This is an investigation into the daily life of a small subsistence village called Rio Blanco located in the coastal province of Manabí, Ecuador. It is focused primarily on the traditional interactions between people and nature, how these interactions sustain life and create a sense of place and identity, and how these interactions are changing under pressure from the modern world. Through participant observation, information on the various aspects of interaction with the natural environment were collected. These include subsistence horticulture in the mountains of the cloud forest, movement through the landscape, and impacts on the immediate environment. The people of Rio Blanco depend heavily on their environment for the cultivation of food, procurement of non-timber forest resources, and above all as a place to call home. The repeated, quotidian interactions with nature and the environment cultivate a sense of place and in turn a sense of identity is daily born and perpetuated. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (MA)--Florida Atlantic University, 2021. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Our world continues to undergo significant and extraordinary changes. Technology is firmly becoming embedded into society, population is steadily increasing, and a greater awareness of our fragile environment is emerging. Cities are responding. There is a reclaiming of the American downtown. Suburban USA still sprawls at alarming rates, but cities are beginnng to shed their image of havens for crime and the homeless. A more acute investigation at the neighborhood scale reveals situations more reluctant to adapt. Pieces of the urban fabric over time have been torn from their whole. Some, the result of neglect, while others are the victims of sweeping Modernist ideas that never came to fuition, leaving racial, social and economic barriers that halt the momentum of change. This thesis project, Philadelphia Public Housing: Reknitting the Urban Fabric, addreses these issues by forming a bridge between a place, with its inherent urban language and the people who inhabit that place. In an age of mass produced housing, how does one create an architecture at the urban scale that harmoniously coexists in an environment of crafted, historic housing, while embracing a standardized set of parts and assembly, maintaining integrity and promoting the building of community? / Master of Architecture

This diploma thesis is based on a project emphasizing the land art principle that creates an illusion and intervenes thus into space on grounds of a historical event or an object missing in a certain area. The practical part consists of seven land art schemes with an introduction of the concept itself and the last key concept is in addition realized on Vitkov Hill. The overall design of Vitkov area suggests park changes and ground shaping of the park itself that is also supplemented by land art enhancing historical aspects of the place. The concept focuses mainly on an oversized asphalt lane that is nowadays, with its flat shape, considered as the top of such prominent hill, the real peak is therefore missing. Having said that, the project attempts to restore its natural and imperfect appearance of the complex. Furthermore, the scorched pathway becomes due to summer season an unfriendly place to stay. As a result, the project provides a solution in form of a return to a slightly narrowed sunken lane placed under the ground level and paved with stones. Alongside the main holloway there are sand pathways for walkers and a running track so far spontaneously created in the lawn by passing runners. Asphalt lane therefore stays only one, designated especially for inline skaters. Around the aforementioned routes there are suggested both elevated and deepened spots that offer even more magnificent view. All proposed terrain changes are supposed to evoke a false impression that Vitkov hill has never been flattened, as it in present day, and one is a mere visitor passing through paths that allow visitors to embrace sense of reaching the top. Despite the fact that Vitkov hill monument is a public area having its indisputable significance, it seems to be often forgotten. Apart from the recreational purposes of the park, this green hill is also a prominent feature in Prague´s city views and, last but not least, a memorial of one of the most important battles related to the Czech history. This land art project has been involved into International Landscape Festival 2018 held in Prague and foreshadows thus the event from early stages. The project then becomes a real work of art placed in public area with an intention to accentuate the suffering in the historical battle as a painful event that should be remembered by the nation. Simultaneously, it points out at a missing tree that symbolizes ephemerality of values. Land art thus emphasizes an abstract image of growing Lilacs and Acacia trees standing against each other in the battlefield as the soldiers in Vitkov or from the present day point of view, Karlín and Žižkov. Defeated Acacia trees epitomize Crusaders fleeting away from victorious Hussites (Lilacs) down the Karlín Hill and the only thing that remains is only one fallen soldier (Accia tree) and a lot of pikes sunken in the ground. Other land art projects have much in common. For instance, they are located in cities and their surroundings known well by the author. Apart from visible aspects, they lay emphasis especially on inner connectedness expressed through an illusion. A passerby should be able to notice that there is an imperfection, in particular area, he has not spotted before. He therefore intentionally finds himself in a position where he should open his fantasy because the place is speaking to him through shades and silhouettes of an absent reality. This thesis also demonstrates how popular initiative can change the city and bring interesting ideas as in case of High Line in New York. Lastly, land art literary research provides insight not just into land art as artistic movement but also as a feature in public area commonly discussed due to its inappropriate composition. The diploma thesis focuses mainly on Czech authors.

