Examining control,centrality and flexibility in Palladio's villa plans using space syntax measurements

Andrea Palladio's Renaissance villas are amongst the most famous and widely studied examples of domestic architecture ever produced. The majority of past research about Palladio's architecture employed historical, mathematical and computational methods to analyse their complex proportional systems and rules. In contrast, this paper examines three of Palladio's arguments about his villas plans which relate to their spatial properties and topological connections. Specifically, this paper uses a computational method – the justified plan graph (JPG) – to test two arguments about the location and significance of the primary salon on the plan, and a third about the extent to which the rooms in Palladio's plans are, as he claims, flexible enough to contain alternative functions. Using ten of Palladio's piano nobile (main floor) plans from I Quattro Libri Dell'Architettura as cases, this paper develops mathematical data to test three hypotheses framed around Palladio's plans and theories.     

Thermal and structural behaviour of a full-scale composite building subject to a severe compartment fire

This paper presents a numerical investigation of the thermal and structural results from a compartment fire test, conducted in January 2003 on the full-scale multi-storey composite building constructed at Cardington, United Kingdom, in 1994 for an original series of six tests during 1995–1996. The fire compartment's overall dimensions were 11 m×7 m with one edge at the building's perimeter, using largely unprotected steel downstand beams, and including within the compartment four steel columns protected with cementitious spray. The compartment was subjected to a natural fire of fire load 40 kg/m² of timber, in common with the original test series, but the composite slab forming its ceiling was subjected to a uniform applied load of 3.19 kN/m², which is higher than the original.     

The Palmach History Museum,Tel Aviv

In 1928 the Austrian architect and engineer Franz Löwitsch (1894–1946) published the article ‘Sensation of Space and Modern Architecture’ in Imago , the psychoanalytical journal edited by Sigmund Freud. Based on Richard Semon's theories of Mneme, which Löwitsch connected to psychoanalytical theories, the prevalence of dissimilar sensations of space throughout the stages of the development of western architectural history is presupposed, and Löwitsch offered an explanation of how their symbolic meanings reflected psychological conditions of a particular time and culture.

By connecting Semon's theory with psychoanalytical deliberations that equip the inherited memory of spatial sensations with pleasurable or unpleasurable emotions, Löwitsch furthermore argued that spatial sensations produce spatial concepts, and that the dominating shapes and forms of the architecture of a time therefore reflect the dominance of a particular inherited sensation of space. The unifying psychological make-up of a populace thus leads to spatial concepts that form an architecture which reflects these concepts and contain symbols that possess ‘satisfying powers’ valued by the majority of people of that particular time and place.

But Löwitsch's theory speaks of more than a mere justification for the usefulness of psychoanalytic theory as a methodology for the humanities. Löwitsch contrasted his findings meticulously with Oswald Spengler's controversially critiqued book The Decline of the West , Karl Scheffler's The Spirit of the Gothic and Eckhart von Sydow's Primitive Art and Psychoanalysis . The discussion of these contemporaneous writings that essentially sought to find the driving forces for the development of styles helps in formulating Löwitsch's final hypothesis. Here, he proposes the emergence of an ‘energetic space’ in architecture, which is the prevalent sensation of space that he predicts to emerge in the near future. His ultimate aim was not to enter academic discourse but rather to provide a scientifically based explanation, with which the impact of space on the inhabitant can be measured, explained and utilised in architectural practice.     

Urban theory since A Theory of Good City Form (1981) – a progress review

Kevin Lynch's magnum opus A Theory of Good City Form (1981) is well known as a normative theory of the city. The intersection of human purposeful activity and city form is a principal feature. However, little attention is given in the literature to a small appendix in the book, A Theory of Good City Form (1981), in which the theories that explain the form and function of the city are classified and reviewed. The brief review insightfully reveals embedded values that are implicit in urban theory. We use a similar classification to review the progress of urban theory since Lynch's brief assessment noting the city's complexity can only be effectively explained through multiple historical and theoretical, value‐laden perspectives. The values are the bridge between human purpose and city form, between substance – the city – and procedure – decision making about the city, that is between urban theory and planning (procedural) theory. Finally, the review is concluded with the implications of urban theory, informed by A Theory of Good City Form, for urban morphological design theory as well as planning (procedural) theory.     

A case study in early urban design: Toronto, 1966–1978

ABSTRACT

This is a study in the practice of postwar urban design in Toronto, Canada, based on archival documents and interviews with participants. The narrative begins with the hiring of one British-trained architect/urban designer, Raymond Spaxman, by the City of Toronto Planning Board in 1966. Spaxman then set up a new division of staff that he filled with five or six other architect/urban designers of various national and institutional origins. The study describes the work carried out by these urban designers, identifies the principle themes apparent in it, and relates this to published literature on the founding principles of postwar urban design. In most ways, the study's findings fit the current understanding of the early discipline – concern for pedestrians, sympathy for historical preservation – but in others not – it was different from but not antagonistic towards planning. The findings are then considered as an example of the international transfer of postwar planning ideas. The process of idea transfer in this case looks to have been more chaotic, and less definable, than existing paradigms suggest, but this might have been fairly common in second-rank, immigrant-receiving cities.     

