To improve employee well-being, reduce healthcare costs, and meet the desires of a younger workforce, this study used frameworks of holistic wellness to identify which well-being amenities, services, and programs (i.e. those aimed at encouraging healthy behaviors) are valued by urban campus employees and what influential factors encourage their utilization. To enhance employee well-being and reduce healthcare costs many companies have adopted wellness programs which incorporate a myriad of programs, services, and amenities for the purpose of improving health. Yet, according to the research organization, RAND (2014), participation rates are low (20% to 40%) while reasons for this remain unclear. Literature has identified obesity, lack of physical activity (PA) and stress management as the leading health concerns within the current workplace (Hallal, Andersen, Bull, Guthold & Hanskell, 2012; Makrides, Heath, Farquharson & Veinot, 2007). In order to align potential amenities aimed at improving such health conditions, the author studied amenity types and organized them accordingly based upon the International Facility Management Association’s amenity categorization (2012). By cross-comparing these health concerns to IFMA’s amenity categories, it was determined that Food & Refreshments, Fitness & Recreation, and Work-Life Balance appeared to have the highest potential to improve these health concerns. Thus, these three types of amenities were the focus of this study. At the same time, changing workforce demographics suggest a growing preference towards urban areas that offer access to public amenities, thus leading companies to rethink their office locations in hopes of attracting and retaining talent (Vogelmann, 2016). Yet, despite evidence suggesting the work environment plays an important role in achieving these goals, employers may forfeit desirable amenities when faced with acquiring real estate capable of supporting their staff within desirable, yet costly, urban locations. Consequently, urban campus employees are a demographic of growing importance, as their workplace environment typically offers close proximity to many amenities. As amenities have come to be viewed as a means to satisfy business objectives, understanding their role and effectiveness within the workplace may play an important role in improving employee wellness, and attracting and retaining talent. However, there is little empirical knowledge regarding which amenities employees’ value or which factors may influence their utilization. Therefore, this research study sought to determine the well-being amenities valued by corporate urban campus employees, and what factors play a role in their utilization. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Interior Architecture and Design in partial fulfillment of the Master of Fine Arts. / Summer Semester 2017. / July 19, 2017. / Interior Architecture, Interior Design, Well-Being, Workplace Amenities, Workplace Design, Workplace Well-Being / Includes bibliographical references. / Amy Huber, Professor Directing Thesis; Jim Dawkins, Committee Member; Marlo Ransdell, Committee Member.

Established over 220 years ago, the first American hotels helped facilitate a quickly growing body of travelers with the essential amenities of shelter, food, drink, and other services and goods usually obtained within the household (Sandoval-Strausz, 2007). Fast-forwarding to the current year, hotels are still using these early guiding amenities, but over time, have adapted them to meet the values and needs of each passing generation. The Millennial generation, those born between the years of 1981-1996 (Gallup, 2014), demonstrate a shift in mindfulness of how they choose to live their lives that is different from previous generations (Gensler, 2016b). Their traveling habits are beginning to blend two common traveling styles together to form “bleisure” travel (Worker, S., n.d., ¶ 3). Bleisure travel is what occurs when business trips extend into weekend leisure vacations (Worker, S., n.d.). The hotel industry is in a position to adapt to this new traveling style. Hotel’s seek to retain customers as fully engaged brand followers, as they are the company’s most profitable consumer in both good and bad economic times, with high levels of emotional attachment (Sorenson and Adkins, 2014). Unfortunately, Millennials exhibit the lowest percentage of hotel engagement levels when compared to other traveling generations (Gallup, 2014). The goal of this study seeks to identify the values and needs of the Millennial generation in order to increase their engagement levels via bleisure style hotel brands. To identify the values and needs of Millennials, this study surveyed Millennial travelers staying at hotel accommodations for business, leisure, and bleisure type travel. From the survey, the author has synthesized the data results into two guest personas which illustrate the top attributes of a Millennial who is traveling for bleisure. These findings have informed the programming, site selection, and proposed design solution for a bleisure style hotel that addresses a potential solution for increasing engagement levels of the traveling Millennial. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Interior Architecture and Design in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts. / Summer Semester 2017. / June 28, 2017. / Brand Engagement, Hotels, Interior Design / Includes bibliographical references. / Jim Dawkins, Professor Directing Thesis; Marlo Ransdell, Committee Member; Kenan Fishburne, Committee Member.

