Architecture Commons^™

The New Parallel: Urban And Agrarian Political, Environmental, And Architectural Landscapes Of The Demilitarized Zone, Robert Vincent Truka

Masters Theses

North and South Korea share the most heavily armed military border in the world. Technically both sides are still at war dating back to 1950. The 38th parallel, also known as The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is a 156-mile long by 2.5- mile wide border condition with over two million plus known landmines buried with-in its boundaries. The Juxtapositions of the financial, political, economical, and military modalities could not be more drastically different between North and South Korea. North Korea is a communist autocratic military dictatorship and has one of the worlds lowest Gross Domestic Products (GDP). South Korea is a …

Pro Bono Publico: The Architect As Developer, Daniel Hurshel Hodge

Masters Theses

The profession of architecture now encounters a precarious economic landscape because of the separation of economy and the value chain. Architecture has historically succeeded on the backs of its craftspeople and the intangible tangibility of its productions. Yet, in our current economic era, where everyone is disconnected from value creation and imbibes value through the medium of brand, architecture has responded with niche reforms and feeble assertions of legitimacy. What follows is a reevaluation of its professional values in a valueless climate. From the standpoint of the architect, coupling its systemic elements with that of the real estate developer may …

Rigs Of Refuge: Spatial Agency And Its Role In Conflict, Brittany Lauren Mcgraw

Masters Theses

Architecture is an inherently political endeavor. As such, designers should carefully consider the spatial dialogue that the built environment creates between those who control spaces and those who use them. In times of crisis, this dialogue often ceases to be an equal exchange, pushing users’ needs aside and exerting authority in the most expedient way possible.

This thesis proposes that amidst settings of conflict, hyper-responsive architectural systems can counteract landscapes of authority by returning spatial agency to users. As the means of providing such a system, oil rigs should be repurposed as a network of deployable crisis response hubs.

Scruffy City, Variegated Spaces, Rare Places, Royal Moore Starr

Masters Theses

The general basis of this thesis is to provide a critical examination of city branding and its implications on the built environment. Geographically fixated upon on the city of Knoxville, TN, Scruffy City, Variegated Spaces, Rare Places explores a unique relationship between cultural identity and architectural form. This project is an attempt to understand and harness an allusive attitude that undoubtedly shapes the architecture of this city. Therefore, the project itself is an open-ended set of design operations that inherently challenge the nature of architectural process in an attempt to study and emulate scruffiness in the built environment.

The project …

Institutions Of Transformation, Anthony Michael Dienst

Masters Theses

The multiple stages of a building’s lifespan must have a voice in any future adaptive reuse endeavor.

In order to envision the future, we must examine not only the past but also the unintentional ‘ghost spaces’ associated with the loss of the original function. The ‘ghost spaces’ provide insight into the transformational nature of a changing program.

The path of a future architectural trajectory must evolve simultaneously with the study of the past in order to create architecture that is appropriate for the present. Only by recognizing critical events in both the past and present timeline can we root the …

Monumental Revival, Michael Brandon Litton

Masters Theses

The post-industrial era has left textile mills programless and isolated from their towns, leaving these monuments in ruination. The villages surrounding these mill have began to decay as a part of the process of the mill closing. In search of a thriving economy, inhabitants of the town leave for opportunity elsewhere. This thesis explores a method of reviving a mill town by re-adapting the textile mill and injecting a transnational economic system into the town.

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.

Logistical Bodies Of Fulfillment, Michael Steven Frush

Masters Theses

existence occurs in a spatial assembly of multiple scalar experiences that is intensified and brought to perception by the exponential advancement of a virtual extension.

the physical realm that human cognition experiences acts as a bound container influenced by natural law and trusted forces. the virtual realm exists as a medium through which linkages are made that suppose unseen law, forces, and connections. the human existence experiences an interface between the multiplicities of the physical and the virtual. as technologies advance exponentially the recognition of a multiple temporality is intensified by digital networks and spatial extensions. the trusting of physical …

The New Sub Urban, Brad Lee Herr

Masters Theses

By pairing the unique and varying physical conditions of open-pit mines with the contextual situations and issues that surround them, these often abandoned and overlooked gaps in the earth can be rethought as a new landscape for creating future infrastructures that uniquely address national and global issues that are likely to increasingly effect our world in the future. This thesis project aims to rethink and restore purpose to these numerous vacant gaps left in the earth to determine how their unique conditions can provide a greater benefit to society through adaptive reuse.

