Growth and expansion in post-war urban design strategies: C. A. Doxiadis and the first strategic plan for Riyadh Saudi Arabia (1968-1972)

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009-11-19) Middleton, Deborah Antoinette

This dissertation resituates C. A. Doxiadis in Post-War urban design history with a detailed examination of how urban growth and change was addressed by urban design strategies as applied in the master plan for Riyadh Saudi Arabia, undertaken between 1968 and 1972. The Riyadh master plan commission is important within Doxiadis' career, occurring in the midst of his prolific writing projects and approximately eight years after he completed the Islamabad master plan, his most renowned project. Most Post-War architects focused on the socio-spatial components of urban life, elaborating architectural projects that intertwined transportation, infrastructure, and concentrated on mass housing strategies. This dissertation argues that Doxiadis' contribution to urban design theory and practice during the Post-War period was to define a rational scientific methodology for urban design that would restructure settlements to enable urban expansion and change while addressing issues of community building, governance and processes of development. The applied urban design for Riyadh Saudi Arabia strongly exemplifies Doxiadis' rational strategy and methodology as outlined in Ekistics theory and the conceptual model of Dynapolis. The comparative analysis examines how Doxiadis applies the Dynapolis model in the urban spatial planning of Riyadh to organize urban territory at the macro and local urban scales, define neighborhood communities, and connect the new master plan to the existing spatial territory of the city. The longitudinal analysis contrasts the Doxiadis master plan, Riyadh's first urban development strategy, to the most recent comprehensive approach MEDSTAR to understand how the Doxaidis' urban design has sustained its spatial continuity over time. This dissertation makes two significant contributions. The first is to broaden knowledge of Post-War urban design specific to the spatial problem of urban expansion and change, and second to resituate Doxiadis within the Post-War history of urban design specifically revealing his previously unrecognized project of the Riyadh master plan undertaken from 1968-1972.
Risk-conscious design of off-grid solar energy houses

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009-11-16) Hu, Huafen

Zero energy houses and (near) zero energy buildings are among the most ambitious targets of society moving towards an energy efficient built environment. The "zero" energy consumption is most often judged on a yearly basis and should thus be interpreted as yearly net zero energy. The fully self sustainable, i.e. off-grid, home poses a major challenge due to the dynamic nature of building load profiles, ambient weather condition and occupant needs. In current practice, the off-grid status is accomplishable only by relying on backup generators or utilizing a large energy storage system. The research develops a risk based holistic system design method to guarantee a match between onsite sustainable energy generation and energy demand of systems and occupants. Energy self-sufficiency is the essential constraint that drives the design process. It starts with information collection of occupants' need in terms of life style, risk perception, and budget planning. These inputs are stated as probabilistic risk constraints that are applied during design evolution. Risk expressions are developed based on the relationships between power unavailability criteria and "damages" as perceived by occupants. A power reliability assessment algorithm is developed to aggregate the system underperformance causes and estimate all possible power availability outcomes of an off-grid house design. Based on these foundations, the design problem of an off-grid house is formulated as a stochastic programming problem with probabilistic constraints. The results show that inherent risks in weather patterns dominate the risk level of off-grid houses if current power unavailability criteria are used. It is concluded that a realistic and economic design of an off-grid house can only be achieved after an appropriate design weather file is developed for risk conscious design methods. The second stage of the research deals with the potential risk mitigation when an intelligent energy management system is installed. A stochastic model based predictive controller is implemented to manage energy allocation to sub individual functions in the off-grid house during operation. The controller determines in real time the priority of energy consuming activities and functions. The re-evaluation of the risk indices show that the proposed controller helps occupants to reduce damages related to power unavailability, and increase thermal comfort performance of the house. The research provides a risk oriented view on the energy self-sufficiency of off-grid solar houses. Uncertainty analysis is used to verify the match between onsite sustainable energy supply and demand under dynamic ambient conditions in a manner that reveals the risks induced by the fact that new technologies may not perform as well as expected. Furthermore, taking occupants' needs based on their risk perception as constraints in design evolution provides better guarantees for right sized system design.
Evidence of existing knowledge of China and its influence on European art and architecture in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009-11-16) Zhu, Ying

