Bränder i radhus har under en längre tid varit förödande, oftast med hela radhuslängor totalförstörda. Branden sprider sig upp till vinden för att normalt mötas av en bristande avskiljande vägg. För att förebygga dessa katastrofala bränder genomför räddningstjänster runtomkring landet inspektioner och tillsyner av radhusvindarna så att de klarar av minst 30 minuter. 30 minuter har tidigare varit den minimumtid som en avskiljande vägg på vinden ska stå emot en brand. Dessa tillsyner gjordes med bland annat lagligt stöd från 2 kap. 2 § i lagen om skydd mot olyckor som säger att ägaren ska i skälig omfattning vidta de åtgärder som behövs för att förebygga bränder. Detta innebär att vindar som tidigare haft godkänt brandskydd för 30 minuter, har efter tillsynerna bevisas inte klara av den påstådda tiden och behöver åtgärda denna brist.  En av lösningarna vid brister på radhus med innertak av råspont är att sätta en 60 cm lång gipsskiva ut ifrån den avskiljande väggen längst taket på båda sidorna av väggen. Detta är tänkt att hjälpa till att förhindra, inte stoppa, en brand så pass länge att den avskiljande väggen kan upprätthålla sitt brandskydd i minst 30 minuter. Enligt existerande teori ska en gipsskiva hålla i ca 15-20 minuter. Problemet är att detta lösningsförslag saknar empiriskt underlag. I denna rapport togs tre moduler fram för att undersöka om branden kunde ta sig över en oskyddad och skyddad avskiljande vägg. Som brandkälla anpassades en heptanbrand för att efterlikna brandkurvan ISO 834, även känd som standardbrandkurvan. Första brandförsöket med första modulen stötte på flera stora problem medan övriga två moduler, efter modifieringar, gav rimliga resultat. Resultatet visar att branden inte kunde ta sig över en oskyddad vägg men att en skyddad vägg höll sig bättre. Med ca 8 minuter för brand-gas, -rök att ta sig över men 38 minuter innan genombränning, öppen låga, för oskyddad avskiljande vägg. För skyddad avskiljande vägg tog det över 46 minuter innan brandgas började ta sig över avskiljande väggen.  Vidare analyseras och diskuteras resultatets trovärdighet utifrån uppmätt effekt och temperaturer samt modulens uppbyggnad. Temperaturkurvorna var för sig bedöms trovärdiga även om de skiljer sig ifrån varandra mellan testerna. Framtagna effekten höll sig överraskande väl mot antagna effektens värde. Slutsatsen blev att en brand inte kan ta sig genom en oskyddad avskiljande vägg inom 30 minuter men att en skyddad vägg stod anmärkningsvärt bättre emot branden. / Fires in row houses have under a long time had devastating consequences, often with several family’s homes total destroyed. Fires usually go up to the attic where it normally is meet with deficient firewalls that doesn’t prevent fire from spreading to adjacent attics.  To prevent these catastrophes fires, fire brigades all-around Sweden carry through inspections and oversight on these deficient firewalls so that it can stand against a fire for at least 30 minutes. By Swedish law, the owner of a house must, within reasonably scale, prevent fires from spreading. This includes buildings that previously had acceptably fire prevention for its time of construction but nowadays, with new information, can be proven to not maintains its alleged prevention time. 30 minutes were the minimal time that have previously been accepted as a firewall in the attic.  One of the solutions to deficiency with attic ceilings of so called “råspont”, translated to “tongue and groove boards”, is to extend a 60 cm gypsum board out from the firewall onto the ceiling, on both side of the firewall. This is to help prevent the fire from spreading to next attic within 30 minutes. The main principle is that a single gypsum board can withstand ca 15-20 minutes of fire before failing. The problem is that these solutions is only theoretical, and no empirical experiment have been done to test this solutions reliability. In this report, three modules were designed and tested to see if a fire could get through/over a firewall with, and without, a gypsum board protection within 30 minutes. As a source of fire, a heptane fire was designed to imitate ISO 834 fire curve, also known as standard fire curve. First test of the modules had quite a bit of problems and failure but the other two, after some rearrangement and fixes, delivered somewhat reliable results. The results shows that the fire couldn’t get through an unprotected firewall within 30 minutes, but a protected firewall withstand the fire considerably longer. The unprotected firewall let through smoke around 8 minutes and an open flame was visible around 38 minutes. The protected firewall started to let through smoke after 46 minutes mark. There after analyzed and discussed the reliability of the experiment according to measured heat release rate (HRR) and temperature curve. The temperature curves are each of they own reasonable and believable but differs from one another. The measured HRR were surprisingly accurate against the previously calculated HRR.  The conclusion was that a fire couldn’t get over an unprotected firewall within 30 minutes but that a protected firewall held considerably longer against a fire.

