Women architects are effectively absent from architectural history in Australia. Consulting first the archival record, this thesis establishes the presence of 230 women architects qualified and/or practising in NSW between 1900 and 1960. It then analyses some of these early women architects' achievements and difficulties in the profession, drawing on interviews with 70 practitioners or their friends and family. Finally it offers brief biographical accounts of eight leading early women architects, arguing that their achievements deserve more widespread historical attention in an adjusted canon of architectural merit. There are also 152 illustrations evidencing their design contributions. Thus the research draws on quantitative, qualitative, biographical and visual modes of representation in establishing a historical presence for these early women architects. The thesis forms part of the widespread political project of feminist historical recovery of women forebears, while also interrogating the ends and means of such historiography. The various threads describing women's absence and presence in the architectural profession are woven together throughout the thesis using three feminist approaches which sometimes harmonise and sometimes debate with each other. Described as "liberal feminism", "socialist feminism" and "postmodern feminism", they each put into play distinct patterns of questioning, method and interpretation, but all analyse historiography as a strategy for understanding society and effecting social change.

This research examines the practice, buildings and projects of Building Design Group Architects (BDG), a collaborative of architects and students in Durban during the period 1968-1977. It traces the careers of its principal members, firstly as students at the University of Natal, and later in private practice through the formation and practice of BDG. BDG operated at the fringes of conventional practice. Through a diminished office hierarchy, a team culture was established whereby the endeavors of all personnel were to the common purpose of furthering the architectural objectives of the practice. Responsibilities were shared by qualified architects and students alike. BDG were young and uninhibited by the dogmas of the established profession, architectural compromise being supplanted by investigation and experimentation. The practice operated in a studio atmosphere where a heightened expectation was imposed on each project design and individual concerned. The resulting product of the practice was a vibrant oeuvre of work, predominantly residential; the designs asked questions of the conventions of building form, spatial relationships, technology and building economics. The answers to these questions manifested in an architecture resonating with regional identity. The study identifies the early careers of many important architects who were associated with BDG, and who would contribute to the development of contemporary South African architecture. Paul Mikula, Bryan Lee, John Edgar, Brian Kearney as founding members of BDG would shape the direction of the practice and beyond. They were joined at various stages and durations by Kevin MacGarry, Colin Savage, Tony Wilson, Peter Wilkinson, Bruce Stafford, Luis Ferreira da Silva and Jo Noero, all of whom would later start their own independent practices. However, what emerges from the study is the pivotal role of Paul Mikula in the account of BDG. It was his vigor, vision, passion and talent for design that ignited the practice and drew the attention of the local architectural fraternity. The influence of his work and personality was felt by all those around him; he has significantly marked the architectural landscape of the region, and this study promotes the recognition of Paul Mikula as a significant South African architect. / Thesis (M.Arch.)-University of Natal, 2003.

The architectural firm of Pierre and Wright was one of the most important partnerships in Indianapolis during the second quarter of the twentieth century and the firm left a lasting impact on Indianapolis's built environment and physical development. Edward Dienhart Pierre (May 22, 1890-March 27, 1971) and George Caleb Wright (April 25, 1889-February 27, 1973) merged their talents in August 1925. This partnership resulted in a series of substantial commissions which allowed Pierre and Wright to take leadership roles in the Indianapolis construction community. The design contributions of Pierre and Wright to Indiana, particularly to Indianapolis, are significant because of the wide variety of architectural styles in which they worked, the high quality of construction, and the number of structures which remain. The partnership ended in 1944 and both men continued their architectural careers in Indianapolis. Pierre and Wright worked throughout their lives to enhance their profession and their community. The most obvious evidence of their professional work is the many buildings they designed, but more important is the impact Pierre and Wright had on the design and construction professions in Indiana and the country. Examples of their influence include their work for standardized building codes, development of professional ethics and forums for professional networking, and advocacy of comprehensive urban or metropolitan planning. / Department of Architecture

The purpose of this research was to study the selection of architectural firms for 1997 and 1998 Indiana school construction projects of two million dollars or more. The study reported rankings for architectural selection criteria. Additionally, the study analyzed architectural selection procedures, architectural fees, the degree of respondent satisfaction with architectural services and the finished product, and the amount of inclusiveness in the selection.State records were used to identify the projects approved during the two-year period. Additional data were collected for 81% of the projects via surveys completed by superintendents or their designees.Major findings reported in the study include the following:1. Fees paid to architects ranged from 3.2% to 12.9% of construction costs, with the mean fee being 5.7%.2. In approximately 60% of the projects studied, respondents reported using an inclusive selection procedure for employing an architect.3. Slightly less than one-third of the projects (29%) used a direct selection procedure that precluded the use of a selection committee or the consideration of more than one firm.4. The two most frequently named selection criteria were experience in designing schools and reputation for completing projects within budget.5. The only variable found to have a significant association with the amount of fee paid was satisfaction with architectural services. Respondents in the low-fee category identified the highly satisfied response more than was expected.Outcomes suggest that a considerable number of school officials in the state did not adhere to the accepted best practices concerning competitive selection and the use of inclusive selection committees. The considerable variance in fees paid to architects was not explained by district size, district wealth, the nature of the construction project, or by the selection procedure used.Additional research was recommended in the following areas: (a) replication of the study in other states, (b) qualitative studies of superintendent attitudes about selection criteria and selection committee membership, (c) criteria for setting architectural fees, and (d) factors contributing to superintendent satisfaction. In addition, Indiana policymakers were encouraged to require local school districts to use competitive selection procedures. / Department of Educational Leadership

