A sustainable student housing project in Varvsstaden, Malmö, Sweden, that promotes a circular way of living. By upcycling materials from the former shipyard, the project creates new housing, public spaces and utilizing existing resources. Efficient use of built surfaces, support for community needs, and accessible housing options are key aspects of Varvet. The project also aims to contribute to cultural sustainability by encouraging social interactions among residents. Varvet recognizes the importance of community living as an affordable and accessible option for promoting sustainability. By sharing resources, and facilitating new social interactions, co-living can contribute to a safer and more culturally sustainable society. The project offers not only a home for 90 students but also diverse experiences and activities, such as purchasing locally grown food, sport activities and enjoying live music. Sustainable development requires considering both environmental and social aspects. Varvet - Circular Co-Living embodies this approach, advocating for more sustainable living practices that prioritize the needs of both present and future generations.

This study investigated the main and interactive effects of nearshore breakwaters and marsh vegetation on faunal abundance and diversity along an eroded shoreline in Bon Secour Bay, Alabama. In summer 2016, eight replicates of three vegetation treatments plots (naturally vegetated, planted, and open) were established along a breakwater-protected and an adjacent no breakwater shoreline. After which, three methods were used to evaluate nekton quarterly from summer 2016 to summer 2018; Breder traps along the shoreline and lift nets and trawls in nearshore waters. Data were analyzed using the Shannon-Weiner diversity index and ANOVA. Results showed breakwaters supported significantly more abundant and diverse communities along the shoreline and in parallel nearshore waters than similar no breakwater sites. However, the main vegetation treatment effects were not significant. These findings suggest that living shoreline projects with nearshore breakwater support can be beneficial for fisheries enhancement in high-wave energy environments.

Cooperation often draws on cognition (i.e. learning and memory) in order to track cooperative partners and their contributions, resolve conflict between partners, improve coordination between partners, and enhance strategic-decision making. Learning and memory are also vital to resolve what is frequently a spatial and temporal mismatch between performing a cooperative act and receiving any kind of benefit in return. In this thesis, I compared cognitive abilities between three cooperative and group-living cichlid fishes from the Lamprologini tribe of Lake Tanganyika Neolamprologus pulcher, Neolamprologus multifasciatus, and Julidochromis ornatus with three of their close relatives that are not cooperative and never form groups Telmatochromis temporalis, Altolamprologus compressiceps, and Neolamprologus tretocephalus. This thesis aims to address whether the evolution of cooperation coincided with the evolution of sophisticated cognition in these fishes. In Chapter 2, I present evidence that both cooperative and non-cooperative cichlids are able to recognize familiar individuals and have similar numerical abilities. In Chapter 3, I show that performance when learning to navigate a maze, arguably a more general cognitive ability, was equivalent across cooperative and non-cooperative species, with comparable scores in terms of time to maze completion, number of mistakes and inhibitory control. In Chapter 4, I report on the results of a literature review where I quantified the growing interest in the field of fish cognition research, outline the current practices and pitfalls (heavy use of captive bred individuals and a reliance on lab-based research) and suggest how to bring more ecological relevance to the field. Taken together, the results of my thesis improve our understanding of how social factors like group-living and cooperation modulate cognitive abilities, and detail the current trajectory of the field of fish cognition. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

The problem of social isolation among older people has been thoroughly documented, studied, and addressed through both policy and social services, and yet persists as a major social issue. There exist several notable gaps within the scholarly literature on isolation, particularly with respect to the role(s) of place-based risk factors, the relationship(s) between exclusion and social isolation, and best practices for isolation interventions. This thesis addresses these knowledge gaps and presents both empirical and theoretical contributions resulting from a three-part investigation. These studies are presented in three distinct papers to constitute a sandwich dissertation. The first paper examines the role of neighbourhood characteristics in shaping social isolation among older people by analyzing the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) baseline data in a series of multiple regressions. Findings indicate that the selected neighbourhood characteristics account for only a small portion of the social outcome measures of interest but raise meaningful questions about the intersection of place and social connection that warrant further study. The second paper investigates both the harmful and protective aspects of places in shaping isolation risk through a qualitative study of older people informed by a place-based exclusion lens. Interview results highlight several aspects of places that contribute risk of isolation and are used to adapt the model of known isolation risk factors. The third and final paper analyzes a sample of friendly visiting programs by conducting a realist synthesis to determine how, for whom, and under what conditions friendly visiting programs are most successful. Results of the synthesis are used to build a friendly visiting program theory to be tested in future studies. Together these three papers contribute to both the applied and theoretical literature on social isolation, and can inform the development of future research, policy, and intervention strategies. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / The research reported in this thesis focuses on social isolation among older people and is organized into three papers. The first paper looks at data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging to learn more about how aspects of neighbourhoods might lead older people to become isolated. The second paper reports the major themes from in- depth, qualitative interviews with 17 older people living in Hamilton, Ontario. The third and final paper analyzes a set of articles evaluating friendly visiting programs for isolation older people and uncovers some of the characteristics and features of successful programs. The results of these three studies provide important insights into the ways in which neighbourhoods impact the social lives of older people, and how individual risk of becoming isolation might be tied to places. Results also show that friendly visiting programs for isolated older people can be very successful if they have certain key features included in their design.

