Architecture Commons^™

Study Of Undergraduate Interior Design Student Outcomes Compared To Industry Professional Expectations, Rachel Lantz

Theses from the Architecture Program

Interior design undergraduate programs must continually address current software available as drafting and modeling platforms. In addition to preparing students to successfully use these programs, educators also have to consider the creative design process and accreditation standards set to ensure students complete their undergraduate degree prepared for a career in interior design. A concern many design faculty share is what technology, including hardware, software, and apps to feature and how to properly implement those technologies into the design curriculum.

This research project aims to review and evaluate criteria for interior design student work to determine if the outcomes match expectations …

His And Hers: Gender-Specific Design In Mid-Twentieth Century North America Through Film And Television, Morgan O'Shaughnessy

Theses from the Architecture Program

The built environment exists as a variety of ‘spaces’ which are constructed by, and for, the people who occupy them. What is the relationship between social constructs of gender and our built environment in the 20^th century? How does film and television representing the mid-20^th century exemplify this relationship? The overall theme of this topic will include a positive relationship between social gender constructs and our built environment. Through the exploration of select film and television, this study attempts to answer the question of how gender-focused design reinforces traditional gender roles in North American society in mid-20^{th …}

Demolition In Rural Nebraska: Revitalizing Fairbury’S Vacant Sites, Mohammad S. Qutbaldeen

Theses from the Architecture Program

Small communities are the most affected by the population decline. This decline results in an increase in the number of abandoned buildings. Those buildings, if left uncared for, will disintegrate and pose an environmental threat to the communities that they are in. In rural areas, demolition without repurposing or redevelopment plans is the dominant solution for unoccupied buildings. Data from the U.S. Census and the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality shows that the rural town in Nebraska with the highest rate of vacant sites in a rural town has occurred in Fairbury. Vacant sites are an inevitable result of a …

Papi Design + Build, Eric L. Engle

Theses from the Architecture Program

My thesis explores design build. I set out this thesis to try and explore the relationship between my experiences doing design build and the implications in can have in the built environment. My maker experience started with furniture in high school and shifted into cabins and micro dwellings through architecture school. Design Build is what I want to pursue after graduation with an aim of setting up a practice where I can do design build projects. My current interest lies in micro-architecture because its a scale I feel I can be in complete control of the outcome. Also a smaller …

The Diversity Of Modern Urbanism: An International Comparative Study Of Urban Space, Fanhao Kong

Theses from the Architecture Program

While industrialization and globalization are continuing to bridge cultural and geographical gaps on the earth, differences still exist. Today, Developing countries are undergoing massive urban transition; and the transition appears to pursue the path of developed countries. However, the belief that global paths of urbanism will converge into one road is not convincing. Many studies on urbanism have been discussed in the past. However, these studies are mainly focused on urban areas in developed countries, mostly located in North America and Europe. In the last ten years, researchers have done more studies in developing areas, especially in East Asia. Though …

Force-Driven Weave Patterns For Shell Structures In Architectural Design, Khaled Amir Benaida

Theses from the Architecture Program

The use of lightweight carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) in the discipline of architecture opens new possibilities for the construction of architectural components. CFRP has been explored mainly in engineering fields, such as aeronautics, automotive, ballistic and marine engineering. CFRP has also been explored in the discipline of architecture in the construction of shell structures because of its high strength-to-weight ratio and low-cost. There is, however, limited research on how structural analysis can be used to inform weave patterns for shell structures using CFRP.

Further, previous research in the field has not performed physical structural tests to validate which force …

Shifting School Design To The 21st Century: Challenges With Alternative Learning Environments, Bryan H. Perez

Theses from the Architecture Program

There is a need for major change in our educational system and in particular the design of schools. Our existing school model was defined in the mid- to late-1800s, as a response to the Industrial Revolution, and does not reflect the needs of the next generation of 21st century students. One of the key elements of change in schools is the shift from confined classrooms towards alternative learning environments – spaces that are designed for a specific learning type or activity.

