Designing a virtual environment within a digital game occupies a large part of the design procedure, requiring holistic attention and a broad arrangement of the game constituents. Considering other design disciplines, they occupy a unified design methodology; however, a comprehensive literature review reveals the lack of the intended design methodology in the digital game domain's virtual environment development, despite a currently proposed theoretical methodology trying to dissolve the issue. Hence, this research aims to determine the industry's requirements and provide a (...) set of assets included in current digital games as an initial step of providing such a design methodology for the domain. In this regard, the researchers reverse-engineered ten selected digital games, understanding the current condition of digital games via adopting the mentioned currently available design methodology. This dataset reveals a lack in the assets of the story layer in the recent digital games, despite their focus on being story-based. This dilemma leads to long text or speech conversations between game characters, disrupting the players while following the game. The current design focuses on environmental resources only, however, as a virtual landscape, the story needs to be reinforced to be a balanced and well-designed game. Hence, increasing the ratio of the assets in this layer will advance the games' interactivity. Also, as future work, this data set could pave the way for a digital game industry design tool regarding the virtual environment. (shrink)

This paper outlines a brief ecological and industrial history of Sydney Harbour before evaluating the different design strategies for post-industrial landscape architecture. Four recent projects by Sydney based landscape architects are critiqued in relation to the traditions of the Sydney Landscape School. Each project seeks to celebrate the topographic drama of Sydney Harbor with distinctive and innovative design approaches. This new Sydney Landscape School adopts a more complex approach to landscape palimpsests then the Sydney (...) School of the 1970s. (shrink)

"[..] flowing with the waters, halting with the mountains. In the images of light and wind the ephemeral is inscribed. Time is part of space. The scene performs." -/- The essay "Chinese Landscape Aesthetics: the exchange and nurturing of emotions" by Claudia Westermann included in "New Horizons: Eight Perspectives on Chinese Landscape Architecture Today" introduces ideas of landscape in traditional Chinese thought. Following the etymology of the Chinese terms for landscape and recognizing that their conceptual (...) focus is on the exchange and nurturing of emotions, which is not captured by the English term 'landscape,' one may gain a new understanding of contemporary works of Chinese landscape architecture. (shrink)

Water is the source of life for our planet, guided the ancient civilizations, and formed its current footprint on the earth. Water has always been a crucial element of our biological survival; consequently, humankind has permanently settled around it while carrying the responsibility of protecting it. To understand the water pattern in various cities throughout history and analyze how the emerging problems were overcome, Istanbul Technical University Landscape Architecture Department Graduate Level Design Studio was held under the theme (...) of "Around Water". Despite the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on education, international researchers contribute to the studio in a beneficial and diversified manner with the effective use of online tools. As a result of the literature review and the online, multidisciplinary education, and research-based design requirements, a new studio method was developed. Water-based case studies worldwide produced enriched outputs. While creating new discussion environments, the diversified outcomes of the studio "Around Water" contributed to the creation of cumulative studio knowledge. (shrink)

Throughout history, education has always been essential for humanity's justice and fundamental for the creation of a free and satisfying society with the dissemination of knowledge. Hence, in addition to the life occurrences educating people, traditional higher education methods have played an important role for a long period. However, the age of technology has changed the educational system along with the people's lifestyles to meet the continuously changing conditions. During the past twenty years, the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) led (...) to the emergence of e-learning non-traditional educational methods bringing about an innovative dimension of virtual learning. With its beneficial features provided by the Internet and various technologies, this method passes the control of time and location from the tutors to the students during the learning process. Despite the entrance of online education into the students' life many years ago, the Covid-19 outbreak initiated in 2020 turned this method into the only possible way of education for almost two years. Afterward, plenty of studies investigated its effects on students' social and academic life, mostly considering its negative impacts on their mental health and motivation due to interaction issues. They also pointed out the specific problems of tactile learner students in the lack of face-to-face design courses. As an innovative solution able to be adopted, game technologies, increasing immersion of the learner in a real-world skill, and triggering motivation are one of the best methods integrated into educational systems. Known as serious games, these games, adopted by almost any domain, convey educational content along with entertainment, increasing interaction. They train or enhance a certain skill or topic to the player by immersing them. While serious games are more expanded nowadays, they are still not being played by the mass public due to people's immersiveness expectations of a game. Hence, the Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs), with their emergence, increased the players' engagement and immersion with all types of virtual environments in digital games. This technology, however, evolved serious games area most, among others, by enabling the opportunity to provide a riskless and low-cost learning environment for real-world skills. In the process of suggesting serious games as a replacement for the traditional educational methods, the most important factor is being aware of their effectiveness for education. Generally, digital games, one of the world's biggest and fastest-growing industries, rely heavily on the virtual landscape, a major part of its development process. Its design demands remarkable effort, and it directly affects the whole game's characteristics. Hence, serious games, as a type of digital game, carry the same attributes. With the appearance of virtual reality technology, gaming started to gain more immersiveness and engagement with artificial elements and environments. Although virtual landscapes were always being developed since the emergence of digital games, the studies taking virtual landscapes into account are mostly using them as a tool for enhancing real spaces, not as a domain for the sake of its development. While other design domains are applying various design methodologies, it is challenging to find a standard design methodology for the design and production of virtual landscapes in the gaming industry, leading to inconsistent and low-quality results. Hence, it comes to the question of what is the virtual landscapes' role in serious games and their effect on the data comprehension rate. Since the literature lacks regarding the gradual change of the virtual landscape in serious games and the content they transmit, this thesis aims to figure out the gradual chronological evolution of the virtual landscapes in serious games. It also aims to seek how this change and the virtual reality technology invention have affected the contents transmitted by digital games and its influence on the player interaction and learning rate. To do so, in the process of this thesis, we developed, tested, and evaluated various serious games, both text-based and with 360° photos. The steps taken revealed the reluctance of the players to follow the providing educational content and their inadequacy of interaction. Hence, the thesis seeks the reasons ending to this result and the ways of increasing this learning rate. Afterward, the thesis uses a currently available but not massively used digital game classification methodology. This methodology, which is based on the principles of architecture, landscape architecture, and urban planning, classifies the games based on their constituting virtual landscapes. Hence, the thesis considers all Steam games, one of the biggest video game digital distribution services, filtered with the 'education' tag, ending in 2531 digital games. Afterward, adding the 'game' tag the result reduced to 1102 games. Finally, with some manual filterings ignoring the irrelevant content, the final number decreased to 702. Sorting chronologically, we made an Excel database including the games' introductory information, the content they transmit, their release date, if they support HMD or not, and whether they are simulation games or not. Due to Steam's dating spectrum, our database includes games dating back from 1992 to 2020. Afterward, we classified all of these games using the virtual landscape classification methodology and generated their related codes based on their player scale, story, dimension, space shape, and interaction level. Investigating the results, they revealed some growth patterns relating to the content educated in the game, the VR technology, and the virtual landscape evolution. Adding the user reviews of Steam, we reverse engineered five of the best serious games on the database due to the digital game design methodology. This methodology divides the games' virtual environment into five layers, namely, player activity map (PAM), story layer, natural environment layer, virtual environment layer, and media layer. Reverse engineering the five best digital games ever, based on the IGN database, enabled us to compare the outcomes. Due to released data, we understand how the games' assets are distributed within the various layers of the virtual environment in the most successful games. Finally, the thesis aims to provide a framework based on these results for developing serious games to increase player interaction and enhance the learning rate. However, these results can be expanded to any virtual landscape other than only serious games' for their interaction enhancement. Currently, the landscape architecture domain only adopts the virtual landscape area as a tool for enhancing design in the real world. However, in the near future, landscape architects will perform in the virtual landscape area as a domain to be enhanced. Hence, that day, the results of this study will play an important role and will be a roadmap for generating highly interactive virtual landscapes. (shrink)

