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EOS Wellness Center: Rethinking Inpatient Mental Health Facility Design
Get PDFThe design of mental health facilities significantly impacts patient outcomes, especially for individuals with depression. Environmental factors such as lighting, thermal comfort, and access to nature influence mental health. This research explores how architectural design can reduce self-harm incidents and enhance recovery outcomes for patients with depression. The project hypothesizes that synchronizing light patterns and thermal comfort with patients’ circadian rhythms will reduce self-harm incidents and improve recovery. The problem established in the research is that disruptions to circadian rhythms increase the risk of depression, PTSD, and anxiety by 30% (Burns et al., 2022). Suicide is also the second leading cause of death for individuals aged 10-24 in Georgia (DBHDD). Despite the growing need, long-term inpatient facilities are scarce in Northwest Georgia. Along Martha Berry Boulevard in Rome, Georgia, a proposed Tax Allocation District (TAD) aims to redevelop blighted areas, including motels linked to criminal activity. A new long-term mental health facility within this district would address both urban revitalization and mental health care gaps. The location near hospitals and public spaces provides an optimal environment for patient-centered care. The design approach is guided by the Well Building Standard and the 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design. This would include access to green spaces, which promotes psychological healing. Open nurse stations and communal therapy areas would be included to encourage positive interactions between patients and staff. Circadian rhythm-focused lighting will regulate daylight and artificial light to improve mood and reduce self-harm. Existing mental health facilities lack holistic care. This project integrates circadian-based lighting strategies as a non-pharmacological intervention while revitalizing Rome’s blighted corridor. The proposed facility will not only enhance recovery outcomes but also create a sustainable, community-integrated solution for mental health care
Editor\u27s Comments
Get PDFThis issue of The Geographical Bulletin represents some new ventures for Gamma Theta Upsilon. First, is the discussion of chapter activities from the meetings in Kansas City as organized by Dr. Alice Rechlin. It is a fine article which hopefully can be the springboard for viable chapters. The venture lies in good chapter communications. The second is an article by Dr. Fred Hirsch who has been appointed by the GTU Executive Committee to establish an alumni chapter which can bring past members of GTU back into activity with the Society. We should all give wholehearted support to this venture. The third venture is a decision to include exemplary teaching materials which can be used directly in the classroom. This represents our attempt to continue to meet our readers\u27 needs. Finally an editorial decision, with Executive Committee approval, has been made to begin selling advertising space in The Geographical Bulletin. The decision was based on rising publication costs which are difficult to meet as we attempt to maintain the highest publication quality. All of us are proud of The Geographical Bulletin-its content, contributors, and physical appearance. We intend to have ads of the highest quality and in the best taste
PERSPECTIVES IN WINE CONSUMPTION
Get PDFTopological space involves relationships between parts of a single object or between an object and its immediate environment, continuously and independent of distances (Figures 3 and 4). Since a collection of elements in space may be exploded or contracted at will, conserving neither straight lines, distances nor directions, topological concepts do not lead to the construction of a stable system which relates components to one another, nor to a system of fixed relations between elements and space.2 Students who perceive spatial relationships with a topological perspective, often are unable to perform well in those tasks associated with quantitative or qualitative description, measurement or analysis of relative or absolute distances, height, area, or volume. Also students frequently perform poorly in the practical aspects of describing their own location relative to another reference point. Since the materials are intended for high school students, topological space percepts are assumed to be present and are used as the foundation for development
IMAGES OF APPALACHIA
Get PDFAppalachia is one of those regional names which brings instant images to almost all of us. To some the term conjures the rolling hills of the Allegheny Plateau and colored October leaves turning in the afternoon sun, to others it surfates the faces and looks of the miners standing, waiting, knowing the fate of comrades caught inside one of the many mine disasters so characteristic of the region. All of us have images like these of the places that we know and have visited lying uncatalogued in our minds to be drawn to consciousness when prodded by the people and places that we associate with them. But how well do these memory keys really serve us? Do our images of Appalachia and other places really recall the true character of a place and its people; and more importantly, is it possible to categorize and dissect these images to gain a better understanding of what gives a certain place or region a distinctive image? What follows is an exercise in image collection, an attempt to discover some of the qualities which have given a particular region a distinctive image in the American mind
Modularity Resilience
Get PDFEvery year, millions of people are displaced from their homes due to catastrophic flooding. According to data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), floods caused 9.8 million displacements in 2023 alone. Climate change is a primary factor driving the increasing frequency and intensity of storms and flooding worldwide.
