Architecture Commons^™

Re . Visiting The Machine For Living, Vincent Ramos

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The human body’s neurology system is a center piece of the body’s complex communication network. This thesis problematizes the notion of an architecture derived of a ubiquitous ordering system to create kinetic spaces that [inter] . react to an inhabitant as one experiences and moves through physical form and space. By understanding the composition and function of the neurology in the human body, I propose a unique study of the relevance of how the human body works and uses architecture as a systematic interrogation through a series of two-dimensional and three-dimensional diagram explorations. The approach of this research and interrogation …

The Integration Of T.O.D. Principles In Relation To Built Form: Connecting Suburbia And Urbia, Kim Yen Banh

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Automobiles have been a growing part of our lives. We are left with the consequences of their effect on urban and suburban forms that are detrimental to human accessibility. Atlanta, deemed the poster child of urban sprawl, has made a major impact on neighboring cities, including Marietta, Georgia, which has a population of 60,687 (Data USA). Due to Marietta’s rapid urbanization and population density, the city will need to increase its accessibility and develop sustainable opportunities to meet residents’ needs.

As the city’s population grows and major universities such as Life University, Gwinnet College - Marietta Campus, and Kennesaw State …

Reverence For Life And Death: A New Cemetery Typology, Ashlyn Olmstead

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The current methods and traditions of burial practices and cemetery design are to be examined for architectural opportunities within this thesis study. The current practices of cemetery design and burial methodologies in the United States have shown signs of instability and lack of longevity due to the decreasing availability of land in dense city environments. Additional climatic factors such as rising sea levels also threaten below ground burial. In other countries, cities such as Hong Kong and Tokyo have already begun to research new methodologies surrounding burial due to this concern and the need for US cities to follow suit …

Accessory Dynamic Unit - The Accessory Home To Meet The Needs Of Our Time, Ryan Cheape

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Today, young professionals face increasing debt and uncertainty after graduating, elders aging in place are stuck with homes not suited to their lifestyle, and the rental market is becoming an essential source of income. The Accessory Dwelling Unit represents a solution to these societal issues. ADUs are separate units on the same lot as the primary home while containing full living functions. Space efficiency is paramount; therefore, each facet of the design needs to be multifaceted and reconfigurable. The idea stems from precedents throughout the 20th century, whether Corbusier’s “Machine for Living” to the work of Reyner Banham and Richard …

Reactivating And Energizing Districts Through Enhancement And Adaptive Reuse, Cody Kucharski

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

My thesis tests a design approach that combats the urban wound created by the I-75 I-85 connector in the Sweet Auburn District of Atlan­ta, GA. I propose to ener­gize and reactivate communities that have lost their identity by implementing safety, social cohesion, cultural integration and ultimately achieving economic growth for the area and its locals through a dynamic range of spatial properties of public spaces as an extension to an integrated Interpretive Center. In the 1980s, Bill Hillier, using the powerful social theory of space, developed the concept of Space Syntax as a set of rules and methods for modeling …

Manufactured Exurbia, Elijah Swift

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This project redefines the identity of the manufactured housing typology by conceiving of more adaptable structural configurations which provide a framework for breaking the conformity of mass production and mass consumption to give the residents true economic prosperity through control of the 3-D manufacturing process of their homes. Manufactured housing, formerly known as mobile or trailer homes, is one of the most vulnerable housing types in the United States during a severe weather event. This is due to the mass industrial production of a structural composition that is rather suited for permanently fixed construction, leading to fragility in their assemblage …

Symbols Of The Sacred, Jonathan Leroux

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

In collaboration with the The King Center and Freedom Hall, Mountaintop Exhibition Hall is embedded in the heart of the Sweet Auburn District of Atlanta, in the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park. This center for creative expression honors artistic exhibits and performances dedicated to the nonviolent movement against injustice. This new intervention in the historical park promotes societal transformation and recurring visitation from the greater arts community.