The student centre in Stare Brno, high privacy standard of living insight of city

“Forget me not” is an introspective journey of what it means to belong to a place and can be seen as a process of dealing with the inevitable future of one day losing it. The eminent conditions of inland settlements in northern Sweden and the depopulation raises the question of what will be left behind?  The project explores how the inherent phenomenology of a rather inconspicuous place can be identified, explored, materialized and framed in order to convey its story- creating a memory that remains.  This report presents the true nature of the thesis and process. The theoretical framework on nostalgia, phenomenology of place, architecture and memories, and nostalgia support the work conducted in synthesis. The theoretical and practical explorations are interconnected and together they explore the notion of a particular place and how its characters (genius loci) can generate and inspire new ideas and architecture.

The student centre in Stare Brno, high privacy standard of living insight of city

This dissertation focuses on examining the significance of the Qatar University campus as designed by its architect Kamal El Kafrawi. The study takes on a multi-perspective view. The underlying and unifying approach is based on Amos Rapoport's concept of the meaning of the built environment. Rapoport is an architect and scholar, and founder of the field of Environment-Behavior Studies (EBS). Rapoport's early work contrasts 'high culture' design by architects that tends to be self-referential with 'vernacular' buildings by non-architects that respond and speak directly to its users.1 However, I propose to consider El Kafrawi's approach as an exemplary case of bringing both of those aspects together to create an environment that allows buildings (primarily students and faculty) to unfold layers of meaningfulness that the architect intended through a very culturally-sensitive design. This study thus seeks to unearth the meanings associated with the various spaces of the campus areas as built by El Kafrawi and as perceived by its users. The purpose of the project is to find answers to the question, "In what ways and on what basis do people react with their environments, and what meanings and character do those environments develop?"2 Rapoport stresses the meaningfulness of an environment as a key factor that allows inhabitants to feel connected to a place. Author Norberg-Schulz conceptualizes the meaningfulness of the built environment through his theory of Genius Loci as a place with meaning, identity, and history providing a phenomenal or total architectural experience. As per the author, if we consider the physical and symbolic values of the environment, it leads to engagement of human senses at a holistic level - the constructing and construing of architecture. Rapoport outlines a direct approach for the analysis and study of a built environment starting with an assumption that social and cultural factors are the most influential in a built environment. Based on the same concept, the study will critically look at the built environment as designed by El Kafrawi, whether it provides a harmonious blend of culture, traditions, religion, and technology, and whether the amalgamation gives the campus a special meaning and character worthy of the concept of genius loci. Thus, the study aims to unearth the meanings of the thoughtfully designed campus buildings to expose the underlying meaningfulness of the built environment. Rapoport has conducted various studies on the relationships between culture and architecture, notably concerning the influence of environment and behavior, leading to finding the meanings of the environment. He has sought to construct a unified theory on this subject. Rapoport's methods and views will be utilized to identify and investigate the context of this relationship. Based on Rapoport's model, the study will use a three-step approach consisting of dismantling, analyzing, and synthesizing. Firstly, the concepts of culture and the built environment will be identified and dismantled into variables and components according to Rapoport's approach. Then the relationship of these variables with the components and the relationships between the components will be analyzed. Finally, the dismantled and analyzed variables will be gathered and synthesized. Their interrelationships and their ties will be established to understand the significant linkages between forms and their cultural contexts. Integrated with this methodology, the study will look at the meanings of individual design elements from various perspectives and then their integration as a whole to form the character of the built environment. / Doctor of Philosophy / This dissertation explores the Qatar University campus and its significance as designed by architect Kamal El Kafrawi, using a multi-perspective approach based on Amos Rapoport's concept of the meaning of the built environment. Rapoport's idea is that the true meaningfulness of a building is discovered through living with it. The study aims to show how 'living with' the Qatar campus allows inhabitants of the buildings (mainly students and faculty) to unfold layers of meaningfulness that the architect intended in the design of the campus through a very culturally-sensitive design. The study seeks to unearth the meanings associated with the various spaces of the campus areas as built by El Kafrawi and as perceived by its users. The purpose of the project is to find answers to the question, "In what ways and on what basis do people react with their environments, and what meanings and character do those environments develop?" Rapoport's methods and views will be utilized to identify and investigate the context of this relationship. The study will use a three-step approach consisting of dismantling of the designed spaces of the campus, analyzing them, and synthesizing the findings to understand the significant linkages between the designed forms and their cultural contexts. Integrated with this methodology, the study will look at the meanings of these design elements from various perspectives and then their integration as a whole to form the character of the Qatar UniversityCampus. Overall, the dissertation examines how the Qatar University campus reflects a fusion of both contemporary practices and traditional culture through El Kafrawi's approach, bringing together both aspects to create an environment that reflects the meanings and character of the built environment in a culturally-sensitive way. The study aims to contribute to the understanding of the relationship between culture and architecture and how this relationship can be utilized to create a meaningful built environment.

