<p>This report is a documentation of a Master’s thesis of 20 credits performed at the educational program of Technical Product- and Production Development with Design at Halmstad University. The project is carried out in cooperation with Hafa AB in Halmstad.</p><p>The purpose of this project was to bring forth a concept of a bathroom cabinet for Hafa’s new selection Young through creative design methods. The selection is supposed to attract the younger purchaser but also a target group that dare to experiment with home furnishing and appreciates new design. This group is referred to as Young at Heart. </p><p>To satisfy the needs identified in the initial development phase a specific design process model was developed that originates from Ullman´s “The Mechanical Design Process” and Landqvist’s “Vilda idéer och djuplodande analys”. The realization of the project was performed in four parts; problem analysis phase, idea generation phase, realization phase and resulting phase.</p><p>In the design process it was included to carry out a thorough analysis of functionality, characteristics and design the bathroom cabinet should represent. Moreover, choice of material, construction details and lighting were other aspects of great importance for the mirror cabinet’s performance.</p><p>A great range of tools were used with the purpose of reaching understanding of the product, the industry and the design process. Through quantitative interviews with the target group and the staff at Hafa, benchmarking and trend analysis, valuable information was gathered considering the preferred characteristics and design of a bathroom cabinet.</p><p>The project resulted in a mirror cabinet representing innovative design, offering both open and concealed storage. The design differs from the competition, however represents the core values of Hafa, quality and elegance to reasonable price.</p>

This report is a documentation of a Master’s thesis of 20 credits performed at the educational program of Technical Product- and Production Development with Design at Halmstad University. The project is carried out in cooperation with Hafa AB in Halmstad. The purpose of this project was to bring forth a concept of a bathroom cabinet for Hafa’s new selection Young through creative design methods. The selection is supposed to attract the younger purchaser but also a target group that dare to experiment with home furnishing and appreciates new design. This group is referred to as Young at Heart. To satisfy the needs identified in the initial development phase a specific design process model was developed that originates from Ullman´s “The Mechanical Design Process” and Landqvist’s “Vilda idéer och djuplodande analys”. The realization of the project was performed in four parts; problem analysis phase, idea generation phase, realization phase and resulting phase. In the design process it was included to carry out a thorough analysis of functionality, characteristics and design the bathroom cabinet should represent. Moreover, choice of material, construction details and lighting were other aspects of great importance for the mirror cabinet’s performance. A great range of tools were used with the purpose of reaching understanding of the product, the industry and the design process. Through quantitative interviews with the target group and the staff at Hafa, benchmarking and trend analysis, valuable information was gathered considering the preferred characteristics and design of a bathroom cabinet. The project resulted in a mirror cabinet representing innovative design, offering both open and concealed storage. The design differs from the competition, however represents the core values of Hafa, quality and elegance to reasonable price.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1973. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Int. Arch.)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Includes summary. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

