Architecture Commons^™

Cal Poly's Old Powerhouse Analysis Assessing Stakeholder Preferences, Marissa D. Burns

Construction Management

This research paper delves into the historical and cultural relevance of Cal Poly’s Old Powerhouse, the college’s oldest architectural landmark, which has remained in a state of disuse since the 1990s. Employing meticulous survey methodology; perspectives from faculty, staff, alumni, students, and community members are gathered to illustrate the significance of the Old Powerhouse within the various stakeholders. The study refrains from imposing interpretation but rather seeks to capture the sentiments expressed by stakeholders, providing valuable insights into the building’s perceived value. By centering on the community opinions, the research will underscore the building’s potential and expand on the collected …

Efficacy Of Passive Ventilation With High Exhaust Demands: A Case Study Of Cal Poly Sst, Siddarth Bokka

Construction Management

The Simpson Strong Tie Demonstration Laboratory serves as a multipurpose space allowing students at the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at California Polytechnic State University to build full scale construction projects. The building features a material storage area, a high bay for construction of full-scale projects, and a mezzanine level that houses digital fabrication equipment. However, the building was never designed to house the specific equipment currently installed on the mezzanine and ventilate the exhaust fumes from them. Rather, the building relies on passive natural ventilation that is likely ineffective at properly exhausting hazardous fumes, resulting in complaints from …

Xenabloom, Sophia Maglabe, Ryer Lauth, Elizabeth Shaw, Sheyna Rongong

Architectural Engineering

Proposal for an architectural and structural design of a shade structure at the Leaning Pine Arboretum, employing the Xenaform typology of Poly Shells, LLC.

Investigation Of Natural Pozzolans: Analyzing The Practicality Of Natural Pozzolans As A Partial Substitute For Cement In Grout Production, Jadyn I. Breien, Andrew J. Baro, Logan T. Marino

Architectural Engineering

This senior project aims to investigate whether natural pozzolans are more sustainable than fly ash and a sufficient substitute for cement in the production of grout. By following the intent of the ASTM (American Society of Testing and Materials) standards, a conclusion will be made to determine if natural pozzolans can contribute comparable strength in compression. The objective is to prove that natural pozzolans should be utilized in the production of grout rather than alternatives such as fly ash because it can provide similar strength while being more economical and more sustainable.

The Center For Centering Dome, Olek Piechaczek, Ryan M. Scharf

Architectural Engineering

The Center for Centering seeks to create a large-scale healing center, conducive to individual centering of the mind and body. This mobile installation provides a relaxing, enclosed space while still maintaining a connection to the outdoors. The clients liked the idea of having a pop-up installation that could be easily set up as a touring display. With a deadline for installation looming in June 2022, a team of students had five months to design and manufacture the structure.

In winter 2022, the students developed custom geometry to minimize the number of individual parts and built a ¼ scale model of …

Development Of The New Hasslein Caed Collaborative, Catie Dines

Construction Management

This paper outlines the development and execution of the new Hasslein CAED Collaborative student competition which engages students of all five majors in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design in a Request for Proposal style competition. CAED houses students studying Architecture, Architectural Engineering, City and Regional Planning, Construction Management, and Landscape Architecture. There is little opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration within the CAED, despite our future career paths being heavily intertwined. This competition followed research by Greta Stout, class of 2022, on the benefits and support of interdisciplinary collaboration at Cal Poly SLO in CAED. The competition is named after …

The Viability Of Electrification For Industrial Off-Road Vehicles In Construction, Caden Patrick Stoker

Construction Management

Federal and State legislation has been passed limiting the prospective propulsion options for heavy industrial off-road vehicles that general contractors can operate on the jobsite. The interest behind this research project is the viability of introducing fully electric off-road construction vehicles into the heavy civil construction industry and if the timeline for implementation is realistic or optimistic. As new rules and regulations pertaining to the future emissions requirements of civilian and commercial vehicles effect the country, the construction industry is spending billions in order to develop (and are currently developing) fully electric off-road industrial vehicles (dozers, front loaders, scrappers, dump …

