Architecture Commons^™

Exploring Permanent Temporariness: A Look Into The Palestinian Experience Through Refugee Camps, Tamara Malhas

Masters Theses

For all Palestinians, the phenomenon of permanent temporariness and waiting indefinitely is commonplace. With this said, the presence of Palestinian Refugee Camps indicates a grave violation of human rights under international law. The refugee camp is the embodiment of permanent temporariness. With Palestinian refugees living in extremely poor conditions in these camps, some not able to gain citizenship in their country of refuge, such as in Lebanon, others experiencing routine colonial violence and oppression as is the case for camps in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. Furthermore, while the experience of permanent temporariness is universal for Palestinians, it is …

Unearthing Complexity: Tangible Histories Of Water And Earth, Alexis Violet

Masters Theses

Unearthing Complexity investigates conceptions of time and surface through geological stories of the water and earth. Building on theories of deep time, hydrofeminism, critical zones, and grounding, I hope to foster a deeper awareness of time scales other than our own and a more tangible understanding of the embodied experience of matter in the universe. Working toward a new literacy of the water and earth in which they are recognized as living, changing bodies to which we are inherently tied at a molecular level, the site of this multiscalar inquiry occurs in the coastal zones of the Narragansett Bay where …

Blowing Away, Ziyi Zhao

Masters Theses

Nature has always been playing one of the positive protagonists in the architecture field. Despite the disparate milieux and the cognitions discrepancy of nature in different eras, people keep exploring the interrelationships of nature, architecture, and h. In this case, “natural air” as an extensive component of nature, is an integration of sustainability foundation, architectural system enquiry, technological methods intervention, and research of human perception. In the process of exploring how to rebuild the “connectedness” between nature and humans in the architectural context, researching the human-sensible means that architecture interacts with the natural air and will be a primary “natural-representative” …

Wast3d Potential, Andrew Larsen

Masters Theses

Waste is obsolete. Standard building industry practices are harmful to the environment. Non-traditional construction methods were examined as alternatives. Circular design logic was the guiding principle in material choice. Additive manufacturing is a proven modern method for building construction. Research on 3D printing case studies revealed that recycled plastic is a proven material and readily available. Removing plastic waste from the environment and sequestering it in architectural components gives the material a new purpose. The component of focus was a building block for a wall assembly. Inspiration was taken from the hexagonal Basalt rock formations found near volcanic fault lines. …

On The Edge Of The "Er-Ocean" State, Mariesa Travers

Masters Theses

This thesis will explore how hard coastal infrastructure methods can be redesigned by softening the coastal edge to support the ecosystem and enhance public access to the beach. By referencing and arguing against techniques used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) as a solution to deal with coastal erosion, this process will propose a regenerated design system. Through a series of material experiments, this research works with natural processes and flows, to create transitory systems that erode and ebb with the coast.

Urban Succession: An Ecocentric Urbanism, Anthony Kershaw

Masters Theses

Through the development of canals and parks along with the denigration of the unmaintained, humans have worked to curate a natural environment designed by and for themselves. These urban typologies have defined boundaries, suppressed resources, and fragmented habitats. This thesis will work in opposition to current notions of the canal, park, and unmaintained to develop a new model for multi-species green infrastructure that embraces succession and views maintenance as a facilitation of natural processes rather than preservation of a singular condition.

The green infrastructure in question will more specifically be referred to as an ecological corridor: an ecocentric habitat connecting …

Green Paths - On The Space In-Between Buildings, Hongru Zhang

Masters Theses

This project focuses on the “leftovers” of our urban space after carving out what was required for buildings and transportation, and reintegrating them into a network that can be the habitat and paths for pollinators and small animals.

This network overlaps and interacts with our existing urban structures. Integrating it into our life will undermine the hierarchy of space and commodification of land intensified by the existing grid systems of the city, and introduce a different understanding of coexistence with nature.

We Have A (Home) - Co-Operative Homes For Sunset Park, Lisa Qiu

Masters Theses

The thesis believes that the speculative nature of land as property is at the root of the rising cost of quality living space. The combination of profit-driven market force and policies has produced inequality in the accessibility of property ownership.This reality is entangled with a culture that perceives exclusive rights and private ownership as superior to sharing for almost everything, especially the home.