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Many historic downtowns that were once bustling city-centers are now blighted by vacant and deteriorating buildings which contribute to economic hardship. Despite their vacancy and sometimes poor condition, these buildings are important and worthy of preservation because they are historically significant and are physical evidence of the organic development of a city. However, due to a lack of government funding many of them are torn down. This calls for a private investment solution to the environmental retrieval of these buildings. Developing a brand with this foundational goal was the focus of this thesis project. This project sought out a wide-spread branded solution that would save these historic gems by giving them a new use. The new use for these buildings would positively impact the local economy, improve communities, and appeal to the public. A brand that accomplishes all of these goals could potentially be developed in multiple cities and potentially spur the redevelopment of historic downtowns and revitalize communities nationwide. The project entailed the sustainable adaptive reuse and historic preservation of the vacant S. H. Kress five-and-dime store in Tampa, Florida. It was converted into a boutique hotel because this could be a profitable enterprise that would attract visitors and locals to the area. The resulting design is a fully developed boutique hotel with a bar and lounge, fine dining restaurant, spa, fitness center, coffee lounge, business center, and 36 guestrooms. With this design the author created the Landmarc Hotel brand. By applying the theory of emotional branding through the action frameworks of passionbranding and sensory branding the author established Landmarc's brand signature and standards. From this project, the author concluded that interior design has the ability to express a brand's essence through the environment and create positive brand experiences that result in brand loyalty. The project also demonstrated that a hospitality brand and its branded environments can create places for a community and its visitors to enjoy and become invested in. This new economic & community asset can initialize the total revitalization of a historic downtown by bringing people back into the area and gaining their love and loyalty to a brand that saves their local landmarks. People will support the Landmarc Hotel brand because Landmarc Hotels gives back to their local community and honors their culture and traditions through design and a unique brand that emphasizes the special qualities of their city. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Interior Design in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts. / Summer Semester, 2011. / June 8, 2011. / Adaptive Reuse, Historic Preservation, National Register of Historic Places, Revitalization, Branding, Boutique Hotel, Sustainability, Brand Loyalty, Emotional Branding, Passionbranding, Brand Belief, Sensory Branding, Sensory Design, Community, Urban Fabric, Sense of Place / Includes bibliographical references. / Karen Myers, Professor Directing Thesis; Marlo Ransdell, Committee Member; Jim Dawkins, Committee Member.

Since research has shown a connection to nature is beneficial to human well-being, it is problematic that human connections to nature are under-represented within built environments in the United States. The objective of this qualitative study was to define what constitutes a human connection to nature within the built environment using Stephen R. Kellert's framework of biophilic design. This study took place at Interface's Showroom and Offices in Atlanta, Georgia, a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Commercial Interior (CI) platinum-certified office environment. Emergent themes resulting from the data indicated the following: (a)participants felt connected to nature and felt the connection positively affected their health, attitude, job performance and job satisfaction; (b)outside views and natural daylight facilitated a number of nature-connections; (c)more subtle nature-connections were valued by participants, but not overtly recognized as connections to nature; (d)the surrounding community development created positive experiences for participants within the interior environment; and (e)vernacular connections (relating to Interface's mission as a company) were also found to be a valued part of the interior environment. Additionally, author review of the LEED-CI Version 2.0 Rating System (which guided Interface's Showroom renovation) indicated the system is not yet fully addressing the issue of a human connection to nature. Hopefully this research will serve to inform others on varied ways to create human connections to nature within the built environment using a framework of biophilic design. It is also hoped these research findings could inform empirical research on the human-centered and financial benefits of creating human connections to nature within the built environment. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Interior Design in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts. / Summer Semester, 2010. / June 11, 2010. / Office Users, LEED, Biophilic Design, Theory of Biophilia, Human Connection to Nature / Includes bibliographical references. / Jill Pable, Professor Directing Thesis; Lisa Waxman, Committee Member; Peter Munton, Committee Member.

This thesis designed a mixed use, urban infill project located in Tallahassee, Florida. The goal of the design is to encourage social interaction among retiring empty nester Baby Boomers. Research of the topic of socialization introduced a term by Robert Putnam called social capital, which gives value to peoples social networks. Putnam identified that there is a disconnect between social involvement and the Baby Boomer population. This design explored a mixed-use communal living development that explored ways to introduce architectural features that promote both involuntary and voluntary social interaction areas. Research also uncovered specific wants and demands that the Baby Boomer generation expected from their retirement home. / A Thesis submitted to the Department on Interior Design in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Fine Arts. / Spring Semester, 2008. / March 21, 2008. / Urban Infill, Baby Boomers, Social Interaction, Mixed Use / Includes bibliographical references. / Jill Pable, Professor Directing Thesis; Karen Myers, Committee Member; Lisa Waxman, Committee Member.