This thesis concerns a philosophical analysis of originalism in a context that has not yet received sufficient attention: in the context of old constitutional regimes. Through this lens, I argue that originalism becomes something lesser in that both the normative justification and legitimacy originalism once held begins to withdraw from the theory’s principled commitments. In other words, the nature of old constitutions begins to reject a normative argument for an originalist approach. The thesis bases this analysis on one originalist theory in particular for the sake of brevity: Lawrence Solum’s public meaning originalism. It proceeds through two avenues of argument: originalism as it relates to 1) historical analysis and the interpretation-construction distinction and 2) stare decisis and democratic legitimacy. Taken together, these avenues point to originalism’s fading normative justification and legitimacy in light of the challenges that old constitutions and their characteristics pose for the judicial philosophy. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

Urbanism conception is inspirated by fragmented structure and courtyards of Staré Brno. The house is dividend into five blocks, which corresponds with scale of surrounding built-up area. First floor (shops, restaurant, multicultural hall, entrances to the apartments and the office) and second floor (Office), they are separated from higher floors with apartments. First and second floors have large-formated glass. Living part (from third to seventh floor) has white facade which gives sunlight to areas between blocks. Bay windows is significant element on facade. It stands out above the surface 35 centimeters. It makes structure and shadows on facade. The multicultural hal lis placed in courtyard.

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The nature of this essay explores the implementation of research-based design to the senior living concept and showcases how design can improve and empower the lives of our seniors as they hit retirement age. Over the course of the essay, the project will begin as a concept and navigate its way through the design processes until the concept is fully developed as a stand-alone package that speaks for itself. Maidstone Estates is built upon the guidelines of the Green House Project and outlines the mixed-use nature of design involving branding, building code, ADA compliance, universal design, and the three acuity levels of senior living: Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Memory Care. As of now, there are over 371 Green House homes across the country. This essay is designed to utilize the research-based design and implement it into the aesthetic of East Hampton, an area where there is a set standard for architecture and lifestyle, and to show that this model can be used anywhere and transform eldercare across the country and around the world.

abstract My project has been a reflection on; our consumer society, what a home is, and how we are supposed to live. It all started with an interest in flexible living, looking at buildings and the cities in a new way, and a new interpretation of the already built environment. My research question was “What do we really need?” and “ What is the minimum requirement for making a home?”. The project touches on the topics of housing, housing shortage mainly but also sustainability, minimalism, and reactivation of space. This manifested itself in the way that I designed a portable, flexible unit that is your interior space and that also cloud store one’s belongings. The unit was explored in a 1:1 scale model and drawings, exploring both design and different contexts such as; student rooms, small living for couples, and temporary living (mainly students and refugees in mind). I was inspired by Tokyo nomad woman, Shigeru Ban’s paper log house, and Ibiza instant city.

The study research how product design can influence and promote a transition to small sustainable homes through research and methods using Design for behaviour change. The study is based on previous research made on The Tiny House Movement (that started in the USA in the late 1990s) and examines the Swedish market for Tiny Houses through interviews with stakeholders in Sweden. The study is also based on theory from the areas of Sustainable development and Design for sustainable development. Through interviews, a target group of children was selected, and a list of requirements was written based on the theory and material collected from the interviews as well as from a supplementary investigation. The Design with intent method was used as a source of inspiration for the development of concepts, where two concepts were selected for further development and then analysed with the Harris profile method to find which concept best met the list of requirements. The final concept: a product intended to influence and promote children’s transitioning into small sustainable homes by allowing them to build different types of Tiny Houses on a small scale with drawings as guidance. The product, Tiny Tiny Houses, is intended to be used in the company of parents as an aid to teach learnings about alternative housing but is just as good for children to use on their own, with siblings, or in the company of other children. The product is similar to a backpack where the front is folded down to build Tiny Houses on a small scale with the help of building pieces similar to puzzle pieces that are pressed together. The product is easy to take out into nature to promote outdoor play. Nature is an important part of the concept as the child’s imagination together with nature will decorate the inside of the small houses.