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Sensual building systems: a thermodynamic approach to urban public space
No full textThere is energy all around us, left unperceived by the senses. At the interface of the envelope, energy
transformations are constantly occurring within the layers. For architectural design, these predominantly
unseen energies affect perceptions of the exterior, and potential ‘felt’ experiences of the interior. The
zones of energy that exist amongst the envelope should not separate the interior from the exterior, rather
they should be seen as a transformative system of exchange between the exterior and the body within a
thermodynamic space. In effect, this creates a zone ‘in-between,’ with various ergonomic conditions that
can be felt by the body.
Within the urban environment there is constant sensory overload. Preference is given towards natural
environments for places of relaxation and well-being. Parks and green-spaces attempt to encourage
comfort in the city, but the provided places rarely consider the dynamics of the seasons and the
interactions between demographics. By filtering and modulating our perceptions of ‘energy,’ and the
occurrence of microclimates, there can be a re-attunement towards the ways urban environments are
perceived and experienced. The awakening of thermal perceptions can increase sensitivity to the ‘felt’
senses, tempering the visual, and promoting well-being through sensual building systems. In terms
of sustainable design, common approaches rarely look at the provided support for the occupants’
well-being and the relationship between the body and the ‘felt experience’ of architecture. Sustainable
practice tends to focus on quantitative factors rather than qualitative needs. With a lack of visual means
and simulation technologies to understand thermal behaviour and the energy transformations that occur,
sustainability has a difficult time advancing in terms of well-being and body comfort. Accordingly, there
should be an alternative perspective on energy. Where energy is understood as a vital component to
public space and the interactions between people and their experiences within the built environment.
As the hub for Northern Ontario, Downtown Sudbury will be investigated, along with the need for
urban public space under winter conditions. At the proposed Downtown site of 70 Elm street, the public
space will engage the varied demographics, whilst providing an intriguing insight into designing with
thermal energy. As a south facing pocket park condition, the public space will bring a thermally-rich
engagement towards the senses, and serve to generate positive experiences, for a new perception
towards urban environments. In turn, a more inclusive micro-culture will be formed through the
incorporation of ‘energetic’ interactions, acting as a social and sensory therapy to destress and connect
with others, and become more attune to urban thermodynamic surroundings.
Experimentations with thermal energy and energy phenomena will be conducted to understand
thermal radiation and laminar flow to ultimately create a range of potential ‘felt’ experiences amongst
threshold spaces, suggesting activities for warmth or cooling. The method of thermal imaging will
develop an understanding of material application and form, in terms of thermal conductivity and
mass. The findings will lead to a knowledge of spatial properties, creating platforms with spaces
that are thermally ergonomic and can be modulated for customized comfort. From the research into
thermodynamics and the zone of concern being the ‘in-between’, the experiments will provide a
translation of these interests to potential sensory experiences; enabling an urban site to be conceived for
community healing and well-being
Performative architecture: inspiring the performance of architecture through the movement of dance
No full textHow does movement influence architecture and, in turn, how does architecture influence
movement? It is through the design of the Sudbury Movement Centre where this architectural approach
is demonstrated. The Sudbury Movement Centre (SMC) will be a building devoted entirely to movement,
inspiring and provoking the movement of people in the space. Situated in Sudbury’s downtown core, the
building will be conceived as a compliment to the existing Sudbury Theatre Centre (STC). Through the
architectural gestures in designing the SMC, an architectural relationship will be developed between the
two buildings, enhancing, adjusting and modifying the experience of the existing theatre into an entire
complex dedicated to movement. As a choreographer, my experience with movement finds itself seeking
to influence my architectural expression. There are indeed studied parallels between dance and
architecture. The theories of performance developed by Marvin Carlson, Richard Schechner, Erving
Goffman and A.L Austin for example, have led to a critical understanding of 'performative’ architecture.