Architecture Of A Post Physical Universe, Mathew D. Smith

Masters Theses

As architects we are fundamentally forced to make arguments within the physical realm. However since mid 1990’s the world has become more and more reliant upon the digital. Now in 2017 it is the way we voice public opinion, shop, visit with our friends and much more. This digital space has taken over, and while humanity would more than survive without this modern technology, it continues design our world around it. This architecture project glimpses into the future of how we as architects are continually dealing with this new infrastructural space. While many projects have played architecture as the victim, …

Modeling Practice Immersive Design Methodologies, Michael Aaron Stone

Masters Theses

Modeling Practice is centered around an immersive methodology that connects the architect to the process of making. The value of reflection and a consciousness of methodology are intrinsic layers of thought throughout. The act of building influences the process of design. The experience of creating is as important as the final result.

The practice of creating architecture comes with a range of limitations, notably a disconnection from the building process, and in many cases an insubstantial amount of time to interact with the site and surroundings in which the project is located. Throughout many years of working in the profession, …

Z-Cube: Mobile Living For Feminist Nomads, Zi Ye

Masters Theses

Homes proclaim our social standing and reflect the trend of the times. This project seeks to explore and redefine the relationship between modern homes and modern women who strive for mobile life styles.

Modernism and globalization have brought us a new way of living that could have never been imagined before— our workspace and homes are no longer limited to a specific unit but have extended to the entire globe. The physical changes compelled by modernity have also complemented the changing role of women. Since the beginning of the 20th century, modern women have expanded their lives outside of their …

A Visible History: A Synthesis Of Past, Present And Future Through The Evocation Of Memory Within Historic Contexts, Nicholas Jeffway

Masters Theses

How can new spaces evoke the layers of memory associated with historic places and utilize them to envision anew? What are the spatial strategies involved with creating architecture rich in memory and how can a space which is cognizant of its physical and historical context serve as a tool for revitalization?

These questions could be used to investigate revitalization efforts in much of the cities and towns which line the Connecticut River Valley. Ultimately, solutions become directly rooted in the context to which they are set.

With the industrial village of Turners Falls as the setting, this thesis is based …

Umass Dining Hall. A Path To Resiliency, Lukasz Czarniecki

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates integration of University’s Dining Hall and Emergency Shelter in terms of their inter-related sustainability factors; the ability to take advantage of the site to harvest, store, grow and learn about all aspects of food production, and to provide a safe place to stay during times of emergency.

The program, in addition to being a dining hall, is concerned with teaching about food science and culinary studies, relating to the agrarian history of the University of Massachusetts and bringing that history into the current moment with the resurgence of localized food production and in support of the UMass …

An Incremental Intervention In Jakarta: An Empowering Infrastructural Approach For Upgrading Informal Settlements, Christopher H. Counihan

Masters Theses

Incrementalism is a growing movement within multiple design disciplines that approaches design with sustainable, social, and resilient aims structured around participatory, infrastructural, and phased approaches to design. Carefully considered structural and independent infrastructural frameworks allow infill and accretion according to the demands and needs of individuals and communities. This paper outlines the theories, case studies, and conditions driving incrementalism. My research has informed my project proposal for an incremental upgrade of a slum located in Jakarta using a phased, soft infrastructural, resident facilitated upgrade and development strategy creating new housing units, productive landscapes, and urban form. Incremental development will foster …

Regional Expression In The Renovation Of Remote Historic Villages, Jie Chen

Masters Theses

Due to the fast-pace of urban development, there is a large demand for labor in big cities in China. Also, because of a huge income gap between countryside and cities, an increasing number of youths in rural areas have chosen to leave their homes and transfer to the cities causing a rapid decline of population and the vacancy of properties. This phenomenon is referred to as “Hollow Village”. Especially in case of some remote historic villages, due to labor turnover, villages which has precious historic and culture value are abandoned and stopped from development. Only children and elders are left …

