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Nowadays in China, every province is implementing urbanization, which is a national policy goal. In this process, Copinism is very obvious. Almost everything is being done by Western World rules, from buildings to lifestyles; apparently, China needs to learn a lot from the western world. However, with the development of urbanization, the inadequacy of this approach becomes more and more evident, especially in old cities with rich culture heritages. The overly rapid development speed even sharpens the resulted contradictions when it brings chances. With decades of “copying”, it’s time for China, a country with such a different culture system from the West, to turn to substantive innovation, but renovation. Rongcheng, which is located in the middle-east of China, is a thriving new city with traditional villages occupying the majority of the land. The residential buildings & community typology in Rongcheng have great potentials and opportunities for major innovation. Both village buildings and city buildings have elements that people yearn for. At the meantime, any innovation must consider the general political and economic system in China as a major underlying force. Meanwhile, by starting from the most basic requirements of the residents, including lifestyles and old customs and combining them selectively with mainstream-rules, I aim to create a new kind of building and community that is fitting to the local soil, meets the needs of local people, and directly addresses facets of China. This study about my hometown, Rongcheng, will become a start point for my studies of my homeland.

As the placeless globalization is accelerating around the world and especially in China, places that have strong ties to the particularities of a locale are desirable destinations to escape the generic monotony of placeless urbanization. The thesis here stipulates that even in a placeless globalization, opportunities exist to understand, interpret and celebrate local cultural phenomena. While many formal architectural artifacts may have outgrown their purpose and no longer have direct relevance today, a number of desires, customs and rituals persist as desirable conditions to be supported by architectural space. The thesis proposes to seek out an architecture, that embraces and reinterprets targeted aspects of the built form of traditional elements with modern means. / Master of Architecture / This thesis discusses possibilities to reinterpret the vernacular. Specifically, the sense of identity generated by the architecture traditions in Western China can be attributed to shape and construction of the roof, organization in plan, the central fire place, and a protected courtyard all enclosed by rammed earth. Reinterpretations of those elements in modern forms propose a continuity of culture and identity.

My thesis explores an idea about a spatial transformation within a volume. This transformation occurs internally and externally with the introduction of light. The volumes become objects that can be studied, analyzed and transformed again. This constant transformation is guided by certain proportional relationships that are formed within the formal construction of the cubic volume. Sections and models are generated to study aspects of the cube that may realize an architecture of place. A villa is used in this mode of study as a basic unit of human habitation. The hierarchical relationships within the parts of the villa mirror that within the formal construction of the object and the interactions that are necessary between the parts. / Master of Architecture

This project is a romantic exploration of a site and a way of life. It is a proposition for blended boundaries between inside and out, between hill and house, as well as a study of mobility concerning a steep slope. Set in Lebanon overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, the house is carved from the hill yet respects its topography. The hill becomes the communal spaces and rooms of the house. These uncovered spaces and stairways lead to small private spaces, separated by elevation as well as distance due to the accommodating hill. The Mediterranean climate is ideal, with its low rainfall, for outdoor living. The hill provides enough separation and privacy between each private room to function well for extended, multigenerational families. Each family has a similar viewing angle to the sea. / Master of Architecture

