Architecture Commons^™

Exploring The Socio-Cultural Dynamics Of Nocturnal Urban Landscapes: A Case Study, Jie Kong

All Dissertations

This dissertation explores nighttime social leisure activities in public parks within urban working- and middle-class communities. As cities confront climate change, shifting work schedules, and post-pandemic lifestyles, neighborhood parks have gained renewed importance after dark, especially in areas where households have limited private space. These non-commercial nighttime uses are often overlooked in planning, design, and built environment studies, yet they play a vital role in fostering cultural identity, social connection, and community well-being.

Focusing on Williamsburg and Bushwick in Brooklyn, New York, this research investigates how public parks are used at night, by whom, and for what purposes. New York …

Nature Playscape: Investigating Children’S Play Behavior And Environmental Affordances In A School Playground, Sara E. Billie

All Dissertations

Existing research demonstrates that the physical environment can either hinder or enhance children’s play behavior. Diverse outdoor settings are especially effective in fostering motivation to play, contributing to children’s physical, social, and cognitive development. In response to the growing belief that outdoor play is both a necessity and a right for young children, particularly amidst concerns about nature deficit disorder and the rise of urban living among children, this study investigates the concept of nature playscapes, or naturalized playgrounds, as a vehicle for reconnecting children with the natural world. While contemporary playground design often struggles to balance structure with creativity, …

Sustainable Master Planned Gateway Communities: The Kamas Valley Case, Zachary Sannar

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Gateway communities (towns and cities located near public lands and natural amenities) are experiencing significant and often disruptive change as they transition from economies historically rooted in natural resource extraction to those increasingly driven by tourism and amenity-based migration (Howe et al., 1997; Stoker et al., 2020).

In the Intermountain West, places like Jackson, Wyoming; Springdale, Utah; and West Yellowstone, Montana exemplify this trend, and Kamas Valley is emerging as part of this broader pattern.

Although these communities share a deep cultural and economic connection to their landscapes, they now face mounting pressures from population growth, changing land uses, and …

A Social And Environmental Restoration Plan For Warm Springs And North Gateway Parks In Salt Lake City, Utah, Bailey R. Guinn

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This research-based design thesis examines the historic and ecological significance of the combined 20-acre Warm Springs and North Gateway Parks in the Capitol Hill neighborhood on the north end of Salt Lake City. Distinguished by the natural hot springs in North Gateway Park, the area was formed through geological processes associated with the emergence of the Wasatch Mountains (Lutz, 2004) and holds a deep cultural history for indigenous peoples such as the Shoshone, Goshute, Southern Utes, and Northern Utes. These tribes historically used the springs for social bathing, healing, and wintering grounds until the arrival of settlers in 1847, which …

Living Pantry: Affordable Housing And Traditional Agriculture, Alanna S. Nafziger

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Utah is a beautiful and unique landscape with a vibrant food history that is, as I write this in 2025, undergoing some dramatic changes in both climate and population.

The population is projected to almost double by 2065, increasing by 2.8 million people over a 50-year period. Cache Valley, in the Northern part of the state, is projected to increase its population by 93% in that same time frame (Perlich et. al., 2017).

This population growth represents a huge increase in demand for housing, but while demand grows, the market becomes less affordable, with the median home price 6.26 times …

Building A Sustainable Home On The Central Coast: An Owner’S Perspective, Austin Chase Anderson

Construction Management

As awareness and technology increase, sustainability as a focus in home construction is also increasing. This case study based research project seeks to understand the process of building a home on California’s Central Coast with sustainability in mind. An interview was conducted with an owner who built their home in Templeton in 2019. The interview was in a semi-structured format which included specific qualitative questions but mostly focused on an open-ended discussion which allowed the owner to share their own experience. The key challenges learned from this interview were that the owner believed price to be the main factor that …

Water Efficient Landscaping At Utah State University: Evaluating The "True" Value Of The Landscape Resiliency And Drought Plan, Mary Claire Jennings

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Utah faces serious water challenges due to its dry climate, growing population, and inefficient water use. While most water conservation efforts focus on homes, businesses, and farms, state institutions like universities also play a role. As Utah’s land-grant university, Utah State University (USU) uses about 260 million gallons of water each year to irrigate its 180 acres of green space, with 92% of that water being used to irrigate grass landscapes. To promote sustainability and meet state water conservation policies, USU developed the Landscape Resiliency and Drought Plan (LR&DP) to create more drought-resistant landscapes. However, implementing water-saving strategies at state …

Sustainable Planning In Gateway Natural Amenity Region Communities, Kori Ann Kurtzeborn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study used six principles of sustainability to comprehensively score general plan documents from seven Gateway Natural Amenity Region (GNAR) communities. The goal was to investigate the sustainability values of communities with public land recreation access based on the understanding that individual participation in outdoor recreation positively influences environmental concern. The study found that while strong sustainability themes are present in gateway community general plan documents, these themes don’t necessarily correspond to higher overall sustainability scores. However, GNAR community plans prioritize the Harmony with Nature principle, indicating an emphasis on ecosystem health in communities with adjacent public land recreation.

