Architecture Commons^™

Blood Architecture : Designing A Hemophilia Treatment Center Through Biomimetic Principles, Melissa Da Costa Schmidt

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis explores how biomimetic principles drawn from the blood clotting process can inform the architectural design of hemophilia treatment centers, enhancing their efficiency, adaptability, and patient-centered care. By paralleling the phases of hemostasis—platelet aggregation, clotting factor activation, and fibrin stabilization—with spatial functions, the design proposes a layout where acute care areas are centrally positioned for rapid response, while rehabilitation zones support long-term healing, mirroring the reinforcement phase of clotting. Regulated movement and spatial zoning echo the precise control of clot formation, promoting accessibility, privacy, and reduced congestion. Architectural forms inspired by vascular networks, combined with the use of natural …

Living With Historic Architecture, Jenil A. Thornton

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

In recent decades, the awareness of history and heritage has permeated the state of our built-environment. In this line of thought, preserving, conserving, and restoring historic buildings have become a major approach in architecture. Further, with growing interests of a sustainable future, preservation, conservation, restoration, and adaptive reuse gives possible avenues for sustainable designs. Preservation is to create an environment to protect and prolong the buildings’ life, while Restoration is to preserve and reveal the aesthetic and historic value, the aura, of the space. Conservation is the combination of both preservation and restoration. Overall, they relate to interests in experiencing …

From Camps To Communities, Briyonna A. Reid

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis explores the potential to reimagine refugee camps not as temporary settlements, but as long-term, resilient communities that foster hope, dignity, and social cohesion for displaced populations. While refugee camps have historically provided critical emergency shelter from violence, persecution, and economic instability, their design and infrastructure often prioritize short-term survival over long-term well-being. As protracted displacement becomes increasingly common, there is an urgent need to rethink how these spaces function and evolve. This research argues that through innovative, inclusive design and planning, refugee camps can become sustainable environments that promote self-sufficiency, stability, and integration with host communities.

The thesis …

Viewing From The Sidelines: Tackling Temporality Impacting Displaced Refugees By Humanizing Border Design, Robinson Badell-Garcia

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Every day, you follow a routine that brings comfort- be it work, errands, or family care. Now, imagine the unthinkable: your stable world collapses around you, leaving you homeless and adrift. Stripped of job and shelter, what’s the best option? To leave and seek answers in unfamiliar places while grappling with the profound isolation and discrimination that comes from being displaced.

As architects, our role is to communicate people's dreams and realities, striving for a sustainable future while fostering dialogue and care. This thesis focuses on the architectural response to the increasing displacement along the Türkiye-Syria border, exacerbated by ongoing …

New Suburbanism Learning From Suburbia, Gregory A. Sweat Jr.

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Why does current architecture not address suburban spaces? Suburban spaces are the bulk of what is seen in Atlanta Georgia; and are the most common lived space these spaces are known as Sprawl, this sprawl seen in Atlanta can be described as fragmented, contradictory, corporate, smooth, additive and ever expanding. Suburban spaces are also airy, convenient and it addresses the needs of our current societal needs. What happens when you embrace and intensify the junkspaces and non-places seen in suburbia? How do you live with the parking lot, the big box store and the strip mall? This thesis is about …

Revitalizing Ahmedabad's Neighborhoods: Integrating Vastu Shastra-Mixed-Use Housing And Market, Jhanvi S. Patel

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Founded in 1411, Ahmedabad is rich in cultural and architectural heritage, exemplified in its traditional pols densely packed neighborhoods fostering a sense of community, shared identity, and architectural ingenuity. Now part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, these pols are deteriorating, facing overcrowded streets, aging infrastructure, and substandard sanitation. Despite these issues, many residents remain due to strong family and cultural ties. This project explores the potential of using Vastu Shastra, an ancient Indian construction science, to guide sustainable revitalization while preserving the city’s unique identity. It examines the integration of Vastu principles in improving waste management, ventilation, and sanitation …

