Architecture Theses and Dissertations
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Item Open Access A Historical Inquiry into the Failure of Downtown Eugene's Pedestrian Mall Strategy to Revitalize the Retail Core, 1971-2002(University of Oregon, 2021-09-13) Shrestha, Subik; Davis, Howard“Downtown” and its revitalization have been among the most prominent issues for post-war American urbanism scholars. Of importance to this research are the federal government’s institution of urban renewal in 1954 to revitalize the declining parts of the central city areas and the local governments’ incorporation of the “pedestrian mall” strategy in the 1960s and 1970s. The downtown pedestrian malls successfully facilitated the downtown core revitalization in these two decades. However, several of them began to fail in the 1980s, continuing in the following decades. This research examines two questions through a historical study of downtown Eugene, Oregon. First, why did the retail center facilitated by the pedestrian mall begin to decline in the 1980s and eventually fail by the early-2000s? Second, in addition to demolition and reconstruction, what other design and planning-related processes did the urban renewal project experience? The four major fields of inquiry comprising the literature research framework are urban history, urban morphology (Conzenian approach), space syntax, and urban economic/urban retail theories. The research incorporates a Mixed-methods Research Design, including archival research, interviews, space syntax analysis, mapping/spatial analysis, and statistical analysis. These literary and methodological frameworks examine the following urban morphological components: (1) building morphology, (2) retail business structure, (3) relationship between the mall and the built form, and (4) influential historical/socio-political forces. Among the many reasons associated with the Eugene mall, the prominent ones are related to the drastic and sudden alteration to the existing built fabric, mall’s design and planning, spatial configuration, small business dislocations, the project’s planned and inflexible nature, disregard to downtown housing, failure of parking garages, and growth of outer-city areas. However, positive stories like the renewal agency’s efforts to facilitate the small businesses or the involvement of downtown merchants and the local community in the process are also central to the mall’s story. Additionally, in the later phase of the mall’s existence, the retail core experienced a shift in approach by the city and the renewal agency from a retail-centric approach to preserving the existing fabric and attracting diverse residential and commercial projects.Item Open Access A Post Occupancy Evaluation of daylight performance in classrooms at River Road Elementary School for Optimal Visual Comfort in Climate Zone 4C.(University of Oregon, 2022-10-26) Alitema, Sharon; Elzeyadi, IhabDaylight is a multifaceted phenomenon that influences occupant comfort through its dynamic visual attributes. In an exploratory study conducted at River Road Elementary school, classrooms facing north, and south are selected for visual comfort analysis. Semi-structured interviews and simulations are conducted to determine the subjective perceptions of visual comfort. While the interviews examine the teachers' perception/behavior, the simulations explore and assess selected architectural parameters that affect daylight-driven circadian lighting in the classrooms. A key and follow-up question are explored: (1) How does the post-occupancy adaptation of classrooms performed by the teachers affect their visual comfort needs during teaching hours? (2) Is there a significant discrepancy between the design and perceived illuminance levels in the North and South-facing classrooms? The key findings indicated that: (1) there is a low level of satisfaction with the perceived illuminance during teaching hours, (2) the adaptations minimized the potential for daylight to provide circadian entrainment, and in conclusion, (3) the overall pattern of visual and biological responses to light raise relevant design questions regarding perceived brightness, control, and space. To attain visually desirable environments, designers must understand daylighting strategies, shading, and the corresponding perceptions of comfort, as there can be implications on the levels of control and view quality from the window apertures.Item Open Access Administration in Architecture(University of Oregon, 1951) Sleight, Harold L.This program study was born of ideas advanced in conference with the Chancellor of the State System. The chancellor, an able administrator himself, recognized the lack of, and the need for, administrators in the field of architecture. In times of emergency, or even in the normal course of events, architects may be called upon to become administrators. They mat in times of emergency be asked to devote their talents to large government undertakings, the proper execution of which would depend largely upon their ability to administer the project. It is also possible that in the normal pursuit of his profession the architect may find his office staff growing to a