The topic of people's overall health and happiness has been gaining increased attention and press in recent years. Evidence that `happy people live longer' has been given by many studies that investigate the contributions of subjective well-being (SWB) to health and longevity. Some studies have explored areas that may contribute to SWB such as health care systems, eating habits, and physical attributes among other factors. As one of a designer's primary responsibilities is to promote the welfare of their clients, it is reasonable to assume that it is also a designers' responsibility to investigate and add useful information to the body of knowledge about SWB and its potential connections to the built environment. As advocates for healthier environments it seems logical to research the living environments of societies that report an elevated state of SWB to evaluate how their values are expressed in their living environments. Further, could the manifestations of those expressions be a contributor to their elevated sense of well-being? Global-scope surveys of SWB consistently identify residents of the Nordic countries as the happiest and healthiest in the world. These elusive societies are often noted as the most progressive in areas such as technology and education; however, little is published about how they live. This thesis reveals findings from exploratory research into Nordic peoples' traditions and habits that are related to their welfare and elevated SWB. The research specifically evaluates how these traditions and habits are expressed in their living environments. In so doing, the study identifies residential elements that contribute to the perceptions of elevated SWB. The literary findings coupled with the qualitative research findings may add to the interior designer's body of knowledge regarding improved welfare, an important but also sometimes neglected element of the health-safety-welfare paradigm. The intent of this study was to discover the main cultural values of Nordic society and explore the physical manifestation of those values with-in the built environment to understand how they relate to residents' elevated levels of SWB. The researcher chose residential homes as a starting point for a series of studies which will include the exploration of SWB in regards to other built environments such as commercial buildings. Future studies will also include comparative analysis with other countries. Chapter 4 showcases living environment features and norms gathered from extensive interviews. The interviews with Nordic residents and the photographic documentation provided in answer to the research questions can be used by design educators to teach their students about global populations and the contributors to an elevated state of well-being. The examples and conclusions from the study may also help designers and educators expand their understanding of SWB and the living environment. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Interior Design in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts. / Summer Semester, 2012. / May 23, 2012. / built environment, living environment, mental health, Nordic, subjective well being, well being / Includes bibliographical references. / Jill Pable, Professor Directing Thesis; Marlo Ransdell, Committee Member; Eric Wiedegreen, Committee Member.

This study began with the assumption that universities have an influential impact on their students and surrounding community, and that this influence can be used to spread awareness of sustainability through "green design". Therefore, the advantages and challenges of creating sustainable university buildings were explored. The primary research question focused on the sustainable design features of three buildings, the motivations for designing those sustainable buildings, and the advantages and obstacles of sustainable design in those buildings. Three university buildings were chosen as research sites, each having a different orientation and a different impact on the university and its students. The sites include a residence hall, a library and a classroom. Interviews with key players, as well as building tours were conducted, photos were taken, and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) documentation was examined. Key players were asked questions focusing on the role they played in the construction of the building, the motivations and attitudes surrounding the design of each building, the reactions and awareness that resulted from the building itself, and the advantages and challenges regarding the design of the buildings. During site visits, the sustainable features were noted, and multiple photographs were taken. After gathering the data from the interviews and site visits, the interview data was organized and categorized into emergent themes. One of the main themes that emerged from the study included the belief that LEED is a good start for building sustainably, but it may not be enough. The key players thought that the LEED registration process did not have enough requirements for maintaining eco-efficiency after construction was complete, and that more emphasis needed to be placed on the "life-cycle of sustainability". Another reoccurring theme was that the main motivation for building a sustainable building was because "it's the right thing to do" and that universities should be involved with sustainability to be a good "role model" who is "leading the way". Universities were found to already have an advantage in becoming sustainable and LEED certified, because numerous LEED requirements are already developed on a universities campus in what they call "exterior campus points". All of the key players agreed that in order to become a successful "sustainable campus" that support from the higher administration is essential. A clear definition emerged from this study in that sustainability and "green building" are the future of design and construction. As an influential and intricate part of our society, universities have the ability and the obligation to be involved and progressive in the sustainable movement. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Interior Design in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Summer Semester, 2008. / June 30, 2008. / University, Sustainability, LEED / Includes bibliographical references. / Lisa Waxman, Professor Directing Thesis; Eric Wiedegreen, Committee Member; Jill Pable, Committee Member.