Architecture Commons^™

Skins+Fabrications: Addressing Fashion And Clothing Waste, Renee Palmer

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Articles of clothing; they are the second organ, the Second Skin. Their functions are to protect the body from the harsh external elements and create a sense of design with Fashion—the same as exterior facades on a building. However, where architecture and Fashion differ is sustainability.

The Global fashion industry contributes 10% of greenhouse emissions. From that 10%, about 13 million tonnes of clothing waste ends up in landfills or burned. Most of the waste comes from the Fast Fashion Industry, which sees cheap labor from underdeveloped countries to maximize profits. These companies will spend a good portion of their …

Reclaiming Identities | A Cultural Center For The Tachi Yokut Tribe, Emily Harrington

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The purpose of this thesis project is to answer the question, “How can Contemporary Architecture address the identities of Indigenous people of North America?” Within this thesis project will be a comprehensive Cultural Center design that addresses a specific tribe’s needs in the case of physical needs, mental needs, and most importantly needs of identity. The specific tribe will be the Tachi Yokuts of the San Joaquin Valley, whom used to be the largest tribe in California before colonizer invasion. Since the identity of Indigenous populations in North America have been stripped and forcibly forgotten it is most important to …

A Quarry In The Urban Landscape: Building Down In Architecture, Derrick Kafunda

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

A quarry is an excavation or open pit mine that does not mine for minerals like copper, gold diamonds or any other precious gemstones but for materials that are mainly used in the building industry from the surface of the earth. As this process takes place the dust from this process is released in the atmosphere and when the process is complete the pit is usually not buried. What usually remains are the left-over debris and water from the rain which forms an artificial lake. If unattended, Pit Lakes, as they are called, become dumping grounds. This research will aim …

Prototyping Attainability: A Guide For Incremental Density In Communities, Quinlan Mcfadden

Masters in Architecture Program: Theses

In the absence of direct public investment solutions, Prototyping Attainability, explores how the combination of building typologies and land uses can achieve attainable housing strategies by striking a balance between shared community spaces and optimizing density, without disrupting the existing residential landscape. Through this exploration of research and design, strategic changes in zoning, regulation and typologies will be brought forward to aid the framework process of solutions to the housing crisis not only within Nebraskan communities, but in communities nationwide.

Holistic Generations | Reshaping A City's Health, Tania Rodriguez Serrano

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

In Puerto Rico everything seems emptier. The more hurricanes hit us, the less opportunities there are, the more corrupt the government gets, then the more people leave. The Puerto Rican population is rapidly decreasing. The small town of Jayuya, Puerto Rico is one that seems to be very lonely these days. I scarcely see my generation and the older generation is getting left behind. Due to this the town is basically a ghost town by the time 4pm hits. If my generation leaves, then who takes care of the older generations? Who maintains the town alive? When asked these questions …

Repurposing Storage: Spatial Transformation Of Self Storage, Tina Cerda

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

What was once confined to the attic or garage has exploded into a billion-dollar industry. Today, there are around 50,000 storage facilities nationwide. This accounts for 2.3 billion sq ft in rentable space. To give you some scale that’s 3 times the size of Manhattan. That’s enough space for all 330 million Americans to physically stand under the facilities’ rooftop at this very moment. As many Americans begin to downsize, reduce their ecological footprint, and become less mobile. The need for temporary storage during resettlement and relocation is on a decline. How will these facilities then be utilized when excessive …

Sheltered City: A Prevention For Homelessness Through Sheltered Designs, Kena Fairfax

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

“Nothing but stable housing fundamentally differentiates those who experience homelessness and those who don’t, and all people deserve the human right to housing (pg. 1),” quoted by the National Health Care of the Homeless Council, can serve as a driving influence in developing solutions to address homelessness. The poignant experience that homeless people shared and described serve as an inspiration to better these individuals’ lives. As a substitute, approaching homelessness in a political or financial position, this thesis is to provide solutions to shelters architecturally.

Delving into precedents, each are separated into four categories such as singular, community, group, and …

Art For Healing: An Exploration Of Spaces To Facilitate Arts For Therapeutic Healings, Ana Gabriela Hernandez Delgado

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Mental health is a complex and ever evolving State of being that architecture and technology play an important role in. For women, some of the ways that depression comes about is when we go through life-changing events. Giving birth, having an abortion, sexual harassment and assault just to name a few. Women have a higher chance to have severe depression and relapsing. With major depression comes the higher rate of suicide. Centers of this type have been improving their designs, but in a way that still feels like the old.

