2008

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    Better Schools = Smarter Kids: Architecture Can Improve Education in Hawaii
    ( 2008-05) Davis, Tanya ; Leineweber, Spencer ; Architecture
    Hawaii's school children consistently perform poorly when compared to children across the United States. The facilities in which they spend a majority of their time may have a huge impact on their ability to learn. Many public elementary schools in Hawaiÿi are not sustainable, are architecturally uninspiring and are a mismatch for current teaching methodologies. This research will show that the careful combination of cultural sensitivity, attention to education modalities in use today, and high performance building standards can create a school that will be comfortable, informational, energy efficient, as well as one that has the potential to boost student performance throughout the state. Case studies as well as creative solutions in the form of renovation to existing buildings and a new modular classroom design will be presented.
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    Contemporary Design as a Tool for Cultural Preservation
    ( 2008-05) Haagenson, Samuel ; Llewellyn, Clark ; Architecture
    The purpose of this project is to create and implement a methodology for using contemporary architectural design as a tool for the preservation of a traditional culture. The term “traditional culture” as used in this project refers to a culture as it existed before being greatly affected or influenced by an outside culture. The Wampanoag Native American tribe provides a good example for demonstrating this term. This tribe, located in what is now considered New England in the northeast United States, had an independently thriving culture up until the early 17th Century when the Pilgrims arrived from Europe. Before this time, the tribe had interactions with other Native American tribes, but the interactions did not drastically change their own culture. However when the European settlers arrived, the Wampanoag culture was affected in a way that greatly changed the peoples’ lives, thus transforming their culture. Although the Wampanoag culture is still a living culture today, the traditional culture is the one which existed up until the arrival of the Pilgrims. The next term to be defined is “cultural preservation.” To preserve a culture is to protect and promote all strands of existence that define a group of people and their traditional way of life. This is not to say that a traditional culture must be “dying” in order to be preserved. This may be possible, but it is more likely that the culture is just not thriving in the same manner as it was before the contact with the outside society at some point in its history. Preserving a culture, therefore, is promoting its continued existence so that information about it is not lost. Although this is an architectural project, it is not focused only on preserving traditional architecture and building methods. The project aims to use architectural design to preserve and promote a traditional culture as a whole. Contemporary Design as a Tool for Cultural Preservation Project Abstract | 1 Samuel D. Haagenson P a g e | 4 Cultural preservation is important for several reasons. First of all, traditional cultures represent a way of life that existed over a long period of history. Understanding history is important to society as a whole in order to advance into the future and avoid repeating mistakes of the past. Secondly, cultural preservation is important for members of the culture, as understanding their ancestors’ way of life gives people a personal connection to their past and an understanding of who they are and where they come from. This is a social and psychological comfort that is an important need of all human beings. Thirdly, cultural preservation is important because it honors human diversity. Many of the problems in today’s world are the result on misunderstanding and intolerance for differing cultures. Honoring this diversity, rather than letting it be a divisive element of society, is taking a step towards making this world a better place for everyone.
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    Can Roofs Breathe?
    ( 2008-05) Herbert, Douglas ; Anderson, Amy ; Architecture
    This research investigates using the principles of cross ventilation, stack effect, solar roof, and solar chimney techniques into a single roof design to possibly increase the internal air velocity and lower the internal temperatures for residential structures located in hot-humid climates. The environmental conditions common in hot-humid climates include low wind velocity, increased humidity levels and high ambient temperatures. The most benefi cial way to provide thermal comfort for the occupants living in these climates is to increase air velocity across the body, to lower humidity levels, and to lower internal temperatures. The goal is to design a roof system incorporating passive cooling and solar-induced cooling principles which will potentially increase the potential thermal comfort while outperforming conventional residential roof systems without using mechanical systems. The design in this research was tested using physical modeling with data collection and computational simulation using CosmosFlo Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software. The software was used for the computational analysis used to estimate air velocity within the roof testing modules. The preliminary testing results demonstrate a decreased internal temperature using the proposed design over those internal temperatures using typical roofi ng methods. The air velocity test data from the physical models has proved unreliable due to location of the physical testing modules which were infl uenced by higher wind speeds associated with the trade wind fl ow inherent in Hawai‘i. The temperature differences proved large enough between the air inlet vents, interior space, and air cavity to provide increased air movement in the interior of the test v modules. The outcome of this research is encouraging and shows promise that the proposed design could possibly be benefi cial to increase the thermal comfort levels for residential structures in the hot-humid climates. Further exploration and a large amount of research and development are still needed to make this design more effi cient and cost effective for possible wide spread use.
