Architecture Commons^™

Modding Suburbia - Guided Principles To Challenge The Established Social And Political Norms Of The American Midwestern Suburbs., Brenton Rahn

Masters in Architecture Program: Theses

Responding to the unchallenged sprawl of suburban cities in the Midwest, the proposed principles seek to densify and further diversify the established social and political norms which currently still stagnate progress toward more autonomous neighborhoods. Through application of a specific set of principles that serve as guidelines, Modding Suburbia seeks to create dense, usable space from previously unused and forgotten interstitial areas hiding in the suburban landscape surrounding the socially and politically protected single-family home.

This project focuses on the transformation of the immediate context surrounding the single family home to promote density and diversification of housing and community. Through …

An Intelligent Virtual Design Studio (Vds) For Integrative Design Of Green Buildings, Zhaozhou Meng

Dissertations - ALL

The overall goal of the study was to develop a "Virtual Design Studio (VDS)": a software platform for integrated, coordinated and optimized design of green building systems with low energy consumption, high indoor environmental quality (IEQ), and high level of sustainability. My dissertation research was focused on the development of a key VDS component -- an integrated design process and a near-real time performance simulation approach for fast feedbacks at the early stage of the integrated design process.

A design process module "Magic Cube" (MC) was developed for the VDS as the core for the design integration and coordination. It …

An Intelligent Virtual Design Studio (Vds) For Integrative Design Of Green Buildings, Zhaozhou Meng

Dissertations - ALL

The overall goal of the study was to develop a “Virtual Design Studio (VDS)”: a software platform for integrated, coordinated and optimized design of green building systems with low energy consumption, high indoor environmental quality (IEQ), and high level of sustainability. My dissertation research was focused on the development of a key VDS component -- an integrated design process and a near-real time performance simulation approach for fast feedbacks at the early stage of the integrated design process.

A design process module “Magic Cube” (MC) was developed for the VDS as the core for the design integration and coordination. It …

The Effect Of Straw Bale On Thermal Performance Of Buildings In Hot And Arid Regions, Riyadh City As A Case Study, Waleed M. Abanomi

Emirates Journal for Engineering Research

A huge amount of energy is consumed by buildings in Saudi Arabia to cool indoor spaces particularly during summer season. In this regard, attention should be given to the environmental design strategies in the design of buildings during the early stages in order to minimize the cooling load inside buildings. This research considered using straw bale as one of the passive solar design methods that could protect buildings envelope from the harsh outdoor environment. This research assesses the effectiveness of using straw bale as an insulator by conducting field experiments. Two experimental chambers were built to achieve the experiments. The …

The Role Of Aesthetics In Classroom Design: Implications For Engagement And Equity, Giuliana Barraza

Master's Theses

The desire for achieving greater equity in education has been a prevalent topic of research, with many studies indicating that the current education system in this country is designed in a way that exacerbates initial inequities and has a negative impact on student motivation and engagement (EOCD, 2012). While existing scholarship mostly discusses equity and engagement through the lens of curriculum and instruction, the power of physical classroom environments and aesthetic elements present in those environments is less explored. With student populations becoming more diverse, there is a greater need for new tools for teachers to utilize in pursuit of …

Continuous Extremes: Architecture Of Uncertainty In Poland, 1945—, Cayce Davis

Masters of Environmental Design Theses

In this thesis, architecture situates between extremes. The dichotomies of destruction and construction, mobility and fixity, performance and reality, inside and outside, and form and time frame architecture and the processes through which it is made. The context is Poland in the fallout of the year 1945, when Warsaw’s unique, nearly total destruction and the ascendance of a new communist regime raised the political stakes of architecture. The thesis focuses on a cast of characters in architecture and related artistic disciplines—individuals haunted by the traumas of their own pasts, negotiating a Polish state that created oppressive limitations through artistic mandates …

