The modern argument of high density versus low density living is not new. In 1915 Florence Taylor... more The modern argument of high density versus low density living is not new. In 1915 Florence Taylor wrote an article for the Australian journal Building, entitled "The Home - or the Flat?'" (Taylor "The Home - or the Flat?" pp 125-126), Before reading on, the reader knew from the article title that a house was a home and a flat was not. Taylor's argument was that women who lived in flats would become "flaccid and unwomanly" and fail to bear children (she was childless). She believed that "cheap and convenient suburban transport [based on "State-owned trams" which made "communication … easy and cheap"] … together with wide suburban areas offers the best solution of the healthy, prolific population." By the 1920s she had changed her opinion in favour of flats. A similar process at later dates occurred in New Zealand where in 1919 Samuel Hurst Seager used the report of the 1918 town planning conference in Brisbane to pro...
The literature shows that translating the thermal adaptation mechanisms of biological organisms t... more The literature shows that translating the thermal adaptation mechanisms of biological organisms to building design solutions can improve energy performance. In the context of bio-inspired thermoregulation several worthwhile attempts have been made to develop a framework for finding relevant thermal adaptation mechanisms in nature as inspiration for architectural design. However, almost all of these have followed a solution-based approach despite the problem-solving nature of architectural design. Given this, this research set out to take a problem-based approach to biomimetic design. The aim was to investigate the most effective way of accessing biological thermoregulatory solutions to assist architects in finding relevant biological inspirations for the thermal design of buildings. This required the development of an optimal structure for categorizing thermoregulatory mechanisms that could then be used as part of a framework for finding appropriate mechanisms for a particular archi...
... Series editors 1 The Rise of Modern Urban Planning, 18001914 Edited by Anthony Sutcliffe 2 S... more ... Series editors 1 The Rise of Modern Urban Planning, 18001914 Edited by Anthony Sutcliffe 2 Shaping an Urban World Planning in the twentieth century Edited by Gordon E.Cherry 3 Planning for Conservation An international perspective Edited by Roger Kain 4 Metropolis ...
This article explores the relevance of the demonstration project as a strategy for inspiring cont... more This article explores the relevance of the demonstration project as a strategy for inspiring contemporary building practice in a process towards sustainable building and as a tool for influencing environmental values in the community. The Log Cabin Project in Napier, New Zealand, is a demonstration facility for displaying sustainable building and living practices situated on the campus of the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT). The project is the refurbishment of an existing structure designed to showcase the sustainable use of material resources, energy and water conservation, and waste-water management. The aim was to investigate the effect visiting a demonstration sustainable building might have on people’s knowledge of and attitude towards sustainability issues, and more specifically whether the methods for making a building more sustainable displayed in the building affected how people thought about their own living environments. In February 2016, five visitor groups, three ...
Recently more information has emerged on possible adverse health effects associated with some bui... more Recently more information has emerged on possible adverse health effects associated with some building and furnishing materials, leading to or initiating legislative changes towards their reduction or elimination in many parts of the world. However, more general knowledge of the health risks associated with building and furnishing materials could make a significant contribution to improvements in indoor air quality. A study was set up to evaluate the level of knowledge in the relevant literature and the general population (from New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States), and New Zealand architectural professionals. The results for vinyl and linoleum are presented, these being two flooring materials very similar in terms of appearance and application, but different in terms of chemical content and possible impact on health. The article indicates significant issues with the level of reported knowledge, with participants from the general population struggling to differentiate b...
Journal of Architectural/Planning Research and Studies (JARS)
To create sustainability in a community, architects need to integrate the concept of sustainable ... more To create sustainability in a community, architects need to integrate the concept of sustainable communitydevelopment in their actions both as citizens and professionals. While the role of architects as professionalscan be defined as a process to preserve, improve and create the required quality of built environment under theparticular condition of each community, in an ideal and sustainable world their role as citizens should be tobecome sustainable members of their own community. This paper aims to consider ways in which architectscan fulfill both roles and thus act for community sustainability. Although this analysis is idealistic rather thanrealistic it does suggest principles on which architects can base their actions in sustainable communitydevelopment, related to realization of their roles and responsibility, personal self-improvement, professionaland citizen actions for a sustainable community, and collaborative development. These principles interrelatewith and influence eac...
