MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2022, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

Observance of downtown Cincinnati's urban makeup has led to an investigation of the density between the eastern and western urban cores. Western Cincinnati neighborhoods have been through an ongoing separation and isolation due to multiple infrastructural developments throughout the years including the Cincinnati Southern Railway and Interstate 75. A desire to reconnect western Cincinnati with the downtown core has led to the investigation of the 8th Street that spans from west to east crossing over the Mill Creek and Cincinnati Southern Railway by the means of a viaduct that continues into downtown Cincinnati. Observation of the 8th Street Viaduct and surrounding area revealed the potential of the viaduct and the underdeveloped land adjacent. The goal of the thesis project is to populate the 8th Street Viaduct architecturally and realize its potential as the western entry into downtown Cincinnati. Surrounding the 8th Street Viaduct is a barren manufacturing zone ripe with overgrowth of nature and the Mill Creek. The architectural response has the opportunity not only to provide development along an opportunity rich street front, but also practice biophilia by encouraging access and celebration of the natural phenomena present in the area.

Committee: Elizabeth Riorden M.Arch. (Committee Member); Michael McInturf M.Arch. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2022, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

A soldier is essentially a war-fighting machine, and when a country goes to war, it summons its finest fighters. A fighter will undoubtedly go to battle and return fearful by the ramifications of the two combats, one against other army forces and the other against being weak over the losses. Veterans and their families sacrifice so much of their lives for our nation's freedom. Every year, thousands of American soldiers died protecting our country's independence. Many veterans may not seek therapy because they are afraid of being regarded as weak. When veterans return from battle, some struggle to adjust to life in a non-combat zone; many continue to serve in the army, and others will ultimately reintegrate into civilian life. When the individuals return to their civilian lives, the struggle is far from over. Nobody is ever willing to face the fact that his life will never again be the same. After a limb is lost, a horrible tragedy, or catastrophic brain damage, the life of a soldier is not the same. Because of the culture that has been instilled in the troops, they have always adapted to and defeated any condition that has been thrown at them. This attitude encourages veterans to adjust to the circumstances of military architecture, such as living quarters and treatment facilities. These living arrangements and facilities frequently contribute to the stress. Our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and attitudes can all impact our bodies' function. In other words, our minds can influence how healthy our bodies are! I aim to remodel the past architecture constructed for combat veterans who have PTSD in a way that offers a stress-relieving atmosphere that allows healing to occur. In this design, a special treatment called placebo treatment is incorporated. This type of pseudo treatment tries to treat the body through the mind. So, the unconscious healing through the mind adds up to the m (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Michael McInturf M.Arch. (Committee Member); Elizabeth Riorden M.Arch. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2022, Antioch Santa Barbara: Clinical Psychology

Ecopsychology is a systems-based philosophy that expands the therapeutic lens to include client interactions with and perceptions of the natural environment as an integral element of well-being or pathology. Ecopsychology, known forward as EP, also looks at the pathology of our culture and what kind of diagnoses lead to practices that put our planet at risk. In recent decades, the field has amassed a substantial amount of empirical evidence supporting its effectiveness but remains largely underutilized. First generation EP suggested a cultural reordering shifting away from consumer culture and reordering our way of life. Second generation posits working within the current structure is sufficient. They seek to green psychology, meaning utilizing nature as a healing medium, and gather empirical evidence to bring credibility to the field. Most researchers and practitioners agree a new perspective is needed to challenge the dominant social paradigm which views nature and the earth as expendable and separate from human health. As the current political climate becomes more central, there is need for “green” psychologists who are prepared to handle climate refugees, climate change, and mass extinction. By interviewing experts, this phenomenological study seeks to demystify EP while exploring future directions, as well as obstacles, to making it a legitimized field. This research also lends support to ecopsychology, and its applied practice known as ecotherapy as a viable and necessary treatment approach to a range of psychopathologies including anxiety, depression, and ADHD. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Committee: Susan Hawes PhD (Committee Chair); Sandra Kenny PhD (Committee Member); Craig Chalquist PhD (Other) Subjects: Climate Change; Clinical Psychology; Earth; Ecology; Environmental Health; Psychology; Psychotherapy

