Architecture Commons^™

Re-Imagining Recovery: The Role Of Architecture In Sobriety, Teagan Littleton

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis explores the design of a sober living house in Atlanta, focusing on integrating choice architecture and biophilic design to enhance the mental well-being of its residents. Choice architecture, a concept rooted in behavioral economics, aims to influence decision-making by altering the environment. (Thaler, Sunstein, 2010) Biophilic design seeks to connect occupants with nature to improve overall health and wellbeing. (Terrapin, 2014)The design of the sober living house incorporates elements such as natural light, green spaces, and views of nature to create a sense of calmness and connection to the environment Choice architecture is applied through the layout and …

Loophole, Eduardo Brimmer

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

With the envisioning of this project, music will solidify its attachment to the world of beer through the notion of design. Many breweries, bars, night clubs, and taphouses exist. However, the difference between this project and many of its sister markets, is the direct fusion between the ideology behind music, beverage, and emotion. The projects’ ability to create a cultural hub impacting its community will be what sets the venue apart from any of its kind.

If the project creates this center for experience, then by default, the community around the hub will become part of a sub-culture surrounded by …

The Exchange Square — Redevelop Decaying Shopping Malls Into A Walkable Micro City, Justin R. Monzon

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Once the heart of suburban life, shopping malls across America are now fading relics: oversized, underused, and disconnected from the communities they once served. This thesis explores a bold new vision: The Exchange Square, a redevelopment model that transforms these forgotten spaces into vibrant, walkable micro-cities built for how we live today. Focusing on the Town Center at Cobb in Kennesaw, Georgia, the project repositions the traditional mall as a mixed-use urban hub: complete with modular housing, a multi-story food hall, entertainment venues, and community-driven programs. It prioritizes people over parking lots, reconnecting neighborhoods through public space, transit access, and …

Scared And Profane - Contemporary Monasteries And Overlap Of The Urban Footprint, Jonathan M. Rivers

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis explores the concept of the urban monastery as a catalyst for revitalizing urban spaces. By re-imagining the traditional monastic model within the dense urban context of New York City, the project aims to create a sanctuary for contemplation, community, and sacred space.

The thesis delves into the historical role of monasteries as centers of learning, art, and social welfare. It analyzes the potential of a contemporary monastery to address the challenges of modern urban life, such as isolation, stress, and a lack of community. The proposed design integrates elements of monastic architecture and spirituality into a contemporary building …

Impact Of Artistry - Surrealism In The Urban Setting, Caroline F. Puckett

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

In the past, architectural designs have mimicked those of traditional art trends but over time architecture has moved away from its roots and created its own styles and design language. While architecture’s creation of its own path has led to several innovations in the thought process of design,it does create cause for concern about architecture losing the identity it once had. Architecture has evolved from what was once a field that looked at the physical artistic expression of art and into a discipline more focused on performance and utility. As the built environment loses its soul and foundation, many communities …

Safety Net: Hope Amongst The Housing Crisis In Lagos, Nigeria, Mayowa Odunjo

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Lagos, Nigeria, home to over 22 million people, stands as Africa’s most populous city. The African Giant of Nigeria holds over 260 million people with the workforce falling on the backs of Millennials and Generation Z. On the surface, this could be seen as an advantage; a youthful, energetic labor force that any economy would benefit from. However, in Nigeria, this demographic reality also presents a unique set of challenges that has been exacerbated by inadequate housing, overpopulation, and rapid urbanization.

