The diploma thesis that is presented is focused on courtyards in the capital city of the Czech Republic, in Prague. Courtyard is defined as a semi-public area enclosed by buildings and open to the sky. These areas were formed from the turn of the 19th and 20th century to the second half of the 20th century. The utility function was the original function of courtyards. This case study focuses on a specific courtyard and tries to analyse current functions of courtyards. How can courtyards contribute to a better life quality in cities and which decision-making processes can aim to their optimal utilization? This thesis tries to contribute to the theoretical description of courtyards and define them as a place important for a living and compact city. Key words urbanism, public area, semi-public area, courtyards, case study

Min teori är att en av förklaringarna till naturens positiva inverkan på oss ligger i att naturen är lättläst för oss när vi avkodar vår omgivning. I naturen finns det matematiska mönster som återkommer och upprepar sig. Fibonaccis talserie, Gyllene snittet, Fyllotaxisspiralen och framförallt fraktaler. De här mönstren hjälper oss att registrera och ta in information från det vi ser i vår omvärld för att förstå den men också för att avgöra om det finns några faror eller om vi är på en trygg plats.   Inom forskning där försökspersonernas ögonrörelser studerades fann man att vi automatiskt fäster blicken vid mönster med den fraktala dimensionen 1,3 - 1,5. Vidare försök visade att testpersonerna blev som mest avslappnade när de fick se bilder med ett D-värde inom det spannet. Ytterligare stöd för växters hälsofrämjande inverkan fann jag i en rapport från ett försök där testpersonerna fick vidröra olika material med förbundna ögon. Man ville mäta både psykiska och fysiska reaktioner. Testpersonerna fick dels skatta sina upplevelser utifrån 10 par motsatsord och dels mättes deras syremättnad i blodet och det cerebrala blodflödet. Den psykologiska delen av försöket gav ett neutralt resultat men de fysiska mätvärdena indikerade att försökspersonerna blev stressade av att vidröra metall och blev mer avslappnade när de vidrörde levande växtmaterial i form av ett blad. Slutsatsen blev att fysisk kontakt med växtmaterial kan ha en lugnande effekt, trots att försökspersonen inte vet att det är växtmaterial den vidrör.   Genom att föra in dessa mönster i bostadsgården skulle den bli mer hälsofrämjande för den urbana människan. Eftersom örtskiktet idag är underrepresenterat i dessa bostadsområden har jag valt att lägga fokus på perenner som skulle lyfta in de fraktala och matematiska mönstren i den miljön. / My theory is that one of the explanations for the nature's positive impact on us is that nature is easy to read when we decode our surroundings. In nature there are mathematical patterns that recur and repeat themselves like the Fibonacci numbers, Golden Ratio, Phyllotaxis spiral and especially fractals. These patterns help us to record and take in information from what we see in our surroundings to understand it but also to determine if there is something scary or if we are in a safe place.   In research where they investigated the subjects’ eye movements it was found that we automatically attach our gaze at pattern of the fractal dimension 1.3 – 1.5. Further experiments showed that the test subjects where the most relaxed when they saw pictures with a dimension value within that range. I found additional support for plant health effects in a report from an experiment in which test subjects touched different materials blindfolded. The research team wanted to measure both psychological and physical reactions. The test subjects were instructed to value their experiences based on 10 pairs of word opposites and additionally their oxygen saturation in the blood and the cerebral blood flow were monitored. The psychological part of the trail gave a neutral result, but the physical measurements indicated that the subjects were stressed by touching metal and were more relaxed when they touched living plant material (a fresh leaf). The conclusion was that physical contact with plant material can have a calming effect, even though the subject does not know it is plant material it touches.   By bringing in these patterns to apartment house courtyards they would become more health promoting for the urban human. Since the herbal layer is underrepresented in these areas today, I have chosen to focus on perennials that would bring in the fractal and mathematical patterns in this environment.

