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Description
There is a conflict in the profession of interior design over regulation through legislation. For some organizations and individuals, regulation via legislation is the next perceived step in the professionalization process which has been evolving for over 40 years and is needed to protect the health, safety and welfare (HSW) of the public. For other organizations and individuals, legislation is deemed unnecessary and an affront to the free trade market and serves only to create anti-competitive barriers resulting in the formation of a "design cartel" (Campo-Flores, 2011; Carpenter, 2007). Research exists on the professionalization of interior design and on the reasons stated for and against legislation (ASID, 2010, Anderson, Honey, Dudek, 2007, Martin, 2008). However, there is little research on understanding how the actual stake-holders view legislation. For the purpose of this research, the stake-holders are the professional interior designers themselves. The purpose of this study was to examine the current status of relevant issues to the subject of regulation in interior design and to pose the question if there is an option to legislation. If so, could third party certification be an acceptable alternative? An on-line survey was developed and posted on interior design networking sites on LinkedIn. The results of the survey suggest that interior designers are completely divided on the issue of legislation but favorably view certification. The survey has also revealed the lack of understanding of the legislative process in interior design and confusion in the role that interior design organizations play. The study has also revealed that interior designers identify the distorted view the public has of this industry as a problem. Interior designers surveyed in this study see a need to separate commercial and residential interior design. Overall, this study has concluded that interior designers would actually prefer a certification process to legislation.
ContributorsPliess, Catherine (Author) / Bender, Diane (Thesis advisor) / Crewe, Katherine (Committee member) / Kroelinger, Michael D. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
This study examines the applicability of high dynamic range (HDR) imagery as a diagnostic tool for studying lighting quality in interior environments. It originates from the limitations in lighting quality assessments, particularly from the problematic nature of measuring luminance contrast--a significant lighting quality definer. In this research, HDR imaging method is studied systematically and in detail via extensive camera calibration tests considering the effect of lens and light source geometry (i.e. vignetting, point spread and modulation transfer functions), in-camera variables (i.e. spectral response, sensor sensitivity, metering mode,), and environmental variables (i.e. ambient light level, surface color and reflectance, light source spectral power distribution) on the accuracy of HDR-image-derived luminance data. The calibration test findings are used to create camera setup and calibration guidelines for future research, especially to help minimize errors in image extracted lighting data. The findings are also utilized to demonstrate the viability of the tool in a real world setting--an office environment combining vertical and horizontal tasks. Via the quasi-experimental setup, the relationship between line of sight and perceived luminance contrast ratios are studied using HDR images. Future research can benefit from the calibration guidelines to minimize HDR-based luminance estimation errors. The proposed tool can be used and tested in different contexts and tasks with varying user groups for revising the former luminance-contrast guidelines as well as surface reflectance recommendations.
ContributorsTural, Mehmedalp (Author) / Bryan, Harvey (Thesis advisor) / Kroelinger, Michael D. (Committee member) / Ozel, Filiz (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
The study of lighting design has important implications for consumer behavior and is an important aspect of consideration for the retail industry. In today's global economy consumers can come from a number of cultural backgrounds. It is important to understand various cultures' perceptions of lighting design in order for retailers to better understand how to use lighting as a benefit to provide consumers with a desirable shopping experience. This thesis provides insight into the effects of ambient lighting on product perception among Americans and Middle Easterners. Both cultural groups' possess significant purchasing power in the worldwide market place. This research will allow marketers, designers and consumers a better understanding of how culture may play a role in consumer perceptions and behavior Results of this study are based on data gathered from 164 surveys from individuals of American and Middle Eastern heritage. Follow up interviews were also conducted to examine the nuances of product perception and potential differences across cultures. This study, using qualitative and quantitative methods, was executed using a Sequential Explanatory Strategy. Survey data were analyzed to uncover significant correlations and relationships using measures of descriptive analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and regression analysis. Interviews were analyzed using theme-based coding and reported in narrative form. The results suggest that lighting does in fact have an impact on product perception, however despite minor differences, this perception does not vary much between individuals from American and Middle Eastern cultures. It was found that lighting could affect price and quality perception with reference to store-image and store atmospherics. Additionally, lighting has a higher impact on subjective impressions of product (such as Freshness, Pleasantness, and Attractiveness), more than Price and Quality perceptions. This study suggests that particular lighting characteristics could be responsible for differences in product perception between these two cultures. This is important to note for lighting designers and marketers to create retail atmospheres that are preferable to both cultures.