City Farm Slo Educational Pizza Oven, Koby J. Ramage

Construction Management

City Farm SLO is a nonprofit that educates the public about growing food, and they donate the produce to food banks and communities in need. Their mission is to promote healthy living through sustainable agriculture and farm-based education. This senior project is to build them an educational pizza oven for them to use in their classes. With it they will give lessons where they cook pizzas using ingredients that they grow on site. To do this, the builder had to make it lightweight and able to move around the property to different meeting places and outdoor classrooms. It is also …

Estimating The Impact Of Infill Housing On Reduction In Vehicle Miles Traveled, Peyton Marie Ratto

Master's Theses

Vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and its relationship with the built environment has been extensively studied. Most notably, five D variables of the built environment including density, diversity, design, destination accessibility, and distance to transit are the key variables included in this research to explain VMT generation from housing developments. This thesis uses prior research that developed robust statistical models and findings to create a framework to estimate VMT reduction affected by infill housing developed using incentives provided by the state compared to a regional comparator. The regional comparator is typically a suburban single-family housing development in the region. The models …

Attainable And Sustainable Home Building Solutions, Katrina Matthews

Construction Management

Sustainability has fortunately been a recent concern in the construction industry as climate change continues to impose potentially insurmountable threats to the global environment. Although many new methods have been adopted in efforts to lessen the adverse environmental effects of construction-related activities, as a society, we still have much room for growth as the built environment accounts for almost 50% of global emissions. Many changes and standards must be adopted to make these solutions efficiently beneficial. To set industry standards, we must start with the most basic form of construction- residential building. This report covers two attainable framing solutions for …

Floating Dock At Santa Rita Ranch: A Design And Cost Estimate Package Prepared For The Land Conservancy Of San Luis Obispo, Sophia Ann Federico

Construction Management

The purpose of this project is to provide the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo with three design options for a floating fishing/boat dock system that they want to build on a small lake located on a plot of land that they own and preserve called Santa Rita Ranch. The design package that I created includes drawings, weight and buoyancy calculations, a cost estimate, and product specs. My approach was to utilize my estimating skills that I have acquired from my construction management classes and from my work at a general contractor’s office in the preconstruction department. The design and …

City Farm Slo Garden For All Accessible Planter Beds, Allison C. Wild

Construction Management

This paper outlines the design, coordination, and construction efforts to build the Accessible Planter Boxes for the City Farm SLO’s Garden for All. The Garden for All was a concept created by the City Farm SLO staff to meet the need for an accessible learning space for students. The full design for the Garden for All also included mobile benches and tables, a shade structure, and decomposed granite pathways that were completed by other students. This project included the construction of 6 raised planter beds of differing heights and designs. Each planter bed was approximately 10 feet long and varied …

Exploring The Potential Of Pavegen’S Kinetic Energy Generating Floor For Sustainable Energy Solutions: A Proposal For Cal Poly Slo, Brandon J. Cuneo

Construction Management

This paper proposes the installation of Pavegen's kinetic energy generating floors at Cal Poly’s campus as a sustainable energy solution. Pavegen has developed a pioneering technology that converts footsteps into clean and renewable energy. The versatility of these floors is demonstrated through successful implementations in various settings, such as transportation hubs and public spaces, generating power from foot traffic. Collaborations with Schneider Electric, installation at Dupont Circle, and integration at Heathrow Airport showcase the potential for sustainable urban infrastructure. This paper outlines research conducted on Pavegen and similar solutions, including communication with company representatives and examining proposed installation locations at …

Slo Botanical Garden Deck, Noah E. Demer

Architectural Engineering

This project consists of the design and construction of an outdoor-use deck. This deck is to be located in the NE corner of the Sage Meadow at the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden at 3450 Dairy Creek Rd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405. This deck’s intended use is as a gathering area for people to congregate. Originally, the ideal deck area was proposed as 700+ square feet, but with further site and project limitations the final design was ~480 square feet. This deck has not been constructed.