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2021, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

We marvel at it, yet we fight it. We need it, yet do not control it. Since the beginning of time, mankind has been intertwined with the elements of nature. The problem is that man must still have shelter. Architecture is a great mediator between man and the elements. Simple architectural choices can either facilitate or block connections between the two parties. As a result, the relationship between the two has not always been harmonious. Today, the elements are often completely blocked from our buildings and daily life. This blockage can also be seen in other aspects of the built environment like infrastructure. The ancient Lick Run has been forced through a sewer pipe for over 100 years. Controlling the watershed has been challenging and resulted in 1.5 billion gallons of combined sewer overflow a year. As a result, a massive 200 million dollar, 1.5 mile long greenway attempting to daylight the Lick Run is nearing completion. This project demolished 92 buildings in an already crumbling neighborhood that is a major transportational thoroughfare. If the Lick Run Greenway is successful, architecture will harmoniously mediate between humans and the natural elements while fulfilling community needs. This means architecture must facilitate connections to wind, earth, water, sun, and living organisms. Ultimately, it is an opportunity to jump start a struggling South Fairmount with development that complements the Lick Run and encourages community participation.

Committee: Elizabeth Riorden M.Arch. (Committee Chair); Michael McInturf M.Arch. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2020, College of Education

This study examines group processes and leadership of a zoo executive team at a Midwestern zoo while determining what type of animal images are ethically appropriate and ethically conflicted for use in social media (Instagram). Using the four animal and human associations, this study examined how group processes are used to establish a mutually agreed-upon set of standards for what is ethically appropriate for social marketing imagery of zoos. The instrumentation used included one-on-one interviews, survey, a questionnaire and a focus group. The results of this study suggests that effective group processes include: behavior modification, cohesion, feedback, leadership, fostering perception change, and fostering learning. The results also suggest how zoo professionals navigate in reaching decisions for policy development and common goals for the organization more efficiently and effectively.

Committee: Judy Alston Dr. (Committee Chair) Subjects: Animals; Behavioral Psychology; Educational Leadership

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2019, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

Independence and inclusion should not be sacrificed as one ages. However, many seniors have to make sacrifices towards their lifestyle once physical and/or mental conditions begin to decline. There is a stigma towards aging that is rooted in historical beliefs that the elderly are `undesirable' and should therefore be pushed aside from the rest of society. While acts and regulations created over time have lessened these negative connotations, there are still many obstacles faced by seniors in their day-to-day lives. Addressing these challenges and forming design solutions can decrease the burden of getting older and, in turn, make this phase of life exciting. This topic is especially important in today's world due to the demographic changes experienced in the United States as the baby boomer generation enters their senior years. With such a high increase in the older generation, planning and infrastructure is not supportive of their needs. It is up to architects to design a world that is universally accepting of people at all stages of life. This thesis examines the senior living options available today and new trends that have occurred within the last few years. Specifically, I will be focusing on University Based Retirement Communities (UBRCs). These retirement communities are affiliated with a nearby college or university and share amenities and resources. Aside from giving seniors the opportunity of lifelong education, UBRCs facilitate inter-generational connections. Students and seniors form a mutually beneficial relationship, getting to learn and grow from each other. In addition to integrating seniors into the community, I will be exploring ways to bring the community to seniors. By introducing program that is appealing to all ages, I hope to make a hub that attracts people outside of the retirement community. The design will support these ideas through a holistic approach centered on how one experiences a building and the benefit of designin (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Michael McInturf M.Arch. (Committee Chair); Aarati Kanekar Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2018, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

