Architecture Program: Faculty Scholarly and Creative Activity Copyright (c) 2013 University of Nebraska - Lincoln All rights reserved. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol Recent documents in Architecture Program: Faculty Scholarly and Creative Activity en-us Thu, 24 Jan 2013 11:21:53 PST 3600 Review of Rumiko Handa and James Potter, editors, <i> Conjuring the Real: The Role of Architecture in Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-century Fiction</i> http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/26 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/26 Mon, 07 Jan 2013 07:42:37 PST The rich and masterful essays collected here will reward the patient reading they deserve.

The essays collected here are the result of a lecture series held in 2007 at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, though the length and density of some of them suggest versions that preceded their presentation at that conference. This density is in fact one of the strengths of this book, which strays far from its title and announced theme. The other strength is the astounding roster of contributors, many of whom will be familiar to readers of this journal. For those not familiar with them, this volume is valuable as an introduction to some of the leading figures in fields as far apart as literary medievalism, structuralist art history, poststructuralist architectural theory, and Victorian set design. Most of the chapters restate arguments or present evidence that the authors have published in earlier forms. An analogy might be some projects that bring in a team of superstar architects to design separate buildings for what is supposed to be a common project.

]]> John Ganim Sustainometrics: Measuring Sustainability: Design, Planning, and Public Adminstration for Sustainable Living http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/25 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/25 Fri, 05 Oct 2012 13:29:23 PDT Sustainability has become part of our collective world view in recent years. As such, a new map is needed to navigate the dynamics of change in the making of cities, buildings, and products.

Sustainometrics represents a way to describe the interconnectedness of five domains of human activity -- environmental, socio-cultural, technological, economics, and public policy -- and their interplay with regard to achieving the goals of sustainability. Taken together, the five domains of sustainometrics can guide holistic solutions balancing human needs with the depletion of natural resources.

In Sustainometrics, authors W. Cecil Steward and Sharon Kuska present a method to define progress toward sustainability goals in the form of a new assessment tool called EcoSTEPSM. EcoSTEPSM can be applied at any scale of design, planning, or sustainability problem-solving. This method has been effectively used in pre-design programming, neighborhood and regional assessments, post-occupancy evaluations of industrial buildings, and comparative analysis of similar buildings.

Altogether, the process will result in better, conservation-based decisions and the avoidance of many unintended consequences suffered through past trials and errors of judgment about the livable conditions we all desire.

]]> W. Cecil Steward et al. How Architectural Ruins Entice the Observers' Engagement: The Hermeneutical Function of Distanciation http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/24 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/24 Fri, 21 Oct 2011 11:07:42 PDT During my recent trip to England, at a dinner at a friend's house, I met a violinmaker based in London. 1 mentioned that I had assigned my students to design a workshop and small performance space for a well-known American violinmaker, who at that time had a workshop in a small town in Nebraska, not far from where 1 teach. The London violinmaker told me he was organizing people to work on a museum dedicated to violin making. After telling us how he eventually will have a place to display and even to let visitors listen to some rare and old instruments, he turned to me and said, "Of course, the building is going to be astoundingly beautiful." There is certainly nothing wrong with an astoundingly beautiful building. However, this narrow focus on aesthetics, while having helped the profession gain elite status, has alienated the general public from architecture: Consider how small a portion of the world's built environment is being designed by architects. While it is frustrating that a cultivated person like this violinmaker failed to envision the museum building beyond as a beautiful container, architects have a moral responsibility to demonstrate the potential of architecture's physical and spatial attributes to contribute to the cultural and spiritual dimensions of human life. Because ruins are a case in which architecture directly engages visitors in profound experiences, I want to know what attributes and mechanisms, if any, are at work. Taking nineteenth-century Romanticism as the origin of the contemporary appreciation of ruins, I have examined selected works by two literary authors, William Wordsworth and Sir Walter Scott.

For Paul Ricoeur, distanciation is "positive and productive," and an essential condition, not an obstacle, of interpretation. Distancing turns the interpretation from the act of obtaining original meaning hidden behind the text to the search of "the world of the text" in front, which "I [the interpreter] could inhabit and wherein I could project one of my ownmost possibilities." As such, the text is self-reflective of the interpreter. Architectural ruins promote "positive and productive" distanciation in at least three ways. First, like any other built objects, architectural ruins have autonomy from their original meaning. Second, the state of destruction and the growing vegetation signal to the viewer the distance of time without requiring any historical knowledge. Third, the fragmented remains of ornamentations and structural elements further emphasize the distance by giving a glimpse of their once-complete state, as in Scott's historical novel, Kenilworth: A Romance (1821).