This project believes affordable urban density can be achieved in a city like New York by pushing forward a sense of possibility and desirability in collaborative efforts to create and manage homes. These homes will not be …

Garden Etiquette, Kai Wasikowski

Masters Theses

Garden Etiquette is an ongoing project concerned with landscape photography, environmental conservation, and the way they have both served the settler colonialist agenda. I focus specifically on the conservation ideologies shaped in New South Wales (NSW) Australia and New England, United States of America (USA) in the late nineteenth century and the settler visualities that underwrote them. Both countries’ histories were marked by photography and conservation’s common function of mythologising land as empty space—to be invaded, extracted and occupied, and wilderness—to be territorialized and protected, albeit, in distinct ways.

With British, German and Polish settler ancestry, born and raised on …

Reintroducing Hemp (Rongony) In The Material Palette Of Madagascar: A Study On The Potential Of Hemp Clay Components And Its Impact On Social And Ecological Communities., Henintsoa Thierry Andrianambinina

Masters Theses

When mentioning the word hemp, especially in the local language of Madagascar, the literal translation does not set it apart from marijuana, as they are both called “rongony” - creating the stigma around hemp as the negative stereotype of marijuana. However, the material has been used by the ancestors of Madagascar, as well as across cultures, in its fibrous form to produce fabrication like textile goods and packaging. During colonization, the prohibition of hemp intensified, and since then, any activity related to either of these plants is prohibited and will end in severe punitive measures. This thesis explores the strengths …

Nurturing Haven: A Safe Place For Single Mothers, Meng Su

Masters Theses

Single mothers may turn to substance use as a coping mechanism due to the overwhelming responsibility of caring for children on their own. Raising children without the support of a partner can be emotionally, physically, and financially demanding, leaving single mothers feeling stressed, anxious, and exhausted. These feelings of burden and pressure can lead to depression, and substance use may sw to maintain their responsibilities and provide the care their children need. This thesis proposes the integration of two typologies: a harm reduction center and a daycare center, with the aim to de-stigmatize single mother substance users and create a …

Adding Subtraction: Wasting Time In Space, Daeun Kim

Masters Theses

Architecture is designed to increase our productivity – think of features like uniform workspaces, straight pathways, or purely functional rooms arranged to optimize tasks. When forced into constant productivity, we gain efficiency, but we end up exhausted and disconnected from one another. We need to design subtraction spaces in our workspaces and everyday life, spaces that accommodate the feelings and dreams of the occupant: spaces where we can wander, wonder, feel, connect, relax, restore, and reset. By challenging the perception that time just moves on and cannot be controlled, people can shift time: they can start, reverse, break, accumulate, prolong, …

Kala In My Moholla - Art In My Neighborhood, Priyata Bosamia

Masters Theses

The l question that I am trying to answer through this thesis is “How do we build safe spaces for free creative expression?” The project "Kala in my Moholla", which means "Art in my neighborhood," looks at art as a force and intends to create space for free creative expression by inserting a network of hyper-local, easy-to-build spaces for making, creating, and sharing that are designed to be accessible, participatory, and democratic. A modular design consists of basic forms and a catalog of materials that can be used for its construction. Designed to be malleable, transformable, and customizable, it can …

Intensifying The Experience Of Contemporary Art, Wanjin Feng

Masters Theses

Contemporary Art museums, emphasizing visual experience- es, struggle to accommodate multi-sensory art forms. This thesis introduces a groundbreaking exhibition design mod- el focused on creating immersive, multi-sensory experiences for visitors. The model transitions from a passive observation paradigm to an interactive perception approach, fostering a deeper understanding and emotional connection to art.

Applied to the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), the model introduces strategies such as narrative sculptures, interactive drawing spaces, integrated reading within exhibitions, and emotionally-driven spatial design. These strategies aim to make art more accessible, promoting personal connections with artworks.

In conclusion, the proposed model transforms contemporary art …

A Cloud Above, Jiwon Kim

Masters Theses

Even though Manhattan has a lot of green space, it is not sufficient to reduce the urban heat island effect of so much concrete and metal. This thesis proposes a new way to create more green infrastructure in dense urban areas. by utilizing the stack effect through a chimney structure as an air purifier. Additionally, it proposes the widespread use of facades with Heliostats to produce and use solar energy within the structures.

This thesis considers a four-storeyed parking lot that has two entrances on the south and the north. Its walls are merged with those of the adjacent mid-rise …

A.R. Futuristic Scenario In Seun, Yookyung Lee

Masters Theses

Due to social distancing policies during the coronavirus pandemic, people have increasingly turned to digital platforms to fulfill what they previously enjoyed in face-to-face interactions. The high demand for virtual world services, called “metaverses,” has sparked discussions about the possibility of completely replacing the real world, which has raised questions about the role of architects in dealing with physical spaces. However, it is widely believed that digital elements will merge into the real world instead of completely replacing it, which makes augmented reality (AR) a key technology to study in the context of architecture.