Reclaiming Space: Addressing Urban Stratification In Atlanta's Bankhead Neighborhood, Maci J. Sims

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Picture Bankhead, Atlanta, a neighborhood woven with Black cultural history, where generations of families have shaped a strong, resilient community. But now, that fabric is fraying. Luxury developments rise where community landmarks once stood, coffee shops replace local staples, and long-time residents are priced out. At the center of this transformation is the Atlanta Beltline, originally envisioned as a unifying greenway, now a powerful catalyst for displacement in neighborhoods like Bankhead. The root of this crisis is not just affordability, but a deep housing imbalance: a polarized system of luxury high-rises and clustered affordable housing, leaving middle-income residents without space …

Tensile Techonics, Jesus A. Vielma

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Architecture has traditionally responded to seismic threats with mass, rigidity, and fortification. However, in an era of increasing seismic volatility and material innovation, the architectural response must evolve from resisting nature to coexisting with it.

This thesis reimagines earthquake-resilient design through the framework of tensile technicism — the strategic use of tension-based systems, lightweight materials, and dynamic structural strategies to create flexible, adaptive environments that breathe with the earth’s movements rather than fracture under them.

By integrating structural engineering principles with emerging material technologies, this approach offers a lighter, more sustainable, and more resilient architecture for seismic zones. Tensile systems …

Skid Row To Recuperation Constellation, Nafisa Azad

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

California suffers from more homelessness than any other state in the U.S. This is also true of chronic homelessness – a critical category of homelessness that captures the intersection of homelessness and disability. Indeed, homelessness and disability – both physical and mental - often occur together. This intersection is especially prevalent in Los Angeles. Current approaches to homelessness focus on housing, with insufficient attention paid to the oft equally troublesome disabilities that follow suit. The dearth of attention paid to the intersection between homelessness and disability represents a crucial gap to be filled. This thesis aims to demonstrate how community …

Dust To Dream, Brenda Meloto De Oliveira

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis explores the design and implementation of a holistic housing initiative to address the needs of economically disadvantaged populations in Sertão do Moxotó, Pernambuco. Situated in an arid region with limited resources, the project provides not only shelter but also community spaces, educational opportunities, and essential services to improve local living standards.

The region’s history of resilience is reflected in its vernacular architecture, which uses materials like adobe, rammed earth, and thatch—offering sustainable, climate-adapted solutions. Yet, basic amenities remain out of reach for many. Community-led initiatives, non-monetary systems, and vocational training help bridge these gaps and empower individuals to …

The Slice / Revitalizing Space For Bushwick's Creatives, Nadabya Lorick

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Bushwick has an underlying heritage of being a vital, diverse, energetic neighborhood. Declining infrastructure, fragmented social networks, and a lack of attention to residents’ needs have contributed to the area’s struggles. Despite these challenges, the neighborhood’s vibrant street art culture has emerged as a powerful force for renewal, fostering a sense of identity and drawing widespread appreciation. Reconfiguring a person’s relationship with their existence in Bushwick, NY, sits at the intersection of the wider well-being of humans, which includes intrinsic elements and more social interaction. This looks like repurposing buildings to highlight Bushwick’s unique blend of historical heritage, artistic energy, …

Sardis - The Agonist: A Monument To The Resurrection Of A Dormant Cultural & Commercial Center, Inocencio Ruiz

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The rural American Southeast is a region of deep cultural significance that is shaped by resilience, adaptation, and an ever-evolving relationship with the land. Sardis, like many crossroad towns in Georgia, bears the imprint of shifting economies, environmental forces, and the enduring spirit of its people. This thesis combines a familiar vernacular of place that is integrated with a neo-cultural sophistication to explore how material details become the foundation for composing and proposing a neo-narrative architecture that represents a people, a region, and its rural southern heritage.

