Architecture Commons^™

Corporate Office Employee Analysis: Transformation From Closed Office Layout To Open Floor Plan Environment, Stephanie J. Fanger

Architecture Masters of Science Program: Theses

The office workplace within the United States has undergone monumental changes in the past century. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has cited that Americans spend an average of 90 percent of their time indoors. As human beings can often spend a majority of the hours in the day at their workplace, more so than their home, it is important to understand the effects of the built environment on the American office employee. In order to stay current with modern times, General Dynamics, a corporation located in Scottsdale, Arizona implemented a renovation of interior space. This thesis examines the transformation from …

Re-Covery, Mark Christopher Manis

Masters Theses

This thesis concerns itself with the recovery of the history of Las Vegas, the effects of historic knowledge upon the cities present identity, and how focus on its past can effect individuals in its community and visitors from afar at present. Further it concerns itself with the quality of living, or lack thereof, in the surrounding neighborhoods of the thesis’ design site, The Old Mormon Fort, and seeks to make a healthy contribution to its community. The Old Mormon fort is the earliest site of modern day human settlement in Las Vegas, and in many ways has been the foundation …

Inhabiting The Periphery: A Dialogue Between Individual And Site, Robert Oliver Kown

Masters Theses

What is a periphery? We can think about this word in more than one way. First off, peripheries are places that exist as spatial conditions in cities, They indicate edges and places that have been left behind. Spaces that have lost their meaning. But in this thesis I will use the word in another way as well. What does the periphery mean for us today? What are those parts of our lives that have been marginalized, and how can we begin to reclaim what has been lost? It is the aim of this thesis to address these issues of the …

Choosing An Expert Witness In Construction Cases, Robert Greenstreet

Architecture Faculty Articles

This article outlines a guide for attorneys to reach out to potential expert witnesses. By asking certain questions and requesting specific information, they can eliminate less appropriate individuals and become reasonably assured that the individuals finally selected will be effective players in the presentation of each case.

Looking Back: Margie Helm Discusses Library Building Trends In 1946, Jonathan Jeffrey

SCL Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Future Of The Library? Turning Conflicting Pressures Into Compelling Opportunities, Ludmilla D. Pavlova-Gillham, Jay Schafer, Shirley Dugdale

Ludmilla D Pavlova

Many institutions are scrutinizing library space as a potential space bank in times of tight capital resources, while librarians are seeking ways to shift lesser-used collections into storage, create more user space, and improve services. Accomplishing these tasks at University of Massachusetts Amherst's Du Bois Library, a 26-story tower, posed a particular challenge. The library's master plan needed to explore compatible uses, partners for integrated services, and identify opportunities to repurpose space for university needs as well as the library's future vision. Learning Outcomes: 1.Recognize functions compatible with future libraries and their mission. 2.Identify forces prompting change in research libraries …

The Genesis Project: The Synthesis Of Man, Environment, And Technology, Omar Sidney Bakeer

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Crisis Expo, Stephen Patrick Klimek

Honors Capstone Projects - All

The contention of this thesis is that architecture can create a venue for new forms or forums of civic and political engagement in a post industrial urban environment. Executing democratic processes of discussion, debate, and dissent is more important than the resolution to a given crisis. Yet in a world of impending crises architecture has yet to envision a truly contemporary form of assembly for the resolution of these issues by the Phantom Public. There is a politics of space because space is political⁴. Politics needs space. It exploits space as a resource, a site of debate, a …

Univercity Living Room, Stephen Townsend

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Sustaining Modernity: An Analysis Of A Modern Masterpiece -The Gropius House, L Carl Fiocchi Jr, Simi T. Hoque

L. Carl Fiocchi

Bim Applications In Conceptual Design Phase: Exploring The Abilities And Limitations Of Autodesk Revit Architecture Through The Generative Geometric Design Approach, Sara Ben Lashihar

Architecture Masters of Science Program: Theses

Autodesk Revit Architecture as one of BIM applications has shown recent improvements in creating complex forms in conceptual design phase. These improvements have been published lately in reports (Autodesk 2010; Autodesk 2009) and books (Krygiel et al. 2010). The presented abilities were introduced within a general scope, and they were not examined in detail with various generative design approaches. The generalization and the ambiguity of these publications lead designers to avoid using Revit in conceptual design phase, and use other 3D modeling softwares that are more compatible with their way of thinking.

This thesis examines the abilities and limitations of …

Adopting Game Technology For Architectural Visualization, Scott A. Schroeder

Department of Computer Graphics Technology Degree Theses

Current methods to display a new home in the architectural visualization industry involve long render times and hundreds of frames that require rendering. Many times, these virtual tours that are produced are slow, methodical, and limit the viewer's perspective of the home. This research looks into using computer game engines to display the virtual tour in real time, thus removing the long render time requirements and limited viewer perspective.

