Architecture Commons^™

The Log Cabin | Public Perception And Mediated Reality (1840 – 1980), Aspen Regan

2026 Research Poster Competition

This capstone examines the evolution of the log cabin from 1840 to 1980. At its core, the project questions the legacy of the log cabin from its origins as simply being a traditional dwelling typology to its establishment as a cultural icon or rather, an enduring vessel foundational to the American Dream and ideals of self-reliance, freedom, and individualism deep within the heart of American culture. Various case studies, traditional literature review, and archival analysis was required to complete and produce a comprehensive study of the log cabin and its history in this context, culminating into three distinct chapters. Chapter …

Rekindling Hearth: An Investigation And Discussion Of The Traditional And Evolving Roles Of Hearth In Architecture, Ruth Prenzler

2026 Research Poster Competition

This research explores the evolving role of the hearth in domestic architecture, examining its historical significance and its continuing symbolic, spatial, and architectural relevance. Once essential for heat, cooking, and social gathering, the hearth has gradually shifted from a functional necessity to a largely symbolic and nostalgic artifact as a result of technological advancements and changing domestic lifestyles. Despite this functional decline, the hearth persists as a powerful cultural and architectural element, deeply embedded in collective memory and the perception of home. This study reexamines the hearth’s spatial, social, and functional roles through a combined methodology of literature review, theoretical …

Hybridized-Highway Infrastructures, Will Sutton

2026 Research Poster Competition

This research explores highways and their evolving functions through hybrid programming, from the modern era to the present day. As early as 1916, the federal government began funding state construction of the National Highway System. From this point onward, by design, highways became redundant and homogenized networks of automobile movement, crystallizing their function. Despite this, there are global examples of architecturally utilizing space within, above, or below highway infrastructures that hybridize their function beyond vehicular movement. I am currently studying hybridized-highway infrastructures through a literature review that examines them through the lenses of underutilized space associated with highways, the roles …

The Rva Resilience Network: Filling Gaps With Resilience Microhubs, Andrew Bunn

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

Richmond, Virginia has experienced a steady increase in climate-related disruptions including more hot days and more extreme storm events than in previous decades. Frontline communities disproportionately feel the impacts of these events, revealing gaps in the services and resources that should allow these communities to prepare for and recover from disruptions more effectively. This plan, developed for Groundwork RVA, explores neighborhood-scale resilience microhubs as a tool to fill these gaps and increase resilience in frontline communities.

The plan establishes a repeatable process for creating and expanding a network of resilience microhubs in the Richmond region. This process was tested and …

Metamorphosis, Allegra Codamon

Theses and Dissertations

Relevance to Interior Design Research

In Richard Sennett’s The Craftsman, he starts from the premise that thinking and feeling are contained in the process of making. This thesis builds on that premise, arguing that through the embodied process of glassworking, making constitutes a form of interior knowledge—where perception, memory, and bodily awareness are formed through material resistance and responsiveness. Drawing on Sennett and Juhani Pallasmaa, this work positions glassmaking as a mode of thinking-through-doing, in which interiority is produced through sustained material engagement.

Research Question

What does interiority embodied through the making process look like? This question will be investigated …

Loved Right: Encouraging The Responsible Adaptive Reuse Of Historic Buildings In The Information Age, Christie Chirinos

Theses and Dissertations

This research contributes to interior design scholarship by situating immersive virtual reality (VR) as an efficiency tool and an architectural visualization tool within adaptive reuse and historic preservation practice. Interior designers are increasingly tasked with mediating between cultural heritage, community stakeholders, regulatory constraints, and economic feasibility, in buildings that already exist. By positioning VR as a tool with utility across every stage of the design process, this study expands interior design research beyond material and spatial interventions to include storytelling and technological innovation as drivers for design decision-making. The work bridges interior design, preservation, and participatory planning, demonstrating how immersive …

Waxing And Waning: Hidden Interiors Of Grassroots Expression, Asmita Baskar

Theses and Dissertations

Concealed interiors historically emerged from necessity in response to dominant systems around surveillance, control, and visibility. These hidden spaces carefully regulated access, cultivated intimacy, and enabled self-expression within grassroots groups and marginalized communities. Operating free from surveillance and in contrast to surrounding architectural and urban systems, these concealed spaces were not formally “interior designed”, yet they reveal how communities activate the interiors they encounter to retain agency.

Scholarship on grassroots resistance is largely examined through sociology, anthropology, psychology, or political science, with limited literature directly linking interiority, interior design, and resistance within covert spaces. This thesis addresses the gap in …

Walking And Wondering, Helen T. Tran

Theses and Dissertations

My thesis approaches walking as a form of inquiry and the Flood Wall as a site open to reinterpretation. I believe that the way we walk changes the way we observe and experience the world around us. This contrast between purposeful and leisurely walking reveals how time and intention shape our awareness of space. When walking is no longer dictated by urgency, it invites observations and questions. Slowing our pace allows curiosity to emerge, which aligns with my design ethos of asking questions as a foundation for understanding and creating meaningful experiences.

