Architecture, Building and Planning - Theses
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ItemNational identity, Australian plants, and the natural garden in post-WWII Australia, 1945 to 1986(University of Melbourne, 2015)
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ItemThe idea of robust technology in the definition of a third-world practice : architecture, design and labour training(University of Melbourne, 2011)
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ItemExamining the knowledge interface : metropolitan plan-making and deliberative engagement(University of Melbourne, 2010)
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ItemWriting at closer quarters: Melbourne in the novel and literary criticism, 1940 - 1971( 2016)In the postwar years, a number of literary critics, commentators and novelists complained of an undersupply of urban novels and an under-representation of the cities that housed the bulk of the Australian population. This thesis tests that assessment by reconsidering the diversity of novels published in the middle decades of the 20th Century, with a focus on one Australian city, Melbourne. Evidently, postwar critics underappreciated the diversity of Melbourne’s novels, and many credible works have long fallen out of sight of literary historians. By recovering that work, the thesis aims to reconstruct a complex picture of the imagined metropolis that those novels collectively provided. The thesis gathers up more than seventy novels published in the three decades after 1940 that located their settings in metropolitan Melbourne. Those novels form the primary research material for the thesis. The analysis of that material proceeds first by recovering the relationship of the novels with Australian literary history, considering to what extent literary historiography has been selective in its approach to Melbourne’s fiction. This provides the prelude to an exploration of the metropolis as represented in those novels: if some of those novels have been excluded from Melbourne’s literary history, how might their recovery alter our understanding of fictional Melbourne? To explore that question, techniques in literary cartography are adapted to the analysis of the Melbourne novels’ topographic content through metropolitan scale maps. Those maps reveal a rich variety of topographic detail dispersed through city centre, inner suburbs, and the middle and outer suburbs. Ultimately, the thesis reveals how the functional differences available in the everyday sites of the imagined metropolis, and the patterns in their topographic distribution, provided a source of rich environmental meaning for the novelist. The middle chapters of the thesis read mid-Century literary criticism to decipher its perspectives on the Australian city and the responsibilities of literature towards that increasingly modernising context. That discussion focuses on three influential, yet highly combative critical movements in the mid-Century literary field. Models of the city provided by those movements enable the thesis to contrast the critics’ theoretical models of the modern city, and the images of the city revealed by the topographic analyses of the novels.
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ItemDevelopment of an optimal control strategy for hybrid ventilation of office buildings( 2016)Hybrid ventilation can save operational building energy, if it is designed and controlled appropriately. Peak electricity demand during summer time can also be reduced. It is important that the control strategy should be developed together with the ventilation system at the design stage of the buildings. However, it is not known how to develop the control strategy before buildings are built. Current practice is that the required data needs to be obtained from the actual building. This research proposes a method to develop control strategies for hybrid ventilation at the design stage. The research method was devised by combining the advantages and two modelling techniques: phenomenological modelling, and data-driven modelling. First, the hybrid ventilation system is modelled using phenomenological simulation software tools. The phenomenological model developed was used to generate data. Then the simulated data was used to develop the thermal network model and the simplified airflow model which could be used for identifying the optimal control strategies. Through literature review, computer simulation, and the three experimental case studies, it was found that TRNSYS Type 56 & COMIS were reliable transient simulation software tools which could simulate an acceptable representative of the actual building behaviour. The most suitable simplified model for hybrid ventilation system was the thermal network model. The investigation was carried out on Shed D, a small single room building located at the Burnley Campus, The University of Melbourne. The thermal network model could provide reasonable accuracy, and used less computing time than the phenomenological model. Most importantly the thermal network model offered physical insight into building’s thermal characteristics. In other words, the building’s physical parameters could be incorporated into the model coefficients. With the known properties of building components, the air change rate for natural ventilation in the building can be estimated in term of the ventilation heat loss, one of the lumped parameters of the thermal network model. In addition to single zone stand alone buildings, multi-zone buildings can also be modelled by the thermal network technique. The research showed that the thermal network model worked for actual multi-zone buildings through the case study, the ATC building, Swinburne University of Technology. The clear correlation between the results of TRNSYS Type 56 & COMIS and the thermal network model was also demonstrated. The simplified air flow model was created from TRNFLOW results which were verified with the measured air flow rate. Air exchange measurement was implemented on the Doug McDonell building, University of Melbourne using CO2 as the tracer gas. The coupling between the simplified airflow model and the thermal network model was developed. This technique could handle the variation of the air flow rate over time. The air flow rate is in the form of Infiltration/ventilation heat loss conductivity which is a parameter of the thermal network. The coupling between the two models could improve the accuracy of the predictions. When there was high fluctuating wind speed, the improvement in fit between the measured data and the simulated data was approximately 20%. Based on the concept originally proposed by Spindle (2004) [Spindle, HC 2004, ‘System Identification and Optimal Control of Mixed Mode Cooling’, PhD thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts], the optimal control program was developed using MATLAB, 2012b. The crucial part of the models for switching between modes was discovered, which is the disturbance of the model. This needed to be identified because it contains the previous time step output information, enabling the previous output to be used for calculating the next time step output. The simulation results showed that the optimal control strategy offered 20% saving in energy consumption compared to the Static mode (windows are closed all times). The computational time was approximately one minute per day of simulation time. With this computing time, it is possible to practically apply this technique for a real building management control system. The research presents a seven-step procedure for a hybrid ventilation system: TRNFLOW modelling; Data selection; Air flow modelling; Thermal network modelling; Integration of airflow model and thermal network model; Mechanical ventilation modelling, and Optimal control strategy. The seven-step procedure enables the optimal control strategy of a hybrid ventilation system can be identified at the design stage.