A Comparative Study Of Land Use Regulations And Impact On Coastal Estuaries, Mabel W. Dadzie

All Theses

The study presents a mixed method and longitudinal assessment of land cover change, estuarine land loss, and policy implemented to address the past and anticipated estuarine losses in the Cooper River and North and South Santee watershed over the past twenty years. This study uses National Land Cover Dataset from 2001 to 2021, NOAA’s SLR projection data and planning documents from 1990 to 2025 to examine policy evolution among ten major themes. The results illustrate significant changes in land cover, notably the transition of wetlands, agriculture, and forests to developed land, as well as an evident spike in the integration …

A Tale Of Two Worlds: A Framework For Translating Literary Fiction Into Architectural Space, Timothy D. Anderson

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Authors and orators have employed fictional stories for thousands of years as a crucial method for translating narratives, lessons, and intangible culture. These take shape through diverse art forms such as spoken word, visual art, dance, and sculpture. However, in the current age, architecture often neglects its immersive and spatial potential, allowing stories of a site’s heritage to become lost beneath the layers of urban development. This thesis explores design as storytelling, examining how fictional narratives can be translated into architectural space.

The research draws on fictional and speculative narrative architecture, analyzing the use of metaphor, symbol, and allegory as …

The Operational Performance Of Buildings In A Humid Subtropical Climate: Insights From Empirical Data And Assessment Models, Oluwafemi Awolesi

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis evaluates the operational performance of residential and non-residential buildings in a humid subtropical climate, emphasizing Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) and energy performance through empirical data and assessment models. Motivated by the increasing need for integrated sustainability evaluations, this study combines a systematic review with multi-method field investigations to advance understanding in this domain. The systematic review critically analyzed 99 case study articles, identifying dominant IEQ assessment methodologies and highlighting methodological inconsistencies that hinder cross-study comparability. Emerging computational approaches, although promising, remain underutilized. The review advocates for standardized, climate-responsive, and feedback-oriented evaluation frameworks. Field investigations assessed IEQ and energy …

Reviving Heritage, Soreya Ganda

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Niger’s cultural identity is shaped by a rich mosaic of ethnic groups, including the Hausa, Zarma-Songhai, Tuareg, and Fulani, each with distinct traditions, building practices, and relationships to the land. For centuries, these communities lived according to their own social and spatial systems, rooted in environment-specific knowledge and craftsmanship. This balance was disrupted during the French colonial period, which began in the late 19th century and lasted until Niger’s independence in 1960. Colonial administration redrew territorial boundaries, centralized authority, and introduced foreign materials, aesthetics, and construction standards, redefining how people built and interacted with their environments. While Niger now appears …

Rethinking Green Building Development Through Policy And Operational Metrics: Insights From Baton Rouge And Beyond, Oluwafemi Awolesi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores the challenges and opportunities associated with the development, adoption, and performance of green buildings in regions with relatively low certification uptake, drawing insights from Baton Rouge and its parish system as a case study. It addresses three primary research questions: (1) How can the adoption rate of green buildings be enhanced? (2) How do certified buildings perform compared to their non-certified counterparts? (3) What operational metrics can be applied to better evaluate building performance in the future?

Using a mixed-methods approach, the study examines stakeholder perceptions in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, investigates energy performance, indoor environmental quality, …

Ghost Highway: De-Touring Albuquerque's Route 66, Madison A. Garay

Art & Art History ETDs

Route 66 was a U.S. Numbered Highway stretching from Chicago, IL to Santa Monica, CA, rising to fame through music and popular culture. In Albuquerque, New Mexico, Route 66 has a troublesome twin life as Central Avenue, a highly politicized space where bodies are contested. In this thesis, the function of public arts and architecture of Albuquerque’s main street thoroughfare, Central Avenue, will be analyzed as visual devices of U.S. Highway 66, or known in popular culture as “Route 66.” I employ a critical Derridean framework through Mark Fisher’s theorization of hauntology and Gerald Vizenor (White Earth Ojibwe)’s theory of …

Freeing The Fremont: Visions Of A Post-Automobile Portland Highway Bridge, Henry Senters

