Architecture Commons^™

Multisensory Realm: Architecture For The Visually Impaired, Jennifer Perez

Symposium of Student Scholars

According to the World Health Organization, there are approximately 2.2 billion people who have a near or distance vision impairment. Vision has historically been considered the most important of the senses; therefore, when this sense becomes obstructed, an individual’s lifestyle can be harshly impacted. Because their vision becomes obstructed, visually impaired individuals run into various daily life challenges such as having difficulty navigating around independently, stigma in society, leisure, accessibility, and isolation. This can be due to the issue that the built environment has tended to neglect building for all senses. For this reason, an architectural goal has been to …

The Rebuild Project, Maria Del Valle

Symposium of Student Scholars

The Rebuild Island Project is meant to create relief for the islands that experienced hurricane damage. The project will be on the site of a city that has abandoned homes, unfiltered water, spoiled agriculture, and a damaged electrical grid. The city will be a self-sustaining city that focuses on cleaning up uninhabitable properties, building educational institutions, and creating community support for local Puerto Ricans. The project will not only be exclusive to Puerto Ricans, this model will be replicated for islands that go through natural disasters and neglectful government. This urban development will be seen through a 10-year plan or …

Assessing The Sustainable Development Dimensions Of Environmental Public Policies For Protected Natural Areas In Mexico: A 1970-2018 Perspective, Cielo María Ávila López, José Israel Herrera

Journal of Maya Heritage

Abstract: This abstract discusses the challenges and issues related to the implementation of Environmental Public Policies (EPP) for Protected Natural Areas (PNA) in Mexico from 1970 to 2018. EPPs aim to achieve sustainable development by balancing economic, environmental, and social dimensions while reconciling conservation and the use of natural resources with restrictions on their use and economic compensation to communities. However, the results of this study reveal that the establishment of PNA has been unilateral and without consensus, leading to limitations on communities' use of the environment without granting them economic compensation or productive alternatives. This has resulted in conflicts …

2023 - The Fourth Annual Fall Symposium Of Student Scholars

Symposium of Student Scholars Program Books

The full program book from the Fall 2023 Symposium of Student Scholars, held in November 2023. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.

Coliving: Bringing Social Spaces Back Offline, Helen Dymek

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The way in which we construct our built environment defines how our community will engage with one another. Social spaces are the key to creating a healthy community. However, today, we are in crisis. In a society which is built on the pillars of freedom and independence, our social spaces are dying out. Social isolation is on the rise, a problem only accelerated by the recent pandemic. Today, many Americans (and much of the world) seek social connection through a screen. Instead of getting to know our neighbors, we spend more time watching videos of or talking to people who …

The Success Of Florence Small-Scale Walkability Vs. The Second Downfall Of Rome, Nia Mcgann

Architecture Cultures Student Papers

This is a student paper completed during an Architecture course during Summer 2023.The goal of this paper is to pinpoint certain aspects of urban spaces that are related to walkability, with a special emphasis on Florence, Italy in comparison to Rome.

The Cultural Richness Of Italy, Kevin E. López

Architecture Cultures Student Papers

This is a student paper completed during an Architecture course during Summer 2023.

The Morphology Of Space, Robinson Badell-Garcia

Architecture Cultures Student Papers

During the time studying under the Architectural Morphologies and Mappings Summer class  based in Italy, we were posed with a scenario in which we analyzed how plazas and public  spaces were interacting with the surrounding environment as well as ourselves within the  constant flow of circulation of the site. The following paper will take a glance at the firsthand  experiences of various public spaces around Italy and how this experience contrasts from how it  originally was purposed.

Stories Untold: Riddim Of A Contemporary Creole Architecture, Rolando Joseph

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis is about my interest in the architectural identity within the tropical region, specifically in the Caribbean on the island of Grenada. In this region, colonial and modern architecture have proliferated, often without adequately considering the local environment and its unique contexts. The people of this region have a distinct rhythm of life and a genuine appreciation of their local environment. This cultural rhythm can be seen in the annual celebration of the traditional carnival, filled with colorful costumes, jab-jab mas, and parades that bring the streets to life.

