Digital Commons Network^™

Camps In Crisis: Challenging The Architecture For Refugees, Duc Huy Ho

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Every minute, 24 people are forcibly removed from their homes. This is due to violence, natural disasters, or human rights violations during premigration. Globally, there are 70.8 million people who are displaced, the largest number in history. To put this into perspective, imagine taking everyone from California and Texas and forcing them elsewhere. This is the scale of the refugee crisis. With this many people, we have to ask: what are the options? One: refugee camps or two: resettling in a foreign community. Unfortunately, some refugees are staying in camps designed for temporary use for up to 25 years. I …

Culture Confluence, Nhan Luu

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The goal of this Museum is to provide the community with an identity based in Vietnamese culture and heritage. The Museum strives to develop a secure connection with the community, providing confidence and helping people to grow as individuals and as members of their community. This engaging Museum aims to attract a diverse crowd to reflect the complexity of a changing society and to represent the community through various exhibits and programming. The Museum in the twenty-first century is not just a place to enjoy art, but also a place to raise questions and stimulate new thoughts and provoke discussion.

A Phenomenological Approach To Performance Architecture Through Light And Acoustics, Bree Chambers

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Throughout history, performances, the fine arts, and music have brought society together to persuade, inspire, and bring to light the pressing issues of their time. The Roman’s used the coliseum to distract their people with games and spectacles from political instability and famine. The Greeks performed in open amphitheaters to communicate tragic stories of morality. I want to influence the entertainment of our time, that is music festivals, from America’s first 1954 Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island to 1969 The Woodstock Aquarian exposition reported 500,000 people in attendance. Festivals are an escape from a conventional society into a counterculture …

From Displaced To Our Place: Educational Environments Can Promote A Community’S Health And Well-Being, Morgan Frederick

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Thomasville heights is a displacement neighborhood for people pushed out by Atlanta’s Urban Renewal projects. Thomasville Heights remains a casualty of a system of economic segregation. Under this system of segregation these neighborhoods are left in detrimental states. It is in places like Thomasville Heights where the phrase “place matters” becomes a call to action. A town of 6000 residents and only one elementary school, Thomasville heights is bordered by multiple freight yards, a cemetery, landfills, and Atlanta’s US penitentiary, just a 5-minute walk from that one elementary school. There remains a vast difference between that of low-income urban, and …

The City Aetherus An Urban Design Methodology For Energy Use, Anthony Yan, Ermal Shpuza Phd

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

In the last few decades, there has been a growing awareness about the relationship between building design and energy use, environmental impact, and sustainability in general. Now, environmental design is a well-established field of architectural studies and practices. By contrast, it is only recently that the relationship between urban design and energy use has started to get due attention by the designer and planning communities. Due to our increasing energy needs and imminent global urbanization, humanity needs a solution to tackle the largest energy consumer: the city. This thesis is situated within the newly emerging discourse on the relationship between …

The [Hydro-Gen] Cell_ A Hydroponic, Regenerative, Modular System For Optimized Vertical Farming, Jose Asbiel Samaniego

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Thesis Statement:

This research project aims to design, develop, and test an intelligent hydroponic system that can be integrated into the built environment for advancing sustainability.

Proposal:

Hydroponic systems are methods of growing plants in a water-based solution, which are currently used in vertical farming practices for food production. In this research, the hydroponic-regenerative or [Hydro-Gen] Cell is envisioned as biomechanical hybrid machinery that, while designed to be used in mid-to high rise buildings it would address sustainable aspects such as food production, enhancement of air cleaning capacity, and reduction of energy consumption. The project specifically aims at addressing the …

Defining The Relationships Of Authority, Noah Bieber

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis explores the “disciplinary mechanisms” that define individuals in space. The formation of tactics into a strategy galvanizes an individual into what Michel Foucault describes as a “docile body” (Foucault 1978,135). These tactics find traction in the classification, coding, and organizations of bodies in space and time, through repetition, observations, and documentation. The dynamic between these tactics forms the strategies to create docile bodies.