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ItemPlanning for dogs in urban environments( 2016)Dogs are the most common pet in Australia and increasingly occupy both social and cultural norms. There is a growing interest in more-than-human geography and my thesis extends this critical concern to the planning of urban environments as a human habitat. Contemporary literature in more-than-human geography typically and unconsciously anthropomorphises the experience of those other species and in turn accounts for other species from a human perspective. My thesis recognises this gap and endeavours to provide a critical account of planning for dogs through a lens of justice for animals. My research problem is predicated on the basis that Australian society lacks consensus on the appropriate treatment of dogs in urban environments, reflecting in local differentiation of opportunities available to dogs and yielding different outcomes of justice for dogs. My thesis accordingly examines how institutions and planners affect such freedoms through their language and actions. My thesis comprises a similar systems case study design that examines the phenomenon of planning for dogs using the case of Melbourne, a city of four million people and the capital of the state of Victoria, Australia, through the institutional discourse of eight representative councils (local government authorities). In order to critically address the fundamental uncertainty of anthropomorphism introduced by the dependent companion relationship, I elect to examine the discourse of government institutions as a credible, consistent and comparable reflection of society. Themes and theory emerge from the data through a disciplined application of qualitative content analysis underpinning a grounded theorisation of planning for dogs in cities. An operational framework describing justice for dogs is developed from first principles, suggesting the importance of animal management, open space planning and urban planning professions in planning for dogs. These roles demonstrate a clear ontological distinction, with the dominance of ontology shown to be exceedingly important to understanding planning for dogs. In operationalising a justice for dogs, I capture the pervasive anthropocentrism of planning which manifests in the animal management practices of councils and in how human agency is defined and exercised in the process and outcomes of planning for dogs. Whilst my thesis is ostensibly about planning urban environments and the role of local government, it also contributes to the social sciences more broadly. My approach distinguishes from what may be typical to other more-than-human geography literature through its treatment of planning for dogs as attending to underlying considerations of justice for dogs. A natural concordance with the justice as capabilities (derived from the Capabilities Approach espoused by Sen and Nussbaum) emerges, suggesting more authentic and just outcomes for dogs than in the utilitarian anthropocentric tradition where actions are guided by the demarcation of humans from animals. My thesis is a valuable contribution to this growing body of more-than-human geography literature and advances the philosophy of planning of urban environments beyond humanity, in doing so strengthening the bonds which connect the broader social sciences.