University Honors Theses

The Fremont Bridge is an iconic piece of highway transportation infrastructure in the city of Portland, Oregon. Unfortunately, it is one of only three Willamette bridges in the city that does not allow any pedestrian access, except for a single day every year during an annual bicycling event. Consider, however: what if that were to change, in a future less dependent on private automobile usage? Drawing on historical precedents of pedestrian and car-free bridges, this thesis proposes three types of pedestrian-focused programs which a car-free Fremont Bridge could host, each of which speaks to a current aspect of civic life …

Hollow Choices: The Choice Neighborhood Initiative (Cni) And The Performance Of Participation, Lena Kufferman

Geography Undergraduate Senior Theses

Since HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros' pledge in 1995 to “end public housing as we know it, ” the United States has seen the rapid depletion of public housing stock. Alongside this mass demolition, a new redevelopment paradigm emerged: a community-oriented planning model that requires resident participation. HUD’ s shift toward participatory planning began with HOPE VI in 1992, which sought private investment to demolish public housing, and was formalized in 2010 through the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI). This thesis examines a CNI planning phase—a stage overlooked in existing scholarship, which largely stresses post-occupancy outcomes like displacement, (im)mobility, socioeconomic integration, and …

A Fifty-Year Assessment Of Historical Planning Processes And Green Space Distribution (1975-2025): A Case Study Of Portland, Or, Usa, Quadri Olatunbosun Taiwo

Dissertations and Theses

The Portland study examined past planning regulations and greenspace distribution over the period of fifty years, with particular attention given to neighborhood differences between invested and non-invested neighborhoods. This research utilized a mixed-methods approach through the synthesis of qualitative themes from oral narratives and archival records. Furthermore, I examined spatial greenspace using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) imagery. I tested the study hypothesis using the GIS Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression test to predict how key sociodemographic characteristics affect the provision of greenspace in non-white disinvested neighborhoods. The key findings indicated a consistent trend of inequity in greenspace, heavily shaped …

Downtown L.A. To Glendale Light Rail Line Project Study, Alaina Michelle Ortiz

City and Regional Planning

Los Angeles is undergoing a transit revival driven by persistent traffic congestion, a growing population, and an evolving mindset that increasingly favors public transportation.

As Los Angeles prepares for the future, it finds valuable lessons in its past. This light rail proposal draws inspiration from the extensive Pacific Electric Railway system that once formed the backbone of L.A. County’s transit network. Specifically, this study reimagines segments of the historic Glendale-Burbank Line, Echo Park Local Line, and San Fernando Valley Line. These routes once covered key corridors such as Sunset Boulevard and Brand Boulevard, but today, they are underserved by rail …

Eeri 2024: Seattle Solstice, Elizabeth P. Splees

Architectural Engineering

This senior project documents the design, analysis, construction, and testing of Seattle Solstice, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s entry to the 2024 EERI Seismic Design Competition. Developed through ARCE 453, the interdisciplinary effort involved architectural, structural, and geotechnical coordination in response to a fictional client brief set in downtown Seattle. The team designed a five-foot-tall balsa wood tower with a shifting vertical massing, integrating sustainability features and public use spaces while addressing seismic challenges such as center of mass vs. rigidity alignment, overturning risk, and off-grid load paths. The structure was modeled using ETABS and evaluated using both numerical …

Tanzania Mbesese Initiative 2025, Genevieve Marie Tedder, Frances Street, Audrey Wojcik, Alex Trujillo, Tristen Mullin, Jessica Jane, Anna Marie Langer, Carissa Castro, Molly Linong Rojec, Haley Pilcher

Architectural Engineering

The Tanzania Mbesese Initiative is an ongoing project based in Same, Tanzania. The Mbesese Initiative for Sustainable Design (MISD) is working in collaboration with ARUP and Cal Poly to develop a polytechnic college for the community in Same. Our team of ten students aims to support the design and construction process of the project.

Outdoor Exercise Area Renovation, Hagan T. Jackson, Chet S. Crummett, Jesse E. Muth

Architectural Engineering

The Outdoor Exercise Area Renovation project revitalizes a well-used outdoor exercise area located near the baseball fields at Cal Poly. The existing exercise equipment, originally donated by Maino Construction, was weathered, but the area remained well-utilized and presented potential for revitalization. This project transforms the site into a functional and resilient space by replacing the pull-up and dip bar equipment, constructing a 300 square foot pavilion, and adding a concrete slab and integrated concrete benches. The new design enhances usability, providing a multifunctional area for the Cal Poly community to exercise, socialize, relax, and enjoy scenic views.

