Artists think differently. They challenge the practical and apply their ideas to the contemporary world creating many journeys and excitement along the way. Without them, the world would have remained flat and as unique as black and white. This thesis investigation is grounded in phenomenological theories of aesthetics proposed by Maurice Merleau-Ponty and John Dewey, the artistic approach of Jackson Pollock and Yves Klein, and my own perceptions of the process of creating art. The objective is to apply aesthetic concepts and principles derived from these sources to the practice of golf course architecture and expand the way we view and play in our golf course environment. Golf, unlike any other sport, is carried out over an area of awarded luck and encouraged misfortune that also happens to be a living environment. Without question, no two courses are alike. Nor is any hole on any course ever the same. Nor is any hole, even if played the very next day, going to relinquish the same experience. Daily tee and hole locations make for an infinite number of configurations; as does wind, the temperature, the condition of the grass or the suddenly drooping branches of a once upright tree. However, not all courses reach their potential and capitalize on the environments possibilities and the perception of those experiencing it. Some course designers simply place holes in a pattern to reach desired numbers of par and yardage in order to fulfill a requirement. With the unrelenting expense of land and the continued awareness of negative development impacts, the art of golf course architecture could be viewed a bit differently. By incorporating the attitude of an artist such as Jackson Pollock, or the mentality of a psychologist such as Merleau-Ponty, and revealing the possibilities of the subconscious, the golf course architect's design can do more than give shape to space. Blacksburg Country Club, located in Ellett Valley just outside of the town of Blacksburg, Virginia serves as a case study site for this design investigation. The intent of the thesis is to develop a design that addresses the technicalities of golf course architecture and the history of the profession while creating a piece of 'art in nature' that touches all the senses — the gateway to the soul. There just happens to be a game inside. / Master of Landscape Architecture

There is nothing impossible in the world. Humans use their imagination to make their dreams come true or to achieve their desires. In architecture, a project should be completed by team effort and technology. Architects and engineers transform their ideas and imagination into an real object: space. Like a film, reflecting the director's thought and expression. How can space be defined ? A wall, a column.... every element in architecture can define a space, even though it might be only a door. A wall can be a separation as defining edges of a space, but a wall also is a connection as indicating other spaces for human to enter. A column is not just a part of the structure in architecture; it may guide people approaching a space or imply that there is another different space beyond?.... / Master of Architecture

Master of Science

Studies of the effects of college on students illustrate the effects of peers on student attitudes and behavior. Likewise, college administrators view peers as a major source of influence on students. Despite awareness of peers as a significant source of influence on students, little research has been conducted to determine how such influence occurs. The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which selected decisions of first-semester Virginia Tech students are influenced by peers according to gender and race. An eighteen-item survey instrument was used to collect data about peer influence in student wellness and interpersonal relationships. Subjects for the study included 228 resident first-year students. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA procedures. There were no significant differences between men and women, or between African-American and Caucasian students in the study. Although many students responded that they were influenced by peers in the areas of trying new things and resolving conflicts with friends, students reported they were influenced little by their peers in areas such as the use of illegal drugs, diet, and their feelings toward persons with a sexual orientation other than their own. Findings from this study suggest that students did not depend on peers for help in decision making regarding issues of wellness and interpersonal relationships~1 These findings should be useful to college administrators who structure out-of-class learning activities by increasing their understanding of the actual influence that students have on one another. / Master of Arts

Combining both roof and shelter into one creates several design opportunities for a small house for college students living in Blacksburg, VA. The roof will serve many purposes, including structure, rain water collection, and inhabitable space. The house has two volumes overlapped into a large cubic volume to create different spaces which can be reached through overlapping stairs leading to the different levels of the house. / Master of Architecture

Walls encasing equivalent modules of space form a structure visually connecting individual elements into a single organism. The placement and form of these walls allows each module of space to retain distinct lighting qualities conversely drawing the individual out of the whole. / Master of Architecture