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ItemBehaviour of prefabricated modular buildings subjected to lateral loads( 2016)Prefabricated Modular Buildings are increasingly becoming a highly sort after technology to achieve cost effective and speedy construction in the construction industry. This increasing trend for prefabricated modular buildings has now spread into multi-storey applications since they can provide a much faster output for the ever increasing urban construction demand. In this regard the effect of lateral loads become critical as the height of the buildings increase. Therefore, the design of lateral load resisting systems is vital for these structures to perform effectively. However, there is an absence of detailed scientific research or case studies that investigate into the structural performance of modular buildings. This knowledge gap has resulted in a lack of confidence in Structural Engineers to optimise the designs of modular buildings. This has resulted in modular buildings being uneconomically over-designed in order to ensure structural stability and safety. This thesis will therefore formulate a methodology for modular buildings to be analysed and designed against lateral loads according to globally accepted methods. The knowledge gained about the structural behaviour and performance against lateral loads of modular buildings will be used to propose key design principals that Engineers can use in designing modular buildings. It will also lead to an understanding on how modular structures can be optimised to achieve a more economical solution without compromising the structural stability and safety at the expected performance levels. In order to achieve these objectives global analysis of multi storey modular buildings is conducted with a newly proposed structural system that successfully addresses many shortcomings of modular structural systems that are presently being used. This new structural system is first analysed using global analysis models using nonlinear static pushover analysis and nonlinear time history analysis techniques. The module to module connections that are critical in transferring the lateral loads to stiffer members of the structure are then studied in detail using finite element modelling and laboratory experiments. The results of these analyses and experiments are critically evaluated in order to present a better understanding of the behaviour of multi-storey modular buildings under lateral loads. The thesis introduces the critical modes of failure that were identified for the module to module connections through the aforementioned analyses and explains how the structural design of the connections as well as the overall structure shall be approached. In addition to the design methodology, practising Engineers would also require a solid technique to analyse these structures using commercially available analysis software. In this regard, this thesis produces a methodology that can be used to estimate the overall stiffness of the module to module connections so that these values of stiffness can be used in modelling the connection as spring or link elements in a global model. This information would be quite useful for engineering applications as many of the commercially available software provide this capability in modelling connections as spring or link elements but lack guidance on how the value of stiffness needs to be estimated. Therefore, this thesis provides a preliminary knowledge-base for a new modular structural system to be established with a sound understanding on how it behaves under lateral loads and how the analysis and design of the overall structure can be approached confidently. Additionally recommendations are provided to take this research forward in developing the technology further with a much broader understanding on various loading conditions and applications.
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ItemWomen and their career progression in the Australian construction industry( 2013)This comprehensive study of women and their career progression in construction makes five substantial research contributions: longitudinal data on Australian women's participation rates; the development and validation of a career advancement measure; empirical validation that women experience 'contest'career mobility; evidence a gender inclusivity continuum exists in construction; and the development of a career typology model for professional women in construction. Construction, an industry with an image of being macho, confrontational and riven with conflict, has not yet embraced gender diversity, despite the improvements this can make to corporate performance and the industry's ongoing skills shortages. The purpose of this research was to investigate women's participation in Australian construction and the career advancement of professional women in the industry. It involved three studies with Study 1 using secondary longitudinal data and Studies 2 and 3 involving both qualitative and quantitative methods. While it is well understood that construction is male-dominated, previous research had not investigated if this has changed and what roles women undertake within construction in Australia. Study 1 revealed that since the early 1990s female participation has been relatively stagnant overall, as well as within the construction trades. As well as identifying women's participation in many non-traditional roles, this study verified patterns of horizontal and vertical segregation. In addition, a significant disparity between women's increasing participation rates in professional roles and declining rates within management in construction prompted a study of professional women's career advancement. To date, research on women's careers in construction has focussed predominantly on barriers they experience (most of which are outside their control) and explanations for their under-achievement. However, in today's industry some women are advancing, so it is timely to understand organisational, interpersonal and individual factors which facilitate this process. Many theories can be used to explain women's advancement (the extrinsic component of career success) including: homophily; organisational support theory; theory of work adjustment; values congruence theory; social capital theory; human capital theory; trait theory; role scarcity theory; and role accumulation theory. Before an investigation of career advancement could be undertaken, a five-round Delphi study (Study 2) was conducted to develop and validate a scale to measure career advancement suitable for Australian construction. Study 3, a cross-sectional correlational field study involving 456 professional women, applied this new scale and investigated factors that affect women's career advancement. Individual factors, in particular human capital variables, rather than interpersonal and organisational factors were found to have the greatest influence on women's career advancement. This finding, contrary to previous research, indicates a 'contest', rather than 'sponsored'(the typical male pattern), career mobility path. Study 3 also tested a model developed to specifically explain women's advancement and investigated aspects the intrinsic component of career success known to be important to women. While this research did not find support for the model, the results indicate the experiences of women differ and that a gender inclusivity continuum exists in construction. A career typology model was developed which explains the career experiences and progression of professional women in construction. The development of the gender inclusivity continuum and the career typology are major theoretical contributions to women in construction research. The finding that interpersonal and organisational factors were not predictors of women's career advancement in construction was significant, as it counters the viewpoint of the majority previous research in the area. Lastly, the discovery that women follow a 'contest'career mobility pattern contributes significantly to both research in construction, as well as research exploring professional women's careers.
