Architecture Commons^™

The Effect Of Walnut Shell Ash On The Properties Of Cement Paste And Mortar: A Study On Partial Replacement Of Cement, Ali Shebli, Jamal Khatib, Adel Elkordi

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

In the pursuit of a more sustainable future, the utilization of agricultural waste in cementitious products has emerged as a popular and effective solution. The current study explores the feasibility of incorporating ash derived from walnut nutshells, considered agro residues, into eco-friendly blended cement paste and mortars to examine its impact on their properties. A range of blended cement mixtures was formulated by incorporating walnut shell ash (WSA) in three varying proportions of 5%, 10%, and 15% relative to the weight of the cement. Tests were conducted to investigate the properties of the blended cement paste and mortar incorporating WSA, …

Off-Grid Living For The Normative Society: Shifting Perception And Perspectives By Design, Patsun Lillie

Masters Theses

Off-grid houses in the United States are often connoted with mostly non-professional, home-made structures and isolated, hippie living in remote rural areas. These off-grid homeowners may also complete their consumer-independent commitment with a minimal-waste, land-dependent lifestyle that includes methodical harnessing and recycling of resources and materials, raising livestock, and productive gardening on the property. This research paper explores the background, methods and kinds of typical off-grid living structures, their ability to harness natural resources for function and performance, and the ability of its occupants to remain resilient in the face of depleting fuel resources, extreme weather patterns, and rising costs …

The De-Centering Of Architecture, Uthman Olowa

Masters Theses

Housing insecurity is arguably the most pressing issue in our society. In the United States, home/land ownership has been the primary source to generate wealth. Yet, so many people are disproportionately affected and denied access due to this system. Historically, it has also been difficult for people of color to own their own property and receive adequate housing in viable neighborhoods. A person’s ability to obtain quality housing affects other areas of their lives; it affects their ability to attend school in a certain district, and their proximity to work, healthcare, and entertainment. Interventions from both the public and private …

Investigation Of Natural Pozzolans: Analyzing The Practicality Of Natural Pozzolans As A Partial Substitute For Cement In Grout Production, Jadyn I. Breien, Andrew J. Baro, Logan T. Marino

Architectural Engineering

This senior project aims to investigate whether natural pozzolans are more sustainable than fly ash and a sufficient substitute for cement in the production of grout. By following the intent of the ASTM (American Society of Testing and Materials) standards, a conclusion will be made to determine if natural pozzolans can contribute comparable strength in compression. The objective is to prove that natural pozzolans should be utilized in the production of grout rather than alternatives such as fly ash because it can provide similar strength while being more economical and more sustainable.

The Dwelling And The Shed: Redefining The Homestead, Ryan Mattox

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The homestead is the frontier of exploration. It is the place that shows people can take care of themselves through self-sufficient means. This place also looks at making a more sustainable population. That is partly due to the individual needing to take care of the environment around themselves so that the environment can provide for them.

My thesis project will look to create a technological and sustainable residential module that can be replicated and modified to create community based on self-sufficiency by means of sustainability. To achieve this goal, my thesis will look at combining the architectural elements of the …

Desert Safe Haven, Deja Dortch

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The purpose of this thesis is to inform on the materials, technologies, spaces and structure needed to architecturally and sustainably achieve human comfort and create a mother nature-proof safe haven in the becoming harsh climate of the USA. All the while implementing minimum HVAC, using primarily passive and active systems towards a net zero home. Studies have shown there is a real threat with the rate in which the climate is changing. Temperatures are rising worldwide which is causing droughts, more frequent fires, glaciers to melt, sea levels to rise, more severe hurricanes and storms, etc. Sustainability is a way …

The Bahay Kubo Alternative, Reesa Winters

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis “The Bahay Kubo Alternative” aims to create an architectural solution that successfully provides alternative building methods, materials, planning, and strategy for current and future stilt homes in the Philippines.