Sardis, Georgia is a complex and historically important small town... the materiality that …

Balancing Act: Retrofitting Office Design To Enrich Communities, Luke A. Griffith

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The office workplace has shifted tremendously in the last decade. The world is adapting quickly to new technology and culture changes, but office buildings seem to be stuck in the past. COVID-19 has brought the world to a stand still and moved the way to do business to our homes. This shift has taught the workforce that most work can be done as efficiently at home than in the office. This leads to existing office buildings becoming rapidly vacant due to the lack of consistent occupancy throughout the work week. Where does that leave the future of the existing office …

Debunking The Past - A Descent Through Memory, Architecture, And Ruin, Nili Karaj

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Albania’s landscape is etched with the remnants of a totalitarian past, most notably through its widespread network of bunkers constructed at the peak of the Cold War under Dictator Enver Hoxha. Among them, the "Big Bunker," situated in the Ceraunian Mountains overlooking the Ionian Sea, stands as both a monumental relic and a spatial threshold between past and future.

This thesis reimagines the Big Bunker not merely as an object of preservation but as a site of transformation: an architectural journey through memory, ideology, and renewal. Through a qualitative case study combining on-site observation, architectural analysis, and historical research, the …

Architecture Through Modularity, Jafet Estrada

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Globally, an estimated 1.8 billion people lack access to adequate housing with an included 150 million people who live in permanent homelessness. Additionally, Housing costs have significantly outpaced income growth globally. Between 2014 and 2022, house price-to-income ratios have risen, with the global median ratio now at 6.1 (up from around 5 in 2014). Architecture through modularity could transform these lives with low-cost solutions. Modularity more broadly refers to a system’s ability to be broken down into smaller, self-contained, and interchangeable parts or modules. These modules function independently but are designed to work together as part of a cohesive whole. …

Big-Box Stores To Refuge: Transforming Commercial Spaces Into Modular Emergency Shelters, Garrett Byrne

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

As sea levels rise and climate disasters become more prevalent, this will displace residents. The importance of a scalable adaptable emergency shelter solution is vital. By proposing an renovation of existing big-box warehouses, such as Walmart, into refuge centers that can accommodate large number of displaced individuals. These refuge centers with their elevated platforms, strategic geographic distribution, and proximity to their flood zones, were well suited for elevated, climate resilient shelters. The design uses modular construction systems that uses kit-of-part beds that can be deployed for personal spaces and modules, enabling rapid assembly, flexible layouts, and efficient transportation. Elevated platforms …

Invisible Scholars, Emmaline Payne

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

In the United States, every year, there are approximately 1.3 million students who experience homelessness, an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. Homelessness among students has a significant impact on their academic performance, mental health, and behavior. Factors like higher absenteeism, constant movement, and lack of support can all contribute to decreased academic achievement. Ultimately, this leads to students having to repeat grades or not graduating high school, compromising their abilities to succeed in the future. In addition to the decrease in academic achievement, behavioral and mental challenges exacerbated by the stress of housing instability also …

Aquatic Boundaries: Reimagining BeléN, A City Carried By Water And Resilience., Kassidy R. Mcclain

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Rising water levels are not a distant threat. It is a reality that many cities already face. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the global mean sea level has risen approximately 8–9 inches since 1880. The rising sea levels affect not only coastal cities but also cities along rivers and lakes attached to the sea by causing baseline water levels along rivers to increase. The rise in baseline water levels reduces the river's ability to drain effectively, thus causing riverside areas to become more susceptible to flooding. Traditional building methods meant to keep water out of buildings often …

Eos Wellness Center: Rethinking Inpatient Mental Health Facility Design, Emily Simms

