Architecture Commons^™

Living · Sharing · Connecting : Rebirth Of Longchang Apartments Heritage Community, Linhong Jiang

Masters Theses

The Longchang Apartments, which the British designed during the Shanghai Concession Period, is considered a building of great historical importance. However, the disconnected relationship between this historic building and the ever-developing modern society surrounding it becomes more and more evident over time. The backward living conditions of residents and management fail to meet contemporary needs, which intensifies various conflicts between different user groups within the historic site.

This thesis proposes a different way of living in high density within historic structures and explores a new program focusing on user groups’ behavior and interaction to activate the site. The adaptive reuse …

Unraveling The Living: Reframing Cramped Housing As A Social Living, Dong-Zoo Han

Masters Theses

In Seoul, people of the poorest economic status live in compressed units no larger than 32 square feet, known as “sliced housing.” The majority of these residents hope for better living conditions, but they are unable to move for multiple reasons. This is an interwoven sociological issue that requires intervention proposals that improve the physical and mental wellbeing of the people in these housing situations. This thesis demonstrates possible architectural interventions that will enhance the quality of life and support systems within Seoul’s “sliced housing” villages.

Other urban villages in Seoul in similar states of degradation have been destroyed, with …

Remember Me: How We Can Modify The Home For People With Dementia, Wenjin Wang

Masters Theses

More than 50 million people live with dementia worldwide. For reasons of familiarity, affordability, and psychological comfort, the home is uniquely preferred by people with dementia (PwD) and their caregivers for aging in place. Ample studies show that built environmental features (e.g., furnishing, lighting, layout) influence the daily lives of PwD. These features can be modified easily and with fewer disruptions to daily life at home. However, most PwD and their caregivers usually have little knowledge of what can be achieved through simple interventions to environmental features.

There is a great need for an exhibition to explain the dementia-friendly home …

Reinforcing Connection Within Collective Housing: A New Vision Of Red Steel City, Guangyi Niu

Masters Theses

Red Steel City is a historical residential complex built 64 year ago for the first workers of the Iron & Steel Complex in Wuhan, China, under the help design guidance of the former Soviet Union. Equipped with educational and medical facilities, this “City” nearly meets every need of the residents. Where residents worked boosted the development of steel, which is considered a prerequisite for industrialization, and where they lived became the template for the era when China was finding its footing in its incredible drive to industrialization.

The original plan of Red Steel City did not consider practical conditions like …

Cielo Obispo Development Package, Jack Wanner

City and Regional Planning

The Cielo Obispo is a 0.38 acre lot located on the corner of the Old Town Historic District and Downtown San Luis Obispo neighborhoods. The Cielo Obispo Development Package is a guiding document to future development on this site. This analysis contains information regarding the complex regulatory, financial, economic, and physical constraints and opportunities when developing in California and San Luis Obispo. The development package explains the process and a breakdown of the requirements that would be needed to get a project of this size entitled and shovel ready. This information is particularly important for planning professionals within the City …

Equity In Accessibility, A Case Study Of City Of Sacramento, Meredith C. Milam

City and Regional Planning

This paper is a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) spatial analysis of the transportation accessibility and equity in Sacramento, California. A literature review examines discriminatory regulatory policies in the 1900s that wrote racial segregation into law. The effects of these policies have lasting effects on spatial dispersal of people and create barriers to accessibility and therefore result in inequitable transportation systems. The accessibility and equity analysis in Sacramento explores demographic data, job concentration and available modes of transportation, and commuter data. The results of the analysis suggest that there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach when it comes to measuring accessibility and equity. …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Active Transportation, Timothy Scott Mcbirney

City and Regional Planning

This research project examines the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had and will continue to have on active transportation, in particular, cycling. This research was initiated by my own interest in cycling for both recreational and utility purposes as well as articles I had read on the rise in recreational cycling over the course of the pandemic. I wanted to understand and summarize the best practices for converting the increase in cycling for recreation into a meaningful, long-term shift toward active modes in urban transportation in the future. This paper explores how the pandemic has impacted active transportation around the country …

Equilibrium Without Statics: The Modern Müller-Breslau Method, Claudia Rene Zapata-Kraft

Architectural Engineering

This senior project is an investigation of the Modern Müller-Breslau Method. The purpose of this senior project was to see how quickly and easily a graduating senior in a structural engineering program could acquaint themselves to the method, as well as create new problems that demonstrate its power in equilibrium without the use of any statics. The focus of this project and paper is determinate structures including beams, axial members, frames, three-hinged arches, and finally three-dimensional trusses. Examples of each type of problem will be shown with explanations along with a reflection on the experience from a student’s perspective on …

Take Heart School, Quentin John Porter

Architectural Engineering

Journeyman International, also known as JI, is a non-profit organization that groups together design and construction students with organizations looking to build humanitarian projects around the world. This pairing is beneficial for both the organization because they get free design and construction expertise, as well as for the students who get real-world experience. The Take Heart School is a planned school and grounds for the region of Migori Kenya. Take Heart Africa is a fair trade store with all profits going to help the impoverished communities of Kenya. The three-acre site will have a school with eight classrooms, offices, a …

Health + Efficiency House: A Take On The 50x50 Glass House, Eva Wieczorek, Krystal Bacon, Kaylee Hernandez, Jennifer Long, Moises De La Cruz, Elle Gallmann, Jurgis Vaišvila

Architectural Engineering

Under the guidance of Professor Edmond Saliklis and Professor Meredith Sattler, four Architectural Engineering students joined forces with three Architecture students from both Cal Poly and Vilnius Technical University in Lithuania. The portfolio exemplifies a complete reimagination of Mies van der Rohe and Myron Goldsmith's 50x50 Glass House as if it were designed today in Palm Springs, CA. The work completed in this interdisciplinary studio includes historical context, abstract creation, architectural and structural design all relating back to the Glass House.