This year, heavy rainfall has submerged villages and towns, destroyed homes and livelihoods, and imposed growing hardships on affected communities across regions such as Afghanistan, East Africa, Brazil, and the United States. These events have been intensified by a combination of storm surges, tropical cyclones, hurricanes, and record levels of snowmelt, leading to major river overflows and seasonal flooding. Human activity has also played a critical role: natural ecosystems have been severely degraded, and the built environment has diminished the land’s capacity to absorb heavy rainfall. As a result, floods are becoming more frequent, more intense, and increasingly difficult to manage.
So, must we run or retreat in the face of extreme weather — or can we design architecture that adapts and responds?
This thesis explores how lessons from history and nature can inform architectural strategies to mitigate the impacts of flooding. The research draws on natural systems, geometric structures, and adaptive patterns — studying, for example, how bees rebuild their honeycombs after disruption, how lily pads and water hyacinths float and adapt to water conditions, and how people have historically responded to rising waters across cultures and time.
Building on these insights, I propose a new approach to habitation under flood-prone conditions — one that is adaptable, resilient, and rooted in modular design. The architectural system I developed allows residents to replace damaged apartment units, enabling a quicker and more flexible recovery process. The goal is not to eliminate displacement entirely but to support communities in rebuilding and remaining in place.
While the site presented here is merely an example, the proposal can be applied worldwide. There is a pressing need for architecture that empowers communities to endure and recover from water-related disasters without abandoning their homes and identities
Using Sustained Silent Reading in the Secondary English Language Arts Classroom To Increase Reading Engagement
Get PDFReading scores have dropped precipitously over the past twenty years, and English Language Arts (ELA) teachers are looking for in-school academic interventions to mitigate this decline. This descriptive case study explored classroom experiences and student engagement with reading in a choice-based Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) program in a high school. The study examines student experiences through Expectancy-Value Theory (EVT). EVT suggests that a student’s engagement with reading will increase when they find the task valuable and believe success is achievable. The study explores how providing students with the independence to select their reading materials influences their experience in class and engagement with reading. Data were collected through reflective journals and one-on-one interviews with selected students. The findings suggest that students who were given the freedom to choose their reading materials demonstrated higher levels of reading engagement and a more positive attitude toward reading. Many students reported increased satisfaction with the academic class and with reading because they were able to engage with texts that corresponded to their interests. The study highlights the importance of choice in developing reading skills and recommends integrating choice-based SSR into classroom practices to enhance student engagement and reading volume. This study suggests that educators should include SSR in high school classes to foster a classroom environment where students can become lifelong readers
Examining Rural High School Students’ Perceptions Toward and Experiences With the Reading Plus Intervention Program: A Qualitative Case Study
Get PDFReading is the gateway to all other academic skills and across all disciplines of learning. Content courses at the high school level central focus are on reading to learn core curriculum verses learning to read. However, research shows that if students read significantly behind their typical peers, the reading gap widens throughout high school. Learning is stalled, and access to other contents, curriculums, and instructions becomes limited. To address the reading proficiency gap of high school students struggling to read in grade level, school districts have turned to computer assisted interventions programs, such as Reading Plus, to combat the reading gap challenges. This qualitative research study explores how high school students in a rural district perceive their placement in a reading intervention class and experiences with Reading Plus program. The research design for this study is qualitative since additional examination is necessary to understand high school students’ perceptions of their reading intervention instructional environment. This study was designed to explore what changes, if any, may occur in the reading perceptions (affective skills) and comprehension levels (cognitive skills) of participants in the Reading Plus program. The central question this study seeks to lift the conversations in the educational field is “What are the perceptions toward and experiences with the Reading Plus program and reading intervention course in a rural high school?” Responses were coded using NVivo software, and themes were analyzed. The data collection methods were a screener questionnaire and a semi-structured virtual interviews were used for data saturation of collected data
Void and Other Stories
Get PDFVoid and Other Stories is a collection of works from my time at KSU that exemplifies my writing process. This process involves finding inspiration, doing research, and editing. “Void,” a short story, is included in the title of my capstone because it best represents all three of these elements and contains the haunting element that characterizes the majority of my writing. As I continue to pursue my goal of publishing, I have the advice and experience from my time in the KSU MAPW program. I also have relationships with peers and teachers from whom I can seek help and advice. These things are invaluable and a major part of my takeaway from my time there