NewSchool of Architecture and Design

In this article, we share our experiences and perspectives from “The Planning Bus (Planbussen)”, a master-level course in local development and planning at our five-year Master of Architecture program (NTNU). We describe how the course came into being and how it relates to other forms of teaching and pedagogy at NTNU’s architecture program. Using what we have chosen to call problem-, project-, and practice-based learning and teaching (P3BL - a further development of problem-based learning, PBL), students experience how to apply theoretical knowledge and competence in real, physical, and site-specific situations (practice). Through fieldwork, students learn to interact with their surroundings and are trained in the use, testing, and development of diverse methods and tools for communicating their discipline and projects. By adopting an open and holistic approach to real-world local issues and unpredictability, we believe students become better prepared for the realities of their future professional practice. At the same time, practical experiences lead to a new understanding of their discipline, education, and potential role as architects and planners. The course allows students to develop projects and solutions to challenges they themselves identify, thereby influencing and helping shape their own education. Using The Planning Bus (Planbussen) as an example, we argue for the potential benefits and value that problem-, project-, and practice-based learning and teaching can bring to higher education and its relevance for society and stakeholders. We also argue that students, through collaboration with residents, can introduce alternative perspectives on sustainability, making the projects more usable and relevant.

Using the school accident data and outdoor weather data, the relationship between the incidence of heatstroke in school buildings and the environment around the school buildings before/during the new coronavirus pandemic was determined. Comparing the occurrence of heatstroke in high school classrooms before/during the coronavirus pandemic, it was found that the outdoor WBGT where the peak incidence of heatstroke was gained during the coronavirus pandemic, was lower than that before the coronavirus. One of the reasons was thought to be a decrease in cooling efficiency due to the combination of opening windows and using air conditioners.

This paper presents a case study on the use of 3D concrete printing (3DCP) to qualify rocky pontoons with spaces for recreational use—namely sitting areas, circulation trails and fishing spots—and biodiversity protection—providing habitat and refuge for native marine species—with a focus on the challenges and opportunities associated with 3DCP prefabrication for such a complex topographical context. We first discuss the benefits and disadvantages of 3DCP over traditional methods for retrofitting strategies with the support of state-of-the-art literature review. We then present a methodology and an experimental case study, organized in three stages: (1) a photogrammetric survey and digital reconstruction of the site´s rocky landscape, (2) the creation of a tool to generate and optimize custom-fit slabs based on their location on site, intended use and role in the protection of the natural ecosystem, and (3) the robotic fabrication of these slabs through 3DCP. Finally, we present our key findings, revealing that 3DCP offers a viable and more efficient alternative for appropriating and revitalizing sites with a disorderly and highly complex topography.

<p>This research paper studied the perfusion pressure (partial pressure of carbon dioxide) in relation to mechanical pressure. Utilizing a transcutaneous gas monitoring system, which offers insights into carbon dioxide (TcPCO2) levels during mechanical pressure application on the skin, this research centers around two distinct regions at the posterior section of the human body: the thoracic region, characterized by bone structure, and the lumbar region, comprising the muscle-fat structure. Three parameters were obtained regarding these regions: average partial pressure of carbon dioxide, peak partial pressure of carbon dioxide, and the rate of partial pressure of carbon dioxide.</p>

IntroductionIncarcerated individuals are subject to a heightened risk of both mental and physical ailments. Hence, it is important to conduct regular assessments of their mental well-being and other potential health hazards.ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to examine the subjective experience of fear related to COVID-19 and the psychological consequences of the pandemic among a cohort of young adult male convicts.MethodsA research design using an institutional-based quantitative cross-sectional approach was used. The data collecting period was from July to September 2022, during which data was gathered at a juvenile correctional facility located in the center area of Portugal. The researchers used questionnaires to gather data pertaining to demographic and health attributes, fear related to COVID-19, as well as measures of depression, anxiety, stress, and resilient coping.Results The study included a cohort of 60 incarcerated males who had been imprisoned for a duration exceeding 2 years. The prevalence of stress was found to be the highest among offenders, with around 75% reporting this symptom. Anxiety was the second most often reported symptom, with 38.3% of inmates experiencing it, followed closely by depression, which was reported by 36.7% of the inmate population. The average score on the Fear of COVID-19 Scale was 17.38 ± 4.80, suggesting that participants generally reported mild levels of fear. A total of 38 subjects, accounting for 63.3% of the sample, had low scores in resilience. The participants’ responses indicated that their perceptions of mental health were within a fairly high range, with an average score of 3.62 ± 0.87. Similarly, their perceptions of physical health were also moderately high, with an average score of 3.73 ± 0.95. In terms of global health, participants reported a slightly lower average score of 3.27 ± 0.82 for the preceding month. The Pearson correlation matrix revealed statistically significant associations between fear of COVID-19 and characteristics linked to mental health, with the strength of these associations ranging from moderate to high (p < 0.001). The identification of predictive variables for fear of COVID-19 was accomplished by the use of a multiple linear regression model. Four predictors were identified in the study, namely age, perception of mental health, and overall levels of anxiety and stress. These predictors together account for about 49.7% of the variance in the outcome variable.ConclusionsThe findings of our research indicate a significant prevalence of stress among incarcerated individuals, accompanied by moderate levels of anxiety and depression. Our research has the potential to provide valuable insights for policymakers, mental health professionals, public health specialists, and other relevant stakeholders in the identification and effective management of pandemic-induced anxieties and mental health symptoms.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

