As the world reckons with an uncertain future at the hands of global climate change and biodiversity loss, the question of how to proceed seems ever more urgent. Approaches to sustainability in design tend to focus on technological solutions to what is often presented as a technical problem. This approach overlooks the ways in which the forces that have led us to this point are born out of our cultural story of what it means to be human, what the natural world is, and what our relationship is to it. This is the story that has permitted if not encouraged the kind of development that has led to global warming and extensive loss of biodiversity. If we are going to reverse these trends we must tell a new story – one that, among other things, removes humans from the center of the conversation, acknowledges the interconnectedness of things, and values multi- and extra-sensory ways of knowing. This thesis asks the question, “What might architecture look like if we held these beliefs and if we told ourselves a new story?” The thesis explores ways in which architecture can continue to advance the practice of sustainable design by embodying, encouraging, and reflecting this New Story. The theory is put to the test via a curated experiential journey, culminating at a tower in the middle of a forest. The design at once exemplifies New Story ideals and offers a place to dream about new ways of being and building.

In recent decades, coastal tourism has grown significantly bringing enormous economic benefits to host communities, and causing many environmental and social impacts to the coastal environment. Beach resort development faces problems due to an inability on the part of stakeholders to make sound decisions about sustainable design due, in part, to the complexity of the sustainability issues and the lack of a comprehensive decision-making tool to assist them. In Egypt, design and planning regulations have not changed for decades, resulting in non-sustainable beach resort development. This study provides a "decision framework," a conceptual "Sustainable Design Model," which shifts the focus of stakeholders from the application of traditional physical carrying capacity procedures to a comprehensive approach linking sustainability indicators and carrying capacities. This approach includes an array of acceptable capacities based on the ecological, social, psychological, physical, economic, and managerial capacity thresholds of a site. This framework assists stakeholders in making rational decisions about what is to be built, where it is located, and how to build it. To test the model, a survey was conducted at 10 beach resort destinations (5 American, 5 Egyptian) to measure the difference in perceptions between stakeholders concerning sustainability indicators and carrying capacities. The instrument was determined valid and reliable using a test/retest procedure. A total of 276 responses were obtained for data analysis. Statistical analyses included frequency distribution, t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), factor analysis, and a stepwise multiple regression analysis. Sample demographic information was also collected. Results revealed a strong link between sustainability indicators and carrying capacity thresholds. While both Egyptian and American respondents recognized the importance of sensitive environmental developments, there were significant differences due to differences in culture, environment, regulations, and priorities. The American sample placed greater importance on the ecological indicators, while the Egyptian sample placed greater importance on the social, psychological, and managerial indicators. The American sample conveyed a positive attitude toward government regulations, design, and management efforts to incorporate sustainability principles into the built environment, while the Egyptian respondents conveyed a more negative attitude. As a result of this study, future Egyptian policy may be better informed of the gap between the theoretical concepts of sustainability and real world coastal development implementation. / Ph. D.

Owing to the author's interest in and concern for earth's processes, healthy ecosystems, and environmental decline and devastation, this thesis examines the human – nature relationship, as it relates to landscape architecture, through spiritual, mathematical, geometrical, historical, economical, ecological, philosophical and ethical perspectives. Sustainable design and eco-revelatory design methods are also explored in order to aid in the development of a personal design ethic that defines and produces ecologically responsible works of landscape architecture. The goal is to establish a personal framework for design that results in built landscapes that are ecologically more benign, holistically more functional, and culturally more significant than standard practices. Research methodologies include literature review, case study analysis, project site analysis, and personal interviews. Findings suggest that despite a longstanding and growing call for a more harmonious relationship between nature and anthropogenic changes on the land, the green movement remains a loosely defined alternative undercurrent. The field of landscape architecture is uniquely poised to be a leader in the sustainable revolution; this is especially true when its practitioners, researchers and theorists are dedicated to ideals and activities that bring about true ecological value. For the individual designer, the experience of developing and committing to a personal design ethic can be empowering, and can produce work that has more mettle, veracity and purpose than the designer has previously known. / Master of Landscape Architecture