Globalization and modernization since the discovery of oil have greatly affected the built environment of the twenty-first century Saudi Arabian city. These changes span all aspects of life and impact the social structure of residential communities. The design of cities, towns, and the buildings within them has been influenced by greater exposure to non-Saudi building types that came as a result of greater affluence and globalization. This study addressed changes in the design of the congregational mosque in Saudi Arabia after the discovery of oil in the 1930s. It explored the role of the congregational mosque in the twenty-first century Saudi Arabia, and its influence on residents’ attachment to their neighborhoods and sense of community respective to design. Feelings of connectedness to the community at large and attachment to residential neighborhoods are essential for the wellbeing of residents. Identifying with a place plays an important role in helping people attach meaning to places and forming emotional connections to them. Cities with places where socialization between community members occurs can support strong attachment to place. Prior to the discover of oil in Saudi Arabia, the congregational mosque served as the main community gathering place. Much of the communal activity, both religious and social, occurred in the mosque. Following the discovery of oil and changes in building types, communities changed. To better understand the impact of the changes in the design and role of the mosque, a survey was sent to 3000 employees of the Royal Commission for Jubail with 325 completed responses received. In addition to surveys, interviews were conducted with eight mosque attendees and the Imam (the leader of the mosque) to further understand the phenomenon of the mosque as a communal place. A case study of the Farouq congregational mosque in Jubail Industrial city was conducted and analyzed using spatial syntax methodology. The study revealed six themes related to the research questions including: social interaction between residents of the local neighborhood, neighborhood attachment, the use of the current-day mosque, the mosque as a social gathering place, the mosque as a community influencer, and the mosque’s architecture. Findings indicated the presence of a small community formed around the congregational mosque. However, results showed a decrease in the use of the mosque as a community gathering place when compared to mosques prior to the discovery of oil. Survey results indicated an interest in the mosque as a place to gather for prayer, as well as activities other than prayer. Therefore, findings suggest more efforts should be made to utilize the mosque facility as a place to help strengthen the social relationships between residents. More connection among residents has the potential to promote a stronger sense of community and attachment to residential environments. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Interior Architecture and Design in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Spring Semester 2018. / March 21, 2018. / mosque, neighborhood community, residents' attachment, saudi arabia, sense of attachment, sense of community / Includes bibliographical references. / Lisa Waxman, Professor Directing Thesis; Jill Pable, Committee Member; Marlow Ransdell, Committee Member.

People tend to gravitate toward nature. Edward O. Wilson (1984) stated that human beings are biologically connected to the psychological, the physical, and the spiritual through nature, establishing the definition for biophilia. Specific studies have shown that biophilic design elements enable people to live and work in healthy spaces with less stress and high productivity in healthcare facilities and learning environments. Many special needs students in South Korea spend their time in mainstreaming learning environments, which are special classrooms similar in design to regular classrooms. Literature suggests that special needs students may have less severe symptoms than those who commute to special schools, but they still likely need a well-designed learning environment that contributes to their unique development and promotes their well-being. This research identified biophilic design principles in special classrooms and other nearby spaces that support the behavioral health of special needs students in traditional middle schools in South Korea, and explored how these biophilic design principles might be integrated. To assess existing classroom conditions about special needs students' emotional behaviors regarding biophilic design attributes, this study conducted an online survey and semi-structure interview with special education instructors. The study revealed that certain biophilic attributes including windows and views, plants, wood materials, and certain furniture arrangements contribute to special needs students' behavioral health according to queried instructors. These findings gave rise to ten biophilic design guidelines for special educational environments that were then applied in a hypothetical middle school project. These strategies might be utilized by designers and educators to improve special educational environments that promote special needs students' well-being. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Interior Architecture and Design in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts. / Fall Semester 2018. / October 26, 2018. / Biophilic design, Learning environment, Mainstreaming environment, Special classroom design, Special needs students' emotional behaviors / Includes bibliographical references. / Jill Pable, Professor Directing Thesis; Marlo Ransdell, Committee Member; Jim Dawkins, Committee Member; Theresa Van Lith, Committee Member.

abstract: The main aim of this thesis is to study the Saudi Arabia designers level of awareness about sustainable interior materials and to what extent are Saudi Arabia designers specifying sustainable interior materials in their interior designs? The problem statement relies on understanding how does this may impact the Saudi Arabia environment. In order to comply with these objectives, a telephone interviews were built, to test the designer’s knowledge about sustainable interior materials. The results showed that the Saudi Arabia interior designers are not fully aware of sustainable interior materials and there is a lack of interest in applying sustainable interior materials in their projects. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Design 2019

