Architecture Commons^™

An Architecture Of A New Story, Nathan Y. Lumen

Masters Theses

As the world reckons with an uncertain future at the hands of global climate change and biodiversity loss, the question of how to proceed seems ever more urgent. Approaches to sustainability in design tend to focus on technological solutions to what is often presented as a technical problem. This approach overlooks the ways in which the forces that have led us to this point are born out of our cultural story of what it means to be human, what the natural world is, and what our relationship is to it. This is the story that has permitted if not encouraged …

The Homestead Helper Handbook, Courtney A. Jurzynski

Masters Theses

When the pandemic hit, and grocery stores and other necessities started to shut down and create havoc amongst the general public, it became clear that having the ability to rely on a self-sufficient homestead might be the only way to survive and thrive. As a graduate student who has studied architecture and sustainability, this idea seems possible. As an average human with no prior architectural or homesteading knowledge, this idea is daunting.

This thesis is asking, is there a systematic way to develop a tool to evaluate, and aid in the design of, a self-sustaining, off-grid homestead? Can this tool …

Detroit: Revitalizing Urban Communities, David N. Fite

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the relationship between architecture and planning in Detroit. The relationship between these two disciplines has reinforced gross inequality in socioeconomic status over many decades. It has been compounded by racism which planning policy and Architecture exploited during the 20^th Century for private interests. This impacts the built environment at all scales. Today division is reinforced through small details such as how handrails are placed on benches, but it extends to planning metropolitan areas, and how they are divided up into city and suburb. At the scales between, both architecture and planning reinforce the segregation within their …

Physical To Virtual: A Model For Future Virtual Classroom Environments, Stephen J. Fink

Masters Theses

Virtual reality is a technology that has seen unprecedented growth since the turn of the century with increasing applications within business, entertainment, and educational applications. As virtual reality technologies continue to develops and markets expand, the world may see an increased demand for virtual classrooms: virtual environments (VEs) that students may access through immersive virtual reality technologies to receive guided instruction, conduct simulations, or perform tasks typical in a classroom setting. While many studies document how virtual reality is beneficial to educational processes, there is little discussion on how virtual environments should be architecturally designed. Thus one may hypothesize that …

River Tapi Rejuvenation: Elevating The Ecological Corridor Of Surat City, Kinjal Desai

Masters Theses

With rapid urban sprawl, comes new challenges to the trends in urbanization. The recent trends in urban development bring urban systems and urban experiences into daily contact with natural habitats. So, it is extremely important to consider natural systems in play while designing for an Urban ecosystem, which is one of the principles of Landscape Urbanism. It is a design practice that intervenes Natural landscape and habitation to form an integrative systems approach. This thesis is built upon approaching an urban riverfront development project through the perspective of Landscape Urbanism. It aims at developing design strategies for the ecological restoration …

Cultivating Food Justice: Exploring Public Interest Design Process Through A Food Security & Sustainability Hub, Madison J. Dehaven

Masters Theses

This thesis addresses the deep-rooted systemic issue of food justice, through the development of a Food Security & Sustainability Hub in Northampton, Massachusetts. As part of the thesis process, I initiated engagement with local stakeholders and organizations using established practices of public interest design. This included a series of meetings and site visits with the leaders of a nonprofit social justice farm in Northampton, MA. These conversations shaped the project scope and design. In doing so, the thesis project tested ideas about social process and the overarching role of discourse in design. My hope is that through thoughtful analysis and …

The Beige Conundrum, Alma Crawford-Mendoza

Masters Theses

Color is an essential part of everyday life, but it is often not given the consideration it deserves. Simply, waking up in the morning and pulling on a pair of blue jeans and a white t-shirt is an example of a decision made about color. What behooves a person to dress in a certain color? Is it related to their mood? Is it related to the kind of work they do? Similar questions can be asked about the exterior color of a person’s home. Why did they choose that color? How do they feel about their house’s color? Did they …

Firesafe: Designing For Fire-Resilient Communities In The American West, Brenden Baitch

Masters Theses

The perception that wildfires are completely preventable has caused many structures and communities to be built in locations that will inevitably experience an uncontrollable fire event, risking human lives and infrastructure. Modification of built environments into fire-adapted communities has been explored in this thesis, through multiple strategies. Central to this analysis is the idea that sustainable human developments could adopt a form of biomimicry and indigenous design informed by the adaptions of plants, animals, and native groups that endure and even thrive with regular cycles of fire. This possibility has been assessed through the scope of fire adaptation strategies available …

