Architecture Commons^™

Wood Red/Green List, Aaron Mayers, Fatemeh Sheikholya Lavasani, Salix Sampson, Hacker Architects

Research-Based Design Initiative

Heavy timber construction is gaining momentum within the architectural community because of its aesthetic and perceived sustainable qualities. But where exactly does the wood come from and how sustainable are these forestry practices?

Through research, we seek to analyze the forestry practices, social impacts, and biological aspects of temperate wood species in the Pacific Northwest used for structural lumber to then create a red/green list that displays and compares the sustainability of the forestry practices. The intent is to create a widely available and transparent document that architects and engineers can reference when making decisions on projects.

Facade Optimization, Brandi Barlow, Bryan Ortiz, Matt Wiste, Madeline Peck, Bora Architecture

Research-Based Design Initiative

As part of Bora’s renovation of Portland State’s Science Building One [SB1], we have been tasked with helping research how to optimize the building envelope through multiple methods, including optimizing daylighting and maximizing insulation, while staying within budget. The PSU team has worked with the BORA team to expand an existing Thermal Flux Calculator to include all four facades of the Existing condition, the Schematic Design, and an Optimized version based on our own design. This calculator is used to determine the best wall-to-glazing ratio to increase the thermal efficiency of the envelope without compromising the visual experience. We focused …

Mass Timber Study: Seating Bowls Design, Darrick Williams, Regina Batiste, Srg Architects

Research-Based Design Initiative

This project focused on finding other ways to use mass timber (outside roof).

Thermal Performance Of Window Details, Nancy Colores, Emmanuel Valdovinos, Anna Hollingsworth, Levi Eads, Bassetti Architects

Research-Based Design Initiative

Bassetti asked our team to use THERM software and thermal imaging technology to test, analyze, and compare window performance at two recently built schools. Not only will this information be used to enhance future designs, but we are assisting the firm with creating a troubleshooting and how-to guide for future use.

Challenges + Responses To Thermal Comfort + Indoor Air Quality For Multi-Family Housing In The Face Of Increased Extreme Heat Events + Wildfires Amidst Anthropogenic Global Climate Change, Daniel Athay, Nathan Flowers, Salazar Architect Inc.

Research-Based Design Initiative

This research sought to investigate the perceived occupant comfort levels given the reality of global climate change and the increasing occurrence of extreme weather events. The research conducted was two-fold. First, a community engagement questionnaire was developed and administered to solicit qualitative feedback from community members. Simultaneously, scientific literature was researched and reviewed surrounding specifically identified events related to changing climate conditions: extreme heat events (EHEs) and wildfires (WF).

Heat is the leading cause of weather-related mortality in the United States. EHEs are categorized as summertime weather that is substantially hotter and/or more humid than average for a location at …

Mapping The Case Study Houses: Translating History Via Design, Samuel L. Person

University Honors Theses

In this paper, I detail the process of creating a book titled The Case Study Houses: A Field Guide, a project meant to fill a gap in the scholarship on the Case Study Houses, one of the most influential architectural programs of the 20^th century. I provide an overview of existing scholarship on the program, in addition to its shortcomings, and how my project addresses these by translating that body of work into an approachable, modern, yet no less informational format. My research process involved concatenating various informational sources into one cohesive whole that provides a standardized presentation …

How Can Portland's Urban Landscape Better Utilize Stormwater?, Joni Frame

University Honors Theses

This thesis worked to explore stormwater management and water runoff using urban green infrastructure in Portland, Oregon. Water management systems are used to store and treat stormwater (precipitation) that runs off impervious surfaces in our built environment. Stormwater is produced by rain and other forms of precipitation that runs off impervious surfaces such as streets, parking lots, and other sites. Climate changes are projected to include more frequent and more intensive storms which can lead to extreme flood hazards, increasing the stormwater runoff. This study analyzed the context of climate change in the city of Portland, OR, to understand how …

Maple Lane Asset-Based Community Development, Portland State University. Center For Public Interest Design, Sergio Palleroni, Todd Ferry, Kaylyn Berry, Hannah Lopez, Athena Shepherd, Sean Silverstein

Center for Public Interest Design Projects

A development of Community Development Partners (CDP) and Hacienda Community Development Corporation (Hacienda CDC), the Maple Lane project will address the community’s need for high-quality, affordable housing. In addition, this project aspires to support an intergenerational community for all ages, and an inter-cultural community. The project aims to be a hub for residents and the wider Oregon City community through the provision of meeting spaces and community center for a wide range of programming. The abundant green space will provide an outdoor park and other recreational amenities, at the heart of the site, echoing a Central Park sentiment.