Sustainable/green architecture often focuses on renewables, waste reduction, and efficiencies. These solutions help to improve the technical relationship between architecture and the natural environment. However the human relationship to the environment and surrounding ecology is often neglected. Biophilia refers to an innate desire humans exhibit toward creating connections to other living things, whether it be other humans or the surrounding environment. I suspect this stems from our evolution from hunter-gatherers into an agrarian civilization. The nineteenth century and industrial revolution marked a turning point in human evolution with regard to our environmental relationship. The rise of technology and evolution of the city effectively transformed an agrarian society into a capitalist one. Humans have been gradually distancing themselves from nature spending more time inside buildings, cars, and even virtual realities. Now that mass production has been realized, cities have grown into flourishing metropolises often short on green space. A society that was once governed by climatic cycles is now dependent on wifi and time sheets. Cities often have better wages, more jobs, and readily available housing; But at what cost? As cities increase in size so do their impact, not just on the environment, but also on the human psyche. The evolution of the built condition has subsequently transformed the natural environment and therefore, the ways in which we interact and relate to nature on a daily basis. This has in turn affected the ways in which we manage stress, mental acuity, and general efficiency. Our connection to nature is paramount to mental restoration and stress relief as it offers humans a refuge from the built condition. Biophilia offers a way to examine the base connection and concern humans exhibit for ecology and potentially formulate an architectural strategy to promote a more significant and holistic relationship to the environment. Architecture is (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Michael McInturf M.Arch. (Committee Chair); Aarati Kanekar Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2017, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

This thesis will address the design of a medical resort that supports Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) as a way of treating patients in such a way that self-healing is promoted as opposed to only using foreign agents to heal the patient instead. To architecturally achieve this, the design methodology will incorporate techniques found from studies in biophilia and environmental psychology as it relates to fractal geometries, branching and bundling explorations. Together, the theories and ideas behind these practices will develop and inform a design centered on the natural environment and the human response as it lives within it. This connection to nature will aim to foster healthier, happier relationships between the patient and doctor, and it will create a medical experience conducive to self-healing and positive health responses. The thesis will begin with the research supporting these design tools and ideas. It will then follow with the conclusions of the research as it relates to fractals, branching, and bundling. Explorations in those fields will be done to assess architectural applications. Finally, it will conclude with the studies performed for the thesis and introduce the design and ideas in play to create a successful medical resort that aims to create an environment conducive to self-healing. The medical resort serves as a place where patients, after having gone through medical operations of some form, will be able to retreat to for therapy. It is designed as a medical resort to support the notion of a campus layout for the program, thereby encouraging users to explore the site and become immersed in nature as a part of their recovery process.

Committee: Christoph Klemmt A.A. Dipl. (Committee Chair); Elizabeth Riorden M.Arch. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2015, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

The current practice of sustainable design often emphasizes metrics-based, quantitative means of reducing negative impacts of built form on the natural environment. For building typologies that serve potentially vulnerable populations, such as the aging, however, this practice has an added responsibility to evolve beyond the current mindset toward a human-centric design philosophy. Biophilia, defined as a love or empathy with the natural world, emerges as the overarching strategy to achieve the parallel goals of improving both human and environmental health. Using a hierarchy of theoretical and spatial patterns organized under the umbrella of biophilia, this thesis explores how an urban, university-linked retirement community can better address the environmentally-related issues surrounding the anxiety of aging.

Committee: John Eliot Hancock M.Arch. (Committee Chair); Michael Zaretsky M.Arch. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2014, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

Much of contemporary architectural design does not capitalize on the advantages of nature's processes. An over-reliance on conventional design practices and an ignorance of local ecosystems has distanced humans from their origins in nature and encouraged a built environment that excludes and subjugates nature's potential. Architects have become complacent to adopt new technologies that combat natural forces at the expense of local habitat and occupant well-being; nature has been value-engineered out of architecture. Ecological design improves the performance of buildings and enhances the health of occupants, and therefore should be an architectural imperative. Rather than subjugated as adversaries that diminish the experience of the built world, natural materials and processes should be valued elements hosted by and embedded into building design. By integrating climate and context into design, an ecological architecture will emerge that supports the health of life systems and the symbiotic relationship between humans and nature. To investigate the limits of this approach, a proposed hybrid project will aim to integrate natural elements and engage local ecosystems through the design of a contemporary addition to a historical building. A design ethic that supports healthy relationships between buildings, inhabitants, and nature will shape this expansion of the modern urban office. As a result of this project, more creative strategies for ecological design within a difficult urban context could be imagined.