Urban Chicken Coops, Carey Clouse, Zachary Lamb

Carey Clouse

No abstract provided.

Marcel Breuer And Postwar America, Marcel Breuer, Barry Bergdoll, Jonathan Massey

School of Architecture - All Scholarship

At the center of Slocum Hall, four stories below a large skylight, stands a big shaggy lens - a deep, fur-lined scoop framed by a broad rectangle eight feet high. Between stepped floor and slanted ceiling is a curved wall punctuated by a trapezoidal aperture through which you glimpse a purple-tinted fragment of face. Forehead and cheeks, a nose and two eyes: Marcel Breuer.

The lens, a pavilion encasing deep embrasures, marks an exhibition of material from the archive of this leading 20th century architect. It points you toward the adjacent gallery, where more than 120 drawings and photographs reproduced …

Marcel Breuer And Postwar America, Barry Bergdoll, Jonathan Massey

School of Architecture - All Scholarship

At the center of Slocum Hall, four stories below a large skylight, stands a big shaggy lens - a deep, fur-lined scoop framed by a broad rectangle eight feet high. Between stepped floor and slanted ceiling is a curved wall punctuated by a trapezoidal aperture through which you glimpse a purple-tinted fragment of face. Forehead and cheeks, a nose and two eyes: Marcel Breuer.

The lens, a pavilion encasing deep embrasures, marks an exhibition of material from the archive of this leading 20th century architect. It points you toward the adjacent gallery, where more than 120 drawings and photographs reproduced …

Rethinking Tornado Design, Michael Hagan

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Oklahoma is in the middle of Tornado Alley, a name resulting from the large number of tornadoes that hit the region yearly. These storms are costly to life and property.

The housing in Oklahoma is currently not well enough engineered to withstand tornados. This thesis proposes a three stage response combining construction technology and the use of landscape to better protect the homes and residents of Oklahoma.

Situated Architecture In The Digital Age: Adaptation Of A Textile Mill In Holyoke, Massachusetts, Dorcas A. Brooks

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

The City of Holyoke, Massachusetts is one of many aging, industrial cities striving to revitalize its economy based on the promise of increased digital connectivity and clean energy resources. But how do you renovate 19th century mills to meet the demands of the information age? This architectural study explores the potential impact of sensing technologies and information networks on the definition and function of buildings in the 21st century. It explores the changes that have taken place in industrial architecture since 1850 and argues for an architecture that supports local relationships and environmental awareness. The author explores the industrial history …

Critical Review Of Elementary School Design, Amy Cole

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

This compilation is an in depth analysis of two elementary schools: Candor
Elementary School located in Candor, New York and Fort River Elementary School located in Amherst, Massachusetts. These two schools show the similarities and differences between a 'factory model' or double loaded corridor with an open plan school converted into individual classrooms. These schools are analyzed both at the macro (entire school building) and at the micro (individual classroom) level.

To optimally design an elementary school, the designer needs to be thoroughly aware of the past and current conditions. This understanding will bridge the gap between the teaching methodologies …

Building Integrated Aquaculture, Erik A. Woodin

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Exploratory research into a fresh concept, building integrated aquaculture, has found new information on the topic. Motives indicating building integrated aquaculture is important for sustainable development were identified. A review of the literature found relatively little in the way of experiments, aquaculture operations, and case studies which documented or demonstrated a deep understanding of the interactions between building and aquaculture systems. A simple experiment was conducted observing thermal energy and moisture interactions in simulated aquaculture facilities, some with tank covers and insulation. Two different retrofit programs were developed in a case study of building integrated aquaculture for an existing structure …

Integral Sustainable Design: Transformative Perspectives, Mark Dekay

Mark DeKay

This book offers practical and theoretical tools for more effective sustainable design solutions and for communicating sustainable design ideas to today's diverse stakeholders.It uses integral theory to make sense of the many competing ideas in this area and offers a powerful conceptual framework for sustainable designers through the four main perspectives of: behaviours; systems; experiences; cultures.It also uses human developmental theory to reframe sustainable design across four levels of complexity present in society: the Traditional, Modern, Postmodern, and Integral waves. Profuse with illustrations and examples, the book offers many conceptual tools including:twelve principles of integral sustainable design sixteen prospects of …

What Is, What Will Be And How It Should Be, Tobias Bernecker

Tobias Bernecker

Drawings talk about more than just a building project, or an idea. They provide an insight into the means of production, the creators mind and the medial environment. Drawings are also instruments of communication and not only construction blue prints. They can bridge the gap in between what is, what will be and how it should be.