Cette thèse cherche à éclairer les représentations textuelles du « cauchemar », non pas considéré comme un mauvais rêve, mais comme un démon d'origine médiévale. Selon les sources, cet esprit envahit la nuit la chambre de ses victimes. Ensuite, il s'installe sur elles et oppresse leurs poitrines, en provoquant la paralysie, l'étouffement et même la mort des personnes endormies. Cet acte est un motif typique des traditions folkloriques européennes. Dans la tradition gréco-romaine, l' ephialtès et l' incubus semblent agir de la même manière. Notre étude se focalise sur les textes du Moyen Âge, où une abondance de textes divers (ecclésiastiques, littéraires et médicaux) témoigne d'une affinité entre les actions du cauchemar et celles d'un ensemble d'êtres fantastiques, comme les revenants, les elfes, les nains et les sorcières. A la lumière de ces premières constatations, cette étude examine les textes médiévaux en relation avec les traditions antiques, ainsi que les traditions qui apparaissent plus tardivement en Europe. La thèse contient trois parties: dans la première, elle met en évidence un démon -archétypique, qui révèle un substrat étymologique et descriptif commun dans les différents extraits étudiés. Sa relation avec le genius loci, dont le caractère est double, bienveillant et malveillant à la fois, a un intérêt particulier. Les sources dressent le portrait d'un cauchemar qui n'est pas seulement un être démoniaque. En effet, il s'agit également d'un être qui apporte des richesses dans la demeure et à ses habitants. Dans la deuxième partie, la relation du cauchemar avec certaines divinités nocturnes de nature dualiste est démontrée, ainsi que son lien avec les Douze Jours de Noël. Finalement, dans la troisième partie, la thèse étudie un lien général qui apparaît entre le cauchemar, la sorcellerie, le cheval, le carnaval et surtout le Double et les traditions extatiques - chamaniques européennes, afin de signaler en dernier lieu de quelle manière cette entité peut combiner des caractères multiples et différents. / The present Phd Thesis sets to shed light on the topic of the “nightmare”, considered not as a bad dream as it is commonly conceptualized, but instead as a demon of medieval origin. This spirit, said to intrude a room during the night hours, usually sits and exercises pressure on the chest of the alleged victim. This particular act, causing paralysis, drowning, and at times even death to the asleep, is a constant and common narrative motive in the folk stories of Europe. In the Greco-Roman tradition, the “ephialtes” and the “incubus” seem to function in a similar fashion. During the Middle Ages (the period which this study focuses on), an abundance of texts -ecclesiastical, literary, and even medical- suggests a close connection between the nightmare's actions and various super-natural beings, such as revenants, fairies, witches, elves, and dwarves. Drawing from this evidence, this study seeks to examine these texts' relation to the traditions of antiquity, along with the relevant traditions arising later across Europe. The Phd thesis is divided into three main sub-sections: the first part focuses on the relation between different variations of the appearance of an archetypal demon, as revealed by common etymological origins and similar actions. Furthermore, descriptions of the nightmare as a genius loci of two-fold nature, both benevolent and malevolent, are explored. Along with its depiction as a demonic being, the nightmare, is frequently presented as an entity offering treasures to the household and its inhabitants. The second part brings to the forefront nightmare's relation to certain nocturnal deities of dual nature, as well as to the holy season of the Twelve Days of Christmas. During the third and last part of the thesis, I scrutinize the relationship between the nightmare and the horse, the carnival, the witchcraft, and particularly the doppelgänger and the ecstatic-shamanistic practices of Europe.

The thesis is focused on the aesthetic value of the landscape. The literature review is clarified a few important concepts that are necessary to understand the issue. The aim of this work is to capture the importance of landscape in terms of aesthetics. In this work was developed a questionnaire that was supposed to find out how the landscape is perceived by residents. Upon completion of the research, questionnaires were comprehensively evaluated and was conducted a case study on the town of Rosice. Based on the results and their mutual comparison it is possible to evaluate how the general public perceives selected landscape elements and how it operates landscape in which they live. As part of the work was also to determine which of the landscape values deemed important to preserve for future generations and identify problems that threaten the landscape around them.

PhD thesis deals with the impact of natural elements and structures in the image of the city. Topic is on the edge of urbanism, urban composition, aesthetics and landscape protection. This topic is often mentioned in relation with the identification and evaluation of landscape character. Landscape character significantly affects the urban structure of a city -- foundation of the city and functional layout; It is also reflected in the spatial and urban composition. Image of the city can be analyzed from different perspectives, just as it is possible to analyze the urban composition. Image of the city is solved by number of methodologies and PhD theses, although there are rather focused on the landscape or the town silhouette in surrounding landscape. This PhD thesis is focused on natural elements and structures in the city. So it is not about a city in a surrounding landscape but about townscape. It analyzes the image of the city and follows the methodology of Michael Hexner -- it evaluates the image of the city with regard to relationship of urban structures and natural elements with respect to their visual expression and visual appeal. Conclusions of the work define a relationship between the application of natural elements in the image of the city and its positive acceptance, perception and evaluation. The thesis is mainly focused on assessment of an aesthetic and compositional relationship of natural elements inside the city.