In the end, discipline mechanisms are used everyday subversively and or subliminally. However, good or bad, we are byproducts of our environment and under a system of control that coerces us to act and behave …

Dynamic Workplace Design, Eduardo Parra De Nova

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The design of workplaces is often complex because it balances two opposing forces: on the one hand, innovation and creativity often involve teamwork processes and collaboration, occurring in spaces which may then produce higher than normal noise levels. On the other hand, many work processes rely on individual work, which requires quiet spaces needed for concentration. Another complex issues that office design architects must address involves the ever changing nature of workplaces, either as part of short-term evolving daily activities or as part of the longer-term changes organizations have to bring to their managerial style in order to stay competitive …

Rooted: Cultivating Social Inclusiveness + Food Equity, Andrew Newman

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

From great tragedy comes greater opportunity. Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, in 2005, New Orleans found itself in the midst of an unprecedented civic disaster after being abandoned by the state and ignored by the federal government. Outrage and concern about the slow political response culminated in the creation of a citizen-driven food network. This local food network consists of community-based farms and organizations that devoted their resources and time to providing under-served residents with sustained access to fresh produce. These local farms and gardens primarily began to sprout up in the hardest hit and most restricted of neighborhoods. …

Authentic Learning Environments: Designing A New Standard For Public Education, Stephanie Griffith, Stephanie J. Griffith

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The intention of this thesis is to explore the architectural problems of public primary school learning environments and propose possible solutions. This thesis draws from various public blog and public web article accounts and experiences of those working in or studying the institutions of primary education and the problems they are struggling to address. The architectural focus brings to light that while most educators argue that teaching can happen anywhere, this body of research will propose an optimal learning environment in which a set of ideal values are defined as authentic learning and is used to encourage and support a …

Civil Architecture: The Neglected Youths (Adaptive Re-Use And Sustainability), Victor Chibuzo

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Civil architecture for the neglected youths is an attempt to address a social issue of the growing homelessness youth population through architecture in Atlanta Georgia region. Architecture establishes a platform to influence the way in which we interact with one another; However the commercial architecture of the 21st century has forged a boundary that encourages segregation of economic classes. These issues are apparent in gentrified areas. Characteristics of most of these gentrified communities include: sustainable designs, high standard of living, safety, etc. Sustainable designs can provide long run savings and cost-effectiveness in home energy usage but are mostly applied in …

Industrial Issues & Architecture, Nhac Le

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Thesis Summary: Industry-The economic activity concerned with the processing of massive raw materials and manufacture of goods in factories- has been created in the developed country in the 19th century. Because of the priority in the economy, Industry has been shifting around the world where it could take advantage of cheap raw materials, labors and open policy to growth. The rush of industry has been created a lot of negative impact on society and environment in developing countries. This thesis position itself within the realm of physical relocation of Western industry to propose an architectural and infrastructural response that raises …

Reawakening Quality In Architecture: A Contemporary Idiom Of Pattern Language, Christopher D. Richardson

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

“Life peeks out of a thousand masks, One of these is architecture.”

As technology advances forward architecture has continuously tried to find its place within the production of each new technology. This has led to thinking of architecture as causalities as an attempt to make it closer to a production line of efficient outputs. This has caused the problem a lack of evocation, the poetics, connection to memory, the idea of mind, body, and spirit being captured in the design.

This inquiry began by looking at a missed opportunity within Christopher Alexander’s work A Pattern Language. Pattern Language introduced the …

[Re]Defining Chandigarh, Dhruvee Patel

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Chandigarh is the first planned modern city in India as a symbol of nation’s faith in the future designed by Le Corbusier in 1951 in the East Punjab. Through investigation it became apparent that Le Corbusier proposed design principles for Chandigarh that were already theorized for Bogota in Colombia and Marseille in France following his concept of Radiant village that was never built. His design for Chandigarh was more of a prototype model, which failed to capture the spirit of Indian culture and community, making it harder to navigate and familiarize with the city. If architecture is a reflection of …

Fringe To Focus - An Inversion Of Peripheral Inhabitation, Matthew D. Mckim

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

A major issue currently facing Atlanta and many growing cities is the issue of displacement as a result of redevelopment. As cities grow and improve, homeless individuals living on the fringes of society are being forced to vacate and move on.

