Architecture Commons^™

Performative Threshold, Jin Park

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Threshold is defined by Limen as transitional between two fixed states in cultural rites of passage or between two dissimilar spaces in architecture. The study of rites of passage provides an analogy from which principles can be drawn for the design of a transformative space. The experience of liminal space poses a discontinuity and leads the occupant to question their surroundings, thus leading to heightened awareness of the space as a transformative threshold between distinct spaces. All buildings have in-between space, the quality of life is directly affected by these spaces. The way of using space cannot be changed as …

Residential Housing Renewable Energy Savings Calculator, Eric J. Robinson

Honors Thesis

Frequently renewable energy investment has been thwarted by principal-agent disconnects. Chief among these is the disconnect in the rental market between tenants and landlords; whereby, the tenant may desire to invest in renewable energy sources but has no means to. An additional disconnect occurs between homeowners and their utilities providers. This study seeks to explore the disconnect between tenants and landlords and better align their motivations through intelligent contract design for sustainable investment. If renewable energy is proven profitable as a long-term investment, landlords will be more apt to invest and collect an energy/utility fee included in the cost of …

Emulated Ecology, Erik Graves

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Natural versus built environment. Nature versus man made. Organic versus inorganic. These are arguments that have been stated and debated since the early architectural times of Vitruvius and are still prevalent even in today’s popular practice. As a whole architecture has moved towards a more green direction with the introduction of programs such as LEED and Architecture 2030. We have become more and more strict on the way we grade and evaluate the sustainability of a project, not just in the energy used and stored in the construction and operation of a building, but we have even begun to look …

Solar And Rain Catching Canopy. Urban Oasis, Afolabi Ibitoye, Langston Clark, Elena Zimareva, Evan Banks, Alexander Aptekar

Publications and Research

The Urban Oasis is designed to work within existing “pocket parks” in New York City as a combined rainwater collector, personal electronics charging station and resting designation for New Yorkers. Intended to not only lessen the demand on the city power grid by using renewable energy to charge devices, the urban oasis is also intended to mitigate grey water overfill in New York’s combined sewer system and, in general, serve as a model for responsible environmental stewardship in urban areas.

The important technical aspects of the canopy specifically analyzed were:

a) how much rainwater could the canopy be expected to …

A Green Dialogue For Aging Society, Dian Tan

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis addresses the issue about disconnections of communication between human to human, and human to environment. It seems like we got connections with other people via various smart devices, meanwhile we are so disconnected with the people and environment where we are currently living. Technologies sometimes hinder the communicating ability of human. Architecture could become a media that contains more messages send to human, helping on the communication between human to human, and human to environment.

The 21st Century Energy Hub, Farhaan B. Samnani

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Developing countries face problems like pollution, unsafe construction, poverty and lack of clean stable energy. These areas are the most in need of sustainable and net positive design since they lack the resources to design long-term solution. An architecture that can make energy affordable through onsite rapidly renewable resources, help reduce on site pollution and provide stable housing would be a welcome intervention. As we approach the new century, buildings will aim to become an energy hub. Cities do not look at a building as an energy source. Currently Energy production centers sit on the outskirts of the city. But …

Sustainable Sites Initiative Certification In Texas: Obstacles And Benefits Affecting Stakeholder Perception, Jamie Chism Leonie

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses - Archive

The purpose of this research is to examine perceptions of key stakeholders involved in three SITES®-certified pilot projects in Texas to determine the obstacles and benefits they experienced in certifying the projects. The Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES®) is a sustainability-focused framework that guides landscape architects, engineers and others toward practices that protect ecosystems and enhance the mosaic of benefits they continuously provide our communities, such as climate regulation, carbon storage and flood mitigation. SITES® is the culmination of years of research and development by leading professionals in the fields of soil, water, vegetation, materials and human health (GBCI, 2017). A …

Solar Power In Architecture, Meagan Leeth

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper investigates the barriers and solutions to the use of solar power in architecture. It examines the emergence of solar power and its history. It looks into social, political, economic, and design issues surrounding solar panels in architecture.

