Architecture Commons^™

[F]Ree-[Dom] Space: Trauma-Informed Planning And Place Making Within Women And Children's Rehabilitation Centers, Rodolfo Alcaraz-Navarrete

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis researches and understands the struggles of domestic violence survivors and implements design strategies to provide a safe and stable shelter for those affected by domestic violence in Georgia. The design methodology and research will include literature reviews and precedent studies to observe and better understand the challenges that need to be met in order to provide a safe haven for victims of domestic violence to grow and succeed when the time comes to return to the world. The goal is to, through architecture and design, provide an opportunity to engage and bring awareness to the public of the …

Colloquium, Or The Argument For A New School Of Architecture..., Austin Turner

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Colloquium, or an argument for the new school of Architecture... is an interrogation on the power of Architectural discourse and its impact on the built environment.

The research begins by analyzing the works and theories of four distinct architects: Peter Eisenman, Rem Koolhaas, Zaha Hadid, and Bjarke Ingels. During my investigation, I ask myself, “What happened in their school environment that made them great,” or in other words, “What can a student, like me, do to be like these people?”

To answer this question, I found the best way to analyze this would be to look back on their own …

Proposing A Second Life - (Adaptive Reuse) For Underutilized Condemned Masonry Buildings In Cuba, Fernando Asamoa

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

From 2000 to 2013 nearly 3,856 partial or total buildings collapsed in Havana, Cuba with a 206,000-home deficit thus adding to its severe housing shortage, reported by officials. Officials have also estimate 28,000 people live in buildings that could collapse at any moment and yet some residents refuse to leave structures that authorities have declared unsafe. Locals have described the deaths witnessed from structures collapsing however Cuban officials do not release figures on those killed or injured in building collapses in attempt to minimize the severity of the situation. This thesis aims to investigate an adaptive reuse strategy needed for …

Beirut's Burden, Joelle Osta

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This is a proposal for a waste management facility to be built in the busy city of Beirut to educate the public and prevent further damage to the environment‭.‬

This facility collects‭, ‬transports‭, ‬processes‭, ‬recycles‭, ‬and monitors waste materials from both businesses and private residences‭. ‬There is a sorting and processing wing to separate waste into different categories‭. ‬

Proper incineration of certain types of waste will generate green energy and the gases emitted from the decomposition of trash in landfills can be used as a renewable energy source‭. ‬Through the use of extremely high temperatures‭, ‬trash is converted into …

Skins+Fabrications: Addressing Fashion And Clothing Waste, Renee Palmer

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Articles of clothing; they are the second organ, the Second Skin. Their functions are to protect the body from the harsh external elements and create a sense of design with Fashion—the same as exterior facades on a building. However, where architecture and Fashion differ is sustainability.

The Global fashion industry contributes 10% of greenhouse emissions. From that 10%, about 13 million tonnes of clothing waste ends up in landfills or burned. Most of the waste comes from the Fast Fashion Industry, which sees cheap labor from underdeveloped countries to maximize profits. These companies will spend a good portion of their …

Reclaiming Identities | A Cultural Center For The Tachi Yokut Tribe, Emily Harrington

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The purpose of this thesis project is to answer the question, “How can Contemporary Architecture address the identities of Indigenous people of North America?” Within this thesis project will be a comprehensive Cultural Center design that addresses a specific tribe’s needs in the case of physical needs, mental needs, and most importantly needs of identity. The specific tribe will be the Tachi Yokuts of the San Joaquin Valley, whom used to be the largest tribe in California before colonizer invasion. Since the identity of Indigenous populations in North America have been stripped and forcibly forgotten it is most important to …

A Quarry In The Urban Landscape: Building Down In Architecture, Derrick Kafunda

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

A quarry is an excavation or open pit mine that does not mine for minerals like copper, gold diamonds or any other precious gemstones but for materials that are mainly used in the building industry from the surface of the earth. As this process takes place the dust from this process is released in the atmosphere and when the process is complete the pit is usually not buried. What usually remains are the left-over debris and water from the rain which forms an artificial lake. If unattended, Pit Lakes, as they are called, become dumping grounds. This research will aim …

Prototyping Attainability: A Guide For Incremental Density In Communities, Quinlan Mcfadden

Masters in Architecture Program: Theses

In the absence of direct public investment solutions, Prototyping Attainability, explores how the combination of building typologies and land uses can achieve attainable housing strategies by striking a balance between shared community spaces and optimizing density, without disrupting the existing residential landscape. Through this exploration of research and design, strategic changes in zoning, regulation and typologies will be brought forward to aid the framework process of solutions to the housing crisis not only within Nebraskan communities, but in communities nationwide.

Repurposing Storage: Spatial Transformation Of Self Storage, Tina Cerda

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

What was once confined to the attic or garage has exploded into a billion-dollar industry. Today, there are around 50,000 storage facilities nationwide. This accounts for 2.3 billion sq ft in rentable space. To give you some scale that’s 3 times the size of Manhattan. That’s enough space for all 330 million Americans to physically stand under the facilities’ rooftop at this very moment. As many Americans begin to downsize, reduce their ecological footprint, and become less mobile. The need for temporary storage during resettlement and relocation is on a decline. How will these facilities then be utilized when excessive …

Sheltered City: A Prevention For Homelessness Through Sheltered Designs, Kena Fairfax

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

“Nothing but stable housing fundamentally differentiates those who experience homelessness and those who don’t, and all people deserve the human right to housing (pg. 1),” quoted by the National Health Care of the Homeless Council, can serve as a driving influence in developing solutions to address homelessness. The poignant experience that homeless people shared and described serve as an inspiration to better these individuals’ lives. As a substitute, approaching homelessness in a political or financial position, this thesis is to provide solutions to shelters architecturally.