There is fast-growing awareness of the role atmospheres play in architecture. Of equal interest to contemporary architectural practice as it is to aesthetic theory, this 'atmospheric turn' owes much to the work of the German philosopher Gernot Böhme. Atmospheric Architectures: The Aesthetics of Felt Spaces brings together Böhme's most seminal writings on the subject, through chapters selected from his classic books and articles, many of which have hitherto only been available in German. This is the only translated version authorised (...) by Böhme himself, and is the first coherent collection deploying a consistent terminology. It is a work which will provide rich references and a theoretical framework for ongoing discussions about atmospheres and their relations to architectural and urban spaces. Combining philosophy with architecture, design, landscape design, scenography, music, art criticism, and visual arts, the essays together provide a key to the concepts that motivate the work of some of the best contemporary architects, artists, and theorists: from Peter Zumthor, Herzog & de Meuron and Juhani Pallasmaa to Olafur Eliasson and James Turrell. With a foreword by Professor Mark Dorrian and an afterword by Professor David Leatherbarrow,, the volume also includes a general introduction to the topic, including coverage of it history, development, areas of application and conceptual apparatus. (shrink)

“Else-where” is a synoptic survey of the representational values given to art, architecture, and cultural production from 2002 through 2011. Written primarily as a critique of what is suppressed in architecture and what is disclosed in art, the essays are informed by the passage out of post-structuralism and its disciplinary analogues toward the real Real . While architecture nominally addresses an environmental ethos, it also famously negotiates its own representational values by way of its putative autonomy ; (...) its main repression in this regard is “landscape,” figure of the Other and figure of the Real. Engaging forms of spectrality, and not necessarily speculative intelligence per se, architecture is also “conscious” of its own complicity in capitalist orders, a complicity that in part underwrites its avant-garde forms of agitation since the onset of modern architecture. As a result, and over the course of the twentieth century, architectural vanguards have successively been depleted such that they return only as reified half-measures in the late-modern production of difference. As such, the essay “Actually Existing Ground” examines the failed promise of Landscape Urbanism. Since the 1960s, as with the allied arts, architecture has evacuated many of the utopian gestures given to modernism and embraced a form of ultra-contingency in a direct alliance with the post-modern and post-Marxist concession to markets and to cultural production as principal means of establishing formal hegemony. This recourse or surrender to the economic-determinist ethos of post-modernity, regardless of attempts to problematize it and/or critique it through types of what Manfredo Tafuri has called “operative criticism” , has, arguably, all but failed, and with the suggestive return circa 2011 of new forms of resistance an exit from the accommodating spirit of the times is indicative of the expectation of strenuous, yet highly formal and non-discursive operations within artistic and architectural production. The essays collected in “Else-where” cross various disciplines, inclusive of landscape architecture, architecture, and visual art, to develop a nuanced critique of an emergent formal regard in the arts that is also an invocation of the highest coordinates given to the arts – formal ontology as speculative intelligence itself – or the return of the universal as utopian thought “here-and-now.”. (shrink)

In parallel with the global landscape, the architecture profession is losing its appeal in Turkey, as evidenced by a decline in school occupancy rates to 79%. Accordingly, the Higher Education System (YÖK) has decreased architecture program quotas by an average of 20%. This study establishes a comprehensive model outlining the key factors influencing these orientations to better understand architecture students’ career paths. This paper investigates how architecture students’ perceptions of the construction industry influence their career (...) choices, particularly their likelihood of staying in the sector. The devised model is empirically validated via data collected from 419 online survey questionnaires. Utilizing SPSS 23 and LISREL 8.8 software, a range of analyses, including frequency, validity, reliability, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling, are conducted. The model posits “intention to stay in the sector (IS)” as a dependent latent variable, affected by independent latent variables like “nature of the profession (NP)”, “prestige (PR)”, “working conditions (WCs)”, “health and stress (HS)”, “salary and benefits (SB)”, “ethical and political processes (EPs)”, “authorities and responsibilities (AR)”, and “conformity to expectations (CE)”. The findings demonstrate that NP, PR, WCs, SB, HS, EPs, AR, and CE significantly influence IS. Particularly, NP and PR substantially impact the preference for the architectural profession and the determination to remain in the sector. In contrast, WCs, HS, SB, and EPs affect IS negatively. This research contributes significantly to the literature on the career intentions of architecture students by presenting a model that captures the factors influencing their career choices. The model is supported by substantial empirical evidence and is based on a comprehensive literature review. (shrink)

Landscape Agency New York was founded by Gavin Keeney, c.1997, and encompassed a wide array of activities and effects – e.g., research, writing, design, consulting, and teaching. /S/OMA (Syntactical Operations Metaphorical Affects) was the mobile, and sometimes global design and teaching module within LANY, focusing primarily on entirely hypothetical and/or irreal projects, many becoming the foundation for lectures and courses delivered at institutions in the US, Canada, Australia, and Europe, from 2003 to 2007. Lastly, the LANY Archive-Grotto was established (...) following publication of On the Nature of Things: Contemporary American Landscape Architecture (Birkhauser, 2001), primarily as a means of escaping the then-formulaic production of texts common to Landscape Architecture and Architecture. (shrink)

This work introduces the framework for selecting architecture in 5G networks, considering various technological, performance, economic, and operational factors. With the emergence of 5G technology, the architecture selection process has become pivotal in meeting diverse requirements for ultra-high-speed connectivity, low latency, scalability, and diverse service demands. The evaluation comprehensively analyses different architecture options, including centralized, distributed, cloud-based, and virtualized architectures. Factors such as network performance, scalability, cost-effectiveness, security, and compatibility are considered within a multi-criteria decision-making framework. Findings (...) reveal each architecture option's diverse strengths and limitations, emphasizing the importance of aligning architectural choices with specific use cases, deployment scenarios, and business objectives. We used the concept of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methodology to control the various criteria. We used the single-valued neutrosophic set (SVNS) to deal with vague and inconsistent data. The SVNS is integrated with the hyperSoft set. The proposed methodology uses a single-valued neutrosophic hyperSoft set (SVNHSS) to select the best 5G architecture. We used the VIKOR method as an MCDM method to rank the alternatives. The proposed framework provides stakeholders with a structured methodology to evaluate and prioritize architecture options, facilitating informed decision-making in the complex landscape of 5G network deployments. (shrink)

The rapid growth of cloud computing has revolutionized data management, providing organizations with unmatched scalability and flexibility [1]. However, this digital transformation has also exposed critical vulnerabilities, especially in the face of increasingly sophisticated cyber threats [3]. As organizations migrate to cloud-based infrastructures, traditional security models are proving ineffective in safeguarding sensitive data. Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) emerges as a proactive and robust security framework designed to address these challenges by enforcing strict access controls and verifying every request for (...) access, regardless of its origin [1][4]. This article explores the role of ZTA in mitigating emerging cybersecurity threats such as advanced persistent threats (APTs), insider attacks, and data breaches [5]. It examines how ZTA's principles—such as least privilege access, micro-segmentation, and continuous authentication—enhance data security in cloud environments [6]. Furthermore, the article discusses how ZTA integrates with encryption, identity and access management (IAM), and continuous monitoring to bolster organizational defenses against evolving cyber risks [2]. By aligning ZTA with regulatory compliance requirements, including HIPAA, GDPR, and CCPA, organizations can maintain both security and operational efficiency [7]. Through real-world case studies and best practices, this work provides a roadmap for implementing ZTA, offering actionable insights for organizations to mitigate risks, enhance cybersecurity posture, and safeguard their digital assets in an increasingly complex threat landscape [8][9]. (shrink)