Great architecture exists by creating an equilibrium between the experiential world and the intellectual world. On one hand these two worlds operate at polar opposites, while on the other hand these two worlds are totally dependent on one another’s existence. Through the conscious pursuit of reconciling these differences, the creation process is open to its fullest realm of possibilities and complexities. Le Corbusier used the intellectual world to gain the experiential. Although, in his later years, this process began to reverse itself. Alvaro Siza uses the experiential world to gain the intellectual. While these processes are pursued from opposite extremes, the final works reach a common goal. That goal being a complete fusion of the experiential and intellectual worlds which allows these works to procure a vital new spirit. One other case needs to be mentioned here. This being the case of Alvar Aalto. Aalto was pure genius in his understanding the significance and consequences of unifying the experiential and intellectual worlds. As a result, I believe Aalto's starting point was where the reconciliation of these two worlds occurs. By starting at this point, Aalto allowed himself the enormous freedom of reaching out simultaneously to both the experiential and intellectual worlds, extracting whatever components were necessary to create his wonderful works of art. A major objective for me is to simultaneously reconcile the experiential and intellectual worlds into a harmonious equilibrium. The moment this harmonious equilibrium occurs is the point where architecture is on the threshold of beauty / Master of Architecture

In the past 30 years the size of new houses has varied considerably with a general trend to larger houses. These larger houses use more materials in their construction and consume more energy to heat and cool than a more compact house would. Meanwhile, the amount of resources that are available have not increased, and the environmental condition of the planet has become more and more tenuous. To end this trend of larger houses that make inefficient use of natural resources, architects need to design houses that are smaller and use energy more efficiently. By building houses more in tune with the natural rhythms of the sun and seasons the home becomes more energy efficient and can take better advantage of the natural energy supply available from the sun. Such a house will have less of an impact on the environment and keep the residents in touch with natural cycle of life. With this project I have addressed these issues and have designed a row of houses that provide a meaningful place to live that is also in tune with the environment. As with any project, I have found the answers to many questions and I have also discovered new ideas to develop further / Master of Architecture

This thesis explores an architectural housing solution for the middle income sector of the United States. The impetus for this exploration is founded in the conviction that housing must respond to the desires and needs of its occupants. An understanding of these desires and needs was discerned through studying the background of housing. Based on this background and current observations, clustering houses is an appropriate and necessary strategy for the middle-income sector. To investigate this strategy, a design was executed and used as a vehicle to explore the architecture of cluster housing. The success of this strategy and my opinions on issues raised in this design response are discussed. Neither this discussion, nor this thesis, is intended to be a definitive statement on housing. / Master of Architecture

The investigation of the Spirit of a historic place, Alexandria, Virginia to acquire an understanding of it’s identity; the unique patterns, language, structure, rhythm, and character, which has led to its development as a meaningful place. To respect the Spirit of this place through the design of a place to dwell within Alexandria which is sensitive to, and evolves from, this living tradition. An architecture which achieves meaning through its relation to, and reinterpretation, transformation, and revelation of the inherent qualities of the historic artifact. / Master of Architecture

