The thesis is a detailed study of the changing middle class home in contemporary Sri Lanka. It examines whether and how the interaction of spatial boundaries and embodied meanings have changed as a consequence of current social change. Results suggests that the middle class home in Sri Lanka has transformed from a 'pre-open economy4 model and stabilised into a new a 'post-open economy model', after the free-trade regime was introduced in 1977. Quantitative analysis of forty house plans investigated through space - syntax and statistical tools suggested that configurations, thresholds, positions and vistas of space have been organised and controlled to create generic spatial patterns in two alternative models, corresponding to pre and post open economy periods. Qualitative analysis through accounts of home lives by women that the 'pre-open economy model' was first socially constructed during the British Colonial Period (BCP), which embodied behaviours of a strongly institutionalised home life. A 'lifestyle' constructed within Victorian ideals with a strong emphasis on power structures of the institution of the family was embodied in the spatial classification of the BCP home. Quantitative analysis also suggested that the 'pre-open economy' spatial classification has transformed and stabilised into an alternative model in recent years as a 'post-open economy' model. Published records in Sri Lanka suggests that indicators of social change that affect gender issues such as roles and position of women, decline in domestic services, transformation of family structures, merging of conjugal roles and distancing from the neighbourhood as a community, are global phenomena, known to change during urbanisation in other contexts, for example during industrialisation and in the post-war periods in the UK society. Interestingly, such global phenomena have acquired spatial forms, which are conditional to the socio-historical structures in which the Sri Lankan middle class evolved. Qualitative analysis of accounts of home lives by women living from the post-open economy period revealed a 'user oriented lifestyle' and social boundaries between categories of users such as the family, visitor and outsiders have acquired novel forms of inclusion and exclusion. Thus, the synthesis of quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis suggest that changing spatial organisation relates to new forms of social solidarity seen to be consequential to larger social changes effected by the open-economy.

The "Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design" (CPTED) concept promises to reduce the opportunities and fear of crime in neighbourhoods. By reducing the opportunities for crime, it is assumed that people will become less fearful of moving freely about their environment. This assumption requires further study. This thesis reviews the current status of CPTED in eleven municipalities in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. Based on a series of interviews with law enforcement and planning officials, the thesis examines the promotion, principles and practice of CPTED. The findings suggest that the promotion of CPTED is inadequate. Additionally, CPTED may conflict with other planning objectives. Furthermore, since the concept only promises to reduce the opportunities for crime, evaluating Its performance is difficult. As a result, only a small number of municipalities have incorporated CPTED into their planning process. The thesis concludes that in spite of the limited success of CPTED to date, research on the theory and practice of the concept should continue. Recommendations are suggested to facilitate the implementation, evaluation and promotion of CPTED in the future. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

Much of the available literature on the impact of the architecture of museums of modern art has centred upon the 'spectacularity' of such structures and the regeneration effect on sites and/or cities triggered by their presence, often highlighting their agency in promoting mass tourist activity. However, apart from these widely debated facts, more complex circumstances regarding major shifts in the socio-cultural and political arenas may have influenced the identity, conception, design and implementation of these architectural structures within cityscapes and urban fabrics - circumstances which are often overlooked. Considering this complex contextual frameset, this work concentrates on a specific period of time, indicating the substantial renovation cities have been through since the industrialisation-boom of the 1950s, and ponders the relation between these physical and symbolic transformations and the consequences of this 'modernisation' process in the social-cultural panorama. Albeit assumed as a preponderant factor in cities' 'modernising' policies, this research does not aim to map the most significant or to construct a historiography of modern art museums. The objective is to discuss whether this 'modernisation' process is related to the transformations in the scope, form, function and identity of modern art museums in the last 60 years or so, highlighting the implications of the phenomenon that glorifies these architectural structures per se. But to what extent, or in what sense, has the set of socio-cultural transformations seen since the 1950s conceptually/concretely affected the architecture of museums of modern art? How did this particularly elitist building type emerge as such powerful element in both politico-economic and socio-cultural terms, becoming a major agent in transforming cities' identities since the 1990s? The Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro (Affonso Eduardo Reidy, 1953-1967); the Centre de Culture et d'Art Georges Pompidou, Paris (Renzo Piano & Richard Rogers Architects, 1970-1977) and the TATE Modern, London (Jacques Herzog & Pierre de Meuron, 1994-2000) were selected to illustrate these transformations. In fact, this work discusses these museums' relevance as architectural objects ; analyses whether they have contributed (or not) to set up a new agenda for modern art museums; and investigates if these (conceptual/concrete) transformations have corresponded (or not) to major shifts in paradigms in the arts, in social-cultural trends and in the architectural practice and thinking within the period.

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M. Arch.

I started this thesis project with my curiosity of the idea of layering. This idea has been used in everywhere from computers, fashion to culinary. How about the idea of layering in architecture? I studied the idea of layering in geology. I chose it because I believe geology is very close to architecture in term of physicality, even form and space. We could not separate architecture and geology; architecture inhabits geology. I decided to focus on one most important idea of layering in geology and most interesting for me: the idea of stacking. If we look back to the ancient building, stacking is the basic system to build a building. And for me it is very interesting to see the possibility to apply this idea with all new materials and technology that we have now. In this project I tried to experiment to do stacking from several different materials: concrete, stone, glass, and wood. The project is a health club located in an urban fabric of Georgetown, Washington D.C., between M Street and Potomac River. The site has potential to create a better connection between the lively street of M Street and Potomac River which will be developed in the future. As a private building in an urban area, the building should be able to accommodate urban needs of its surrounding. Therefore the relation between the layers of public and private become very important issue in this project. The building, which program is basically exercise rooms and baths, is expressing the idea of stacking of public and private layers. The running tract area on the second floor and the roof garden on the roof top of the building are accessible to public. Then the building is pushed to one side of the site to create a plaza for a better access from M Street to the riverside. Most idea of stacking in this project applied horizontally because I studied the idea of stacking in geology which is more horizontal than vertical. / Master of Architecture

Every moment in nature is orderly -- one thing the outcome of another, a matter of constructive, growing force. We live our lives in tune with nature when we are happy, and all our misery is the result of our effort to dictate against nature. In moments of great happiness we seem to be with the universe; when all is wrong we seem to be alone, disjointed. Things are going on without us .... Robert Henri / M. Arch.

Yip Ting Wai Chris. / "Architecture Department, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Master of Architecture Programme 2000-2001, design report." / Includes bibliographical references. / Project Background / Initiation --- p.1 / Project vision --- p.2-3 / Scenario --- p.4 / Project brief --- p.5 / Site Study --- p.6-10 / Design Process / Idea generation --- p.11 / First phase --- p.12-15 / Second phase --- p.16 / Third phase --- p.17 / Final Design --- p.18-24 / Appendix / Background Research / Hong Kong cinema / Hong Kong Architecture / Program research / Analysis of existing state / Client & User / Site analysis / Future State / Architectural issues & goals / List of activities / Building Program

Wong Hoi Ho Michael. / "Architecture Department, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Master of Architecture Programme 2000-2001, design report." / Includes bibliographical references. / Site / Access / Massing / Community need / Building / Program / Section / Space interaction / Module compositions / Holiday conversion / Construction / Modules / Construction process / Holiday conversion / Integration / Planning control / Building control / FS control / Daylighting / Structure / Mechanical services / Policy / Site Analysis / Community needs / Access / Topography / Land use / Local precedent / Corridor Classrooms / Special rooms / Hall / Cover playground / Open playground / Communal space / SIP / Pre-fabrication