The renovated area …

Untold Stories Bench Project, Elijah Labb

Architectural Engineering

No abstract provided.

Cementing Co2 Into C-S-H: A Step Toward Carbon Neutrality, Or A Step In The Wrong Direction?, John Reilly Benn, Tahne Larson

Architectural Engineering

As greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, many in the construction industry are looking for sustainable solutions to reduce its carbon footprint. One of the biggest contributors to atmospheric CO2 comes from cement production. In 2023, researchers at MIT explored ways to enhance concrete’s natural ability to act as a carbon sink. Concrete does this unassisted through a chemical reaction called carbonation, by which atmospheric carbon bonds to key components in cement. The researchers at MIT proposed a process of early-stage forced carbonation, which can be induced by the addition of NaHCO3 into a standard concrete mix. Sodium bicarbonate, or …

Physical Construction Of 1/2 Scale Concrete Wall, Alicia Danielle Lee, Cali Jeanne Carson

Architectural Engineering

This senior project was the physical construction and material testing of the half-scale reinforced concrete wall specimens. This included all stages of the building process, from formwork and reinforcement to concrete placement and laboratory testing.

The Xenaform, Cassadie J. Golding

Architectural Engineering

The XenaForm explores how complex, expressive structures can emerge from simple, low-tech construction methods using principles of parametric design and structural geometry. By combining folded plate techniques with modular tetrahedral components, the project bridges high-tech digital modeling and hands-on physical fabrication. The result is a lightweight, buildable system that reclaims the engineer’s role as a form-finder.

Practical Integration Of Reality Capture In Architecture, Engineering, Construction, And Operations (Aeco) Workflows: Cost And Application Considerations, Dylan T. Ramsey

Architectural Engineering

This paper explores the practical integration of Reality Capture (RC) technologies, specifically LiDAR and photogrammetry, within Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO) workflows. As interest in RC grows, costs decrease, and industry applications expand, this paper aims to clarify the current landscape of research, industry practices, hardware, and software. It provides managers, RC technology enthusiasts, and AECO professionals considering its implementation with essential insights into cost considerations, expectations, and limitations. The paper details common research and industry applications, including as-built documentation, surface analysis, and deflection monitoring, and cross-references cost data and project requirements to provide informed recommendations and considerations for …

C.H.I.I.P., Continuous Health Information For Infrastructure Protection, Lariel Sasha Henley

Architectural Engineering

This paper presents the development and validation of CHIIP (Continuous Health Information for Infrastructure Protection), a wireless structural health monitoring (SHM) device designed to provide accessible, real-time data on structural performance of building structures following a seismic event. The system integrates inclinometers, accelerometers, linear potentiometers, and strain gauges with ESP32 microcontrollers to create a compact and robust data collection device that can transmit synchronized sensor data via Wi-Fi to a remote server. A web-based interface enables users to access and download live data for rapid structural evaluation. The device was tested in three phases: a small-scale wired baseline test, a …

Concrete Mix Designs With Shrinkage Reducing Admixture, Beau Usry, Julio Munoz Tanaka

Architectural Engineering

The goal of this project was to explore how shrinkage-reducing admixtures (SRAs) affect the strength and overall performance of concrete. While SRAs are typically used to help reduce shrinkage and cracking, it is less common to see how they might affect compressive strength directly. To test this, three different concrete mixes were made: a control mix with no admixture, one mix with 1% SRA, and another with 3% SRA. The idea was to compare how each mix performed under the same testing conditions.

Architectural Engineering Institute: International Student Design Competition 2025, Alexandra Marie Kersting, Alec Thomas Gibbs, Haley Francesca Sousa, Kline Genevieve Nickel

Architectural Engineering

The AEI International Student Design Competition is an annual competition held by the Architectural Engineering Institute that aims to replicate an integrated building design process. The 2025 Cal Poly team consisted of 4 Architectural Engineering students, each competing in the Structural and Integration disciplines. The team was provided a set of architectural drawings and a 3D architectural Revit model of Carson Headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. The team was tasked with the creation of a complete structural design as well as a discussion of integration of other building design disciplines.

Modal Analysis Of Cal Poly’S Kennedy Library Using Computational Modeling, Joseph Mangan

Architectural Engineering

This project determines the modal parameters of the Robert E. Kennedy Library at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo using ETABS. Similar analyses on the building have been performed in the past by other Architectural Engineering students. The recent renovation of the library which included a seismic retrofit provides the opportunity to understand how the modal response of concrete structures can be influenced by retrofit practices. This project provides insight into how computational modeling can be used to accurately represent real conditions, and how isolated changes from the retrofit affect the structure’s modal response.