Water and Urban Architecture

by

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER # 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background1

Research Questions2

Purpose2

Rationale3

Thesis Disposition4

Chapter I: Introduction4

Chapter II: Literature Review4

Chapter III: Methodology4

Chapter IV: Findings and Discussion4

Chapter V: Conclusion5

CHAPTER # 2: LITERATURE REVIEW6

Introduction6

History8

Greek Architecture and water10

Health and Architecture12

Combined Sewer Systems13

Combined Sewer Overflow14

Public Space/Public Realm/Public Domain15

Social Character16

Public Space Social Needs16

Physical Design17

Urban Environment19

Green Infrastructure Linkages and Systems19

REFERENCES21

CHAPTER # 1: INTRODUCTION

Background

The green building movement proposes a shift towards a more sustainable environment. This shift can be referred to as the "fourth wave", with the other three principle shifts in human history being the agricultural, the industrial, and the information revolutions. This shift into the "fourth wave" is challenging architects to rethink the way buildings are constructed and used. "A green building subculture emerged, focusing on the technology of energy consumption at the expense of other architectural preoccupations, resulting in a number of buildings that scored well on energy performance but that failed to address a range of critical qualitative architectural issues" (Tibbets 2005 465). The premise of this thesis goes beyond the conventional technological perception of sustainability and introduces a broader architectural discourse through integrating the Chinese Five Elements as a powerful catalyst for addressing the qualitative aspects of architecture and achieving a healthier, more sustainable built environment.

The Five Elements Theory is a fundamental philosophical basis for traditional Chinese science. The Five Elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water) establish relationships between phenomena. The Chinese elements are similar to the Greek classical elements of earth, air, fire, and water; "both theories are attempts to explain the bewildering complexity of things in the world in terms of a few simple familiar elements or forces". However unlike the Greek elements; the Chinese Five Elements are not considered material substances but rather "essences describing all matter and attributes" (Tennis Akers 2004 25). The Chinese Five Elements are a viable catalyst for this thesis on the premise that the qualitative characteristics associated with them include site specific aspects such as orientation and climate, have material associations, organ characteristics and have been an integral component in human health through its application in traditional Chinese medicine. The principles of the Five Elements, the Cycle of Balance and their role in traditional Chinese medicine, will be reinterpreted as fundamentals of sustainable design. This well be developed through a healthy and balanced built environment for a proposed recreation facility, and include improved quality of health for the users.

Research Questions

How to examine the utilization of water for urban spaces and buildings as a tool of composition from the designers?

Is water a dominant element of consideration for the planning of the urban spaces?

Purpose

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the role and use of water, in the development of urban spaces and architecture, from the very first human settlements, to the industrial revolution, to the modern cities and the future.

Rationale

Water as a physical, tangible substance is undisputed across cultures and centuries as an element essential to basic human life. It is a unifying element, and yet one that varies significantly from landscape to landscape, engaging ...