Building integrated water efficiency strategies can generate energy or reduce the energy consumption of the building. Solar and wind are two natural forces that are commonly used to provide energy to buildings today; water, on the other hand, is usually ushered off site and not utilized to its full potential. The question is how to find a way to reduce the energy used to get the water needed for the building, because water is an important aspect to care about and save. This will require several methods and strategies in order to find the best and most efficient way of doing this. This thesis is proposing a smarter way of utilizing one of earth's most precious resources as a guideline for the designer to conserve energy by using a water harvesting system, grey water system and reuse, water use reduction, water heating and cooling. Concentrating more on generating energy or reducing energy consumption using water by fuel cells, solar water heater, photovoltaic thermal and algae. Finally, the proposed method is to generate energy using algae, while growing it to the building's façade facing south. Algae panels use water and sunlight to grow, then are harvested in the building to generate enough energy to power it. Algae is the most known source of energy now and only used for industrial purposes, however applying it to a research building called Engineering Innovative building got 134 feet south façade, will be a huge source of energy to power it up. It also can be used for educational purposes to study.

Sustainable Built Environments Senior Capstone / This thesis seeks to develop an alternative sustainable design for the CareLink of Jackson medical facility. Through a thorough analysis of the structure, community, environment, and user interaction within and around the building, a complete understanding of the facility's needs, successes and failures were composed. Based on this analysis, an alternative design was then proposed of which incorporates improvements to the building's green space, solar utilization, and social integration. This final design analysis and recommendation can be used to inform similar redevelopment of established structures in the benefits of sustainable integration within architecture.

This dissertation explores the sustainability of the pugkêenga system of household cooperation as practiced by Mossi rural producers on the Central Plateau of Burkina Faso. Consistent with the sustainable livelihoods framework, this dissertation systematically compares the assets of two different types of domestic organization found among Mossi domestic groups today: extended and nuclear households. Similar studies in contemporary West Africa and other parts of the world suggest that globalization and modernization make extended forms of household organization unsustainable and impractical in the face of changing ecologies and the penetration of capitalist modes of production. This study challenges such assertions and contends that the material and moral configurations of extended households actually enhances their sustainability in the face of environmental and social change. The Sahel region, in which the fieldwork took place, has undergone a period of prolonged desiccation. The Central Plateau is also one of the most densely populated areas within the Sahel. These factors contribute to the high rate of migration for which the Mossi and Central Plateau are well-known. This research investigates these dynamics with ethnographic fieldwork, statistical analyses, and agent based modeling. The results of these analyses demonstrate that the pugkêenga system of household cooperation enhances the household livelihood sustainability under increased climate variability, population pressure, and migration.

A comprehensive understanding of urban development is critical for moving towards the goal of sustainability. Despite a collection of urban sustainability indicator (USI) conceptual frameworks proposed and explored in practical urban sustainability assessment, establishing an integrated, well-quantified, spatially characterized USI model is still a challenging task. Therefore, based on a manuscript-style format this thesis develops a subjectively weighted integrated USI model and then applies it to the city of Saskatoon, SK, Canada, as a case study, based on quantifying a hierarchical index system. In addition, urban environmental sustainability is spatiotemporally investigated for an improved understanding of Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. Results show that the proposed integrated USI model improved urban sustainability measurement by overcoming the shortages in existing USI models. Geospatial statistics demonstrated disparity in urban sustainability across residential neighbourhoods for Saskatoon in 2006 based on the significant clusters and outliers. It also found that population increases can possibly improve intellectual and economic well-being and promote urbanization, but may cause environmental degradation and lead to a decline in overall urban sustainability. This research also demonstrates that satellite imagery can be used to study environmental sustainability at different spatiotemporal scales. This research reveals that both urban water and green spaces had significant cooling effects on the surrounding urban LST within specific ranges. Urban surface temperature can be estimated based on a multiple linear regression model with sustainable traveling mode index and land use information as input variables. The overall significance of this research has three folds. First, it lays a preliminary theoretical foundation for a comprehensive understanding of urban sustainability based on a well-quantified integrated USI model. Second, it is relatively original with respect to improving urban sustainability measurements through the incorporation of subjective information into objective data. Third, this research has explored spatiotemporal analysis to detect urban sustainability patterns based on compiling multiple data sources using geospatial techniques. The proposed USI model is highly suitable for comparison analysis at different spatial scales as well as continuously tracking the dynamic changes. Therefore, this research can be a good practice of applying the spatiotemporal philosophy to urban geographical problems.

As a community-based AIDS service organization, HIV North Society plays a key role in providing programming and supports for persons at risk or living with HIV in a vast, primarily rural region of Northern Alberta. This thesis examines the question: How can HIV North Society use collaborative strategies to increase and sustain the delivery of programming within Northern Alberta? The action research was performed utilizing a mixed-methods approach, which included an online survey and conversation café. Participants included a select sampling of funders, board members, community members, and persons living with HIV. In accordance with Royal Roads University ethics requirements, this research was conducted with the greatest degree of care and ethical consideration of participants. The research results suggest that there is potentially much value in new collaborative actions to increase program delivery. The new collaborative actions focus on shared vision, community capacity building, and education, for a collective impact.