This development began with research into phenomenology, with emphasis on an experiential approach to architectural design. Sensuality of experience lead to an exploration of Khôra: the third place; being beyond …

Stadiums Redefined: Connecting Stadiums To Their Communities, Jonathan Linssen

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Stadiums are currently overspecialized structures that have limited uses during offseason of the sports they are built for. Additionally, stadiums tend to be extremely enclosed, cutting off its surroundings and greatly limiting any interaction it could have with the surrounding community it is set into. The aim of this thesis is to create a new typology for stadiums by looking at how a stadium can become something that provides more to the surrounding community and transcend its current design limitations.

Often placed in urban areas, stadiums are often surrounded by communities that could have used the space taken by the …

Filling The Gaps, Sam Walden

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Urban fragmentation caused by The Interstate Highway System’s top-down integration into Atlanta’s urban fabric can be redeveloped into a hub of pedestrian use and connectivity. This project seeks to address urban fragmentation by reprogramming existing architectural infrastructure into a symbiotic system of adaptive reuse and new development capable of growing between selected nodes to reclaim the many void spaces left in the wake of The Interstate’s planning and construction. To avoid past failures, we must ask, How can Atlanta’s existing architectural, infrastructural, and cultural capital be redeveloped to convert the divisive urban condition of our city’s roadways into a connective …

Activating Non-Place, Noah Stogner

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Marc Augé defined non-place as the typical area in the urban space that has lost its identity and thus has fallen into the banal. Some of these typical nonplaces include airports, hotel rooms, convenience stores, and shopping malls. Augé argues that our urban space is ridden with these infrastructural inserts that lack of uniqueness and are homogeneous in nature. This lack of uniqueness has evolved into a mass exodus of urban interaction resulting in the identity of a city becoming lost. Auge’s nonplace are evident in our urban and suburban environments. On the other hand, Kevin Lynch defines the city …

Festive Space, John C. Goddard

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Atlanta struggles with a challenge for its citizens in the form of pedestrianism. Over time, the city’s infrastructure has morphed into one that encourages vehicular movement. This leads to a breakdown in the use of streets for pedestrians outside of their strictly desired destination. Eventually this compounds to encourage against socialization. Furthermore, citizens may be affected mentally and emotionally when they come in contact with people less frequently. The design idea of this thesis revolves around creating incidental spaces in people’s path of travel that encourage stopping and even socializing. Revitalization helps not only the pedestrian scene, but also with …

Individual For Housing, Hayden Tyler Dill

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

According to the Pew Research Center, nearly half of the adults in America are unmarried and half of the population has no interest in joining the dating market. It’s a lonely tale for many, but humanity learns to adapt if we cannot overcome. Let us not make homes for individuals an afterthought. To help solve this problem, I propose to evolve an old typology focused on individuals living in a community setting.

The Metabolism movement focused on biological growth with an emphasis on modular and capsule designs. As Kisho Kurokawa says, architecture like cells is “part of a continuous natural …

Asylum In America: Designing A Relief Center For Social Integration, Edgar Plascencia

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

On the east side of Atlanta, near Krog Street Tunnel, a Vacant Freight Container parking consisting of 70 acres divides local communities from one another. Also contributing to this divide in this part of the city is a major artery Dekalb Avenue as well as the major rail infrastructure that travels through Atlanta. Due to the Sites Elevated from the ground Concrete pad, this accentuates even more how this site is interrupting the local society in the area.

Since the area of this part of town is lively and flourishing thanks to markets, business, residency and the beltline activating the …

Alter[Native] Housing: Prefabricated Homes For Young People, Aayushi Patel

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Today young people cannot afford to buy a house that can sustain a lifestyle; one that is near their work, near a community, or near any leisure facilities. If there is housing they can afford, it is more than far removed from the city, where they have to travel over an hour to get to work, or their community, or leisure facilities. This thesis proposes prefabricated homes for young people that will allow them to build and grow a family within and develop long-lasting relationships to create a community for themselves.

Printing The Future, Wyatt Proudfoot

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Architecture is about the careful planning and design of physical space or spaces. Traditionally, an architect spends their time designing with pen and paper, and making physical models piece by piece to understand and develop their building. A workflow that starts in the physical space and ends in it.