The intent of this thesis is to question the current …

Interconnective Corridors: From Institutional To Educational, Jaylan Burgess

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The Middle school Architecture of yesterday is not designed for the education of tomorrow. So often, we find the traditional typology of schools to be one dimensional in design by being filled long dead-end corridors, white CMU walls, outdated learning spaces of our parents’ generation, and a disassociation from the surrounding neighborhood. This old-fashioned way of design not only wastes hundreds of square footages on circulation alone but is not conducive of the best possible learning environment of the future.

In this thesis, I will begin to interrogate the existing conditions of the school corridor and explore circulation as it …

10 Minute City -Reinventing Ways To Move Around The City Via Scooter, Emily Melchor

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Urban sprawl is an issue that many major cities in the United States are experiencing. The population rise in cities has contributed to their rapid growth, increased traffic, pollution, and the reliability on cars. These issues can slowly be tackled by addressing them in areas that are on their way to reaching the height of urban sprawl. An example of such an area is Gwinnett County located northeast of Atlanta. Gwinnett County is on its way to becoming one of Georgia’s most populated counties, according to MARTA Transit System. MARTA did such studies on Gwinnett because in 2018, MARTA along …

The Gardens Of Baltimore, Devaughn Jackson

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

At times, architecture can be similar to a computer: always needing constant updates, revisions, innovations. The area known as Harborplace at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland, is one such area of architecture that needs more than an update, however; it needs a revision, and many designers have already proposed good ideas that would potentially revitalize the area. Insert another onto the hypothetical drawing board: this thesis aims to redesign the site by introducing an area of gardens enclosed within a geodesic dome. This will promote health and wellbeing for the people of Baltimore by providing a place for them …

Sustainable Urban Community, Camilo Gonzalez Contreras

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Atlanta has evolved into a single-occupant vehicle city resulting in downtown blocks devoid of any semblance of community and higher greenhouse gas emissions. In 1991, leading up to the 1996 Olympics, Marvin S Arington announced plans to demolish Techwood Homes, which at the time was the oldest federally subsidized housing community in the US (Marvin S Arington, 1991). Many other low-income housing developments were demolished during this time, including homes located in what is now Centennial Park. Program block voids began forming where black communities had previously stood. Corner stores, pharmacies, family practitioners, restaurants, and bars were replaced by a …

Reinventing Greyfields, William Jones

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Since the 21st century began, sports involvement within society has grown as sporting events have become significant spectacles. Thus, major stadia came to be to hold spectators. Unfortunately, many are on the city's outskirts due to the size of their parking lots, categorized as greyfields. Greyfields are 'Underused' land or a 'sea' of asphalt concrete. The problem of creating greyfields within cities harms the urban fabric and the actual relationship between the stadium and the city. They are creating a disconnection between the two. This proposal is to design an urban hub around a chosen existing stadium to enrich the …

Adaptive Assemblies: A Scalable Solution To Atlanta's Housing Crisis, Claudia Aguilar

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Our home city of Atlanta is experiencing levels of growth that surpass anything we have witnessed in the last century. It is projected that within the next ten years the city will grow by 2.5 million people to a population of 7 million. With the surge of population influx reaching a record high of 2% growth per year, the available housing is practically bursting at the seams. Supply is low and demand is high. In effect, the average one-bedroom apartment runs for 1,800 dollars per month. The city is desperately seeking new opportunities to provide affordable housing at an expeditious …

Participatory Frame: Discrete Architecture For Displaced Community, Ana Valdez Tello

