Architecture Commons^™

The Meat You Haven't Met, Pt. 6, Rebecca Soja

Architecture Senior Theses

This thesis contends that architecture can be a tool for exposing the social, environmental, economic, and political problems caused by industrial beef production and excessive cultural consumption of beef in order to promote meaningful change. A narrative is established in which a fictitious beef corporation seeks the expertise of an architect to design a Transparency Tour as part of a green washing campaign. However, while the intent of the corporation is to mislead consumers to gain loyalty, the architect seizes the opportunity to infiltrate the system and expose realities that would have remained hidden. Subversive design interventions within three stops …

Cultivating Dreams: Examining Community Involvement And Satisfaction In Fayetteville Farms, Donna J. Freeman

Landscape Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

Agriculture has a great, often untapped potential to be integrated in to the urban landscape as part of a green infrastructure and food production network. Urban agriculture is often piecemeal and opportunistic, rarely part of a city-wide master plan or with a comprehensive site plan. Because of this, farms are less likely to be considered as public space like parks and plazas or be studied as part of the human environment. This study utilizes data triangulation from site analysis, policy analysis and surveys to attempt to determine how urban farms might be improved in specific categories such as visibility and …

Public Art And Land Value: Spatial Relationships In Denver, Colorado, Nicholas Decker

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Public art is justified and sold based on a variety of purported public benefits, including spatial identity, enhanced use, and improved value. Very little research has been done to quantify these or any other large-scale impacts. In this study, the relationships between land value and public art are examined. Denver, Colorado was chosen as the area of study due to its extensive library of accessible data and its active public art program.

ArcGIS is used as an analytical tool to investigate these relationships. Public art data was obtained from Denver's GIS database and edited according to factors important to the …

Food For Function, Ryan Desilva

Architecture Senior Theses

This thesis proposes to develop and apply sustainable energy strategies driven by the needs of yet commercial kitchens within the context of adaptive re-use of buildings. Spatializing systems within the framework of building envelopes will minimize energy usage, promote smarter holistic building design; but most importantly, teach culinary students sustainable strategies related to the growth, use and reuse of food as it pertains to the consumption and production of energy.

Food For Function Pt. 2, Ryan Desilva

Architecture Senior Theses

This thesis proposes to develop and apply sustainable energy strategies driven by the needs of yet commercial kitchens within the context of adaptive re-use of buildings. Spatializing systems within the framework of building envelopes will minimize energy usage, promote smarter holistic building design; but most importantly, teach culinary students sustainable strategies related to the growth, use and reuse of food as it pertains to the consumption and production of energy.

Food For Function Pt. 3, Ryan Desilva

Architecture Senior Theses

This thesis proposes to develop and apply sustainable energy strategies driven by the needs of yet commercial kitchens within the context of adaptive re-use of buildings. Spatializing systems within the framework of building envelopes will minimize energy usage, promote smarter holistic building design; but most importantly, teach culinary students sustainable strategies related to the growth, use and reuse of food as it pertains to the consumption and production of energy.

Library Public-Ness: Bridging The Digital Divide, Chao Dou

Architecture Senior Theses

This thesis contends that the bricks-and-mortar public library must continue to deliver on its core mission of providing free access to information for everybody. To achieve this aim, the 21st century public library must be ever more accessible, inviting, and flexible. This thesis proposes that the current public library in downtown does not properly serve the needs of the city's citizens. Accordingly, this thesis investigates the creation of a new public library for downtown Syracuse, and seeks to provide a means of bridging the digital divide, providing ready access to digital information for the many and the few.

Library Public-Ness: Bridging The Digital Divide (Thesis Book), Chao Dou

Architecture Senior Theses

This thesis contends that the bricks-and-mortar public library must continue to deliver on its core mission of providing free access to information for everybody. To achieve this aim, the 21st century public library must be ever more accessible, inviting, and flexible. This thesis proposes that the current public library in downtown does not properly serve the needs of the city's citizens. Accordingly, this thesis investigates the creation of a new public library for downtown Syracuse, and seeks to provide a means of bridging the digital divide, providing ready access to digital information for the many and the few.

Stimulating The Urban Domain In High-Rise Social Housing Developments Pt. 4, Heather Dela Cruz

Architecture Senior Theses

While architecture will not singularly solve the social problems that arose from the creation of these "towers in the park," it is this contention that through the combination of the benefits of both high-rise and low-rise structures it will be possible to provide residents with amenities that lead to new cultural and economic opportunities that will foster an interactive and diverse urban community.

Stimulating The Urban Domain In High-Rise Social Housing Developments Pt. 3, Heather Dela Cruz

Architecture Senior Theses

While architecture will not singularly solve the social problems that arose from the creation of these "towers in the park," it is this contention that through the combination of the benefits of both high-rise and low-rise structures it will be possible to provide residents with amenities that lead to new cultural and economic opportunities that will foster an interactive and diverse urban community.