]]> Rumiko Handa Zero-Net Energy Building Science Research: Nebraska Housing Case Study http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/23 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/23 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 14:05:28 PDT What makes a new home sustainable? There is no simple answer and no silver bullet to reducing energy consumption, choosing the right building material or perfectly designed floor plan. Every case is different and every home-owner has their own perspective. To answer the question I was motivated to assemble this mini-portfolio of homes to begin identifying current best practices.

This booklet contains five newly constructed Nebraska homes. Each example identifies what high performance green building design elements, technologies and systems builders, architects and home-owners are using. The following five homes are not all Nebraska has to offer as examples, but are a sample in order to help the next generation of new homes seeking to be energy efficient and sustainably designed a place to begin.

The format of each case study house begins with a short summary and partners involved in the project. The following pages identify and describe each homes features with a number and image. Not all the numbers will appear on the background image as the identified elements are not visible. Each case study can be printed and used individually or in tandem with others.

]]> Timothy Hemsath Decon | Recon: Design Strategies for Repurposing Materials http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/22 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/22 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 10:38:38 PDT The deconstruction (DeCon) and repurposing (Re- Con) of existing structures and materials are worth- while and relevant endeavors given the potential for such procedures to be more economically and environmentally sustainable than conventional construction methods. Conventional construction methods often utilize virgin materials for produc- tion of architecture requiring extensive energy to harvest, process and manufacture the materials for use. Today we must face the fact that we exist in a carbon sensitive economy, and demand design approaches that reduce architecture’s impact on the environment. Our pedagogical goal was to de- velop a project framework to enable flexible ReCon design methodologies with potential to mitigate carbon consumption. To explore this goal, Archi- tecture and Interior Design students at the Univer- sity of Nebraska-Lincoln have engaged in a series of design studios and research projects that have looked for novel and innovative approaches for the DeCon and ReCon of materials and assemblies. The students used computation techniques such as parametric models, material prototypes, design speculations, and digital fabrications derived from the existing materials. The DeCon|Recon pedagogy sought to subvert material constraints and enable creative exploration of economical, novel and ma- terial efficient design methodologies for repurpos- ing materials.

]]> Timothy Hemsath et al. Parametricism (SPC) ACADIA Regional 2011 Conference Proceedings http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/21 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/21 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 08:36:14 PDT In today’s computer savvy world it is no longer interesting to discuss digital tools purely as means in themselves. The growth of abstract exponential systems or the generation of modulated patterns for their own sake simply strain justification in light of real-world concerns such as climate change, decaying cities, and economic crises. However, the impact of explicit logic and computational thinking on design and design process remains substantial. So we continue to pursue evolving digital techniques in hope that they prompt innovative design strategies and creative organizational, effectual, or material innovations that align with the evolving technologies which shape contemporary life. But exactly how are these tools to be explored and utilized within the post-technique milieu?


The theme of ACADIA’s first regional conference, Parametricism: (SPC) strategically positions Patrik Schumacher’s Parametricism alongside the NAAB’s Student Performance Criteria (SPC). While Schumacher’s stylistic pursuit of Parametricism is often criticized, it remains the foremost proponent for defining the impacts and potentials of associative modeling. In contrast, the SPC offer a performance-oriented list of achievement criteria not engaged with particular design methodologies or generative techniques. Arguably, however, the SPC contain design implications laden with practical considerations which are capable of derailing generative design approaches. These approaches often require a type of systemic delay1 which temporary suspend pragmatic variables in favor of further design explorations within the iterative processes of computational techniques. Does compliance with the SPC signal the end of generative design for the sake of a more practical agenda, or can the rather odd pairing of the two terms suggest a new focus for digital design tools in the ACADIA community?