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    Modern Housing Solutions for Hawaii: Utlizing Prefabrication Technologies to Develop High Quality Urban Housing in Hawaii
    ( 2008-05) Hong, Frederick ; Rockwood, David ; Architecture
    The core characteristics of Hawaii have long created a difficult market for the design and construction of modern high-quality homes. Although strategically located in the Pacific and blessed with a lush, resourceful environment, Hawaii is relatively far from other industrial centers and has a limited supply of land. Land and building materials are often cost prohibitive, and the quality of housing suffers accordingly. Large developers have a distinct advantage in this environment and they continue to build low-quality homes that they can sell for premium prices. As a result, the residents of Hawaii consistently get “less” housing for “more” cost relative to other markets in the United States. This project investigates how modern prefabrication technologies in architecture can be utilized to create high-quality, high-performance homes at lower costs in Honolulu, Hawaii’s urban center. Whereas previous prefabrication efforts have required mass production or standardization to be economically viable, advances in digital design and fabrication are now allowing architects to design and build cheaper and in non-conventional ways. These emerging technologies will help architects introduce creative but cost-effective housing solutions appropriate to Hawaii in a market dominated by generic and limited developer-driven housing. A townhouse prototype design for Honolulu will be proposed that utilizes structural concrete insulated wall and floor panels as a modern prefabricated building element. This design will illustrate the benefits and opportunities offered by prefabrication tools and technologies such as panelized building systems, building information modeling, computer numerical controlled fabrication, and digital parametric design variation.
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    An Investigative Study of the University of Hawai'I System-wide Aquaculture Program: Designing for Future Development
    ( 2008-05) Imai, Krystle ; Anderson, Amy ; Architecture
    Over the past decade, the aquaculture industry has grown significantly around the world. With an estimated 80 percent growth projected for the Asia Pacific Region, the University of Hawaii is positioned to become a supreme resource of education, training and technical expertise. With the increasing trends of aquaculture around the world, our responsibility is to find a balance between social and economic development while preserving of our natural environment. The Island’s unique location, along with its rich cultural setting, presents the University of Hawaii with the opportunity to become an international leader in the aquaculture industry. The goal of my D.Arch project is to provide program and site recommendations for the University of Hawaii System-wide Aquaculture Program. The proposed Aquaculture program exemplifies a unique and cohesive System-wide aquaculture program which includes four components: Academic, Research, Outreach, and an added Commercial component. The proposed Aquaculture program from the University of Hawaii Aquaculture Business Plan shall be the groundwork in developing a conceptual Aquaculture Program that will then be transformed and customized to fit various site schemes. ii The final product shall be a combination of two parts, extensive research followed by a conceptual design response. A combined methodology of qualitative research and case study methods shall be used to conduct the research portion of the project. The research component shall include a holistic overview of the existing and proposed Aquaculture Business Plan for a System-wide Aquaculture Program at the University of Hawaii. Further research, shall incorporate a comparative analysis of Hawaii based aquaculture facilities, as well as internationally recognized undergraduate and graduate Aquaculture Programs. The second half of the project shall be an analytic response that addresses the development of a System-wide program, including a customized program that may be applied to various site options. An exploration of both Existing and New Facilities will be conducted while choosing an appropriate site for the proposed System-wide program for the University of Hawaii. The key issues that are addressed in this project are identifying the needs for the University of Hawaii, and developing an architectural solution for the System-wide Aquaculture program.