Designers today have a large skill-set with digital tools. This large range caters to speed and efficiency. Schools make an effort to teach students these tools, and with increase accessibility of these tools, anyone can pick them up and learn. With such an importance on the digital tool-set in today’s industry, …

Designing Home: Pedagogy Of Proportion + Geometry, Connor Joyce

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Architectural education has evolved through the years to conform within the contemporary styles of the eras. Classical styles are typically labeled as outdated. This causes traditional design and architectural history courses to be sidelined into the lecture-based methods rather than the typical studio setting. Studio courses are the prime section of education within architectural universities, and the studio environment fosters the development of contemporary designs, materials, and methods. This thesis project brings traditional, proportionate design back into the studio and hands-on instruction. With a focus on residential design, “Designing Home” outlines a proposed focus studio for upper-year architecture students interested …

Capturing The Atmosphere, Jan Wachenfeld

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

A large problem throughout the world right now is water scarcity. The aim of my proposal will be to help the inhabitants of Peru, by introducing alternative ways to collect, harvest and store water and using the collected water to help residential, industrial and agriculture sectors. There are currently efforts to harvest fog with moisture capturing systems implemented all throughout the world currently, but there is a lack of awareness of these technologies. The secondary aim of my proposal is to bring awareness to these passive systems that can inspire architects and can influence morphology of new cities and landscape, …

Building Unity; Design Framework For Inclusive New Urbanism, Chad Sharp

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The city of Atlanta has historically embraced isolated growth over integrated density, which has contributed to the city’s limited inventory of inclusive urban centers. This divisive approach to urban design has helped facilitate a city of extremes; with high regional concentrations of wealth and poverty. This phenomenon is worsened by the city’s inherently exclusive transportation network and isolated residential development patterns. As Atlanta continues to grow and densify, it is crucial to adopt planning and design models that prioritize high-density, mixed-use residential developments in equitable locations with easy access to public transportation. To account for the failures of property filtering …

Essential Peak: Multi-Sensory Design Aimed To Reduce Stress, Simone Mckibben

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Adults in America have experienced the highest records of stress since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Individuals aged fifteen to forty-nine were polled to be more stressed out than the age groups above and below them. Dealing with decreasing stress levels in America poses a challenge as there are many factors that contribute to this stress which range from work, finances, poor relationships, low activity and lack of sleep. 78% of Americans on average feel stressed at least once a day per week. The top five American locations that have the most stressed out people are Cleveland, Ohio, Detroit, Michigan, New …

Core Connections: Stitching Together The Heart Of Atlanta Through The Redevelopment Of Underground Atlanta., Amari Parrish

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The heart of Atlanta, a prosperous tourist destination brimming with life, has found itself containing areas that have been commercially cut off from inner-city connections in contradiction to being in a heavy transit area. Atlanta’s longstanding history of inhabiting smaller sub-cities inside a larger context that houses a constantly growing population has become overshadowed by traffic, underutilized spaces that create massive voids, and fragmentation which prevents the city’s unification. Core Connections focuses on creating a mixed-use development comprised of parking, retail, and office that reconnects the surrounding contents of Downtown Atlanta and repairs the area as the city’s core. Core …

Breaking The Stigma: Challenging The Mental Health Crisis Through A New Way Of Designing A Recovery Facility In Salt Lake City, Utah, Lindsey Denig

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Mental health is a highly stigmatized topic within today’s society. The mental health system in the United States has failed to consistently create safe and successful spaces for recovering patients with psychological disorders.

Facilities are often described as “inhumane” by patients in how they are designed. Patients have expressed that there is lack of safe, private spaces. The spaces that are considered “private” are solitary confinement wards with no windows or furniture. It is said that interior design is not a priority as well, with no colors or art on walls. Spaces are cold and dead feeling, which does not …

Archi-Comics, Timothy Gatto

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Humor in architecture is not at the forefront of architect’s minds, this comes from architects need to be deemed serious. This way of thinking is what has backed architects up into a corner banal and stagnant architecture. Architecture is the art of context, everything in architecture is referential. Humor is foundationally the exact same way, the incongruity theory makes humor possible by putting a concept into context with things and finding contradictions in the process, thus developing a joke. Each of these arts, humor and architecture, are that of context and when architecture is delivered like humor, it points out …