In “Learning from Las Vegas,” Robert …

The People's Food Project, Grace Barrett

Masters Theses

The architectural design of spaces offering food assistance has received little to no attention since food pantries emerged in the 1970s. Non-profit food initiatives are often sited quickly with limited resources, producing inadequate spaces unable to fully support a food insecure community, prioritize the experience of users, and create a sense of belonging. The current spaces limit services to merely food distribution. They do not take advantage of the opportunity to expand socioeconomic capital through the power of shared food experiences: growing, cooking, eating, and learning.

This thesis redefines the traditional food pantry model, responding to explorations in psychological comfort …

Reconcile Liminality, Zefeng Wang

Masters Theses

This thesis explores the concept of liminal space as a metaphor for the current transition to the digital era. We are not fully prepared for what the future holds. Fears and worries surrounding rapid development are amplified by the potential for social problems. However, by examining human development in history, we can gain insight into our current situation and start a discussion about where we are headed. The objective of this proposal is to create a space that eases concerns about the arrival of the new digital age. This is particularly relevant to Japan, which is now at a digital …

Automated Detection And Characterization Of Cracks On Concrete Using Laser Scanning, Yunfeng Ge, Jenny Liu, Xiong Zhang, Huiming Tang, Xiaolong Xia

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Accurate crack detection and characterization on concrete are essential for the maintenance, safety, and serviceability of various infrastructures. In this paper, an innovative approach was developed to automatically measure the cracks from 3D point clouds collected by a phase-shift terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) (FARO Focus3D S120). The approach integrates several techniques to characterize the cracks, which include the deviation on point normal determined using k-nearest neighbor (kNN) and principal components analysis (PCA) algorithms to identify the cracks, and principal axes and curve skeletons of cracks to determine the projected and real dimensions of cracks, respectively. The coordinate transformation was then …

Field Implementation And Performance Of Fiber-Reinforced Low-Shrinkage Concrete For Bridge Deck Construction, Ahmed Abdelrazik, Kamal Khayat

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This Paper Reports on the Field Implementation of Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (FRC) Used for Redecking the Two-Span overpass Bridge in Missouri. the Spans Measured 38.4 and 35.05 M in Length. Modeling of the Structural Behavior of the Bridge Replacement Deck Indicated Significantly High Tensile Stresses at Midspan (Up to 45 MPa) Due to the Continuity of the Deck over the Four Precast Main Girders. Redecking of the Bridge and Casting of the Central Diaphragm Were Carried Out Continuously and Necessitated 40 Concrete Truck Deliveries of 252 M3 of FRC. Six Sensor Towers Were Installed in the Bridge Deck to Monitor Variations …

Intelligent Transportation Systems (Its): A Survey Of What It Is, What It Does, Where It Faulters, And Where To Go With It, Niklas Nordstrom

City and Regional Planning

The world of technology continues to find itself incorporated into an ever-expanding number of fields with a rapidly increasing number of applications. One of these is transportation, under the umbrella of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). The intention of this application at a macro scale is to increase the surface transport safety, efficiency, and convenience. As technological improvements continue to be made, ITS grows in popularity and implementation, and is now found in many cities across the United States. Correct implementation of ITS could have huge benefits in the transportation sector, but without thinking about its implications now, there is a …

Three Rivers Community Town Center, Jamie Moffatt

City and Regional Planning

This project is an extension to the Community Planning courses in the City and Regional Planning Department, CRP 410 and 411. The project began in Fall 2022 and was completed in Winter 2023. The first quarter, the studio team worked with Three Rivers, California, which resulted in a thorough general plan background report for the community. The Tulare County Mountain Area Plan – Background Report, will be referenced throughout the project. The second quarter, the studio team switched directions and completed a five-year review for the Three River’s community, based on their community plan and the General Plan for Tulare …

Boulevard Apartments - Long Beach, Ca, Daryl P. Hernandez

City and Regional Planning

The proposed development will provide Long Beach residents with more opportunities for housing. The project is located on lots 923 and 927 Long Beach Boulevard in Long Beach, California. Currently, the lots are underutilized and vacant with no existing development on them. The apartment complex will consist of 75 units that include studio apartments, one-bedroom apartments, and two-bedroom apartments. An additional four units will be for qualified, low-income residents. The purpose of this development is to provide quality housing for young adults and families located in the heart of Long Beach.