The title of this thesis is more a convenience than a description. It is borrowed from some recent housing projects in Berlin, which, like the project presented here, are urban structures which contain more than one residence, though seldom more than six. The project here contains four. The residences are of different sizes and spatial configurations. It is intended to be a place for individuals as well as families. It is an attempt to gather, to shelter - to provide and enrich. / Master of Architecture

The diploma thesis deals with the new construction of a multifunctional building in Uherský Brod. The building is located in row houses development as an end house, in the central part of city Uherský Brod. The building is designed as a three-storey with partial basement. In the basement floor a parking slot and a technical facilities will be situated. The multifunctional building will serve as a fitness equipment store and repair shop it and will contain office premises, an e-shop dispensing, sanitary facilities and other house facilities. The structural system of a bulding is designed as a transversal, a constructural system as wall system in combination with columns. The construction technology is masonry system in combination with monolithic columns and ceilings. The vertical load-bearing structures will be built of ground clay bricks. The horizontal load-bearing structures will be reinforced concrete cast-in-placed. The roofs will be built as warm flated, partly as walkable terraces. The staircase is designed as straight, half-turn stairs with a landing, cast-in-place. There is an elevator designed in the mirror staircase. The foundation structures are designed as flat, cast-in-place concrete strip footings. The purpose and functional use of the multifunctional building are designed with regard to people with reduced mobility or orientation. The building is designed as a building with almost zero energy consumption.

This research is concerned with the social creation of built environments in the Third World. The absence of appropriate theoretical frameworks has hampered the research of Third World cities. Recently, however, the opportunity for applying concepts, that have to date been largely confined to the study of western cities, has increased provided they are organized in a suitable way. Drawing on concepts such as built environment, socio-spatial dialectic, and structure and agency, this research outlines and applies a framework for the study of Third World urbanization. In order to explore the interdependence between space and society this study "unpacks" the urban landscape of Harare, Zimbabwe. Working in the context of the culture of capitalism, the study traces the development of the southern African zonal urban system before establishing a typology of landscape ensembles through successive stages of the evolution of Zimbabwe's political economy. Within the current global epoch, the study focuses on a specific type of built environment -- the townhouse. As a repository of contested cultural ideas and practices, the townhouse stands at the center of often conflicting socio-economic groups defined collectively as a "structure of provision". Using interviews, archival research, and a survey questionnaire, an analysis of these groups which focuses on the production and consumption of the townhouse drew the following conclusions: On the production side, realtors have assumed a central co-ordinating role in the production of townhouses. Prior to the development of townhouses, the realtor played a more limited role in real estate market. With the emergence of the entrepreneurial developer and with the assistance of the architect, realtors have assumed a central co-ordinating role in the initiation, management, and marketing of the townhouse. Built within specific zones within the city and its suburbs, garden flats and townhouses occupy the wealthy areas of the city. On the consumption side, garden flats and townhouses are occupied by the "managerial bourgeoisie" who comprise wealthy Zimbabweans and expatriates who are predominantly White, managers and professionals. While they share some important similarities they can nevertheless, based on their consumption patterns, be divided into identifiable groups that are geographically distributed within Harare's wealthier areas. It was suggested that production and consumption are ultimately part of the same process that produces status symbols that drive the demand for consumer goods. Ultimately, however, garden flats and townhouses stand testimony not only to the wealth of their occupants, but to patterns of lifestyle reminiscent of the consumption ethic of their counterparts in the First World. In the context of a Third World city, however, their lifestyle with its show of wealth has, not surprisingly, generated concerns about safety and security among the community of garden flats and townhouse dwellers. These concerns are historically deeply imbedded not only in the region but in the culture of capitalism. It was ultimately concluded that, within the context of late capitalism, the southern African city shares similarities with its First World counterpart. / Ph. D.

The aim of this design thesis was to look carefully at the historical environment of the chosen site, and with the understanding developed from this exploration, to design a group of houses that would answer to the desires of the individual and the needs of the collective, or simply: to create places where people would wish to dwell. "Houses must be special places within places, separately the center of the world for their inhabitants, yet carefully related to the larger place in which they belong."¹ / Master of Architecture