From a choreographic perspective, the work of Rudolf Laban, Oskar Schlemmer and Cilliam Forsythe
have become imperative to my research and design development. Each choreographer has developed an
understanding of the movement by exploring and analyzing dance through three-dimensional and two dimensional methods. In an architectural sense, three case studies were researched, each addressing the
parallels between dance and architecture in three unique ways; provoking movement, representing
movement and the process of movement in two disciplines. Where these studies have successfully
developed the connection between the two disciplines, my interpretation takes a different approach to
the discipline and its potential as an architectural process. Chile these studies have become the grounding
to my research-creation, my own work seeks to take this beyond a metaphorical interpretation. In order
to understand architecture through a choreographic lens, the act of generating choreography was key to
developing an architecture of movement. I then captured the choreography in a method that abstracted
the movement of the dancers as a movement through space, a notational exploration which worked to
translate the complexity of three-dimensional movement into a two-dimensional space. This process
expanded my understanding of performed movement and a new perspective of my choreography
became evident. A perspective that analyzes movement through a choreographic and architectural lens
making clear the nuances in the movement gestures. It is these nuances that translate to a movement
inspired architecture. The gestures of the choreography become the gestures of the architecture where
each shapes the building form and informs the tectonic details of architectural design
Evaluating mental disorders and physician-based mental health services for patients enrolled in opioid agonists treatment across Ontario, Canada
No full textThe overall purpose of this thesis was to explore the relationship between physician-based
mental health services and all-cause mortality, emergency department visits and, hospitalizations
among patients receiving opioid agonist treatment (OAT) in different regions of Ontario. I
conducted a retrospective cohort study using secondary health administrative data from ICES.
Specifically, I used the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) and the Ontario Drug Benefit Plan
(ODB) databases to identify patients. Eligible patients were 15 years of age and over and were
receiving OAT from January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2015. I conducted quantitative analyses
using logistic regression and propensity score matching methods to test the relationship between
concurrent physician-based mental health services and OAT and health service outcomes. Five
core findings were brought together in this thesis: (a) having a diagnosis of one or more mental
disorders while in OAT was associated with a higher likelihood of mortality and a more complex
profile of health service utilization when compared to patients in OAT who had not been
diagnosed with mental disorders; (b) active engagement in OAT was associated with a reduced
likelihood of all-cause mortality, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations compared to
patients who had been but were not actively engaged in OAT; (c) receiving mental health
services from physicians (i.e., psychiatrists, primary care or both) while actively enrolled in OAT
was associated with a reduction in the likelihood of all-cause mortality compared to patients not
receiving mental health services while in OAT; (d) physician-based mental health services (from
psychiatrists, primary care or both) while enrolled in OAT was associated with frequent ED
visits and hospitalizations; and (e) fewer patients accessed mental health services while enrolled
in OAT in northern and rural Ontario compared to southern and urban regions of the province.Doctor of Philosophy (PhD.) in Rural and Northern Healt
Awakening being : towards a Heideggerian relationship to architecture in a natural context
No full textThe way we dwell within the natural environment is not sustainable, in fact our very conception of nature is flawed from our first idea of it. What is necessary then is the
reconceptualization of our understanding of our being. Working from Martin Heidegger’s ontological viewpoint this thesis will develop an understanding of how we as humans develop relationships with the physical environment in which we are immersed.