This thesis studies the soundscapes of five different urban courtyards in Västerås, Sweden and presents suggestions on how to improve them. Due to the increasing urbanization there is now an increased need for housing in cities, this leads to buildings that are close to both other buildings, roads and noise emitting activities. On the grounds of that there is now a higher amount of effort required to make urban courtyards a somewhat quiet and tranquil space. The need for such a courtyard is due to the negative health effects connected to a bad soundscape. Noise pollution can lead to both hearing loss and cardio-vascular diseases. The study was done by first conducting a research of the scientific literature about the subject and then making measurements and observations at the courtyards. The soundscapes of the studied courtyards ranged from annoying to pleasing and comfortable. The sound levels measured from 46 to 57 dBA, this difference of 11 dBA is perceived as about twice as loud by the human ear. To solve the issue with noise pollution we suggest a variety of solutions to the different courtyards. These mainly include noise barriers, green walls and roof, vegetation and sound masking techniques. The main conclusions are that even the best performing courtyard could be acoustically enhanced and that solutions that employ vegetation both reduce the sound level and introduce natural sounds that are pleasing to most humans.

Stadsodling har allt oftare börjat påtalas i städers styrdokument, till exempel Stockholms stad, som en strategi för att främja social och ekologisk stadsutveckling. Familjebostäder, ett av Stockholms allmännyttiga bostadsföretag har vidare fått som verksamhetsdirektiv att arbeta med stadsodling i sin verksamhet. Genom en kvalitativ studie av tre av Familjebostäders bostadsgårdar, där en stadsodling har startats på en av gårdarna, undersöks boendes möjligheter att odla. Detta konkretiseras i hur stadsodling på innergårdar kan skapa sociala mervärden för brukarna och bidra till ekologiska värden på/i gården, som en del av stadens övergripande grönstruktur. Studien undersöker även åtgärdsbehov och utvecklingsmöjligheter för Familjebostäders arbete med planering och förvaltning av sina innegårdar framöver. Underlaget till studien utgörs av en litteraturstudie, fallstudie och intervjuer som en del av fallstudien. Totalt har 33 semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts med två särskilt sakkunniga inom stadsodling, fyra tjänstepersoner från Familjebostäder och 27 boende, varav fem stycken är brukare av stadsodlingen. Studien visar att hyresgäster kan involveras i odling på sin gård genom att initiativet till odling kommer antingen centralt, organiserat av förvaltaren, eller att initiativet kommer från de boende själva, vilket förutsätter att förvaltaren kan bemöta sådana initiativ. De ekosystemtjänster som odling kan skapa på gårdar, är främst kulturella - men även till viss del stödjande och reglerande ekosystemtjänster. Organisatoriskt sett kan Familjebostäder i sin verksamhet systematisk arbeta med att inkludera boende i frågor som handlar om deras utemiljö i allmänhet och stadsodling i synnerhet, både i ett kortsiktigt och långsiktigt perspektiv. Slutligen bidrar studien till en slutsats och diskussion om hur brukarmedverkan i boendes närmiljö och odling kan bidra till social aktivitet och som en målpunkt på gården. Gårdar som är interaktiva upplevs som trivsamma av sina hyresgäster, leder till möten mellan grannar och främjar ekosystemtjänster och biologisk mångfald i allmänhet. Av de tre studerade gårdarna har gårdens struktur visat på vissa skillnader i de boendes intresse för att odla. / Urban agriculture has begun to be mentioned much more frequently in city policies as a strategy for striving towards socially and ecologically sustainable cities, with the city of Stockholm being one example. Familjebostäder, one of Stockholm’s municipal housing agencies, have furthered this by starting a directive which will implement urban agriculture into their organisation. This study has been conducted through a qualitative assessment of three of Familjebostäder’s innergardens, one of which has already had urban agriculture recently started. The focus of the study is to assess how urban agriculture on such innergardens can spur social values for users and contribute to ecological values for the yard/ shared space as part of the city’s green infrastructure. The study will also explore how Familjebostäder can be more proactive with their implementation of urban agriculture in the organisation, and integrate it with the execution and maintenance of their yards. The execution of the study consists of a literary review and case studies comprising of interviews. In total, there were 33 semi-structured interviews conducted, two of which were carried out with interviewees who have expansive knowledge surrounding urban agriculture, four representatives from Familjebostäder and 27 tenants, five of whom are currently using the garden. What the study shows is that tenants can be involved in urban gardening in their yard, whether the initiative comes from the housing organisation or whether the tenants themselves take their own initiative. The latter requires that the housing organisation can meet and enable initiatives of that kind. Ecosystem services that can be generated, in this context, are mainly cultural ecosystem services but also to some extent supporting and regulating ecosystem services. Seen from an organisational perspective, Familjebostäder can systematically improve how tenants can get involved and engaged with their courtyard and urban agriculture both in the short and long term. To conclude, the outcome of the study forms a discussion about how co-creation of the local outdoor space management and gardening can become a point of interest and a central social activity between neighbours. An interactive outdoor environment creates a space perceived as pleasant by their tenants and of which support ecosystem services and biodiversity in general. The typology of the housing and the three respective courtyards has shown that there is some variance in tenant interest of starting agricultural activities.