Incremental Formality: Where Formality And Informality Meet, Rodrigo Neyra Velarde

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

1500’s colonization and it is now home to one of the fastest growing informal settlement cities in Latin America. These settlement cities are often characterized by their lack of accessibility to clean water, unsafe living environments paired with lower-quality, or non-durable materials, as well as a general lack of recognition by governments. With Lima being located in the middle of the desert, sustainable design in general has been difficult to implement. This thesis looks to explore methods to create a low-cost mixed-use building with implantations of urban farming the people of Villa Maria Del Triunfo. Though the Peruvian government has …

Flexible Dwellings, Petra Basic

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The reality of any situation is that things don’t always go as planned. We need to adapt and change. We graduate college but can’t afford the homes we expected, so we settle for what we can get even though it may not really suit us. We get new jobs that require us to move somewhere else. We start our families, and our current homes no longer meet our needs, and we are forced to sell and move. We constantly go through this process of trying to meet our ever-changing needs. The closer we get to graduation, the more I have …

Collective Modularity: A Modular Design For Disasters, Bishop Boening

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

With factory-built, prefabricated components, modular architecture is at the forefront of modern design. Architecture is becoming more cost-effective, movable, and uniform. Modular homes have traditionally sacrificed character in order to be more cost-effective, energy-efficient, or trendy. Developers, advertisers, and engineers use budgets and market data to design them, not an architects’ dream or vision. Architects who have been schooled to design with concept, passion, and poetry choose to design conventional homes because it has proven challenging in the past to adopt a modular construction plan while keeping design authorship. Architects see modular building as a violation of this fact, as …

A Kit For Kids - Revitalizing Low-Income Communities By Embracing The Younger Generation, Anirose Burge

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

How often do we consider the physical, emotional, and social needs of youth when determining ways to better society? When deciding actions in a community, the needs of the next generation should be put as a top priority. This thesis will research and develop ways of doing this through architecture.

This project will create a modular and transportable structure that will focus on teens ages 11-15. The structure will be developed using a kit of parts so that it can be placed onto any site while also containing a site-specific program. The program will contain three categories with subcategories to …

Green Dream: How Nature Can Inform The Design Of A Performative Skin System, William Cottrell Iv

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Reducing our planet’s carbon footprint has become a very powerful debate throughout global society. A sustainable approach in how we construct our buildings can make a major impact on the longevity of mother nature. Buildings are the main destination for the nation’s power supplies. High-rise buildings due to their large scale require much more materials for their construction compared to smaller scaled buildings. In addition, they use more energy and emit greenhouse gases; as a result, they have major environmental impacts. Therefore, high rises seem to be non-sustainable. 25% of the world’s energy usage comes from buildings. Of that 25%, …

Service Hub: An Adaptive Reuse Advancing Communities And The Hidden Population, Biancha Claritt

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Why continue to approach the homeless community from the same angle? As cities grow and systems change, we as the housed community adapt to that and welcome these new forms of doing activities into our lives. But for the unhoused populations, we continue to do a lot of the same things which include shelters, providing special services within shelters, food pantries, and clinics all of which are vital to the homeless community but are places that the individuals have to go to which can become dangerous. As cities grow, redevelop, and economically improve a homeless person becomes a threat continuously …

Design For Our Lives! Defensive Design Strategies For School Shootings, David Wolf

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Viewer Discretion is advised. This thesis serves to analyze tragedies that have been running rampant in America since roughly the 90s. Looking at them from an architectural standpoint and how design elements incorporated into the modern way schools are design can create a safer environment for the students and staff alike.

Transformative Architecture Through Kinetic Mechanisms, David Feregrino Rodriguez

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis started with an interest in transformable architecture which will allow it to become adaptive. Zuk and Clark, in “Kinetic Architecture,” argued that modern architecture was outdated because of its static nature. Architecture can address these challenges in a simple and intentional manner if kinetics are included. This removes demolition and expensive remodeling. Plants and animals adapt kinetically, such as growing cells in the opposite direction in which they were bent, sets of muscles that flex and extend to kinetically move a limb, or transforming its whole body and positioning each limb strategically to maximize the range of movement …