Delving into precedents, each are separated into four categories such as singular, community, group, and …

Aquatic Architecture, Jonathan Bonaparte

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

For centuries, mankind has been building their architectural cities near or around water. It has its advantages such as transportation, convenience for the trade routes and water survival. As the earth gets hotter every year and the ice glaciers continues to melts, the ocean sea levels will continue to rise.

Assuming that the projected sea water levels for 2050 are correct, 95% of coastal cities around the world are at risk from rising sea levels and unpredictable storm surges. The coastal cities are going to have to adapt and change its way of thinking with the encroachment of the sea. …

The Labyrinth Archetype, Zachary Chimoff

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis looks at the myth of the labyrinth, a philosophical metaphor for life, and creates a modern version.

Holistic Generations | Reshaping A City's Health, Tania Rodriguez Serrano

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

In Puerto Rico everything seems emptier. The more hurricanes hit us, the less opportunities there are, the more corrupt the government gets, then the more people leave. The Puerto Rican population is rapidly decreasing. The small town of Jayuya, Puerto Rico is one that seems to be very lonely these days. I scarcely see my generation and the older generation is getting left behind. Due to this the town is basically a ghost town by the time 4pm hits. If my generation leaves, then who takes care of the older generations? Who maintains the town alive? When asked these questions …

Working Modular | The Modular System That Crosses The Boundary Between Micro And Macro Offices, Enrique Brimmer

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

I am designing an infrastructure that helps the growth of modules in a macro scale. For example, the office typology is one that isn’t easy to change, as shown in the past. As times change and people move around, our buildings need to be able to adapt and grow with us. That is why the ability to move and change module orientation is important to the growth of a building. In the micro scale I am going to be designing unique modules that can be easily repeated to create large and small spaces. These modules will have the opportunity to …

A Kit For Kids - Revitalizing Low-Income Communities By Embracing The Younger Generation, Anirose Burge

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

How often do we consider the physical, emotional, and social needs of youth when determining ways to better society? When deciding actions in a community, the needs of the next generation should be put as a top priority. This thesis will research and develop ways of doing this through architecture.

This project will create a modular and transportable structure that will focus on teens ages 11-15. The structure will be developed using a kit of parts so that it can be placed onto any site while also containing a site-specific program. The program will contain three categories with subcategories to …

Floating Edge: Modular Living, Jonathan Cruz

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis aims to develop an alternate solution for rising sea levels. By adopting flotation technology which is successfully implemented in building on water. This thesis primary objective is to examine and discuss the relationships between floating architecture, and the possibility of a new modular way of living in these coastal areas. This thesis will also explore the technologies and processes incorporated in the foundations of floating constructions and the accessibility of the structures through well-planned grids. To develop an alternate solution for land reclamation and rising sea levels.

Design Diplomacy - Cooperative Living, Kameren Horton

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

From 1990 through 1996, we witness a significant shift within the city of Atlanta. In the Summer of 1996, the Olympics was hosted in Atlanta. Techwood Homes at the time, was the first large affordable housing project in that area. In 1991, there was an order for the demolishment of Techwood Homes. However, it wasn’t until 1995, when the Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA) decided to begin demolition after waiting 4 years prior to the Olympics.

Several other large housing projects were demolished to make room for Olympic venues. This is where we see redevelopment. This is where we see a …

Reconnecting A Disconnected City : Through Placemaking Strategies, Gabriel Arroyo

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

My thesis is motivated by a growing interest in our urbanized landscapes and their effect on social behavior. Developing a term that refers to a places lack of engagement with the people it serves, aids in capturing the necessity of a project like this today. The modern era of today’s cities have unconciously enabled this term “Placelessness”, this lack of a defined sense of place, be a recurring problem due to urban sprawl, economic imbalances, and technologies negative influence on social patterns. Our public assets are losing distinctive characteristics such as its Identity, Belonging, and Coherence; thus, amplifying the notion …

Seaport City Adaptation: Buenaventura's Settlements, Mariana Corredor

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Buenaventura is one of Colombia's most important cities, it houses one of the biggest ports on the continent and covers more than 60% of Colombia's sea imports and exports. Unfortunately, most of the population is impoverished and lives in improvised shelters made up of wood, trash, and debris with no access to potable water, electricity, and sewage systems. How can architecture be used to create better conditions? How can we use local materials in Colombia to design affordable and aesthetically pleasing settlements for the inhabitants of Buenaventura?

My research starts with materials that are sustainable, economical, local, and recyclable, that …

Equity In Healthcare Design: Sustainable Placemaking Interventions For Refugees And Displaced Communities, Eunji You

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Since 1990, the city of Clarkston has brought thousands of refugees from Asia, Africa, South America, and beyond. Now, roughly half of the population constitutes refugees that represent 60 different languages and nationalities. In Clarkston, a sustainable healthcare facility is integral for the design of a family-centered medical facility to promote health equity by providing access to care at all levels. Infant mortality is rising amongst minority groups, and advanced care for adults and children of all ages and disabilities in low-income areas is becoming more inaccessible. The design of the healthcare facility aims to strengthen racial-ethnic minority groups in …