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This paper focuses on defining functional urban areas in the Czech Republic. Time availability of population centres is a key factor in their economic development. An analysis of regional and local centres and their accessibility in terms of job vacancies leads to the identification of areas with poor accessibility and assessment of the impact of upcoming or already implemented major transportation investments on the availability of the centres. Based on the assumption that the time availability is of great import...

Nowadays, some contemporary houses are becoming extraordinary through individual design and may be presumed as manifestos or icons. At some locations the design is driven by the site: the houses either open to the adjacent neighborhood or expose the site's advantages. The 'house with a view' or 'view house' is a term often used by architects to describe their design for an extraordinary house which explores the element of the view in the house idea. The author discusses the term 'house with a view' and proposes a ...

After 25 years since dissolution of the Soviet system, St. Petersburg is still a city in transition and therefore undergoing a period of significant changes in its socio-economic and political-administrative reorganization. The industrial belt of St. Petersburg, once a sign for wealth and growth is today characterized by brown fields, functional and spatial diversity and fragmentation. However, with its huge territory, unique landscapes and built heritage it has potential to respond to current demands of St. Peter...

The aim of the study is to identify mutual influence of the design evolutions and morphogenic advancements in kitchen furniture of the XX–XXI centuries. Kitchen furniture design is relevant as part of harmonization of human environment. Psychological comfort, safety, health of an individual, efficient use of resources and time taken together improve the quality of life. The method of work includes a review of the accumulate d information, description, and analysis of the research subject in the process of its evol...

The debate about post-war reconstruction has been ongoing during the last six years of the ongoing Syrian war. The increasing volume of destruction in different big cities has created a need for new ideas and innovative building solutions. Many studies have tried to suggest solutions comparing other countries ruined by wars such as post-WWII case studies from Germany, Poland, Italy, and also Bosnia after the Balkan War. The case studies have considered similarities and differences demanding innovative ideas and no...

The subject of all architectural and urban forms is man, an individual, who is the constituent element of society. Societies create metropolises, residing in them, working and resting. This is why the quality of a society determines, in all probability, all the other qualities that serve these purposes, including the quality of the geographic and social environment. Beauty is induced by a free, self-governing society and makes itself evident in respect towards man by his abiding of the laws that govern it, and at ...

The focus of the research is accessibility of the public space designated in the legal documents generating social policy of Wroclaw city. Integration and expansion of social development constitute one of the main objectives of economic development, both at the national and local level. Spatial planning should satisfy basic social needs and provide room to interpersonal relationships. Accessibility is one of the most important features defining areas of public space. Depending on various points of view from which ...

The goal of the study is development of participatory design method in architecture based on mix of techniques brought from social sciences to help municipalities managing planning phase and construction projects of public schools. Methodology was tested on two primary school building projects. Teachers, pupils, parents and local associations were engaged using questionnaires and workshops in several phases of design process. Our main aim was to establish a two-way channel for exchange of information among future ...

The deep crisis that has hit Italy since 2008 is perhaps the worst since the second World War to date. According to the last studies by the Italian National Association of Building Contractors, the construction sector in Italy saw an unprecedented decline: between 2008 and 2015, investments in new residential buildings have collapsed more than 60%, those in non-residential 35% and public works about 50%, altogether 70 billion less. Even in terms of builders, between 2008 and 2014, more than 100,000 small and mediu...

Nowadays Building Information Modelling is one of the most investigated research fields in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction Industry. In particular, the costs analysis of a building life cycle is one of the most interested topics to optimize data management related to the refurbishment of existing buildings on different fields such as space management and Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing engineering systems maintenance. This study aims at investigate the economic value of BIM, taking into account...

The architectural metaphors transform the built environment into a symbolic poetical framework with a strong identity. They are the richest semantic means of architectural communication, superior creative methods of transmitting architectural concepts, being characterized by originality and novelty. Generated by unusual shapes and unique combinations of architectural language elements, they got enclose a high power of evocation and stimulate very diverse interpretations. Their suggestive power is valued in contemp...

When talking about Rem Koolhaas, the mirror reflects multiple images. We can find Rem the media celebrity, the intellectual, the conceptualizer, the builder, the analyst, the journalist, the actor... This research sets the spotlight on Rem, the communicator. "Rem at both sides of the mirror” belongs to a research on architectural media, its influence on the architectural production and vice versa. The aim is to discern whether communication and architectural production collide and converge in the case of great com...

The research in this article aimed to draw the entire design process, culminating in the identification of a set of characteristics to be implemented in the creation of an inclusive interior play space for preschool children. For this process, it was imperative that final users were part of the project, thus ensuring that their preferences/needs would be taken into account. To determine the process, it was necessary to understand the essential steps for a design project. It was important for the research to identi...