sizable number. This would demand that in order to preserve the standard of quality of his work and to ensure financial gain, the architect must be able to cope with the accompanying problems of administration. This thesis was undertaken to study this need.Item Open Access Behavior, comfort, and energy consumption in student residence halls(University of Oregon, 2010-03) Collins, Thomas Daniel, 1979-New residence halls differ from their predecessors because of sophisticated systems, concern for energy efficiency, and attention to student satisfaction. Nevertheless, older facilities represent the bulk of housing stock on many campuses. A literature review revealed few recent studies related to student housing. This thesis questions how residence hall age influences occupant perceptions and actions related to comfort and energy consumption. The study took place in two residence halls, built in 1963 and 2006, and entailed an occupant survey of 103 residents as well as the collection of thermal and utility data. Survey results did not show a significant difference in occupant behaviors between the older and newer buildings. Thermal measurements in both buildings fell inside and outside the ASHRAE Comfort Zone, which supported occupant perceptions. Findings indicate a lack of student awareness of energy conservation strategies. Furthermore, greater consistency in campus utility metering would enable more accurate building performance comparisons.Item Open Access Broadacre City: American Fable and Technological Society(University of Oregon, 2009-12) Shaw, William R.In the 1930s Frank Lloyd Wright began working on a plan to remake the architectural fabric of the United States. Based on the principle of decentralization, Wright advocated for the abandonment of the industrialized city in favor of an agrarian landscape where each individual would have access to his or her own acre of land. Wright's vision, which he called Broadacre City, was to be the fruit of modern technology directed towards its proper end - human freedom. Envisioning a society that would be technologically advanced in practice but agrarian in organization and values, Wright developed a proposal that embodied the conceptual polarity between nature and culture. This thesis critically examines Wright's resolution of this dichotomy in light of the cultural and intellectual currents prevalent in America of his time.Item Open Access A Cantilever balcony for a small theater(University of Oregon, 1932) Meisel, Clair C.The slope of the Balcony and height of the stoppings shall first be considered, so that the steel used in the construction of the balcony may be designed accordingly. When "setting up" the sections of the Parquette circle or balcony in the theater, it is desirable to sight from the eye level of the spectator, which will be considered as 4 feet 2 inches from the floor when the spectator is seated, (.and 4 feet 10 inches to 5 feet when standing). The theoretical principles used when fixing the heights of the steppings upon which the seats are placed are as follows: A point is fixed on the curtain line 4 feet below the stage level, and from this point, after the distance from the stage, the stepping, and the floor level is placed, set up the spectator's eyes 4 feet 2 inches above the floor, vertical with the back rail of the seat. Now from the 4 feet point on the curtain line, a line should be drawn cutting through the eye of the spectator in the first row, and produced until it cuts a vertical line set up at the back of the second row. Then from the point where the vertical and radial lines intersect 5 inches is measured up and that point gives the eye level of the second row. From the point below the stage, a line is drawn through the eye level of the second row, and produced until it intersects the vertical line set up at the back of the third row, and from that point again measured up 3 inches for each row, and from each eye level, measured down 4 feet 2 inches will give the floor level for each stepping.Item Open Access The Carving of Native Sons of Oregon(University of Oregon, 1952-06) Daugherty, Joseph C.Stone carving is one of the oldest of the arts. From the earliest times man has used the permanent native materials around him both to help maintain his existence and to enhance his life. Stone, being one of the more abundant and most permanent of the available materials, was familiar to man and he found he could change its shape by rubing or striking it with another stone. Thus sculpture was born and man's appreciation for this material was undoubtedly increased.Item Open Access The Changing Relationships of the Modeler to His Material in China and the Valley of Mexico a Comparative Study of the Clay Figurines of the Two Centuries Produced During the First Millennium of the Christian Era(University of Oregon, 1949-06) Manion, Donald KeithIn a small upstairs gallery in the Museum of Art at the University of Oregon there is a wall case containing a group of statuettes of fired clay. In this group stands a comparatively small figure of a woman this is outstanding from its more ornate neighbors in its simplicity of rendering and direct expressiveness. Passive and immobile