This dissertation investigates the extent of knowledge of China in Europe and, more particularly, Chinese influence on European art and architecture in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It attempts to answer the following questions: 1. What visual and literature resources on China and Chinese art in Europe were available in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries? 2. To which extent was there any understanding of Chinese art and architecture in Europe in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries? 3. To which extent might this understanding have affected European art and architecture in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries? Although European contacts with China began in the early sixteenth century, few scholars have touched on the evidence that exists of the extent of European knowledge of Chinese architecture before 1720, even on the possible impact of the Chinese architectural designs that were depicted on Chinese porcelains and other merchandise imported into Europe for two centuries before that date. This dissertation examines the evidence for the employment of new and differing aesthetics derived from Chinese artifacts and then assimilated in European art, architecture and landscape in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. After examining the variety of resources from which the new aesthetics derived from Chinese artifacts imported into Europe was evolved, the dissertation analyzes Chinese influence in different nations in an order which follows the most consistently open and effective communications to the Far East. In the process, the dissertation quotes the contemporary historical descriptions of those Chinese artifacts as well as attempting to identify their influence on European art and architecture, thus providing evidence that the interaction between China and Europe served as subtle but active, generative force in European art throughout the period. In sum, the thesis attempts to explore the European understanding of Chinese art in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and to examine the consequences of that influence as they were reflected in European art and architecture. It analyzes some of the most influential and related social, political, and religious aspects that acted as powerful stimuli, which in turn affected in the growth of Chinese influence on European art, architecture and landscape. This dissertation thus attempts to push back the significance of the Chinese influence on aspects of European artistic styles from the accepted date of the early eighteenth century to the seventeenth and even earlier - the sixteenth century.
Artificial neural network (ANN) based decision support model for alternative workplace arrangements (AWA): readiness assessment and type selection

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009-11-11) Kim, Jun Ha

A growing body of evidence shows that globalization and advances in information and communication technology (ICT) have prompted a revolution in the way work is produced. One of the most notable changes is the establishment of the alternative workplace arrangement (AWA), in which workers have more freedom in their work hours and workplaces. Just as all organizations are not good candidates for AWA adoption, all work types, all employees and all levels of facilities supports are not good candidates for AWA adoption. The main problem is that facility managers have no established tools to assess their readiness for AWA adoption or to select among the possible choices regarding which AWA type is most appropriate considering their organizations' business reasons or objectives of adoption and the current readiness levels. This dissertation resulted in the development of readiness level assessment indicators (RLAI), which measure the initial readiness of high-tech companies for adopting AWAs and the ANN based decision model, which allows facility managers to predict not only an appropriate AWA type, but also an anticipated satisfaction level considering the objectives and the current readiness level. This research has identified significant factors and relative attributes for facility managers to consider when measuring their organization's readiness for AWA adoption. Robust predictive performance of the ANN model shows that the main factors or key determinants have been correctly identified in RLAI and can be used to predict an appropriate AWA type as well as a high-tech company's satisfaction level regarding the AWA adoption.
Using remote-sensing and gis technology for automated building extraction

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009-10-21) Sahar, Liora

Extraction of buildings from remote sensing sources is an important GIS application and has been the subject of extensive research over the last three decades. An accurate building inventory is required for applications such as GIS database maintenance and revision; impervious surfaces mapping; storm water management; hazard mitigation and risk assessment. Despite all the progress within the fields of photogrammetry and image processing, the problem of automated feature extraction is still unresolved. A methodology for automatic building extraction that integrates remote sensing sources and GIS data was proposed. The methodology consists of a series of image processing and spatial analysis techniques. It incorporates initial simplification procedure and multiple feature analysis components. The extraction process was implemented and tested on three distinct types of buildings including commercial, residential and high-rise. Aerial imagery and GIS data from Shelby County, Tennessee were identified for the testing and validation of the results. The contribution of each component to the overall methodology was quantitatively evaluated as relates to each type of building. The automatic process was compared to manual building extraction and provided means to alleviate the manual procedure effort. A separate module was implemented to identify the 2D shape of a building. Indices for two specific shapes were developed based on the moment theory. The indices were tested and evaluated on multiple feature segments and proved to be successful. The research identifies the successful building extraction scenarios as well as the challenges, difficulties and drawbacks of the process. Recommendations are provided based on the testing and evaluation for future extraction projects.
The role of collaboration in everglades restoration