Many of the following literary-critical texts (not all quite conventional “long-form” essays) originally appeared on the Landscape Agency New York website, LANY Archive-Grotto, on the web portal Geocities, between the years 1997 and 2008 – i.e., over a period of roughly ten years. Versions of some were published in various journals, academic or otherwise. In re-presenting them here, the intention is to trace a proverbial “red thread” that crosses the entirety of the work, arguably what might be denoted the (...) works-based agency of works, and, arguably, the telltale trace of what is otherwise known as the “life-work,” yet for works versus for authors. -/- The entire, retrospective apparatus of The Editioning of Gardens is also, decidedly, an homage to New York, New York, either where or from where much of the research was undertaken and “lived.” Manhattan, indeed, haunts these pages, directly and indirectly – that is to say, the unparalleled access to libraries, bookstores, universities, galleries, cafés, pubs, restaurants, cinemas, parks, and the streets is quite simply the source for the often-intense, yet suitably critical exegetical works. -/- This book is meant to both recapitulate themes crossing the “life-work” of the works collected, but to also illustrate the transitional gestalt of the 1990s and 2000s, something we collectively have not yet quite exited, and something that still haunts and gives pause to architects and landscape architects today. In naming this collection “The Editioning of Gardens,” the intention is to draw attention to the fact that it is landscape that underwrites almost all architectural interventions, whether acknowledged or denied, and that it is “landscape” – in the widest sense of the word – that we inherently and collectively inhabit. -/- NOTA BENE: -/- While many of the essays and texts presented here have been previously published as “working papers” or “reviews” on the LANY Archive-Grotto website, or in journals and P2P dossiers (i.e., in open-access collections posted to research repositories, here denoted Things Czech and Dossier LANY), their presentation in book form makes them more readily accessible and effectively new works as totality. Most have also been re-edited and re-formatted for inclusion in The Editioning of Gardens. -/- All texts are also dated so as to situate them in the timeframe in which they appeared (or were written), as snapshots or surveys of passing times. While re-edited and re-formatted for presentation here, they have not been re-written as such due to their implied “historic” and “time-based” nature. As collection, however, they function as an (un)timely reminder of critical exegesis as rite of passage – underscoring the significance of the title of the collection. This latter trait is what, ironically, makes the collection contemporary and post-contemporary – timely and untimely at once. (shrink)

The modern banking landscape demands scalable, resilient, and customer-centric systems capable of adapting to rapid technological shifts. Traditional monolithic core banking systems, though functionally rich, often struggle with agility, maintenance, and scalability. The transition toward cloud-based core banking solutions—leveraging microservices architecture—presents a robust alternative to these legacy systems. This paper explores the integration of microservices architecture within cloud computing environments for core banking systems, offering a modular, loosely-coupled, and highly scalable infrastructure. The proposed model enhances system flexibility, (...) enables continuous deployment, improves fault isolation, and supports dynamic scaling across services. We examine the architectural components, implementation strategies, and real-world adoption cases of cloud-native banking systems, while also analyzing their performance against legacy systems. The study concludes with insights into security, compliance, and future innovation pathways for the digital transformation of core banking services. (shrink)

In recent years, a growing discussion about how we should design our cities has emerged, particularly for the more controversial modes of design such as “defensive,” “hostile,” or “disciplinary” architecture (i.e., benches on which one cannot sleep, or metal studs on which one cannot skate). Although this debate is relatively mature, many studies have argued that these design notions are undertheorized and are, thus, challenging to study from an empirical and normative perspective. In this paper, I will defne the (...) most common terms used in the literature and show how they are interconnected by utilizing a set of “conditions of adequacy” from philosophy to facilitate a more transparent and well-grounded discussion of them. Terms such as “hostile” and “defensive” design are underlined by several diferent phenomena, not just one as is sometimes commonly assumed. I will also show that these phenomena and their conceptualizations require—and sometimes force us to use—diferent moral reasons when justifying the utilization of diferent designs. (shrink)

Industrial heritage has become a very matter of debate among experts as the most significant reminder of the industrial era, it also is of great examples of 20th-century heritage. Nowadays, industrial heritage sites are suffering from intense physical conditions and are being intruded by massive economic projects since they are located in favorable places of towns and possess vast spaces. Conservation methods have mostly been limited to the surroundings of industrial heritage sites and have not considered the extended areas connected (...) to the site. The resolutions should be sought throughout these questions: How do outstanding values of an industrial heritage site affect its buffer zone mapping? Or what should a buffer zone map encompass to protect specific values of an industrial heritage site? During this research ample of evidence is seen which firstly depicts the appreciation of industrial heritage and the tendency to conserve them among the host countries. The main result concluded is a guideline based on the similarities and differences between various types of industrial heritage and their impacts on determining boundaries and zones. In case of increasing the number of case studies, the results of this paper can aid in charge organizations to take more effective measure in developing plans to determine boundaries and zones for different types of industrial heritage sites. The data gathered for this paper was collected through library resources about industrial heritage and basically from academic and universal management manuals of buffer zones. The information chiefly is adopted from registration files received by the world heritage committee of UNESCO. The method of this research is case study research and the method for analysis is descriptive-analytical. (shrink)

It might seem strange to propose an aesthetic consideration of the theme park, that artificial bloom in the garden of popular culture.1 The aesthetic is often considered a minority interest in the modern world, yet it offers a distinctive perspective, even on an activity that has mass appeal, and can provide insights that would otherwise remain undiscovered. Aesthetic description and interpretation can illuminate the theme park in many directions: as architecture, design, theater, landscape architecture, environment. I shall (...) choose the last of these, environment. (shrink)

Serious games with their educational or skill development purposes besides entertainment, have been used in various fields such as architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, cultural heritage, and learning of language and culture, easing the data absorption process of the specific topic for the user. The use of serious games in the cultural heritage or cultural landscape, as a subtopic, can have a role in its preservation in addition to the information transition ability. Yedikule Bostans is a (...) serious game designed for cultural heritage, its importance, and maintenance ways. The case study of this article is the İstanbul’s market gardens, existing plenty of them in İstanbul, which have remained since ancient times surviving despite the difficulties of urbanization. This research is focusing on the Yedikule Bostanları with their 1500-year history which are associated with the Theodosian Walls, registered in the list of historic areas of İstanbul in UNESCO. The serious game presented in this research with its immersive text-based time-traveling theme about these gardens aims to attract the public's attention to their perishing danger. Thanks to the abilities of the Twine software used in the game's development, we provide a charming journey to the users throughout the game to increase their awareness of the inherited farming culture and more comprehensively the cultural heritage and cultural landscape, meanwhile. (shrink)

The problem of "lost space," or the inadequate use of space, afflicts most urban centers today. The automobile, the effects of the Modern Movement in architectural design, urban-renewal and zoning policies, the dominance of private over public interests, as well as changes in land use in the inner city have resulted in the loss of values and meanings that were traditionally associated with urban open space. This text offers a comprehensive and systematic examination of the crisis of the contemporary city (...) and the means by which this crisis can be addressed. Finding Lost Space traces leading urban spatial design theories that have emerged over the past eighty years: the principles of Sitte and Howard; the impact of and reactions to the Functionalist movement; and designs developed by Team 10, Robert Venturi, the Krier brothers, and Fumihiko Maki, to name a few. In addition to discussions of historic precedents, contemporary approaches to urban spatial design are explored. Detailed case studies of Boston, Massachusetts; Washington, D.C.; Goteborg, Sweden; and the Byker area of Newcastle, England demonstrate the need for an integrated design approach--one that considers figure-ground, linkage, and place theories of urban spatial design. These theories and their individual strengths and weaknesses are defined and applied in the case studies, demonstrating how well they operate in different contexts. This text will prove invaluable for students and professionals in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, and city planning. Finding Lost Space is going to be a primary text for the urban designers of the next generation. It is the first book in the field to absorb the lessons of the postmodern reaction, including the work of the Krier brothers and many others, and to integrate these into a coherent theory and set of design guidelines. Without polemics, Roger Trancik addresses the biggest issue in architecture and urbanism today: how can we regain in our shattered cities a public realm that is made of firmly shaped, coherently linked, humanly meaningful urban spaces? Robert Campbell, AIA Architect and architecture critic Boston Globe. (shrink)

This paper illustrates how affordance-based design can contribute to solutions for the grand challenges that society faces. The design methodology of ‘strategic interventions’ is explained.