Mapping Grounds For Reparations In Jaraguá Peak, Laura Pappalardo

Masters of Environmental Design Theses

For the Guarani Mbya, ka’aguy (Atlantic Forest) is sacred. Yet, only 12 percent of the Atlantic Forest original coverage remains. A portion of that is in Jaraguá Peak. The Peak is also the highest point within São Paulo, located in the northwest region of the city. Anyone who lives in São Paulo knows Jaraguá Peak as a point of visual reference—the only forested area rising above dense urbanism. Two hundred years ago, São Paulo was ka’aguy. Now, the city occupies part of Guarani territory, which spans across the borders of what is now known as Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, and …

Neighborhood Reinvestment: A Changing Community In The Urban South, Jackson Nutt-Beers

Master's Projects and Capstones

Since the mid-twentieth century, public and private actors across the country have been identifying sources of potential capital accumulation in the United States. Shortly after the passing of the Civil Rights Act by President Lyndon Johnson in the mid 1960s, many White families across the country fled the urban core for the suburbs leaving neighborhoods in the city center abandoned and without capital. During this period, Black families and other racial minority groups were forced to live in the blighted neighborhoods of the urban core due to a variety of racialized discriminatory housing practices that lead to the disinvestment of …

Planting Power Or Planting A Paradox? Urban Agriculture, Gentrification, And Community Development In Oakland, California, Elissa M. Mann

Master's Projects and Capstones

Urban agriculture has long been used as a tool for promoting food justice and urban sustainability in municipalities across the globe. From vertical and rooftop growing operations to community and residential garden plots, the idealistically transformative nature of urban agriculture is becoming an increasingly popular subject among scholars, city planners, policymakers, and activists alike. A handful of cautionary scholars, however, have begun to uncover the elusive role that food justice oriented urban agriculture projects can play in facilitating gentrification and displacement in low-income communities. My capstone project focuses on the relationship between urban agriculture and gentrification, specifically asking: How does …

Affordable Housing In San Francisco: A Historical Analysis Of Its Finances And Policies, Ricky H. Tran

Master's Projects and Capstones

The affordable housing crisis is not new to San Francisco. As it has been made clear several times, The Bay Area continues to face a crisis of a massive wealth disparity as housing prices continue to rise as incomes for the top earners have risen dramatically since 1999. In San Francisco, rents and housing prices are one of the highest in the nation, and people are facing rent burdens, in which a large portion of their income goes to rent, as for those with low and extremely low income are facing severe rent burdens, which take up more than 50% …

Akin House: Preliminary Existing Condition Drawings

Documentation

Preliminary Existing Condition Drawings of Akin House first and second floors with elevations. Drawn by Wise-Surma-Jones Architects in New Bedford, MA. Dated June 30, 2004.

Computational Design Of Nonlinear Stress-Strain Of Isotropic Materials, Askhad M.Polatov, Akhmat M. Ikramov, Daniyarbek Razmukhamedov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

The article deals with the problems of numerical modeling of nonlinear physical processes of the stress-strain state of structural elements. An elastoplastic medium of a homogeneous solid material is investigated. The results of computational experiments on the study of the process of physically nonlinear deformation of isotropic elements of three-dimensional structures with a system of one- and double-periodic spherical cavities under uniaxial compression are presented. The influence and mutual influence of stress concentrators in the form of spherical cavities, vertically located two cavities and a horizontally located system of two cavities on the deformation of the structure are investigated. Numerical …

Anthesis: The Blooming Of The Las Vegas Strip, David Navarrete

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

The diversity of thought throughout the HD Studio always produces great synergy between projects with overlapping areas of interest. Here, we see a question about why Las Vegas' public green space lags behind other cities' lead to more questions (and answers) about how the pedestrian experience along Las Vegas Boulevard could transform from a predominantly car-centric space into a sidewalk experience that extends the excitement of resorts' interiors to the outside. Like other theses that explore everything from public promenades to places for social media posts, the work of David Navarreto calls on lessons learned from urban planning, landscape architecture, …