in its frontal pose, bisymmetrically disposed, it is frank statement devoid of enriching detail or glamour of color, though traces of pigment still remain in the crevices to suggest what might have been its original glory. The figure is cloaked in a long, sweeping, kimono-like rode that flares out at the base to cover completely what would be the feet. Likewise, the full bell-shaped sleeves, solidly attached to the body in their entire length, engulf the folded hands as would a muff.Item Open Access A Comparative Study of Climate Based Design of Building Enclosures(University of Oregon, 2012) McGlohn, Emily; McGlohn, Emily; Kwok, AlisonThis thesis attempts to determine if misconception about vapor retarders and air barrier systems affects building enclosure design and construction. Literature on this subject is continually evolving and often contradictory, supporting confusion. A survey of designers and builders representing four climate zones within the United States was done. Respondents disclosed where they learned about building enclosures and shared how clear or confusing they think the resources are on this subject and also weighed in on a few basic principles about enclosure design. Results show that most building professionals learn about enclosures through experience or a colleague. The internet is the first written resource they use when questions arise. The most significant misconceptions identified are that in some cases vapor retarder placement does not follow accepted building science or code requirements and that a portion of respondents only consider the air barrier system the vertical surfaces of an enclosure.Item Embargo Comparing Environmental Performance and Indoor Comfort of LEED(TM) certified and Conventional Schools in Houston, Texas(University of Oregon, 2016-10-27) Dhar, Tanvi; Elzeyadi, IhabLEED(TM) for schools was introduced in response to research that showed the influence of classroom environment on energy savings and students’ performance. There is however a need to investigate the relationship between credits achieved by the LEED(TM) for schools rating system and its impact on building performance. This study quantifies and analyzes resource consumption and indoor comfort of two LEED(TM) certified elementary schools in Houston, Texas by comparing them to their conventional counterparts. Year-long metered data for 2015 was analyzed for resource consumption. Indoor comfort was analyzed by recording visual and thermal comfort metrics for a north and south oriented classroom in each school. Both LEED(TM) schools had greater energy savings and better visual comfort as compared to the non-LEED schools. However, the water consumption savings and thermal comfort varied by school. Also, the LEED(TM) Gold School didn’t exhibit higher energy and water consumption savings than the LEED(TM) Silver School.Item Open Access A Creative Project in the Design of Printed Textiles for Contemporary Interiors(University of Oregon, 1947-06) Dow, Merlin G.The artist has sought in this project to create printed textiles for conetmporary interiors through organization and structure within space. To build in space he has regarded the fabric itself the center of the spatial field and has allowed a controlled play of opposing forces behind, before, and through this field. He has related the positive space to the negative space, making the void as important a consideration as the solid. To aid in the control of space, he has employed the scale variations, the inertia, the tensions, the overlapping, the Interpenetration, and the transparency of planes and lines. He has accentuated color, taking into account both the physical properties and the psychological functions native to color. He has stressed the natural texture of the material upon which the designs were printed, the specific texture within the designs themselves, and the total textural effects of entire printed samples. Be has sought unity and rhythm and movement in the single design motif as well as the entire printed sample by means of repetition and variation of the elements with which he worked. He has attempted to maintain the qualities inherent in printed textiles, both as they appear In the total flat design area and as they appear in a particular function. He has tried to achieve vitality through boldness of contrast as well as through subtlety of relationships. Realizing that all elements In each design have a dynamic inter relationship, he has considered relativity one of the foremost qualities of organization, to increase interest in this creative project, and because he did not have specific practical problems, such as commissions, with which to work, he has attempted to design for as great a variety of situations as possible within the limits of the handprint processes for textiles.Item Open Access A Design Approach to Achieving the Passive House Standard in a Home Energy Retrofit(University of Oregon, 2011-06) Hogan, Matthew Bryan, 1982-Passive House is a voluntary, performance-based energy standard for buildings. Passive Houses use on average 90% less energy for space conditioning than code-designed houses; Passive House therefore offers an ambitious performance