Architecture Commons^™

Teaching A Broad Discipline: The Critical Role Of Text Based Learning To Building Disciplinary Literacy In Architectural Education, Jason Montgomery

Publications and Research

Architecture is a demanding discipline with multiple, complex concerns and identities shaping the profession. The discipline requires analysis of complex and multifaceted issues and synthesizing broad knowledge through a focused creative process. While twenty-first-century education may leverage many sources to educate students of architecture, texts remain the primary repository par excellence of the rich and diverse body of knowledge and ideas that continue to inspire and ground architects, theorists, historians, planners, and policy makers tied to the discipline. Perusing and engaging with the diverse body of architectural literature is a strong approach to support one’s learning to think, speak, and …

Mapping Urban Performance Culture: A Common Ground For Architecture And Theater, Ting Chin, Christopher B. Swift

Publications and Research

Our co-taught course focuses on theater history, with an emphasis on performance architecture. Assignments are designed to illuminate the ways in which architectural design and technology inform performance practices and audience reception. The pivotal assignment for exploring interdisciplinarity is a three-week module on mapping historical theaters in New York City. Open-source Global Information Systems (GIS) software serves as a common mechanism for students to situate theatrical productions in the context of the built urban environment, deepening their understanding of the social, economic, and artistic forces that contributed to performance culture. Mapping is a shared pedagogy for analyzing and presenting research …

Quantification Of Heat Flows Through Building Entrance Doors On A Winter Day, Daeho Kang

Publications and Research

The current methods for the prediction of the heat flow through building entrance doors have been used for years while involved with a certain degree of uncertainty. This paper describes an experimental method that accurately quantified such heat flow. The experiment monitored local environmental parameters in a college building on a cold winter day. The results of the experiment demonstrated that the experimental method is viable to accurately estimate the heat flow throughout the entrance doors and the presence of a vestibule moderated heat losses from the conditioned area. The results will be used for validating the existing methods.

Competence Of A Spray Passive Down-Draft Evaporative Cooling (Pdec) System For Space Cooling, Daeho Kang, Richard K. Strand

Publications and Research

A spray PDEC system has been relatively less considered than other passive cooling strategies as one of the viable low-energy solutions in the cooling of buildings while having a great potential in energy savings. This study is intended to evaluate the capability of a spray PDEC system for space cooling. It comprises four simulation scenarios to see the system response and influence of indoor thermal environment when a spray PDEC system is adopted as a primary cooling system in two different climates. The simulation results show that a spray PDEC system causes a substantial variation in the indoor thermal environment …

Analysis Of The System Response Of A Spray Passive Downdraft Evaporative Cooling System, Daeho Kang, Richard K. Strand

Publications and Research

A spray Passive Downdraft Evaporative Cooling (PDEC) system achieves great savings for space cooling and improves indoor environmental quality by supplying a large amount of fresh outdoor air. As previous studies heavily focused on the energy saving capability of a spray PDEC system due to lack of methods for a detailed analysis, the influence of cool humid supply air from a spray PDEC system in a space in buildings has not been comprehensively studied. This study is intended to evaluate the competence of a spray PDEC system as a primary cooling system in typical spaces in a primary school building …

Fortifying Lower Manhattan's Shoreline, Krystel Campuzano, Mathlyn Mckie

Publications and Research

Lower Manhattan comprises less than 1% of the entire city’s land area, but generates almost 10% of the city’s total economic output, as measured by Gross City Product, and is the location of over 10% of all New York City jobs. Workers in Lower Manhattan come from all parts of the city. The District’s growth is supported by excellent access to transit, with 19 out of 25 subway lines and 26 ferry lines passing through the District. Any climate impacts in the District will resonate across the city as a whole and beyond. Because Lower Manhattan is a critical economic, …

Penn Station Virtual Reality, Lenny S. Marin

Publications and Research

Penn Station, which is a local hotspot, not only to New Yorkers but for tourists from around the world, serves as a gateway to New York City. The understanding of the original Penn Station and its beauty has been lost to history with the current Penn Station design. No longer does the space welcome you into the city with its grand scale and natural light; instead you arrive at a labyrinth of window less hallways.

Through this research, we look at the possibilities 3d modeling and virtual reality offer in recreating realistic experiences of important buildings. Through the use of …

Solar Responsive Façade In An Urban Environment, Cheriyah Wilmot

Publications and Research

Due to the high energy consumption in cities like New York, I am designing a shading system to be retrofitted on an existing façade that responds to external thermal conditions. I’ve conceptualized the functions of the shading system to either block/allow sunlight and analyzed its effectiveness in terms of energy use and illuminance in comparison to the modeled office space. Materials will be explored as well as how it’ll function in the future.