ContributorsAlsharhan, Dalal Anwar (Author) / Kroelinger, Michael D. (Thesis advisor) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / Heywood, William (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
ABSTRACT Recent studies indicate that top-performing companies have higher-performing work environments than average companies. They receive higher scores for worker satisfaction with their overall physical work environment as well as higher effectiveness ratings for their workspaces (Gensler, 2008; Harter et al., 2003). While these studies indicate a relationship between effective office design and satisfaction they have not explored which specific space types may contribute to workers' overall satisfaction with their physical work environment. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between workers' overall satisfaction with their physical work environments and their perception of the effectiveness of spaces designed for Conceptual Age work including learning, focusing, collaborating, and socializing tasks. This research is designed to identify which workspace types are related to workers' satisfaction with their overall work environment and which are perceived to be most and least effective. To accomplish this two primary and four secondary research questions were developed for this study. The first primary question considers overall workers' satisfaction with their overall physical work environments (offices, workstations, hallways, common areas, reception, waiting areas, etc.) related to the effective use of work mode workspaces (learning, focusing, collaborating, socializing). The second primary research question was developed to identify which of the four work mode space types had the greatest and least relationship to workers' satisfaction with the overall physical work environment. Secondary research questions were developed to address workers' perceptions of effectiveness of each space type. This research project used data from a previous study collected from 2007 to 2012. Responses were from all staff levels of US office-based office workers and resulted in a blind sample of approximately 48,000 respondents. The data for this study were developed from SPSS data reports that included descriptive data and Pearson correlations. Findings were developed from those statistics using coefficient of determination.
ContributorsHarmon-Vaughan, Elizabeth (Author) / Kroelinger, Michael D. (Thesis advisor) / Bernardi, Jose (Committee member) / Ozel, Filiz (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
In geographical locations with hot-arid climates, sun control in buildings is one primary problem to solve for the building envelope design. Today's technological advances in building science bring with them the opportunity to design dynamic façade systems for sun radiation control and daylighting. Although dynamic systems can become an attractive visual element, they can be costly and challenging to maintain for building owners. Alternatively, fixed solar-shading systems can be designed to create dynamism in the façade of the building, while providing similar functionalities for sun control. The work presented in this project focuses on the use of a visual scripting editor for modeling software, Grasshopper, to develop a Solar Control Visual Script that evaluates building envelope surfaces with planar and non-uniform rational basis-spline (NURBS) forms and provides projections for fixed sun control systems. The design platform of Grasshopper allows individuals with no experience or prior computer coding education to build up programming-like capabilities; this feature permits users to discover new design possibilities within flexible frames that can contribute to the overall design being pursued, while also having an environmental response. The Solar Control Visual Script provides minimum sizing geometries that achieve shading in openings at a particular date and time of the year. The model for this method of analysis makes use of three components to derive the appropriate values for the projections of shading geometries: typical meteorological year (TMY) data, irradiation isotropic equations and shading profile angles equations for vertical and tilted surfaces. Providing an automatic visual of generated geometries uncovers the opportunity to test several model forms and reiterates the analysis when modifying control parameters. By employing building science as a set of environmental parameters, the design outcome bears a dynamic form that responds to natural force conditions. The optimized results promote an efficient environmental design solution for sun control as an integral alternative into the building envelope.