Committee: Udo Greinacher M.Arch. (Committee Chair); Jeffrey Tilman Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2011, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

This thesis investigates how spatial environments can lessen stress and enable rehabilitation of health for post-deployment military families through the design of a recreational retreat situated within the southern Ohio wilderness. The hypothesis derived from sources in Environmental Psychology, Biophilic Theory and architectural patterns, states that interaction with nature is important for physical, psychological and physiological health and recovery. The military operations over the past decade have created an influx of individuals and families coping with a myriad of issues related to combat and deployment. Constant high levels of stress in this population have contributed to a disintegration of health within the family unit. The magnitude and variation of these resultant familial issues are different for every person; inasmuch, no single proposal (architectural or otherwise) can address the idiosyncratic needs of each individual. This thesis chooses a broader lens to respond to non-medical concerns shared by many post-deployment military families. Using the hypothesis derived from sources in Environmental Psychology, Biophilic Theory and architectural patterns, I will design an outdoor recreational retreat, to engage the stress symptoms of post-deployment families, with the goal of creating a spatial environment that can help a family and its individuals to recover from deployment and reestablish their family unit through interaction in nature and with each other.

Committee: George Bible MCiv.Eng (Committee Chair); Michael McInturf MARCH (Committee Chair) Subjects: Architecture

MS ARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2008, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Architecture

It is the intent of this thesis to begin exploring possible connections between our development as humans evolved on the savannahs of Africa, and people's responses to present-day built environments. Edward O. Wilson's hypothesis, termed "biophilia", links primitive learned responses in humans to their dependence on other species and nature. Prior to the discussion of Wilson's concept, a general overview of four habitats from various cultures and historic eras will be analyzed for their relationships with the surrounding environment. A framework will be constructed emphasizing humankind's deep-rooted bond with nature through social scientist Stephen Kellert's interpretation of biophilia. Finally, two recently built structures will be viewed with a biophilic perspective. Understanding the possible origin of the human need for nature may precipitate more satisfying design as humankind reconsiders its involvement with the natural rhythms of the global environment.

Committee: David Saile (Committee Chair); Patrick Snadon (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Science; Interior Design; Psychobiology

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2008, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Architecture (Master of)

Rebuilding Biophilia:Reconnecting Man with Nature through Architectural Design Biophilic design balances human needs with the value and considerations of natural environments and processes and incorporates aspects and qualities of those elements into architectural design. This serves to reinforce man's instinctual connection and relationship with those systems. There are two basic, symbiotic, motivations for reinforcing this relationship. First, a high quality relationship with the environment has many beneficial effects on human health on the physical, psychological and intellectual levels. The second reason is that a strong relationship with the environment will result in people acting in a manner that is conducive to the environment's preservation, as a result of having formed a personal relationship with it and having gained an appreciation of its value. Biophilic design nurtures these relationships through the use of five basic principles: affiliation & affinity, homeostasis, prospect & refuge, ecological ethics and wellness. These principles can be applied as methods for developing a design, as well as evaluating a design or built project.

Committee: George Bible (Committee Chair); Elizabeth Riorden (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2008, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Architecture (Master of)

Humans desire a natural experience, through biophilia. However, modernity has decreased the opportunities for the humans to interact with nature. Unfortunately this lost human relationship with nature not only destroys nature, but humanity itself. For humans to continue to sustain themselves, they must also sustain nature.The city is the location where nature has become almost invisible to the human eye. However, those who choose the urban environment over the suburban or rural one should have an equal opportunity to take in living things. Adjacent to the University of Cincinnati is such a place where appealing nature has become extinct. This design puts life back into this urban site. To sustain a relationship with another entity, one must consistently spend time in its presence. The program chosen for this project is a habitat for nature and humans: a garden and a dwelling. These two elements intermingled in a single design.

Committee: Vincent Sansalone (Committee Chair); Tom Bible (Committee Co-Chair) Subjects: Architecture