Lab‐Grown Meat And Veganism: A Virtue‐Oriented Perspective, Carlo Alvaro

Publications and Research

The project of growing meat artificially represents for some the next best thing to humanity. If successful, it could be the solution to several problems, such as feed- ing a growing global population while reducing the environmental impact of raising animals for food and, of course, reducing the amount and degree of animal cruelty and suffering that is involved in animal farming. In this paper, I argue that the issue of the morality of such a project has been framed only in terms of the best conse- quences for the environment, animals, and humans, or in terms of deontic princi- …

Experimental Applications Of Virtual Reality In Design Education, Amber Bartosh, Phillip Anzalone

Publications and Research

By introducing rapid reproduction, algorithms, and complex formal configurations, the digital era of architecture began a revolution. Architects incorporated the computational capacity of the computer into the design process both as a tool and as a critical component of the theories and practice of architecture as a whole. As we move into what has been coined “the second digital turn,” a period in which digital integration is considered ubiquitous, how can we consider, prepare, and propel towards the next technological innovation to significantly inform design thinking, representation, and manifestation? What tools are available to investigate this speculative design future and …

Housing Along The Brooklyn Waterfront: A Story Of Shipping, Industry, And Immigrants, Kurt C. Schlichting

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Public Land Revisited: Municipalization And Privatization In Newark And New York City, Samuel Stein, Oksana Mironova

Publications and Research

Public land plays a central role in contemporary urban planning struggles. Using a comparative case study approach focused on the north-eastern US cities of Newark and New York City, we uncover patterns of land acquisition and dispossession that fit five broad and often overlapping periods in planning history: City Beautiful, metropolitan reorganization, deindustrialization, and devaluation, followed by hyper-commodification in New York City and redevelopment amidst disinvestment in Newark. Through this periodization, we find that accumulation and alienation of urban public land has largely taken place through two modes of municipalization (targeted and reactive) and two modes of privatization (community-led and …

The Investigation Of The French Curve, Cheriyah Wilmot

Publications and Research

The creation of irregular curves has evolved from employing splines to computer aided design (CAD); with French Curves being an integral part of this evolution. Such curvilinear irregularity can be seen in the curve of the auditorium at the new academic building. This project investigates the origins of the French Curve, in terms of its history, usage, and mathematical components. For centuries, French curves were used to accurately create portions of ellipticals and other curves in schematic drawings. The commonly used Burmester set contains an amalgamation of mathematical equations where the point of inflection is not symmetrical. These are derived …

Housing Affordability In New York City, Krystel Campuzano, Abraham Gonzalez, Wenderlin Gomez

Publications and Research

Throughout the centuries major cities had offered new opportunities to people seeking better life, New York City is not exception and continues to attract people from all over the world. Based on NYC population census, New York City has grown by almost half million its population in the last seven years. Because of this, residential real estate has been in great demand. Statistics show that less than 1% of residential units are vacant. However, the disparity in real estate prices continues to be a major social and economic issue for the citizens. Considering that the average median household income is …

Resilient Kalinago Initiative, Yesenia Ward, Cellia Ait-Ouaret, Danie Occeus

Publications and Research

The Kalinago are the Indigenous people of Dominica.Hurricane Maria hit the people particularly hard, losing up to 90% of their homes and community fabric. The people also suffered before the storms. Discrimination, little government aid, no electrical grid, isolation in their mountainous territory, limited social services, and economic mobility. The people have grown up relaying on themselves and their neighbors. With most of the housing stock gone, new building strategies need to be implemented. The goal is to make the territory self-sufficient, and a working expo society about sustainable living and resilience. The territory will undergo a master plan which …

Techne Issue 05, Ting Chin, Michael Duddy, Jason Montgomery

TECHNE

INTRODUCTION: TING CHIN, MICHAEL DUDDY, AND JASON MONTGOMERY

As the Department of Architectural Technology at the New York City College of Technology embarks on its path to achieve accreditation by the National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB) for a Bachelor of Architecture, this issue of TECHNE- decidedly focused on architectural education. Over the last two years through countless discussions within our department and college, and with architecture faculty from other universities and currently practicing architects, we have been questioning the value, purpose, and means of an architectural education. As educators in architecture we are responsible for exposing students to a multifaceted …

Syllabus, Assignments, & Selected Handouts (Fiqws-Writing / Architecture), Tim Dalton

Open Educational Resources

This syllabus and its related course materials draw on readings, videos, and multimodal texts to teach rhetoric and argumentation to first-year writers through a varied exploration of questions of design, aesthetics, and access.

Note: This course was paired with a course in the architecture program.