Research Anthology on Applying Social Networking Strategies to Classrooms and Libraries
This chapter examines the effectiveness of using social media as an aid to primary school student... more This chapter examines the effectiveness of using social media as an aid to primary school students participating in the design of their classroom interior layout. It describes two different attempts to do this that achieved varying degrees of success. Where a blog and Facebook page were set up to provide a virtual space for classroom design to happen, and despite teachers' expressed enthusiasm for involving students in the design of their classroom layout, very few participants resulted. However, one school successfully used the virtual space to show the work of the children and this example is described in the chapter. Social media was of more use in a second example where it formed an additional channel of communication between the researcher in the role of architect and the students. However, here it built on face-to-face communication, suggesting social media can aid in participatory design but is not a substitute for the latter.
One of the most common activities among tourists is walking, providing visitors with a range of d... more One of the most common activities among tourists is walking, providing visitors with a range of different experiences of the places they visit. These experiences can vary, depending on the time of the year, weather, and, most importantly, the motivations of the individual. Much attention has gone into understanding the ways in which built and natural environments create opportunities for people to walk. However, the motivations and walking behaviors of tourists can differ from those of local residents. This paper explores walkability by adopting a systematic review of literature on different databases. The descriptive theme is focused on the general importance of walkability and four major themes on tourist walking studies are identified. The findings from the studies and their limitations point toward a need for further study, with a focus on local residents and tourists in order to understand whether there are differences and to understand the attributes that may affect their walking behaviors and experiences.
Current behaviour is something that has its origins in history, and yet design normally places em... more Current behaviour is something that has its origins in history, and yet design normally places emphasis on innovation rather than learning from what works. Often the design of an urban space fails because reviewing and evaluating designed past design has been forgotten. The same mistakes are repeated without considering similar unsuccessful examples. Over time theoretical and practical research in urban design has attempted to answer the question of what makes a successful public space. Approaches to the study of place have focussed on its different aspects. Theories interested in the meaning of place have focussed on the link between meaning and physical setting while designers mostly look at the link between physical setting and activity. However, studies have rarely linked these two approaches together. This paper describes research that aims to fill the gap between theory and practice by investigating the influence of natural design attributes on behaviour in a small urban space...
The modern argument of high density versus low density living is not new. In 1915 Florence Taylor... more The modern argument of high density versus low density living is not new. In 1915 Florence Taylor wrote an article for the Australian journal Building, entitled "The Home - or the Flat?'" (Taylor "The Home - or the Flat?" pp 125-126), Before reading on, the reader knew from the article title that a house was a home and a flat was not. Taylor's argument was that women who lived in flats would become "flaccid and unwomanly" and fail to bear children (she was childless). She believed that "cheap and convenient suburban transport [based on "State-owned trams" which made "communication … easy and cheap"] … together with wide suburban areas offers the best solution of the healthy, prolific population." By the 1920s she had changed her opinion in favour of flats. A similar process at later dates occurred in New Zealand where in 1919 Samuel Hurst Seager used the report of the 1918 town planning conference in Brisbane to pro...
The literature shows that translating the thermal adaptation mechanisms of biological organisms t... more The literature shows that translating the thermal adaptation mechanisms of biological organisms to building design solutions can improve energy performance. In the context of bio-inspired thermoregulation several worthwhile attempts have been made to develop a framework for finding relevant thermal adaptation mechanisms in nature as inspiration for architectural design. However, almost all of these have followed a solution-based approach despite the problem-solving nature of architectural design. Given this, this research set out to take a problem-based approach to biomimetic design. The aim was to investigate the most effective way of accessing biological thermoregulatory solutions to assist architects in finding relevant biological inspirations for the thermal design of buildings. This required the development of an optimal structure for categorizing thermoregulatory mechanisms that could then be used as part of a framework for finding appropriate mechanisms for a particular archi...
... Series editors 1 The Rise of Modern Urban Planning, 18001914 Edited by Anthony Sutcliffe 2 S... more ... Series editors 1 The Rise of Modern Urban Planning, 18001914 Edited by Anthony Sutcliffe 2 Shaping an Urban World Planning in the twentieth century Edited by Gordon E.Cherry 3 Planning for Conservation An international perspective Edited by Roger Kain 4 Metropolis ...
