Browsing by Author "Johnson, Benjamin C."
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- 1995 Virginia Tech master plan proposal : open space master plan and long range strategies for Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VirginiaTubach, Paul B. (Virginia Tech, 1995-12-14)Fifty years ago, with a population of 2,331 students on campus, no one would have thought to plan for a student population to increase by 20,000. The same is true for today: if Virginia Tech doesn't have a plan for the next 50 years and another hypothetical 20,000 students, we will exhaust our natural resources and impoverish the beauty of the campus. The development of Long Range Strategies and an Open Space Plan will help protect the quality and character of the campus many have come to remember her by.
- Application of expert systems in landscape architectureKulkarni, Nitin Y. (Virginia Tech, 1989-07-20)Application of artificial intelligence (Al) has been a topic of interest among researchers for the past decade or more. Years of research in the commercial application of Al, availability of hardware support for Al application and affordability of software and hardware has generated a lot of interest in this field and brought this technology within the reach of micro-computer based users. The commercial impact of AI is due to expert systems (ESs). ES technology is a collection of methods and techniques for constructing human-machine systems with specialized problem solving expertise. This project explores the application of ESs in landscape architecture by developing a prototype ES and testing implications of its use with designers while working on a hypothetical problem in a studio environment. The development process helps identify the typical difficulties of such an application, to uncover technical problems, and to identify areas needing further research. The project aims at building an ES that provides very limited preliminary data and design guidelines to initialize the design process and keeps track of the most fundamental issues necessary for planning, thus acting as an expert and assistant simultaneously. The idea is to explore the possibility of applying ESs to facilitate the design process so that designers may concentrate on other important aspects of design which include intuitive judgement about qualitative aspects.
- Campus landscape space planning and design using QFDYang, Huan (Virginia Tech, 2007-06-21)Millions of people live and work on college campuses everyday. The environment they dwell and interact with is essential to their quality of life and health. There is no doubt that the campus landscape is of great importance to millions of students, faculty, and staff on campus. Surrounding communities are also significantly affected by college campuses as colleges often provide education and social events, as well as economic activities. However, in the past, the design of campus landscape spaces have been overlooked or treated as a leftover of buildings, even though campus landscape spaces are more than the "faces" of colleges. With more and more colleges and universities expanding and redesigning their landscape spaces, the design of campus landscape space has gained more recognition in the recent twenty years. One of the significant changes in the design process is the taking of users' needs/concerns into account. This change is influenced by a community-based design concept found in Active Living and Public Spaces design. While Active Living and Public Spaces design emphasizes the importance of user involvement and different techniques in soliciting user input, there is a missing link between user input and the design program elements. In this thesis, I examine the past practice of campus landscape space design and propose using Quality Function Deployment (QFD) to fill in this missing link. QFD has been used in various industries, including service and manufacturing, for years. It emphasizes the importance of taking users' needs, called Voice of Customers (VOC), into the design process. The employment of different matrices to capture the relationship between VOC and subsequent design and quality characteristics makes QFD a unique framework suitable to fill the gap in the current design process. A case study of campus landscape space design is conducted to examine the applicability of QFD in campus landscape space design, including the advantages, the obstacles, and the unique condition of using QFD in landscape design. The study yields several insights on the application of QFD in campus landscape space design, which are applicable in other landscape design projects.
- Campus Master Planning; A Need for StandardsMouras, Steven L. (Virginia Tech, 2004-12-07)Universities, particularly large ones, often operate as autonomously as towns, with their own police departments, residential neighborhoods, public transit, and power plants. Universities and towns also address similar issues such as future land use, housing development; public services such as utilities, parks, recreational facilities and libraries; public safety; and transportation, transit and parking. There are areas where towns and universities are different such as a universityâ s focus on education, research, and learning facilities. There is also a difference in the primary planning tool with campus master plan versus the comprehensive plan for towns. This paper examined four campus master plans to determine whether a need exists to establish basic guidelines for campus master plans, to ensure they address the complex requirements of large campuses. The examination looked at both the uniformity and completeness of the four master plans. The results of the examination showed a wide variety of documents. The master plans lacked uniformity in basic areas such as implementation guidance, a summary of existing conditions, or even an executive summary. Additionally there were a number of core planning criteria that were incomplete (planning in land use, housing, and public safety). The conclusion of this evaluation is these plans are interesting and even insightful, but generally lack some basic areas of good planning. In particular there is a need for land use analysis for current or future growth management, inclusion of public safety planning, and a more complete explanation of methodology and data analysis.