Document is 315 pp; 160 Mb

Contents:

Introductions
Foreword — Nancy Yen-wen Cheng
Acknowledgements — Tim Hemsath
Introduction, Parametricism (SPC) — Steve(n) Hardy

Analog Parametrics
Parametric: Making — Troy M. Malmstrom
Digital Origami: Modeling Planar Folding Structures — Dave Lee, Brian Leounis
Algorithmic Modeling: Teaching Architecture in Digital Age — Nathan Howe
Thinking in Parametric Phenomenology — Paola Sanguinetti, Chad Kraus

Building Envelopes & Surface Geometry
Repurposed Political Ply — Jason Griffiths
Weaving Methods in Architectural Design — Qing Xing, Gabriel Esquivel, Ryan Collier, Michael Tomaso, Ergun Akleman
Organized Crime: The Role of Ornament in Contemporary Architecture — Kyle Miller
Electropolymeric Technology for Dynamic Building Envelopes — Elizabeth Krietemeyer , Anna Dyson

Investigations in Digital Curricula
A Swell Project: Between Parametrics and Fabrication — Gabriel Esquivel, Ryan Collier
A Curriculum for Integrating Computational Thinking — Nicholas Senske
Parameters of a Digital Design Foundation — Erin Carraher
Parametric Thinking — Brian M. Kelly, David Karle
Digital Haptic – Learning from K-Zell — Jason Griffiths

Forms that Matter
Meta-Zoning Logistics — Dave Lee
Inform Form Perform — Nate Holland
The Hangzhou Tennis Center: A Case Study in Integrated Parametric Design — Nathan Miller

Simulations: Quantitative and Qualitative
Beyond Quantitative Simulations: Local Control Strategy Using Architectural Comonents — Taro Narahara
Perforating Material Performance: Ceiling Cloud — Andrew Vrana and Joe Meppelink
Simulation by Design: A Parametric Design Tool for Zero Energy Buildings — Troy Peters
Race track modeler. Developing an Iterative Design Workflow Combining a Game Engine and Parametric Design — Roly Hudson, Drew MacDonald, Mark Humphreys
Form-making Without Form Making — Andrzej Zaraycki
Architectural Drawing- A Prospective Requiem — David R. Scheer

Comprehensive (Parametric) Design I
Parametric Affordances: What? When? How? — Carlos Barrios
Interior Climate Optimization by Volumetric Adjustment — Daniel Hillukka
Parametric Form-Based Codes: Incorporation of land-use regulations into Building Information Models — Jong Bum Kim, Mark J. Clayton, Wei Yan

Comprehensive (Parametric) Design II
Parametric Modeling of Informal Settlements — Duygu Yenerim, Mark J. Clayton, Glen Mills
Modeling Building Information in a Parametric Environment — Kene Meniru
Parametric Modeling and BIM: Innovative Design Education for Integrated Building Practices — James Haliburton, Mark J. Clayton, Ozan Ozener, Francisco Farias, Woo Seong Jeong

Reconfiguring Collaboration by Computational Means
Tex-Fab: A new model for collaborative engagement — Brad Bel,Kevin McClellan, Andrew Vrana
Parametric Translations — Seung Ra
Parametric Variation Revealing Architectural Untranslatability — Mike Christenson
Humanizing Parametricism — Devan Castellano

Conference Information
Photos: Paper Sessions, Workshops, Receptions, Keynotes, Awards
Author Biographies
Conference Chair Biographies
Author Index
Sponsors

]]> Janghwan Cheon et al. Searching for Innovation Through Teaching Digital Fabrication http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/20 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/20 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 08:35:08 PDT The use of digital fabrication in the discourse and education of architectural students has become a common skill in many schools of architecture. There is a growing demand for computer-aided design (CAD) skills, computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) logic, programming and fabrication knowledge in student education. The relevance of fabrication tools for architecture and design education goes beyond mere competence and can pursue innovation in what Branko Koleravic (2003) observed, “The digital age has radically reconfigured the relationship between conception and production, creating a direct digital link between what can be conceived and what can be built through “file-to-factory” processes of computer numerically controlled (CNC) fabrication”. However, there has been very little written about what students are actually learning through digital fabrication courses and the relevance of the skills required for innovation in the field of digital fabrication.