My interests lie in new forms of architecture related to …

Airtime: Integrating Acoustics Into The Design Process, Daniel Richardson

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Background

As part of the sensory experience, acoustics serves an important role in facilitating the social functions of a space. The acoustic response of a space plays a part in determining its social atmosphere, as well as how it functions for certain occupancies (eg. clarity in a classroom, projection on a stage, fullness in an orchestra). The acoustics of a space is determined by the assembly and materials of its envelope, as well as the occupation within. Commonly, specific acoustic solutions like panels, foam, or sound batt insulation are used to manage or treat the acoustic qualities of a space. …

Aquatic Architecture, Jonathan Bonaparte

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

For centuries, mankind has been building their architectural cities near or around water. It has its advantages such as transportation, convenience for the trade routes and water survival. As the earth gets hotter every year and the ice glaciers continues to melts, the ocean sea levels will continue to rise.

Assuming that the projected sea water levels for 2050 are correct, 95% of coastal cities around the world are at risk from rising sea levels and unpredictable storm surges. The coastal cities are going to have to adapt and change its way of thinking with the encroachment of the sea. …

The Labyrinth Archetype, Zachary Chimoff

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis looks at the myth of the labyrinth, a philosophical metaphor for life, and creates a modern version.

Diy; Strategic Sustainable Homes Rethinking Ghana's Housing Crisis, Michelle Leal

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The irony is that a profession that is responsible for cratering to one of the most basic human needs, is so economically out of reach for those in developing countries such as Ghana. Africa's housing already insufficient and continues to be expensive and not meeting the soaring demand, leads to the continent to face a housing crisis. This problem either leads people to become homeless or are forced to move into neglected unsanitary areas. The intent of my thesis is to provide a DIY; sustainable strategy home in which the locals learn and benefit from building a permit eco-friendly home. …

Tensegrity - Is It A Bridge? Buiding? Skin?, Freddy Portugal

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Tensegrity is an amazing concept in which it can look asthetically pleasing as well of having the structural strength to create long and short spans. It is a concept that hasnt been around too many years and its something not many people know about. Im hoping to educate you on this thesis and show how great it is to explore a new structure.

Working Modular | The Modular System That Crosses The Boundary Between Micro And Macro Offices, Enrique Brimmer

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

I am designing an infrastructure that helps the growth of modules in a macro scale. For example, the office typology is one that isn’t easy to change, as shown in the past. As times change and people move around, our buildings need to be able to adapt and grow with us. That is why the ability to move and change module orientation is important to the growth of a building. In the micro scale I am going to be designing unique modules that can be easily repeated to create large and small spaces. These modules will have the opportunity to …

Floating Edge: Modular Living, Jonathan Cruz

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis aims to develop an alternate solution for rising sea levels. By adopting flotation technology which is successfully implemented in building on water. This thesis primary objective is to examine and discuss the relationships between floating architecture, and the possibility of a new modular way of living in these coastal areas. This thesis will also explore the technologies and processes incorporated in the foundations of floating constructions and the accessibility of the structures through well-planned grids. To develop an alternate solution for land reclamation and rising sea levels.

Design Diplomacy - Cooperative Living, Kameren Horton

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

From 1990 through 1996, we witness a significant shift within the city of Atlanta. In the Summer of 1996, the Olympics was hosted in Atlanta. Techwood Homes at the time, was the first large affordable housing project in that area. In 1991, there was an order for the demolishment of Techwood Homes. However, it wasn’t until 1995, when the Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA) decided to begin demolition after waiting 4 years prior to the Olympics.

Several other large housing projects were demolished to make room for Olympic venues. This is where we see redevelopment. This is where we see a …

Architecture As Medicine: Designing Spaces For The Mind, Body, & Spirit, Tyler Cox

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

How can architectural space provide a holistic approach to health and wellness through an experience that enhances the mind, body, and spirit? As Socrates said in the 4th century B.C., “the part can never be well unless the whole is well.” Holistic Health is a lifestyle and way of thinking that considers the multitude of connected aspects of wellness and recognizes the whole person: physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. This holistic outlook on health should be of major consideration when designing a space, especially while America is currently experiencing a health epidemic. What if there was a place that …

Where Dreams Begin: Challenging The Architecture Of Migrant Detention, Pablo Garcia

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Today, more than 40 million people living in the US were born in another country, accounting for about one-fifth of the world’s migrants. Even though the US is a nation comprised largely of immigrants and their descendants, immigration remains one of the most fraught social and political issues of modern times. People dream of moving into the country seeking a better life than the one they are leaving behind. Yet, upon arrival, they face inhumane circumstances due to the recent influx of people seeking asylum within the US. According to the Department of Homeland Security, over 3 million people arrived …

Preservation And Public History In Mound Bayou, Mississippi, Walker Bray

Honors Theses

This paper is an exploration of the history of Mound Bayou, Mississippi, an all Black community in the Mississippi Delta formed by freedmen in the wake of Reconstruction. This paper also discusses the ways in which Mound Bayou citizens are working to preserve their history and make it known to a wider audience. In particular, this work discusses the recently opened Mound Bayou Museum of African American Culture and History and related efforts to restore and preserve historic structures in Mound Bayou. In addition, this work also seeks to explore ways in which the University of Mississippi can effectively supplement …