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The design of mental health facilities significantly impacts patient outcomes, especially for individuals with depression. Environmental factors such as lighting, thermal comfort, and access to nature influence mental health. This research explores how architectural design can reduce self-harm incidents and enhance recovery outcomes for patients with depression. The project hypothesizes that synchronizing light patterns and thermal comfort with patients’ circadian rhythms will reduce self-harm incidents and improve recovery. The problem established in the research is that disruptions to circadian rhythms increase the risk of depression, PTSD, and anxiety by 30% (Burns et al., 2022). Suicide is also the second leading …

Interactive Bodies: Creating A Haptic Dialogue, Evan R. Haller

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

BUILDINGS ARE BORING. The majority of modern buildings often fail to have meaningful engagements with their occupants, resulting in static spaces that prioritize function over experience. If we continue to design for pure functionality, are we any different from machines? My thesis, “Interactive Bodies: Creating a Haptic Dialogue,” explores a shift in architectural design where spaces can adapt and change depending on the users’ ability to interact with them.

Through various case studies on kinetic architecture and interactive design experiments, as well as inspiration from Archigram, my research investigates how kinetic components can foster a more meaningful relationship between people …

Crosswing Hall: A Biophilic Student Hub For Well-Being And Connection, Marianna Sanchez

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The Marietta campus of Kennesaw State University has long been perceived as disconnected and lacking vibrancy compared to its counterpart in Kennesaw. This project seeks to transform that narrative by creating Crosswing Hall, a dynamic student hub that fosters campus pride, interdisciplinary collaboration, and lasting connections. Grounded in biophilic design principles, Crosswing Hall utilizes natural materials and thoughtful spatial planning to reduce student stress, enhance well-being, and create a welcoming environment where students feel supported and engaged.

Current student spaces on the Marietta campus prioritize capacity over adaptability, often leading to overcrowding and diminished effectiveness in fostering a sense of …

Reviving Humanity, Ana Gomez

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The surge in female incarceration rates in the United States has heightened concerns about the mental health challenges faced by women within correctional facilities. This thesis research explores the intersection of women’s incarceration, mental health, and sustainable architectural design aimed at improving outcomes for female inmates. Factors contributing to the increase in female incarceration rates, including changes in sentencing policies and socioeconomic disparities, are discussed. Research indicates a high prevalence of mental health disorders among female inmates, often linked to past trauma and exacerbated by the prison environment. Despite this, the prison system often fails to adequately address the mental …

Pathways To Possibilities : Montessori, Re-Imagined And Expanded - For Every Path In Life, Melanie Nin

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Pathways to Possibilities explores the importance of establishing a Montessori pre-k through 8th grade school for a large population of children, highlighting the unique challenges they face in accessing an education that meets their fundamental needs. The Montessori model can be expanded to serve more children by adapting its principles to a large school structure. Incorporating Montessori design principles and learning theories will create an inclusive, supporting environment that fosters self-directed learning, creativity, and social engagement. By scaling the Montessori model, this thesis aims to create a more accessible and innovative multi-sensory environment that supports the diverse learning needs of …

The Interlace: Creating Suburban Connections, Annikka Fairfield

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Many cities in the United States are designed based on suburban sprawl, which contributes to excessive automobile-dependency and unwelcoming streets for pedestrians, and metro Atlanta is no exception. Alpharetta, Georgia is a growing city with the potential to become a more walkable suburban city. Alpharetta can be invigorated along specific corridors at the human scale to increase both walkability and connectivity by focusing on pedestrian wellbeing. Research shows that Biophilia's various facets have the power to improve human wellbeing. Prospect, refuge, and presence of water were selected to guide the thesis design. Urban-scale precedents like the Beltline in Atlanta, Georgia …

Variant Minds: Designing For Neurodiversity In Office Spaces, Maya Schiltz

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

By recognizing and accommodating the natural diversity in human cognition, neurodiversity, Variant Minds proposes an inclusive office design strategy that supports both neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals alike.