"Looked into the streets - the glaring lights and the tall buildings - and there I conceived Metropolis" exclaimed the Austrian filmmaker Fritz Lang at the sight of New York. This visit inspired him while creating the sets and background for the radical movie Metropolis released in 1927. Taken right after World War I, the movie set in 2026 was heavily symbolic with German expressionism and it captured a projected socio-economic condition which was a direct result of the fears of the people at that time. The working class lived in subterranean spaces distraught with mundane labor while the affluent lived in skyscrapers and exotic terraced gardens and drove around in elevated highways. The city seemed to be this well-oiled machine existing only to cater to the needs of the upper class. The poor eventually try to overthrow the rich. The movie finally ends with the message of hope, that the mediator would create harmony among the classes and create peaceful coexistence. The city of Mumbai in 2018 is in many ways - the Metropolis. When a city develops, it does not seem to cater to all sects of people. In fact, there seems to be a parallel relationship between the size of the city and its level of socio-economic disparity: the larger the city the less equal it tends to be. More often than not, the true soul of the city lies within that lower stratum of society who often live in slum-like settlements. Can architecture play the Mediator and bring about a connect? / Master of Architecture / At the time of Indian Independence in 1947, Gandhi said that “India is to be found not in its few cities but in its 700,000 villages. Villages were self-sustaining units which were rich in culture and tradition. He believed that the revival of the villages and all its cottage industries, handicrafts and agriculture was India’s answer to development. However in 2018, there are only about 597,464 census villages . At this rate, within a few centuries, India would loose its identity and will look like every other country in the world. Anybody who could afford to travel. moved to the cities. Villages are constantly abandoned and some get engulfed or morphed into cities. Cities grow at such rapid rates with the latest building technologies usually ignoring the needs of the people its supposed to serve. Is the city developed only for the rich and affluent? Can architecture support social inclusion and break down spatial segregation within a megacity? Can we capitalize on a city’s history and rich traditions without destroying them? Can a village survive a city? My thesis attempts to answer some of these questions through case studies, research and finally applying some of these theories and concepts on to a project that involves the redevelopment of a fishing village in the heart of Mumbai, India.

In discovering and forming thoughts about architecture I came to harbor a theory for all things around and within me. A complimenting ratio of forces that, thought their union, create a third equally important force. 1 + 1 = 3. This concept is presented here in its raw form thought the use of analogies and examples, then separated into five simple categories demonstrating its use within architecture: Preservation, Restoration, Renovation, Addition, New Fabrication. Architectural integrity of any given project is reviled by the character and skill of the architect's manipulation of the contributing forces present. As an in depth example of how these ratios of forces can be applied to an architectural project, an abandoned coal mine sited in Montgomery County, Virginia is selected for the initiation of a village. The historic forces of the Tower and Plaza are transferred to the individual and private scale aiding in the development of the village unit. Existing structures and site features compliment new elements creating the town fabric of units and streets as well as the village's own towers and plazas. A community created trough renovation-complimenting forces. / Master of Architecture

No / The programmes follow the experiences of people living in or visiting the community. They range from a school leaver who feels she is learning more at Findhorn than she would at university to an Indian guru who offers himself as the community's new leader and wants to build a temple in the garden. A poignant backdrop to the series is the growing frailty of one of Findhorn¿s founders, 87-year-old Eileen Caddy, and the preparations, both practical and psychological, that community members are making for her death.

