Architecture, Building and Planning - Theses
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ItemAn investigation Into building and planning problems of the tropical regions of Australia and the Territory of Papua New Guinea(University of Melbourne, 1967)
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ItemArchitectural development in Singapore(University of Melbourne, 1973)
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ItemHousing and migration : a study of housing needs in Geelong with particular reference to influence of migration( 1968)The study of housing and migration had occupied the mind of the author from the time he emigrated from his home town, Oshodi, to Lagos - the Federal Nigeria capital in search of regular employment. His own personal experience, those of friends and relatives, and the ever-increasing number of young rural migrants moving into the few industrialising centres in his country plus the various reports on similar problems in most of the developing countries of the world have induced him to begin to think of how the problem of housing, most especially migrant housing, can be solved. Australia is the second largest migrant receiving country in the world, and so faces a considerable amount of migrant housing. Her method of tackling the problem offers an excellent opportunity for its solution to many of the developing nations which now face a growing problem of rural-urban migration. This particular -housing study on Geelong is an attempt to review and evaluate the housing problem in- a very important migrant centre in Australia. It is geared towards an assessment of the problem, how it is tackled and how the State and the National housing policies and programmes can be adopted, with modifications where necessary, to suit the solution of similar problems especially in the developing countries of the world. I acknowledge the graduate scholarship granted to me by the Australian Commonwealth Government without which this study might not have been possible. The basic survey of this research was in the form of postal questionnaire, it was conducted in the months of Sally to September 1966, The author's thesis committee members and Dr. S. B. Hammond of the Department of Psychology were particularly helpful with suggestions in connection with the preparation of the questionnaire while the department secretariat was co-operative with the arduous task of its arrangement and typing. The number of persons involved with the gathering of data for this study is too large for complete enumeration. The Geelong Municipal. Councils rendered very valuable financial and moral assistance. The Geelong Advertiser and the local 3GL radio were helpful in enabling the project to reach all the homes involved before the questionnaires were distributed. The office of Buchan, Laird, Buchan e Architects m and most especially Mr. Colin Munro, was very co-operative in giving the author an insight into the planning problems in the Geelong Urban Area.- The history of Geelong was most comprehensively narrated by Messrs P, L. Brown and Roy H. Holden. To them all I express my very sincere thanks. Any housing questionnaire would scare most householders off unless it is accompanied with a subtle covering letter. For this I acknowledge the freely given services of Mr. John Handfield of the Image Australia. Pty. Ltd. It was not without difficulty that a reasonable number of the questionnaires was received back duly completed. In some cases, it involved door-to-door visits and in this respect the contributions of Misses Mary Wilton and Jenny Hall will long be remembered. My very humble but sincere thanks goes: to the staff of the Education Research Department of the University and most especially to Mrs. L.D. Jones. who patiently put me through the computer analysis of the data; to the staff of the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics in Melbourne and Canberra for providing the statistical data particularly of the 1966 unpublished census, and to the Housing Commission, Victoria for providing me with the detailed plans of their houses in Geelong.
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ItemSome aspects of industrial accommodation( 1971)Small-scale manufacturing is the stepchild of industrial architecture. There is a dearth of information on the needs of small firms which would assist the designer; and what is written is either out of date or barely relevant to the specific problems of providing adequate accommodation. Other professionals like the economist see the small industrial firm in terms of output and employment, the town-planner as a user of urban land and as a potential 'nuisance' to neighbouring residential areas. Architects are rarely attracted to the task of designing single small factories, nor do the resources of small firms - unlike large industries - allow the engagement of professional design services. The situation changes rapidly when the complexity increases with the numbers of units and when the resources of many firms can be pooled. My professional activity in the area of large-scale industrial and office buildings, and my teaching work, have drawn my attention to the many areas in which the understanding of the complexity of problems related to the design of industrial spaces is inadequate; and furthermore it has become obvious that the human needs of the occupants, or users, of such spaces are not always adequately appreciated. In his work the architect depends increasingly upon the scientific findings of researchers in other disciplines and specialities; cognisance of these will help him to seek appropriate advice, and to add such knowledge to his own experience for the betterment of his buildings and the spaces within. In this thesis an attempt is made to establish a better understanding of smaller industrial firms, their needs for an adequate yet economical work environment, for work space in buildings and for industrial land. A brief review of the place of industry in society, an assessment of the magnitude of the problems of providing accommodation for small industries in urban areas, the growth of industry, and current trends and issues in industrial development, will outline the setting for this topic. This is followed by a review of human and technical aspects of work in industrial buildings; it is demonstrated how a better appreciation is gained by systematic investigation, and controlled observation and testing for which specific examples are given. Much design data which was generated for this purpose from my recent Small Factories Survey is presented, and, where available, compared with information gained from other sources. Attention is focused on industrial land, particularly its effective and economical use, and the planning aspects related to this; the industrial estate being the most conspicuous type of industrial land use is studied in detail as an example. The similarity of problems is demonstrated when considering large sites like industrial estates with many and varied land users as against relatively limited sites with such compact developments as flatted factories. A detailed analysis of four building types as to the suitability of plan elements, plan shapes, size, building structure end other planning features is employed to demonstrate the effectiveness of their accommodation characteristics for industrial purposes. Much data, which was generated by my most recent International Survey, is used to illustrate the application of theoretical studies in practice; the feedback from personal inspections of most of the buildings and interviews with tenants and managements at these examples complete the general theme, and consolidate the body of knowledge on the accommodation needs of small industries. The supposition is made that small firms, too, need and can afford a quality work environment, adequate production space, and better facilities in good locations, and that they and the community may benefit from a more compact development and an economical utilisation of urban land.
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ItemTradition and innovation in Victorian building 1801-1865( 1972)The purpose of this work is to survey the field of building materials and technology in Victoria in the period 1801-1865. The study of buildings is something in which literally hundreds of people in Victoria each year involve themselves to a greater or lesser extent, and they do this almost blindly, for except in one or two very limited areas there is no precise, reliable, documented information which is of any help in understanding or dating individual buildings on the basis of physical evidence. At the same time an increasing amount of work, often perceptive and occasionally learned, is being done on the aesthetic aspects of Victorian architectural history, but it is not balanced by any sort of hard information on the technical background. Seen in this light I think there is no real need to apologise for the deficiencies of the present work. It does not purport to be a study in depth of the local building industry, or of any aspect of it, but rather an account of the technical developments which occurred in the period, and, where possible, an account of their overseas background: hence the theme 'tradition and innovation'. I must be excused from any discussion of portable buildings. This is an important topic, which can certainly be seen as a case study in tradition and innovation, but it is also a large one and one which is fairly distinct from the local building industry. It is my intention to pursue it in detail at another time.