- A circular model of urban hydrologyGanesan, Maya (Virginia Tech, 1996-03-05)Fresh water, particularly potable water, is a critically important, albeit scarce, resource to human beings. Increasing evidence of polluted fresh water bodies indicate water usage patterns that are detrimental to the scarce reserves of fresh water on a regional and global level. It may be said however, that, that the current problems of water wastage and abuse are not merely the results of the technology used but more so of the erroneous perceptions that have guided its development. Therefore it is crucial to not only adopt different technology to solve current water management problems but more important to create a new holistic paradigm of water management that provides the framework for ecologically sustainable technology. The thesis on a circular model of urban hydrology is an attempt in this direction. The thesis is based on the need to develop a sustainable model of urban hydrology. It is a descriptive model that combines existing technologies in a manner that would make them relevant to present and future cities and is applied on a conceptual level to study the implications that this new model could have on the urban landscape. By exploring the concepts of waste water reclamation and re-use, and storm water management that is connected to the city's water supplies, the circular model attempts to attempts to reduce the affects of urbanization and urban water usage on external natural systems while establishing ecologically benign links with the regional and global environments. The use of biological systems for wastewater reclamation has different implications to the urban physical environment in terms of its landuse patterns, open space systems, human activities and aesthetics, than a conventional centralized system of water supply and disposal. The thesis discusses those implications that are particularly relevant to those involved in the planning and design of cities and speculates on an urban environment that might be different from an existing modern city.
- The City and its interfaces: An Approach to Recover the Natural and Cultural Landscape at the Beachfront in St. Augustine Beach, FloridaDazzini, Monica Mabel (Virginia Tech, 2005-05-09)The fast growth of the urban population affects city life by degrading natural and social resources. Urban developments modify resources such as forest, land, and water, but also modify the intimate relationship of people with the landscape. Many times, the damage of those resources is irreversible, and provokes dramatic changes in the natural landscape and the uniqueness of the place is missing. Despite the intense discussion that landscape architects and scientists worldwide hold about social and environmental aspects in urban environments, many questions about how to support natural and cultural landscapes, or why to keep them are not answered in the existing waterfronts and re-developments at the water's edge. For this reason, the recovering of urban waterfronts is an opportunity to promote ecologically healthy environments, address sense of place, support human gatherings, and encourage economic revitalization. This thesis and its research analyzes the components of the natural regional landscape in recovering waterfronts in order to avoid the loss of the uniqueness of a place. A section of beachfront in St. Augustine Beach, Florida that has suffered beach erosion and development pressures was chosen for the study. The result is an alternative proposal to costly dredging and beach reclamation that includes a series of tools, interventions, and landscape modifications of this threatened site. This proposal aims to return the site to a balanced and friendly landscape. Waterfronts in cities are an opportunity to reconnect communities with their cultural and geographic landscape.
- The concept of carrying capacity as a tool for managing scenic roadwaysWise, Warren E. (Virginia Tech, 1988-12-05)Increasing interest in driving for pleasure has put a burden of crowding and over-use on many of our nation's scenic highways. The carrying capacity concept says that there is an acceptable level of use or change for a resource beyond which that resource will be significantly degraded. This thesis examines the applicability of this concept to the problems of crowding and over-use of scenic roadways. This study developed as an attempt to bridge the gap between recently developed carrying capacity models in recreation resource management and planning and the specific problems of scenic roadways. While carrying capacity theory and practice have produced good models, the unusual characteristics of scenic roadways challenge the direct application of these models. A questionnaire was distributed to scenic roadway designers, planners, and managers; roadway researchers; carrying capacity researchers; and recreation resource managers nationwide. Respondents answered questions about the value of carrying capacity for managing scenic roadways, about perceived problems in implementing a carrying capacity program for scenic roadways, about the appropriate scope of a carrying capacity management tool for scenic roadways, and about needs for future research to support development of a carrying capacity model for scenic roadways. Responses to the questionnaire indicate strong support for developing a management tool for scenic roadways based on the carrying capacity concept. Responses support a broad-based approach to addressing the carrying capacity of scenic roadways, looking at both the roadway and lands adjacent to the roadway in attempts to determine carrying capacity.
