This thesis is based on two observations. First, that conventional buildings cause two major losses that involve non-human nature – the loss of native biodiversity and the loss of non-human nature experience for the buildings’ human inhabitants – and that these losses both contribute to a perceived separation between humans and the rest of nature. Second, that there appears to be a growing interest in connecting buildings with nature but there is little agreement on what it actually means to ‘design with nature’. As such, the purpose of this study is two-fold: (1) to describe the meaning of ‘designing with nature’ in current architectural practice and provide a working definition of nature-based design, and (2) to explore how this can be interpreted to encourage human connectedness with non-human nature, while addressing the two major losses mentioned above. It is thus an attempt to reframe the role of building as one that provides for all inhabitants of a site, both human and non. A framework was developed that captures and summarizes the dominant ways in which design draws on nature. The framework emphasizes the importance of using ecosystems not only as models, but foremost as context. The core concepts of the framework can thus be discussed from the perspective of buildings that act like an ecosystem and that interact with their ecosystem, and are described as: ecological sense of place, regenerative ability, ecosystem health, mutually beneficial relationships, context, appropriate management, functions, ecosystem principles, values, patterns, conditions, and adaptations. Although the concepts presented in the framework are themselves not new, the way in which they are organized does contribute a new perspective on the field of nature-based design. In addition to providing a graphic model that summarizes the essence of an evolving field, the research highlights the role of scale and place in linking building design, native biodiversity, nature experience and connectedness with nature. It thus acts as a backdrop on which to bring a discussion of ecological citizenship into the architectural dialogue. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School of / Graduate

Abstract The region of New England has played a strong role in the formation and development of the United States on both physical and ideological levels, and the image of the small New England town is highly evocative at both a regional and national level. It is an image shaped by an awareness of the past and the needs of the time. Alice Hoffman is a popular writer who often writes about people living in small New England towns. This thesis is a study of how Hoffman’s fictional small New England towns are created in six of her Massachusetts novels, Practical Magic (1995), The River King (2000), Blue Diary (2001), The Probable Future (2003), Blackbird House (2004) and The Red Garden (2011). To provide a framework for this study, concepts developed by cultural geographers such as sense of place and landscape are combined with imagological, sociological and historical ideas of collective memory and narrative identity. Phenomenology is at the root of the epistemological stance and concepts that are central to this study of the creation of place. Concepts of place, time and identity from across disciplines are combined in an extension of the horizons of imagology that shifts focus from national images to a broader range of images producing a cultural imagological study of the creation of Hoffman country. This study works with various levels of engagement and interaction with community in the fictional towns of the novels. The major sub-communities in The River King are used to amplify the workings of a sense of place and nostalgia in relation to rootedness. The town community as a whole is studied through Blackbird House and The Red Garden to explore how history and memory merge to create the mythology central to the identity of a town. Changing interactions with community at an individual level are scrutinized through a topobiographical study of the reconstruction of narrative identity in the novels Practical Magic and Blue Diary. The Probable Future figures around the interaction of a family with the rest of the community and this changing interaction is examined through the processes and functions of memorialization. All six novelistic towns are then examined in terms of landscape and imagined communities. Through the study, a mapping of Hoffman Country emerges and the formation of Hoffman’s imagined small New England towns is explicated. / Tiivistelmä Uuden-Englannin alue on ollut merkittävä Yhdysvaltojen alueellisessa ja ideologisessa muodostumisessa. Mielikuvat pienistä uusienglantilaisista kaupungeista miljöinä ovat voimakkaita, ja usein niihin liittyy tietoa paikkojen historiasta. Alice Hoffmann on suosittu nykykirjailija, jonka useissa teoksissa henkilöhahmot asuvat Uuden-Englannin pikkukaupungeissa. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena on tarkastella, miten Hoffman rakentaa fiktiivisiä kaupunkeja kuudessa Massachusettsiin sijoittuvassa teoksessaan. Tutkimusaineistona ovat teokset Practical Magic (1995, suom. Noitasisaret), The River King (2000), Blue Diary (2001), The Probable Future (2003), Blackbird House (2004) ja The Red Garden (2011, suom. Punainen puutarha). Tässä tutkimuksessa kulttuurimaantieteellisiä käsitteitä, kuten paikkatunne (sense of place) ja maisema, on yhdistetty imagologian, sosiologian ja historian käsitteisiin kollektiivisesta muistista ja narratiivisesta identiteetistä. Näin kulttuuri-imagologia yhdistää imagologian tutkimuksen kansallisuuteen liittyvät mielikuvat mielikuviin tietystä paikasta, ajasta ja identiteetistä. Tätä teoreettista kehystä käytetään analysoitaessa Hoffmannin fiktiivisiä pienkaupunkiyhteisöjä. Tutkimuksen tietoteoreettisena perustana on fenomenologinen näkemys ja käsitteistö. Kulttuuri-imagologian kautta tarkastellaan Hoffmannin romaaneissaan rakentamia yhteisöjä ja miljöitä. Olennaisimmat yhteisöt romaanissa The River King vahvistavat paikan ymmärryksen ja nostalgisuuden merkityksen henkilöhahmojen kokemalle juurettomuudelle. Kaupunkiyhteisöjä on tarkasteltu novellikokoelmien Blackbird House ja The Red Garden avulla osoittamaan, miten historia ja muisti toimivat rakentaen mytologista paikan identiteettiä. Yksilöiden toisistaan erottuva yhteisöllinen vuorovaikutus analysoidaan topobiografisella tavalla rekonstruoitaessa narratiivista identiteettiä romaaneissa Practical Magic ja Blue Diary. The Probable Future -teoksen hahmojen vuorovaikutus perheen sisällä ja muun yhteisön kanssa ilmentää muistelmallisuuden prosessia. Kaikkia kuutta fiktiivistä kaupunkia tarkastellaan maiseman ja fiktiivisen yhteisöllisyyden näkökulmista. Tämä tutkimus osoittaa Alice Hoffmanin uusienglantilaisiin pikkukaupunkeihin sijoittuvien teosten analyysin avulla, miten kirjailijat voivat käyttää ja muokata teoksissaan mielikuvia paikoista luodessaan tunnesiteitä yksilöiden, yhteisöjen ja miljöiden välille.