The Performance Of Light: Exploring The Impact Of Natural Lighting In The New Umass School Of Performance, Dylan Brown

Masters Theses

This thesis explores how natural light can be integrated with built form to create a “performance of light” in architecture. Lighting conditions from a contemporary dance piece, as well as other architectural precedents, were studied, and aspects adapted into the building’s design. In addition to designing theatrical effects of light, the classroom and administrative spaces were designed to take advantage of natural light. Daylight studies were used to inform glazing design and material selection to stay within illuminance thresholds in the spaces.

This project is responding to the facility needs of the campus of UMass Amherst where the program of …

New York City 2050: Climate Change And Future Of New York | Design For Resilience, Abhinav Bhargava

Masters Theses

The escalating temperature, annual precipitation, sea level rise and carbon footprint will likely lead to an unimagined future which does not have a bright side. With the rise in carbon footprint particularly due to greenhouse gas emissions, burning of fossil fuels and change in land uses; carbon dioxide is 40% higher as compared to era before Industrial Revolution.

The constant increase in temperature is melting the glaciers and increasing the sea levels. The Hudson River is estimated to rise by 1.5-2ft by 2050, directly affecting the low-lying areas of Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. Amongst the multiple coastal cities …

Lighting : An Atrium Core To Reconnect With The Sun, Quan Lei

Masters Theses

At the Rhode Island School of Design, students work so much that they treat their studio as home; the majority stay in studio past midnight, which leads to lack of sleep. How to improve students’ physical and mental health is a question demanding immediate investigation, particularly as relates to rest. According to the scientists at the Lighting Research Center (LRC) in Troy, N.Y, engagement with daylight environments increase occupant productivity and comfort, and provide the mental and visual stimulation necessary to regulate circadian rhythms, encouraging more restful sleep. Students cannot function healthily because their busy schedules remove them from the …

Building As Reef, Anna Morataya Quan

Masters Theses

We are in a new era, one that will require the most radical transformation that coastal communities have seen yet. Starting mid 21st century, subsequent generations will be witness to a time in which sea level rise manifests within the urban fabric, not only in the form of storm surges, but also in an increasingly permanent manner within the projected floodplain. Rising tides will create a shift from solid ground plane to a fluctuating one. Encroaching sea levels will bring marine life and hydrologic conditions that the built environment hasn’t been designed or prepared for. Urban circulation, infrastructure and ultimately …

We Are What We Dispose : Continuation Of Culture Through Recycling At Rhode Island School Of Design, Xinzhou Jiang

Masters Theses

Every year, RISD produces massive amounts of waste, from dining trash to discarded art pieces. Art educational institutions have more complex varieties of garbage compared with other educational institutions, given the variety of media used by each discipline. As an art and design school, RISD takes issues of sustainability seriously, therefore it is natural to address the problem of waste. The current recycling strategy of RISD is mainly based on the waste’s material difference, even though other processing strategies have been developed, like the Second Life Store, which is mostly based on usability; current recycling strategies remain singular and linear, …

Wellness Within Reach : Life / Work Balance Within The Risd Campus, Kyunghwa Kang

Masters Theses

Academics often overlook the importance of a balanced life and even encourage a competitive work environment. However, life balance, health and mental wellness have strong influence on academic performance, social relationships and even life satisfaction. Working environments matter, too: lack of natural light and ventilation, noise and lack of privacy often contribute to elevated levels of stress, anxiety and depression. In the case of students from the Rhode Island School of Design, most devote almost all time to work without satisfying the body’s need for rest. However, studios do not integrate spaces for relaxing, resting and refreshing and do not …