- The corporate plaza and the office tower: The potential for a mutualistic space-form relationshipRaghunathan, Nandagopal (Virginia Tech, 2004-05-21)Within the context of a site/place on which a skyscraper is developed, the role of the corporate plaza is usually limited to providing a base to glorify the unique form of the skyscraper (the office tower). In such case, the potential for a symbiotic relationship between the skyscraper and the plaza is not realized. In exploring the possibilities of a symbiotic relationship the first step was to research the skyscraper and its evolution. This analysis based on existing literature revealed the 'motive' behind the design and construction of skyscrapers and the reason for its strong physical image - "the corporations desire for an attention drawing device". This desire has resulted in the design of the skyscraper as an object in the urban landscape with a high degree of 'recognizability'. Although the skyscraper's character of recognizability plays an important role in the perception of the site, it fails to provide for the development of 'experiential meaning'. This experiential meaning which is a critical component for the environmental image of the site/place can be provided for in the plaza space. In order for the meaning, that is developed at the plaza, to be associated with the skyscraper, the skyscraper and the plaza should have a sense of continuity and appear as pats of a whole. To achieve this sense of continuity, the design of the plaza space needs to reflect/incorporate the elements that contribute to the strong physical image of the skyscraper as means of reinforcing the image of the skyscraper that is stored in the memory. The remainder of the thesis was to apply and test the above statement/idea in a design solution. the first step in that process was the analysis of existing plazas against the statement-case studies. the case studies reinforced a few aspects that needed to be addressed in the design of the plaza 1) reference to the imageable character can be made through the use of materials as much as shape and forms (and there might be other possibilities based on the character of the building) 2) The functional aspect of the plaza is critical for the successful use of the plaza, an assumption that supports this thesis. Once inferences were made from the case studies the next step was to decide on a site to redesign a plaza space- The PPG place in Pittsburgh. The PPG place, a complex of 6 buildings, exemplifies the postmodern movement and was designed by one of the chief proponents of the movement, Philip Johnson. The once stark and desolate plaza was refurbished recently with the addition of fountains around the obelisk in the center. A skating rink is operated in the plaza during the winter months. The design process was initiated by three layers of analysis 1) Analysis of the imageable qualities of the building 2) Analysis of the issues pertaining to the usability of the plaza 3) Analysis of the urban context These three layers of information provided a broad framework for the design of the plaza, from which the final design concept was distilled. the space that is thus designed facilitates a high degree of usability as well as a relationship to the imageability of the skyscraper, ensuring a holistic image for the site/place in which the skyscraper and plaza coexist in a mutualistic relationship.
- Dante, VA: Community Design CharretteClements, Terry L.; Williams, Daphne; Shi, Xiaofei; Bohannon, C. L.; Bork, Dean R.; Jacobson, Wendy R.; Johnson, Benjamin C.; Katen, Brian F.; Kim, Mintai; McGill, David; Miller, Patrick A.; Proctor, Nicholaus; Gilboy, Elizabeth (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2017-02-01)The Virginia Tech Landscape Architecture (LAR) Program held the first Richard G. Gibbons Public Landscapes Planning and Design Vertical Charrette at the beginning of the spring semester 2017. All landscape architecture students from second through fifth year participated in the charrette as part of their required studio and senior project work. This endowed charrette was also supported with an Urban & Community Forestry grant from the Virginia Department of Forestry provided through the Community Design Assistance Center and funding from the town of Dante. The charrette addressed public landscape issues and opportunities in Dante, Virginia, a historic coal town located in far southwest Virginia. Students and faculty travelled to the historic coal and rail town to meet with Dante and Russell County representatives to learn about the town and its rich social, cultural, economic, and environmental heritage as well as its current challenges and opportunities. Student groups were tasked with identifying and investigating options for community revitalization using public open space. After a single week of intensive work, the student groups graphically and orally presented their ideas for Dante’s future.