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Discrete architecture is a design approach that is based on configurations of a few generic elements instead of a design that needs a specific set of components for assembly. It challenges the notion of whole-to-parts relationship. The former implies that the whole determines the shape of each part; while the latter entails parts that would form the whole. Space frame or lego are examples of discrete organization. As such, it offers pure compositional freedom, with purposeful constraints that allows an infinite number of configurations through the repetition of generic elements. With open-ended possibilities the system embodies opportunities for playfulness through …

Origami In Design : How Can Origami Inform The Design Of The Kinetic Façade System?, Nicolas Ackerman

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The present goal as a designer is to create a very thoughtful building that presents itself as a visual identity for our built environment. One of the intentions of the design is to not impact more into the co2 emissions. With 40 percent of the 75 percent annual global Greenhouse emissions coming from building operations, (Architecture 2030), we as designers must shift from a formal to a performance-based architecture. An architecture that instinctively addresses reduced energy consumption and therefore lower CO2 emissions through the integration of passive design strategies. In order to compete in a future with CO2 reduction, we …

Embedding Wellness Center: An Architecture That Promotes Healing And Well-Being, Kathryn J. Folger

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Environmental stressors and psychological torments make going about daily life unbearable to handle for many within the United States. The attention and concern for mental health continues to rise, but there is a larger need for resources and infrastructure to give action to conversation. To address the residual statistics of anxiety and mood disorders from COVID-19, this project will offer an architecture which enables the healing process to begin and extend beyond the tangible limits of space. Mental health facilities can provide that environment. This facility will offer an environment of community specifically for those who deal with anxiety and …

The Bahay Kubo Alternative, Reesa Winters

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis “The Bahay Kubo Alternative” aims to create an architectural solution that successfully provides alternative building methods, materials, planning, and strategy for current and future stilt homes in the Philippines.

The goal is to increase the longevity of stilt homes and give the residents a sense of ownership and belonging. Moreover, it incorporates adaptable design strategies that take future community growth as well as health & wellness into consideration. This thesis proposes modular stilt homes with alternative structures and designs to prepare the residents for natural disasters and provide them with cleaner environments.

Slums are a sad result of …

Promoting Wellbeing In A Multiethnic Community: Expanding Interactions Of Human And Ecological Systems Through Sustainable Urban Connectivity, Citlali Rosas

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis aims to develop a responsive design that expands and connects public spaces in a sustainable way to promote socio-environmental resilience. The design takes a holistic approach, considering the interdependence of social, economic, and environmental factors. By integrating mobility and public spaces with environmentalism, the design addresses significant development concerns such as water consumption, biodiversity loss, and climate change adaptation. The proposed design creates accessible, inclusive, and attractive public spaces that foster a sense of belonging and social cohesion among residents. By prioritizing the needs of local communities, the design promotes ownership and strengthens social cohesion. The design also …

Bio-Based Blueprint: Growing Architecture Using [Natural Polymers], Jennifer Adame

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

How can we utilize the bio-materials, Mycelium and Bamboo, in architectural design?

Our everyday usage of materials consists of synthetic polymers that do more harm to our environment and our well-being. Consequently, increasing CO2 emissions, harmful toxins, and long-term pollution. We must strive to find alternatives, such as using mycelium, a natural polymers, to raise social awareness, benefit our well-being and develop applications to create a circular economy to eliminate waste. This thesis proposes a framework system using natural polymers to reimage our everyday materials and offer a sustainable alternative. Developing an architectural guide accessible for individuals without prior knowledge …

Desert Safe Haven, Deja Dortch

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The purpose of this thesis is to inform on the materials, technologies, spaces and structure needed to architecturally and sustainably achieve human comfort and create a mother nature-proof safe haven in the becoming harsh climate of the USA. All the while implementing minimum HVAC, using primarily passive and active systems towards a net zero home. Studies have shown there is a real threat with the rate in which the climate is changing. Temperatures are rising worldwide which is causing droughts, more frequent fires, glaciers to melt, sea levels to rise, more severe hurricanes and storms, etc. Sustainability is a way …