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the theory and practice of regenerative design and how the concepts apply to scales of design. Ultimately, it examines the applicability and limitations of these principles in a non-traditional resort development. The theories of John Lyle, Robert Thayer, and William McDonough are examined to assist in the establishment of a new framework for regenerative design which is can be used in the design process or evaluation. Case studies of the Center for Regenerative Studies, the Ford Rouge Plant and the Loreto Bay Resort were under taken to evaluate the success of current built works utilizing the new framework. Finally, the development of a regenerative resort community at Mountain Lake, in Giles County, Virginia, is undertaken as a vehicle to demonstrate the process of development and evaluation under the integrated regenerative framework. Regenerative design is a form of sustainable design which incorporates the interlocking of communities with the natural ecological cycles, the larger society and environmental costs. The overall goals for regenerative developments are to design communities which exist within natural limits and are interconnected to the regional society for needs outside the given site. Regenerative design incorporates diverse ecological, cultural, social and economical systems while maintaining their integrity within a dynamic whole. The integrated framework is an effort to direct site specific design through a flexible and extensive structure. There are two parts to this regenerative design framework. The first is a conceptual model for regenerative design, utilizing the existing idea of regenerative design rooted in sustainability, and overlays it with design driven elements of culture, experience, and education. The second element of the framework defines a set of strategies for the design process and a means of evaluating a design. / Master of Landscape Architecture

This thesis is an evaluation and proposal for development for an alternative health care center in West Virginia. The Gesundheit Institute is based on the work of Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams and his desire to create an alternative to the current model of health care. The Institute would not charge for services and will offer non-traditional as well as traditional methods of healing. By evaluating what is currently happening at the center and what the resources are, I propose to use an incremental approach to growth. The ideas would result in a series of smaller buildings developed over time as opposed to a single larger building. The thesis includes the design for the next major building, a community center/dining hall and a basic design for a series of sleeping quarters. It also includes the reworking of the master plan to better include issues integrating incremental growth and sustainable development. / Master of Architecture

This thesis considers the problem of how to design an industrial network to reduce cost, increase efficiency, and reduce environmental burdens. A recent approach is further developed that uses analogies with biological food webs to guide industry design. Studying ecological food webs shows that among the metrics in use, critical quantities of interest for industry design include the internal cycling of energy, the ratio of producers to consumers, and the ratio of efficiency to redundancy in the network. Metrics that are calculated using flow based information are also introduced for use in industry, a significant step forward for bio-inspired network design. A comprehensive data set of proposed, operational, and failed eco-industrial parks is compiled for use with structural food web analyses. A data set of biological food webs is also assembled to calculate sustainable benchmark values used as goals for the industrial designs. This research an essential difficulty in bio-inspired design approaches by quantitatively analyzing components of food web design by reconstructing found relationships from science and engineering 1st principles, specifically using thermodynamic 1st law efficiency. Results from this work have the potential to provide industry-wide cost savings, increase efficiency, and reduce environmental burdens through a reduction in raw material consumption and waste disposal. The results also support the view that financial competitiveness and sustainability need not be mutually exclusive: using food web network patterns embodying both economically and environmentally desirable properties, biologically redesigned industrial networks can ease both environmental and economic burdens.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / The professional team play a critical role during the design phase to ensure the implementation of a green building design, but in what way do they differ from a traditional design team? The research seeks to determine, whether the professional team members need to be specifically alert to green building principles and willing to learn and apply green building principles through an investigation of a commercial project case study. The research design embraces a qualitative approach through the gathering of data on the case study, where project information was examined and the professional team members interviewed. To reinforce the project specific information, professionals in the construction industry were canvassed for their opinions on the awareness of professional team members, and their willingness to learn and apply, green building principles on commercial projects seeking green star rating. The findings from the case study indicate that a non-traditional, integrated design approach stimulated the professional team‟s alertness and willingness to learn and apply green building principles to great success, as the project achieved a four star green rating. The survey found that professional‟s perceived green buildings to have a positive impact on the environment and if possible reverse the harmful effects that conventional buildings have on the environment. Furthermore, professional team‟s early involvement is highly imperative to achieve a green star accreditation. The green design process requires continuous input and sharing of information from all professional team members. The respondents who were surveyed indicated a positive attitude towards developing their awareness and willingness to learn and apply green building principles. Knowledge of green star rating requirements for commercial developments in South Africa as well as general green building principles, allow professional team members to gain a competitive edge over more traditional practitioners in the building sector. In addition, professional members who are aware and alert to green building are at a better position to successfully implement a green building design, consequently minimising the negative impact buildings have on the environment and ensure sustainability.