This thesis focuses on secondary education and examines three schools identified as having innovative school designs. While all three …

Agrarian Ruins, Zebulun J. Lund

Theses from the Architecture Program

This thesis is an investigation into the architectural value of agrarian ruins and aims to begin to communicate those through architectural drawing. In the 21st century, ruin obsession is increasingly aimed at ruins of a more recent time, often that of the dying industrial city. This study shares in the impatience and enthusiasm for ruins of the culture we live in and has turned to the ruins of abandoned farm buildings. Consequently, this has studied the potential values offered by barns, sheds, and chicken coupes, alike. This was accomplished first through countryside tours from locals in Gosper County, followed by …

Possibilities In Post-Digital Architecture, Kathryn J. Horn

Theses from the Architecture Program

This thesis aims to define and understand the post-digital within architecture, beyond its critical contribution to the realm of architectural imagery. The theory that is developed, argues that a post-digital practice of utilizing sourced material can contribute to the discipline of the design of architectural elements, components, and spaces as much so as it may contribute to the development of architectural imagery. Despite the atmosphere of difference that characterizes the contemporary debate over the definition of the digital condition, there is shared agreement that the post-digital indeed reigns as the hallmark of a contemporary era that establishes itself as after-digital. …

The Ne[X]T Generation Learning Environments: Influences On The Future Design Of Educational Spaces, Bryan Hill Perez

Theses from the Architecture Program

Over the past 100 years, there have been significant changes in many aspects of our lives, from the way we communicate to the way we work. One aspect that has seen minimal change is the way we learn – In classrooms with rows of desks and chairs facing the front, where a sole instructor disseminates knowledge the class as a whole. As the next generation of students is entering college, it has become apparent that there is a disconnect in the way this generation behaves, interacts, and learns and the typical school infrastructure and pedagogy of today. The design of …

Retail Without Walls: The Built Impacts Of A Post-Spatial Retail Reality, Matthew Richard Kreutzer

Theses from the Architecture Program

Retail Without Walls: the built impacts of a post-spatial retail reality seeks out a better understanding of the physical outcomes of a retail environment that is rapidly changing and adapting to the demands of an increasingly digital consumer. As studies have repeatedly shown, foot traffic in malls and other physical stores continues to decline, which can be attributed to the rise of online platforms of retail.

Much of the thought going into the future of retail has been directed at understanding how the present store may adapt to suit the needs of a changing consumer buying process. Companies driving these …

[Un]Building The Rural: The Strategic Subtraction Of Sidney, Nebraska, Caitlin E. Tangeman

Theses from the Architecture Program

This thesis focuses on the decline of rural communities and how rural decline might be addressed through design.

Rural decline is a phenomenon affecting rural territories around the globe, including the Great Plains. Rural decline has been caused by a number of factors, perhaps the most persistent being the reliance on an economy that is not diversified. In the Great Plains, agriculture is typically the main source of economic income, with a significant portion of the region’s counties depending on agriculture. Mechanization of agriculture through increased technology has eliminated many jobs in the agriculture industry, since higher yields can be …

Reconstructing Space, Kaitlin L. Frankforter

Theses from the Architecture Program

This thesis will discuss spacial manifestations of the physical, phenomenological, existential, and imaginary.

I became interested in these spacial manifestations because of the lack of qualities I have personally experienced within “architecture”, notably local “architecture”. And I began to deal with these manifestations using 35mm film photography, for me using film and the camera allowed me to look at and understand what these spaces and qualities were really telling me.

This project has consisted of multiple performances with which I have deployed several traditional and non-traditional methods of working such as : slow moving drawings, full scale hard line drawings …

Home-By Us: Togethernest Alternative Practice, Kristen M. Schulte

Theses from the Architecture Program

Responding to the affordable housing crisis, the proposed practice leverages tools typically associated with internet-based startups and technology companies to assemble teams and build efficiencies into the building procurement process. This approach facilitates access for an income demographic that would not normally engage an architect. Through a process like online dating, the practice assembles small groups of owner-developers to design, finance, and build their own homes. Participating households are advised on location and project approach based on their self-reported preferences; and matched with others with similar preferences. Collaborative mass customization of each home is achieved through a mix of online …

The Communication Of Design To Non-Experts: An Investigation Into Effective Methods Of Communicating Design Through Drawing Styles, Jerry M. Hiler

Theses from the Architecture Program

Communication between designers and their client has always been an essential element in the design of buildings and interior spaces. This communication occurs in various different ways, but the key method of a designer communicating their space is through their drawings. Clients come from many different backgrounds and many may not have the training or experience that allows them to fully understand what they are seeing in the drawings being presented and as such can be considered non-experts. A majority of drawings are typically presented and developed in two-dimensions which can be confusing for non-experts to understand since they rarely …

Creating Healthy Schools: Identifying The Positive Impacts Of Practicing Sustainable Interior Design In Education Facilities, Deborah Lindsey Ketchum

Theses from the Architecture Program

A significant amount of research identifies a relationship between the physical environment of educational facilities and how the design can positively or negatively impact teachers, staff and students. Evidence indicates that America’s school facilities are outdated, decaying, and need repair. This presents an opportunity for interior design professionals to create high-quality learning environments through an emphasis on sustainable design practices.