As an …

St. Helens Asset-Based Community Development, Portland State University. Center For Public Interest Design, Sergio Palleroni, Todd Ferry, Athena Shepherd, Kaylyn Berry, Hannah Lopez, Sean Silverstein

Center for Public Interest Design Projects

A development of Community Development Partners (CDP) and the Northwest Housing Authority (NOHA), the St. Helens affordable housing project will address the community’s need for high-quality affordable housing, while promoting an intergenerational and intercultural community. In partnership with engAGE NW, a leading organization in intergenerational housing programming, the project also aspires to support the larger needs of the community as a whole by providing a hub for all residents of St. Helens to come together. In addition, the importance of nature and the larger theme of ecology and connection to the natural environment, acted as a framework to guide the …

Timber Ridge, Portland State University. Center For Public Interest Design, Sergio Palleroni, Todd Ferry, Kaylyn Berry, Hannah Lopez, Athena Shepherd, Sean Silverstein

Center for Public Interest Design Projects

A development of Community Development Partners (CDP) and the Northeast Oregon Housing Authority (NEOHA), the Timber Ridge project will address the community’s need for high-quality, affordable housing. In partnership with EngAGE NW, a leading organization in intergenerational programming, the project also aspires to support a community for all ages and an inter-cultural community. The project aims to be a hub for residents and the wider La Grande community through the provision of classroom and meeting spaces for a wide variety of programming and developing outdoor park and recreation amenities in a region of the city remote from most community resources. …

Computational Form Exploration Of Branching Columns Using Concepts Of Formex Algebra And The Paragen Method, Peter Von Buelow, Anahita Khodadadi

School of Architecture Faculty Publication and Presentations

This study addresses the relationship between the geometry and structural performance of branching columns using an example case based on a square grid shell supported by four branching columns. The branching columns are configured with three levels of members, bifurcating into four members as each member branches upwards. A range of solutions is parametrically generated using the concepts of formex algebra and its associated software system, Formian 2.0. The form exploration uses the GAbased method, ParaGen which incorporates both quantitative structural performance and qualitative architectural considerations in the exploration process. Certain design constraints, as well as multiple objectives, are established …

Concrete Embodied Carbon Study, Maab Mohammed, Tabassum Kalam Khandoker

Research-Based Design Initiative

Generally, in concrete, cement contains a significant amount of embodied carbon. For this reason, designers are looking for different mixtures and .sources for the replacement of cement in concrete. Which can provide the optimum strength by using a minimum amount of cement.

Comparing Wall Assemblies Based On Carbon Emissions And Red List Materials, Alexa Esguerra, Bassetti Architects

Research-Based Design Initiative

The purpose of this project was to conduct necessary sustainability research in the early design phase and serve as a starting point for all future projects.

Hacker: Evaluating Design Impact Under Quarantine, Portland State University. School Of Architecture, Hacker Architects

Research-Based Design Initiative

PROJECT OVERVIEW:

Hacker Architects are interested in understanding the impact of their design decisions on the user experience of five of their Portland-area residential projects. One of their greatest challenges has been a pandemic that prevents their team from conducting quantitative research ,vithin each of the their occupied residential buildings to better understand the efiect of site-specific designs of the architecture. What has becorne a unique opportunity, Hacker proposes that we research, develop, administer, and analyze the responses of a Post Occupancy Evaluation that addresses the design decisions vs. their impact on user experience and the impact of COVID-19 on …

Calculating Embodied Carbon In Las Adelitas, Nancy Barakat, Salazar Architect Inc.

Research-Based Design Initiative

The purpose of this research is to assist team Salazar and Hacienda in researching embodied carbon in the construction materials that will be used in Las Adelitas affordable housing, public plaza and event hall project. As part of the AIA 2030 commitment, this report will help the team and their client prioritizes collect necessary data to understand the climate impacts of selected materials, in order to reduce the building’s carbon footprint, and improve the wellbeing of the environment and the Living Cully community.

Volta Project, Portland State University. School Of Architecture, Bora Architects

Research-Based Design Initiative

This project aims to renovate the existing building, both the exterior and interior. For this renovation, BORA has committed to meeting ambitious sustainability goals. Among these is to convert the building into a net-zero energy (NZE) building. The research this term supported this NZE effort by studying the existing building and testing strategies to improve its performance. The team identifed multiple opportunities to implement passive strategies, but decided to go with daylighting strategies.