This paper reviews current initiatives to establish carbon offset forests in suburban and peri-urban environments. While moments of density occur within urban territories the general spatial condition is one of fragmented and patchy networks made up of a heterogeneous mix of residential enclaves, industrial parks, waste sites, infrastructure easements interspersed with forests, agriculture, leftover voids and overlooked open space. These overlooked open spaces have the potential to form a new green urban structure of carbon offset forests as cities respond to (...) the carbon economy. Furthermore such urban spaces are not likely to diminish over time as cities are not only growing larger but are becoming more dispersed according to recent World Bank reports. This strong trend is not limited to developed or developing cities but is a worldwide phenomenon. In the future, policy incentives for carbon sequestration will drive land use change in rural and urban areas alike. The paper documents projects in Blacktown City Council in Western Sydney. (shrink)

THE CONGRESS The infrastructure of the colonial territories obeyed the logic of economic exploitation, territorial domain and commercial dynamics among others that left deep marks in the constructed landscape. The rationales applied to the decisions behind the construction of infrastructures varied according to the historical period, the political model of colonial administration and the international conjuncture. This congress seeks to bring to the knowledge of the scientific community the dynamics of occupation and transformation of colonial territory, especially related to (...) and resulting from the war effort, which involved not only the agency of architecture and urbanism but also of military apparatus, and its repercussions in the same territories as independent countries. Colonial infrastructures will be addressed to question, for instance, how housing production during armed conflict has conditioned future spatial models of the independent countries or what options taken by colonial administrations were abandoned or otherwise strengthened after independence. The congress is part of the ongoing research project entitled “ARCHWAR - Dominance and massviolence through Housing and Architecture during colonial wars. The Portuguese case (GuineaBissau, Angola, Mozambique): colonial documentation and post independence critical assessment” funded by ‘Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia’ (FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology), ref. PTDC/ART-DAQ/0592/2020, in which Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (FCG) is a partner. The general goal of the congress is to debate on the repercussions of the decisions taken by the colonial states in the area of territorial infrastructures – in particular through the disciplines of architecture and urbanism – in post-independence spatial and urban models and the formation of independent countries with a colonial past. (shrink)

periphery looks at you with hate. This phrase in red neon struck the visitors of Landscapes, an exhibition by Domenico Antonio Mancini in the Lia Rumma Gallery in Naples, in 2019. It was not addressed to the public but to the nineteenth-century pictorial views relocated in the last room of the exhibition, as if repainted by the immaterial vandalism of the colored light. The exhibition’s theme was the visibility of contemporary suburban environments, now accessible through Google street view visualizations. Mancini’s (...) non-representational Landscapes are Google addresses, not aesthetically appreciable but pragmatically challenging: the visitor must type on a touch screen to access to the outskirts of Naples, Palermo, Catania, Rome and Milan. The words at the end of the exhibition almost literally replicated a black graffiti drawn on Palazzo Missori in Milan. Are these relocation and remediation just about artification? What happens when, browsing Google street view, I take a close look at that graffiti recalling the political protests during the streets the 1960s? The deictic transitability in space and time of the hypermediated image can activate a fortuitous narrative and an open interpretation by looking back on the present as if it were past. Even a digital landscape is a moral landscape like that of public art for Danto, with a «internal beauty» whose meaning is not already embodied in architectural and artistic media but accessible and shareable through our portable devices. (shrink)

In today’s digital landscape, businesses face increasing pressure to maintain service continuity and data availability, especially in the face of potential service disruptions or disasters. Traditional single-cloud deployments can be vulnerable to outages, data loss, and geographical limitations. As a result, multi-cloud strategies have emerged as a solution for achieving higher resilience, disaster recovery (DR), and business continuity. By leveraging multiple cloud service providers (CSPs), organizations can architect redundancy, improve service availability, and ensure faster recovery in the event of (...) a failure. This paper explores the importance of multi-cloud strategies for resilience and disaster recovery, focusing on key components like data replication, geographic distribution, failover mechanisms, and backup strategies. We discuss architectural patterns, best practices, and challenges of implementing multi-cloud disaster recovery solutions. Additionally, we present case studies that highlight how multi-cloud strategies enhance business resilience and improve operational continuity during disruptions. (shrink)

In the rapidly evolving landscape of data storage solutions, Dell EMC’s VMAX and PowerMax series have emerged as pivotal technologies for enterprise-level storage management. This research article delves into the architectural intricacies, performance benchmarks, and operational efficiencies of VMAX and PowerMax, providing a comprehensive guide for storage experts. By analyzing core components, integration points, and data processing methodologies, the study elucidates the advancements that PowerMax introduces over its predecessor, VMAX. Through empirical data collection, preprocessing, and feature engineering, the research (...) employs robust algorithmic models to evaluate system performance, scalability, and reliability. The implementation workflow encompasses initial setup, sentiment analysis, automated response mechanisms, and real-time transaction verification, ensuring a holistic examination of both storage solutions. Results indicate significant improvements in speed, data integrity, and user satisfaction with PowerMax. The discussion highlights the advantages, such as enhanced security and compliance, while addressing limitations and challenges inherent in transitioning from VMAX to PowerMax. Conclusively, this guide serves as an essential resource for IT professionals seeking to optimize their storage infrastructure through informed decision-making and strategic deployment of VMAX and PowerMax systems. (shrink)

This article examines the rapidly evolving landscape of cybersecurity, focusing on emerging threats and innovative defense mechanisms. We analyze four key threat vectors: Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), ransomware, Internet of Things (IoT) vulnerabilities, and social engineering attacks. These threats pose significant risks to organizations, including data breaches, financial losses, and operational disruptions. In response, we explore cutting-edge defense mechanisms such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for threat detection, Zero Trust Architecture for access control, blockchain for data integrity, (...) behavioral analytics for insider threat detection, and quantum cryptography for enhanced encryption. The article also outlines best practices for cybersecurity, including regular software updates, strong password policies, employee training, and security audits. By synthesizing current research and industry trends, this article provides a comprehensive overview of the cybersecurity landscape, emphasizing the need for continuous adaptation and vigilance in the face of evolving cyber threats. (shrink)

As businesses increasingly migrate to cloud environments, the need for robust and adaptive cloud security frameworks becomes paramount. Cloud services provide numerous benefits such as scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency, but they also introduce significant risks in terms of privacy, compliance, and data protection. This paper explores the evolving landscape of cloud security, focusing on next-generation frameworks that aim to balance the often-competing demands of privacy, regulatory compliance, and data protection. We analyze emerging security models that incorporate advanced technologies such (...) as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), and Blockchain, all of which are reshaping cloud security. Additionally, we discuss the challenges organizations face in managing security across multi-cloud and hybrid environments, and the role of cloud service providers in ensuring compliance with global regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and CCPA. The paper concludes by outlining best practices and strategies that organizations can adopt to enhance their cloud security posture and ensure the privacy and protection of sensitive data. (shrink)