This article explores the relevance of the demonstration project as a strategy for inspiring cont... more This article explores the relevance of the demonstration project as a strategy for inspiring contemporary building practice in a process towards sustainable building and as a tool for influencing environmental values in the community. The Log Cabin Project in Napier, New Zealand, is a demonstration facility for displaying sustainable building and living practices situated on the campus of the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT). The project is the refurbishment of an existing structure designed to showcase the sustainable use of material resources, energy and water conservation, and waste-water management. The aim was to investigate the effect visiting a demonstration sustainable building might have on people’s knowledge of and attitude towards sustainability issues, and more specifically whether the methods for making a building more sustainable displayed in the building affected how people thought about their own living environments. In February 2016, five visitor groups, three ...
Recently more information has emerged on possible adverse health effects associated with some bui... more Recently more information has emerged on possible adverse health effects associated with some building and furnishing materials, leading to or initiating legislative changes towards their reduction or elimination in many parts of the world. However, more general knowledge of the health risks associated with building and furnishing materials could make a significant contribution to improvements in indoor air quality. A study was set up to evaluate the level of knowledge in the relevant literature and the general population (from New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States), and New Zealand architectural professionals. The results for vinyl and linoleum are presented, these being two flooring materials very similar in terms of appearance and application, but different in terms of chemical content and possible impact on health. The article indicates significant issues with the level of reported knowledge, with participants from the general population struggling to differentiate b...
Journal of Architectural/Planning Research and Studies (JARS)
To create sustainability in a community, architects need to integrate the concept of sustainable ... more To create sustainability in a community, architects need to integrate the concept of sustainable communitydevelopment in their actions both as citizens and professionals. While the role of architects as professionalscan be defined as a process to preserve, improve and create the required quality of built environment under theparticular condition of each community, in an ideal and sustainable world their role as citizens should be tobecome sustainable members of their own community. This paper aims to consider ways in which architectscan fulfill both roles and thus act for community sustainability. Although this analysis is idealistic rather thanrealistic it does suggest principles on which architects can base their actions in sustainable communitydevelopment, related to realization of their roles and responsibility, personal self-improvement, professionaland citizen actions for a sustainable community, and collaborative development. These principles interrelatewith and influence eac...
Research Anthology on Applying Social Networking Strategies to Classrooms and Libraries
This chapter examines the effectiveness of using social media as an aid to primary school student... more This chapter examines the effectiveness of using social media as an aid to primary school students participating in the design of their classroom interior layout. It describes two different attempts to do this that achieved varying degrees of success. Where a blog and Facebook page were set up to provide a virtual space for classroom design to happen, and despite teachers' expressed enthusiasm for involving students in the design of their classroom layout, very few participants resulted. However, one school successfully used the virtual space to show the work of the children and this example is described in the chapter. Social media was of more use in a second example where it formed an additional channel of communication between the researcher in the role of architect and the students. However, here it built on face-to-face communication, suggesting social media can aid in participatory design but is not a substitute for the latter.
One of the most common activities among tourists is walking, providing visitors with a range of d... more One of the most common activities among tourists is walking, providing visitors with a range of different experiences of the places they visit. These experiences can vary, depending on the time of the year, weather, and, most importantly, the motivations of the individual. Much attention has gone into understanding the ways in which built and natural environments create opportunities for people to walk. However, the motivations and walking behaviors of tourists can differ from those of local residents. This paper explores walkability by adopting a systematic review of literature on different databases. The descriptive theme is focused on the general importance of walkability and four major themes on tourist walking studies are identified. The findings from the studies and their limitations point toward a need for further study, with a focus on local residents and tourists in order to understand whether there are differences and to understand the attributes that may affect their walking behaviors and experiences.
Current behaviour is something that has its origins in history, and yet design normally places em... more Current behaviour is something that has its origins in history, and yet design normally places emphasis on innovation rather than learning from what works. Often the design of an urban space fails because reviewing and evaluating designed past design has been forgotten. The same mistakes are repeated without considering similar unsuccessful examples. Over time theoretical and practical research in urban design has attempted to answer the question of what makes a successful public space. Approaches to the study of place have focussed on its different aspects. Theories interested in the meaning of place have focussed on the link between meaning and physical setting while designers mostly look at the link between physical setting and activity. However, studies have rarely linked these two approaches together. This paper describes research that aims to fill the gap between theory and practice by investigating the influence of natural design attributes on behaviour in a small urban space...
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Papers by Brenda Vale