Chan Chan, the prehistoric capital of the Chimu culture (ca. A.D. 900 to 1450), is located in the Moche Valley close to the Pacific Ocean on the North Coast of Peru. Its sandy desert environment is dominated by the dry onshore turbulent and gusty winds from the south. The nucleus of this large urban community built of adobe is visually and spatially dominated by 10 monumental rectilinear high walled citadels that were thought to be the domain of the rulers. The form and function of these immense citadels has been an enigma for scholars since their discovery by the Spanish ca. 1535. Previous efforts to explain the citadels and the walls have emphasized the social, political, and economic needs of the culture. The use of the citadels to control the effects of the wind, sand, and dust in the valley had not been previously considered. Through the use of theoretical constructions and wind tunnel experiments, it is established that the form of the classic variant of the citadel was developed from a longtime interaction between the man—built environment and the natural environment. The Chimu had designed a courtyard system that reduced stress and discomfort from wind, sand, and dust by means of architectural features that included: the rectilinear citadel plan with the long axis parallel to the prevailing winds; the contiguous courtyards with the long axis in common; the high exterior walls; the high interior transverse walls; and the triangular cross section of the walls. It is demonstrated that these features kept out the blowing sand, reduced the wind speeds at pedestrian level, and kept dust, entrained in the airstream by the anthropogenic activity outside the walls, from entering the enclosures. It is also demonstrated that there is a correlation between the degree of protection afforded in a sector of the citadel and the social, political, and economic activities that took place in that sector. / PH. D.

The aim of my PhD project has been to understand how Hutong residents' ideas about living space have been different from those living in the high-rise compound and how their concept of living space has been changed by both internal and external factors, meaning additional affiliated functions and governmental city-planning. I conducted my fieldwork in Beijing between July 2009 and September 2012: fourteen months in total, interspersed with trips to St. Andrews. I spent ten months from July 2009 to May 2010 living in a Hutong called Xingfu Street (the word translates as ‘happiness'). Then I moved into a high-rise apartment outside the inner city, called Suojiafen Compound, for a further four months. This study concerns space in the contemporary city of Beijing: how space is humanly built and transformed, classified and differentiated, and most importantly how space is perceived and experienced. In the end I have developed the concept “overlapped” space as a way to detect the “personality” of space in both Hutong and high-rise apartment: how they differentiated from each other and how they have been transformed in different way by the residents inside.