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has revolutionized the landscape of cloud storage, offering a suite of scalable, secure, and cost-effective solutions tailored for diverse business needs. This research article delves into the fundamental concepts of AWS Storage, specifically targeting solution architects tasked with designing and implementing robust storage architectures. By examining key services such as Amazon S3, EBS, EFS, and Glacier, the study highlights their unique features, use cases, and integration capabilities within the AWS ecosystem. The methodology involves a comprehensive (...) analysis of AWS documentation, case studies, and expert interviews to identify best practices and architectural patterns. Additionally, machine learning techniques are employed to assess performance metrics and optimize storage configurations. The results underscore the importance of understanding data lifecycle management, security protocols, and cost optimization strategies in leveraging AWS Storage effectively. The discussion addresses the advantages of AWS Storage solutions, including scalability and reliability, while also acknowledging limitations such as potential vendor lock-in and complexity of management. Challenges faced by solution architects, such as ensuring data security and compliance, are explored in detail. Conclusively, the paper provides strategic recommendations for solution architects to enhance their proficiency in AWS Storage, ensuring the delivery of resilient and efficient storage solutions that align with organizational objectives. (shrink)

One of the primary, if not most critical, difficulties in the design and implementation of autonomous systems is the black-boxed nature of the decision-making structures and logical pathways. How human values are embodied and actualised in situ may ultimately prove to be harmful if not outright recalcitrant. For this reason, the values of stakeholders become of particular significance given the risks posed by opaque structures of intelligent agents (IAs). This paper explores how decision matrix algorithms, via the belief-desire-intention model for (...) autonomous vehicles, can be designed to minimize the risks of opaque architectures. Primarily through an explicit orientation towards designing for the values of explainability and verifiability. In doing so, this research adopts the Value Sensitive Design (VSD) approach as a principled framework for the incorporation of such values within design. VSD is recognized as a potential starting point that offers a systematic way for engineering teams to formally incorporate existing technical solutions within ethical design, while simultaneously remaining pliable to emerging issues and needs. It is concluded that the VSD methodology offers at least a strong enough foundation from which designers can begin to anticipate design needs and formulate salient design flows that can be adapted to the changing ethical landscapes required for utilisation in autonomous vehicles. (shrink)

The application layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model plays a critical role in enabling end-user interaction with network services, making it a primary target for cybersecurity threats. This paper reviews contemporary research on securing the application layer, addressing emerging threats such as injection attacks, malware, phishing, and zero-day vulnerabilities. Key strategies, including secure development practices, application firewalls, cryptographic protocols, and user education, are explored to mitigate these risks. The challenges of an evolving threat landscape and resource constraints (...) are discussed, along with future directions leveraging artificial intelligence, blockchain, and zero trust architecture to enhance security. The findings underscore the importance of a multifaceted approach to safeguarding the application layer in an increasingly hostile cyber environment. (shrink)

Adaptive reuse embodies a significant transition in the evolution of urban landscapes, representing a paradigm shift from industrial or obsolete uses to vibrant, sustainable, and community-centric functions. This transformative process, deeply rooted in the principles of sustainable urban development, emphasizes the conservation of architectural heritage, environmental sustainability, and socio-economic revitalization. At the heart of adaptive reuse is the concept of sustainability, which challenges traditional notions of development and conservation by repurposing existing structures, thereby conserving resources, and reducing the carbon footprint (...) associated with new constructions. These initiatives align with broader sustainability goals, such as those outlined in the 2030 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), particularly those related to sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, and climate action. (shrink)

The shift to Microservices architecture and Application Programming Interface (API) - first development has transformed the landscape of software engineering, empowering development teams to create highly scalable, modular systems with agile, independent service deployment. However, the complexities of distributed architectures present unique challenges that traditional testing methodologies are often ill-equipped to address. These include managing inter-service dependencies, handling asynchronous communications, and ensuring data consistency across distributed nodes, all of which necessitate advanced testing strategies. This paper explores AI-enhanced testing (...) strategies specifically designed for Microservices and APIs, harnessing the power of machine learning, intelligent test generation, and anomaly detection. By leveraging machine learning models trained on production data, AI-driven approaches dynamically generate high-fidelity test cases and prioritize high-risk interactions, thereby optimizing test coverage and reducing test cycle duration. Additionally, intelligent test generation replicates real-world usage scenarios, creating adaptive tests that evolve with application changes. AI-powered anomaly detection adds a crucial layer of oversight, identifying deviations from expected behavior across interconnected services and flagging potential faults before they impact production. Furthermore, self-healing test mechanisms driven by AI continuously adjust and update test configurations as APIs evolve, maintaining relevance in high-speed CI/CD environments. This paper demonstrates how AI-driven testing elevates testing precision, enhances fault detection, and enables robust quality assurance in complex, API-driven systems. (shrink)

How can humanist principles of respect, dignity, and care inform and improve design for non-human lifeforms? This paper uses ageing and dying urban trees to understand how architectural, urban, and landscape design respond to nonhuman concerns. It draws on research in plant sciences, environmental history, ethics, environmental management, and urban design to ask: how can more-than-human ethics improve multispecies cohabitation in urban forests? The paper hypothesises that concepts of dignity and respect can underline the capabilities of nonhuman lifeforms and (...) lead to improved designs for multispecies cohabitation. To investigate the implications of this ethical framework, we 1) indicate injustices of current management in relation to natural and cultural histories of trees; 2) outline a conceptual framework that includes large old trees as stakeholders in urban communities; and 3) use this framework in a thought experiment with urban trees in Melbourne, outlining comparative design outcomes. Our findings show that the expansion of dignity to include nonhuman life is possible and plausible. Such an extension can justify and encourage design innovation for multiple species and sites. The resulting design practices will lead to improvements by supporting communities of trees at all stages of their life-cycles, including old age, death, and rebirth. This approach requires substantial shifts in accepted thinking and practices including history, ethics, aesthetics, regulation, and education. Design can play a significant role in the necessary transitions by demonstrating tangible and positive outcomes. In this context, history emerges as an essential tool that can extend societal imagination by situating possible future places in the context of ancient and ongoing geological, evolutionary, ecological, and cultural processes. (shrink)

In 2020, TICCIH published its thematic study on oil heritage, the first global assessment of the heritage of petroleum production and the oil industry, and of the places, structures, sites, and landscapes that might be conserved for their historical, technical, social, or architectural attributes. In many cases, the petroleum production sites and historical infrastructures, situated in corrosive and fragile landscapes, are costly to conserve, challenging to re-use, and pre-function considering their contribution to climate change. TICCIH also included the proposals for (...) criteria to evaluate this heritage and priorities for conserving the most important sites, ensembles, and landscapes, from regional inventories up to World Heritage sites. In this report, the heritage of the petroleum industry is defined as ‘the most significant fixed, tangible evidence for the discovery, exploitation, production, and consumption of petroleum products and their impact on human and natural landscapes’. While the importance of the historical evidence for the oil industry as a tangible cultural heritage is self-evident, it is also challenging to define an integrated and holistic strategy from a conversation point of view. For achieving holistic and methodological re-use strategies, it is required to reconsider various factors such as national policies and economic systems. (shrink)

: In the evolving landscape of data center networks, agility, automation, and scalability have become essential components for modern enterprise IT infrastructures. Cisco's Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) represents a significant shift toward intent-based networking by aligning network operations with application requirements. This paper explores how Cisco ACI enhances data center performance, simplifies network management, and supports rapid application deployment through a software-defined networking (SDN) approach Cisco ACI is built around a policy-driven model that integrates software and hardware components to (...) provide centralized automation and real-time application visibility. Key components such as the Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC), ACI fabric, and endpoint groups (EPGs) form the foundation of this architecture. These elements work together to deliver dynamic provisioning, efficient resource allocation, and seamless scalability, making ACI ideal for complex, multitenant environments. The study evaluates the deployment process, operational efficiencies, and performance improvements associated with ACI, including reduced provisioning times, improved security posture through microsegmentation, and enhanced troubleshooting capabilities. It also examines the role of ACI in supporting hybrid cloud environments and its integration with DevOps practices and orchestration tools. The results underscore Cisco ACI’s value in transforming traditional data center operations into a more agile, secure, and responsive framework. With its focus on application-centricity, automation, and programmability, ACI offers a strategic pathway for organizations seeking to modernize their data centers while aligning network behavior with business intent. (shrink)