Originally used in reference to Autism, the term “neurodiversity” now encompasses a broader range of conditions, including ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, Alzheimer’s, depression, epilepsy, bipolar disorder, and Tourette’s syndrome. With an estimated 1 in 5 of the global population being neurodivergent, designing for inclusivity is both a moral imperative and a strategic advantage. Neurodiverse individuals bring unique strengths to the workplace, such as innovative thinking, strong pattern recognition, and heightened attention to detail. Studies …

Fugitive Colors, Natalie Rose Eddings

Theses and Dissertations

My objects are meditations on intertwining themes of labor, rest, and interiority and their shadow sides—power, subjugation and the gaze. I couple materials that have millenia-long histories such as metals, glass, paper and clay with found objects and plat materials to illustrate narratives and exhume memories. Drawn from nature and technologies of land, plant stewardship and the domestic realm, I imagine my sculptures as life supporting vessels or magical enclosures.

Through sculpture, photography and printmaking, I build structures that are space of quiet to be filled with thought, healing and development. Like incubators and seed pods, my work is protective …

From Plate To Perception: A Comparison Between Fine Dining, Fast Casual, And Fast-Food Restaurant Lighting Design In Dallas, Texas, Allison Nicole Cain

Interior Design Undergraduate Honors Theses

This capstone explores the intersection of lighting psychology and interior design within restaurant environments, focusing on the impact that lighting design has on the dining experience. The research evaluates how lighting design varies across fine dining, fast casual, and fast-food restaurants in Dallas, Texas, and how it affects customers’ perceptions, emotions, and satisfaction. A mixed-method approach was used, combining qualitative interviews with industry professionals and restaurant employees with quantitative analysis of lighting parameters such as color temperature, illuminance, and fixture types across nine case studies. Key findings reveal that fine dining restaurants prioritize warm, high-contrast lighting to enhance intimacy, fast …

The Utilization And Deterioration Of Travertine In Classical, Baroque, And Fascist Architecture: A Case Study From Rome, Italy, Kaitlyn V. Fitzgerald

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Travertine limestone has formed the resilient backbone of Roman architecture for over two millennia and across several cultural periods. This study identified the leading causes of travertine decay in Rome across Ancient, Baroque, and Fascist periods in order to efficiently prioritize conservation and restoration efforts across the city. The methodology developed here can then be utilized in other urban settings. Rome’s iconic landmarks such as the Flavian Amphitheater, St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Spanish Steps all owe their existence to this local limestone. High rates of urbanization now dictate how architectural travertine interacts with its surrounding environments and landscapes. Grand …

Using Scaffolding, Gamification, And Self Awareness To Create Responsive Ux/Ui In Cad Software To Nurture Metacognition In Novice Users, Obed Ibrahim Gonzalez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Computer-aided Design (CAD) software represents a significant shift from manual and analog design processes to digital workflows, offering substantial utility, accuracy, and productivity benefits. However, CAD software often presents a steep learning curve, particularly for novice users who are new to the software or possess only basic knowledge. Traditional CAD curricula have predominantly focused on technical problem-solving—teaching tools and systems—while often neglecting strategic knowledge that encompasses reflection, planning, and refining, which are essential components of metacognition. Metacognition is crucial for transforming novices into experts who use fewer and more complex commands, employ sophisticated planning, and achieve their goals more efficiently. …

Fungi To Form: Exploring Mushroom Mycelium As A Bio-Material For Zero-Waste Interior Furnishings And Forms, Drew M. Gobbi

Interior Design Undergraduate Honors Theses

This capstone explores new applications for mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms, in the architecture and interior design industry. Due to its naturally renewable and 100% compostable nature, mycelium proves itself to be a highly sustainable material. Through a combination of research, analysis, and hands-on experimentation, both the challenges and possibilities of mycelium are documented and defined in the context of solutions for fast-furniture waste, a phenomenon that includes mass-produced, low-cost items designed for short-term use. Following a foundation of literature reviews and case studies, this paper documents small-scale prototyping of mycelium-based models for the Ground-Up Chair, a simple yet …