As grandes cidades vivenciam constantes transformações na sua morfologia urbana e arquitetura. Estas mudanças influem diretamente na construção da imagem da cidade, assim como vão aos poucos, alterando a relação entre cheios e vazios no seu tecido. Este trabalho se propõe a investigar as morfologias de miolo de quarteirão - os vazios no interior das quadras e sua ocorrência num local determinado do Centro de Porto Alegre. O estudo se inicia no conceito do tema e segue posteriormente numa busca destas situações morfológicas em diversos momentos da arquitetura e urbanismo. Essa série de análises, chamada no trabalho de Paralelos Morfológicos, teve uma contextualização delimitada sobre modelos urbanos que tiveram influência direta na construção da forma do Centro de Porto Alegre. Um dos modelos é o da cidade tradicional, representado pelo traçado da cidade antiga. O outro, a cidade moderna, que trouxe novas relações de implantação, descolando os edifícios uns dos outros. Depois de apresentadas as situações de miolo de quarteirão nas cidades e nas edificações, o trabalho passa para montagem do estudo de caso. Primeiramente, com a pesquisa da evolução urbana da face sul e residencial do Centro Histórico de Porto Alegre. Uma análise da situação atual do bairro foi necessária para a compreensão e seleção das zonas potenciais. O objetivo final foi o mapeamento dos miolos de quarteirão na área de estudo, o qual, junto ao roteiro histórico e teórico do trabalho, pode contribuir com uma base para pesquisa sobre o espaço no interior das quadras em centros históricos. / Great cities are in constant transformation, changing their image and their urban morphology. This process also has an influence on the relation between free and constructed places in their urban tissue. This work proposes to investigate the morphology of empties places inside the blocks, researching the occurrence of these - in Porto Alegre downtown. The work begins studying the concept of these courtyards and then, follows to the search situations at different times in architecture and urbanism history. The cases presented were select from the mainly urban models that had constructed the shape of Porto Alegre Historic Center. One of these models is the traditional city, represented by the design of the old town. The other is the modern city, which brought new relations between buildings and their environments. After presenting the inside blocks situations in two scales - of the cities and architecture - the research gets into the case of Porto Alegre, where inumerous underutilized places are hidden. At this moment, the work passes through an analysis of the urban development of the residential south side of Porto Alegre Historic Center. A chapter about morphological and typological aspects was also necessary for selecting and understanding the potential areas. The ultimate goal was the mapping of the empty spaces inside the blocks at the district - the recognition of intervention possibilities. This work, within the historical and theoretical analysis presented before, contributes with a base for researching about empties spaces inside the blocks.

As grandes cidades vivenciam constantes transformações na sua morfologia urbana e arquitetura. Estas mudanças influem diretamente na construção da imagem da cidade, assim como vão aos poucos, alterando a relação entre cheios e vazios no seu tecido. Este trabalho se propõe a investigar as morfologias de miolo de quarteirão - os vazios no interior das quadras e sua ocorrência num local determinado do Centro de Porto Alegre. O estudo se inicia no conceito do tema e segue posteriormente numa busca destas situações morfológicas em diversos momentos da arquitetura e urbanismo. Essa série de análises, chamada no trabalho de Paralelos Morfológicos, teve uma contextualização delimitada sobre modelos urbanos que tiveram influência direta na construção da forma do Centro de Porto Alegre. Um dos modelos é o da cidade tradicional, representado pelo traçado da cidade antiga. O outro, a cidade moderna, que trouxe novas relações de implantação, descolando os edifícios uns dos outros. Depois de apresentadas as situações de miolo de quarteirão nas cidades e nas edificações, o trabalho passa para montagem do estudo de caso. Primeiramente, com a pesquisa da evolução urbana da face sul e residencial do Centro Histórico de Porto Alegre. Uma análise da situação atual do bairro foi necessária para a compreensão e seleção das zonas potenciais. O objetivo final foi o mapeamento dos miolos de quarteirão na área de estudo, o qual, junto ao roteiro histórico e teórico do trabalho, pode contribuir com uma base para pesquisa sobre o espaço no interior das quadras em centros históricos. / Great cities are in constant transformation, changing their image and their urban morphology. This process also has an influence on the relation between free and constructed places in their urban tissue. This work proposes to investigate the morphology of empties places inside the blocks, researching the occurrence of these - in Porto Alegre downtown. The work begins studying the concept of these courtyards and then, follows to the search situations at different times in architecture and urbanism history. The cases presented were select from the mainly urban models that had constructed the shape of Porto Alegre Historic Center. One of these models is the traditional city, represented by the design of the old town. The other is the modern city, which brought new relations between buildings and their environments. After presenting the inside blocks situations in two scales - of the cities and architecture - the research gets into the case of Porto Alegre, where inumerous underutilized places are hidden. At this moment, the work passes through an analysis of the urban development of the residential south side of Porto Alegre Historic Center. A chapter about morphological and typological aspects was also necessary for selecting and understanding the potential areas. The ultimate goal was the mapping of the empty spaces inside the blocks at the district - the recognition of intervention possibilities. This work, within the historical and theoretical analysis presented before, contributes with a base for researching about empties spaces inside the blocks.