- Density and What Matters: A Study of People's Attitudes Toward and Perceptions of Urban DensityXu, Yining (Virginia Tech, 2010-02-08)As long as the population keeps growing and lands are desired, the research on how the city could be developed is needed. Higher density development, considered as the alternative for urban sprawl, is a new trend for future development. The barrier between advocacy of higher density environment and misconception of density asks for a descriptive and systematic interpretation for human perception of density. In response to this demand, this research aims to provide a description of the factors that influence people's perception of higher density environments. Also, it aims to identify people's important concerns while using outdoor environments. This study is based on data obtained from an online survey questionnaire that polled public attitudes toward density. The findings from the data indicate that the more important characteristics that people are concerned about the higher density environment are presence of nature, interaction opportunities, building identity and perceived safety. This study also points out that people's attitudes toward density vary based on certain factors. Those factors are age, occupation, place of residents and type of residents. This research could be used as a reference for future planning and design. Results of this study reflect participants' attitudes towards density. It initiates a discussion of future research and generates a frame work for future study for a larger population.
- Design Process to Integrate Natural and Human SystemsDeshpande, Amol Mukund (Virginia Tech, 2003-08-28)After more than a century, there are very few examples of excellent interdisciplinary work in landscape architecture, like the "Emerald Necklace" designed by Frederick Law Olmsted or Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord by Peter Latz. Most of the projects still have only one purpose: they are either reserved for conservation as are the great national parks, or are planned for recreation or development that ignores natural systems. "Most...landscape designers are still inspired by and primarily focused on aesthetics; society's other major objectives are secondary for them" (Richard Forman 2002, p: 85). In 1993, American Society of Landscape Architects defined sustainable development as, "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the future." Thus designers need to understand how natural and human systems work and design for the protection of our environmental as an integral part of any development. Landscape architects can achieve this by borrowing principles of legendary works like the "Emerald Necklace" and combining those with new technology to meet changing cultural and ecological needs. This thesis asserts that sustainable development should be achieved by reconciling human systems and its effects on the surrounding environment by using and revealing natural systems to spread consciousness and earn attention and care for our environment. Suitability analysis by Ian McHarg, Bioregionalism by Clair Reiniger, Regenerative design process by Lyle, and Framework for ecological design by Prof. Carl Steinitz are various design processes to create developments, which can respond to both natural and human needs. The thesis project, Riverside Park and Biomedical Complex in the South Jefferson Redevelopment Area in Roanoke, VA, explores how a design process, consisted of framework for ecological design and principals of eco-revelatory design, can help to plan a sustainable development, which uses and reveals natural systems to reconciling human systems and its effects on the surrounding environment. The project demonstrates how a multidisciplinary approach towards landscape design can help to create a multifunctional design that meets the, ecological and cultural, needs of the present without compromising the future.
- Designing a Walkable Suburban Landscape: New Urbanism and Light Rail as MethodologiesDavidson, Kyle (Virginia Tech, 2006-04-07)The suburban landscape is a landscape of opportunity. Historically, the suburban landscape has been a desirable place for living. Because it demands the use of automobiles, it is also a landscape undesirable for pedestrians. Optimistically, through principles of New Urbanism, walkability, and mass transportation via light rail, there is an opportunity to transform the auto dominated suburban landscape into one that promotes walkability. Located in the suburbs of Alexandria, Virginia, an atypical intersection is analyzed for its characteristics of walkability. This intersection consists of several major roads converging to create a location overly dominated by busy roads and automobiles. Though there are accommodations that signify this intersection is also a place for pedestrians, a walkability checklist and a walkability study prove otherwise. The author investigates transforming this otherwise unwalkable landscape into one that promotes walkability by providing a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable experience for suburban pedestrians. Design intentions are focused on preserving much of the existing land use and not re-developing suburbia into a new urban center. Yet, through using new urbanist principles for walkability, there is the opportunity to create a new suburban center.