Partial Local Government Operations Ghg Inventory And Recordkeeping Recommendations For The City Of Lompoc 2019 Baseline Year, Liam Crowley

City and Regional Planning

In response to human activities and their impact on climate change, the State of California and local governments have taken action to track and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This includes emissions both at the community scale and from local government operations alone.

This report intends to quantify, to the extent feasible and for which data is available, the greenhouse gas emissions produced by the local government operations of the City of Lompoc for the baseline year 2019. In addition, the purpose of this report is to identify ways in which the City can improve record keeping and data collection …

City Of San Luis Obispo Creek Walk Phase Iii, Ryan Thomas Anderson, Peyton Marie Ratto

City and Regional Planning

The following project includes a detailed narrative of project components and conceptual designs for the proposed City of San Luis Obispo (SLO) Creek Walk Phase III. The “project area” includes San Luis Obispo Creek and adjacent land uses/parcels from the Nipomo Street Bridge to the Marsh Street Bridge. This project is relevant because the City has interest in developing Phase III as an extension from the current walkway that begins at Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa. In order to ensure consistency with City goals and policies, various City documents were reviewed, including the Downtown Concept Plan. Our progress was …

Analysis Of The Implementation Of Fluid Viscous Dampers In A Steel Special Moment Frame, Brad D. Weber

Architectural Engineering

This report examines the effects of adding fluid viscous dampers to a steel special moment frame through a series of analysis methods. Simple analysis procedures are first carried out and described, including a linear static procedure and a linear dynamic procedure. Then further analysis is carried out using a nonlinear dynamic analysis procedure. Multiple parameters are modified throughout the analysis processes to determine the impact on results and the data from all the analysis methods are compiled and used to demonstrate the overall impact of the use of fluid viscous dampers in a steel special moment frame.

Structural Calculations For Take Heart School In Kenya, David Corona-Perales

Architectural Engineering

Take heart is a new organization focused on helping widows with small business opportunities, it has continued to grow over the years and now also provides orphans safe living conditions and education opportunities. This is Take Heart’s first construction project; Take Heart bought a three-acre piece of land in Migori county in Kenya, where a Missionary base school will be built to provide care for orphans and windows. The overall project is a multistep project that when completed will have a primary school( pre k – 8th grade), dormitories , training center, guest house, and a cafeteria that will have …

Accessory Dwelling Unit, Nicholas Scalzo

Architectural Engineering

This project goes through the architectural and structural design of a post and beam accessory dwelling unit. In it are basic calculations for the gravity and lateral system as well as unique designs such as cantilevered diaphragms, angled shear walls, and post and beam framing. In it are also structural and architectural Revit drawings and details to go alongside the calculations. This project had all the design done together and had the structure and architecture informing each other and changing throughout the entirety of the project.

Solar Energy In Relation To Structural Engineering, Rachel Keith

Architectural Engineering

Solar power is increasingly popular among households around the world. However, many people may not understand how solar modules work, system design, factors that affect efficiency, or options for integrating a residential solar system with the existing power grid. This paper addresses all of these.

Reconceptualizing Mies' Glass House, Araceli Avelar, Armando Castaneda Jr, Madison Lam, Ignatius Malari, Alejo Favero, Augusta Orlauskaite, Ella Gleason

Architectural Engineering

Our team used the glass house studio to explore class stratification, particularly using the glass as a reflection of class dichotomy in our society. The glass and Miesian design approach glorifies the clean cut, picture-perfect utopia only accessible to the wealthy few. But reality proves that there is more to this. As architects and engineers, we should strive to create environments that may uphold our values of equity and diversity and ultimately serve all sectors of society.

49 X 49 Glass House, Daisy Penaloza, Emmanuel Corona Navarro, Chengbin Kuang, Blake Durham, Grace Lauer, Augustas Lapinskas

Architectural Engineering

This project started with an analysis of the Core House or 50x50 House by Mies van der Rohe and Myron Goldsmith. Through many iterations and obstacles, we arrived at the 49x49 house. We looked into some literary influences that affected the social interpretations of glass, the most notable one being Zamyatin’s “We”. These factors influenced our main design process as we asked ourselves, what can we do with glass? When we were imagining our initial ideas for what would become of our house in the future, we took inspiration from another master’s work, New Babylon by Constant Nieuwenhuys, which correlated …

The Nolan House, Keiko-Ann K. Sanders, Gilbert C. Munoz, Michael A. Bahr, Titas Kalvalnis

Architectural Engineering

As a precedent, The Green Team analyzed the history of glass architecture, literature, and culture. Based on our research, we found that glass is often depicted as breakable, delicate, and a way to expose or display aspects that would otherwise be hidden. We challenged ourselves to incorporate safety and privacy into our glass house as a way to combat the pre-existing notions of glass in architecture.

Schematic Structural Design For Center For Centering (C4c), Jonathan Oberempt, Faith Sharp, Samuel Buckman

Architectural Engineering

The Center for Centering (C4C) is a meditative center for individuals to reflect and discover their own creativity. Based on a spoke and wheel concept, the center integrates social, sensory, environmental, and inductive spaces, allowing for individuals to discover themselves in different settings, while appearing as a striking sculpture conceived in a spiral gesture integrated in the local landscape.

The location for this structure is in Santa Cruz, CA, on Swanton Ranch. The building is built on mostly flat terrain surrounded by sparse trees and an overlooking view of the ocean.

The initial concept for the Center for Centering is …