The Importance of Autopsy and Injury Data in the Investigation of Fires

Autopsy and injury data from victims of fire may provide the investigator with important, discriminant, scientific evidence to assist in origin and cause determination. Through the combined use of fire testing, fire modeling, and physiological modeling, the fire investigator may be able to test or further validate their origin and cause hypothesis(es), and other aspects of a fire incident based on the facts of the case and data collected during autopsy or hospital evaluation. As demonstrated in the case study, autopsy data was compared against carbon monoxide concentrations and temperature profiles for two competing origin and cause hypotheses. Only one of the fire scenarios produced toxicant doses and thermal conditions consistent with the victim’s injuries. Hence, the evaluation of autopsy data in combination with the facts of the case and dynamics of the fire assisted in origin and cause determination.     

探讨"不及时报告火警"行政处罚案件办理 ——以青田县某火灾调查为例

《中华人民共和国消防法》(新修订)第五条规定"任何单位和个人都有维护消防安全、保护消防设施、预防火灾、报告火警的义务",即任何单位和个人都有报告火警的义务.随着近几年消防宣传力度不断加大,公民的消防安全意识有较大提升,"遇有火情,及时拨打119报警"的常识深入人心,但仍有些当事人不愿报警、不敢报警,导致贻误火灾救援的最佳时机,进而导致矛盾纠纷加剧,增加了社会不稳定因素.笔者结合青田县某火灾调查案例,探讨"不及时报告火警"案件办理程序,供参考.     

Short-term circular migration and gendered negotiation of the right to the city: The case of migrant live-in care workers in Basel,Switzerland

This article focuses on live-in elder care workers in German-speaking Switzerland, with a focus on the city of Basel. Working with the Lefebvrian concept of le droit à la ville, it critically investigates the extent to which circularly migrating women can negotiate their right to the city when working as private 24-hour carers in Basel. It first discusses how the Swiss migration and labor regimes in this gendered field of work affect their rights, access, belonging, and participation in the city. The article then analyzes two examples of how live-in care workers challenge existing regulations individually and collectively, and instigate changes at the level of the city. Exploring the idea of participation beyond formal recognition such as residency and citizenship, the paper critically reflects on the right-to-the-city debate's key concept of inhabitance. Focusing on women who – as circular migrants – only reside in Switzerland for a few weeks at a time and who – as live-in workers – are often isolated in private households, the paper argues that work arrangements and mobility are key to understanding inhabitants' right to the city.     

Landschaft: Revisiting The Journey and Drive-In House

For visionary architect and founding member of Archigram Michael Webb , high definition has become a lifetime's pursuit. It represents the distillation and layering of material and meaning in ongoing works that explore the same theme over space and time. Here he discusses two projects – The Journey and the Drive-In House – which he commenced in 1977 and 1987, respectively, and that he continues to the present day; they express his essential preoccupations with his home landscape and the perfect contour of the car.     

Study on the use and consumption of water in Spanish private hospitals as related to healthcare activity

ABSTRACT

Water consumption is set as one of the key parameters regarding environmental quality in hospitals. The present work reports on a detailed study on water consumption for human activities in 14 private Spanish hospitals – number of beds ranging from 20 up to 194 each – between 2009 and 2016, which is aimed at analysing the impact of healthcare activity and some other operating parameters on annual water consumption rates. The impact of hydric installations on the hospital’s maintenance and operation costs has also been accounted for. Results evince the existence of correlations between the annual water consumption and the number of discharges, surgeries, emergency interventions and hospitalisations. Such variables are proved to be directly related to the number of beds in a hospital, to its useful floor area as well as to the number of workers. All variables were appropriately quantified by means of the indicators involved and their corresponding percentiles.     

Social discourse,housing search and residential segregation: the social determinants of recent economic migrants’ residential mobility in Seville

Abstract

Immigrants’ neighbourhood choices are key to understanding today’s dominant socio-territorial dynamics, especially in urban areas. We analysed the factors involved in the housing search at the early stages of the economic migrant influx in Seville, Spain (Andalusia region, Europe’s southern border) and their impact on the development of residential segregation in this city. Using a qualitative methodology approach based on focus groups, unstructured interviews and discourse analysis, the implicit and explicit social determinants that influence economic migrants’ residential behaviours were examined. In line with previous studies, the results highlight the importance of socio-economic determinants and a trend towards self-segregation. Social discourse analysis reveals how the host society’s ethnoracial preferences and prejudices – from the outset of the economic migrant influx – translate into barriers to accessing the housing market, which plays a crucial role in understanding economic migrant residential mobility and its impact on and consequences for the residential segregation process.     

