Architecture Commons^™

Design By Rwu Professor’S Architectural Firm Among Finalists For Mlk Memorial In Boston, Juan Siliezar

Featured News Story

RWU Professor of Architecture Julian Bonder’s architectural firm is among five finalists to design a multimillion-dollar memorial to Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King on the Boston Common.

A Behind The Scenes Look At Building An Architecture Model, Juan Siliezar

Featured News Story

On weekdays during the summer, Gabrielle Porter '20 spent most of her time focused on perfection. It came with the nature of her internship at a small architecture firm consistently ranked among the top in the nation where her main responsibility was building scaled models of the some of the firms current architecture projects.

Marching Toward The Finish​, Juan Siliezar

Featured News Story

A quick look at the work master's of architecture students are presenting as part of their graduate thesis.

Draft Programmatic Agreement For Buildings And Structures At Cold War Era Dedicated Instrumentation Sites: White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, Phillip S. Esser

Historic Preservation Capstone Projects

Since 1966, when the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) was signed into law, federal agencies have been required to consider their impact to known or potential historic resources under their jurisdiction. As a potentially costly and onerous process for large government installations such as the military, the law allows for procedures known as “program alternatives” which allow federal agencies to streamline the requirements for inventorying and evaluating categories of, or similar resources (in this case, buildings and structures) for their potential as historic resources.

This Capstone project seeks to capture a category of such resources, building and structures at Cold …

Where Do We Go From Here? Best Practices For Adapting Historic Buildings For Climate Resiliency In Newport, Rhode Island, Olivia Katherine Needham

Historic Preservation Theses

When looking to the future, it is hard to ignore the significant effects climate change will have on our historic built environment. Roughly 2,459.32 acres of land throughout the historic City of Newport, Rhode Island fall within the hundred-year floodplain associated with sea level rise. Through examination of precedents in Louisiana and Charleston, South Carolina, this study analyzes best practices and government policies for adapting historic structures to be more climate-change resilient. The goal is to identify best practices from the precedent areas and use them as guidance for the creation of new initiatives to protect historic structures in Newport. …

Snacking In Bed: Blending Residential And Agricultural Typologies, Taylor Chin

Architecture Theses

The project will explore the generation of a productive residence in an urban setting. The thesis analyzes the cultural conditions of such a building and how it might fit into the urban fabric of a city. In addition, it will investigate the scaling of such a building and how a plot of land will answer to population density as well as agricultural use. A standardized set of building layers will be clearly defined as a rationale for designing a building that conforms to the site and cultural concerns. The summation of these considerations and intents will be a building that …

Preserving Historic Qilou Districts In Southern China: Consideration Of Western Models, Qiming Li

Historic Preservation Theses

The historic qilou buildings are essential to the people in Southern China. Unfortunately, due to some of the urban renewal policies, many of the qilou districts have been either demolished or abandoned. For years, many scholars had written books and articles about how to preserve these significant historic urban elements. However, these studies failed to include examinations of the historic preservation program in other countries or the existing ones in China. This thesis was written in the hope of filling the gap. This study discusses the historical developments of the qilou buildings and their significances in four selected cities: Guangzhou, …

Becoming The Preservation Executive Director: A Journey Through The Educational And Professional Development Of Preservation Nonprofit Leaders, Allison G. Bacon

Historic Preservation Theses

Historic preservation executive directors are tasked with using their preservation skills and knowledge to preserve and protect the built environment. However, they are also responsible for running a business, in the form of nonprofit organization, where they manage people, projects and budgets to keep the organization functioning. This thesis explores the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOCs) required of historic preservation executive directors to lead preservation nonprofits using the method of job analysis. Preservation graduate programs and educational standards are analyzed to demonstrate the gap in preservation academic programs to prepare professionals to lead nonprofit organizations. Recommendations are …

New England Pathway To Recovery: Drug And Alcohol Addiction Treatment Center Around Nature In Rocky Hill, Connecticut, Michael P. Lombardi Jr.