Denna rapport presenterar en studie som gjorts i samarbete med Södra Skogsägarna. Syftet med studien var att skapa en förståelse för vilka pragmatiska och hedoniska aspekter som påverkar hur skogsägare känner närhet till sin skog och hur dessa aspekter skulle kunna implementeras/realiseras vid utvecklandet av en digital karta över skogen. Genom en kvalitativ studie utifrån en fenomenologisk metodansats kunde en holistisk bild skapas över skogsägare och hur de upplevde känsla av närhet till sin skog. Datainsamlingen bestod av både enkät, intervjuer och fältobservationer som sedan analyserades genom bottom-up och top-down tekniken med hjälp av affinitetsdiagram. Resultatet visar exempelvis att en känsla av närhet är starkt förknippad med att känna ansvar och att kunna påverka kartan utifrån varje enskild skogsägares behov. Studien visar även att en känsla av närhet är nära sammankopplat med egennamn och generation då egennamnen ofta härstammar från tidigare generationer. Skogen används också till rekreation eftersom skogsägare och andra människor mår bra av att vistas i skog och natur. Välmående bidrar då till en ökad känsla av närhet till skogen. Resultatet av studien kommer ligga till grund för kommande utvecklingsprojekt hos Södra Skogsägarna där den digitala kartan i Södras app kommer att ses över. Studien presenterar även UX-mål som bör beaktas vid skapandet av en digital karta för att frambringa känsla av närhet till skogen hos skogsägare. Slutsatsen av studien visar att det är både de pragmatiska och hedoniska aspekterna som tillsammans skapar en helhetsupplevelse av skogen för skogsägare. Denna studie bidrar även med en djupare förståelse och utveckling av begreppet känsla av närhet, för vad och hur skogsägare upplever känsla av närhet till sin skog. Med tanke på dagens snabba teknikutveckling borde framtida forskning fokusera på i vilken utsträckning visualiseringar av skogen kan bidra till ökad känsla av närhet till skogen för skogsägare och om det hos skogsägare finns skillnader mellan genus i hur känsla av närhet till skogen skapas. / This report presents a study done in collaboration with Södra Skogsägarna. The aim of the study was to create an understanding of the pragmatic and hedonic aspects that affect how forest owners feel proximity to their forest and how these aspects could be implemented / realized when developing a digital map of the forest. Through a qualitative study based on a phenomenological method approach, a holistic picture could be created of forest owners and how they experienced sense of place to their forest. The data collection consisted of survey, interviews and field observations, which then were analyzed by bottom-up and top-down technology using affinity diagrams. The result shows, for example, that a sense of place is strongly associated with feeling responsibility and being able to influence the map based on the needs of each individual forest owner. The study also shows that a sense of place is closely associated with proper names and generation, since the proper names often originate from previous generations. The forest is also used for recreation because forest owners and other people feel good about staying in the forest and nature. Well-being then contributes to an increased sense of place to the forest. The results of the study will form the basis for future development projects at Södra Skogsägarna, where the digital map in Södra's app will be reviewed. The study also presents UX goals that should be taken into account when creating a digital map to create a sense of place to the forest among forest owners. The conclusion of the study shows that it is both the pragmatic and hedonic aspects that together create a holistic experience of the forest for forest owners. This study also contributes to a deeper understanding and development of the concept of sense of place, for what and how forest owners experience a sense of place to their forest. Given today's rapid technological development, future research should focus on the extent to which visualizations of the forest can contribute to increased sense of place to the forest for forest owners and whether there are differences between genders in how forest owners create a sense of place to the forest.