- Designing for Water QualityErickson, Victoria Gillispie (Virginia Tech, 2000-09-05)The following document serves as a design guidebook to assist landscape architects, designers, planners, engineers, and architects in the practice of developing land while preserving water quality. This guidebook outlines methods for maximizing permeable surfaces by providing examples of ways to minimize impervious surfaces.
- Designing With Climate: Using Parking Lots to Mitigate Urban ClimateHarris, Amanda M. (Virginia Tech, 2004-04-08)Urban areas are known to have different climatic conditions than their rural counterparts including higher temperatures, greater wind speeds, and increased precipitation otherwise known as urban heat islands, urban wind, and urban precipitation. These phenomena are all caused by the design and form of the city. Large amounts of impervious surface area, obtrusive buildings, and a lack of vegetation in the urban landscape all contribute to these problems. Landscape architects have the potential to mitigate urban heat islands, urban wind, and urban precipitation by understanding what causes these phenomena and knowing a few key principles by which to mitigate them. Parking lots can cover up to half of the land area in cities and offer a great opportunity to correct urban climate problems. This thesis looks at current United States parking lot ordinances to determine if and how well principles of designing with climate have been incorporated. Guidelines are then given to help in the construction of a parking lot ordinance that aims to ameliorate the city's mesoclimate. A design is then created that shows how these parking lot guidelines could be incorporated into a functional, aesthetically pleasing parking lot.
- Development of a Landscape Vulnerability Assessment Model in a Heightened Security EnvironmentSena, Christine G. (Virginia Tech, 2003-05-01)Do current landscape security practices provide sufficient protection to support building sustainability in the event of a terrorist attack? By exploring the relative effectiveness of current landscape security practices and methodologies, this thesis proposes to provide the landscape architect with sufficient background to define security objectives; participate in vulnerability assessments and design functional solutions while maintaining an open, aesthetically pleasing environment. This research thesis supports the study of site security as a discipline within the landscape architecture profession. Recent events have resulted in a rush to install various types of permanent and temporary security measures such as barriers, barricades, surveillance systems, etc., in the landscape. Typically, the placement of security components in the landscape has resulted in negative visible impacts on the environment, reinforcing an image of a siege, or fortress, mentality. This study will examine whether these security components, as currently employed, are effective deterrents against terrorist activities. This thesis will provide landscape architects with a broad understanding of security objectives and design options. Security objectives can only be met if the client, engineers, architects and landscape architects work together as a team. This thesis will provide the landscape architect with sufficient knowledge concerning security vulnerability, facility blast survivability, and emergency response capabilities to coordinate site security requirements with the design team. A thorough knowledge of security component capabilities and facility site vulnerability will assist the landscape architect in making design decisions which are both functional and aesthetic, while meeting security objectives.
- Development of a model of the interior design processAliyar, Vinitha P. (Virginia Tech, 1990-07-10)The purpose of this thesis was a) to review the design process literature in architecture and urban planning, b) to develop a model of the interior design process, and c) to apply parts of the model in a case study. The genesis and evolution of design processes in fields allied with interior design was traced. The review of literature established that interior design has little documentation of the design process. Much of what exists is borrowed from architecture and urban planning.
- Drawing as Landscape Architectural ScholarshipKoliji, Hooman (Virginia Tech, 2009-05-06)Considering the vital role that drawing plays in conceiving buildings and landscapes, the question of "knowledge" in relation to visual representations becomes a matter of importance. The conventional view of drawing considers it a passive and neutral means to communicate mental concepts in visual form. The present study, however, views drawing as an essential vehicle that both enlists our critical reasoning faculties, as well as engages our senses and imagination in an integrated way to generate new knowledge. As a means to acquire architectural/landscape knowledge, drawing becomes an essential vehicle for scholarship in the field. Depending on the circumstances, drawing can capture or cast (or both). When the drawing is a recipient of the external world, it captures or catches the qualities of an actual place. When the drawing is of a space that perhaps will exist, it can bring out or cast ideas, thoughts, or sensations to an external world and eventually to that envisioned space. After a discussion of the commonalities of drawing in architecture and landscape architecture, the present study concentrates on areas that distinguish landscape drawing from architectural drawing. In the end, the personal experiences of the author, in which the drawing served both as capturing and casting mechanism, is briefly depicted.