The housing crisis in Lagos, fueled by failed government support and initiatives along with rapid population growth, leaves many …

Building Bridges: Weaving Culture And Community Through A Museum-Housing Hub In South Downtown Atlanta, Tony Vu

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis explores the architectural potential of a facility that combines a museum and affordable housing, focused on revitalizing South Downtown Atlanta. This historically significant district, rich in African American culture, has faced neglect due to urban sprawl and economic challenges. By addressing the needs of the unhoused population alongside the area’s diminished cultural vibrancy, the design proposes a strategic intervention through urban infill and the adaptive reuse of vacant parking lots. The project envisions an inclusive museum alongside supportive housing and vocational training facilities, aimed at facilitating the reintegration of the unhoused into society while providing affordable housing units …

Echoes Of The Ocean, Carolina Siano Moratt

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

In my exploration of architectural criticism, I have focused on how social institutions and their architectures have failed to address the global health issue of microplastics. My building, located in the Great Pacific Gyre – the site of the largest collection of plastics and microplastics on the planet – is a reflection and a critique of these institutions’ effectiveness, as the typical architecture for these climate action talks (read: sites of global summits and accords) often operate far from the problems they aim to solve and are constrained by the geopolitical regulations of the nation-state.

The site for my project …

Performative Biomechanics : Evolving Buildings Into Inhabitable Organisms, Josh Lopez

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

There has always been a connection between biology and architecture. Michael Pawlyn, in Biomimicry in Architecture, coined “biomechanical designs” to describe structural techniques derived from creatures. This study investigates chitin-based creatures. Crustaceans, insects, and microscopic organisms all have exoskeletons in nature. With a focus on crabs, other crustaceans and bugs, this study examines and evaluates the formal characteristics of chitin-based organisms. The architectural creations of OXMAN, NOX, which was founded by Lars Spuybroek; and Lebbeus Woods are among those that are analyzed and studied due to their inspiration from living things. They follow functional effectiveness in nature, which is why …

Folk Art As A Catalyst: Unfolding Salvadoran Identity Through Design., Kevin E. Lopez

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This research explores how folk art can act as a catalyst to revitalize spaces and deepen connections to Salvadoran culture. It examines works of folk art as cultural artifacts that embody Salvadoran identity, revealing their underlying structures, patterns, and meanings. This understanding of form and symbolism within these artistic expressions will serve as a foundation for translating cultural identity into architectural design.

Ideas and experiences can be ephemeral, but through design, these concepts can be translated into architectural forms. Knoespel argued in “Diagrammatic Transformation of Architectural Space” that diagrams conveys architectural information, suggesting that by analyzing an element, new information …

The Missing Connection: Designing A New Transit Hub Typology Centered Around Community, Michael Rixom

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

To effectively develop cities and improve the quality of life for their citizens, urban transportation infrastructure must evolve beyond its current function as a mere conduit for movement. Transportation hubs, such as MARTA stations, are essential in connecting people to their jobs, homes, and recreational spaces, serving as critical nodes within the urban fabric. However, despite their importance, they are designed with a sole focus on efficiency and movement, and often neglect the potential of these spaces to serve as more dynamic, community-centered environments.

In this Thesis Placemaking will be defined as an approach to urban design that emphasizes the …

Disrupting Monotony, Elias Mendez

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

At the start of this project, I was confronted with a range of global issues that revealed the harsh realities many regions face in securing basic human needs, particularly shelter. One issue that stood out to me was the housing crisis in Mexico, where low-income families often struggle to afford homes while also meeting essential needs like food and clothing. Many of these homes are poorly constructed due to strict budget constraints and are built in such close proximity that both private and communal spaces are sacrificed in favor of maximizing land use. This often results in rows of identical …

In Light Of Design: The Architecture Of Ambiance, Dariusch Hakimi Gilani

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Architectural education often emphasizes technical proficiency and efficiency over the development of sensory and emotional experience, despite the profound impact atmosphere has on the built environment. Architecture schools claim to prepare students for a broad range of creative careers, yet direct education in atmospheric design is frequently relegated to adjacent disciplines like interior design, production design, or themed entertainment design. This disconnect raises a critical question: Can architectural education teach technical engineering skill and atmospheric sensitivity simultaneously, without compromising either? Given the crucial role of atmosphere in shaping human experience within spaces, it is essential to integrate its study into …

Sustainable Solutions: Innovating Vernacular Architecture In Togo's Communities, Kevin Toudeka