This research investigates two neighbourhoods around the train and S-train Ny Ellebjerg in South of Valby, which is a part of Copenhagen. The area, which is a post-industrial area, includes several old factory buildings renovated as office- and workspaces. The research aims to investigate the identity transformation in the area and the influence of the recent development plans in the identity. Therefore, the research questions are: How has the place identity of Ny Ellebjerg changed from being industrial to a densely built neighbourhood and what do the plans indicate for the future? How has the development plans and local plans contributed to the place identity transformation of the Ny Ellebjerg area? The thesis will answer these questions with a triangulation between a content analysis on the involved development plans, local plans and municipal plans, and expert interviews as well as walk-along interviews with residents from the area. The findings of the thesis showed that identity of Ny Ellebjerg has changed from being mainly industrial into a city environment inspired by the forms of the industrial constructions, but with a lot of the buildings perceived as very similar to other areas standardized architecture. The plans for the future indicate that it is necessary to plan with more focus on the residents living in the area. The findings of this thesis showed connections between the wish to preserve the area and turn it into a post-modern, post-industrial area with close ties to its past. The aims of the local plan were not realised fully, since the Følager development was only half built and much of the green areas shown in the illustrations was also found to have not been made, due to it not being directly stated in units in the plans.

No description available.

<p>Modern virtually mobile technologies, largely facilitated by the Internet, have changed communication modes, methods, and even daily-lived experiences within the past 20 years. The most prevalent medium of virtual mobility, virtual reality (VR) manages information through the creation of analogies of the physical world. Recently, a new mode of computing called augmented reality (AR) has become increasingly ubiquitous through the proliferation of modern mobile handsets. AR utilizes augmentation of the physical realm rather than simulation as a guiding principle, binding together the physical and virtual realms. Through the use of context-aware features such as landmark identification, geodetic data, etc., AR is able to superimpose virtual information onto real-time displays of physical landscapes. It is in this way that AR is the first mode of computing that truly transcends the boundaries of the virtual and physical realms, demonstrating the concept of <em>dual presence</em>. The effects of this new medium of computing on navigation, wayfinding, and especially the developments involved in the creation of sense of place are largely unstudied. A phenomenological exploratory research design is carried out to seek to identify the effects AR facilitation has on respondents’ cognitive developments, including developments in wayfinding and the creation of social representations of place.</p> / Master of Arts (MA)