Stimulating The Urban Domain In High-Rise Social Housing Developments Pt. 2, Heather Dela Cruz

Architecture Senior Theses

While architecture will not singularly solve the social problems that arose from the creation of these "towers in the park," it is this contention that through the combination of the benefits of both high-rise and low-rise structures it will be possible to provide residents with amenities that lead to new cultural and economic opportunities that will foster an interactive and diverse urban community.

Stimulating The Urban Domain In High-Rise Social Housing Developments, Heather Dela Cruz

Architecture Senior Theses

While architecture will not singularly solve the social problems that arose from the creation of these "towers in the park," it is this contention that through the combination of the benefits of both high-rise and low-rise structures it will be possible to provide residents with amenities that lead to new cultural and economic opportunities that will foster an interactive and diverse urban community.

Stimulating The Urban Domain In High-Rise Social Housing Developments Pt. 5, Heather Dela Cruz

Architecture Senior Theses

While architecture will not singularly solve the social problems that arose from the creation of these "towers in the park," it is this contention that through the combination of the benefits of both high-rise and low-rise structures it will be possible to provide residents with amenities that lead to new cultural and economic opportunities that will foster an interactive and diverse urban community.

Atrium, Hasan Hachem

Architecture Senior Theses

Architectural history has overlooked the significance of one of its oldest and most fundamental elements. Present at the origins of architecture and characteristically essential to almost any contemporary design (over two floors), the atrium consistently finds itself in the lapse of history’s judgment - perhaps due to its consistent presence. The atrium has ranged from the hole in primitive shelters for smoke management, to its introduction as a proper space in the Roman domus and finally manifesting itself at its most extravagant in Portman’s hotel designs. However, as the atrium acts as the auspice for all vertical openings in a …

Obsolete Architecture: Revitalization Along A Spectrum Of Utility, Garrett Goodridge

Architecture Senior Theses

This thesis project focuses specifically on naval fortifications, which are a particularly unique example of obsolete architecture. Ironically, the naval fort is defined as being not only a military stronghold but also something that is insusceptible to outside influence. Today, most forts are considered defunct or abandoned and are recognized as historical artifacts, such as Fort Gorges and Fort Scammel located in Maine’s Portland Harbor. An artifact, by definition, is something that is deemed to by culturally relevant. As such, the artifact should be seen as something that continually contributes to contemporary culture and its surrounding context, both of which …

Living On The Edge: Landform Resilience, Lauren Festa

Architecture Senior Theses

The program of a resilience center on the site serves as a way to engage the community with the threat of rising sea levels through education and office facilities, as well as providing a location to double as an emergency evacuation center. The community of East Boston is particularly vulnerable due to its identity as a low income neighborhood. An MBTA ferry terminal supplements the emergency evacuation center, providing an added source of public transit. A square, and a recreation building along the city of Boston's Harborwalk creates an opportunity for the public to engage with the waterfront park.

Reimagining Obsolete Underground Infrastructure, Pt. 1, Alexa Hansford

Architecture Senior Theses

This thesis aims to tackle the issues of obsolete infrastructure through the creation of a new network throughout the urban center. Networks of abandoned underground structures exist in urban locations everywhere, left untouched or forgotten when building anew was easier. These sometimes iconic structures are left with only small traces of their influence upon their context. Sites like these still have the ability to influence their surroundings on both an urban and a local scale. Due to the elevation of such spaces, they are inevitably at a greater risk for damage. Redesigning the network to accommodate and adapt to the …

Reimagining Obsolete Underground Infrastructure, Pt. 4, Alexa Hansford

Architecture Senior Theses

This thesis aims to tackle the issues of obsolete infrastructure through the creation of a new network throughout the urban center. Networks of abandoned underground structures exist in urban locations everywhere, left untouched or forgotten when building anew was easier. These sometimes iconic structures are left with only small traces of their influence upon their context. Sites like these still have the ability to influence their surroundings on both an urban and a local scale. Due to the elevation of such spaces, they are inevitably at a greater risk for damage. Redesigning the network to accommodate and adapt to the …

Affect Of Space: Nature Connectedness, Christian Lee

Architecture Senior Theses

This research will be mainly focused in promoting connectedness with nature through control of light. The “house” will be used as a connector in restoring the relationship. It is because the “house” is not just a shelter, but something more. It is the place where people, consciously and unconsciously, engages with one’s inner mind. It is not only “a machine for living in”, but also a connector linking between the inner world and nature. It is full of sensual quality which could mentally affect dwellers. However, the consequences of modernization are driving people’s focus away from material object of aesthetic …

Efficacy Of Perspective: The Production Of Transitoriness In 21st Century Public Space, Kenny Kim

Architecture Senior Theses

This thesis considers the specific relationship between representation of cities and its capacity to promote and construct cities. In the last century, there has been a shift of theorizing in the position of the human eye to organize the new systems of the contemporary city. It has moved away from using these tools to imagine and polemically argue for or against the city.