This thesis examines interior spaces of two high school buildings in North Mississippi. Site A incorporated sustainable design principles while Site B did not. To limit influential variables, the two sites were selected because of the location and similar population …

Exploring Nineteenth Century Church Architecture In Saint Louis, Missouri: 1870-1900, Rebecca A. Pressimone

Theses from the Architecture Program

Steeplechasing, a seventeenth century pastime in England, was a form of match horse racing. At the time, steeples were the most distinguishable landmarks and were used to indicate the beginning and end of a steeplechase race. Over time, steeplechasing became more of a sport, and has since been turned into a track and field event, however the idea of the steeplechase remains present in architectural development, travel, and tourism. Saint Louis, Missouri—home to close to fifty religious denominations—is not unaccustomed with the design, history and use of a steeple. In Saint Louis, steeples were, and continue to be staple church …

Architecture Through The Senses, Hannah E. Schurrer

Theses from the Architecture Program

Current academic environments do not allow Children with Sensory Processing Disorder(spd) to function at an appropriate degree. They are either isolated in an environment which caters to their needs or are vulnerable in the uncontrollable environment of the “real world”.

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is a condition that exists when sensory signals don’t get organized into appropriate responses. It’s a neu­rological “traffic jam” that prevents certain parts of the brain from receiving the information needed to interpret sensory information correctly. A person with SPD finds it difficult to process and act upon information received through the senses, which creates challenges …

Architectural Presence, Kendra Lee Heimes

Theses from the Architecture Program

Architecture plays a fundamental role in the fight against language extinction. Not only does it house the effort to document and revitalize languages, it can create architectural presence (design that makes the invisible visible) that better enables minority language communities to narrate, remember, and communicate their stories, memories and histories while collectively building upon them. Creating architectural presence is crucial to the best outreach practices of language documentation and revitalization.

Changing Permanence, Matthew R. Kreutzer

Theses from the Architecture Program

Architecture and buildings are looked at as “permanent” and “stable” objects within society, and yet almost everything about them change over their lifetime. All the individual pieces that make up a building are replaced, renovated, or upgraded as time goes on and still the building as the whole remains. This interesting dynamic of a static object containing a constantly changing system is something often overlooked within the design process.

The majority of buildings today are made to suite the particular interests of the present with little thought given over to the needs of the future. This mentality has recently begun …

Reuse, Recycling, And Reintroduction Of History With Contemporary Eyes Through Adaptive Reuse, Tshui Mum Ha

Theses from the Architecture Program

The idea of adapting old buildings for emerging purposes has been a regular strategy to sustain architectural resources since the medieval period or even earlier. However, the concept of adaptive reuse has only been gaining prevalence since the nineteenth-century when there was an increase in awareness of historic preservation. At this point, instead of sustaining architectural resources in both financial and functional terms, adaptive reuse was re-introduced and reapplied as one of the philosophical treatments of historic preservation.

As adaptive reuse is becoming a mature philosophical treatment of historic preservation, a great deal of critical thought and professional theory is …

Materialism: The Search For Something More, Nolan S. Golgert

Theses from the Architecture Program

“Part of our troubles results from the tendency to ascribe to architects – or, for that matter, to all specialists – exceptional insight into problems of living when, in truth, most of them are concerned with problems of business and prestige. Besides, the art of living is neither taught nor encouraged in this country. We look at it as a form of debauch. Little aware that its tenets are frugality, cleanliness, and a general respect for creation, not to mention Creation.”