ContributorsGrijalva, Karla (Author) / Bryan, Harvey J. (Thesis advisor) / Griffiths, Jason (Committee member) / Kroelinger, Michael D. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Social media sites focusing on health-related topics are rapidly gaining popularity among online health consumers, also known as "e-patients". The increasing adoption of social media by e-patients and their demand for reliable health information has prompted several health care organizations (HCOs) to establish their social media presence. HCOs are using social media to connect with current and potential e-patients, and improve patient education and overall quality of care. A significant benefit for HCOs in using social media could potentially be the improvement of their quality of care, as perceived by patients. Perceived quality of care is a key determinant of patients' experience and satisfaction with health care services, and has been a major focus of research. However, there is very little research on the relationship between patients' online social media experience and their perceived quality of care. The objective of this research was to evaluate e-patients' online experience with an HCO's social media sites and examine its impact on their perceived quality of care. Research methodology included a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data for this study was collected from Mayo Clinic's social media sites through an online survey. Descriptive statistics were used to identify basic demographic profiles of e-patients. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between online experience and perceived quality of care. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results showed a positive relationship between online experience and perceived quality of care. Qualitative data provided information about e-patients' attitudes and expectations from healthcare social media. Overall, results yielded insights on design and management of social media sites for e-patients, and integration of these online applications in the health care delivery process. This study is of value to HCOs, health communicators and social media designers, and will also serve as a foundation for subsequent studies in the area of health care social media.
ContributorsAdmane, Leena (Author) / Kroelinger, Michael D. (Thesis advisor) / Cheong, Pauline (Committee member) / Weberg, Daniel (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Due to the lack of understanding of soil thermal behavior, rules-of-thumb and generalized procedures are typically used to guide building professionals in the design of ground coupled heat pump systems. This is especially true when sizing the ground heat exchanger (GHE) loop. Unfortunately, these generalized procedures often encourage building engineers to adopt a conservative design approach resulting in the gross over-sizing of the GHE, thus drastically increasing their installation cost. This conservative design approach is particularly prevalent for buildings located in hot and arid climates, where the soils are often granular and where the water table tends to exist deep below the soil surface. These adverse soil conditions reduce the heat dissipation efficiency of the GHE and have hindered the adoption of ground coupled heat pump systems in such climates. During cooling mode operation, heat is extracted from the building and rejected into the ground via the GHE. Prolonged heat dissipation into the ground can result in a coupled flow of both heat and moisture, causing the moisture to migrate away from the GHE piping. This coupled flow phenomenon causes the soil near the GHE to dry out and results in the degradation of the GHE heat dissipation capacity. Although relatively simple techniques of backfilling the GHE have been used in practice to mitigate such coupled effects, methods of improving the thermal behavior of the backfill region around the GHE, especially in horizontal systems, have not been extensively studied. This thesis presents an experimental study of heat dissipation from a horizontal GHE, buried in two backfill materials: (1) dry sand, and (2) wax-sand composite mixture. The HYDRUS software was then used to numerically model the temperature profiles associated with the aforementioned backfill conditions, and the influence of the contact resistance at the GHE-backfill interface was studied. The modeling strategy developed in HYDRUS was proven to be adequate in predicting the thermal performance of GHE buried in dry sand. However, when predicting the GHE heat dissipation in the wax-sand backfill, significant discrepancies between model prediction and experimental results still exist even after calibrating the model by including a term for the contact resistance. Overall, the thermal properties of the backfill were determined to be a key determinant of the GHE heat dissipation capacity. In particular, the wax-sand backfill was estimated to dissipate 50-60% more heat than dry sand backfill.
ContributorsDAngelo, Kurtis (Author) / Reddy, T Agami (Thesis advisor) / Bryan, Harvey (Committee member) / Kavazanjian, Edward (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
The following document addresses two grand challenges posed to engineers: to make solar energy economically viable and to restore and improve urban infrastructure. Design solutions to these problems consist of the preliminary designs of two energy systems: a Packaged Photovoltaic (PPV) energy system and a natural gas based Modular Micro Combined Cycle (MMCC) with 3D renderings. Defining requirements and problem-solving approach methodology for generating complex design solutions required iterative design and a thorough understanding of industry practices and market trends. This paper briefly discusses design specifics; however, the major emphasis is on aspects pertaining to economical manufacture, deployment, and subsequent suitability to address the aforementioned challenges. The selection of these systems is based on the steady reduction of PV installation costs in recent years (average among utility, commercial, and residential down 27% from Q4 2012 to Q4 2013) and the dramatic decline in natural gas prices to $5.61 per thousand cubic feet. In addition, a large number of utility scale coal-based power plants will be retired in 2014, many due to progressive emission criteria, creating a demand for additional power systems to offset the capacity loss and to increase generating capacity in order to facilitate the ever-expanding world population. The proposed energy systems are not designed to provide power to the masses through a central location. Rather, they are intended to provide economical, reliable, and high quality power to remote locations and decentralized power to community-based grids. These energy systems are designed as a means of transforming and supporting the current infrastructure through distributed electricity generation.