- Effect of field-of-view on perceived representativeness and preference of visual simulationsEvans, Eric (Virginia Tech, 1996-05-05)The purpose of this study was to contribute to an analytical framework for creating and validating simulations. This was achieved by investigating viewer response to changes of a single-image variable (field-of-view). Eight images of two different test sites, with fields-of-view that ranged from 40 to 120 degrees, were judged by 47 people. Image representativeness was analyzed by evaluating viewer response of the images to the actual scene. Statistical analysis revealed that simulations with fields-of-view > 40 and ≤ 90 degrees may best represent the test sites, regardless of the scenes viewshed. Preference ratings for the same images were analyzed and compared with response to representativeness. The results of the study reveal no relationship between image preference and the perceived accuracy of the images to represent the test sites. Implications of the findings suggest further research is needed on methods of estimating the validity of visual simulations.
- Extra high voltage transmission corridor siting: technical, public, institutional and regulatory considerationsCrnojacki, Zorica (Virginia Tech, 1994-08-05)Extra High Voltage (EHV) transmission corridor siting studies are complex and costly procedures, which are often prolonged by technical, public, institutional, and state regulatory factors. The primary goal of this research is to contribute to a more predictable and expedient siting study. The following objectives are accomplished: - Exploration and description of technical and methodological aspects of siting in terms of the general approach to the siting study, impact assessment techniques, data collection and mapping considerations. - Exploration and description of the following public and institutional considerations in the siting study: public participation, active opposition, media coverage, attitudes of affected agencies, and communication among involved organizations. Determination of the effects of these considerations on the siting process. - Review and evaluation of the state siting regulations in terms of: clarity of requirements, technical siting requirements, coordination of actions in the study, coordination with other relevant regulations, and public and agency participation in the study. Identification of the effects of the state regulations on the siting study process. - Development of guidelines for improved EHV transmission corridor siting studies. The principal methodology of the research is the single case study of Wyoming-Cloverdale 765 kV siting project, which represents a model of a contemporary, interstate, EHV siting study. The results of the case study are complemented by the review of state siting regulations and the literature. The major outcome of the research are the guidelines for improved corridor siting studies. The guidelines are developed for corridor siting study consultants, electric utility companies, and state regulatory commissions. Findings of the research indicate that technical, public, institutional, and state regulatory factors interactively affect the process of the corridor siting study. Furthermore, the siting study has dominant political overtones, and as such cannot be treated as a merely technical project. Public opposition to new EHV transmission lines can significantly increase the effects of technical, public, institutional, and regulatory deficiencies, reducing the probability of line approval. The testing of the guidelines in siting study practice, and a multiple case study research dealing with the same considerations and their interactions, are suggested for future research.
- Flux: Creating Dynamic Systems Within the Built EnvironmentRidgely, Sarah K. (Virginia Tech, 2005-04-26)In order to create landscapes able to adapt to the constantly shifting demands placed upon it by human and ecological processes, there is a need to incorporate the flux of these human and ecological processes into a physical and dynamic share of the built environment. This will require a perceptual shift in understanding this human/ecological relationship (on the part of both the designer and the user) as well as a change in the design/implementation/management strategies currently employed by designers and planners. Instead of designing landscapes expected to be maintained to look and act in a static manner, the built environment needs to be designed with flux in mind. This thesis' methodology begins with a position paper narrating the current body of knowledge regarding human experience and treatment of dynamic systems within the built environment, focusing specifically on the Outer Banks, a series of barrier islands located off the northern coast of North Carolina. It looks at this relationship through three languages: scientific (or geomorphologic), legislative and design. Next is a sampling of case studies aimed at emphasizing this dynamic relationship between humans and their surroundings. Finally, the design project incorporates the viewpoint developed in the position paper and applies it to a hypothetical site design located in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The site is currently slated for a Hilton hotel that will be finished by Spring 2006; however, the spirit of the design has the potential to be incorporated into many sites along the coast.
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