Architecture Theses

In the United States, particularly in New England region, there has been an increase in drug overdoses. This drug epidemic includes an escalation in heroin use and rise in the number of opioid deaths each year. In order to improve the situation there needs to be a change in the way individuals with drug and addiction problems receive treatment through counseling and therapy, as well as other programs and activities. This change would create a positive influence and make the world a better place and allow everyone to enjoy life everyday.

The purpose of this project is to create drug …

The Democratic Architecture Of George W. Maher: A Preservation Perspective, Cody Chase

Historic Preservation Theses

As a branch of the international Arts and Crafts Movement, American Prairie Style architecture was a nostalgic ode to the horizontality and natural landscape of the Midwestern prairie and a departure from European design. Today, the work of Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan comprise the most memorable examples of the era, leaving a considerable number of architects largely understudied. One of these architects was the prolific theoretician and designer George W. Maher.

Ambitious from a young age, Maher had his own firm by his mid-twenties and produced over 160 structures in his thirty-eight-year career. During that time he was …

The Andrews Complex Development Feasability Study For Newport Art House’S “Residency 2020” Project, Tracy Jonsson

Historic Preservation Theses

This paper is a needs-driven feasibility study for acquiring and rehabilitating the Andrews Complex, located at 7-10 Fir Street, Newport RI for use in Newport Art House’s Residency 2020 Project.

Newport Art House (NAH) commissioned this study responding to the need for affordable housing and studios within Newport’s artist community in the face of social change resulting from years of municipal economic investment in seasonal tourism. The Residency 2020 Project is one solution addressing equity, sustainability, and community authenticity issues identified by the City of Newport. It is an example of innovation at the intersection of historic preservation, placemaking, and …

Designing Efficiently For Natural Disaster Relief: Cultural Integration And Prevention Methods, Bryan Smith

Architecture Theses

Our world is more separated now than it has ever been. We pride ourselves on the technologies that we create, and the feats that we have accomplished, but we seldom stop to think about what the implications are. More than often we design to fit what we think we “need”, however, we need to design and build to a better future.

Natural disasters have become something that designers cannot ignore anymore due to the fact that nearly one tenth of the world’s population lives in low lying coastal areas and the rising sea levels are being seen throughout the world. …

Impermanence Materialized: Exploration Of Temporary Architecture At The Kumbh Mela In Allahabad, India, Taylor Sutherland

Architecture Theses

This thesis project will explore and implement a system of structure and construction that can be assembled and disassembled with extremely efficient labor and production of materials. The design and specifications will engage lightweight, sustainable materials, a system of spaces or buildings can be erected, deconstructed, and transported efficiently. Locally sourced materials contribute to both the constructability and authenticity of the architecture. Especially in projects that can be applied to multiple sites, it is imperative that the context and vernacular are considered and respected.

Bioharvest: Energy Efficient Design For The Standardization Of Biomimetic Technologies At Stanford University In Palo Alto, Ca, Usa, Gabriella Santostefano

Architecture Theses

The thesis serves as an investigation of the possibilities of biomimicry as well as an exploration of harvesting energy from the sun, the wind, the rain, and the earth.

Biomimicry, derived from the Greek words bios meaning “life” and mimesis meaning “imitate,” is the examination of nature in order to create systems that are derived from the natural world and provide sophisticated solutions to human problems.

Biomimicry asks the question. “What in nature has already solved what I am trying to solve?” In the case of this project, nature will inspire the creation of a new building typology, Bio-Inspired Solutions …

Community Connections: Relief Through Athletics, Joshua Arthur

Architecture Theses

A sports based recreation facility can significantly enhance the quality of life in a community. Activities held within these facilities can encourage participation, promote health and well-being, and foster a sense of community and togetherness. Today with crime and obesity being increasingly troublesome in the US a space focused on athletics, health, and wellness would allow for kids to have a plethora of activities to do after school and on weekends. There they can make friends, learn about health, and stay off of the streets. Sports and recreation can demonstrate and contribute to the sustainable use of natural resources. They …