Urban Anchors: Reviving The "Motor City", Alan Mota Lopez

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Currently, there are several large post-industrial cities around the world that are ridden with abandoned industrial buildings, these cities have also gone through a constant decline in population and culture while at the same time the rest of the world has done the opposite. The question at hand is what can be done for these cities to catch up with the successes of other major neighboring cities. The existing infrastructure and buildings left behind by these industries hold a great potential for re-development into proposed districts which would span a couple of blocks along a main street. The primary function …

Analogous Architectural Habitat, Brandon Watkins

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The rapid expansion of the urban landscape is destroying habitat and displacing native populations of organisms at an alarming rate. Disrupting bird migratory paths and the danger glazing poses to birds, lowering soil and water access, reducing pollinators are among the large number of issues caused by large buildings. Today's built environment accounts for 39% of carbon emissions globally and it is thought that by 2050 two thirds of the world's population will inhabit urban environments. This all means we must design structures that meet energy requirements while not just thinking about humans as the only occupants. It is our …

Urban Integration, Daylan Cowart

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Human Scale has been incorporated into urban design for a long time. Now it seems as though the urban environment is going away from that. Buildings are getting taller, spaces are being designed for the sky and not the ground. This thesis will study and test ways of designing for pedestrian comfort, safety, and interaction, while activating an existing public space.

Motown [Re]Vival: The Use Of Culinary And Urban Farming To Revitalize The Dying City Of Detroit, Keilani M. Patton

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Motown: Detroit, Michigan, once known as the automotive capital of the world, received its claim to fame through the birth of the assembly line by Henry Ford in 1905. His innovation steered the big boom of the automotive industry in the early 20th century, and later the mass movement to the city. Sadly, that all came crashing down with the fall of the industrial period. The loss of nearly all its auto plants, postwar white flight and suburbanization caused the city to suffer economic turmoil. By 1980 the population had decreased 35% since its peak in 1950. Today? The city …

Convalesce, Grace Kunst

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

What do you value most? Security or comfort? Could you choose only one? This is the daily dilemma for women and children trapped in violence and trafficking. They have a greater disposition to being re-trafficked or abused if they are unsheltered. Often, people within this group have been cut off from their friends and families, meaning they have no access to food, shelter, or finances. They need a place that can provide safety and security along with a support system for a fresh start.

This thesis project aims to explore the socio-spatial dilemma and stigma of distressed and homeless women …

The Dwelling And The Shed: Redefining The Homestead, Ryan Mattox

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The homestead is the frontier of exploration. It is the place that shows people can take care of themselves through self-sufficient means. This place also looks at making a more sustainable population. That is partly due to the individual needing to take care of the environment around themselves so that the environment can provide for them.

My thesis project will look to create a technological and sustainable residential module that can be replicated and modified to create community based on self-sufficiency by means of sustainability. To achieve this goal, my thesis will look at combining the architectural elements of the …

Modular Adaptivity : The Plug-In Apartment, Bryce Stegmayer

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Within current architecture, many buildings are seemingly just copies of an original design that hasn’t changed in the slightest in ages. It will be placed on a site and left there to fulfill its single purpose. When this purpose is done, the building will become vacant and will be an everlasting mark of how we don’t think ahead. I’ve come to know these buildings as “one and done” architecture. They are a contradiction to the concept of sustainability and lack any foresight for their future impact. This thesis is an approach to make a change to this previous way of …

Remedy Space: A Children's Interactive Hospital Retreat, Ivanna Rodriguez

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

According to the American Cancer Society, the rate of childhood cancer is increasing, and about 10,470 children will have been diagnosed with cancer in 2022. Patients who respond best to treatment and recover faster are those who feel most comfortable in their environment. This success is a result of a mental and emotional response to the natural and built environment. How can an environment that is full of stress, anxiety, sickness, and sorrow allow any patient to feel comfortable? Hospitals are typically understood as environments where these intense negative occurrences happen and become places of low morale and mental health. …