My thesis aims to identify areas where struggling people are at a heightened risk of being further displaced by the rapid redevelopment of ‘fringe’ areas. It seeks to provide a proactive response to mitigate the harm, while aiding in an active rehabilitation process for effected peripheral communities. I am proposing the concept of temporary centers that can be established …

Architecture Of Adaptation: Structure In Nature, Salman Sajwani

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The concept of a piece of architecture taking on adaptive qualities is based on the ability that a system can effectively respond to the environment and the evolving programs. Architects strive to create designs that respond to external changes, creating a challenge with kinetic and the immovable aspects of a building, which can be identified as the systems of walls, ceilings, and columns. This system however, creates the foundation of a successful built environment but also hinders the adaptive and flexible qualities. These systems are implemented permanently and confined to the site and program that has been defined to them. …

Geofutures L Urban Integration, Adam Leicht

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Bring nature back to the city. Integrate neglected migration patterns in sprawling cities such as Atlanta. Mend urban fragmentation. The purpose is to make a cleaner environment in the city. My project looks at the Anthropocene as a fence. And how place has been fundamentally “displaced”. Resulting in a boundary or separation between man and nature. To study and research the Anthropocene (age of man) and how man has taken over as the main force behind the change of the environment. Looking through an architectural lens of ecology, how can we use this lens to help us slow down society …

Transfused Architecture: Ascent Of A Developing World, Sandy Ferrier

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Because there is a lack of adequate health care facilities in developing countries, there is a substantial amount of unrealized, optimal health gains and effective, architectural interventions which are not fully realized. With 80% of its population living below the world poverty line, Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the Western hemisphere. The United Nations Development Program’s 2014 report shows the extents of poverty at 75% mainly in the rural areas of Haiti. Only 25% of households benefit from adequate sanitation, thus people become more susceptible to infections and diseases. Reoccurring natural catastrophes have also dented the country's …

Cultivated Edge: Mediating Rural And Urban Gaps In Informal Settlements, Camila Hellebuyck

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Usually when you think of agriculture, you think of a farm, of production and of profitability and not on how can cities benefit from these practices, specially informal settlements. Urban agriculture is practiced almost as a hobby in industrialized nations, but it’s a response to a need in developing countries. In the case of Ciudad Bolivar, an informal settlement on the edge of Bogota, Colombia, urban farming resulted from food scarcity and poverty. The project develops design placemaking strategies aimed at improving the built environment and, as a result, the social cohesion of the neighborhood. The thesis proposes a community …

Interlace: Designing An Inclusionary Architecture For Alzheimer's Sufferers, Alexander Fashinasi

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis intends to address the increasing challenges the Alzheimer’s disease poses for our growing American population. The research begins by looking at the brain as a combination of components which make up the individual. Following this, the research compiles information on the Alzheimer’s disease and its symptoms, followed by an analysis of the built environments effects on the condition.

Through analysis of precedent cases and the combined Alzheimer’s research, I chose to propose an experimental community in which those with Alzheimer’s can live a life with greater autonomy while simultaneously slowing the progression of the disease. I place this …

Modulating The Craft, Lee Martin

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Technology has brought a new paradigm to the act, art and Craft of Making. Digital technologies that utilize optimized production tools have transformed the traditional paradigm of the design-build construct. As new technologies have developed, most makers disregard the tools and skills of the past. Neglecting traditional craft has given rise to the term “fabrication.” Fabrication is a method of constructing which can be described as the absence of soul and character, in other words, one that is disposable in a contemporary culture. This thesis problematizes a design process between the Craftsman of pre-twenty-first century tool making, and those of …

Shrinking Cities In The Rust Belt: An Ecological Urban Design Intervention In Cairo, Illinois, Dakota Lewis

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Shrinking cities are those which have experienced sustained depopulation over time. This phenomenon typically occurs in industrialized countries around the world as a result of economic downturn, social tension, or climate related change. When depopulation occurs, remaining communities are often met with unsustainable conditions as they are forced to function in a city designed for many times their population. While these conditions could be seen as negative, this design thesis aims to re-frame urban shrinkage as a condition that reveals unprecedented sustainable design opportunities. The United States Rust Belt region contains many shrinking cities such as Cairo, Illinois which due …