Creating New Cultural Hubs In American Cities: The Syrian Diaspora Of Worcester, Massachusetts, Aleesa Asfoura

Masters Theses

Architectural design can be used as a tool to assist in integrating Syrian immigrants into American culture. Conceived of as a vital place-making technique, architecture can build Syrian community in the United States, while maintaining and promoting the links to Middle Eastern heritage. This thesis draws upon the lived experience of a large Syrian population in Worcester, MA, and makes a case for design in the development of a Syrian-American community center. This Syrian-American community center seeks to satisfy three goals. First, it offers a space for Syrian immigrants to better transition into American culture while also staying strongly connected …

The Slow Violence Of Business As Usual Planning: Racial Injustice In Public Health Crises, Monika Sharma

Masters Theses

This thesis is a critical analysis of the normative planning practice in relation to the aspirational principles of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) (especially Section A, Part 1: Overall Responsibility to the Public). By exploring several dimensions of typical, or Business As Usual, planning practices in a local planning department in Springfield, Massachusetts and contextualized within larger planning concerns in the United States, I illustrate that socio-spatial, racialized oppression is deeply embedded in these common practices. Through a multimethod approach that includes historical survey, archival research, interviews, and direct observation, I argue that most professional planning operates from …

Border Town: Preserving A 'Living' Cultural Landscape In Harlingen, Texas, Shelby Parrish

Masters Theses

The preservation of cultural landscapes takes an understanding of a region’s shared history, their sense of place, and the sensory and spatial behavior of their appropriated spaces. That being said preserving cultural landscapes in urban areas can be especially challenging. They are constantly growing and evolving which requires special considerations to avoid suffocation of the space and the inhabitants’ spatial behavior. The practice of preserving cultural landscapes on an urban scale has been relatively lacking in the United States. The same preservation strategies are used for various types of cultural landscapes that have their own characteristics and stories. Different tactics …

Brutalism And The Public University: Integrating Conservation Into Comprehensive Campus Planning, Shelby Schrank

Masters Theses

The University of Massachusetts Amherst, the Commonwealth’s flagship campus, is home to several Brutalist buildings. Similar to other buildings of this genre, they have gone unrecognized for their importance to the campus and their prominent architectural significance. Additionally, due to the ravages of close to 50 years of exposure coupled with limited maintenance and, in some instances, neglect they are now at a point where restorative maintenance is critical in ensuring their future contribution to the campus.

This thesis addresses the importance of creating a comprehensive, long-term plan for these buildings, by first looking to the University’s most prominent, yet …

Enforcing Higher Standards For Flood Hazard Mitigation In Vermont, Tamsin Flanders

Masters Theses

The state of Vermont faces increasing risk of costly damage from catastrophic flooding events as climate change increases the frequency of heavy rains and cumulative precipitation. In addition to increasing flood inundation risk, extreme precipitation events are leading to high rates damage from fluvial erosion—erosion caused by the force of floodwater and the materials it carries. As in all U.S. states, flood hazard governance in Vermont is shared by multiple levels of government and involves a complex compliance model that relies on local governments to regulate private property owners to achieve community, state, or federal goals.

To encourage municipalities to …

Reinvigorating Englewood, Chicago Through New Public Spaces And Mixed-Income Housing, Givan Carrero

Masters Theses

At the start of the second industrial revolution, Chicago was home to many workers from the Union Stock Yard meat packing industry located in what is now known as the Back of the Yards neighborhood. As business grew, so did the need for housing, leading to the development of a new neighborhood, Englewood. For years, the neighborhood was prosperous and was home to the second largest business corridor in the city. During the Great Migration, much of that changed. Racially Restrictive Covenants forced African Americans to live in the Black Belt, and the eastern side of Englewood slowly transformed, paving …

Optimization Of Thermal Energy Storage Sizing Using Thermodynamic Analysis, Andrew Villanueva

Masters Theses

The aim of this thesis is to examine the effect that Thermal Energy Storage (TES) sizing has on a building’s ability to meet heating and cooling demands in an energy and cost efficient manner. The focus of the research is the quantification the effects of TES for system sizing and boiler cycling. Research is accomplished by modelling TES systems with various storage capacities using thermodynamic analysis. Energy costs are subject to increase during peak usage periods due to a limited supply of energy. Peak heating and cooling periods also force thermal systems to be sized for loads that are only …