Losing Its Way: The Landmarks Preservation Commission In Eclipse, Jeffrey A. Kroessler

Publications and Research

New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission has an admirable history of protecting the city's historic character. Increasingly in recent years, the commission has backed away from proactively designated sites of historical, architectural, or cultural significance as city landmarks. At the same time, the commission has shown greater deference to the owner of a property when deciding whether to designate, and to the wishes of the owners of designated properties in matters of regulation, notwithstanding that owner consent is nowhere in the landmarks law. At the same time, the commission has introduced new definitions, such as “period of significance,” contributing/non-contributing, and …

Power Outage Preparedness And Concern Among Vulnerable New York City Residents, Christine Dominianni, Munerah Ahmed, Sarah Johnson, Micheline Blum, Kazuhiko Ito, Kathryn Lane

Publications and Research

Power outages can impact health, and certain populations may be more at risk. Personal preparedness may reduce impacts, but information on power outage preparedness and risk perception among vulnerable populations is limited. We examined power outage preparedness and concern among New York City residents, including vulnerable populations defined as older adults (≥ 65 years), and respondents with household members who require assistance with daily activities or depend on electric medical devices. A random sample telephone survey was conducted during November–December 2016. Preparedness was defined as having a three-day supply of drinking water, non-perishable food, and a working flashlight. Among all …

Chinese Garden Of Friendship And Sydney’S Chinatown : Friendship And Something Beyond At Darling Harbor, Wendy W. Tan

Publications and Research

Chinese Garden of Friendship was a gift from China; Sydney’ Chinatown is a Chinese Australian community, and they are adjacent to each other at Darling Harbor of Sydney, Australia. The author made visits there to witness their beauties. Besides, she also explored other connections—friendship; Feng Shui; and cultural diversity within these two famous tour sites.

A Worldwide Model For Boundaries Of Urban Settlements, Erneson A. Oliveira, Vasco Furtado, José S. Andrade, Hernan A. Makse

Publications and Research

The shape of urban settlements plays a fundamental role in their sustainable planning. Properly defining the boundaries of cities is challenging and remains an open problem in the science of cities. Here, we propose a worldwide model to define urban settlements beyond their administrative boundaries through a bottom-up approach that takes into account geographical biases intrinsically associated with most societies around the world, and reflected in their different regional growing dynamics. The generality of the model allows one to study the scaling laws of cities at all geographical levels: countries, continents and the entire world. Our definition of cities is …

Building Information Modeling: Revit Fundamentals, Mi Tsung Chang

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Computer Rendering, Mi Tsung Chang

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Where Does Public Land Come From? Municipalization And Privatization Debates, Oksana Mironova, Samuel Stein

Publications and Research

This article illuminates contemporary land-use and disposition struggles in New York City by tracing the history of land’s passage between the private and public realms. The authors contend that government and community-controlled nonprofit organizations should govern the disposition of the city’s remaining public land supply, deliberately deploying this scarce resource to promote the well-being of the people and neighborhoods most at risk in a speculation-fueled real-estate environment.

Performance Control Of A Spray Passive Down-Draft Evaporative Cooling System, Daeho Kang, Richard K. Strand

Publications and Research

A spray passive down-draft evaporative cooling system has been regarded as a low-energy cooling system that leads significant energy savings in the cooling of buildings. While the energy saving capability of the system has been proven, the ability to control a comfortable indoor environment is still inadequate due to strong climatic dependency. This study seeks viable solutions to advance the control competence of the system by mitigating critical problems of the system to be a reliable cooling application in the cooling of buildings. It proposes potential control strategies for the system and alternative operations. It develops a control algorithm for …

Imprecision In Materials + Production, Phillip Anzalone, Marcella Del Signore, Andrew John Wit

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Notes On Imprecision And Infidelity, Phillip Anzalone, Marcella Del Signore, Andrew John Wit

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Essential Methods For Planning Practitioners: Skills And Techniques For Data Analysis, Visualization, And Communication, Laxmi Ramasubramanian, Jochen Albrecht

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Progress For Whom, Toward What? Progressive Politics And New York City’S Mandatory Inclusionary Housing, Samuel Stein

Publications and Research

In both its historical Progressive Era roots and its contemporary manifestations, U.S. urban progressivism has evinced a contradictory tendency toward promoting the interests of capital and property while ostensibly protecting labor and tenants, thus producing policies that undermine its central claims. This article interrogates past and present appeals to urban progressive politics, particularly around housing and planning, and offers an in-depth case study of one of the most highly touted examples of the new urban progressivism: New York City’s recently adopted Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program. This case serves to identify the ways in which progressive rhetoric can disguise neoliberal policies. …

Urban Microclimate Analysis, Gabriela Martinez, Yuying Xian

Publications and Research

This project is an exploration on building environmental performance. On it we will use different advanced simulation tools like DesignBuilder and Climate Consultant to analyze a recommended building. We are focusing on the Mamakating Visitor Center in Sullivan County, New York as our case study. Our first studies included analyzing the site conditions and elements such as wind, sun, climate, and weather. We studied the environment surrounding the building and its climate using the two software mentioned above. We found that during the winter, we should block the wind and get more sun in. However, in the summer, we should …