In today's global world, people living in cities have become more disconnected in terms of social interaction and socio-economic status. The consumerist way of city formation can easily be read in the formation and location preferences of residential settlements. The city formation through housing developments forces people not only to separate different socio-economic groups from each other but also to move in the city by the way of changing their homes at regular intervals. In other words, firstly the income gro...

The contents of this article are an exposition on architecture, both as in itself as well as a scenic object. This reflection is based on the relationship between the signifier and the signified that constitutes the architectural symbol. Methodologically, this reflection begins with a clarification of some concepts which belong to the analysis structure. So we begin by clarifying the concept of symbol; of scenario (space as a manifestation of support and development of an ideal); of the beautiful and the sublime; ...

Even though at the first sight the representation and presentation seems to be almost the same thing, from the architectural point of view, there is a very important difference in between them, which has to be highlighted if a designer wants to create a unique brand new design and also wants to somehow introduce and †sell' it, too. By a quick search through the mostly known trustable dictionaries it can be said that the representation is an artistic likeness or image; a statement or account made to influence opi...

As the main users of a teaching building, the teachers and students have a relatively fixed behavior pattern, with which we should take as a start point to make a research on the building's space design. Taking the Building of Academy of Art and Design, Tsinghua University as an example, this article first discussed about the behavior patterns of the students and teachers working in this building, such as studying, communication and short relaxation, which will generate different space demands. Based on such point...

History of letters in typography is the history of establishing form for each letter. First books printed by Johannes Gutenberg had different forms for each letter imitating the manuscripts, but each letter tried to find out one form for itself, so movable type had one form for each letter in decades. Nowadays digital typefaces also use one form for each letter. This paper discusses opportunities that randomness can give to typography for creating more vivid forms, imitating imperfectness of first books and giving...

Is it possible to design near zero energy buildings without the use of technologically advanced but costly solutions? Or – the other way around - is the use of expensive technical solutions effective from the point of view of the energy balance of the building? Can the overall environmental costs of a home, meeting the tightening up standards of energy consumption in buildings, be higher than anticipated savings? The paper answers these questions, basing on an analysis of the results of measurements of thermal p...

The evolution of urban parks relates both to the evolution of a city itself and to the changing needs of its residents. The process dates back to the late eighteenth century, when private parks and hunting grounds came to be used for public purposes. Initially they served mainly as sites for walks and leisure but new functions have gained in importance as time went by. They inspired development of city's new green spaces, such as folk parks and less common forest parks. Currently, the turn towards landscape ecolog...

The aim of the research is to improve the quality of education in the field of sustainable design at the Faculty of Architecture of Wroclaw University of Technology. The paper describes subjects and courses on sustainability and the effects of evolving the learning process on the example of the course “Designing Sustainable Living Environment” in the years 2011-2015. The study involved three groups of 30 students enrolled in classes taking place at the 2nd degree studies. In subsequent years, output parameters...

A significant amount of structural mechanics' problems is associated with structures working under dynamic loading conditions; however the majority of the existing methods of the solution of dynamic tasks simplifies slightly parameters of model which describes a real building structure. As a rule, a uniform damping model is selected or internal friction is not considered. Number of degrees of freedom is limited; dimensions of the distributed masses are often neglected. External actions are simulated simplistically...

In view of the major social and environmental problems, with which we are faced nowadays, we noticed a certain absence of values in society, where man draws many more resources than nature can replace in the short or medium term. Within the framework of fashion emerges the ethical fashion as a movement in this direction, intending to change this current paradigm. Ethical fashion encompasses different concepts such as fair trade, sustainability, working conditions, raw materials, social responsibility and the prote...

Alfonz Torma belongs to the first generation of Czechoslovak landscape and garden architects, working since the sixties of the 20th century in the Slovak part of the Czechoslovak republic. His work during the fifty years of his creative activity represents a wide range of garden and landscape design projects – from private gardens, through exposition design for garden exhibitions, design of greenery for new parks, public spaces and historic gardens, to urban and landscape greenery planning. The paper presents th...

There have to date been many researches focusing on social sustainability; although there are only a limited number examining the relationship between social sustainability and gated communities. In this study, a case study is made of Ankara (the capital city of Turkey) analyzing the rapid increase in the number of gated communities in the city. These communities promise residents a comfortable lifestyle with strictly controlled entrances; however the social and physical barriers that are formed between the reside...