target for home energy retrofits. Retrofits built to the Passive House standard in Europe have demonstrated a high level of energy performance. In the U.S., few Passive House retrofits exist to date; for this reason, design and cost information for such retrofits is lacking. This study establishes an exemplar through designing the Passive House retrofit of an older home in Eugene, Oregon. The retrofit's cost-effectiveness was examined by comparing projected "business as usual" (BAU) life cycle costs to those associated with retrofit. While the BAU scenario resulted in the lowest cost over a 30-year life cycle, the difference is relatively small; minor adjustments to key variables make the retrofit financially viable.Item Open Access An Epidotal Syllabus of the Mural at Clear Lake Elementary School(University of Oregon, 1957-01) Flach, Victor H. JrI take my motivation for the M.F.A. degree to be the Opportunity it provides rather than the M. or the F.A.: the Opportunity to pursue my personal Growing by continuing the original studies and development of the particular Programming begun about six years ago in collaboration with my professor and adviser Mr. Jack Wilkinson. In taking the consequences of such Programming, there is a natural and necessary manifestation or Expression of itself by the individual persons in some meaningful and communicating Form; "I merely apply the System”---Georges Seurat. I find myself situated in the uniquely Temporal Culture of the 20th Century with an aptitude for the two particularly temporal media—the instantaneous Visual and the simultaneous Mnemonic: which convention calls Painting and Writing. My Wholehearted Involvement in this situation does not in any way preclude preliminary or periodic Expression thru both these media in terms of their maximum Differentiation as the means for determining basic Potentials and Appropriatenesses of Expression; but the natural disposition to Synthesis tends in the longrun to produce a new Expression which is much more Comprehensive in intent and interest, including as it does, not only both visual and literary insights, but also tactile and kinetic factors to compose s whole world complete in its context where nothing is left out.Item Open Access Estimating and Mitigating Indoor Airborne Pathogens to Support Healthy Buildings(University of Oregon, 2022-05-10) Parhizkar , Hooman; Van Den Wymelenberg, KevinThe global pandemic has caused myriad damages to the lives of millions of people worldwide. Several studies confirm that indoor spaces are the main hotspots of COVID-19 outbreaks resulting in multiple confirmed instances of human-to-human transmission. Therefore, quantifying the impact of indoor environments and human activities on the transmission of infectious disease is key to stopping the spread of COVID-19 and prepare for future outbreaks. This dissertation is a multidisciplinary collaboration between designers, engineering, biologists, and public health experts to answer a question: “what is the airborne viral exposure risk indoors and how can building design and operations help to effectively reduce the risk of disease transmission indoors during the COVID-19 pandemic?” We aimed to answer these questions through following the projects: Chapter.II. A quantitative aerosol risk estimation platform. Chapter.III. Environmental mitigation of aerosol viral load. Chapter.IV. Respiratory exposure at alternate distances. In Chapter.II, we describe a quantitate aerosol risk estimation platform that is more mechanistic in nature than traditional risk estimates for airborne infectious disease. It enables the inclusion of aerosol size distributions and emissions from infected individuals with several predefined assumptions. In Chapter.III we provide the first real-world evidence that building related interventions described in Chapter.II significantly impact the dispersion and abundance of SARS-CoV-2 virus in the presence of individuals who were diagnosed with COVID-19. We also provide novel insights about the relationships of human and environmental viral loads (aerosols and surfaces) in near and far fields. In Chapter.IV, we describe a novel gas-tracing technique to quantify the degree of exposure to bioaerosols at alternate distances. Here we provide quantitative data to better explain the application of the well-mixed room assumption as well as insights about the distance from emitter variable that underly aerosol risk exposure estimates. In this dissertation, we conclude that buildings have a substantial impact on the risk of COVID-19 transmission. We offer an estimation platform for better understanding the risk of infection transmission indoors and provide proof that environmental mitigation strategies substantially reduce the viral load in a controlled study with infected participants. This dissertation includes both previously published/unpublished and co-authored material.Item Open Access Evaluating How Attributes of Operable Window Design Affect Office-workers' Perception of Personal Control(University of Oregon, 2009-06) Vorderbruggen, Joan MarieEnergy and environmental concerns warrant reconsideration of operable windows as a means of ventilating and cooling