Hem och hemkänsla är i följande uppsats definierat som ett läge eller tillstånd snarare än begrepp. I uppsatsen analyseras unga vuxnas definition av hem i syfte att kartlägga specifika mönster och aspekter som kan anses viktiga i meningsskapandet av hem och hemkänsla. I studien presenteras tidigare forskning på hem och hemmiljö och kompletteras med utsagor från unga vuxna i Malmö genom intervjuer utförda i deras privata hem. Genom inspiration från Henri Lefebvres rumsteori där rummet kan förstås utifrån tre aspekter i symbios med varandra, utforskar studien på vad sätt rumsliga praktiker har del i unga vuxnas etablering av hemkänsla. Ytterligare diskuteras människans vardagliga praktiker, rutter, och nätverk som inverkande faktorer i hur unga vuxna tillskriver platser betydelsen av hem. Genom en teoretisk förståelse av begreppet platskänsla (Easthope, 2004) undersöks vidare kopplingar mellan identitet och tidigare erfarenheter och upplevelser av hem och hemmiljö i relation till ett samtida hemskapande bland unga vuxna.  Genom att lyfta medvetna såväl som omedvetna delar av hemskapande, ämnar studien tillskansa ny förståelse kring definitionen av hem och hemkänsla med fokus på unga vuxna i åldrarna 20-35 år. Sammanfattningsvis manifesteras i denna studie att rum och platser fungerar som gränsöverskridande strukturer i vilka människan skapar mening genom upplevelser och föreställningar om hem. / The following thesis defines home and the feeling of home as more of a state of mind than a concept. Young adults’ perception of home is analyzed in this thesis through mapping out aspects and patterns which may shed insight into how home and the feeling of home is perceived and created. This thesis furthers research undertaken in previous studies on home and domesticity, as well as shed light on how young adults in Malmö perceive home through interviews in their private homes. Through taking inspiration from Henri Lefbvres theory of production of space, in which space can be perceived through three interrelated aspects, this study aims to explore how spacial practices contribute to young adults’ formation of a sense of home. Everyday practices, routines, and networks are all factors that have the potential to influence how young adults ascribe the meaning of home to places. Through a theoretical framework and understanding of the concept sense of place (Easthope, 2004) the study further examines the potential connections between identity and previous experiences of home and home environments in relation to contemporary home making among young adults.  By highlighting both conscious and unconscious elements of homemaking, the study looks to provide an alternative understanding of the definition of home and sense of home, focusing on young adults aged 20-35. To conclude, this paper demonstrates that spaces and places function as cross border structures in which people create meaning through experiences and perceptions of home.

Walking is one of the fundamental human activities, which extends beyond mere transportation mode and is embedded leisure and social practice, that intertwines physical movement, sensory experience, and interaction with physical and social environments. Given its multiple health and environmental benefits, promoting walking and pedestrianisation became a priority on the global agenda to meet health, climate, and broader sustainability objectives. Considering the complexity of human behaviour, understanding more than physical factors that influence walkability has become increasingly important. This study explores pedestrian perceptions of walkability in the public space of a historical neighbourhood in Batumi, Georgia. By employing qualitative research design, the study delves into perceptual and symbolic factors that influence walking behaviours in historically and culturally reach area. The study is based on one-hour walk-along interviews with nine participants and interviews with two business proprietors, supplemented by detailed observation and strategic document analysis. Study findings reveal that a sense of place, relaxation, aesthetic pleasure, and social interactions are critical perceived factors that motivate pedestrians to walk in the Old Batumi neighbourhood. Emotional attachment to place, shared values and beliefs (place identity), and physical and functional attachment to the area emerged as significant elements drawing people to walk despite the present car-oriented development and inadequate pedestrian infrastructure and comfort. Tranquil ambiance, old-style architecture, and scenic views enhance the walking experience for those seeking relaxation. In contrast, others are drawn to the area for active socialization as a form of relaxation. Additionally, the research uncovered that symbolic factors, such as open access and multiculturalism, walking as a performative act to claim the space, and cultural affinity play a crucial role in shaping pedestrian preferences. These factors enable individuals to reclaim cultural identity and protect historical heritage through their walking practices. They emerged as distinct for the particular geographic, political, and cultural context, reflecting the ongoing developments related to neoliberal transitions. Besides contributing to the theoretical walkability literature, the findings of the study suggest practical implications for ongoing pedestrianisation initiative in Batumi. It suggests that efforts should prioritise enhancing the sense of place and protecting historical and cultural elements. Recommendations include suggestions on priority streets with high pedestrianisation potential, considering features and factors positively influencing walking practices. Additionally, the study suggests that improving pedestrian infrastructure and access, maintaining the aesthetic and cultural integrity of public spaces, updating and enforcing existing regulations, and introducing integrated and participatory planning are essential. These measures are important to support and preserve the identified values of belonging, multiculturalism, and socialization.