The 21st Century Energy Hub, Farhaan B. Samnani

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Developing countries face problems like pollution, unsafe construction, poverty and lack of clean stable energy. These areas are the most in need of sustainable and net positive design since they lack the resources to design long-term solution. An architecture that can make energy affordable through onsite rapidly renewable resources, help reduce on site pollution and provide stable housing would be a welcome intervention. As we approach the new century, buildings will aim to become an energy hub. Cities do not look at a building as an energy source. Currently Energy production centers sit on the outskirts of the city. But …

One To One A New Container For Lagos, Anthony Bah

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Culture in Nigeria is an important part of the family. Today, Nigerians live in uncontrollable amounts of waste. By examining models from Denmark and the United States, spatial organization, landscape, infrastructure, and materiality point to create a new container for the future of Lagos. The amount of waste contained at Olusosen landfill, is forty percent of Nigerian who live in Lagos. Research has projected that the population of Lagos would grow over the next thirty years to eighteen- million people, this means more waste.

This thesis aims to show how a city container will be a part of social engagement …

Evaluating Adaptability, Rebecca E. Robinson

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis aims to understand the process of adaptive reuse from the point of view of an owner and architect while uncovering the difficulties faced in schematically assessing existing building value and determining steps needed to preserve structures for continued occupation. This thesis will look at three approaches to the redevelopment of an existing building located in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn District, each proposing a different degree of deconstruction while measuring the associated short-term capital and long-term operational cost of the building owner. A new metric is proposed to facilitate building evaluation and cost projection that is organized around six categories; …

Revolutionary Rooms, Briana J. Fountain

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Residence Halls are a social center on college campuses. The common spaces within a residence hall are a space for informal collectivism. However, they have become increasingly task specific and redundant. How do social constructs influence design? Should common spaces within the residence hall typology influence the design of the entire domicile? This thesis develops a methodology that prioritizes sociospatial relationships in the design of residence halls. This was accomplished through the exploration of college culture, socio-spatial relationships, and notions from sister typologies.

Architecture And Memory, Anne Murigi

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The objective of this thesis is to come up with a design which will celebrate the experience during and after the Post-Election violence that rocked Kenya through the design of the Museum of Hope in Uhuru Park, in Nairobi, Kenya. The museum is intended to create an experiential journey that allows visitors to explore sentiments of the climate of the country during this political time, while also evoking optimism in design. The recent history of Kenya is marred by struggle, violence, terror, hope, joy and peace. The site of Uhuru Park has witnessed this unending cycle, making it a politically …

Coda - Sound Urbanism, Michael Phaff

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The interstate connector was once a really exciting and cutting edge concept for Atlanta. It celebrated a vehicular lifestyle and addressed movement in and around the city with the development of I-75, I-85, and I-285. The lack of connectivity in the Midtown area is divisive as it limits travel from one side of the Connector to the other and ruins the local atmosphere and exchange of ideas. Connecting across this sixteen lane barrier is imperative to the future success of the city of Atlanta. As society moves towards a more sustainable environment focused in pedestrian and public transit, the city …

Learning Is Diverse: The Dynamics Of Change, Catherine G. Harter

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Educational models of the 20th century in the United States responded directly to the then current economic circumstances and workforce needs. Schools throughout the United States were designed on those educational models of production and efficiently. While educational models have since changed in response to societal shifts, now emphasizing flexibility, diversity, and the integration of technology, the design of school infrastructure has not made that leap. By reconceptualizing the boundaries between elements and opening existing structure schools can be redesigned to align with the new educational model. This creates collaboration between different levels of expertise, the exploration of relationships between …

Constructed Reality: A Study In Spatial Perception Through Virtual Reality, Jose P. Rodriguez

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Architecture often begins explorations that lead into various modes of end products. These modes of production and representation could often embed traces that shape the outcome of the design. In his book, “Architectural Representation and The Perspective Hinge.”, Alberto Perez Gomez says that “Architects do not produce Buildings but instead produce images of buildings.” These representational images are an expression of an idea or design. Historically, representation began in static two-dimensions. By bridging into digital environments, these representations become more dynamic. As computing power increases and software broadens, the use of virtual reality environments and immersion simulations are becoming more …