This paper aims to investigate the impact of complexity and mystery on the perceived legibility of citizens in urban parks. The theoretical framework is based on Rachel and Stephen Kaplan’s theory (four cognitive states) and Lynch’s legibility theory. The method is descriptive correlational. Data collection was done through a survey questionnaire and mental maps. The paper uses Lynch’s mental maps and asks people to draw some aspects of the parks they remembered the most and compare the results with the surveys. The data analysis uses descriptive and inferential techniques as well as logical reasoning. The research claims a significant correlation with a higher-than-average coefficient between the legibility indicators (path, edge, node, district, landmark) and complexity and mystery in urban parks. The conclusion is that districts in urban parks have the most significant impact on the overlapping of citizens’ collective mental maps. Landmarks, paths, edges, and entrances are almost equally and moderately fuzzy-scale on the legibility of citizens’ mental maps in urban parks. Nodes play less of a role in citizens’ collective mental maps than other park elements. Parks with too many entrances, non-linear paths, indistinguishable districts, and undefined edges are not perceptible to citizens, and citizens’ perceptions of space differ significantly from the existing reality. The correlation between legibility dimensions, such as edges, nodes, landmarks, districts, paths, and entrances, is higher than the fuzzy scale average. Moreover, the legibility in each dimension will affect legibility dimensions a lot. Lynch’s theory of legibility in the spatial perception of parks and Kaplan’s theory of complexity and mystery criteria appear to be not fully responsive. It differs based on the features of each park, such as openness and closeness. For future research, it is better to comprehensively understand by using all dimensions of Kalpan’s theory: complexity, mystery, refuge, and prospect.

Today, the application of green materials in the building industry is the norm rather than the exception and reflects an attempt to mitigate the sector’s environmental impacts. Mass timber is growing rapidly in the construction field because of its long span, speed of installation, lightness and toughness, carbon sequestration capabilities, renewability, fire rating, acoustic isolation, and thermal resistance. Mass timber is close to overtaking steel and concrete as the preferred material. The endeavor of this research is to quantitatively assess the ability of this green material to leverage the abatement of carbon emissions. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a leading method for assessing the environmental impacts of the building sector. The recently completed Adohi Hall mass timber building on the University of Arkansas campus was used as a case study in an investigation to quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout the construction phase only. The energy used in building operations is the most dominant source of emissions in the building industry and has galvanized research on increasing the efficiency of building operations, but reduced emissions have made the impacts of embodied carbon (EC) components more noticeable in the building life cycle. While most studies have focused on the manufacturing stage, only a few to date have focused on the construction process. Consequently, few data are available on the environmental impacts associated with the installation of mass timber as a new green material. The present study began with the quantification of the materials and an inventory of the equipment used for construction. Then, this study determined the EC associated with running the equipment for building construction. The GHG emissions resulting from the transportation of materials to the site were also quantified. Based on data collected from the construction site, the results of this study indicate that earthwork ranks first in carbon emissions, followed by mass timber installation and construction. In third place is ready-mix poured concrete and rebar installation, followed by Geopiers. A comparison of these results with those in the existing literature shows that the EC generally associated with the building construction phase has been underestimated to date. Furthermore, only emissions associated with the fuel usage of the main equipment were considered.

Gaming avatars are often confined to a predetermined set of bodies, identities and clothing options that reinforce gender norms. In response, players have participated in modifying the existing bodies and clothing choices available for their avatars to represent their experiences. This article draws on concepts of the glitch and antigender fashion to engage in a textual analysis of The Sims 4. We explore how modifications for avatars’ appearance and clothing create spaces for players to transcend dominant notions of masculinity and produce a variety of gendered-dressed embodiments. Our analysis understands video games as atmospheres and modifications as glitches that expand the gendered possibilities within virtual worlds. However, the expansion of masculinities in The Sims 4 relies on the labour of players from marginalized communities and, as such, reaffirms gender power structures. Our article introduces video games as sites where players construct, negotiate and subvert dressed masculine embodiments.

Critical design studies emerge as a field that frames design as central to confronting the most challenging socio-politico-environmental crises of our time. But faced with underwhelming evidence of these powers, more designers ask themselves: Can design really change the world? This letter briefly discusses the state of critical design and some of its detected limitations and argues that -perhaps along with less inflated expectations -designers need to become better at effectively promoting material socioenvironmental change. Drawing from the concept of change theories -hypotheses informed by existing knowledge of how change happens -the author extrapolates three approaches from design scholars' and practitioners' work: minor gestures, institutional power and political orchestration, and internal capabilities. Finally, this letter argues that design education can prepare students to articulate better theories of change and increase the likelihood of affecting change by dynamically combining change theories with radical transdisciplinarity and design approaches.