An employed individual will spend between a quarter and a third of his or her waking life at the workplace. An estimated 40% of those in South Africa who are employed full-time work in offices. With the amount of time spend in buildings, the physical conditions in the workplace are important determinants of satisfaction, comfort, well-being, and effectiveness and can even play a role in mental health. The physical environment in offices should therefore be carefully planned, designed, and managed. This qualitative study, sought to develop an inter-cultural office design framework for South Africa combining Eastern and Western design principles. Specifically, it sought to obtain a better insight into design principles which can enhance the well-being of office workers; inter-cultural, gender neutral and age neutral design principles which can be applied in a South African context. To be able to answer these questions an intensive literature review was undertaken investigating both the Eastern design principles as expressed in feng shui and Western design principles as expressed in Environmental Social Science. The design principles of these two traditions were compared and all aspects where the two traditions did not support each other were included in the in-depth interviews. Twenty-five in-depth interviews were conducted By relying on various design cultures (e.g. Eastern and Western) an environment can be created which are pleasing and can enhance the well-being of the users. Underlying design principles are universal, but the symbolic expression thereof can differ from culture to culture. One of the conclusions from this study is that three quarters of design principles are v universal. There is no one size fits all solution and compromise is necessary from all involved. The compromise applies to the roughly a quarter of design aspects where subgroup differences have been detected. Any design should take individual and group difference into account. The only way to do this is to get proper input from all stakeholders at all stages of the design. It is critically important that the input starts before the design process commences. There are many design principles which can be implemented to improve the quality of work life of office workers in the South African context. Design can for example play a very important role in encouraging and facilitating formal and informal interaction in the workplace – bridging the gap between heterogeneous groups. Without forcing relationships, design can assist in naturally integrating heterogeneous groups. The physical environment must support the image and identity which needs to be communicated, facilitate communication and enable task accomplishment. Most of all it must become a place with which employees can identify and where they can develop a sense of place. From this study it can be concluded that not only form follows function but also that aesthetics follow function – a principle that design should be based on the primary purpose of the building, the workspace based on the needs of the stakeholders and from this starting point aesthetics will flow. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Consulting Psychology)

The primary aim of this study in creative writing is research into an aspect of the writing process, namely the creation of spatial dynamics in a novel. This objective required the creation of an artefact. A novel titled Somersneeu was written in order to examine the very process of generating spatial dynamics in this novel in particular, as well as in the novel as such. Somersneeu was published by Human & Rousseau in 2010. Practice-based as well as practice-led research was fundamental to this study. An artistic creator registers intellectually whatever unfolds during the creative process and so new knowledge can simultaneously be created. The process of creating a work of art as well as the reflection thereon is fundamental to practice-led research. In other words, the creative process of an artefact like the novel Somersneeu is the source of a certain kind of knowledge that gradually emerges and can eventually be verbalised. Therefore a design concept for creating spatial dynamics may be articulated. It is a fact that a definite coherence exists between space and spatial dynamics. These two concepts are in reality inseparable and this cohesion is what is also being investigated in this study. Space actually consists of spatial dynamics since all the different facets of space, concrete as well as abstract, have definite and inseparable repercussions upon one another, causing a dynamic interaction among all facets of space. Apart from concrete or physical space, numerous abstractions of space take part in this interplay. These spatial abstractions are, for instance culture, identity, zeitgeist and the all-encompassing human psyche. The intense interplay among all the facets of space triggers spatial dynamics. This is the case in real life as well as in fiction. The above mentioned discussion of space and spatial dynamics is followed by an intense and heuristic view of the process of creating spatial dynamics. In order to create spatial dynamics in a novel, a novelist should have a strong sense of place. The essence of creating spatial dynamics in a novel consists mainly of the transformation of sense of place. The main aim of this study is then to present a design concept for the creation of spatial dynamics in a novel. This design concept may be used by other writers in order to create spatial dynamics in a novel. The novel Somersneeu as well as the questionnaire, reception documents and a list of publications of the writer are included as appendixes. / PhD (Afrikaans and Dutch), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014