Within the scope of the study, how much interaction between educational programs of close disciplines contributes to design education is analyzed over the workshop organized jointly by two state universities in Turkey. As a result of the workshop carried out with the students from architecture, interior architecture and landscape architecture departments which give education in the area of design, the survey study and the findings obtained through these activities have been analyzed within this framework. In this ...

This study aims to make a research on how political power and ideology terms got involved in architecture field. In the study, the issue “how the government and ideology terms come together” will be discussed on the basis of various literature definitions of ideology term. What kind of symbol can a government be with the changing architectural understanding over changing frame of mind will be narrated, and examples from historical process will be given. Determinations will be made in respect of to what extent ...

The article, touching the problems of the Byzantine style history in the architecture of historicism and modern period, is dedicated to revelation of this style in the architecture of Bulgaria, its relations with Byzantine prototypes, Bulgarian art of building and legacy of the National Revival, and comparison with Russian variant of Byzantine style, influencing on the development of the Byzantine current in the Bulgarian architecture.

Road users and transportation agencies are the largest groups of clients for pavements. Both assign priority to the functional pavement condition and the Joint Faulting (JF) is directly related with this condition. An alternative to the traditional design of Jointed Plain Concrete Pavements (JPCPs) is the short slabs. The objective of the present paper is to compare the JF between traditional JPCPs and short concrete slabs. This comparison is made using an available deterioration model and JF trends observed at sh...

Carpet - is the most ancient and hugely common type of decorative and applied art in culture of North Caucasus's nations. Our guess will not look like abstractedly, if take into account these facts: firstly, it is widely established and developed sheep breeding, it means the continued availability of row materials, secondly, it's quite difficult climatic conditions which determined the need for home insulation, thirdly, unemployment female population several months of the year and agricultural works closely with t...

Background Holland is a pioneer state, world-famous for its reformative and experimental architecture. Students and architects from all over the world come here very often for research and study-related purposes. During the last decade Holland has exported a lot of architecture abroad. This tradition comprises also sustainable construction, including sustainable housing construction, which became the subject of Dutch architects' experiments as early as in the 1970s. Investors and designers were and still are ready...

Foucault's category of heterotopia, defining the broadly understood non-normative spaces and places, constitutes one of the fundamental manifestations of the so-called spatial turn, initiated in the second half of the last century and characteristic for the great spectrum of specific research areas. Heterotopias were, in the Foucauldian world, exceptions within the structure of socially and culturally determined places and spaces conceptualized as normative ones. Today, almost half a century later, we should consi...

Hamburg has been recognized as a world-class innovation centre, indicating the direction of urban ecological solutions in the 21st century. It is the only city in Germany where water is so much a part of local identity. The recent achievements of water technology and designs of water spaces represent a change in spatial thinking and action which can be seen at Internationale Bauausstellung (International Building Exhibition) IBA Hamburg 2006-2013 and Internationale Gartenschau (International Garden Show) IGS Hambu...

Article is a part of a broader research on compounds of formal languages of architecture and design tools used for its creation and a paradigm of architecture valid at the time of its formation. The article focuses on exposure of sources of inspiration in contemporary avant-garde architecture with particular emphasis on the impact of information civilization on the way and on the results of designing. Architecture is created with the use of tools. However, their role in the creative process and influence on the vi...

One of the original manifestations of house-building creativity of North Caucasus mountaineers– an original form of stage-pyramidal terminations of tower constructions: patrimonial crypts and Vainakh patrimonial towers. Process of symbolization and shaping of stage-pyramidal terminations of the North Caucasus tower constructions can be figuratively presented as a process of the imaging in an external form of an interior of the most ancient centric-staged design of overlapping. The centric-staged design of overla...

Cracow is a city with the ambition of being the cultural capital of Poland. If we consider that museums are the architectural barometer of our time - the period before the political changes of 1989 can be considered lost for Cracow. In the years between 1937 and 1994 not a single museum had been built, as they were set up within existing historical buildings that were nationalised by the state. Meanwhile, the end of the twentieth century in Europe and around the world was the golden age of museums. Thousands of th...

The paper presents the theoretical and applied research carried out in the Department of Architecture, Roma Tre University, for the upgrading of a historical working class neighborhood in Rome: Testaccio. The main objective is to face the discomfort, consequent to the heat island effect and heavy traffic, acting both on private and public spaces with environmentally sustainable strategies. The two main topics are: At urban level, the use of an Italian prescriptive tool: the "Environmental Island" for improving sus...