]]> Timothy Hemsath Against Arbitrariness: Architectural Signification in the Age of Globalization http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/19 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/19 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:34:38 PDT The theory of arbitrary signification, predominant during the last half century, considers architecture’s intrinsic properties as having little to do with its meaning. Consequently, architecture’s significance is not based on itself but assigned externally. In the age of globalization, such an assignment is often ineffective. This paper will: (1) examine the post-WWII debates between the theories of arbitrary and natural signification; (2) relate these theories to more philosophical, historicist vs. normative positions; (3) discuss the implications concerning conservation of culture, legitimacy of interpretation, and fake authenticity in construction; (4) and examine some architectural works that have brought forth natural signification in conventional forms.

]]> Rumiko Handa Body World and Time: Meaningfulness in Portability http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/18 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/18 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 10:34:19 PDT Architectural scholars and professionals have long recognized the erosion of culturally endowed architectural meaning: technology transfer has caused the relationship between form and its means, so evidently reciprocal in indigenous construction, to crumble. Natives and tourists alike now deprecate traditional architecture while applauding the pseudoauthentic. If the irreversible universalization of technology and of man constitutes “a sort of subtle destruction, not only of traditional culture … but also of what I shall call for the time being the creative nucleus of great cultures, that nucleus on the basis of which we interpret life,” is architecture doomed to lose its rneaningfulness?

Portable architecture allows us to contemplate how architecture may still be meaningful in the absence of cultural imprimatur, It may be compared to the temporal and spatial adaptation of a literary work, say, Macbeth performed by Kabuki actors in London and Tokyo, While translation and reinterpretation make the original literary piece portable, architecture, in order to make sense in a foreign land, needs to achieve portability of meaning through use of its own elements, such as color, form, and texture.

This paper will examine two portable theaters: Aldo Rossi’s “Teatro del Mondo” and Tadao Ando’s “Karaza.” Wherever they are set, they succeed in being meaningful architecture, Through their inherent properties, pure to the point of abstraction and rudiment, they ground themselves in the basic references of humanity: body, world, and time.

]]> Rumiko Handa Coelum Britannicum: Inigo Jones and Symbolic Geometry http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/17 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/17 Fri, 01 Oct 2010 07:09:52 PDT Inigo Jones's interpretation that Stonehenge was a Roman temple of Coelum, the god of the heavens, was published in 1655, three years after his death, in The most notable Antiquity of Great Britain, vulgarly called Stone-Heng, on Salisbury Plain, Restored. King James I demanded an interpretation in 1620. The task most reasonably fell in the realm of Surveyor of the King's Works, which Jones had been for the preceding five years. According to John Webb, Jones's assistant since 1628 and executor of Jones's will, it was Webb who wrote the book based on Jones's "few indigested" notes, on the recommendation of William Harvey, physician to James and to Charles I, and John Selden, antiquarian. The treatise included a plan of the megalith restored. On the outer circle were thirty columns, to which a concentric circle of thirty smaller columns corresponded, the radius of the latter tracing the outermost intersections of the four equilateral triangles within the first circle. On the hexagon resulting from two of the four triangles were six sets of two stones each. A side of this hexagon was as wide as that of the dodecagon.

Jones's Stonehenge interpretation reveals an important difference between his world and ours. Jones demonstrated the ideal through architecture, no matter if, as was in fact the case, the ideal was far from the real. Mathematics, and geometry in particular, enabled him to do so. Stone-Heng was not so much related to the original as to its ideal. It not only idealized the megalith but also the nation and monarch. It further idealized Jones's own realm, that is, architecture, the architect, and his own being. To compare, today's advanced technology makes almost any construction possible but at the same time allows us to be oblivious to what ought to be built. Professionals might ask what is timely, but often fail to question whether being timely is always good. Positivistic clarity in the matters of economy and efficiency makes it difficult for us to see ethical values. In order to fully appreciate Jones's world, we need to get at the provenance of his knowledge.

]]> Rumiko Handa Authorship of The Most Notable Antiquity (1655): Inigo Jones and Early Printed Books http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/16 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/16 Fri, 01 Oct 2010 07:02:18 PDT The Most Notable Antiquity of Great Britain, Vulgarly Called Stone- Heng, on Salisbury Plain (London, 1655) is the only publication associated with Inigo Jones (1573-1652), Surveyor for Prince Henry, King James I, and King Charles I. However, the precise nature of Jones's contribution to this work is much debated, his authorship being challenged. Jones's supposed lack of learning has led scholars to believe that Jones had little or no involvement in the work. However, new evidence suggests that Jones possessed far more extensive learning than has previously been credited to him. Indeed, this essay will show the nature of collaboration between the master, Jones, and his assistant, John Webb: Jones was often responsible in constructing an argument and supporting it with printed sources, while Webb provided bibliographical details.