The focal cohort in this study is the Millennial generation, the group of people born between the years of 1982 and 1999. Research shows that many Millennials are delaying marriage and having children, which significantly impacts how we will design spaces for this generation's needs based on their current point in life (Strauss & Howe, 1991). Their social factors influence their location, housing choices, and their personal meaning of home. It is important to look at the American life cycle as it has actually been lived by each generation. Because Millennials are more involved with keeping up with trends, and incorporating them into their lifestyle, design needs are much different than in the past. Millennials desire a sense of community and connection to their surroundings (PRC, 2010). This generation wants walkability, convenience, housing variety, and affordability within their housing environment, and a mixed-use development is an applicable solution that successfully accommodates these desires (RCLCO, 2013). Currently there is a lack of housing opportunity that will accommodate Millennials' needs at their current point in life (PRC 2010; Jones, 1995). This lack of available housing makes building an emotional connection to their homes and surrounding community extremely difficult for Millennials (Jones, 1995). In order to accommodate this desire for emotional connection to their surroundings, it is essential to understand the Millennials' needs in relation to their meaning of home. The Millennial generation as a whole, connect their personal and social identity to their physical surroundings, therefore, these young adults desire to establish a personal identity through "sense of place" in their home and a social identity through "sense of community" in their living environment (Jones, 1995). Determining what needs Millennials find important within their home environment allows for the opportunity to enhance their emotional connections with their surroundings. This study illustrates the findings from the research study, and provides a proposed design solution for a mixed-use housing environment for Millennials. A group of Millennials have been be surveyed to determine how they accommodate their needs, gaining further insight on how accommodating Millennial's needs enhances these desired meaningful connections. The resulting data lead to a greater understanding of the meaningful relationships that Millennial's desire to create within their surroundings, and how to better accommodate their needs through design. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Interior Design in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts. / Summer Semester 2015. / June 24, 2015. / Housing Environment, Meaning of Home, Millennials, Mixed Use, Sense of Community, Social Identity / Includes bibliographical references. / Steven B. Webber, Professor Directing Thesis; Jim Dawkins, Committee Member; Marlo Ransdell, Committee Member.

Today, with three generations – Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials – working side by side within the workforce, miscommunications, and every day annoyances take place (Glass, 2007). These three generations, each shaped by different life experiences and defining moments in history, share an office environment and bring distinctive expectations as well as distinct approaches to work and communication (Lee Hecht Harrison, 2007). This study considers the impact of the built environment on multigenerational workforce, the effectiveness of employees' interactions, and communications. As the oldest generation in the workplace, Baby Boomers expect to work at least part-time in their retirement years. Their eventual retirement will inflict the largest brain drain ever experienced by corporate America (Lee Hecht Harrison, 2007). This brain drain, also called the human capital flight, will result in corporations losing valuable technical skills and knowledge. The next generations are smaller in size and with their limited professional experience and organizational knowledge transferring the knowledge needed for future business success must be a priority (Gordon, 2007). Researching each generation and today's office environment provides a framework for discussing the current workforce and evolving workplace as well as pursuing practices that will leverage both collective and personal knowledge within the organization as well as the best qualities of each generation. This thesis study applied information from a review of the literature, the application of observational studies, and valuable insight from focus group interviews to develop a prototype workplace design. This research study merges the attributes of the fields of interior design and knowledge management while examining the multigenerational workforce of today and the researcher's anticipated workforce scenario in 2030. The researcher utilized the data collected and applied it to the design of a Phase 1: 2015 and Phase 2: 2030 accounting firm office. The researcher aimed to leverage the best qualities of current workplace design processes of knowledge management, and attributes of the Baby Boomers, Generation X and Millennials. The research and application encourages firms, researchers, and designers to take full advantage of all dimensions of talent and contributions to the success of the organization, productivity of employees, and satisfaction of clients, while also providing a context for addressing both the changing aspects of the workforce and workplace. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Interior Design in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts. / Summer Semester 2015. / June 22, 2015. / Generations, Interior Design, Knowledge Management, Knowledge Transfer, Workforce, Workplace Design / Includes bibliographical references. / Marlo Ransdell, Professor Directing Thesis; Jim Dawkins, Committee Member; Lisa Waxman, Committee Member.

Visitor centers have become more common around heritage sites. These facilities contribute to the increased level of engagement and education about cultural heritage sites. This study investigated the physical design characteristics of a visitor center located at Ad-Dir'iyah heritage site in Saudi Arabia. It also explored what interior design features may facilitate visitor engagement. The research employed an ethnographic qualitative approach for data collection and analysis, which involved site observations, visual documentation, analysis of architectural plans and an organizational document, and a questionnaire. Photographs of the visitor center interiors were taken during the researcher’s site visit. The site plan and the floor plan of the facility were obtained from the Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA). The document containing information about Ad-Dir'iyah history was shared by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH). In addition, a questionnaire was filled out by a senior officer of the heritage site. The literature review showed the importance of Ad-Dir'iyah site in the cultural and political history of the Arabian Peninsula. The historic structures which define the heritage site feature unique for the region earthen constructions which consist of mud-brick as the main building material. The researcher based her analysis on a theoretical framework which identified information, communication, and atmospherics as the three major contributing factors of visitor engagement. The findings of this study indicate that the design features that may potentially have a positive effect on visitor engagement are free circulation, curtain wall, the multimedia screen, the cove lighting, and the roof terrace. The researcher concludes her study by suggesting some improvements that can be made at the site to enhance heritage site experience for its visitors. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Interior Architecture and Design in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / 2019 / October 31, 2019. / Atmospherics, Cultural Heritage Site, Experience, Saudi Arabia, Visitor Center, Visitor Engagement / Includes bibliographical references. / Yelena McLane, Professor Directing Thesis; Jill Pable, Committee Member; Marlo Ransdell, Committee Member.