Attainable And Sustainable Home Building Solutions, Katrina Matthews

Construction Management

Sustainability has fortunately been a recent concern in the construction industry as climate change continues to impose potentially insurmountable threats to the global environment. Although many new methods have been adopted in efforts to lessen the adverse environmental effects of construction-related activities, as a society, we still have much room for growth as the built environment accounts for almost 50% of global emissions. Many changes and standards must be adopted to make these solutions efficiently beneficial. To set industry standards, we must start with the most basic form of construction- residential building. This report covers two attainable framing solutions for …

Eviction To Placement: Rethinking The Current Supportive Housing Systems For Hidden Homeless Families, Fang-Min Liou

Masters Theses

This thesis focuses on repurposing unoccupied office space into affordable housing systems tailored to meet the unique needs of homeless families. Families with children make up 36 percent of the homeless population overall and children’s homelessness status is almost always “hidden." Architecture and design can play a vital role in addressing social inequity by creating improved living environments for the houseless community through adaptive reuse of underutilized space situated within dense urban areas with the greatest access to resources to support these families, evoke feelings of comfort, security, and hope.

The following thesis accommodates three basic needs of homeless families: …

Rilem Tc 266-Mrp: Round-Robin Rheological Tests On High Performance Mortar And Concrete With Adapted Rheology—A Comprehensive Flow Curve Analysis, Dimitri Feys, Helena Keller, Khadija El Cheikh, Egor Secrieru, Yannick Vanhove

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A comprehensive testing program was carried out to compare the rheological properties of flowable concrete that can be obtained from different rheometers. The results obtained from seven rheometers using vane or similar geometries are discussed. A comprehensive flow curve analysis is undertaken for further comparison of the various rheometers. Partially, large differences could be observed between the results obtained from the different rheometers. However, the device-specific trendlines are shown to have significant correlations with the overall baseline. Two potential causes of differences between results are highlighted: imposition/registration of torque/rotational velocity and discrepancies between the measured material flow behavior in the …

Morro Bay 2023 Non-Vehicular Circulation Plan, Jeremiah C. Rogers

City and Regional Planning

The Non-Vehicular Transportation in Morro Bay plan notes that bicycle and pedestrian circulation are vital aspects in bettering the city's lifestyle for both residents and visitors. These forms of transportation within the community help to promote local business and ecotourism (City of Morro Bay & JBG Consulting, LLC, 2012). This document describes the city of Morro Bay’s existing conditions, relevance to existing planning documents, case studies, as well as policies and implementation. The main goal of this plan is to improve the biking and walking conditions in Morro Bay and to create a non-vehicular transportation plan that is up to …

Itentifying Suitable Sites For The Rotating Safe Parking Program In San Luis Obispo, Finnegan James

City and Regional Planning

This report has been created with the intention of identifying a new Safe Parking location in the City of San Luis Obispo (SLO) for the Rotating Safe Parking Program. SLO currently has two Safe Parking locations, though one is being discontinued due to inadequacy of the site. The City wishes to identify a new location, or locations, that can replace this. This report came to life after coordination with the City to determine how this senior project could best support the City’s efforts to address homelessness in SLO in 2023. My work began when I identified areas in the Homelessness …

Incentivizing Electric Vehicle Adoption Through State And Federal Policies: Reviewing Influential Policies, Joshua Sabata, Subhaditya Shom, Ahmad Almaghrebi, Anne Mccollister, Mahmoud Alahmad

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

All-electric vehicles (EVs), battery-powered EVs (BEVs), and plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEVS) are gaining market share and increasing in popularity with the buying public because the battery range (longer) and cost (lower) have reached sweet spots, the charging infrastructure is more robust, and concern with global cli­mate change is high. In 2013, only 100,000 EVs were sold in the United States, but by 2022, approximately 800,000 have been purchased. A similar growth is seen in EV sup­ply equipment (EVSE), i.e., EV charging stations, with 19,742 documented EV charging station locations in the United States in 2013 to 50,054 documented EV charging …

Plansplaining Ceqa: Explaining The Basics Of The California Environmental Quality Act, Eric Yu Wang

City and Regional Planning

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is a half-century old public disclosure law. In recent years, it has attracted public attention in its role in hindering essential developments such as affordable housing and other major public projects. Throughout its lifetime, CEQA has evolved from a simple public project disclosure law into a complex system. However, because of the spread of sensationalized media, CEQA has become frequently mystified and misunderstood by the public.

Through a six-video series called Plansplaining CEQA, the YouTube channel Plansplainer seeks to de-mystify California's unique and infamous public disclosure law. The videos are made to accessible …