Thesis (M.S.) -- Mississippi State University. School of Architecture. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

During the past few years, Building Information Modeling (BIM) started to gain acceptance within the AEC industry. But, as with many software products for project management, BIM currently faces significant issues and obstacles that hinder its widespread use. The broad goal of this study is to improve BIM implementation in mid-size firms during the Schematic Design (SD) and Design Development (DD) phases. The study has four main objectives. First, mapping the existing BIM related process model in mid-size firms, and modeling the flow of information between BIM users inside these firms. Second, identifying the challenges that are currently facing BIM users during the Schematic Design (SD) and Design Development (DD) phases, because of the importance of these phases in making critical decisions that directly affect the building life cycle. Then, linking these challenges to a BIM related business process model in order to identify when and how these issues occur. Third, exploring the structural conditions that may change or affect the BIM workflow. Fourth, the study proposes a new business process model that can enhance BIM implementation in mid-size firms. The study is qualitative in nature, and based on interviews with a sample of BIM users involved in mid-size firms in the USA. The researcher attempted to capture BIM issues and the flow of information between BIM users through case studies and interviews inside their firms. Also, the researcher involved a new group of BIM users in the research to seek their feedback, in order to generalize the research results. / Ph. D.

No description available.

The architectural practice of Michael and Louis Beezer, identical twin brothers, lasted from 1892 until 1932. They practiced in Altoona, Pennsylvania, from 1892 until 1899; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1900 until 1906; and in Seattle, Washington, from 1907 until 1932. During their practice, they produced a wide variety of designs including homes, banks, churches, rectories, schools, and hospitals. Today, seventy-two confirmed designs still exist around the country in Pennsylvania, Washington, Oregon, California, Montana, and Alaska. This creative project documents the Beezer Brothers' surviving buildings through current and historic photographs and a short amount of text with information on the history, style, and features of each building. A history of the firm, supplemented with biographical information, is also included. / Department of Architecture

Corporations, design firms, technology, and furniture companies are rethinking the concept of the ‘workplace’ environment and built ‘office’ in an effort to respond to changing characteristics of the workplace. The following report presents a case study, post-occupancy assessment of an architecture firm’s relocation of their corporate headquarters in Dallas, TX. This ethnographic research transpired from September 2013 to February 2014 and included participant observation, employee interviews, and an office-wide employee survey. Applying a user-centered approach, this study sought to identify and understand: 1) the most and least effective design elements, 2) unanticipated user-generated (“un-designed”) elements, 3) how the workplace operates as an environment and system of design elements, and 4) opportunities for continued improvement of their work environment. This study found that HKS ODC successfully increased access to collaborative spaces by increasing the size (i.e. number of square feet, number of rooms), variety of styles (i.e. enclosed rooms, open work surfaces), and distribution of spaces throughout the office environment. An increase in reported public transit commuting from 6.5% at their previous location to 24% at HKS ODC compares to almost five times the national public transit average (5%) and fifteen times the rate of Texas workers (1.6%) and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metro Area (1.5%). This supports the real estate decision and design intent of the office that relocating near public transit would increase use (nearly six times that of reported use at 1919 McKinney, 6.5%). Additional findings and discussion relate to HKS ODC’s design enabling increased access to natural light and improved air quality, increased cross-sector collaboration, increased connection to downtown Dallas and engagement with the larger Dallas architectural community, as well as the open office environment encouraging education between all employee levels. Discrepancies between designed ‘flexibility’ and work away from the desk are explored along with the role of technology to facilitate work without replacing face-to-face interaction. This work also identifies key challenges with the design and employee experience and provides recommendations for addressing areas of concern for continued improvement of the workplace design. Continued user-centered research in the field of workplace design is necessary to assess the effect of current interventions in other office environments for comparison and inform future endeavors.

The adoption of information technology (IT) is an intensive and ongoing process in society. All types of firms, but especially service firms, tend to adopt IT. Professional services, a sub-section of the service sector, are heavy users of IT. These firms are special because their business builds on the knowledge of the people in the firm. Therefore, tt is of special interest to study the impact of IT in these firms. The impact of IT in professional service firms is identified in four ways: service quality, competitive advantage, bottomline (management visions), and industry structure. The empirical focus is on the Swedish architectural industry and the adoption of CAD in this industry. Two extensive surveys each consisting of several in-depth interviews and a mailed questionnaire provide the empirical data. The research design is longitudinal and changes in the industry were observed. In special focus were the differences between the firms that had CAD—adopter firms—and firms that did not have CAD—non-adopters. Both the architects and their clients rated services performed with CAD to have better quality; e.g., the cooperation was eased by the use of this technology. The findings also suggest that CAD may be used as a competitive tool in the industry. The adopters increased their productivity significantly more than the non-adopters did between the two surveys and the adopters had significantly more loyal clients. CAD seems to be a tool that accentuates the differences between the adopter and the non-adopter firms. The results suggest that adopters and non-adopters develop into two different types of firms. The characteristics of these firms indicate that a division of the industry appeared. For example, the adopters were significantly larger than the non-adopters and plans to expand their business. One explanation to the disparity between these two types of firms may be the differences in management vision. The adopters may be characterized as progressive firms and the nonadopters as traditional firms. / <p>Diss. Umeå : Univ., 2001</p> / digitalisering@umu