Cities have consistently served as fertile grounds for the emergence and growth of radical ideas, political transformations, and social movements, with urban landscapes nurturing visionary concepts, idealism, and revolutionary ideologies. This research delves into the captivating world of radical cities, exploring the power of image and visual narratives to communicate and comprehend urban activism within diverse contexts. By analyzing various case studies and student works, we aim to create, study, and reimagine vivid portrayals of urban activism, radical urbanism, and future (...) socio-spatial developments. The focus lies on developing innovative visual modalities and collaborative critical pedagogical approaches that engage with the complexities of radical cities across North America, Latin America, Asia, Europe, and beyond. In this study, we explore the potential of image and visual narratives to decode and understand pivotal societal transitions in radical cities. By employing imaginative and critical pedagogy, we aspire to foster a more profound comprehension of urban activism and its impact on shaping the cities of the future. (shrink)

From his initial writings on imagination and memory, to his recent studies of the glance and the edge, the work of American philosopher Edward S. Casey continues to shape 20th-century philosophy. In this first study dedicated to his rich body of work, distinguished scholars from philosophy, urban studies and architecture as well as artists engage with Casey's research and ideas to explore the key themes and variations of his contribution to the humanities. -/- Structured into three major parts, the (...) volume reflects the central concerns of Casey's writings: an evolving phenomenology of imagination, memory, and place; representation and landscape painting and art; and edges, glances, and voice. Each part begins with an extended interview that defines and explains the topics, concepts, and stakes of each of area of research. Readers are thus offered an introduction to Casey’s fascinating body of work, and will gain a new insight into particular aspects and applications of Casey's research. -/- With a complete bibliography and an introduction that at once stresses each of Casey’s areas of research while putting into perspective their overarching themes, this authoritative volume identifies the overall coherence and interconnections of Edward S. Casey's work and his impact in contemporary thought. (shrink)

Generative models have revolutionized the landscape of artificial intelligence by shifting the focus from predictive tasks to creative and constructive capabilities. From the early use of probabilistic models to the modern architectures of deep neural networks, the evolution of generative models has been marked by increasing sophistication in capturing data distributions and generating novel content. This paper explores the trajectory of generative modeling—from rudimentary statistical techniques to complex structures such as Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), Variational Autoencoders (VAEs), and Transformer-based (...) large language models. By analyzing both the theoretical foundations and practical implementations of these models, we investigate how machines have moved closer to simulating human-like imagination through artificial means. The study utilizes a combination of technical analysis and experimental evaluation to examine the performance of various generative models in tasks related to text, image, and multimodal content creation. We also discuss the philosophical and societal implications of synthetic media, including authorship, originality, and ethical responsibility. A core aim is to understand how data-driven systems have progressed from simply learning representations to autonomously generating meaningful, contextually aware content. Through a detailed methodology involving benchmark datasets, model fine-tuning, and qualitative and quantitative evaluation, we identify key capabilities and limitations of current generative systems.Our findings suggest that while significant progress has been made, generative models still rely heavily on input conditioning, training diversity, and optimization constraints. Despite these limitations, they represent a pivotal advancement in the quest for computational creativity. This paper contributes to the growing discourse on artificial imagination, offering insight into how generative models not only imitate but also expand the creative boundaries of machine learning. As we continue to develop these systems, the line between data processing and autonomous creativity becomes increasingly blurred, raising important questions about the future of AI in human-centric domains. (shrink)

In the constantly evolving landscape of Artificial Intelligence (AI), programming language selection has a defining role in the generation of innovation. This paper examines the harmonious dance between Python and AI, a language that has emerged to be the spine of intelligent systems. In a comprehensive review, we bring forth Python's heterogeneity and dominance in AI design, with applications in real life in machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, robotics, and more. A deeper look into the strengths of (...) Python—simplicity, rich libraries, and supportive community—offers a sufficient reason why it is now the choice of AI researchers and developers. No technology is flawless, though; hence, we also mention the shortcomings of Python, such as performance bottlenecks and runtime issues, to present an overall picture. Since a tremendous amount of programming languages are used in AI, the paper also provides a comparative summary of popular AI-guided languages in terms of their efficiency, scalability, and usability for various AI applications. By providing an overview of Python's prevalence and placement among other AI languages, the research seeks to offer developers, researchers, and professionals decision-making information for AI-project deployment. (shrink)

Smells seem to offer a great opportunity to restructure the reality of the individual. Yet, the olfactory dimension is rarely part of design strategies in architecture, urban planning or landscape urbanism. As designers, we learn to compose mainly with shapes, shapes whose full scale and effects on our senses we will experience only when constructed. However, we should be primarily concerned with creating spaces that not only open the imagination of the individual but also allow positive moods to (...) thrive. In this scheme, all the senses should be called, not just our vision, as is too often the case. The fields of architecture and environmental design must evolve and train professionals capable of conceptualizing both tangible and intangible forms. In this logic, architectural structures offer a way to call upon our own mindscapes; and within the discipline of design a new field of specialization exists: smellscaping. (shrink)

The advent of quantum supremacy, defined as the point at which quantum computers outperform classical systems in solving computational problems, represents a paradigm shift with profound implications for the field of cryptography, particularly in the context of secure financial transactions. Classical cryptographic techniques, such as public-key encryption systems that rely on the computational hardness of problems like integer factorization and discrete logarithms, are foundational to modern financial security architectures. However, the accelerated computational capabilities of quantum systems, driven by Shor’s and (...) Grover’s algorithms, render these traditional cryptographic methods vulnerable to compromise. This paper delves into the potential impact of quantum computing on cryptographic frameworks, emphasizing its disruptive influence on secure communication protocols, authentication systems, and transaction mechanisms within digital financial ecosystems. A comprehensive analysis of quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms, collectively termed post-quantum cryptography (PQC), is presented as a critical countermeasure to these emerging threats. The paper explores lattice-based cryptography, hash-based signatures, code-based encryption, multivariate polynomial cryptography, and isogeny-based cryptographic schemes, evaluating their robustness against quantum adversaries. Through a rigorous examination of these algorithms’ theoretical foundations and practical implementations, the study identifies strengths, limitations, and potential deployment challenges. Special attention is devoted to the trade-offs between computational efficiency, security guarantees, and scalability, which are critical considerations for the widespread adoption of PQC in financial systems. Additionally, the study highlights the transitional challenges posed by integrating post-quantum cryptographic methods into existing infrastructures. Financial institutions, reliant on legacy systems and global interoperability standards, face significant hurdles in adopting quantum-resilient solutions. These include the need for standardized cryptographic protocols, cross-platform compatibility, and resistance to side-channel attacks. The research underscores the urgency of proactive measures to safeguard critical financial systems, including the development of hybrid cryptographic models that incorporate both classical and post-quantum techniques during the transition phase. Furthermore, the role of regulatory frameworks in mandating the adoption of quantum-safe protocols is examined, along with the potential for collaborative efforts among governments, financial institutions, and cryptographic researchers to ensure a coordinated response to the quantum threat landscape. The implications of quantum supremacy extend beyond technical considerations, affecting the trust and stability of global financial systems. This paper provides strategic recommendations for mitigating risks, including the prioritization of research into quantum-resistant algorithms, the establishment of testing environments for post-quantum solutions, and investment in the development of quantum-secure hardware. By leveraging these strategies, financial ecosystems can enhance their resilience against quantum-induced vulnerabilities. The discussion is substantiated with case studies and simulations that evaluate the performance of post-quantum algorithms in real-world financial contexts, illustrating their effectiveness in securing digital transactions against quantum attacks. By bridging the gap between theoretical advancements and practical implementations, this paper contributes to the ongoing discourse on the future of cryptography in the quantum era. Ultimately, the research aims to provide a comprehensive roadmap for securing digital financial ecosystems against the disruptive potential of quantum computing, ensuring the continued reliability and integrity of secure financial transactions in the face of emerging technological challenges. (shrink)

