A GIS-Based Building Data Model Storing, Visualizing, and Analyzing Building Information for United States Coast Guard and Environment Systems Research Institute

As the world\u27s population moves from rural areas to urban centers, managing information in the built environment effectively and efficiently will become critical to sound decision making. The ability to represent, visualize and analyze these urban centers will be at the heart of city and regional planning processes. GIS has traditionally been used as a tool for supporting these processes, but has focused on the exterior two dimensional features of the environment. Increasingly planners are being asked to consider all aspects of the built environment, such as air traffic corridors above the ground, utilities networks below, and the interior and exterior of buildings on the ground , in a comprehensive decision making system. New data models, analysis methods, and visualization techniques will need to be developed to meet these emerging needs. The purpose of this Major Individual Project (MIP) was to develop a GIS-based building data model for the United States Coast Guard and Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. This data model represents not only the exterior of a building, but also its interior features. The features in the data model are designed in such a way as to support spatial analysis, and the project will demonstrate how such analysis can be conducted on building information. This analysis includes both vector and raster methods, and is scalable to work not only within in one building, but between buildings in a site, campus, or city. The data model also supports the simple management, modification, and maintenance of building features, while still providing the complex geometries necessary to visualize the building information in both two and three dimensions

Structural details of an art gallery

Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1995.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 34-35).Connections describes the physical means by which the building transforms concept into reality. These connections link between user and building; site and building; program and building; art and public. This study uses as a starting point a previous design project where advances technology allowed and informed the complex geometry and overall composition of the building. This thesis investigates the assemblage of the major building components to demonstrate how the connections make the building. This model will show how these technologies best realize the intent of the program. This art gallery gives up-and-coming local and regional artists and designers the opportunity to exhibit their work. The combination of the building and program will increase the interaction between the general public and art. The building design distinguishes itself from the typical temple- or vault-like quality of the art museum and exhibits a more inviting form. These connections not only make the building; they connect art and public in a more dynamic relationship.by Amy M. Kim.M.Arch

The Cornerstone and Abode of Our National Progress : New York City\u27s Skyscrapers as an American story of Innovation and Teamwork

This paper examines the early history of skyscrapers using New York City as its case study. Skyscrapers become possible because of the Industrial Revolution which provided the steel needed for its tall structure and the demand for office space. The early skyscrapers were both praised and criticized by the public. Concerns over the health, economic, and aesthetic consequences led to the passing of the 1916 Zone Ordinance. Following the ordinance, New York City saw a boom of skyscrapers and the creation of a uniquely American architectural style. Before all skyscraper construction completely halted, the Empire State Building was completed. It became a symbol of America\u27s global power and prestige and represents America\u27s innovation and the teamwork required to build such an unprecedented skyscraper

Framework to assess a facility's capability to accommodate change : application to renovated buildings

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1999.Includes bibliographical references (p. 307-311).An assessment framework that presents the critical attributes that influence the accommodation of change within a building, specifically focusing on the renovation and reuse of existing low to mid-rise buildings, is developed. Unlike past studies on building renovation and reuse, this research moves away from the exogenous factors (e.g., building location, social and community issues, building age, or building deterioration) and instead concentrates on the physical engineering systems within a building that influence the feasibility of renovation and reuse. In order to develop this framework, detailed information was gathered about building renovation and reuse through literature, construction site visits, and interviews with industry professionals. A sample of 45 general building renovation case studies was examined according to two dimensions, a set of building systems and a set of changes which they experience over time. The building systems used include the structural system, the exterior enclosure system, the services system, and the interior finish system. The changes, which they experience, were broken down into three main categories: function, capacity, and flow. These dimensions were used to examine 26 out of the 45 general case studies in detail to obtain the empirical data with which the framework was developed. The examination of these case studies and the development of the assessment framework show that a movement towards accepting and incorporating new methods, techniques, and design alternatives within the construction industry is growing. More owners and developers are changing their overall outlook on the cost associated with building design, construction, and renovation from a concentration on initial costs to a broader encompassment of a building's lifecycle costs. This change in thought has incited a movement towards incorporating capabilities to accommodate change within building designs. However, to complete this movement the complex interactions and dependencies among the building systems and the changes that they experience, which through this research have been shown to exist, must be addressed and simplified.by Christopher Lee Maury, Jr.S.M