A Framework For Performance-Based Facade Design: Approach For Automated And Multi-Objective Simulation And Optimization, Mahsa Minaei

Doctoral Dissertations

Buildings have a considerable impact on the environment, and it is crucial to consider environmental and energy performance in building design. Buildings account for about 40% of the global energy consumption and contribute over 30% of the CO2 emissions. A large proportion of this energy is used for meeting occupants’ thermal comfort in buildings, followed by lighting. The building facade forms a barrier between the exterior and interior environments; therefore, it has a crucial role in improving energy efficiency and building performance. In this regard, decision-makers are required to establish an optimal solution, considering multi-objective problems that are usually competitive …

Resilient Urbanism: Bridging Natural Elements & Sustainable Structures In A Post-Industrial Urban Environment, Nicholas Mcgee

Masters Theses

How can the revival of nature combined with the introduction of contemporary structures improve a city’s appeal? The goals of this thesis are as follows: 1) To provide a new public space along Hartford’s waterfront, 2) To relieve traffic of those traveling through Hartford, 3) To allow for easier/increased access for local traffic to access the downtown area and central business district, and 4) To create connections across the River at the Human Scale. The relocation of I-91 to the opposite side of the Connecticut River using existing infrastructure is a clean, concise way of achieving these four goals. By …

Understanding Agrihoods: An Exploration Into The Growing Trend Of Farm-To-Table Communities Across The United States, Benjamin Breger

Masters Theses

Agrihoods are a recent trend in real estate development that integrate agricultural amenities - such as working farms, orchards, or community gardens - into residential or mixed-use communities. As an emergent trend, agrihoods have the potential to enhance farmland preservation and local and regional food systems, making them a ripe area for research. However, very little scholarly research has been carried out to characterize, contextualize or evaluate agrihood developments. Thus far, the development model has primarily been detailed in popular media sources. This thesis serves as a baseline study that seeks to understand how neighborhood food systems operate within agrihood …

Architectural Agency Through Real Estate Development, Hitali Gondaliya

Masters Theses

In today’s world, architects are facing a problem of diminished control over the built environment. Across the industry, architects are forfeiting influence to developers, contractors, and lawyers due to increased concerns about innumerable risks. Architecture, for the most part, is dependent on other professions to create opportunities, and thus is not directly responsible for positive change. For architecture to accrue influence on how our built environment evolves into the future, it must understand and take a larger role within the real estate development process. The problem this thesis presents is that the position of architecture within this economics dominated power …

Adaptive Airport Architecture, Yash Mehta

Masters Theses

The architecture of Airport terminals is unique in nature as it is linked with a wide range of concerns that go hand in hand to demonstrate the efficient functioning of the building. From an inconvenient mode of travel to the city center to the congestions in the security screening, concerns varying from urban design to systems engineering have an impact on the user experience. Along with these concerns, the spatial organization of the airport terminals accommodates various commercial, leisure, retail, and service-based spaces in addition to the core function of aviation. Where the guiding parameters for determining the spatial requirements …

Multimodal Transit And A New Civic Architecture, Samuel Bruce Hill

Masters Theses

We live in an age defined by the automobile and its infrastructure. This paradigm of movement has shaped how we live our lives, and the urban frameworks we inhabit. Cars as a form of transportation damage the environment and engender unsustainable lifestyles. They also create anti-social spaces with the infrastructure they require, and therefore their success is inverse to that of the pedestrian experience.

I seek to adapt this transit paradigm with a more flexible and resilient multimodal system. My work focuses on reinvigorating a rail line in central Massachusetts and designing a modular station system that can serve as …

The Built Environment And Well-Being: Designing For Well-Being In Post-Industrial Communities During The Age Of Urbanization, Tyler O'Neil

Masters Theses

Well-being is a major cultural concern today and is increasingly a priority for architects and designers. However, the meaning of well-being is hard to define and often misunderstood. Well-being is frequently seen rather narrowly, even though it is essentially a holistic concept that includes physical, mental, social, and economic well-being. To achieve a state of well-being these different aspects must remain in balance. In the age of urbanization, with the world’s urban population expected to nearly double by 2050, the notion of well-being becomes especially important for architects and urban designers when considering the implications for the urban environment to …