]]> Rumiko Handa Polar Field Tent Shelters and Well-Being of Users http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/15 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/15 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:45:54 PDT Polar research teams often spend extended periods of time away from base stations, living and working in remote field camps of portable tent shelters. This article reports on a study of the design and use of portable field tent shelters being deployed in Antarctica and other circumpolar areas. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of the shelters on health and well-being of their users from an environment-behavior perspective. Preliminary analysis indicates that although the design and use of field tent shelters were generally satisfactory, there are areas in which the shelters had some adverse bearing on health and well-being of a considerable number of shelter users. This article concludes with suggestions that can be used for future design and manufacture of portable field tent shelters.

]]> James Potter et al. Treatises Cited in <i>The Most Notable Antiquity</i> http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/14 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/14 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:31:57 PDT Much debated is the authorship of The Most Notable Antiquity of Great Britain, Vulgarly Called Stone-Heng, on Salisbury Plain, Restored by Inigo Jones (London, 1655) for a number of reasons. Firstly, the book was published three years after Jones’s death, who was Surveyor for Prince Henry, King James I, and King Charles I. Secondly, it presented an erroneous interpretation that Stonehenge was a Roman temple dedicated to Coelus. Thirdly, John Webb, Jones’s assistant since 1628, claimed that he himself “compose[d] this Treatise” from the master’s “some few indigested notes.” By comparing the printed sources the book cited and those we have known Jones read the present author has examined the nature of the likely contributions Jones and Webb each made to the publication: Jones was often responsible in constructing an argument and supporting it with printed sources, while Webb provided bibliographical details. Assigning the intellectual content of the book to Jones will expand our knowledge of his intellectual sources, both in terms of the number and the range of subjects: We can add forty-seven titles to the list of books Jones was familiar with, many on Greek, Roman, or British history and mythology, to the list of works with which Jones was familiar. Such an addition must revise the way we understand the architect, as it shifts our attention from visual images to written texts.

]]> Rumiko Handa Using Popular Film in the Architectural History Classroom http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/13 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/13 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:21:10 PDT Putting popular films to use in the classroom offers many opportunities, starting with the mass appeal that recent movies bring to the study of architecture. More significantly, film can help to teach how architectural scale and space affect the viewer. The historical inaccuracies of many movies can provide teachable moments for the discussion of significant architectural issues. And, surely most importantly, film can breathe human life into the spaces of architecture, allowing students to meet the audience of architecture—past, present, and future.

]]> Rumiko Handa Evaluation of the Built Environment on Ice: Polar Field Tent Shelters and Well-Being of their Users [Abstract] http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/12 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/12 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 10:53:45 PDT An evaluation of the built environment on ice, covering particularly polar field tent shelters and the well-being of their users.

]]> X. Winston Yan et al. Comparison of Perceptions of Residential Satisfaction in Hannover, Germany: Ethnic Germans from Russia Versus Native Germans http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/10 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/10 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 09:58:19 PDT Offers a comparison of perceptions of residential satisfaction in Hannover, Germany, between ethnic Germans from Russia and native Germans.

]]> James J. Potter et al. How Does Increasing Population and Diversity Affect Resident Satisfaction? A Small Community Case Study http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/9 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/9 Fri, 14 May 2010 12:26:54 PDT This study examines the quality of life in Crete, Nebraska, with the specific purpose of identifying the factors that play the largest role in determining residential satisfaction. The survey asks a number of questions pertaining to different aspects of living in Crete. The survey is adapted from a survey previously used for a similar study in Schuyler, Nebraska. Focus groups are used to identify key issues in Crete and make adjustments to the questionnaire. Cronbach’s alpha is used to test the reliability of the topical variables, and index variables are created, which are used in the subsequent analysis. Using residential satisfaction as the dependent variable, stepwise multiple linear regressions are performed independently for the total population, the new arrivals, and the long-time resident groups. The findings of this study indicate that stressors and sociocultural issues are the significant contributors to the overall community’s residential satisfaction.