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Togo, like many other countries, faces significant challenges in the housing sector, particularly for low-income communities. Traditional or vernacular architecture offers a rich repository of knowledge and practices that can be harnessed to address these challenges in a sustainable and culturally appropriate manner. Exploring innovative approaches to vernacular architecture will improve affordability, comfort, and resilience while preserving cultural heritage. Innovating vernacular architecture presents an opportunity to address housing challenges in Togo in a culturally sensitive, environmentally sustainable, and socially inclusive manner. Traditional knowledge and practices, combined with modern technologies and collaborative approaches, can create housing solutions that are both rooted …

Plastic Repurposed: Explorations For The Use Of Plastic Waste As An Architectural Element, Caleb Tinajero

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The business model for plastic has become accustomed to a system of consumption and disposal that has failed to develop a way that benefits the environment. Unless the production of plastic ceases to persist, the number of plastic waste will continue to grow and even though it is not fully visible, the effects of this pollution will eventually contaminate the aspects of our lives. Although stopping the production of such a vital factor to the prosperity of the economy is unrealistic, it could also be detrimental to the machinations of society. It is after all a very useful resource. The …

Vacant Voices - An Architectural Response To Spatial Neglect, Logan G. Handwork

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Vacant Voices explores how architecture can confront and reverse urban neglect by transforming long-abandoned land into civic space. Centered on the vacant lot at 3rd Avenue and James Street in Seattle—left undeveloped for over 20 years beside City Hall—this thesis investigates how public spaces can reflect the priorities of a government and the voices of its people. Through literature from Charles Wolfe, Rem Koolhaas, and Margaret Crawford, the project builds a theoretical foundation around everyday urbanism, adaptive reuse, and spatial justice.

The methodology incorporates case study analysis, expert interviews, and iterative prototyping. Precedents such as Zuccotti Park, Boston City Hall …

Nature's Nexus; Revival Of The Mall Typology Through Nature, Bailey Wilson

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Many suburban shopping malls are struggling today due to online shopping, questions of access, and monolithic experience among other things. The Savannah mall, abandoned in 2023, provides an opportunity for exploration in the revival of the mall typology through biophilic design. This project explores the nexus between Savannah’s landscape and the abandoned mall. Therefore, envisioning a future where malls evolve from heat island hardscapes into environments that create a nexus between nature and community.

Urban Eden, Establishing The Groundwork For A More Resilient City, Max R. Oliva

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Cities account for over 70% of Global C02 emissions and as these areas grow over time their Carbon Footprint will grow in turn. In order to offset this imbalance I propose to design Performative Skins & Building Modules to not only reduce the carbon footprint in these cities, but also recover their connection to Nature contributing not only to energy efficiency and air quality, but also to urban aesthetics, the inclusion of these systems could go so far as to help mitigate the heat island effect and in the long term help establish a more resilient and sustainable city

Empow{Her}: Architecture As A Tool For Healing, Dignity, And Collective Power In Underserved Communities, Miciah Norman

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis investigates the role of architecture as a catalyst for empowerment, healing, and social transformation within underserved communities, with a specific focus on the lived experiences of Black women. Empow(her) centers Black women as co-victims — individuals who are often forced to carry the emotional and economic weight of losing loved ones to gun violence, a crisis perpetuated by systemic neglect and ineffective gun legislation. These women, frequently overlooked in policy and design conversations, navigate generational trauma in environments that fail to support their healing or acknowledge their pain. Through the lens of feminist, trauma-informed, and justice-oriented design, this …

Defining Space With Bamboo, Nicholas A. Stile Jr.

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Defining Space with Bamboo explores the architectural potential of bamboo in the subtropical climate of the United States—specifically challenging the preconception of bamboo as merely an invasive species. While it’s true that bamboo is non-native and fast-spreading, its presence is already well-established across the region. This project asks: rather than resisting it, what if we embraced bamboo as a rapidly renewable, structurally versatile construction material?

Set along the Atlanta BeltLine, the project comprises three spatial installations—small, medium, and large—each designed to examine how bamboo can actively define space through qualities of leisure, activity, and discovery. The small pavilion employs a …