acase@tulane.edu / Current methods for temperature modulation of people who perform repetitive, fatiguing, or ergonomically unfavorable tasks, are costly and do not provide long-lasting comfort. These systems have extreme temperature fluctuations and during extended tasks, require periodic garment changes. Previous developments in our lab have shown the need for a better controlled, less invasive, and more targeted method of providing heat transfer for the reduction of muscle fatigue and physiological tremor and to improve task performance. A model of aluminum plating was fabricated to create heat-sealable Mylar® constructs, allowing for targeted fluid flow to the deltoid region, a high–density zone in the upper extremity. A proof of concept has been quantified in the ability of Mylar® to be sealed and for fluid flow to be incorporated. ASTM F88 peel testing was able to quantify the system’s strength-to-material thickness and strength-to-sealing time relationships. A burst testing apparatus was also designed and used to further quantify the strength of the fluid channel system via ASTM D642. A valve connection system to incorporate flow between high-density zones was also designed. Further work is necessary to quantify thermal transfer properties and promote full integration of the design into existing garments, but proof of concept in sealing Mylar® fluid channel system for physiologically-based temperature modulation has been achieved. / 1 / Justin A. Baris

Workplace environments are continuing to evolve as user needs and work modes change. The wellbeing and success of an organization, and those working within it, is strongly related to its built environment (Becker, 2004). Grounded in research that included the history of workplace design, issues inherent in organizations, and matters associated with individual productivity within the workplace environment, the purpose of this study was to better understand how the built environment can facilitate both collaborative and individual work modes in a creative office environment. Open office plans are popular in workplace design due to the ability to increase collaboration among employees and the decrease in building costs (Duffy, 2008; Saval, 2014). Recent research, however, has shed light on the apparent distractions and lack of privacy seen in the open office. Additionally, recent research shows that many workers desire an office design that accommodates more opportunities for focused individual work. Collaboration, in fact, is most successful when supported by effective individual work, and workplace environments should be designed to support those modes of work (Gensler, 2013; Hua, Loftness, Heerwagen, & Powell, 2011). To explore how the spatial characteristics of the creative workplace environment might facilitate collaborative and individual work modes, the researcher conducted a case study at an interior design office followed by a survey of four design firms. The case study utilized a mixed-methods approach including visual documentation, behavioral mapping, and interviews. Photos were taken, and behavioral mapping with field notes were used to document how the employees utilized their spaces, with specific attention to where collaborative and individual work occurred. Next, the researcher interviewed employees on their use of the space and how its design facilitates their collaborative and individual work productivity. The information collected during the interviews told not just how but why the employees used their workspace as they did. Following the case study, a survey was developed to confirm the findings from the case study and to gain further knowledge to answer the research question. From the case study, findings indicated that the data supported previous research claims that collaboration and individual work must be supported by workplace design. While collaboration was high among employees and meeting rooms were utilized, the expectation of distraction in the open office space limited the fluidity and frequency of collaboration. Not all collaborative design features were used as intended, and the need to use secluded spaces for individual work was apparent. Those with private offices were not as affected by distractions and privacy issues than those in the open office. The responses to the survey that followed confirmed that the potential for distraction and privacy issues in the open office had the potential to hinder productivity. This study confirmed that fluidity and frequency of collaboration was, at times, deterred in the open office environment, due to the expectation that collaboration would be a distraction to others. Distractions and the absence of privacy in the open office environment led employees to seek secluded spaces in the office, away from their workstations. Private meeting rooms were integral solutions in facilitating both collaborative and individual modes of work, as these spaces could host groups or individuals as required. The research findings of this case study were used to program and develop a prototype design solution for a hypothetical interior design firm's workplace. This research and subsequent workplace design solution adds to the body of knowledge, which may inform future design researchers and practitioners on the effective design of workplace environments – to design beyond adequacy. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Interior Design in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts. / Summer Semester 2015. / June 22, 2015. / Creative, Design, Interior Design, Interior Environment, Office, Workplace / Includes bibliographical references. / Lisa Waxman, Professor Directing Thesis; Amy Huber, Committee Member; Steven Webber, Committee Member.