This thesis explores the conditions under which traditional Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) can be involved in the design of sustainable Product Service Systems (PSS). The integration between design and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the context of sustainable business development was used to define the space for this exploration. The research was carried out through a case study with a group of Colombian Manufacturing SMEs. As a result of the case study a business framework was developed to guide the design of sustainable PSS. In order to establish the basis of the research a review of the literature on sustainable business development, ICT, design, product service systems and SMEs was carried out. This review brought to light the main features of a sustainable PSS and the challenges associated with its design. These challenges were further investigated in the context of SMEs with a scoping study involving a group of 38 Colombian SMEs. Additionally, 36 PSS already on the market were analysed to identify the possible relationships between design and ICT, and to determine how they could contribute to develop sustainable PSS. The scoping study and the analysis of the 36 PSS gave structure to the case study with a second group of Colombian Manufacturing SMEs. This case study aimed to build understanding of the connection between the characteristics of these SMEs and the main features of a sustainable PSS. As a result of this case study a set of concepts, drivers and barriers to take into account to design sustainable PSS formed the basis of a business framework developed and validated in the final part of the research. The business framework proposed can help to understand the resources and changes needed to develop a sustainable PSS, reducing the uncertainty that it may cause. The integration between product and service design and ICT is used in the framework to outline the areas of opportunity in the design of sustainable PSS. This business framework developed as a result of the research promises to be a helpful tool for organisations working to support the transformation of SMEs toward competitive and sustainable business models using as a basis the integration between product and service design and ICT. Despite the Colombian context the results and outcomes of this research are described in general terms to be applicable in other contexts around the world working with SMEs in the design of sustainable PSS.

<p>Dedicated industry professionals from design, construction, and health care are working to provide attractive, constructible, functional and safe home modifications for aging in place. The commitment is to keep senior members of local communities in the homes they love, rather than to segregate them into big box retirement communities. This study explores the confidence level of both individuals interested in aging place for themselves and their friends and family members in aging in place modifications. In additions to those interested in aging in place for themselves and their friends and family members, invested professionals from design, construction and health care are surveyed to measure their confidence in common modifications. A 3d walkthrough is tested to investigate if confidence levels increase with the use of a walkthrough to communicate recommended modifications. <br></p><p> Friends and family members of those intending to age in place were significantly more concerned about the safety of their aging person, than the aging person themselves. Those friends and family members were also more impacted by viewing the video walkthrough than any of the other groups. </p>

Com as problemáticas ambientais e sociais cada vez mais próximas, causadas pelo crescimento descontrolado e produção exagerada surge a necessidade de se refletir e contribuir para a melhora de qualidade de vida vinculada às questões ambientais. Em paralelo com a aproximação dessas problemáticas nota-se uma proliferação e banalização dos produtos \"sustentáveis\" causando inquietação e gerando uma série de questionamentos sobre a real sustentabilidade dos produtos. Neste sentido, observou-se a necessidade de estudos das relações entre sustentabilidade, design e comportamento, almejando a problematização da associação entre seus conceitos e como as intervenções práticas estão acontecendo nos mais variados segmentos de produtos. Para o desenvolvimento deste estudo, a pesquisa foi dividida em duas partes: a primeira apresenta um referencial teórico que envolve a relação da sociedade vinculada à questão da Imagem e Matéria e os conceitos de sustentabilidade e design sustentável; e a segunda etapa realiza um levantamento de produtos que se designam serem sustentáveis e uma análise a partir das leituras destes com base nos conceitos estudados. Desta forma puderam ser verificadas algumas articulações que vem sendo realizadas entre conceitos de sustentabilidade e o design no contexto atual. / Due to uncontrolled growth and exaggerated production, environmental and social issues get closer to us. This brings the need to reflect the quality of live linked to environmental matters and contribute to its improvement. In parallel with such approach of these problems, the \"sustainable\" products have been increasing. Such proliferation and trivialization of these products cause worry and generate a series of questions that arise about the \"real\" sustainability of the products. Therefore there is a need for studies of the interaction between sustainability, design and behaviour. Aiming to problematize the association between the concepts of sustainable design and the practical interventions that are happening in product segments, this research was divided into two parts: the first part presents a theoretical framework that involves the interaction of the society linked to the issue of Image and Material and the concepts of sustainability and sustainable design; the second part is a survey of products that are called sustainable and they have been analysed from a reading based on the studied concepts. Thus, it could be seen as sustainable design relates to the society and its products indicating a way to sustainability.