The Mass Mobility Of America: A Multimodal Guide, Christian Carroll

Honors Projects

America has a problem-and its root is mobility. With the world everchanging at the hands of technology and social media, other forms of once well-revered technology, such as the combustible engine and coal-powered locomotives, are now at a crossroads. The automobile still dominates the transportation landscape-this is seen through city layouts that have promoted sedentary lifestyles, an increase in infrastructure costs, and a rise in carbon dioxide emissions. All three of these issues are part of a bigger problem in modern society- a lack of affordable and reliable healthcare, a crumbling American transportation infrastructure, and a world facing issues of …

An Assessment Of The Sharing Economy And Its Policy Solutions Through The Lens Of Sustainability, Chloe An

Pomona Senior Theses

This senior thesis in environmental analysis explores the promise of sustainability of the sharing economy, its shortcomings from this positive potential, and possible policy solutions to help it reach its fullest, positive potential. At its core, the sharing economy enables shared access to goods and services that would otherwise sit in idle or underutilized capacity – popular platforms such as Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, and craigslist all fall within the sharing economy. By enabling affordable and convenient access to goods that would otherwise sit idle, the sharing economy encourages maximal use of a good that already exists rather than seeking out …

Myers Street Streetscape Plan, Nathan J. Manning

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

The Scott’s Addition neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia has faced growing density and redevelopment as the neighborhood has become an appealing place to live, work, and play. Myers Street sits directly East from most of Scott’s Addition and has historically housed many industrial businesses. The street is rapidly transforming as many commercial/retail businesses are moving into the corridor. Streetscape redevelopment of the corridor will cause a need for complete streets infrastructure allowing the street to be a safe place for all people, urban design to provide visual aesthetics, and sustainable water runoff catchments to help displace stormwater to name just a …

Characteristics Of Urban/Architectural Developments In Tirana And Prishtina, During The Last Decade, Binak Beqaj, Armand Vokshi

UBT International Conference

Rapid urbanization as a process of societal transformation and intensive architectural developments in urban areas in Tirana and Prishtina, as capital cities of Countries in transition in sense of achievements for community living there and their urban qualitative life. Considering the planning process and role of different partners towards urban prosperity, the urban developments during the last ten years in both capital cities, based on research done and presented in this paper, using comparison methodology on some contextual bases:

• Policy context
• Physical space context
• Site landscape context

With analyses aiming to explain which are effects of three-dimensional mentioned above “contexts” …

Implementing Net Zero Energy Into The Construction Innovations Center, Marlo Arleen Castro

Construction Management

As the environmental status of our planet declines, it is becoming more and more important for the construction industry to adapt. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is becoming an unspoken requirement for all new and tenant improvement construction, and now, with the goal of Net Zero Energy (NZE) for all new commercial buildings by 2030, NZE is becoming the way of the future. As of late, California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) has made grand efforts to retrofit several of the older buildings on its campus in order to achieve LEED certification. One of …

Rebuilding Silicon Valley - An Assessment Of The Silicon Valley Corporate Campus And The Potential For Suburban Sustainability, Eden Lindeman

Master's Projects and Capstones

Silicon Valley is the San Francisco Bay Area’s economic powerhouse and is herald for its innovation and success. However, Silicon Valley’s urban design is unsustainable and characterized by remote and large corporate campuses that contribute to job sprawl and heavy traffic congestion. Many of the buildings are also not performing at an efficient level and are due for deep overhauls to cut back energy consumption and costs. The inevitable effects of climate change continue to loom large over the world, heightening the importance for the built environment to be reformed into an environment that can mitigate and adapt to climate …