<p> Several researchers have said that the real solution to alleviating, or at least reducing, the level of poverty is not to view poor people as customers; instead it is important to integrate these people into the value chain of Multi-national Corporations (Karnani, 2007; London, 2004; SEKN, 2001). The objective of this research work is to analyze how companies with sustainability initiatives can generate better individual performance through the creation of empowerment in the LIS. First I developed a theoretical framework after conducting 47 in-depth interviews with key participants of one sustainable initiative in Mexico. I found, initially, that other variables like trust, coping strategy and risk aversion can moderate the direct and positive relationship between psychological empowerment and individual performance. Then I applied the surveys to 204 participants of this sustainability initiative. To test the hypotheses, I used PLS-SEM and analyzed the surveys in two groups (Belong, N=85) and (Belonged, N=119). In both groups, I confirmed the positive relationship between psychological empowerment and individual performance, I found also that coping strategy moderates in both conditions of this relationship; however, I cannot demonstrate that risk aversion moderates in any condition. Finally, I demonstrate that trust moderates the relationship, also. Theoretical and managerial implications as well limitations and future research avenues are discussed.</p><p> Keywords: low-income sector, empowerment, performance, trust, coping strategy, risk aversion, social entrepreneurship, inclusive <b> business,</b> base of the pyramid.</p>

<p> This study explored communication and ethical investment in social capital to improve quality of life through the lens of time banking, a model of alternative currency. Previous studies of time banking noted a distinct set of characteristics of time banks that contrast with capitalist-based systems while using similar language; these were compared to research of social capital and social networks. Seven participants were interviewed at-length as representatives of the time bank movement. Stories of money framed theoretical constructs in practice on a daily basis and future visioning of the movement. Further analysis using the dialogic ethic of Martin Buber and the theory of the coordinated management of meaning (CMM) of Pearce and Pearce described transformational patterns of communication in time banks. The analysis shed light on the intentions of time banks and the meaning of the terms reciprocity, community and co-construction of reality. Further explorations of transcendent stories of time banking were recommended.</p>

This thesis investigates a new prototype for housing in rural Kampot, Cambodia with a focus on the health and safety of the inhabitants. This study came about because traditional Cambodian houses are rapidly disappearing and being replaced with concrete walls on the lower level, a space that was previously left as open- concept and was comfortable as such in the Cambodian culture. By studying both traditional and contemporary houses during my research time in Cambodia, I discovered that it was not the vernacular home-making techniques that needed improvement, but rather the concerns of health and safety that needed to be addressed. My thesis proposal is to design an affordable and sustainable home in rural Cambodia with the primary focus on the following issues: waste management, water collection/filtration, Cultural adaptability, local material palettes, light quality, airflow, cooking suitability, and security.

Rapidly growing outlying communities, exasperated congestion, complex traffic challenges - coupled with the role of vehicle carbon emissions in climate change - have led to the need for long-term sustainable transportation planning in the Greater Victoria of British Columbia region. Using an exploratory mixed methods approach that employed a literature review, an on-line survey, interviews and the partaking of a personal transportation journey, this study examined the views of Greater Victoria residents regarding the implementation of a Victoria - Green Road Inner Duct (VIC-G.R.I.D.) network of roads as a way to address regional sustainable transportation needs. The study showed positive support from the residents with an approval rating of 81%, and described barriers, motivators and concerns identified by the residents (i.e., potential increase in congestion, funding, and resistance to change). The study results will inform policy development and planning of publicly and politically acceptable transportation strategies in the Greater Victoria region.

This research focuses on the academic programs at the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm (the Farm). The Farm is a centre for sustainability learning and research, providing a working model of sustainable food systems with which to engage students, faculty and community. The Farm is situated within the global context of a dominant industrial food paradigm that is demonstrated to be a major contributor to the social and ecological crises the world now faces. The Farm is further situated within the context of a dominant education paradigm that provides most students with knowledge that is disconnected from social and ecological realities, leading to the misuse of knowledge and to the exacerbation of global crises. The purpose of this research is to explore the contributions that the Farm’s academic programs provide toward advancing sustainability learning from the perspective of program participants, including myself. The research methodology was guided by participatory approaches to research. Qualitative methods were employed, focusing primarily on surveys and semi-structured interviews with program participants. I have also been an involved participant in a diversity of programs at the Farm from April 2004 – December 2008. The results of the research suggest that program participants value the ability to engage with their subject matter, not only on an abstract/theoretical level, but also on practical and affective levels. Participants feel that UBC is lacking in programs that allow students to engage physically and emotionally with their learning. Students feel their knowledge will be better recalled and more likely to be useful if they care about what they are learning, if they can engage with it in a real world context, and if they have some ownership and responsibility for what they are learning. Further, program participants feel that the Farm’s academic programs would benefit from providing more theoretical context and connection to their other academic work, from additions and improvements to Farm infrastructure and resources, and from additional human resources support. This research project was site specific. Nevertheless, it connects with and complements work being done at dozens of universities, colleges and student farms around the world.