Rethinking School Design To Promote Safety And Positivity, Emily Moreau

Masters Theses

Since the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado, there have been two-hundred and thirty more school shootings in the United States, not including those that have happened at colleges or universities[1]. This has been a major change that American school systems have been struggling to adapt to, especially since many of the schools were built in the 1950s and 1960s. In the wake of these recurring tragedies, there are strategies that can be followed to not only provide safer schools that will protect students, but also design with empathy in mind. This thesis will examine how …

Spatial Design For Behavioral Education, Madeline Szczypinski

Masters Theses

The built environment can inadvertently create obstacles for human cognition, emotion, and behavior when ill-designed, neglected, or poorly retrofitted. Deteriorating education facilities exemplify the lack of awareness in regard to the significant relationship between people and their environments. However, simply updating a school does not always accommodate occupant needs, especially for students who are sensitive to external stimuli. Students in behavioral schools who suffer from emotional behavioral disorder (EBD) often display adverse neurological affects from negative life experiences. Common disorders comorbid with EBD, as well as EBD itself, interferes with their ability to control and manage behavior. By identifying common …

Urban Inter-Space: Convergence Of Human Interaction And Form, Clayton Beaudoin

Masters Theses

How can the convergence of human interaction and form activate underused spaces and catalyze future community developments?

Architecture is defined by human needs, such as that of shelter, comfort, and place. However, we as humans have other needs; the need to create, to make, to play, to thrive, to inhabit, and to interact. The interaction between humans and architecture can serve as fuel to answer the question of how these ideas converge. This thesis examines the dynamic between humans and architecture, and how this interaction can catalyze future change by creating space and place utilized within the underused areas of …

Rethinking The Suburban Center, Andrew Jones

Masters Theses

No longer are suburban towns filled with households made up of large middle-class white families. In recent years, America’s diverse, elderly, and singles have joined this demographic in increasing numbers. The large square footages of homes and properties do not serve smaller households and are not environmentally sustainable. They demand significant heating and cooling and reliance on automobiles for everyday transportation due to the lack of walkability and transit connectivity. These two issues result in a high carbon footprint compared to living in a dense urban environment. Urban design interventions can help these suburbs facing population growth, demographic change, and …

Museum Design As A Tool For A City, Cunbei Jiang

Masters Theses

With the financial growth and international acclaim brought about by Guggenheim Museum for Bilbao, the media started to talk about the so-called “Bilbao Effect”. For the next two decades, the general public has been more and more convinced and accustomed to the positive results landmark architecture might brought for their cities. Thus it is worthwhile to explore the root of the Bilbao Effect and to dig into the effects of Guggenheim Museum so that similar industrial cities may select and apply strategies basing on their own conditions.

From Archaic To Contemporary : Energy Efficient Adaptive Reuse Of Historic Building, Nisha Borgohain

Masters Theses

Over recent decades, the global focus on climate change and on conservation of resources has brought about a paradigm shift in the adaptive reuse of old and historic buildings. Adaptive reuse is now seen as a key factor in the conservation of land and environment, preservation of cultural identity, and reduction of urban sprawl. Increasingly, engineers, architects, and urban planners are making concerted efforts to realize the reuse potential of existing and outdated structures. Therefore, those involved in building design have studied the viability of adaptive reuse and generally favor the repurposing of old/historic buildings to suit new patterns of …

Intermodal Transit Terminal: Integrating The Future Of Transit Into The Urban Fabric, Guy Vigneau

Masters Theses

The very foundation of transportation relies on its ability to efficiently move people and goods through a transitional space. Transportation hubs are key to achieving this goal. However, many transit terminals are outdated or poorly designed to fit the needs of the modern world. At the core of this thesis are two overarching questions. First, how do we design intermodal transit terminals so that they successfully integrate into an existing urban fabric? Second, how do we design for innovative modes of transportation, such as hyperloop technology? This thesis explores how architectural design can recover existing transit connections within an urban …

Northeastern Species In Hybrid Cross Laminated Timber, Hamid Kaboli

Doctoral Dissertations

Known in the building industry throughout the world, Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) is a massive timber building material with outstanding structural, fire, and seismic properties. CLT is a cost-competitive, sustainable construction material is a good candidate as a substitute material for concrete, masonry, and steel, in mid-rise and high-rise buildings. CLT is perpendicular layers of dimensional lumbers usually laminated together and forming a massive structural panel. This dissertation explores the viability of utilizing Massachusetts grown Eastern Hemlock and Eastern White Pine in CLT panels as pure or in conjunction with other high-value wood products. 59% of Massachusetts’ lands are covered …