Living Tiny Legally, James G. Rollin

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Over the last 40 years, the average new United States house has increased in size by more than 1,000 square feet, from an average size of 1,660 square feet in 1973 (earliest year available from the Census Bureau) to 2,687 square feet last year (Perry, 2016). In that same time period, there was a 91% increase in home square footage per inhabitant and a decrease in average household size. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average home in the United States costs approximately $358,000 to build, an increase of roughly $200,000 since 1998. Meanwhile, the average annual income in …

Eulogy To Architecture: The Three-Dimensional Collage City Of Nostalgia, Molly A. Evans

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

In our time of existence on the Earth, human beings have designed and realized beautiful things. As we face the challenges that confront us today, we begin to understand the fragility of humankind’s creations. Many of the world’s cities and buildings lie in ruins, gazed at by tourists, studied by scholars, while more lie buried in the ground for hundreds of years, some never to be rediscovered. Everything around us is an accumulation of knowledge and ideas built upon for centuries, now facing questionable circumstances. Of course, the more recent Aleppo and other Middle Eastern cities have fallen subject to …

Food Form Function, Travis Telemaque

Architecture Senior Theses

By 2050, the global population will have grown to over 9.7 Billion people. Traditional farming practices will no longer be able to sustain food production for the increasing population. This thesis demonstrates how architecture and urban food production can be used to educate and reconnect our cities with locally sourced food. Integrating food production into dense urban settings will create a more efficient and resilient city.

As Above, So Below: Tapping Into The Latent Energy Of Abandoned Underground Infrastructure, Alexandra N. Ramirez

Architecture Senior Theses

How can architects formalize the use of surplus energy to reach more people in a more systematic way? Abandoned underground infrastructure is an example of an untapped surplus in energy that the architect has the opportunity to repurpose. Tunnels in particular, can be used as systems to heat or cool a network of buildings above ground to create more sustainable urban environments. In addition the system could also have beneficial social implications within segregated cities by providing fluid connections between divided neighborhoods.

This thesis will establish a framework for repurposing underground infrastructures. The strategy operates under an umbrella of sustainability …

Regenerative Refugee Housing: Creating Temporary Housing With Low Environmental Impact, Erika Guldner

Architecture Thesis Prep

Refugee settlements often have a negative environ­mental impact; by promoting options for sustainable development from the outset, this can be avoided. A plan for a refugee settlement was made, along with a plan for the individual residential units. To expedite the construction process, units were divided into compo­nents. These components could be easily assembled on site. Once the refugee settlement is no longer needed, components can be used for other purposes, such as, affordable housing or the components themselves can be broken down to be either recycled or used for other purposes.

How U.S. Universities Intend To Meet Their Carbon Neutral Goals, Dennis C. Bausman, Avinash Venugopal

The Professional Constructor

Universities have been on the leading edge for implementation of sustainable practices, green building certification, and the push to limit emission of greenhouse gases. In 2006 leadership at twelve universities was instrumental in the creation of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). The two overall goals of the ACUPCC were to gain university commitment to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from their campus operations and to promote sustainability education and research. A decade later there are over 650 that have officially pledged their support to the ACUPCC and in doing so have established a goal toward carbon neutrality …

Nature Nurtures, Moriah Rhodes

Theses and Dissertations

Richmond, Virginia is defined by our connection to the James River. The James River Park system stretches over 550 acres of natural beauty. The park is broken into 14 different sections from the Huguenot Bridge in the west to a half mile beyond the I-95 Bridge in the east. The James River includes water features that appeal to the young and curious to the most experienced river-adventurer. The James River Park System boasts idyllic shorelines, peaceful meadows, and miles of challenging hiking and biking trails that appeal to the community and guests alike. Every year thousands of people come to …

How Do Designers Of The Built Environment Attempt To Make Ecological Sustainability Sensory Legible?, Carly L. Bartow

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper attempts to provide a theoretical framework for making ecosystem function and ecologically sustainable design more perceptible or sensible to people through architecture and the built environment. Design features of the Bertschi School Science Wing and the Bullitt Center in Seattle, Washington are incorporated to illustrate the sensory legibility of ecological sustainability criteria.The criteria are available to designers to help educate a building's occupants on environmentally sustainable design and motivate more sustainable behavior.