From this understanding a series of interventions will be designed using a design process derived from Martin Heidegger’s philosophy centralized around the experience of the hike. This hike will expand and explore Heidegger’s methods and will become a first attempt towards establishing an architectural process that can will develop healthier and more sustainable relationship with the natural environment. It will also create one that is more fulfilling to the experience we seek to gain from the natural environment
Socioecology of the Midland Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta marginata)
No full textThe cryptic nature of sociality in many reptile species suggests that their social
behaviour may indeed be more complex and varied than previous research supposes. I propose
that the Midland Painted Turtle (MPT; Chrysemys picta marginata) demonstrates cryptic social
organization in its nesting and basking behaviours. In this thesis, I aim to: i) describe patterns of
social organization in MPT, and ii) investigate influences on the social behaviour of MPT. In
Chapter I, I investigate the potential for kin-bias in the communal nesting behaviour of MPT. I
show that this bias is not present in MPT, and suggest that environmental factors and body size
largely govern MPT nesting behaviour. In Chapter II, I investigate social organization in basking
aggregations of MPT. I show that kin-bias is present in this behaviour. Further, I demonstrate
that sex, body size, and capture frequency of MPT affect their social behaviour
The influence of local and whole-body cooling on pulmonary and muscle oxygen uptake kinetics during moderate exercise
No full textThis study investigated oxygen kinetics and blood flow in response to core and muscle cooling at the onset of moderate exercise. Eight males performed two 3-min cycling bouts at moderate intensity (80% of the first ventilatory threshold) with (leg cooling; LC), and without (thermoneutral; TN) cooling of the vastus laterals (VL) muscle by 6 °C, and when core temperature was also decreased (whole-body cooling; WBC) by 1 °C. Muscle blood flow, and muscle (VO2m) oxygen uptake, and kinetics, as well as cardiovascular hemodynamics kinetics, were assessed. VO2 was higher in WBC (+1.96 mL kg -min', p = 0.023). Despite central (reduced cardiac output, heart rate pH, PO, SO2, and increased VO20 whole-body A-VO,Diff, PCO,) and local changes (decreased muscle blood flow and increased local-leg A-VO,Diff) induced by core and muscle cooling, oxygen and cardiovascular hemodynamics kinetics remained unaltered. This study demonstrated that local muscle cooling by 6 °C and core cooling by 1 °C do not influence local muscle or pulmonary oxygen kinetics during moderate exercise. Whether muscle priming, antagonist muscle activity, exercise intensity, cooling intensity or modality influenced the lower oxidative capacity of cooled muscles on kinetics remains unclear
Outcome of the Teaching Games for Understanding (TGFU) approach when applied to tactical understanding of strategy and tactics in the game of tennis for young people
No full textThe goal of the present study was to determine if the "Teaching Games for Understanding" (TGFU) approach would help young tennis players (9-12) improve their strategic and tactical decisions as compared to tennis instruction using a traditional or strictly technical approac
University student anxiety and stress – exploring the feasibility, suitability, and benefits of ACT matrix group workshops for university students experiencing anxiety and stress
No full textThe Ontario University and College Health Association (OUCHA), called upon the
provincial government for immediate action in regard to the state of post-secondary students’
mental health and lack of adequate supports (OUCHA, 2016), referencing the dire findings of
recent and consecutive studies done by the American College Health Association National
College Health Assessment II (ACHA-NCHA II). The studies indicated the top factors Ontario
students reported as having negative impacts on their academic performance were stress and
anxiety (ACHA-NCHA II, 2013, 2016), and the trend is rising. Anxiety and stress have been
linked to a multitude of risks including suicide. My qualitative research study explored the
benefits of a 1-day ‘Learning What Works’ ACT Matrix Workshop created to introduce a pointof-view to Laurentian students who struggle with problematic symptoms of anxiety and stress.