Independence Through Unseen Architecture; Investigating Multi-Sensory Design For The Visually Impaired And Blind, Taylor Trevino

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Sensory abilities are what shape our consciousness of the surrounding environment and our concept of the world. Architecture has been based upon aesthetics, function, and form over periods of time to appeal and interact with the senses of its users. What if one or more of your senses cannot utilize space as it was intended? A primary sense in relation to architecture is sight. Which then leads the question, how can architects design insightful architecture for those who can not see it? According to the World Health Organization, there are “285 million people globally with visual impairments, of whom 39 …

Mis/Fitting Architecture: Strategies For A New Department Of Housing And Urban Development Headquarters, Nicole Rodriguez

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Mis/Fitting Architecture does not strive to be different just for difference's sake. Instead, the aim is for designers and users alike to question their surroundings and, therefore, the effect on our daily lives and communities.

This thesis aims to critically assess and provide alternatives for generic American architecture. The majority of work we see constructed today lacks variety in form, expression of materiality, and engagement with the public. The forms, spaces, and materials that surround us shape who we are, what we do, and how we interact. However, limited creativity, mass production, and easily marketable design results in a generic …

Postscript, Arthur C. Nelson

Journal of Comparative Urban Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

Afterword - It Has Been A Good Ride, Julian Conrad Juergensmeyer, James Nicholas

Journal of Comparative Urban Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

Our Cities, Ourselves, Nan Ellin

Journal of Comparative Urban Law and Policy

Just as we are what we eat, we are where we live. We breathe the air, drink the water and inhabit the built and natural landscapes. We make our places and they, in turn, make us. While great places nourish body and soul, poor environmental and urban quality challenges us physically as well as emotionally. How might we heal our places, so that they sustain us, rather than strain us?

On The Restorative Power Of Nature, Or Why Every Neighborhood Needs A Public Japanese Garden, Mira Locher, Keith Bartholomew

Journal of Comparative Urban Law and Policy

In celebration of Professor Arthur C. “Chris” Nelson’s illustrious career and our shared ambles in academia and in gardens in Japan, we offer this essay on public health and public gardens, namely gardens in the traditional Japanese style and how they could play an important role in addressing pressing public health issues in urban areas in the U.S. (and elsewhere).

Stewardship Of The Built Environment In A Changing World, Robert A. Young

Journal of Comparative Urban Law and Policy

Stewardship of the built environment emerged in the mid-1990s (Young 1994) when preservationists and conservationists needed to broaden their qualitative emotion-based arguments and adopt quantitative environmental and economic evidence to counter proposals that threatened the viability of both the built and natural environments. Social, environmental, and economic (SEE) concerns at the turn of the twenty-first century formed the triptych of the metrics found within the philosophy which: “…recognizes that the preservation, rehabilitation, and reuse of existing older and historic buildings contributes to sustainable design; respects the past, present, and future users of the built environment; and balances the needs of …

Becoming Henderson: How A "Boomburg" Used A Future-Focused Strategic Plan To Become A True Urban Place, Debra March, Stephanie Garcia-Vause, Lisa Corrado

Journal of Comparative Urban Law and Policy

Since its incorporation in 1953, the City of Henderson, Nevada has grown from a sparsely populated, one-industry town into a “boomburb” comprised of numerous nationally recognized master-planned communities with an over-arching, future-focused strategic plan. This article is a case study of how this boomburb took advantage of its position in the American suburban landscape to become a true urban place. It also offers a checklist for other communities to consider as they plan for their own futures.

Beyond Brownfields Redevelopment: A Policy Framework For Regional Land Recycling Planning, Joseph Schilling

Journal of Comparative Urban Law and Policy

The fields of urban policy and urban planning lack a cohesive and comprehensive framework for recycling vacant and abandoned properties. Past and present efforts to repurpose vacant land and abandoned properties were often narrow responses driven primarily by economic redevelopment policies such as urban renewal of the 1950s & 1960s, deindustrialization of the 1970s & 1980s, and the public-private partnerships featured during the 1990s & 2000s. The 2008-2015 mortgage foreclosure crisis and Great Recession put the policy spotlight on how to address the widespread impacts from thousands of vacant and/or foreclosed homes that affected diverse markets and communities across the …

Making Places Better, Arthur C. Nelson

Journal of Comparative Urban Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

The Evolution Of Fiscal Impact Analysis And Where It Needs To Go, L. Carson Bise, Colin Mcaweeney

Journal of Comparative Urban Law and Policy

Communities need analytical tools and technical support to assess and balance multiple priorities when making land use and development decisions. For many communities, priorities to be considered regarding land use decisions include resource conservation and climate adaptation, economic development, investing in new versus existing communities, and maintaining fiscal responsibility. This article examines the historical use of fiscal impact analysis and some thoughts on where the field should go in the future.