Ec3 And Embodied Carbon Reduction, Karl Benjamin, Opsis Architects

Research-Based Design Initiative

The objective of this research was to use the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) tool to evaluate the embodied carbon emissions in several material categories, allowing for specification and procurement of low carbon options. The case study for this research is the Shiley-Marcos Center for Design & Innovation (University of Portland), an adaptive reuse project currently in the late design and procurement phase of the construction process. This research was intended to contribute to the research done during the design phases related to the Whole Building Life Cycle Analysis (WBLCA) using Tally. I worked primarily with Heather DeGrella and …

Two Black Utopias Of The United States: Self Determination And Survival, Makaveli Gresham

University Honors Theses

In line with Charles Davis III's assertion in regards to the formation of black space and it’s spectral qualities representing the "material conditions of black survival", two black utopian projects: Soul City, North Carolina and the unrealized work of Architects Renewal Committee in Harlem (ARCH) in New York City are analyzed to explicate to what extent that the United States built environment is compatible with "black survival". These two case studies are used to inform an understanding of the anti-black nature of Modernism and the cultural relationship between the construction of "whiteness" and "blackness" in the United States. This relationship …

Urban Hostility: Cpted, Hostile Architecture, And The Erasure Of Democratic Public Space, Matthew M. Carr

University Honors Theses

Free and open public space is essential to the health of urban living. In theory, it is purely neutral, acting as a social equalizer providing those of all backgrounds space to co-exist within the confines of the built environment. However, truly democratic public space has consistently been threatened and reduced in cities, affecting none more heavily than marginalized and impoverished populations. The creation of the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design agenda gave birth to hostile architecture, a detrimental form of urban exclusionism. By using hostile design typologies, cities can render public spaces unusable to undesirable citizens, and subsequently erase images …

525 North Capitol Avenue, Portland State University. Center For Public Interest Design, Sergio Palleroni, Todd Ferry, Hannah Lopez, Sean Silverstein

Center for Public Interest Design Projects

The 525 N. Capitol Ave was initiated in response to the housing crisis in San Jose, CA. Livability and affordability currently plague Silicon Valley, as many residents are considered rent-burdened -- spending most of their income on housing-related costs. In collaboration with Community Development Partners, this new development will help provide affordable units to families experiencing housing insecurity, chronically homeless veterans, low-income seniors, and those with disabilities; with the idea in mind of creating a thriving, intergenerational community. Other project partners include David Baker Architects (DBA), and CivicMakers, who partnered with the CPID team to help implement the ABCD process, …

Fractals As Basis For Design And Critique, John Charles Driscoll

Dissertations and Theses

The design profession is responding to the complex systems represented by architecture and planning by increasingly incorporating the power of computer technology into the design process. This represents a paradigm shift, and requires that designers rise to the challenge of both embracing modern technologies to perform increasingly sophisticated tasks without compromising their objective to create meaningful and environmentally sensitive architecture. This dissertation investigated computer-based fractal tools applied within a traditional architectural charette towards a design process with the potential to address the complex issues architects and planners face today. We developed and presented an algorithm that draws heavily from fractal …

Tigard Triangle, Portland State University. Center For Public Interest Design, Sergio Palleroni, Sarah Dunn, Molly Esteve

Center for Public Interest Design Projects

The City of Tigard is in Washington County, Ore., and is part of the Portland Metro area. Within Tigard an isolated portion of the city is surrounded by three main roadways to create the Tigard Triangle (see highlighted location to the left). While an analysis of urban walkability scored Main Street in Downtown Tigard as 66/100, the Triangle area only received half that score (City of Tigard, n.d.-c). This is due to the limited number of sidewalks, low residential density, and relationships of buildings to the streets. Demographic data in this report compares the Triangle to Tigard as a whole …

Annual And Seasonal Variation In Hydrologic Performance Of Ecoroofs Of Multiple Depths, Portland, Or, Ashley Michelle Baker

Dissertations and Theses

It is essential that cities adopt new approaches to stormwater management in the face of changing precipitation regime. In some locations, ecoroofs have been incorporated into city plans as a stormwater control measure, and thus their real-world performance under current conditions can assist with adequate planning. In this study rainfall retention data collected during a three year period, between 2014-2017, is analyzed for 75mm and 125mm ecoroof plots in Portland, Oregon, USA. There is no difference in annual rainfall retention performance between the shallower and deeper plots. However, the 36% mean annual retention of the ecoroof plots is a significant …