office environments. To design for optimal window use and performance, architects must understand human interaction with operable windows and the factors that influence occupant participation in their thermal environment. This thesis examines workers' personal control of operable windows in their office space through the lens of the following attributes: proximity, orientation, and accessibility to operable windows, office floor height, and the operational methods of windows. Three sites in the Minneapolis metro area were examined through site visits, informalinterviews, collection of physical traces, and a questionnaire. Research data reveal that proximity is the greatest determinant of window use. Other attributes have varying degrees of influence on use of windows. Surprisingly, workers valued operable windows significantly more for fresh air than for cooling.Item Open Access Foodways and Foodsheds: Supporting Culinary Heritage Practices(University of Oregon, 2022-10-04) Roldan, Jeronimo; Randl, ChadWhat roles can federal and municipal institutions play in the support of place-based culinary heritage? This thesis examines recent developments in federal and municipal intangible heritage preservation programs through the lens of foodways and the concept of a foodshed. The goal of this research is to determine how programs benefit communities, businesses, and conservation advocates, and what strategies can help them be more effective.Item Open Access HIDE & SEEK: Thermal Alliesthesia inside Solar Screened Perimeter Offices(University of Oregon, 2021-09-13) Naik, Niyati; Elzeyadi, IhabIt is the need of the day to design indoor environments that are not only comfortable but also pleasurable for the occupants. Passive yet dynamic architectural strategies have been widely acknowledged for their influence on thermal pleasure. However, this influence has not been adequately investigated. Dynamic solar screens of building facades are passive strategies that can potentially provide thermal comfort and pleasure. This dissertation research explored thermal pleasure in office spaces using dynamic solar screens as the tools to control the indoor environments. The study responds to these questions, (i) what typologies of dynamic solar screens are the most suitable in controlling indoor thermal environments for thermal pleasure? (ii) how to design dynamic solar screens for thermal pleasure? (iii) what is the relationship of thermal pleasure with indoor thermal environmental parameters and human physiological variables inside dynamic-movable and static-stationary screened spaces? (iv) what is the impact of sky conditions on thermal pleasure inside dynamic and static screened spaces, and (v) what is the significance of dynamic over static screens in influencing thermal pleasure under different sky conditions? The research employed a multi-method approach of five inter-related studies, as follows: (i) meta-analysis of solar screen performance from previous studies, (ii) observational field study, (ii) computational simulations, (iii) indoor environmental monitoring, and (iv) within and between-subjects experiments involving human participants inside the experimental perimeter offices with dynamic and static screen shading. It was found that the dynamic screens, designed to create variability in the indoor thermal environment within the limits of the thermal comfort zone may influence thermal pleasure. The findings provide experimental evidence that expands the application of the thermal alliesthesia framework to building perimeter offices. They demonstrate the importance of indoor thermal environmental variability for occupant pleasure and well-being. This research contributes to occupant-centric building research by describing an approach to design shading systems that cater to occupant’s thermal pleasure and multi-comfort. This work will be of interest to scholars, architects, building designers, engineers, and students interested in research on thermal comfort, indoor environmental quality, adaptive shading, and passive architecture. This dissertation includes previously published/unpublished material.Item Open Access A Hotel for Conclaves(University of Oregon, 1935-05) Thompson, Polly PoveyDuring the last few decades the American tendency towards specialization has spread into almost every field of human endeavor, so that it is not at all surprising to discover a demand for specialized hotels with specialized functions. With the national fondness for holding conventions, the ordinary transients hotel, residential hotels, and resort hotels, with their conventional facilities have been found inadequate for the needs of large group meetings together in national or sectional conventions. In the ordinary hotel many of the facilities desirable and entertaining large, unified groups meeting together for business and pleasure are lacking. For instance, national conventions are showing an increasing desire to be housed in hotels having adequate conventions rooms, ballroom, lecture rooms, and the like – those features which are demanded by a group rather than an individual. Thus, it is not at all surprising that modern hotel architects should find themselves