Building Artificial Reefs From Recycled Construction Materials: A Feasibility Study, Nicholas H. Lew

Construction Management

Naturally occurring reefs are some of the world’s most biologically diverse ecosystems formed by jagged rocks tucked slightly below sea level. In recent years global warming began to pose a major threat to many reef habitats. Most relevant is the increase in surface seawater temperatures that cause coral to bleach, taking away major food sources for larger marine species. Researchers have combated this by deploying artificial reefs in substitution for naturally formed limestone rock formations in order to promote the expansion of coastal habitats. This project specifically aims to utilize construction waste towards the production of artificial reefs, effectively upcycling …

Urban Densification At Twin Creeks Apartments: High-Density Living With Low-Density Luxuries, Ryan Griswold

Construction Management

Urban sprawl is characterized by the rapid growth of the extent of cities and towns. In the United States, urban sprawl is greatly influenced by housing density. In the past half-century, developers have favored constructing and consumers have preferred living in neighborhoods of detached, single-family homes. This is because low-density living provides more housing services, or additional benefits, than most high-density developments, such as apartments and townhomes. Residents of low-density living often have more privacy, outdoor space, interior natural light, and many other benefits over residents of higher-density developments. However, Twin Creeks Apartments, located in San Luis Obispo, California, is …

Future Of Augmented And Virtual Reality In Construction, Cameron Ghoddoucy

Construction Management

A series of virtual design contractors were interviewed regarding the future involvement of augmented and virtual reality software integration with construction processes. Within the construction industry, VDC specialists rely on Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Computer Aided Design (CAD) to create digital models that can be used to analyze the design of a building from all points of view. The interviewees responded to questions about software implementation advantages, and related user experiences. Six interviews were conducted, amongst three industry leading companies. Their assumptions of future AR and VR usage in construction were based on learned knowledge and prior field exploration. …

Construction Of High-Bay Lab Reaction Frame Foundations, David R. Bowen, Henry E. Miller, Blaize Twisselman

Construction Management

This paper details the construction process of two concrete modular foundations designed to meet specific design standards for various testing methods. The project, positioned within the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) High Bay Lab, will provide the Architectural Engineering (ARCE) and Construction Management (CM) departments with valuable insight into industry structural elements. The project required extensive forethought and thoroughness due to the complex designs, including 200 all-thread coupler attachments and a cumbersome rebar cage. This paper outlines the primary phases of construction, including material procurement and quality control, and discusses how the final product was obtained. …

Skip The Grid: Providing Power And Light To The Navajo Nation, Esai Contreras

Construction Management

Skip the Grid was created as an initiative to power communities that are in need. This project was made possible through a collaborative effort from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) students, industry partners SOLV Energy and Goal Zero, and facilitated through the educational non-profit organization Heart of America (HOA). The goal of this project was to help families of school age children in the Navajo Nation by providing solar energy systems including a battery and lighting. We hoped to achieve a long-lasting effect on the families by installing necessities for families with school-aged children. For the …

Use Of Precious Plastic Method Of Bricks For The Construction Of Tiny Homes, Haylie E. Tallon

Architectural Engineering

Precious Plastics, a Netherlands based company, created an open source project that can be used to create different objects from recycled plastics. The San Luis Obispo area has a large amount of recyclable plastic that is being treated as trash, adding to the pollution of the ocean and the air. This project is to determine the necessary steps to create plastic building blocks, using the Precious Plastic process, as a construction material for low-income, temporary housing. This report covers the process that was used to build two of the machines that will be used to create the bricks. This requires …

Site Development Feasibility Study, Andy A. Tenekjian

Construction Management

A feasibility study in the world of construction is deemed as a preliminary due diligence process in which key components of a project are addressed to determine if the project is viable or not. These components are related to time and money, and the end goal of a feasibility study is to determine if the initial investment of time and money is worth the amount of future financial return. What deems a project successful in the preliminary stage is up for interpretation. Each developer and investor have their own return on investment threshold in a multi-family project like the one …

Sage Garden Pavilion Shade Structure, Anthony Razouk Karroum, Manuel Bermudez, Matthew Kilbride, Sarah Holt, Marisa Martineau

Architectural Engineering

Form finding, testing, and construction of funicular double-layered shells in an interdisciplinary format with a focus on designing a shade structure for the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden Children’s Pavilion. In the process, challenges such as connection design, materiality, storage, and more are explored and refined in relation to shell structures.