This paper presents a comprehensive review of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and Agentic AI, examining their technological foundations, current capabilities, and future trajectories. The study identifies key technical distinctions between these AI paradigms, including their architectural requirements, computational demands, and learning mechanisms. We survey the current technical landscape, including specialized frameworks like OpenAI’s AGI classification system and emerging Agentic AI platforms such as Vectara-agentic and CrewAI. The paper also examines the hardware infrastructure and cloud services enabling these advanced AI (...) systems, from NVIDIA’s specialized GPUs to large-scale projects like OpenAI’s proposed "Stargate" initiative and others. Our comparative analysis reveals that Agentic AI is rapidly transitioning from research to practical deployment across industries including legal services, DevOps, and enterprise automation, while AGI remains in the research phase with ongoing debates about its feasibility and timeline. The paper discusses critical challenges in both domains, including safety considerations, alignment problems, and governance requirements. We highlight how Agentic AI serves as a bridge between today’s generative AI capabilities and future AGI aspirations, offering autonomous functionality while avoiding some of AGI’s unresolved risks. (shrink)

In the contemporary era of urban design, the advent of big data and digital technologies has ushered in innovative approaches to exploring urban spaces. This study focuses on the application of Augmented Reality (AR) and Extended Reality (XR) technologies in the metropolitan areas of Houston and Amsterdam. These technologies create immersive 'Phygital Installations' that blend physical and digital elements, effectively capturing people's perceptions and enhancing urban design proposals. By fostering human-centered planning, AR and XR technologies make urban design more interactive (...) and accessible to the public. Houston, with its rapid industrial growth and diverse socio-economic landscape, provides a unique setting to examine the impacts of these technologies on urban form and socio-environmental dynamics. In contrast, Amsterdam, with its rich historical layers and socio-cultural diversity, offers insights into the integration of AR/XR technologies in urban planning, particularly in the realm of historical preservation and contemporary urban development. This research contributes to the emerging field of AR/XR in urban design by highlighting the transformative potential of these technologies in enhancing the understanding and engagement in urban design and spatial planning. (shrink)

Many people go outdoors in winter for skiing, snowboarding, sledding, snowmobiling and some other activities that all fall within the realm of winter tourism. Winter tourism is a source of both personal and public health, and thus a source of prosperous living. Along with that, it is a conspicuous economic phenomenon that generates millions of dollars in annual revenue for stakeholders. Hence, this type of tourism is of top importance, and thus one of the main concerns to many snowy destinations (...) with high altitudes such as those in Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, and Turkey. Stakeholders such as entrepreneurs, business professionals, state incumbents, and tourism, leisure, and sports scholars should benefit from both precedent and unprecedented principles and practices to cultivate the industry, and they should constantly seek to improve the winter tourism experience. Therefore, it is aimed to drive implications from the success of a cult winter tourism location MooserWirt in Sankt Anton herein by depending on a web-based examination. MooserWirt is an après-ski bar located in a world-famous village and ski resort called St Anton at the Arlberg Massif in Austria. The bar is open in winter seasons starting from early December to the end of April. It serves daily between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. up to three thousand people. The bar team starts serving food and beverage at 11 a.m. Then at 3:30 p.m., the bar’s magnate –DJ starts his ritual music party that captivates and amuses hundreds if not thousands of ski-goers. MooserWirt is regarded as one of the best après ski lodges throughout the world. Many people would ask for the principles of such a success. By depending on a web-based examination of the case, we can respond to that kind of a call with a few generic implications. First of all, one of the main features that makes the bar special seems to be its music parties. People mostly comment that the bar has a music mogul –DJ, and enjoyable mixtures of music that charm the audience. Furthermore, the bar has heretofore hosted the prominent TV show known as Après Ski Hits featuring various famed singers and bands on outdoor stage performance many times to commence the season. Secondly, many people acknowledge that the bar has an eye-catching menu with delightful foods and beverages of local ingredients with a reasonable tariff. Third, we deduce that the bar serves with an agile and friendly team that satisfies the customers in general. Various people appreciate the performance of the staff. Last but not least, the bar has an elegant architectural design with a comfortable ambiance enclosed by a typical winter landscape. Overall, MooserWirt is a quality locale as it commonly meets the expectations of skiers of an après-ski lodge. In conclusion, MooserWirt has been seemingly building up a tradition through quality over the decades. It is distinctive through product differentiation. It serves with dedicated personnel adhering to quality service that generates customer satisfaction, and it uses a powerful marketing strategy that leads to having worldwide visibility and being a mind-anchored brand with preeminence. (shrink)

Digital practices in design, together with computer-assisted manufacturing (CAM), have inspired the reflection of philosophers, theorists, and historians over the last decades. Gilles Deleuze’s The Fold: Leibniz and the Baroque (1988) presents one of the first and most successful concepts created to think about these new design and manufacturing practices.1 Deleuze proposed a new concept of the technological object, which was inspired by Bernard Cache’s digital design practices and computer-assisted manufacturing. Deleuze compared Cache’s practices to Leibniz’s differential calculus-based notion of (...) the parametric curve. From this perspective, the object is no longer an essential form: rather, it is functional, defined by a family of parametric curves. In Deleuze’s terms, it is an objectile. This definition grasps a particular aspect of modernity in the technological object, rendering possible the industrial production of “the unique object” (la pièce unique), while making obsolete the homogeneity that comes with industrial standardization. What follows introduces developmental biology into this design matrix, interrogating the relationship between parametric design and computer-assisted manufactory on the one hand and biological morphogenetic processes on the other. Is one necessary for the other? Does an architect need computation in order to render morphogenetic shapes? In answering these questions, this chapter displaces the centrality of digital technology in the design of shape-shifting forms within architecture and calls for a rethinking of design by way of analog prototypes. I argue that “thinking through analogs” offers another means of generating parametrically based morphogenetic forms. (shrink)

Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) represent a revolutionary advancement in specialized hardware architecture designed specifically for artificial intelligence workloads. This comprehensive article explores how TPUs have transformed the landscape of machine learning through their innovative systolic array architecture, optimized memory systems, and cloud-based accessibility. The article examines TPUs' significant advantages in energy efficiency, training acceleration, and scalability across various AI domains, including natural language processing, computer vision, and recommendation systems. The article also investigates the democratization of AI computing (...) through cloud platforms and discusses future implications for hardware evolution and industry impact, highlighting how TPU innovations are shaping the future of AI infrastructure and computational capabilities. (shrink)

This study examines the complex domain of atmosphere/ambiance, emphasizing its development and importance in many academic fields from 2000 to 2023. By examining significant contributions, it highlights the term “atmosphere” as primarily employed in literature. Analysis of citation patterns reveals a substantial surge in scholarly attention after 2020, primarily driven by English-speaking academic circles. The multidisciplinary aspect of atmospheric studies is apparent, since geography, urban design, philosophy, and cultural studies have made significant contributions. The incorporation of novel methodologies from many (...) fields enhances the body of architectural literature, strengthening both theoretical frameworks and practical implementations in the realms of design and urban planning. This thorough examination highlights the increasing influence of atmospheric studies on environmental policy, urban growth, and the preservation of cultural landscapes. The research highlights the importance of ongoing interdisciplinary involvement to enhance our comprehension of the intricate relationship between the environment, space, and human experience. (shrink)