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    Vocational Housing: A Housing Proposal for Hawai'I's Homeless
    ( 2008-05) Kuo, Kathleen ; Anderson, Amy ; Architecture
    The increasing homeless population has become a growing concern in the United States. Although homelessness is a perceived as a socially related issue, the research conducted in this document is to understand how architecture and the architect can contribute toward a solution to the problem. Due to the complexity of the subject matter, the majority of the research conducted in this study will focus on the State of Hawai‘i and the residents of the Waianae Coast on the island of ‘Oahu. This proposal will begin with the project statement (Chapter 2), which consists of identifying the problem, stating the project intent, and brief introduction to the methodology of the project. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce the proposal of developing an architectural solution to the homelessness problem, as well as, describing the methodology of the DArch process. The next chapter (Chapter 3) summarizes the research component of the project by exploring the social and physical aspects of homelessness. The research conducted in this chapter contains relevant information relating to the project outcome. Chapter 4 consists of a description of the project methodology. This chapter will cover the transition from research to design, influences in the conceptual development, design process and exploration, and conclude with discussions from meetings. Chapter 5 will provide a scenario for the project by introducing three selected sites and describe the proposed concept of a vocational housing program. Chapter 6 introduces six methods of the Zones of Interaction and provides examples for the first three methods. Chapter 7 continues the exploration of the six methods on-site by providing examples of the last three methods. Chapter 8 concludes the document with a summary of the vocational housing program proposal and the DArch project learning experience.
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    Defining Mixed-use along Honolulu's Transit System within the Context of the Urban, Neighborhood, and Suburban
    ( 2008-05) Onishi, Ted Gerald Kekoa ; Ashraf, Kazi ; Architecture
    My interest in mixed-use began when I questioned the purpose of projects or buildings that function as a single-use. For example office buildings that are built for administrative personnel and conference rooms would bring greater profit to users and owners if shops and restaurants were included into the building program. There is greater land-use efficiency with properties that include multiple uses within a single development. A mixed-use building has a range of economic and social benefits for users and owners. In order to gain a better understanding of mixed-use, I have studied numerous California and New York City resources on the subject and received an internship with two architecture firms on the mainland that have experience with this complex building type. I also had the pleasure of visiting a few mixed-use projects while living in San Francisco and New York City. In this paper, I have researched historical mixed-use examples from Mesopotamia, China, and Rome. In addition, I examined several contemporary mixed-use projects: Flatiron Building, Rockefeller Center, Unite d’habitation in Marseilles, Beijing Looped Hybrid, and Tokyo Midtown. Mixed-use projects bring opportunities and advantages for the community. In general mixed-use developments foster social and community gathering, provide a higher standard of living, and offer economic benefits for public and private entities. In Hawaii we are blessed with beautiful weather and unique scenery found nowhere else in the world. Like other cities, Honolulu is growing in population. This population requires additional resources to support it. Homes, jobs, and transportation are needed to help sustain our growing population. Honolulu is currently at a pivotal point in its history. Honolulu is faced with a transportation and housing crisis. How will Honolulu respond to the future growth in population? Mixed-use and an efficient transit system can help alleviate Honolulu’s transportation and housing crisis. Mixed-use can produce benefits for a community through the creation of spaces that unify community and building. In this paper I will analyze the ways in which a transit-oriented development (TOD) (a form of mixed-use) reacts to Honolulu’s proposed transit system. I explored solutions for downtown Honolulu (urban), M_'ili'ili (neighborhood), and Ewa (suburban) contexts along the transit route. Mixed-use and the transit system will have a large impact on the community and the future of O'ahu.
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    A Study of Environmental Sustainability Hidden in the Traditional Korean Residences through Computational Analysis Tool
    ( 2008-05) Park, Young-Kyu ; Park, Hyoung-June ; Architecture
    This research extracts the environmental design responses of the traditional Korean residences through a holistic computational analysis tool referred to as Ecotect. Ecotect is used to generate intersections with design analysis and perform various environmental solutions. Three traditional Korean residences - Yeongyeongdang, Unjoru, and Chusagotaek during the Joseon dynasty (AD1392~1910) of Korea are tested. Furthermore, Ecotect is used to demonstrate the environmental design response in detail with parameters such as shadows, shading, solar analysis, wind flow, and thermal performance. Taking into consideration the social and cultural impact of the Joseon dynasty, the performances of the various design solutions are analyzed, explaining the impact that different building elements have on energy consumption. The relationships are represented in the form of statistical relations and interactive data charts. This research will also: (i) introduce methodologies to the holistic buildings’ energy performance, (ii) implement the aforementioned method in analyzing the three traditional Korean residences, (iii) view three traditional residences’ range of environmental design responses through computational analysis, (iv) deal in depth the environmental design responses that enhance the thermal comfort in the traditional residences, (v) and lastly, make suggestions based on the outcome of this study for future research.