Guidelines For The Eeri Seismic Design Competition, Kate Robinson

Architectural Engineering

The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) has been dedicated to exposing undergraduate students to the wide range of interdisciplinary subjects related to earthquake engineering through the Seismic Design Competition. In 2022, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) sent 14 students to Salt Lake City, Utah for the competition – to compete with 31 other teams who all tackled the competition problem statement uniquely. The 2022 team was tasked with the research, design, analysis, and construction of a new structure to be built in downtown Salt Lake City, with the goal of replicating the design sequence of real-world …

Feasibility Report On Water Recycling And The Housing Crisis, Tally A. Perry

City and Regional Planning

The western United States is experiencing increasing population, a housing shortage, and a drought. These challenges demand creative and unprecedented changes to development. Water recycling is slowly emerging as a viable solution for developers, home owners, and cities as a way to continue much-needed housing development while mitigating unnecessary water depletion. With all change, policy, feasibility, and awareness can be the largest influencers. Drought-ridden western-American states require additional and revised regulatory requirements to promote recycled water in new development. Currently, water reuse is largely used for agricultural and industrial purposes. To motivate and encourage housing development, water recycling needs to …

Skip The Grid: Installation Of Solar Powered Refrigeration In The Navajo Nation, Connor T. Avrit

Construction Management

The Skip the Grid project was a project completed with the joint efforts of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) and many other company sponsors including Solv Energy, Dometic, Goal Zero and Heart of America a nonprofit. Skip the Grid’s project goal and outcomes was to improve the quality of life and provide clean sustainable off grid energy to families within the Navajo Nation. The Navajo Nation is located in the Four Corners region of the United States with approximately a third of its residents without the means or circumstances to be tied into grid level power. …

Shabang Music Festival Seating, Carter L. Norton

Construction Management

This outlines the process of the building and installation of four shaded seating areas at the SHABANG Music Festival located at Laguna Lake Park in San Luis Obispo. This paper places an emphasis on the pre-construction elements of the building stage. SHABANG Music Group rented out a section of Laguna Lake Park to host a music festival designed to bring the San Luis Obispo community together. The goal of the project discussed was to build a raised VIP seating area facing the main stage on which music lovers could relax while still being able to enjoy an unobstructed view of …

Caed Hasslein Student Competition, Greta R. Stout

Construction Management

This paper outlines the development of the first CAED Hasslein Student Competition at Cal Poly, SLO. The College of Architecture and Environmental Design at Cal Poly, SLO has not yet been successful in creating a platform to engage students of all five majors to collaborate in an educational atmosphere. This project aims to challenge students to work in teams made up of all five disciplines in a Request for Proposal-style competition. This paper focuses on how the idea of this competition came to be and the steps that were taken to successfully write the competition problem statement. These steps included …

Alternative Redistribution Of Residential Solar Energy, David T. Holmes

Construction Management

The use of solar panels on residential structures has been prevalent since the mid 1970’s and over the decades their presence has become more pronounced and more valued. The creation of energy on-site using clean methods for an individual is truly a remarkable feat. As solar panels become increasingly common, so do the inherent issues and their supporting infrastructure. Of these issues a common inconvenience is what owners are to do with extraneous energy. What this entails is that an owner typically does not have means to store energy that is created in surplus, the resulting solution is the power …

Skip The Grid: Solar Powered Refrigeration In The Navajo Nation, Sydney Jo Sitton

Construction Management

The Skip the Grid project was a combined effort of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) students, and company sponsors SOLV Energy, Dometic, and Goal Zero, facilitated through the non-profit, Heart of America. The interdisciplinary project team successfully installed photovoltaic energy systems with refrigerators and lights for families within the Navajo Nation. Skip the Grid’s mission focuses on improving quality of life and providing access to clean, affordable off-grid energy. In the Navajo Nation, access to electricity and running water is not necessarily a given, with large disparities from family to family. This issue was exacerbated during …

An Analysis Of Construction Estimating Software, Guilianna M. Lozano

Construction Management

There are various components that go into building a construction project. And regardless of the size of the project, construction projects have become increasingly expensive with cost escalations on the rise. The cost element of each construction project is critical to the success of the overall project. In today’s current industry, numerous resources are available that strive to assist the built environment with managing construction costs. Currently, construction firms are maintaining a competitive edge by using the technology that has been made available. The basis of this research, conducted using a quantitative survey, was to provide data that indicated which …