Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1991. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-104). Also available via the Internet.

The problem of this study is to examine the earliest forms and architectural treatment of the open fireplace from the Prehistoric Age through the Renaissance period, and to determine its place in Modern American design.

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1969. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 109-114).

Thesis. 1978. M.Arch.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH / Bibliography: leaves 104-108. / by Lisa Heschong. / M.Arch.

M. Tech. Architectural Technology / South Africans are faced with the challenge of becoming less dependent on fossil-based electricity (which is very commonly used in the heating of homes), because it is not only becoming less affordable, but also less sustainable. Wood-burning fireplaces have developed over thousands of years, and an analysis thereof reveals that a correctly designed and constructed wood-burning masonry fireplace is a valid alternative to electrical heaters. The research design consists of a survey of existing wood-burning masonry fireplaces and chimneys in South Africa. This study investigates a number of design elements, including the size of the room, fireplace, and chimney, as well as the height of the chimney. The traffic patterns that cause draughts, including furniture arrangements, and safety regulations, are also included.

A preliminary fireplace design to reduce particulate, carbon monoxide, and unburned hydrocarbon emissions has been fabricated and tested. Using a damper and glass pane, the design solves the problem of uncontrolled air entering the firebox. The pane reduces the inlet area and directs the flow of air towards the charcoal bed. The damper aids in slowing down the inlet air flow and decreasing the amount of excess air in the combustion region. Limiting the supply of inlet air produces a slower flow through the combustion zone resulting in higher temperatures and longer residence times. The aesthetic appearance of the fire has nonetheless been maintained. The preliminary design was tested using two methods which varied in fuel type, test length, and fuel reloading. Each method followed dilution tunnel particulate sampling EPA method 5G. Carbon monoxide emissions were continuously monitored with an infrared gas analyzer. The average preliminary design particulate emission factor was reduced from baseline testing by 84 percent with method 1 and 86 percent with method 2 testing. The average preliminary design carbon monoxide emission factors for method 1 and 2 testing, were decreased by 57 and 59 percent respectively. A baseline test was defined as the operation of the fireplace as it would arrive from the factory. Safety issues were not addressed in this thesis. Improvements in safety will likely be required and may cause an increase in emissions from the preliminary design. A two dimensional variable property cartesian coordinate computer model has been written which determines the temperature and velocity distributions in the firebox. Properties of air were used to represent the fluid. The model determined stack flow rates and temperatures in the flue for the preliminary design. These values were then compared to experimental data. Four calculations were run under various conditions of inlet air, heat source, and baffie temperatures. The heat source temperature ranged from 1000 to 1300 K. The temperatures predicted by the computer model were within 1 to 28 percent of measured values. Stack flow rates determined by the model were 66 to 78 percent less than measured. The model also predicted a recirculation area. / Master of Science

After the introductory chapters on Vitruvius and Sebastiano Serlio; which also discribe component books of Serlio's architectural treatise; the chapter devoted to the history and development of heating devices is included. This is followed by the main part of the diploma thesis "Architecture of Renaissance and Mannerist Fireplaces in Bohemia and Sebastiano Serlio" dealing with the analysis and comparison of fireplaces of Renaissance buildings in Bohemia. The first circle contains Prague buildings - the Royal Summer Palace at Prague Castle; however where fireplaces didn't preserve; and the Star Summer Palace in Prague Liboc which was designed by Archduke Ferdinand of Tyrol. The second circle of buildings contains the Pilsen Town Hall, the Kaceřov Chateau and the Nelahozeves Chateau. These buildings are connected by locality (the Pilsen Town Hall, the Kaceřov Chateau) and by builder Florian Griespek (the Kaceřov Chateau, the Nelahozeves Chateau). The third circle pays attention to the South Bohemian fireplaces at the Jindřichův Hradec Chateau and at the Kratochvíle Chateau of Rosenbergs.

With the rising popularity of Mary's mother, St. Anne, Birth of the Virgin images proliferated at the beginning of the sixteenth century. However, these images have not been analyzed in great depth by any previous art historical scholarship. This thesis indicates the broader significance of these images by considering Birth of the Virgin compositions by Jan de Beer, Jacob Cornelisz van Oostsanen, and Adriaen van Overbeke. First, this thesis considers how these artists derived iconography from Robert Campin to connect Mary's nativity to the birth of her son. Thus, the artists invite the viewer to witness the significance and purity of both babies. Next, I argue that the sacrificial imagery of these panels cultivates a sacerdotal space, in which midwives become pseudo-priests and everyday objects are conflated with ritual material culture. These panels, which draw upon Old and New Testament covenants, present Mary as co-sacrifice, indicating a sixteenth-century expansion of the Virgin's co-redemptive role alongside Christ. The paintings emphasize the beginnings of the Virgin's life to explore the life-giving quality of mankind's redemption. Finally, I explore the viewership possibilities of these paintings for a lay audience, who could interpret their own experiences with birth through these images. Many of the objects in the artworks bear similarities not only to priestly objects but also to the material culture associated with birth. Overall, this thesis demonstrates the important role that Birth of the Virgin images played in interpreting the role of the Virgin Mary and her mother Anne in increasingly affective piety. The subject matter was a way to explore the doctrinal implications of Mary's sacrificial, life-giving power even as it invited viewers to frame their own day-to-day experiences with childbirth in more religious terms.