The goal is to increase the longevity of stilt homes and give the residents a sense of ownership and belonging. Moreover, it incorporates adaptable design strategies that take future community growth as well as health & wellness into consideration. This thesis proposes modular stilt homes with alternative structures and designs to prepare the residents for natural disasters and provide them with cleaner environments.

Slums are a sad result of …

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 …

Law School News: Joyce And Bill Cummings Of Cummings Foundation To Deliver Keynote Address At Rwu Commencement 4-20-2023, Jill Rodrigues

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

Determinants And Outcomes Of Urban Land Use Succession - Case Study Of Upper Hill, Nairobi, Elizabeth M.K. Nguah, Owiti A. K'Akumu, Mary Kimani

Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ)

This paper is based on a PHD research carried out to explore Urban Land Use Succession (ULUS) that is driven by private actors financed by local or global capital, referred to as property-led urban redevelopment. ULUS is manifested in indicators like land values, height of buildings, and migration. Its motive is profit taking contrasting it from ULUS that is driven by public and public-private partnerships (PPPs). ULUS has helped reimage cities, but in some cases, it has resulted in negative consequences such as pressure on existing infrastructure and patchwork land use patterns. A case study of Upper Hill is used …

Trolley Line Trail Creative Placemaking Plan, Courtland Caldwell

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

The Trolley Line Trail is a planned multi-use trail along the historic Richmond-to-Ashland Trolley corridor. The purpose of this plan is to identify potential creative placemaking locations and installations to highlight the trolley's unique past and present. This plan sets forth a vision for creative placemaking by gathering community feedback, analyzing properties along the Trolley Line Trail, and making recommendations for placemaking and public art. Ultimately, the recommendations laid out in this plan aim to preserve and acknowledge the community's unique identity while creating a safe, accessible experience for all users.

Buildings Integrated Into Landscape & Making People Care For Them: Exploring Integrated Land-Building Ecosystems And The Lifestyles Needed To Support It, Sara Mallio

Masters Theses

As climate change worsens, it is imperative that we make drastic changes to how our

buildings are designed. We need to create building systems that work with and enhance the surrounding ecosystem. Many of these types of systems were developed and tested during the back to land and environmentalist movements of the 1970’s. What is needed now is to synthesize these systems into packages that can be more easily adopted by the mainstream culture. By paying special attention to what people are willing to invest into their home’s system maintenance and adapting the sustainable systems to meet those needs, we …

Equity In Healthcare Design: Sustainable Placemaking Interventions For Refugees And Displaced Communities, Eunji You

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Since 1990, the city of Clarkston has brought thousands of refugees from Asia, Africa, South America, and beyond. Now, roughly half of the population constitutes refugees that represent 60 different languages and nationalities. In Clarkston, a sustainable healthcare facility is integral for the design of a family-centered medical facility to promote health equity by providing access to care at all levels. Infant mortality is rising amongst minority groups, and advanced care for adults and children of all ages and disabilities in low-income areas is becoming more inaccessible. The design of the healthcare facility aims to strengthen racial-ethnic minority groups in …

Cherokee Architectural Traditions: A Southeastern Environmental Design Precedent, Josie J. Tunnell

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Brownfield Regeneration As An Urban Approach Resisting Economic Recession, Ahmad Saadeh

Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ)

Brownfield is a land that was used before for different purposes, then was polluted, and abandoned, this type of land is called brownfield. Brownfield regeneration consists of three main sustainable fields: economical, environmental, and social. Brownfield regeneration is a main key in sustainable urban development. Thus, suffering from an economic crisis that affected all the veins of the country and left people in a bad situation. That shortage made the citizens feel miserable, unproductive, less efficient, and unpleased. This research aims to examine the validity of using the brownfield areas to be proper lands as a tool for resisting economic …

Law School News: National Housing Advocate Named To Lead Rwu's New Real Estate Initiatives 02/08/2022, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

The New Solar Kiosk Model: A Sustainable Solution To Address The Uptake And Access Of Renewable Technologies To Create Energy Kiosks That Improve Women’S Income In Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement, Kiryandongo District, Northern Uganda., Musiimenta Joy Kellen

