Architecture Commons^™

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 …

Re-Imagining Design For Affordable Housing In Mexico, Kenza Fernandez Dominguez

Scripps Senior Theses

Since the presidency of Enrique Peña Nieto, affordable housing developments in Mexico have been produced in a massive, unsustainable scale. The speed at which these developments are produced equates to the carelessness that goes into their planning. At large, the developments’ monotonous design is aesthetically dehumanizing and fails to promote a sense of community. These developments lack basic infrastructure, and their residents have abandoned them, which has incentivized increased criminal activity.

In this paper, I will be looking at successful models of affordable housing globally, exploring the histories of communal living, and function of architectural collages. Based on my findings, …

Hurricanes And Housing: Highlighting The Ongoing Impact Of Hurricane Michael And The Post-Disaster Housing Problem, Mary Beth Barr

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

Hurricanes impact individuals and communities on many levels - emotional, physical, mental, financial - to name a few. Every time a hurricane occurs, lives are drastically altered forever. One of the ways that hurricanes impact individuals and communities most powerfully is through the effect that they have on housing. Unleashing uncontrollable damage to infrastructure and the built environment, hurricanes exacerbate housing problems that exist and create new ones where they did not exist before. Hurricane Michael, which catastrophically impacted the Florida Panhandle in 2018, is a case study in which the impact that hurricanes have on housing is prevalent.

By …

Difficulties Building Low-Income Housing And The View Of One Company: A Case Study, Kyle Henriken

Construction Management

This case study investigates low-income housing and why it can be more difficult to build compared to other construction projects. Five individuals of PREMIER Design + Build Group were interviewed and gave their opinions on the subject. Each person interviewed has a different role in the company a market leader, project manager, superintendent, and a project engineer to gain a more diverse view on low-income housing. These interviews were semi-structured and open ended to create dialogue about their experiences in affordable housing. This paper investigates a single project called The Cottages located in Lake Elsinore CA. This process found that …

Global Sustainability, Fall/Winter 2005, Issue 11

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of The Difference Between Two Approaches To Assessing Housing And Community Standards, Kundoldibya Panitchpakdi, Tirawat Pimwern, Thammanoon Laohpiyavisut

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

This comparative study on housing and community comfortable living performance standards is a partof a participatory research conducted to meet the needs addressed by the Thai National HousingAuthority to improve existing housing and community standards. The research team conducted a case study of the Rim Khwae Awm Community in Samut Songkhram Province. This community had been identified as a model of comfortable living. This article presents the results of an analysis of comfortable living standards derived from a review of related literature and standards derived from the participatory process with the community case study. This research found that the standards …

The Hutongs Blooming 08, L Khawn Din

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

China’s rapid development has altered the city’s landscape on a massive scale, continually eroding the delicate urban tissue of old Beijing. Such dramatic changes have forced an aging architecture to rely on chaotic, spontaneous renovations to survive the ever-changing neighborhood. In addition, poor standards of hygiene have turned unique living space and potential thriving communities into a serious urban problem. Hutongs are gradually becoming the local inhabitants’ dumpster and the haven for the wealthy. The hutongs blooming 08, will be inserted into the urban fabric, structure like clouds, attracting new people, activities, and resources to reactivate entire neighborhoods. They exist …

New Beginnings Homeless Transition Village, Community Design Center

Project Reports

More than three million Americans experience homelessness annually. Emergency shelter capacity is limited while local governments are unable to provide even temporary housing. Informal housing involving interim self-help solutions are now popular adaptive actions for obtaining shelter despite nonconformance with city codes. Unfortunately, most informal solutions have resulted in objectionable tent cities and squatter campgrounds where the local response has simply been to move the problem around. Our homeless transition village plan prototypes a shelter-first solution using a kit-of-parts that can be replicated in other communities. Village design reconciles key gaps between informal building practices and formal sector regulations, creating …

Integral Perspectives, Henry Brian Cheek

Masters Theses

Integral Perspectives is a method to architectural design that encompasses four different approaches. The four approaches, or perspectives, I chose to focus on include: Cultural, Experiential, Performance, and Systems. Designing with each of these perspectives in mind, I intend to create a more holistic and integral design solution. My thesis explores this methodology using the affordable housing crisis in Nashville, TN.

The Impact Of Walkability On Home Values: Findings From Neighborhoods In Three Bay Area Citites, Jonathan Turner

City and Regional Planning

No abstract provided.

Voices Of Cully: A Case Study Of The Living Cully Weatherization And Home Repair Project 2.0, Lucy J.T. Cultrera

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The Cully neighborhood is situated in the Northeast quadrant of Portland, Oregon. It is 2.75 square mile plot of land and home to roughly 13,000 people. In addition to being one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Portland, it is the most densely populated, with the smallest amount of parkland per capita. Over the last two decades, home value has increased 203% in Cully, compared to a 90% citywide increase. Amidst these development trends are stories of incredible resilience, resistance and activism from the affected community. My project is a case study of one anti-displacement initiative, which was developed and …

Accessory Dwelling Units In College Towns: An Innovative Option To Increase Housing Supply For Students And Seniors, Emily Clare Foley

City and Regional Planning

No abstract provided.