Construction Reconstructed: A Prototype For Adaptable, Reusable, And Recoverable Building Assemblies, Jaclyn Roth

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

This project began with an examination of housing design, finding that our building methods and practices do not meet the current and changing needs of its inhabitants - and a call for a new approach, an adaptable, plastic approach, to space that would allow buildings to fulfill the needs of the user over their lifetime and into the future. The research completed, however, revealed a more systemic problem with the way that we build that, while easily highlighted by, goes beyond residential architecture. We construct our built environment with the intent of permanence. These structures are static and stoic, parts …

Agricultural Urbanism: Sustainable Food Security In Urban Development, Diego Soto

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

Food insecurity is an unfortunate reality for far too many people. In this noble venture, a Master of Architecture candidate takes principles of hospitality design and applies them to residential and civic design such that the communal spaces of our neighborhoods and the homes of families become more hospitable. Diego Soto entered the HD Studio with a passion for helping people and a goal to address hunger. Conversations chronicled through his book take the reader on a journey that helps the wider audience appreciate the oath architects take... to uphold the life, safety, and welfare of the general public. Diego's …

Revolutionizing Performing Arts Venues With Hotel Experience, David Paz Casado

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

The creation of a hybrid performing arts venue through the combination of theater space and guest rooms, which will mitigate the risks associated with public gatherings and creates an engaging user experience that will continue the evolution of performing arts to ensure that Las Vegas remains the entertainment capital of the world.

Biophilic Gaming: Biophilic Design In The Future Of Resort Gaming, Andrew William Kennedy

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

Biophilic Design solutions have been integrated into numerous aspects of hospitality to help drive customer turnout and this model has been applied to many resorts, hotel lobbies and guests rooms across the globe but currently Las Vegas has little to no aspect of integration Biophilic Design to keep customers and more notably younger generations interested. With the introduction of COVID-19 the demand for nature and connection to the outdoors has peaked. With this in mind, how has the local resort industry in Las Vegas responded to this increased demand of biophilic design? Biophilic design has shown that it creates countless …

Connecting Allegiant Stadium With The Strip: Flipping Las Vegas Resorts Programming Inside-Out, Austin Sattler

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

Allegiant Stadium (a $1.9 billion project) has been recently completed just across the interstate from the south end of The Strip. Its future-oriented design and seating capacity of 60,000 brings tremendous potential for Las Vegas, and its location has brought challenges to resolve with regard to pedestrian and vehicular traffic around major events. Austin Sattler studies the characteristics of Las Vegas Boulevard that make it one of the most populous streets in the world and its multiple cross-streets that support a continuation of the tourist experience. After conducting additional case studies of popular promenades around the world and simulating various …

Revitalization: Crime Prevention Through Design Intervention, Jose Ricardo Leon Serrano

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

In a city populated by Luxurious Hotels, the streetscape is often neglected discouraging extended interaction of the pedestrian in the area. As a result, the topic of security in public spaces is being analyzed to bring to light the recent increase in violent offenses. Establishing additional principles of safety to the standard best practice guidelines will impact the image of our city promoting public safety. The issue arises as to the lack of urban squares and architectural features that allow for recurring criminal behavior. An increase in crime financially causes a loss in profit for the retail and hotels surrounding …

Esports Entertainment Of The Future: Esports Integration With Different Archetypes, Jerry Jiang

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

The video gaming industry has become an innovative aspect in the advancement of technology and the entertainment industry, providing the audiences with an immersive and interactive entertainment experience. Video games are becoming one of the most popular recreational activities in the United States, among a diverse population spanning every age, gender, and ethnicity. Games have evolved over the past five decades, from single standalone games into collaborative and competitive multiplayer games (Banyai et al., 2018). However, games have become much more than a hobby, it has flourished into a professional competitive gaming industry called Esports. Millennial and Gen Z have …