The advent of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the financial technology (FinTech) sector has created unprecedented opportunities for automating and enhancing financial advisory systems. This research focuses on the application of generative AI to develop automated financial advisory platforms, integrating natural language processing (NLP) and reinforcement learning (RL) for the formulation of personalized investment strategies. Traditional financial advisory models, often characterized by manual processes, human bias, and limited scalability, are increasingly unable to meet the demands of a fast-paced and diverse (...) investment landscape. In response, AI-driven systems present a transformative approach, leveraging the power of generative models to process vast amounts of data and provide real-time, tailored financial recommendations to both retail and institutional investors. This study delves into the technical mechanisms underpinning the integration of generative models with NLP and RL frameworks. Generative models, including variational autoencoders (VAEs) and generative adversarial networks (GANs), play a critical role in simulating complex financial scenarios and generating investment strategies that reflect dynamic market conditions. By synthesizing vast amounts of historical market data, these models create high-dimensional representations of financial environments, which are then used to train reinforcement learning agents. The RL agents learn optimal investment strategies through continuous interaction with these simulated environments, dynamically adjusting to new market information and user preferences. This ability to simulate and optimize investment decisions allows for more sophisticated, personalized strategies, as compared to conventional rule-based systems. Natural language processing enhances the system by enabling it to process unstructured data from various sources, including financial news, reports, and social media, which can significantly impact market trends. NLP models, particularly transformer-based architectures like BERT and GPT, are employed to extract, interpret, and summarize relevant textual information in real-time, feeding it into the generative and RL models. This integration allows the financial advisory system to understand and respond to both quantitative and qualitative factors affecting financial markets. Moreover, the NLP component supports direct interaction between the AI-driven system and users, facilitating personalized communication and user-specific strategy recommendations. This two-way communication is pivotal in enhancing customer engagement, as users can input preferences, risk tolerance, and financial goals, which the system continuously refines and incorporates into its investment strategy formulation. Reinforcement learning plays a pivotal role in the adaptive learning process, allowing the system to improve its decision-making over time by receiving feedback from the environment, such as market performance and user satisfaction. Specifically, model-free RL approaches like Q-learning and policy gradient methods are applied to optimize investment strategies. These approaches enable the system to evaluate multiple potential actions in real-time and select those with the highest expected return, given the current market state and individual user profile. Over time, the RL agent learns to maximize cumulative returns by balancing exploration of new strategies with the exploitation of known profitable actions. By leveraging RL in tandem with generative models, the system can autonomously adjust its strategy in response to changing market conditions and user requirements, thereby delivering a highly customized investment plan that evolves with the investor’s financial landscape. The potential of these AI-driven advisory systems lies not only in their technical sophistication but also in their ability to democratize financial planning. Traditionally, high-quality financial advisory services have been accessible primarily to affluent individuals or large institutions due to the high cost of personalized financial advice. By automating the advisory process through AI, these systems can provide personalized financial planning at scale, making high-quality investment strategies accessible to a broader range of users, including those with limited financial literacy or smaller investment portfolios. This democratization of financial services is particularly significant in the context of retail investors, who can now access sophisticated financial insights and recommendations that were previously reserved for institutional clients. Furthermore, this paper explores the broader implications of AI-driven financial advisory systems on investor behavior and decision-making. By providing real-time, data-driven insights and personalized investment strategies, these systems have the potential to mitigate common cognitive biases in financial decision-making, such as overconfidence, loss aversion, and herd behavior. Through continuous learning and adaptation, AI-driven systems can guide users towards more rational, objective investment decisions, potentially improving overall financial outcomes for both retail and institutional investors. However, the paper also addresses the challenges associated with the deployment of AI in financial advisory systems, including issues of data privacy, algorithmic transparency, and the need for robust regulatory frameworks to ensure the ethical and responsible use of AI in financial decision-making. (shrink)

The Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly revolutionizing industries and everyday life through the integration of smart devices, sensors, and networks. The ability to connect and communicate between these devices is vital for the effective functioning of IoT systems. As IoT devices vary widely in terms of their power, connectivity, and computational capabilities, communication protocols play a crucial role in ensuring seamless, efficient, and reliable communication. Among the most widely used protocols in IoT are MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) and (...) CoAP (Constrained Application Protocol), designed to address the specific requirements of IoT, including low power consumption, minimal bandwidth usage, and scalability. This paper surveys the key communication protocols used in IoT, with a specific focus on MQTT and CoAP. It discusses their architecture, characteristics, advantages, and limitations. Furthermore, the paper explores other emerging protocols that complement or extend the capabilities of MQTT and CoAP, such as HTTP/2, LwM2M, and AMQP, providing a broad perspective on the evolving IoT communication landscape. The primary objective of this paper is to evaluate the suitability of these protocols for different IoT applications, ranging from home automation and healthcare to industrial IoT (IIoT). We also highlight the security challenges associated with these protocols and suggest potential solutions. Lastly, we discuss future trends and the need for interoperability between different IoT communication protocols as IoT continues to scale and evolve. By analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of these communication protocols, this paper aims to provide IoT developers, researchers, and industry professionals with valuable insights into selecting the most appropriate communication framework for their IoT systems. (shrink)

As technology rapidly advances, the landscape of cybersecurity faces increasingly complex and evolving threats. This paper explores the future of cybersecurity, focusing on emerging threats and the corresponding mitigation strategies. Key threats include AI-driven attacks, ransomware evolution, quantum computing vulnerabilities, IoT security risks, cloud security challenges, and supply chain attacks. These threats have the potential to disrupt organizations and compromise sensitive data on an unprecedented scale. To address these challenges, the paper outlines effective mitigation strategies such as leveraging AI (...) and machine learning for defense, implementing Zero Trust architecture, adopting quantum-resistant cryptography, strengthening IoT security, improving cloud security practices, and managing third-party risks. A proactive, multi-layered approach to cybersecurity is essential to safeguard against the growing sophistication of cyber threats. This paper highlights the importance of continuous innovation and collaboration across industries to ensure a secure digital future. (shrink)

This article examines the transformative impact of intelligent automation on loan origination processes at a leading financial institution, demonstrating substantial operational improvements and enhanced compliance adherence; implementing an automated Loan Origination System (LOS) significantly reduced processing time from multi-day to same-day approvals while drastically minimizing manual errors through sophisticated validation algorithms and automated checkpoints. This article presents a comprehensive technical architecture that seamlessly integrates dynamic case management, real-time compliance monitoring, and adaptive workflow systems, addressing the longstanding challenges of traditional (...) loan processing methods. This transformation extends beyond process automation, encompassing intelligent decision support systems and predictive analytics that enable proactive risk assessment and market-responsive lending strategies. The solution's implementation has fundamentally reshaped loan approval workflows, enhancing regulatory compliance while maintaining the agility needed in modern banking operations. Through detailed analysis of system architecture, implementation methodologies, and performance optimization strategies, this article provides crucial insights for financial institutions embarking on digital transformation initiatives. This article demonstrates how intelligent automation can simultaneously address the seemingly conflicting goals of accelerated processing, enhanced compliance, and improved customer experience in loan origination. This comprehensive examination of both technical and operational aspects serves as a valuable blueprint for financial institutions seeking to modernize their loan processing systems while maintaining robust compliance frameworks in an increasingly competitive and regulated market environment. This article also explores the broader implications of such transformations on organizational efficiency, risk management, and customer satisfaction in the evolving landscape of digital banking. (shrink)