The workshop was based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and centred around
the ACT Matrix, a simple tool designed to foster the noticing of, and if desired, bringing about
change to behaviour. The results of this study were gleaned from data collected from pre- and
post-workshop surveys and participant discussion groups. Thematic analysis of the data returned
favourable results. Post-workshop survey respondents indicated they continued to benefit from
their workshop experience four weeks later, and shared ways in which they continue to refer to
the ACT Matrix in their lives. Some said the workshop changed their lives. Offering ACT Matrix
workshops in university settings could make a positive difference in more students’ mental
health.Masters in Social Wor
Expérience de francophones en Ontario chez leur médecin de famille : concordance et discordance linguistique
No full textIl est possible d’améliorer la santé et les soins de santé de manière efficace par
l’entremise de l’amélioration de l’expérience du patient. L’objectif principal de cette étude était
de saisir et comprendre l’expérience de patient(e)s francophones chez leur médecin de famille en
examinant les effets de la concordance et la discordance linguistique sur cette expérience. La
méthode de collecte de données fut inspirée des deux premières étapes de l’approche
« Experienced-Based Design » (EBD). Six groupes de discussions ont été organisés dans des
communautés fortement francophones du nord de l’Ontario où vingt-neuf participant(e)s ont
partagé l’expérience d’une visite chez leur médecin de famille. L’expérience de patient(e)s
francophone est caractérisée par de nombreuses émotions, dont plusieurs sont éprouvés en raison de la concordance et la discordance linguistique avec le médecin de famille. La discordance
linguistique au service de santé de première ligne suscite une expérience moins favorable en
matière de confort, d’accessibilité, de sécurité et de sentiments d’aptitude personnelle. L’offre
active de services en français en tenant compte de la préférence linguistique des patients au-delà
les apparences du bilinguisme, tout en offrant un environnement de santé de première ligne
bilingue (ex. affiches, formulaires) favoriserait une expérience de santé positive pour des Franco-
Ontariens
Journey to the sacred: an architectural retreat for the Sikh diaspora of British Columbia
No full textThe thesis addresses the evolution of
religious practice and sacred spaces in the
Sikh faith with an approach to propose a
new kind of local pilgrimage for devotees to
the spiritual realm in a diasporic Canadian
context. In our highly secular lives, the issue
at hand is to curate spaces to support the
practice of a religion and maintain a spiritual
connection. In conditions of diaspora,
when practitioners are displaced from
the homeland, the struggle to maintain a
spiritual and ethnic identity can become
more immense.
Sikhism
1
is a monotheistic religion based on
the principles of divine unity and equality
of all. The pillar of Sikh architecture is the
Gurdwara. Gurdwara, translating to “the
doorway to the Guru,” and is the Sikh’s
place of worship.
2
It is the essence for which
all principles stand in the Sikh faith
3
and
the Sikh religious experience constitutes
that of a devotional path culminating in a
direct experience of the Eternal Being and
attainment of liberation.
4
The proposed
pilgrimage is located in British Columbia, a
province with the greatest percentage of
diasporic Sikhs throughout Canada since
the early 1900s.
5
Congregational worship
in diaspora communities allows for bonding
in a culturally familiar atmosphere,
6
with
congregational spaces serving as a human
rights advocacy and a community gathering
space amongst a place of worship.
7
The
devotees, including generations now born
in the migrant country, may still long to
visit the homeland in search of this spiritual
guidance. This research will investigate
these potentials and apply them to explore
a new typology for this faith, the pilgrimage
destination for contemplation.
Through the analysis of case studies,
the traditional pilgrimage typology and
modern-day pilgrimages inform the arrival
of uniting with the spiritual dimension
in form of praying at relic or apparitions Pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela
Cathedral, Lac Ste Anne and Buddhist
retreats, demonstrate a focus on the
pilgrim’s journey which include modes of
travel, religious attachment and various
forms of self-realization. However, Sikhism
rejects the traditionally known notion of
pilgrimage, stating it is a quest of an egoistic
individual and instead justifies that the quest
for self-liberation is found within an inner
journey.
8
Discussion surrounds the holy
hymns found in the Guru Granth Sahib with
a musical setting known as kirtan which can
be associated with a sacred journey which
includes both personal and communal
experiences of pilgrimage.
9
Furthermore,
physical pilgrimages to Hemkunt Sahib and
Sri Harmandir Sahib demonstrate the ties
between place and identity for both local
and diasporic Sikh communities. Nagar
Kirtan, an event observed worldwide, is
an outdoor procession of singing of holy
hymns in a community. A Nagar Kirtan can
be associated with the physical pathway
followed by a congregation on a specific day
of the year.
The proposed site and building are an
opportunity for religious practice and ritual
that considers local context, diverse users
and contemporary pilgrimage practices.
The proposed design is a contemporary
pilgrimage that becomes the symbol and identity of Canadian Sikhs