Appraisal Of The Sustainability Of Compressed Stabilized Earthen Masonry, Elena Claire Hoff

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Compressed stabilized earthen block (CSEB) masonry presents an environmentally and economically sustainable alternative to conventional residential construction materials such as clay brick masonry or concrete masonry (CMU). Earthen masonry is locally sourced and manufactured on site, thus minimizing costs associated with raw material extraction and transportation. Furthermore, CSEB requires very little use of electricity and water during both the manufacture and construction processes and it has excellent thermal resistivity while in use, allowing for additional cost and energy savings during most phases of its life cycle. Analyzing the life cycle trade-offs in a comparative study between CSEB and clay brick …

Rethinking The Design Models Of Refugee Camps, Ruba Bdair Mrs.

ASA Multidisciplinary Research Symposium

This research aims to find architectural and urban design related solutions to enhance the living conditions of refugees and to lessen the pressure on the hosting communities' resources.

Learning Curve

SIGNED: The Magazine of The Hong Kong Design Institute

Thomas Coldefy and Isabel Van Haute designed the Hong Kong Design Institute. Two and a half years after it opened they reflect on what the building has taught them about sustainability in architecture.

Rethinking The Design Models Of Refugee Camps, Ruba Bdair Mrs.

ASA Multidisciplinary Research Symposium

This research aims to find architectural and urban design related solutions to enhance the living conditions of refugees, and to lessen the burden on the refugee hosting communities.

The Public Sky-Spacer, Piotr Jankowski

Architecture Thesis Prep

We have reached an era where architecture has to prepare for the alarming changes affecting our modern society. Predicted urbanization will lead to cities becoming denser and taller to facilitate the needs of housing and workspace for the growing world population. High costs of rent and scarcity of real state land in city centers will force developers to build skyscrapers. Taking into account the impact of larger populations, skyscrapers will have to offer more efficient spaces and follow strict environmental regulations while contributing to the production of energy and necessary resources. Focus on human comfort and sustainability will play an …

Food Function Form, Travis J. Telemaque

Architecture Thesis Prep

This study suggests that solar design strategies can influence a more sustainable approach to food production, focusing on New York City to determine a potential site in which an urban farm can be integrated. Specific case studies are presented to determine whether urban agriculture can be developed in an economical and sustainable manner. Additionally, Several factors were analyzed including solar exposure, renewable resources, site accessibility, and development potential. This prototype urban farm will expose people to three categories of food production; controlled environment agriculture, productive vegetated facades, and rooftop agriculture.

Integrating food production into dense urban areas can reconnect us …

As Above, So Below: Tapping Into The Latent Energy Of Abandoned Underground Infrastructure, Alexandra N. Ramirez

Architecture Thesis Prep

1

Abandoned underground infrastructure is an example of an untapped surplus in energy that an architect has the opportunity to reappropriate. Tunnels in particular, can be used as systems to heat or cool a network of buildings above ground to create more sustainable urban environments. In addition to greater energy efficiency, the system could also have beneficial social implications within segregated cities by providing fluid connections between divided neighborhoods.

This thesis will establish a framework for repurposing underground infrastructures. The strategy operates under an umbrella of sustainability and urban improvement which are two concepts applicable to sites far beyond the …

Transforming The Wku Office Of Sustainability's Front Yard Into An Edible Landscape, Alexandra Hezik

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Since moving to 503 Regents Avenue in Fall 2013, the WKU Office of Sustainability has served as a sustainable best practices demonstration home for the WKU and Bowling Green communities. Not only does the house in which the Office of Sustainability is located serve as an educational tool for people, but also the landscape. In May 2014, the WKU Community Garden was established in the backyard. The transformation of the Office of Sustainability’s front lawn into an edible landscape began on April 1, 2015. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate an alternative to conventional lawns.