ContributorsSandoval, Benjamin Mark (Author) / Bryan, Harvey (Thesis director) / Fonseca, Ernesto (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
Learning from the anatomy of leaves, a new approach to bio-inspired passive evaporative cooling is presented that utilizes the temperature-responsive properties of PNIPAm hydrogels. Specifically, an experimental evaporation rate from the polymer, PNIPAm, is determined within an environmental chamber, which is programmed to simulate temperature and humidity conditions common in Phoenix, Arizona in the summer. This evaporation rate is then used to determine the theoretical heat transfer through a layer of PNIPAm that is attached to an exterior wall of a building within a ventilated cavity in Phoenix. The evaporation of water to the air gap from the polymer layer absorbs heat that could otherwise be conducted to the interior space of the building and then dispels it as a vapor away from the building. The results indicate that the addition of the PNIPAm layer removes all heat radiated from the exterior cladding, indicating that it could significantly reduce the demand for air conditioning at the interior side of the wall to which it is attached.
ContributorsBradford, Katherine (Author) / Reddy, T A (Thesis advisor) / Bryan, Harvey (Thesis advisor) / Ramalingam, Muthu (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
The aim of this research study is to develop a passive architectural design morphology, tuned to the Sonoran Desert, which redefines Desert Modernism and integrates: (a) mitigation of heat transfer through the exterior envelope, and (b) use of daylight to inform appropriate architectural massing. The research investigation was delimited to mid-nineteenth century European modernist examples, and ends with mid-twentieth century modern architecture in the southwestern United States as viewed through the lens of environmental design. The specific focus was on Desert Modernism, a quasi-architectural movement, which purportedly had its beginnings in 1923 with the Coachella Valley, Popinoe Desert Cabin.
A mixed-method research strategy comprised of interpretive-historical research, virtual simulation/modeling analysis and logical argumentation is used. Succinct discussions on desert vernacular design, Modernism’s global propagation, and the International Style reinterpretations were illustrated to introduce the possibility of a relationship between Modernism and the vernacular. A directed examination of climatic responses included within examples of California Modernism, the Case Study Houses and Desert Modernism follows. Three case studies: a) the Frey House II, b) the Triad Apartments, and c) the Analemma House were assessed using virtual simulation and mathematical calculations, to provide conclusive results on the relevance of regionally tuned exterior envelope design and planning tactics for the Phoenix, Arizona area. Together, these findings suggest a correlation between environmental design principles, vernacular architecture, and Modernism.
A mixed-method research strategy comprised of interpretive-historical research, virtual simulation/modeling analysis and logical argumentation is used. Succinct discussions on desert vernacular design, Modernism’s global propagation, and the International Style reinterpretations were illustrated to introduce the possibility of a relationship between Modernism and the vernacular. A directed examination of climatic responses included within examples of California Modernism, the Case Study Houses and Desert Modernism follows. Three case studies: a) the Frey House II, b) the Triad Apartments, and c) the Analemma House were assessed using virtual simulation and mathematical calculations, to provide conclusive results on the relevance of regionally tuned exterior envelope design and planning tactics for the Phoenix, Arizona area. Together, these findings suggest a correlation between environmental design principles, vernacular architecture, and Modernism.
ContributorsSoltero, Ed (Author) / Zygas, Kestutis (Thesis advisor) / Bryan, Harvey (Thesis advisor) / Domin, Christopher (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019