Architectural Stewardship: Exploring Interpretation Architecture Through The Lens Of The Visitor, Graham A. Oden

University Honors Theses

This undergraduate thesis investigates the experiential impact of interpretation architecture in the natural setting, specifically through the lens of its users. The need for this study arose when visitors were not approached or included to be part of the design process or studies in the renovation of Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve's Visitor Center. The only visitor related information used by the contracted firm was ten year old demographic and quantitative studies provided by the NPS. This gap of knowledge was then addressed by the proactive engagement of visitors in a design workshop ranger program at the park. …

Fractal Dimension As Objective Function In A Genetic Algorithm For Application In Architectural Design, John Charles Driscoll

Systems Science Friday Noon Seminar Series

One of the goals of The Green New Deal Resolution reads, “upgrading all existing buildings in the United States and building new buildings to achieve maximal energy efficiency, water efficiency, safety, affordability, comfort, and durability, including through electrification.”

How can this realistically be done given the sheer number of buildings in the United States? This presents a ‘wicked’ problem that calls out for a systems approach. This is also, in essence, a design problem. As data scientists we are used to using models to analyze data but there is another aspect to these models that can be used not to …

Systems Thinking As A Design Process, Elizabeth Lockwood

Systems Science Friday Noon Seminar Series

During my master’s degree I analyzed sustainable practices in the built environment. What came from that work was a deep level of understanding that the current practices and rating systems appeared to be technical approaches to a larger system at play. I realized I have a gift to see hidden connections and find links between systems. Currently I use systems mapping as part of the design process to unearth the hidden elements in a system. I believe it is important to understand where designers, clients and stakeholders can insert themselves into a system. Part of this understanding is having empathy …

Exploring The Cultural And Infrastructural Impacts Of Consumerism On The New Cuba, Grace Stainback

Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs

This paper seeks to explore how a shifting economic model and an increasing influx of U.S. tourism, customs, and products will impact consumerism and waste in Cuba. The paper begins by charting the rise of an unwitting conservationist culture among Cubans, built out of necessity as a response to Castro-era economic hardships. This is followed by a discussion of recent Cuban economic reforms and the rise of tourism, private enterprise and material luxury in Cuba. For the emerging autonomous economic class who have shouldered decades of scarcity, the social and economic values of consumerism far outweigh any perceived environmental cost. …

Daylighting Optimization Study: Rock Creek High School Commons Skylight Optimization, Razieh Hosseini Nezhad, Ashley Mcdaniel-Harpster, Nicholas Papaefthimiou, Rosemary Hill

Student Research Symposium

The aim of this study is to optimize the shape of the skylights in order to enhance daylighting. Rhino, Diva, Grasshopper, and Galapagos are the softwares utilized to test differing shapes on top and bottom of the shaft of the skylight, and the findings show preference to those with beneficial impacts on Spatial daylighting autonomy (sDA) of greater than 55% and Annual Solar Exposure (ASE) of less than 10%. Selecting metrics within the above parameters result in optimal skylight geometry with highest daylighting output. The initial purpose of the experiment was to optimize the design of the skylight shaft with …

Cascadian Terrace Apartments Community Engagement Report, Portland State University. Center For Public Interest Design, Sergio Palleroni, Todd Ferry, Danette Papke, Damini Rathi, Paula Carder, Aliza Tuttle

Center for Public Interest Design Projects

This report is the culmination of an interdisciplinary collaboration between Community Development Partners (CDP), the Center for Public Interest Design (CPID), Salazar Architect and OHSU-PSU School of Public Health documenting the resident engagement events, action research and design efforts at Cascadian Terrace Apartments. CDP acquired the property in 2015 with the intention of performing a complete renovation. CDP asked CPID to assist in the process using an Asset Based Community Development approach, engaging the residents and surrounding neighborhood, in order to define the scope of rehabilitation that is currently underway. Findings and recommendations focus on improvements to the community areas …

Tesla Solar Roof Marketing Plan, Mustafa Almuzel, Touraj Goudarznia, Ali Daneshi, Mohammadsaleh Saadatmand, Mufeed Yacoub

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

This marketing plan for Tesla roof has been written to find the best marketing strategies for this new product. Tesla roof was launched in 2017 as part of Tesla’s mission to accelerate the transition of the world into sustainable energy. The objective is to position Tesla roof tile as the first choice for homeowners seeking aesthetics and green energy, gaining market share within three years. The research shows that positioning Tesla roof in the solar market would be the most suitable approach for Tesla. Research and customer interviews analysis implies that the value proposition for this solar roof would be …