]]> James J. Potter et al. Creating a Learning Environment more Supportive of Diversity within a College of Architecture: A Work-in-Progress [Abstract] http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/8 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/8 Thu, 13 May 2010 13:29:56 PDT Recent literature on diversity suggests that while changes have been made to improve the quality of learning environments for diverse groups on university campuses, there is still room for improvement, particularly in the area of minority and female recruitment and retention. Lack of diversity is a continuing problem in architectural education, a field dominated by white males. It has only been recently that architecture schools have begun to realize how the learning climate may impact the professional world of practice. As a consequence, we have begun to see a greater emphasis on issues of diversity. For example, during spring 1997, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UN-L), College of Architecture hosted a panel discussion to address diversity issues, such as gender, ethnic/racial, disability, etc. It became apparent from the discussion that there were some marked perceptual differences regarding diversity within the College. In response, a research team representing the departments of Architecture and Community and Regional Planning proposed to work with the UN-L offices handling diversity issues on campus to assess the quality of the learning/teaching environments for diverse members in the College, and to develop a plan of action based on the findings. The project was implemented in three stages, starting in fall 1997. In the first stage, information was gathered through the use of a preliminary open-ended survey and focus group discussions. In the second stage, a revised closed-ended questionnaire was developed based on the information gained from the initial stage. Questionnaires were distributed to students (at all levels and within all programs, excepting the freshman class) as well as faculty and staff in their mailboxes. There were 305 questionnaires distributed and 196 were returned a response rate of 64%. In the third stage, results of the questionnaire were compiled, analyzed and presented to students, faculty and staff in a series of forums. The analysis focused on identifying major points of agreement and disagreement between three key groups: 1) males and females, 2) minority and non-minority, and 3) students and faculty/staff. The presentation will discuss the process, results and actions taken to create a learning environment more supportive of diversity.

]]> James Potter Coping with Change: Environment as Prosthetic [Abstract] http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/7 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/7 Thu, 13 May 2010 13:15:11 PDT Projected demographic trends suggest the need for specialized housing for older adults will increase substantially in the future. Research shows humans seek to maintain a balance between their functional ability and the challenge of their living environment (Folts &Yeatts, 1994). New empirically based knowledge as a resource for the design of housing for the aging population is not keeping pace with the construction of facilities. The focus of this three-phased project is a comparison of the cognitive perceptions and adaptive behavior strategies of elderly people moving from their current homes into a supportive group living environment. The project included administration and analysis of a survey to gather data: 1) while participants are in their existing homes; 2) immediately after their move to the independent living facility; and 3) six months after their move. Documentation of each physical environment and collection of data was accomplished through personal interviews. This project facilitates a partnership with the architecture profession to gather data and directly apply research results to current and future development of such housing. Most importantly, this project takes a critical view of the role of the physical environment in affecting elderly person's adaptive behavior in times of transition.

]]> Katherine Ankerson et al. The Impact of Population Increase on Residents' Perceptions of Their Quality of Life [Abstract] http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/6 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/arch_facultyschol/6 Thu, 13 May 2010 13:08:19 PDT Throughout the world, people are migrating to find jobs and to seek a better life. As agricultural processors locate plants in rural areas with raw materials and lower labor costs, towns are experiencing pressures. They are experiencing an increase in the number of jobs available and a shortage of affordable housing to meet the needs of a growing population. To better understand the needs and perceptions of residents in a small midwestern town (population: 4,151), a multidisciplinary research team from the College of Architecture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln conducted a study between September 1995 and May 1996. The focus of the project was to explore the effects of recent population growth on housing and other physical environmental factors related to the quality of life. Data was collected from both long-time residents (more than 15 years) and newly-arrived residents (less than five years), utilizing a door-to-door survey technique. The data was analyzed through frequency distribution, means, and variances. The data was examined in both an aggregated manner as well as separated to determine what the similarities and differences were between the long time and newly arrived residents. The survey results clearly show that many issues exist in which long-time and newly-arrived residents perceptions are quite similar. But, there are also a number of issues in which resident perceptions tend to differ. What actions could be taken to improve housing conditions? What can be learned from the results that could help bring about positive changes in other similar communities? The presentation will attempt to answer these and other questions.

]]> James J. Potter et al.