Creative Collisions : A Risd Case Study, Hannah Liongoren

Masters Theses

Creative collisions play an important role in artistic work. These encounters broaden an artist’s perspective, exposing them to new processes, ideas, disciplines, and collaborators. The exact nature of creative collisions is difficult to pin down, as they flourish in an ever-changing mix of social interaction and creative inspiration in a setting of multidisciplinary work. A little-known example of a serendipitous collision between artists occurred between Gustav Klimt and designer Emilie Floge, whose individual medium and style influenced the others’ work, and together they dominated the Viennese Secession movement. A similar creative relationship developed between Charles and Ray Eames who met …

In Between Forces, Jungyun Lee

Masters Theses

In order to live, humans make buildings in nature and live in there. This fact has not changed since the birth of mankind. It means to live in a certain space, because a medium of building is necessary for man to survive safely in nature. Based on these mediators mankind has been living. In addition, villages and cities were created and continued to grow in size. As a result, the building, which is the mediator, has been different in shape and size. In an expanding city, are city and nature now balanced? How do we balance it? How can we …

Risd Club, Madeleine Devall

Masters Theses

Higher arts education is an enormous luxury. If part of the appeal and exclusivity of higher education is grounded in the extravagance of attending private, reputable schools like Rhode Island School of Design, is there a way to extend this exclusive “club” to alumni and visiting artists and designers?

When we join a club, we become part of an organization that is exclusive to people with similar interests. Education is a club; the privilege to be accepted to an exclusive group of people with similar interests allows for access to professional insight, resources, and knowledge. RISD provides privilege where ability …

Imagine Of Space : Rest(Ing) Rooms For High-Stressed Risd Students, Fang Ho

Masters Theses

Th e Rhode Island School of Design as an arts-cultivating institution endeavors to provide abundant resources to mentally and physically support students. Even though the campus provides various mental health resources, the expression of depression, eating disorder and suicide from students has never diminished. RISD students work under high-stress conditions caused by their assignments, expectations from others and themselves, and the environment surrounding them.

Studios and work areas become spaces associated with stress and negative atmosphere. Th e materials, ceiling, fl oor and even the breathing air hint at this gray emotion. If a space where art students spend the …

Perceptible Ambiguity : Learning Center, Zhurong Qian

Masters Theses

This project investigates the possibility of using the concept of projection to blur a boundary, as well as the potential to create an ambiguous transition between various spaces. In this project, the differentiation between floors, inside and outside, solid and void, starts to fade away.

Projection is a way to understand the world. Through “looking”, we “collapse” the original object, and reconstruct the image in our head.

Learning is in the same way, we “break down” the phenomenon in order to comprehend the logic, and through experiments, we examine the theory repetitively. Learning is also about seeing the same thing …

Healing Landscapes, Siyi He

Masters Theses

This thesis divided to three parts; it mainly looks at the scenario of healing landscapes in the Financial District. Phase one focused on the overall history and site condition of the Financial District, and tried to combine it with the typology of a traditional healing landscape. New typologies of healing landscape for high density and unhealthy urban areas were explored. Phase two evaluated various site conditions and documented the flow of people in the Financial District. The typology of healing practice forms was developed. Phase three tried to locate the specific location of healing practice paths and the area of …

Water For The Future, Ziqing Chen

Masters Theses

Water is a fundamental element for lives. Located in Long Island detached from the mainland of New York State, the densely-populated counties - Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties - rely on groundwater for their sole freshwater source for a long time. The underground geology determines the groundwater movement on western Long Island: from Nassau County to Queens. When overpumping happens in Queens, Nassau County is firstly threatened by lowered water table. The thesis is aiming to propose a local solution to mitigate the problem brought by groundwater movement when overpumping.

In Phase 1, the study focuses on the underground …

Borderscape : Weaving Political Boundaries In The Amazon Through Water Performance, Lucila Silva-Santisteban

Masters Theses

This research project is about how to connect political bordering urban systems through the natural structure for a coherent occupation between the built environment, ecosystems and resources following the Landscape Architecture lens that can address different scale systems simultaneously to create a holistic approach between them. And the proposition of a new type of landscape of this threshold territory as its own kind. Specifically looking at the bordering cities in the heart of the Amazon Region in South America that fall between Colombia, Brazil and Peru.

Why the Amazon?

Not only because of the usual fascination, but because of the …