The topic of healthy cities is strategic, as outlined in the Zagreb Declaration for Healthy Cities (2009) that expresses “the clear and strong commitment of political leaders of cities in Europe to strengthen and champion action on health, health equity, sustainable development and social justice”. “A healthy city is one that is continually creating and improving those physical and social environments and expanding those community resources which enable people to mutually support each other in performing all...

This paper is focused on innovative and effective method of reducing carbon footprint in the building sector. It concerns the possibility to introduce the novel iron-based carbon negative binding material into the contemporary architectural realisations as an environmentally safe substitute for Portland cement. The paper describes the characteristics and practical application of innovative product obtained from carbonation of waste steel powder and other concrete ingredients such as fly ash, limestone powder and m...

City, to where the citizen belongs to as being the citizen, thus having an identity with the city, to live in the city, with or without the rights of the citizenship.. Well, on which point will the citizen be right- while living inside the city/ while trying to live on the city-? If being happy/ living happy is the will of each and every of us, who is going to create this happiness to us? we? or the others? who else? the country? the government? or the authorities? or the capitalism that we live for? or the it's n...

This article continues the series of publications focused on the application of mental models of built environment in Urban Design and Spatial Planning. The issue of scale, both as a scale of event and as a scale of physical dimensions of space - gives us a ground to propose three rows of spatial models of public space: micro-, mezzo-, and macro-spaces. The concept of spatial models or patterns was tested in a series of field studies. Micro-space is seen as an object of urban design and landscape architecture. Mic...

The article deals with the coexistence of the material environment and its expression in the process of forming urban environment as well as in various philosophical, theoretical and practical interactions related to creativity. In a constantly changing environment factors, which influence creativity and approaches used to identify it, are considered controversial in both the scientific literature and practice and are also undergoing changes. Different authors interpret factors which influence creativity in a diff...

The objective of this research is a development of new technology of creation of a glass mosaic, which will allow us to produce products of arts and crafts without application of a cement assembly due to its replacement with heat treatment (tack fusing). This paper presents the technology of tack fusing, which imitates the technology of creation of the Byzantine mosaic. Main results of the experiments revealing nature of glass behavior during heat treatment are presented. On their basis the author submits some app...

This study focuses on objects as companions on the experiences of everyday life, connecting the emotional worlds to the mental space of individuals, through their functions and symbolisms, characterizing them as true predicates of culture. Examining their biographies means highlighting them before ignored cultural facets. Artifacts are not inert or passive objects, but interactive agents in sociocultural life and cognition. The signification of the artifact resides in both the object as a self-enclosed material fa...

As design action constitutes specific meanings for each discipline, it can be accepted as a very complicated process, requiring particular emphasises for various fields. Although this process may involve diversified steps for special areas, some factors such as providing a solution for a functional need and/or forming a satisfactory interaction with the user, generally remain the same. However, a design is not made up of solely form and function. It is possible to state that a design would probably have a richer c...

Housing has become to be discussed in finance, economy and banking sector rather than architecture and construction industry in today's professional world. The reason of the displacement of house being one of the major research areas in the field of architecture is the transformation of the meaning of notion in time. House, a sheltering, cultural belonging and architectural design object as its basic definition, has gained value in time as a prestige, consumption and investment object commodified with its land in ...

This research is based on the basic concept of "Five Elements" and the theory of mutual promotion and restraint between “five elements”. The major well-known enterprises have shift much more attention to the huge potential Chinese market. The "five elements" as the Chinese People's traditional material concept has a huge impact on people's aesthetic inclination and life style. Especially for high-income people, mutual promotion and restraint of "Five Elements" concept should influence their choice of daily nec...

A major goal in contemporary urban planning and design is to provide a built environment that is conducive to walk. A city where people choose to walk as a means of transport and enjoy such activity, is closely related to physical and psychological health, social contact and urban sustainability. Nevertheless the above mentioned conduciveness is often focused on the most functional requirements of the urban layout at the sacrifice of other more subtle requirements such as the quality of the walking experience and ...

The article presents a discussion of the crossroad between art and architecture. It sketches out the theoretical and practical aspects of space revitalisation and improving its quality in the context of multisensory dimension of public spaces. The unique manifestation of art and creativity in public space could be detected and stimulated using participatory architecture, for instance interactive installations, projects related to the convergence of arts, projects and sound installations, as well as spatial sound. ...

Social media became part of the fabric of everyday life around the world. People have embraced social media in both simple ways-connecting with networks and sharing images or exploring cities. Services such as Foursquare provide us rich databases that hold digital geo-marks of our communications. This paper discusses on geo-social networking, the meanings of the Foursquare check-ins by tracing the spatial behavior of users. Spatial search engine as Foursquare can give past check-in history and past mobility. Mappi...