– Bernard Rudofsky (Rudofsky, 1964)

– Life is complicated – because of this, specialists derive narratives as readings for …

Finding Addison Mizner: His Scrapbook Testimony, Suzanne B. Kane Asid

Theses from the Architecture Program

Through historic archival research, this study focuses on the works of Florida architect Addison Mizner (1872-1933), credited with bringing Spanish/Mediterranean Revival architecture to Palm Beach, Florida in the early 20^th century. This thesis is the first to study the works of Mizner through the perspective of his personal scrapbooks. In a state of advanced deterioration, Mizner’s scrapbooks are currently housed in Society of the Four Arts, King Library in Palm Beach, Florida. While a rare and treasured source of their own accord, the importance of the scrapbooks is elevated by the fact that many of Mizner’s buildings have been …

An Urban Continuing Care Retirement Community Of The Twenty First Century, Michael W. Isaac

Theses from the Architecture Program

Maximizing the land-use potential in crowded urban areas by the creation of mixed-use developments built in a high-rise format is more important than ever. In urban environments with high building density the little land that does become available for development must be utilized in a manner not only efficient, but to meet the needs of the community it is constructed within. As the baby boomer generation enters retirement, the senior housing market will experience growth to accommodate the need. Developing senior housing that will provide desirable attributes expected by this generation is necessary. In the urban environment the development of …

Transportation Urbanism, Shane A. Labenz

Theses from the Architecture Program

The purpose of this thesis exploration is to propose a new type of building development in order to enhance the abilities of the current building and transportation infrastructure so that it is better able to serve the future of the city. Therefore, the product of this thesis should be able to consider the projected growth of the city the development serves, and be able to reduce the effects of suburban sprawl by encouraging more dense development patterns at the periphery of the city.

The new development to be proposed should focus itself along unused or under-utilized land with direct connections …

Reprogramming Inner Suburbs, Matthew D. Goeser

Theses from the Architecture Program

The ramifications of suburban sprawl and the American dream are widespread and numerous. In a modern society where the preconditioned value of a three-car garage, large, private backyard and detachment from the city center outweighs the possible shortcoming of suburbia, there is an increasing need to reevaluate the way in which our cities grow. With suburbia already having a strong footing in the way that modern America operates, we have come to an age where it is more feasible to mend our cities through suburban intervention than reshape the entire system of American values. Urban sprawl has become a matter …

System Autonomy: A New Condition Of Space, Grayson D. Bailey

Theses from the Architecture Program

This thesis began with an interest in au­tonomous communities, and a question of how to consider and form the most basic meaning of ‘sustainability’, which is the ability to sustain. As simple as the word seems, the perspectives on how it is applied are diverse and connected to many abstract concepts, such as the ones investigated throughout this book. The expected resultant of the thesis was aug­mented multiple times, and the very scope of what was being researched also reori­ented based on the inevitable following of the rabbit hole.

The part and parcel of this work has a sense of …

Modern Vernaculars: The Utility Of Place-Centric Design, Christopher C. Rokahr

Theses from the Architecture Program

For the majority of human existence, vernacular evolution has been the primary means through which technology has progressed. Said progress is the result of a collective intellectual effort amongst generations of a specific people. The resulting vernacular artifacts are highly refined domestic objects of utility, reflective of the cultural practices and place centric stimuli from which they derived. Despite their modest appearances, the value of these vernacular objects in the greater scheme of human progress is undeniable. Given the value of their contribution, it is discerning that vernacular evolution has all but ceased in the developed world. The following thesis …

Workplace Ecosystem, Justin R. Langenfeld

Theses from the Architecture Program

The modern workplace is a fluid world that must react to quickly changing business, social, and technological climates. The most successful companies figure out ways to remain flexible by sharing resources and flexible workspace either with other companies or within the departments of their own organizations. While many small companies look to business incubators for such support, and large companies possess the infrastructure to create their own flexible work environments, there are companies in between that do not normally have access to such support systems. This project looks to create a “workplace ecosystem” that brings together such diverse company types …

Visual Analysis And Design Proposal For The Bridges Organization Day Facility In Rockledge, Florida, Lesa N. Lorusso

Theses from the Architecture Program

The population by age of the client and staff at the Bridges Facility in Rockledge, Florida represent a microcosm of the population of Brevard County, Florida. The shared history of two non-profit organizations that began in in Brevard County, FL in the mid twentieth century is remarkable. NASA began in 1958, and the Bridges organization began in 1956. The historically significant American community of Brevard County, FL now faces the challenges of a new focus without the NASA space shuttle program and accommodating an increasingly aging population, while the similarly aged Bridges organization faces similar organizational and population challenges as …