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

This thesis was carried out in the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement in Northern Uganda to test a new model to improve access to clean energy technologies in the refugee settlement. The settlement hosts more than seventy-five thousand refugees, including the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the Bududa landslides in Eastern Uganda. The literature review shows the challenges faced in the humanitarian sector. The challenge is met in providing lighting and improved cooking technologies to all refugees in settlements and camps globally. The refugees tend to cut down trees in the surrounding forest, and the wood is used for firewood to cook …

Use Of Biomimicry Design Approach In Constructing Sustainable Resilient Structures (Case Study: Port Of Beirut), Farouk Bader, Marwan Halabi, Hiba Mohsen, Maged Youssef

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Resiliency is not the same as sustainability, nor its substitute, but definitely the two concepts complement each other’s. Sustainability is the avoidance of depletion of natural resources to maintain ecological balance whereas resiliency is to recover, adapt and keep going in the face of setbacks. While designing with green approach is important but what will happen to leed points if the building becomes uninhabitable due to disasters, that’s where resiliency comes into play. The 2019 statistics showed that natural disasters accounted for 133 billion dollars losses and manmade ones accounted for other 7 billion in addition to 11,755 people worldwide …

Materiality And Construction Of A Church In Myanmar, Sunkist Judson

Masters in Architecture Program: Theses

This is my investigation related to Theinla village church. This is an investigation of architectural impacts on a protestant religious house of worship experience through a cultural case study. Churches were built and design based on worship culture and traditions. Churches have evolved for over two thousand years due to innovation and technology and imitating previous architecture styles. The way people worship in the protestant religion is a little different in every culture. I want to find out if there is any overlap in Baptist churches in different cultures. Does material limit the manner in which the church is constructed …

Construction Of A Sustainable High-Tech Greenhouse, Miguel A. Sadler

Construction Management

The purpose of this project is to assess the feasibility for farmers to upgrade from conventional farming methods to using sustainable, high-tech greenhouses. For all intensive purposes, the values presented in this paper are based off the assumption that a farmer already owns their land and can use this paper as a reference to see what it would look like if they wanted to make the upgrade to high-tech greenhouses. To assess the viability of this project my partner and I set out to complete all the preconstruction activities that a project team would need to complete for a potential …

Guidelines For Sustainable Practices In The Rural Built Environment, Nash Kelly, Ethan Weiche

UCARE Research Products

This poster provides information about sustainable changes people can make to better improve their health, community and built environment. From what is shown, this can be done through community gardens, pedestrian access and building certifications.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), climate change will have direct and significant health impacts (1), which the Lancet Countdown identifies as disproportionately affecting at-risk populations.(2) The challenges of geographic isolation and lack of population density in rural and remote areas limits adequate access to basic healthcare services, such as primary care, emergency care, and mental health services. Additionally, the health deficit experienced by …

Intermodal Transit Terminal: Integrating The Future Of Transit Into The Urban Fabric, Guy Vigneau

Masters Theses

The very foundation of transportation relies on its ability to efficiently move people and goods through a transitional space. Transportation hubs are key to achieving this goal. However, many transit terminals are outdated or poorly designed to fit the needs of the modern world. At the core of this thesis are two overarching questions. First, how do we design intermodal transit terminals so that they successfully integrate into an existing urban fabric? Second, how do we design for innovative modes of transportation, such as hyperloop technology? This thesis explores how architectural design can recover existing transit connections within an urban …

Live-Learn Cal Poly: A New-Urbanist Vision For A More Livable And Sustainable Campus, Emily Huang, Justin Wong

City and Regional Planning

Universities across the nation have begun a mixed-use initiative in an effort to densify campuses and diversify retail and housing choices to increase student residency on campus. The movement to model the built environment after traditional mixed-use urbanism has been shown to improve capital flow within the local submarket on campus, foster flexible learning environments to support student success, and reduce automobile dependency. In order to reflect Cal Poly’s Master Plan moving forward, this report intends to follow the guiding principles outlined in the Master Plan while proposing sustainable and efficient land use designs to accommodate future growth at Cal …