As grandes cidades vivenciam constantes transformações na sua morfologia urbana e arquitetura. Estas mudanças influem diretamente na construção da imagem da cidade, assim como vão aos poucos, alterando a relação entre cheios e vazios no seu tecido. Este trabalho se propõe a investigar as morfologias de miolo de quarteirão - os vazios no interior das quadras e sua ocorrência num local determinado do Centro de Porto Alegre. O estudo se inicia no conceito do tema e segue posteriormente numa busca destas situações morfológicas em diversos momentos da arquitetura e urbanismo. Essa série de análises, chamada no trabalho de Paralelos Morfológicos, teve uma contextualização delimitada sobre modelos urbanos que tiveram influência direta na construção da forma do Centro de Porto Alegre. Um dos modelos é o da cidade tradicional, representado pelo traçado da cidade antiga. O outro, a cidade moderna, que trouxe novas relações de implantação, descolando os edifícios uns dos outros. Depois de apresentadas as situações de miolo de quarteirão nas cidades e nas edificações, o trabalho passa para montagem do estudo de caso. Primeiramente, com a pesquisa da evolução urbana da face sul e residencial do Centro Histórico de Porto Alegre. Uma análise da situação atual do bairro foi necessária para a compreensão e seleção das zonas potenciais. O objetivo final foi o mapeamento dos miolos de quarteirão na área de estudo, o qual, junto ao roteiro histórico e teórico do trabalho, pode contribuir com uma base para pesquisa sobre o espaço no interior das quadras em centros históricos. / Great cities are in constant transformation, changing their image and their urban morphology. This process also has an influence on the relation between free and constructed places in their urban tissue. This work proposes to investigate the morphology of empties places inside the blocks, researching the occurrence of these - in Porto Alegre downtown. The work begins studying the concept of these courtyards and then, follows to the search situations at different times in architecture and urbanism history. The cases presented were select from the mainly urban models that had constructed the shape of Porto Alegre Historic Center. One of these models is the traditional city, represented by the design of the old town. The other is the modern city, which brought new relations between buildings and their environments. After presenting the inside blocks situations in two scales - of the cities and architecture - the research gets into the case of Porto Alegre, where inumerous underutilized places are hidden. At this moment, the work passes through an analysis of the urban development of the residential south side of Porto Alegre Historic Center. A chapter about morphological and typological aspects was also necessary for selecting and understanding the potential areas. The ultimate goal was the mapping of the empty spaces inside the blocks at the district - the recognition of intervention possibilities. This work, within the historical and theoretical analysis presented before, contributes with a base for researching about empties spaces inside the blocks.

The specified area is located in the city district Brno - Židenice, near the railway station. The theme of the thesis is the architectural study of selected part of the multifunctional intense urban structure, which was solved in the pre-diploma project. Draft uses the building site intensively, provides high plot ratio and density of population, a wide range of functions in a relatively small area is related to the elimination of transportation. By using topography the proposal creates a permeable areas, buildings with relations to the surroundings and with quality public spaces and attractive housing. Pick-up railway cancels barrier and makes a space with landscaping. Readability is achieved by linking the territory from east to west by straight streets and from north to south by passages. The development creates three centers, the commercial center of the north, center of culture in the heart of the area and the center of relaxation and sport in the south. Basic grid of development has a checkerboard plan, which reflects the grid of surrounding structure. The new development varies in its scale, from large scale buildings in the parterre decays into smaller scale. Function division is horrizontal. There are underground parking, a parterre with shops and services, a floor with offices and work study open to the courtyard and housing on the upper floors. Thus formed structure provides enough light in the courtyards and flats. The segmentation is supported by materials, bricks in the parterre contrast with the monotone plaster on the upper floors.