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ItemUrban narratives : museums + the city( 2013)Cities provide the backdrop for contemporary life, with more than half the population of the world now living in urban areas. Cities provide the armature for both the everyday and for ceremony and ritual, establishing routines of movement, spectacle and meaning that are inherent to the conception, perception and lived urban experience. This study investigates the relationships between individual buildings and the 'site' in which they are located, highlighting the experience of the city as a series of related spaces, rather than merely as a set of individual objects. Contemporary theoretical conceptions of 'site' as a constructed concept are central to the argument, which contests that the relationships between buildings and context can be established through the orchestration of traversable (physical), visual, or conceptual connections. Three case studies - the British Museum in London, the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh and the Jewish Museum Berlin, all recent extensions to existing institutions - provide an exploration of the experience, spectacle and meaning of the museum within the 'site' of the city. This study examines the institutional narratives of museums and cities, both the rhetorical narratives that underpin conceptual meaning and associations, and the spatial narratives that are derived from the. orchestration of movement, spectacle and the perception of meaning through experience. This study proposes that through physical paths or traversable spaces; vistas or visual connections; and conceptual associations or theoretical ideas, the relationship between buildings and sites cans be understood as a constructed 'terrain of engagement'. This provides ways to consider the agency of architecture to assist in orchestrating connections between the museum and the physical and conceptual context of the contemporary city.
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ItemSocial Space in a Metropolis : A Social, Spatial and Formal Analysis of Hangzhou the capital of Southern Song China (1127-1279)( 2013)This research investigates Hangzhou, the capital of Southern Song China (1127-1279). It explores three interrelated aspects of the city, namely spatial morphology, social practice and social structures of this Chinese city, in relation to its geographical and historical context, and in comparison with other major Chinese imperial capitals, and, at a theoretical level, with a cross-cultural discussion concerning social realms or spheres where Western theories are critically engaged. The aim of this research is to explore a unique Chinese urban tradition, as found in Hangzhou, by crossing different disciplines (architecture, urban history, social studies) and different cultural traditions (Chinese and European). It is hoped that specific aspects of a unique Chinese urban tradition are identified, which includes a tradition specific to China and different from that in Europe. It is hoped that such a discovery may lead to critical and constructive discussions, and may provide inspiring ideas for today's urban design practice and socio-political debate in a cross-cultural environment. The hypothesis of this research is that a 'third realm', one related to but different from Jurgen Habermas' concepts, a realm where state agencies and social groups interacted closely in an organic and relational manner, has made its definite appearance in the city of Hangzhou of Southern Song China. This hypothesis is tested in three areas of social space (marketplaces, landscape sites and temple compounds), with a close examination of their characteristics and their representative cases defined spatially as locales (sites and lines between sites) and temporally as processes (events and festivals unfolding on and across locales). The investigation on spatial morphology reveals that, different from the two established spatial patterns (Skinner's bi-nuclear urban structure and Zhu's multi-level hierarchical composition) identified on Chinese imperial capitals, Hangzhou's spatial morphology can be concluded as having a four-juxtaposed-zone urban structure which is less compartmentalized and less hierarchical. This spatial configuration did not consolidate a 'steep' imperial socio-political order for an absolute authority, but rather fostered the city of Hangzhou to become a prosperous metropolis with advantages for urbanization and commercialization. The investigation on social practice reveals that Hangzhou was planned and governed with a compromised Confucianism and a pragmatic realism of the imperial authority, a situation which gave a huge room for the participation of local social groups and communities under a political supervision that was relatively open and accommodating. A 'space of society' is found, and it accommodated not only a collaborative relationship between imperial government and local population but also an intermediate realm where people of various social groups came into encounter and interaction with less restriction of formalities. The investigation on social structures reveals that various changes of the Song had resulted in the formation of three distinctive social groups (occupational associations, the scholar-official literati, and the religious clergy), who were the main forces in the making of realms of social space as well as users or occupants of these realms. Being formed into various groups, they had on the one hand led or participated in local urban and related affairs with degrees of freedom, and, on the other hand, worked for the government as 'unsalaried state agents' submissive to it leadership. Based on these findings, this thesis argues that a third realm had made its emergence in the city of Hangzhou of Southern Song China. It was found in certain zones and domains in which state government and social realms overlapped where a mediated and relaxed state-society relationship established and developed. Standing as an alternative paradigm, being different from the better-studied and well-established prototypes of northern cities such as that of Beijing, the space of the third realm of Hangzhou is providing suggestions of a 'third way' in political governance and a 'third way' of urbanization, which are arguably more relevant for today's practice.