Ecological Urbanism | Design Strategies For Bridging The Social Gap In Kolkata, Varshil Patel

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Kolkata, India, also known as a “City of Joy” for its vibrant diversity and as one of the most important cultural centers in the country, exemplifies many issues that are related to overpopulation, weak enforcement of planning regulations, informal housing, natural ecological degradation, and lack of social cohesion. The development of modernized neighborhoods in the outskirts coincided with the internal migration of the middle class and furthered the social gap. Wetlands east of the city, which used to provide a substantial amount of food and livelihood for the city, have been diminishing due to urban development. The lack of necessities …

The Pursuit Of The Future: An Investigation Into A Sustainable Office Tower, Clayton R. Daher

Architecture Theses

The City of New York has long been known to be one of the most influential cities in the world for corporations. It is a hotbed for talent and innovation alike. It is a city that never sleeps and often times forces employees, whom are just trying to make a name for themselves, to work 60+ hours a week in cramped conditions.

In surveying the city, it is prevalent that there is a lack of sustainable office buildings which in return has adverse effects on the employees’ health and productivity. Corporations are continuously transform their practices and missions to be …

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 …

Industrial Issues & Architecture, Nhac Le

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Thesis Summary: Industry-The economic activity concerned with the processing of massive raw materials and manufacture of goods in factories- has been created in the developed country in the 19th century. Because of the priority in the economy, Industry has been shifting around the world where it could take advantage of cheap raw materials, labors and open policy to growth. The rush of industry has been created a lot of negative impact on society and environment in developing countries. This thesis position itself within the realm of physical relocation of Western industry to propose an architectural and infrastructural response that raises …

Community Perspectives On Neighborhood Characteristics And Home-Buying Decisions, Madhuri Sharma

International Journal of Geospatial and Environmental Research

This paper analyzes households’ perceptions of neighborhoods according to Brown and Chung’s framework of Market-Led Pluralism (M-LP). Using household survey responses from 100 respondents in Columbus, Ohio and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, I empirically test MLP’s utility in understanding consumers’ decision making processes on where to live and who to live with. Consumers from all races/ethnicities ranked these attributes similarly, closely aligning with the M-LP. The quality of schools, safety of neighborhoods, price and affordability generally mattered to all consumers. However, African Americans’ perceptions of certain attributes as more valuable than others’ are likely due to their lower socio-economic status and the …

The Strategic Design Approaches For Chittagong Hill Areas To Reduce Risks Of Landslides And Exploring The Opportunity Of Tourism Development, Syed Monirul Islam, Maher Niger

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

Chittagong is the largest port city and second largest city of Bangladesh and contributes substantially to the economic development of Bangladesh. Chittagong is quite an attractive location. Surrounded by the rivers, hills and the sea, Chittagong possess the opportunity to uphold its image as a fascinating, multiple tourism destination where visitors can enjoy both the sea and hills. Chittagong has boundless opportunities for thousands of people living in the hilly areas. But unfortunately the hillsides are highly vulnerable to frequent and damaging landslides. Recent major landslides were caused by an extreme, higher than average, rainfall within a short period of …

An Incremental Intervention In Jakarta: An Empowering Infrastructural Approach For Upgrading Informal Settelments, Christopher H. Counihan

Landscape Architecture Masters Theses Collection

Incrementalism is a growing movement within multiple design disciplines that approaches design with sustainable, social, and resilient aims structured around participatory, infrastructural, and phased approaches to design. Carefully considered structural and independent infrastructural frameworks allow infill and accretion according to the demands and needs of individuals and communities. This paper outlines the theories, case studies, and conditions driving incrementalism. My research has informed my project proposal for an incremental upgrade of a slum located in Jakarta using a phased, soft infrastructural, resident facilitated upgrade and development strategy creating new housing units, productive landscapes, and urban form. Incremental development will foster …