The American Public Library Building: A Social History and Feminist Critique

This paper seeks to place the development of the American public library building in its social and historical context from 1876 to 1950 and to present a preliminary feminist analysis of the public library as a building type. Like all social constructs, architecture reflects the values and rituals of its makers. Too often in America we reduce architecture to its functional and technological components and do not recognize the social implications of the built environment we create and inhabit. Though technology has played a major role in determining the shape of our physical environment, social forces have also been very important. Indeed, developing new technology and new methods of building is an important aspect of American culture

Visualizing architectural character: the effects of rehabilitation on the voices of 20th century American theaters

This study analyzed the significant interior alterations completed during the rehabilitation of five historic theaters throughout the United States in order to understand how those changes affect the architectural voices of a historic interior. A building speaks through its form, materials, textures, and sounds, and through these means it converses about its life, its character, and the values and beliefs of society. The researcher utilized both the National Register nominations as well as the Federal Tax Credit applications to address: how architects and designers treat authenticity, integrity, and historic character while solving modern day issues, such as accessibility and building codes, how National Park Service approved changes affected interior character, and what consistencies, if any, were apparent between the projects. The theaters selected for this investigation fit the criteria of individual listing on the National Register of Historic Places and Part III approval for Federal Tax Credits. Additionally, all theaters were constructed between 1926 and 1929 with subsequent rehabilitations between 2005 and 2009. National Register nominations provided historic background on the theaters, while Federal Tax Credit applications yielded detailed information on the approved changes. Using the Federal Tax Credit applications, the researcher first assessed each before rehabilitation photograph, analyzing the form, proportion, rhythm, scale, light, material, finish, and detail of each interior space within all five theaters. The after rehabilitation photographs were then examined using the same criteria and compared through charts to understand what types of changes occurred during rehabilitation. This study generated an understanding of the compromises necessary to both preserve a historic interior and modify it to meet current needs

Life-Cycle Building Carbon Emission Management Platform based on Building Information Modeling Technology

Buildings produce 40% of annual carbon emissions among various sectors in modern society. One of the most challenging problems of carbon management is how to monitor and calculate a building’s life-cycle energy consumption and carbon emission data during both construction and operation stages. The Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology provides a promising method to obtain and simulate buildings as-is status at different stages in the life cycle. This paper develops a framework for building a carbon emission management platform using the carbon emission factor method and BIM technology, which can derive corresponding carbon emission and measure carbon footprint with building geographic information to achieve precise positioning of carbon emission objects. The platform can achieve multi-role collaboration, equipment visualization, real-time carbon emission monitoring, and data analysis. The platform is applied to an existing building in Hohai University to assess the total carbon footprint of the building in its life cycle. This platform can greatly improve the calculation accuracy of the carbon footprint of buildings, improve data transparency, provide valuable information for building facility management personnel, and help achieve the goal of carbon neutrality

Biophilic Design at Pomona College: An Analysis of the New Sontag and Pomona Residence Halls

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for New Construction (or LEED-NC) has become one of the most commonly used green building standards during the turn of the 21st century. While many champion LEED-NC, certain architects and academics believe that its low-environmental impact design approach toward green building isolates people from nature and thus cannot achieve sustainable development over the long-term. Pomona College’s green buildings, including its newest LEED Platinum certified Sontag and Pomona Residence Halls, exemplify this fact, as their designs fail to communicate their sustainable goals or inspire sustainable behavior. By examining the LEED-NC standards, the history of environmental conservation, Modern architecture, biophilia, and the Living Building Challenge, this thesis seeks to provide recommendations for how Pomona College can alter its existing green buildings as well as improve its green building policies for future projects so that its built environment better fosters positive human-nature interactions