Thermal Tectonics

<p><b>This thesis examines high performance architectural tectonics through theoretical studies, design experiments, and through the design of two case study houses in Christchurch, New Zealand. The thesis focused on formulating a theoretical framework for a practice-focused, environmentally sustainable architecture by studying three key themes, specifically Architectural Tectonics, Contemporary Residential Architecture Detailing, and Energy Efficient Envelope Design.</b></p> <p>The integration of these three fields was undertaken to address the role of architectural design as the construction industry transitions to a net- zero carbon emissions future.</p> <p>Thermal tectonics takes a critical position towards the contemporary approach to residential architectural detailing, which increasingly intensifies the divergence between the tectonic expression of architectural junctions and the performance considerations of energy efficient envelope construction. This divergence results from a number of factors, including the increasing complexity of construction methods, the growing specialisation of building trades, and the increasing specialisation of architectural design.</p> <p>The project aims to tilt the existing aesthetic traditions of New Zealand residential architecture towards a language that performs better thermally. The thermal tectonic approach to architectural design intends to re-integrate the tectonic and performance considerations of the external envelope through a system-based approach to architectural design.</p> <p>Two case-study homes are developed through a tectonic framework that highlights the expressive potential of high performance construction systems. ‘Four Peaks House’ seeks to align a prefabricated SIP system with the vernacular typology of the Bach, developing a detail language that connects the building to place without the need for extensive low-performing glazing. ‘Gallery House’ explores the novel material of Hempcrete, demonstrating how exposing insulative materials can produce rich interior spaces.</p> <p>The design research was conducted through a series of design-led experiments focused on the six key principles of the Thermal Tectonic framework; anatomy, tectonic-stereotomic, space, place, detail and intersection, representation and ornamentation.</p> <p>This approach creates an explicit relationship between building elements and their thermal function, by using thermal simulation software to generate tectonic diagrams that describe how building elements are configured to express the thermal performance of a building. This provides architects with a critical tool for understanding how their design decisions can impact energy efficiency, while also allowing them to make design judgments that prioritise other factors such as aesthetic or material concerns. In addition, the research outcomes provide a direction for sustainable future practice that will ensure architectural ideas are translated into the high-performing language of our future built environment.</p>

HashWires: Hyperefficient Credential-Based Range Proofs

This paper presents HashWires, a hash-based range proof protocol that is applicable in settings for which there is a trusted third party (typically a credential issuer) that can generate commitments. We refer to these as “credential-based” range proofs (CBRPs). HashWires improves upon hashchain solutions that are typically restricted to micro-payments for small interval ranges, achieving an exponential speedup in proof generation and verification time. Under reasonable assumptions and performance considerations, a Hash-Wires proof can be as small as 305 bytes for 64-bit integers. Although CBRPs are not zero-knowledge and are inherently less flexible than general zero-knowledge range proofs, we provide a number of applications in which a credential issuer can leverage HashWires to provide range proofs for private values, without having to rely on heavyweight cryptographic tools and assumptions.

Mapping Ravel’s “La vallée des cloches”

This article makes a case for constructing a map of Maurice Ravel’s “La vallée des cloches” (The valley of the bells) by showing how the process of mapping the piece can provide valuable insights from a variety of perspectives, such as: 1) offering insights into how the piece’s many bell sounds are individuated from each other and interact with one another in creating intricate formal and temporal frameworks; 2) emphasizing prominent aspects of Ravel’s aesthetics such as mechanistic impulses, spatial and metaphorical thinking, literary influences, and nostalgic fascination with the past; 3) situating the piece within the context of significant changes in France at the turn of the twentieth century marked by the declining prominence of bells in defining the auditory landscape, the symbolism bells carried with them, and the role bells played in marking temporal rhythms for French society; and 4) showing how many aspects of the piece highlighted throughout the mapping process align in suggestive ways with significant performance considerations.