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009-08-21) Frank, Kathryn Irene

This dissertation examined the impacts of multiple collaborative planning and implementation processes on ecosystem management of the Everglades wetlands of South Florida. In particular, the research focused on collaboration's role in (1) reducing phosphorus pollution in runoff from the Everglades Agricultural Area in the historic northern Everglades and (2) improving the water flow regime in Shark Slough of the southern Everglades. Restoration of the greater Everglades watershed is the largest such initiative in the world, and it may also be the most collaborative, with scores of these processes used at various scales since the mid-1960s. Ecosystem management is the most advanced approach to environmental governance, and its three tenets of integrative, adaptive, and ecologically protective governance provide a framework for evaluating environmental planning processes. Proponents of collaborative processes believe they are exceptionally suited to promoting the tenets of ecosystem management. Critics of collaboration, however, are concerned with the potential for cooptation of environmental interests, among other issues. Using qualitative case study methodology, the research found that collaborative processes improved ecosystem management, but not to the degree expected by collaboration proponents. Collaborative processes were integrative of values, information, activities, and political support across the ecosystem, yet integration had biases and limits as a result of groups' strategic behaviors and processes' emphasis on reaching agreement rather than fully exploring the issues. Cooptation of environmental interests was not a significant problem. Collaborative processes promoted adaptation and social learning in specific cases, but at a macro level helped to maintain the status quo of the dominant water management agencies and technocratic paradigms. Process outcomes were protective of ecological health in that they made steady, incremental progress towards ecological restoration. Progress had significant setbacks however, because collaboratively developed policies were subject to capture by economic interests. Despite the collaborative improvements in ecosystem management, ecological health remains a distant and uncertain prospect for the Everglades.
Dense urbanism at the old edge: conflict and reconciliation of streets and buildings

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009-05-18) Jiang, Peng

In the last few decades, new centers have emerged at the edges of traditional cities and pre-World War II suburbs. As these evolve, do they converge towards the urban forms of traditional cities? This question is explored based on a study of urban areas in the Atlanta Metropolitan Region. Atlanta Downtown, Decatur and Marietta, are compared to the new centers in Buckhead, Cumberland and Perimeter. The evolution of the street network of Buckhead is examined in detail. The morphological history of a particular urban block in Buckheadâ "the Tower Place blockâ "is documented. Morphological analysis, focusing on street patterns, block shapes and sizes, property boundaries and building footprints, is complemented by Space Syntax, focusing on the structure of street networks and connectivity. It is shown that new urban centers tend to grow on very large blocks accessed through major transportation infrastructure, but situated in otherwise sparse and fragmentary street environments. As these centers grow and as the density of land use increases, a secondary private road system is created, to take advantage of development potential and provide access to major building investments. The effective fragmentation of the large blocks suggests a pattern of metric convergence towards an optimum block size. In traditional cities, however, the street network is stable over time and acts as the framework for changes in architecture and land use. In the new centers, the secondary road system serves to access particular private investments without regard to the creation of a public framework of connections. From a syntactic point of view, the new centers are spatially unintelligible, thus substantially diverging from traditional cities, even as they accommodate dense mixed use developments. The thesis points to the need of developing and using subdivision regulations and zoning classifications in order to better regulate the spatial structure of new urban centers in the future.
Employee engagement model for the multi-family rental housing industry

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009-03-23) Phillips, Deborah Ann