OBJECTIF: Cette étude vise à comparer l’analyse en composantes principales et l’imputation multiple, aux méthodes classiques (la prise des aliments séparément et la substitution simple par LD/2) dans la détermination des sources alimentaires potentiellement responsables de l’exposition de la communauté crie de Mistissini aux organochlorés. MÉTHODES: Il s’agit d’une étude transversale avec 228 participants ayant répondu à un questionnaire sur les habitudes alimentaires et pour lesquels les concentrations plasmatiques des organochlorés ont été mesurées. L’analyse en composantes principales a été réalisée sur la fréquence quotidienne de consommation des différents aliments traditionnels. La substitution par LD/2 et l’imputation multiple ont été utilisées pour remplacer les valeurs inférieures à la limite de détection. Des modèles prédictifs multivariés ont été utilisés dans le but d’évaluer l’association entre les concentrations des différents organochlorés et les différents aliments traditionnels en tenant compte des facteurs de confusion. Toutes les analyses ont été réalisées à l’aide du logiciel SAS. RÉSULTATS: En plus de l’âge, les concentrations plasmatiques des organochlorés sont associées positivement à la consommation des aliments traditionnels tels, la truite mouchetée, truite grise, brochet, viande de caribou et d’orignal, viande de castor et gésiers d’oies. L’analyse en composantes principales a permis d’identifier 3 composantes résumant la majorité de la nourriture traditionnelle consommée par la communauté crie de Mistissini. La première composante, expliquant 32 % de la variance totale et constituée des aliments les plus fréquemment consommés, est associée positivement aux concentrations des organochlorés. Lorsque le pourcentage des valeurs non détectées est inférieur à 33 %, il ne semble pas y avoir de différence dans les coefficients de régressions (écart-type) entre l’imputation multiple et la substitution par LD/2. Au-delà de ce pourcentage, les deux méthodes mènent à des résultats différents. CONCLUSION: Les résultats obtenus montrent une association positive entre la consommation de la nourriture traditionnelle et les concentrations plasmatiques des organochlorés. L’imputation multiple et la substitution par la moitié de la limite de détection mènent à des résultats différents lorsque le pourcentage des valeurs non détectées est supérieur ou égal à 33 %. Au-delà de ce pourcentage, il est difficile de déterminer si l’imputation multiple est une meilleure méthode que la substitution par la moitié de la limite de détection (LD/2). L’analyse en composantes principales est une méthode plus adéquate et avantageuse par rapport à la prise des aliments séparément en présence d’un nombre important d’aliments traditionnels intercorrélés. / PURPOSE: The main goal of this study is to compare multiple imputation and principal components analysis to traditional methods (substitution by DL/2 and considering foods separately) frequently used in the determination of traditional foods potentially responsible for Mistissini Cree population exposure to organochlorines. METHODOLOGY: The study is a cross-sectional study where a total of 228 individuals participated and answered questions about their health and activities. Concentrations of organochlorines were measured in study participant’s blood (plasma). Principal components analysis was performed on daily frequency of consumption of various country foods. Substitution by DL/2 and multiple imputation were used to replace values lower than the limit of detection. Multivariate linear regressions were used in order to determine the associations between plasmatic levels of different organochlorines and various traditional foods. All these models were adjusted for confounding factors. SAS software was used to run all the statistical analyses. RESULTS: In addition to the age, plasmatic concentrations of organochlorines are positively associated with fish consumption such as speckled trout, lake trout and pike as well as moose, caribou, beaver meat and goose gizzard consumption. By using principal components analysis, 3 principal components were identified summarizing the majority of traditional foods consumed by Mistissini community. The first component, explaining 32% of the total variance and regrouping the most frequently consumed foods. This component is associated positively to organochlorines concentrations. For 33% or lower of non-detected values, there is no notable difference in regressions coefficients (standard error) between multiple imputation and simple substitution by DL/2. The two methods showed different results once the percentage of non-detected values is superior to 33%. CONCLUSION: The results obtained show a positive association between the traditional foods consumption and organochlorines concentrations. There is no difference between multiple imputation and simple substitution by DL/2 when the percentage of non-detected values is lower or equal to 33%. However, it is difficult to determine whether multiple imputation is a better method than substitution by DL/2 once this percentage is superior to 33%. Principal components analysis is preferable method in evaluating the association between traditional foods and exposure to the environmental contaminants.

How do democratic institutions function in authoritarian states? This study answers this question by examining the political institutions in rural China ¨C democratic elections of villagers committees and village oversight agencies. Using a nationwide survey on China¡¯s villager self-governance conducted in 2005 and in-depth case data collected in 2007 and 2008, this study finds that rural political institutions have significantly changed the political processes in China¡¯s countryside. The quality of village elections and the functioning of oversight agencies such as villager representative assemblies and financial supervision teams all have been crucial to affect the level of electoral participation and the quality of rural governance. The study shows that Chinese peasants are more active to vote as the village election methods feature more competitiveness and transparency. Moreover, higher quality of village elections and well-maintained village oversight structures have improved the quality of rural governance by holding village cadres more accountable to peasants¡¯ demands, as demonstrated in the higher level of peasant satisfaction with the performance of villagers committees in public services provision. The study also reveals that the effect of rural political institutions is a function of village economic conditions. The effect of village elections and oversight agencies in holding cadres accountable is significantly higher in villages that own substantial collective resources than in the ones that do not. This study challenges the traditional view in comparative politics that democratic institutions are established in authoritarian states for cosmetic purposes. It shows that, under economic pressure, political institutions matter in making democracy work in authoritarian regimes by encouraging political participation and generating better governance. It also suggests the necessity for the Chinese government to reinforce its efforts of standardizing village election rules and regulations and enforcing the establishment and maintenance of village oversight institutions.