så sätt minska antalet fallolyckor i hemmen.

The spatial distribution and monthly fluctuation of beetle species were studied in the experimental forests of Liu-Kuei Station, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Taiwan. Beetles were surveyed using pitfall traps from January to December, 2004. Our result showed that species richness, abundance and Shannon diversity of beetles were significant higher in Natural Forest than those of the others, and species richness and abundance were lowest in Taiwania Plantation. The composition and trophic structure of beetle community in the Thinning Plantation resulting from thinning were compared with that in the Taiwania Plantation and natural forest. Beetles communities of Natural Forest, Taiwania Plantation and Thinning Plantation were separated from each other by ordination (PCA), meaning three forest stands have distinct species assemblages. The three group assemblages were also revealed by cluster analysis. The ground-surface air humidity, litter litter depth and herbs cover were major environment factors influencing the beetle distribution. The relative size of trophic guilds in the Thinning Plantation has changed compared to Taiwania Plantation. Detritivores increased significantly in the Thinning Plantation, suggested an increase of nutrient-cycle in the Plantation. Eight dominant beetle families that were Carabidae, Scarabaeidae, Curculionidae, Staphylinidae, Scydmaenidae, Erotylidae, Nitidulidae and Biphyllidae showed different pattern of population fluctuation. The peak mainly from March to June, and Curculionidae, Scarabaeidae, Nitidulidae also show a moderate peak in August and September. In the two plantation areas, most dominant taxa showed a similarly fluctuation patterns, which are slightly different to those of Natural Forest.

ABSTRACT RESTORATION PROJECT OF IBRAHIM SAHIN HOUSE IN SOGUKPINAR DISTRICT, BEYHAMAM STREET, NO 41, TOKAT &Ouml / nal, Ilgin M.S. in Restoration, Department of Architecture Supervisor: Prof. Dr. N. G&uuml / l Asatekin July 2010, 329 pages The subject of thesis is to prepare the restoration project of a traditional Anatolian dwelling in Tokat. As being a representative of traditional historic background of Tokat, Ibrahim Sahin Dwelling is aimed to be rehabilitated at first and revitalized then by refunctioning. Within the context of the study, existing situation of the dwelling and its nearby environment is documented in detail. Graphical presentation of the dwelling is supported by verbal descriptions and analysis of the existing situation. The dwelling is then compared with other examples found at nearby site within its historical background. This information provided a basis for restitution stage and evaluated in restoration chapter then. The study is ended up with a restoration project including intervention decisions aiming both conservation of physical existence, revealing out of the authentic features of the dwelling and the sustainability of it within traditional historic framework by an assigned function.