Employee Engagement Model for the Multi-family Rental Housing Industry Deborah R. Phillips 238 Pages Directed by Roozbeh Kangari The multi-family rental housing industry has faced numerous challenges in the past decade. Increased competition, declining occupancy rates and higher operating expenses have forced management companies to re-examine their organizational strategies, particularly as it applies to its human capital. Employee engagement has become an emerging topic and shows that engaged employees perform better, put in extra effort to help get the job done, show a strong level of commitment to the organization, and are more motivated and optimistic about their work goals. Companies now recognize the value in fostering a climate in which engaged employees drive sales by creating loyal customers. However, despite documented support identifying the link between engaged employees and more impressive business outcomes, little research has concentrated on the special needs and challenges of the multi-family rental housing industry. Further, there are limited tools available to assist owners and managers with the task of identifying the drivers affecting employee engagement. An Employee Engagement Model (EEM) was developed to allow multi-family apartment rental property owners and managers to determine the percentage of satisfied residents for a given average level of engagement score. This research utilized statistical analysis, neural network techniques, and probabilistic modeling to develop the Employee Engagement Model. The Employee Engagement Model (EEM) offers new knowledge in the relationship between employee engagement and resident satisfaction in the multi-family rental housing industry. New knowledge may also be derived in correlations of certain aspects of employee engagement and the likelihood of residents extending their leases or referring others to his/her community, thus improving business performance. It is expected that the Employee Engagement Model (EEM) will provide useful feedback to multi-family professionals in their process of talent management. It is also expected that further discussions toward improvements in measuring employee engagement and its impact on satisfaction will be prompted by this research.
Views across boundaries and groupings across categories: the morphology of display in the galleries of the High Museum of Art 1983-2003

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008-12-01) Zamani, Pegah

Exhibition design conjoins distinct architectural and curatorial requirements. It is proposed that the common language of architecture and curatorship is space: how displays are arranged to be viewed in particular sequences and visual frames, placed in fields of co-visibility or grouped according to their spatial arrangement as well as their stylistic, historical or other classificatory labels. As visitors become immersed in exhibition space they are exposed to an informally staged pedagogy aimed at enhancing their enjoyment and understanding of the exhibition. The second floor of the High Museum of Art, with the permanent collection of objects, opened in 1983, is chosen as a case study. Meier designed the original building and decorative arts exhibition. Scogin and Elam produced a significant modification in 1997 to house a thematic exhibition. Lord Aeck and Sargent restored a simplified version of the original layout in 2003. Rigorous quantitative analyses document these successive changes and identify the fundamental shifts in exhibition design principles that they represent. Visual relationships, the break up of space and patterns of movement are analyzed using standard space-syntax methodologies. New techniques are proposed in order to describe and quantify overlapping patterns of spatial grouping. It is shown that the original design encouraged visitors to view and compare objects in alternative ways, generating open-ended readings and multiple understanding. The 1997 layout dictated sequences of viewing and framed frontal views in order to communicate how art engages human experience, including the body or the environment. The 2003 layout re-instated multiple viewing points and comparative groupings while emphasizing the individual work. The dissertation examines how architecture and curatorship interacted in a unique building which provides great experiential richness as well as design constraints. In addition, it demonstrates how descriptive theory can help bridge between architectural and curatorial intents by capturing the principles of arrangement which are fundamental to both.
Georgia's structurally unemployed workers: do state job training programs help?

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008-11-17) Moody, Mitchell Lawrence

Manufacturing employment in Georgia has declined as thousands of jobs have been lost to foreign suppliers and improvements in productivity. Changes in the state s industrial structure have created mismatches between worker capabilities and the skills required to work in a new field. The transition from a manufacturing to a services economy has strained the ability of many in the state s workforce to acquire to the new job skills demanded by employers. In order to regain employment and maintain former wage levels, structurally unemployed workers need new skills to work new jobs. Unemployed workers sometimes turn to workforce development system (WDS) programs to upgrade skills and provide access to better employment. The purpose of WDS job training services is to facilitate the transition from job loss to stable re-employment. Which job training strategies work or do not work and or for which demographic groups was the focus of this research. The fundamental question posed by this research was, "Can job training help alleviate the adverse wage impacts and time spent in prolonged job search resulting from structural unemployment in Georgia, and if so, which programs work better?" Answering this question requires that structurally unemployed workers in Georgia be assessed with respect to industry, demographics, geography, and Georgia Department of Labor training program exposure as explanatory factors for post-training wage and job search time differentials, both direct indicators of program efficacy to workers. Multivariate regression techniques were used to estimate the impacts of GDOL job training services on workers exiting the state's structurally declining industries and reentering new employment. Among the findings of this research were that: job training was often associated with lower worker wages once re-employed and longer times spent in job search; compared to short-term unemployed workers from declining industries, the long-term unemployed experienced significantly larger adverse wage effects and longer job search times; job training services were found to be most beneficial to workers leaving less-skilled industries and less beneficial to unemployed leaving higher-skilled industries such as manufacturing; and informational job training services were determined to be more cost-effective than occupational skills training.