This empirical study examined the social provisions that adults felt they received from friendship as well as what they desired from friendship and explored discrepancies between what was received and desired. The social provisions were distinguished as: attachment, social integration, reliable alliance, guidance, reassurance of worth, and opportunity for nurturance. The study sought to provide a comprehensive picture of adult friendship by examining multiple predictor variables. The independent variables were subdivided into three categories: selfperception (personality type, gender orientation, selfesteem, and psychological well-being), family intimacy (intimacy with parents, siblings, and spouse) and personal attributes (age, sex, and marital status). The investigation was conducted in Blacksburg, Virginia. Respondents were drawn from a random sampling of faculty and staff members of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Total Design Method for mail surveys was applied to meet the objectives of the research (Dillman, 1978). A total of 449 questionnaires were completed and returned, representing a response rate of 65%. Regression analysis was used to address the research questions. The results of the study indicate that individual characteristics do indeed affect an individual's perceptions of the meaning and adequacy of friend relationships. The findings underscored the importance of using multiple explanatory variables in a study of this nature. However, the self-perception variables proved to be more predictive than the family intimacy or personal attributes variables. The extraverted personality type was the most significant independent variable having the greatest relative influence in ten of the eighteen regressions. The feeling personality type was also very significant. Because friendship is a voluntary association, expressions of personality characteristics may be more evident than in other relationships. The fact that the personality variables were such strong predictors in this study suggests that further research is needed in this area. Also, the results of the study indicate the need to include both gender orientation and sex as variables in future research because both were significant in this study. / Ph. D.

The thesis consists of two parts: The introduction states a rationale for the making of Architecture by defining its final and subsidiary goals and identifying the importance of ‘judgement’ and the concept of ‘order’ as operational means. The project attempts to apply the theory on three different scales: object, building and urban. This part of the book is structure around the theme of ‘meetings’, the enjoyment of two entities coming together and in various ways interacting and redefining each other architecturally. / Master of Architecture

The basis of any human existence is a space to inhabit to support that existence. Space, given by nature or created by man is always determined by the "planes" by which the particular space is enclosed. The issue, (what kind of materials these planes are made of - a roof, a wall , a column), is most important for the impression the space creates on the inhabitants. Having layers of different materials create, articulate and order the spacial layout for a building is the central theoretical statement. In order to translate this theoretical Q statement from the realm of the written words into the language of architecture - sketches, drawings and models examples of two designs are offered. / Master of Architecture

Campus foodservice has experienced drastic changes over the twentieth century. Its cafeteria style service has some major advantages in catering the needs of the clientele: speed of service, convenience in food selection, and range of price, and so forth. As enrollments in colleges and universities have been continuously increasing during the past few years, campus foodservice operation is gaining its importance in the foodservice industry. Additionally, it serves as a part of the marketing mix with an appeal to increasing number of students. The campus foodservice administrators are facing increased pressure of cost containment. Therefore, how to improve operational efficiency and productivity has been a major concern among foodservice managers. However, this is difficult to achieve due to the numerous variables likely to influence productivity with interrelating factors, such as policy and standard, employee and management skills, efficiency of facility layout, and so forth. There is a lack of published reports that single out these variables and provide in-depth analysis as to their impact on productivity. Efficiency of kitchen equipment and workplace layout has been identified as a variable that influences labor productivity. It is the objective of this study to utilize the variables inherent in meal production of campus foodservice operations to assess the efficiency of kitchen equipment and workplace layout and determine their impact on with labor productivity. Case studies were conducted in Owens Food Court, Shultz and Dietrick Dining Halls on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. Work flow analysis and process time analysis of kitchen employees was utilized to collect data in describing work flow and utilization of labor time in meal production among the dining facilities. Ten entree items were purposively sampled from each dining facility. The Product Process Gross Charts, often used in industrial engineering, were used as a major data collecting tool. A total of 150 charts, which included Move Charts, Distance Charts, Travel Charts, Description of By-pass, and Worker Process Time Charts, were utilized extensively for data collection and interpretation. The differences in work flow variables and utilization of labor time variables among the dining facilities were studied. An analysis of the influence of work flow variables on the utilization of labor time was conducted. In addition, the differences in the functioning of work flow variables in affecting utilization of labor time among the dining facilities were also analyzed. The results showed significant differences in absolute travel distance and percentage of time spent walking and (or) for delays among three dining facilities. Further more, collapsed information indicated that absolute travel distance was positively related with percentage of time spent walking and (or) for delays; and that percentage of backward movement was also positively related with percentage of time spent walking and (or) for delays. Based on the findings, it is recommended by the researcher that a smooth work flow should be achieved in kitchen design, and some major equipment and workplace should be located within the direct line of flow. Equipment and workplace should be organized into different "functional clusters". It is also recommended that further research would be useful in identifying additional variables which would account for a great percentage of variance in the utilization of labor time. / Master of Science