Deployable Domesticity, Daniel Hopkins

Architecture Senior Theses

Deployable homes have characterized the survivalist origins of our species, the lifestyles of disenfranchised populations, and the luxurious retreats of others. Still, a predominance of contemporary domestic space relies on the ‘permanently’ stationary and situated object. As the social and ecological conditions of our society are rapidly and continually fluctuating, we must reaffirm our association with deployable culture and expand the utilization of mobile and adaptable unit. Further, architecture must negotiate the contrasts between ephemerality and permanence.

Through speculation of the social and sustainable implications of the deployable unit, issues of flexibility, material selection and afterlife, economics, ecology, and efficiency …

Cooperative Housing Systems, Shane Madden, Andrew Mcallister, Kieran Brady, John Flynn, Emma Conway, Holly Carton, Yi Shi, Benjamin Cooney, Sean Conlon-Smith

Students Learning with Communities

No abstract provided.

Routes To The Renaissance For Pittsfield, Ma, Nicholas A. Armata, Laura Caughlan, Ross C. Kahn, Leonard M. Kendall, Sarah Lang, Tiffany Leung, Christopher Mcgoldrick, Stephen Meno

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Studio and Student Research and Creative Activity

The goal of the Master of Regional Planning Studio is to develop a student’s techniques for collecting, analyzing, and synthesizing spatial and non-spatial data and then presenting that collective data in a manner (i.e., report, video, presentation, and charettes) that is understandable to academics, professionals, and the public. Planning Studio allows students to integrate knowledge from coursework and research, and apply such knowledge to resolving representative planning problems. At UMASS Amherst, these problems are found in neighborhood, rural, urban, and/or regional settings.

In the fall of 2015, the City of Pittsfield contracted the MRP Studio to create a vision plan …

Towards A Collective Spatial Form:An Analysis Of Achill’S Deserted Village, Noel Brady

Conference papers

This paper examines an earlier study by Bob Kingston and along with onsite observations develops an environmental theory behind the particular siting and location of the deserted village in Achill, Ireland. The paper relies on the survey conducted by Kingston in the first instance but then by translating the material into a different format has concluded on statistically significant evidence of willful and careful planning and design in the construction of the houses.

House As Mediator: Integrative Typology As Connector Between Land And Sea, Samantha Kudish

Architecture Thesis Prep

Rather than the water being an obstacle to coastal residential communities, water can act as an opportunity. Instead of barricading these areas from the water, integrating it with the area would create communities that are capable of living in unison with the ocean. This can introduce new typologies of housing that can withstand the continuing rise of sea levels. Blurring the line between land and sea by living with the sea will allow coastal regions to stay afloat, benefiting from ever-changing water conditions. A proposed new housing typology would introduce a new program to coastal neighborhoods, rather than putting up …

Adopting Green Building Codes To Mitigate The Effects Of Climate Change And Improve Environmental Health Hazards For Public Housing Residents: A Case Study Of Environmental Justice And Climate Justice In Bridgeport Ct, Jane S. Williams

Honors Theses

There is a lack of environmental justice in the public housing sector in the United States today. Prejudice in public housing policy and environmental hazards over the last 20th century have disproportionately affected populations based on race, ethnicity, and income. As global climate change becomes a reality, we need to protect the most vulnerable populations from direct and indirect effects of extreme weather events such as hurricanes and heat waves. We can protect residents of public housing by strengthening their homes structurally using green building techniques. Buildings are a huge drain on our nation’s energy sector. If we use green …

A Place Of Dwelling For Graduate Students, Garth H. Schwellenbach

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

The lives of graduate students are often insular and focused, with high workloads and resultant stresses. Beyond the unifying demands of academia, graduate students have a diverse set of individual challenges. Some students have families, some are visiting the US and learning to live in a new culture, and some are fresh out of undergraduate studies and living on their own for the first time. In addition to these challenges the graduate student body is a diverse and disparate group, representing varied cultures, experiences and generations. Due to these demands and circumstances the students have little time and energy to …

Prelude To A Master Plan: Ware, Massachusetts, Belen Alfaro, Bruno Carneiro, Margaret Engesser, Kathryn E. Fox, Evadne R. Friedman, Timothy Inacio, Anita Lockesmith, Christina Mills, Stephanie Molden, Meagen Mulherin, Russell Pandres, Vinicius Pereira, Brian Reid, Pedro Soto, Jennifer Stromsten

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Studio and Student Research and Creative Activity