investigating the possibility of hotels designed specifically for conventions. It is also significant, in this respect, that the trend seems not to favor the erection of the specialized hotels for conventions in the large cities, but to place them, wherever possible, in the open country in beautiful and picturesque surroundings. The popularity of resort hotels for conventions bears out this statement. The fact that conventional group is, to some extent, removed from the distractions of a large city, the fact that the various delegates are living together as a large family group, so to speak, has the very desirable effect of creating a more unified feeling and of enabling the various members of the company family to become better acquainted. Moreover, with the most recent developments in rapid transportation the old argument of location in a large city or in a city centrally located has lost most of its effectiveness. As a result, specialized hotels of this kind are no longer bound by such limitations and they may, in fact, be located where other conditions seem more favorable. Access to the nearby city is easy by motors when desired. In point of natural beauty, picturesqueness, recreational facilities, and transportational advantages, the United states offers no more attractive location than the Oregon Coast.Item Open Access Impact of Wood on Human Thermal Perception of Transient and Steady-State Indoor Environments(University of Oregon, 2019-09-18) Blankenberger, Denise; Van Den Wymelenberg, KevinHumans thermally adapt and respond to the thermal environment in a number of ways, including psychologically. Preliminary evidence suggests that wood can lead to a perceived sensation of warmth while thermal history has been shown to affect the perception of thermal comfort. This thesis investigates two questions: (1) does wood material improve thermal comfort? (2) does thermal history impact present thermal comfort? To explore these questions, two thermal comfort studies were conducted in a controlled laboratory setting. In the first, participants evaluated their thermal comfort with wood and white wall treatments while the thermal environment changed dynamically between warm and cool. The second tested the same wall treatments in a steady-state thermal environment. The first study indicates that recent thermal history impacts thermal perception, and no effect of wall treatment on thermal perception was found. The second study suggests that wood had a cooling effect.Item Open Access Indoor Environmental Quality in Chilean Classrooms(University of Oregon, 2020-02-27) Rivera, Maria; Kwok, AlisonRecently, there has been a growing concern about poor thermal comfort and air quality conditions that can have a negative effect on children’s health and academic performance. Research in the U.S. and Europe has shown high classroom indoor temperatures and CO2 concentrations, and low ventilation rates. Little is known about classroom conditions in developing countries like Chile, where there is no adherence to environmental standards. Additionally, there is limited knowledge about students’ and teachers’ perceptions of environmental conditions in primary schools. Furthermore, studies have shown that current thermal comfort standards criteria might not be applicable to children. This thesis aims to advance our understanding of students’ and teachers’ perceptions of thermal comfort and indoor air quality in primary school settings. Moreover, this dissertation intends to identify other factors that may influence thermal and air quality comfort. The research questions are: 1) What are the physical conditions of classrooms in Chilean primary schools?; 2) What is the relationship between physical conditions of classrooms among the three types of schools (public, private–subsidized, and private non–subsidized) commonly found in Chile?; 3) Do expectations of thermal comfort and air quality differ between students and teachers?; and 4) Do subjective perceptions of classroom environmental qualities differ between the types of schools that represent different social/economic backgrounds? Two field studies were conducted in nine free-running classrooms in the city of Concepción, Southern Chile. Various methods were implemented to collect data, based on previous studies on children: survey questionnaires, physical measurements, interviews, behavioral observations, and statistical analysis. Approximately 880 students, aged 10-14 years old, and 80 teachers were surveyed twice a day in the fall and winter season of 2018. Overall, the results show that students and teachers were comfortable, despite low indoor temperatures and poor air quality conditions, outside the comfort zone limits of the ASHRAE–55 standard adaptive model. Analyses from subjective responses reveal 80% of comfort acceptability, thanks to personal adaptations. A statistically significant difference (p<0.001) in students’ thermal perception was found between private-subsidized and public schools, and between private-subsidized and private-nonsubsidized schools. This dissertation includes previously published and unpublished co-authored material.
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