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    Redefining the Street: A Shared Space Design Concept for Pauahi Streeth, Honolulu, Hawai'i
    ( 2008-05) Parker, Christopher K. ; Llewellyn, Clark ; Architecture
    Through government policy and contextual circumstances, traffic engineers are given the sole responsibility in street design. Their priority on safe and efficient automotive transportation has, however, ignored the equally important pedestrian priority. Recognizing the disconnect transportation planners are working towards experimental methods to reduce traffic fatalities and be sensitive to community concerns and needs. Studies show, though, that over many years traffic fatalities are leveling off, signaling a realization that fatalities will not continue to decrease without completely separating the pedestrian from the street. Streets, as the primary public space to the built form, also serve our collective memories as social, political, psychological, and environmental anchors that support and sustain our culture and society. Hence, a fully segregated vehicular and pedestrian system will be unable to serve these equally important functions. Shared Space serves as a viable solution to this dilemma. By creating pedestrian-priority streets, Shared Space will improve the ills that broad stroke transportation engineering and planning has created and fulfill the psychological and physical needs of the community. Also known as Naked Streets, Home Zones, Living Streets, and Woonerf Streets Shared Space is successfully used in Europe, Israel, and Japan, just to name a few. Shared Space is a public space where people, bicycles, and automobiles share a common right-ofway. Elements of pedestrian-vehicular separation are removed and features such as landscape and paving are introduced to psychologically calm the speed of vehicular traffic. The result Abstract 10 is a significant reduction of pedestrian injuries and fatalities therefore encouraging a sustained civic, social, and economic presence on the public street. Shared Space functions by employing a psychological theory called “risk compensation” or “risk homeostasis”. Risk compensation occurs when humans – or animals – change their behavior when there is a perceived change in risk. Designing Shared Spaces in important public right-of-ways will give Honolulu a new vision for urban street life. The project is conducted in three parts. The first part is background and precedent analysis research. Looking at six precedents of Shared Space streets in North America and Europe, the case studies, which varied in location, time, and size, reveals seven commonalities, or principles, that establish the makings of a successful Shared Space. These principles became the comparative framework of evaluating land use and transportation infrastructure for ten neighborhood centers in Honolulu’s central and eastern primary urban core, the best candidate of which would be used to create a Shared Space urban design concept. As a source of numerous cultural and physical opportunities, Pauahi Street in Chinatown Honolulu was chosen. The second part of the research creates a visual design framework to form an ideal Shared Space environment based on the premise that all pedestrian activities take place only when the conditions for looking, walking, crossing, standing, and talking are good. The framework, therefore, establishes a rationale, priority, and suggestion for preferred street design solutions to make Pauahi Street a successful Shared Space and neighborhood center. The third part is a conceptual Shared Space design proposal for Pauahi Street. To support the design the research analysis was undertaken which analyzed existing street life, transportation, and conducted interviews with stakeholders. The design proposes an urban design framework that creates seven shared space street and intersection typologies that support the strengths and address the challenges of Pauahi Street’s unique context. The concept and ideas are supported by shared street activity pattern diagrams, street sections, and vignettes to give the reader an idea of what a Shared Space life would be like on Pauahi Street. The result is an urban design framework for designing a Shared Space and an urban design concept for Pauahi Street. The intended audiences for this research reach a large number of people from a variety of backgrounds. Anyone who has an interest in supporting, designing, or planning future and existing communities and their centers in Chinatown, Honolulu, or the United States can gain from this work. Although the research and framework focuses on Honolulu, its concepts and design framework can be applied to many communities, streets, and urban centers looking to redefine street design and its beneficial properties to their community.