Designing out the urban heat island effect

As the global population reaches an all time high and shows no sign of slowing, and the urban population outnumbers the rural population for the first time in human history, the social, economic and environmental issues faced by those living in urban centres become increasing relevant. The urban heat island effect is a phenomenon witnessed in cities worldwide which sees the ambient air temperatures in cities be significantly higher when compared to temperatures in the rural surroundings. A number of characteristics of cities contribute to the creation of an urban heat island: the removal of vegetation to construct buildings and road; the ability of materials such as concrete, asphalt, steel and brick to absorb, store and release heat; the energy used by a building’s services including heating, air conditioning and ventilation; vehicular movement through a city; and general lack of green spaces. Essentially, urban heat islands are caused by the land use change from natural environment to built environment

PYOB: The State of Self-Publishing

Lightning talk on the state of self-publishin

Towards transformative learning methods for interdisciplinary postgraduate education for sustainable development (ESD) : a case study

This paper explores the relationship between education for sustainable development (ESD) and interdisciplinarity in the context of architecture and engineering higher education, presenting a case study of the University of Strathclyde Glasgow's Sustainable Engineering (SE) postgraduate programme, within the wider context of common principles and practices present across HEIs. The paper - one of a series - offers an overview of the SE programme between 2004 and 2015 (coinciding with UNDESD) and discusses its growing focus on interdisciplinarity and the introduction of transformative learning methods over the study period. The study uses a methodology of statistical analysis of enrolment and graduation trends on the SE programme alongside a discursive analysis of course and module provision specific to learning methods for ESD and interdisciplinarity. The study finds that, within the SE programme, both the courses and modules that have an SD focus exhibit the greatest longevity over the study period and are selected by students significantly more often than other courses and modules. The finding supports previous studies that report an increased appetite for such courses and classes. The learning methods employed on the modules align with those considered exemplary in the literature surrounding ESD, and demonstrate the programme's aspirations towards increased interdisciplinarity in postgraduate ESD. The paper provides insight into the practices and outcomes of a specific longstanding programme, offering opportunity for reflection, discussion and comparison with similar programmes

Towards the development of a space/nature syntax at Arcosanti

The world’s urban population is rapidly growing, now exceeding its rural population, and is expected to reach 70% of the world’s total by 2050. Research in environmental psychology increasingly supports the Biophilia Hypothesis which holds that our connection with Nature is innate. Thus, how do we maintain a human connection to Nature in an increasingly urbanising world? The research explores the boundary between built and natural environments, specifically how proximity, initially through visual connections, to Nature affects how people use social spaces. Case study work is being undertaken at Arcosanti urban laboratory in the Arizona desert. Arcosanti construction began in 1970 to test Paolo Soleri’s Arcology Theory , which proposes, in opposition to sprawling cities, a new form of urban setting which is compact with tightly restricted horizontal growth, leaving the surrounding natural environment as undeveloped “wilderness”. Through development of a space/nature syntax methodology applied within a uniquely compact urban form, this research attempts to understand how maintaining an instinctive bond with Nature can enhance social relations and inform future design choices within built environments

Material Libraries Report

In 2014 and 2015 the author was awarded funding from the University of Oregon Libraries to visit academic libraries with architectural material collections, photograph their collections and spaces, and interview their staff. This report synthesizes the interviews with a literature review, findings, and recommendations for developing an architectural material samples collection in an academic library setting.University of Oregon Libraries Solari Incentive Awar

Fat flat frail feet: how does obesity affect the older foot

The prevalence of obesity is rising throughout the world at an alarming rate, and the elderly are no exception with 15% of men and 28% of women aged over 60 years considered to be obese [1]. Overweight and obesity have been shown to negatively affect foot structure and function in both children [2] and adults [3]. These structural changes appear to be associated with increased foot discomfort whereby overweight children have been found to report foot pain significantly more often than their leaner counterparts [4]. As feet are our base of support during most weight-bearing activities, it is postulated that increased foot pain could act as a deterrent for obese individuals to participate in physical activity and, in turn, perpetuate the cycle of obesity. For this reason compromised foot structure and foot pain associated with obesity is deemed a major health issue for children. However, whether these negative effects associated with childhood obesity persist in the elderly foot has not been comprehensively investigated. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of obesity on foot structure and function, and the foot pain experienced by older adults