Prelude to a Master Plan offers ideas, recommendations, and a toolkit to help the town chart its own path towards that future. While the teams and individual students worked to ‘drill down’ into specific topic areas, the Studio defined three basic areas in order to think about how the various assets, challenges and ideas undermine or reinforce one another. The report is loosely organized in those terms: addressing the outlying rural areas and issues specific to these places, considering one of the key growth areas that has extended from town and the conflicts that arise from the many uses occurring …

Socio-Economic Effects Of Demolishing Squatter Settlements And Illegal Structures In Abuja Metropolis, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria, Ishaku Iy Mallo Phd, Victor G. Obasanya

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

Abuja the Federal Capital Territory and study area is located between latitudes 8o25’ and 9o25’ North of the Equator and longitudes 6o45’ and 7o45’ East of the Greenwich Meridian. The study was carried out in Abuja Phase 1, and it is aimed at highlighting various socioeconomic effects of demolition of illegal structures and informal or squatter settlements on the people within the study area. Data was collected through reconnaissance survey, personal interviews with respondents, and a well laid out questionnaire. The results indicate that the demolition exercise embarked upon by the authorities in the Federal Capital Territory was a response …

The Signifi Cance Of Implicit Socio-Cultural Values In Self-Built Housing Transformation, Tareef Hayat Khan

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

Households' spatial needs change along with inhabitation. At certain points in time, these needs may reach a critical point when households decide to make changes in the usage of space. Moving or transforming are the two basic options. Studies show that irrespective of location or context, scale or affl uence, users prefer transforming instead of moving. Moreover, transformation can occur more than once during inhabitation. Besides being identifi ed as economicaly a more sustainable option, there are several explicit reasons behind the preference for transformation. But this study goes deeper and investigates the impact of implicit values behind those explicit …

The Poetry Of Sustainability: Inhabiting The Landscape Through Sustainable Design, Sarahjo Bellissimo

Architecture Thesis Prep

"Our society is a dependent of the inevitably doomed industry of fossil fuels. We rely heavily on nonrenewable resources to maintain our lifestyles. Ethically, our relationship to the earth is unbalanced. In order to balance the scales of our future in architecture we must look toward sustainability through technology."

Leaving A Smaller Footprint: Optimizing Passive Systems For Single Family Attached Housing, David J. Silver

Architecture Senior Theses

"Creating the best internal comfort conditions for the resident, while using little to zero non-renewable energy, is ideal in creating a sustainable, innovative, and contemporary structure that embraces both a flexible and efficient lifestyle and, at the same time, addresses important energy issues that will be a solid foundation for a new modern world."

The Feasibility Of Incorporating Sustainable Materials In The Design Of Habitat For Humanity Homes, Meaghan Collins, '09

Outstanding Senior Seminar Papers

The concept of sustainable design has been one of increasing interest with regards to both personal choices and desire to reduce human impacts on the environment. This paper looks at the concept of sustainable housing design and why it is important. Particularly, it focuses on sustainable housing designs and materials that the McLean County Chapter of Habitat for Humanity can incorporate into the construction of its homes. This paper investigates three types of sustainable construction materials, flooring, cabinetry, and paints that Habitat for Humanity could incorporate into its homes.

(Romp) House, Cristina Alonso

Architecture Thesis Prep

"The construction of single-family housing units wil provide an opportunity to design using recycled materials. This thesis seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of the unit's performance in a tropical climate, through means of passive cooling; in particular the promotion of comport ventilation during the daytime."

Crossection: An Exploration Into Assembling Sustainability, Brian Goehle

Architecture Thesis Prep

"The field of architecture sits at a crossroad today, we have an opportunity to rethink the way we design using new materials and building techniques to reduce the negative impact architecture has on the wider environment. As architects, we must critically look at our constructions methods and question whether they are appropriate and the best choices we could be making for the environment. My thesis has generated a framework that used a set of sustainable materials that outperform their conventional alternatives, to produce affordable and highly efficiently built homes that leave a neutral impact on the environment."

Building A Sustainable Housing Environment, Shanna Telesco

Architecture Thesis Prep

"There are three major factors being studied throughout this exploration: sustainability, housing, and the environment. Each factor can be carefully examined separately under its own terms, but ultimately, the goal of this thesis is to gain a better understanding of their possible integration within the processes of architecture.

My housing project seeks to integrate and improve the existing methods of sustainability that have evolved in architecture by carefully considering renewable resources found in nature, especially the sun, air, and water."

Access To Buildings For People With Disabilities, Myles Keaveney

Articles

No abstract provided.

The Maine Competition: Architectural Design For Low-Cost Housing, Maine State Planning Office

Maine Collection

The Maine Competition: Architectural Design for Low-Cost Housing - Submissions - October 1976.

Sponsoring Agencies: Allen Pease, Director, State Planning Office; Genevieve Gelder, Director, State Housing Authority; Evan Richert, Sam Ely Community Services Corp.

"The Competition was funded in part by grants from the Maine State Commission on the Arts and Humanities and a HUD Comprehensive Planning and Assistance Grant."