Physiological aspects of fire fighting

The conditions and requirements of the fire fighter and the unusual demands of fire fighting activities have received increased attention since the early 1970s. Other industries usually design physical performance requirements around the capabilities of the worker, but the fire fighter must respond to the constraints and requirements of the emergency. Recent research and its relationship to a fire fighter's physical profile are described and discussed. Reference: Paul O. Davis and Charles O. Dotson, Physiological Aspects of Fire Fighting,Fire Technology, Vol. 23, No. 3, November 1987, p. 280–291. Note: This paper is from a paper presented at the III Coloquio Internacional Sobre Equipos de Proteccion Personal, in Mallorca, Spain.     

Der Schiefe Turm von Pisa – eine unendliche Geschichte – Die Stadt – Der Platz – Der Turm

The Leaning Tower of Pisa – a never ending story: The town – the plaza – the tower. Pisa – it's fascinating: the rise, the power and finally the fall of this most important Republic of the Mediterranean from the 11^th to the 13^th century. The ensemble of the Cathedral District from the high Middle Ages “Piazza dei Miracoli” was intended to demonstrate ecclesiastic and secularized power. The more and more tilting Leaning Tower gained touristic fame. In the 20^th century, on the verge of collapsing, experts gathered in soon forming commissions and looked for possibilities to recover the Tower. After long discussions they agreed on a method of reconstruction, that – now successfully accomplished – seems to provide for stability for the next 200 years.     

An ‘ordinary modernist’? Empire and nation in Ariel Kahane’s large-scale planning

ABSTRACT

The article explores mid-twentieth century professional transnationalism by highlighting the crucial role of lesser-known planners – ‘ordinary modernists’ – in disseminating, negotiating, and ultimately shaping the modern built environment. It focuses on the work of Ariel Kahane (1907–1986), a mostly unknown German-Jewish senior planning officer under both the British Mandate and on the Israeli ‘New Towns’ team of early statehood. It examines Kahane’s critique of British imperial planning’s betrayal of the emancipatory values of large-scale planning, and shows how, while drawing on planning innovations from the British metropole, he produced his own, self-contradictory, planning vision. Kahane’s planning ideas advanced notions of Jewish exclusiveness, an orientation expressed ever more explicitly after 1948, when he became a high-ranking planning officer in Israel. His work as a senior state planner illuminates aspects of continuity across the divide of 1948, which is typically viewed as a moment of rupture with respect to Israeli state planning and the formation of ethno-spatial structures.     

Environmental health problems indoors: A comparison between the 1930's and 1990's

This article is inspired by Ulrich Beck's risk theory, which helps researchers raise new questions about environmental problems. The environmental problem in focus here is poor indoor air quality, particularly as found in Swedish housing. I compare this problem in its contemporary form, sick building syndrome, with indoor air problems of concern during the 1930's. The manner of causal thinking is similar in the two periods, and also the way in which publicity contributes to risk definition. However, housing standards in the 1930's were lower than those of today. The increase in standards was a manifestation of efforts to reduce illness caused by the earlier housing, and involved a re‐distribution of risk that exemplifies Beck's notions regarding the risk society.     

The Point is to Change It

ABSTRACT

This paper explores how planning practices contribute to the reification of the ‘state’ through the case of Singapore’s new urban waterfront, Marina Bay. Instead of assuming Singapore’s state-led planning model as inherently ‘top-down’ and ‘long-term’, it disaggregates the planning process into three specific modes of abstraction – calculation, historicity and imagination – and analyzes the role of each in reifying the ‘state’ as the singular author of history and development. The case contributes to the literature by illuminating how ‘states’ can appear to have different forms, spatialities, agencies and ultimately consequences, without compartmentalizing planning models based primarily on ideological or geopolitical divisions.     

Reading the Phone Book: Cultural landscape myths in public art

Representations provide an accessible and challenging means of investigating the cultural landscape. While on the one hand images can be read as simple depictions or denotations of landscape, on the other they are rich in meaning, encapsulating a community's idealized vision of itself. The way in which a particular body of popular art—New Zealand's telephone book covers—conveys both 'real' and 'imagined' views of landscape is explored. These images privilege certain ideas about identity, with the selective visual language expressing a range of myths about the relationships between culture and landscape. The populist nature of these works holds a mirror up to society's values, and at the same time projects these ideals onto society, through the high public profile of the images.     

智慧消防在防火监督中应用的研究

在信息化、互联网技术不断发展的大时代背景下,我国消防管理部门也紧跟时代的步伐,在管理模式上融合现代化信息、科技,提出新的管理模式——"智慧消防".在智慧消防的管理模式下,消防部门在防火监督方面的工作效率得到显著的提升,促进了我国消防领域不断稳步向前发展.文章通过阐述"智慧消防"的定义以及在消防系统中的具体体现,分析"智慧消防"在我国防火监督中的具体应用情况以及在建设过程中的发展情况,探析未来我国在防火监督中应用"智慧消防"的前景.