The Flood Wall’s emphasis on uninterrupted movement prioritizes …

Within The Ruin: A Modern Brewery Rebirth, Karim Asarzadeh

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis project focuses on the revitalization of the historic ruins of the James River Steam Brewery in Richmond, Virginia. The project transforms the forgotten industrial structure into a modern brewery with a second-floor restaurant addition and community gathering spaces while preserving the historic masonry ruins. It showcases a holistic design approach that considers all aspects of the building, including its connection to the urban context and landscape, as well as its architecture, interiors, and furniture. The project demonstrates how a holistic design approach can create stronger spatial connections and more cohesive environments. In particular, it offers a strategy for …

Public Art’S Role In Urban Transformation In New York City: 5 Pointz And The High Line, Shelby Stanton

Pomona Senior Theses

Urban spaces are made not only of buildings and infrastructure but of the social and cultural practices that integrates into social fabric and assigns their meaning. They are a living, transforming entity where humans and the environment influence each other in lifestyle and identity. In New York City, art, both formally commissioned public works and grassroots urban interventions, have become central to the processes of urban transformation. Murals, installations, and curated parks are crucial to the urban environment and are frequently leveraged as tools of placemaking. Place-making is a concept used to describe and understand how meaningful places emerge from …

Impacts Of Spatial Intensity Policies On Jakarta Property Prices, Stevanus J. Manahampi, M. Halley Yudhistira

Jurnal Ekonomi dan Pembangunan Indonesia

This study examines the effects of floor area ratio (FAR) and building coverage ratio (BCR) on property prices in Jakarta. Using a hdonic price mdel with data from property listings and a geographical information system (GIS) analysis, it explores how these regulations influence values across regions and property types, accounting for access to amenities and infrastructure. Results show FAR lowers prices in dense areas like Central Jakarta but raises them in less developed regions like East Jakarta. BCR effects are mixed, positive where infrastructure is strong but negative where it is weak, underscoring the need for context-specific urban planning.

Secondhand Books Industry Between Extinction And Challenges Of The New Millennium: Insights Urban And Architectural Considerations From Al-Azbakeya Book Market., Ahmed M. Selim, Heba M. Gaber, Nehal M. Elmahdy

Mansoura Engineering Journal

At the beginning of the 21st century, the printed and secondhand book industry has faced enormous challenges, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic, when book consumers sought to engage directly with e-books. The Azbakeya Book Market in Egypt is one of the markets that confronts this challenge, while maintaining its distinctive historical character. This study aims to rehabilitate the secondhand book market in Al-Azbakeya district as a model that simulates the potential urban and sustainable architectural design strategies for reviving this industry. The study framework was comprised into four sections. First, "desk-based research" was conducted to discuss the secondhand book industry …

Advancing Ultrahigh Carbon Steel Characterization: A Metaheuristic-Tuned Deep Learning Approach, Walaa Omar El-Farouk Badr, Hossam El-Din Mostafa, Rania Elbana

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Accurate classification of ultrahigh carbon steel (UHCS) microstructures is essential for elucidating processing-structure-property relationships and enhancing material performance. While convolutional neural networks (CNNs) offer powerful automated classification, navigating their complex, high-dimensional hyperparameter spaces present a significant computational bottleneck. To advance automated materials characterization, this study proposes a metaheuristic-tuned deep learning approach for robust and efficient microstructure classification. Two architectures, VGG16 and MobileNetV2, were evaluated under both pretrained and fine-tuned configurations, with Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Genetic Algorithm (GA), and Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) applied for systematic hyperparameter tuning. Results show that GA substantially improves the performance of fine-tuned VGG16, achieving …

Green Hydrogen-Based Decarbonization Approach For Steel Industry With Hybrid Renewable Energy Sources, Raju Kumar Maurya, Dharmbir Prasad, Rudra Pratap Singh

Mansoura Engineering Journal

This work provides a micro-pilot techno-economic and environmental assessment of a green hydrogen-driven decarbonization scenario for low-carbon steel production at the capacity of 1 ton steel produced (i.e., requiring 50 kg of green hydrogen). In this work an integrated renewable energy (RE) scenario for the steel production site at Jamuria, West Bengal, India is planned to utilize solar photovoltaic (PV), wind turbines (WTs), battery storage and a diesel backup generator to meet the hydrogen production load from an electrolyzer using HOMER Pro software. The results show that the proposed micro-pilot system produces excess electricity with respect to the plant's operating …

Intelligent Audio‑To‑Indian Sign‑Language And Sign‑To‑Audio Translation System Using Mediapipe, Tensorflow, Whisper And Google Tts, N. Pothanna, T. Kusuma, S. Haindavi, T. Sreeja, Shaik Shaheem Taj

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Communication barriers between the Deaf community and the general public remain a persistent challenge, particularly in multilingual settings where Indian Sign Language (ISL) is the primary mode of interaction. We propose a real-time bidirectional translation framework integrating MediaPipe for hand landmark extraction, a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) classifier built with TensorFlow/Keras for gesture recognition, OpenAI Whisper for robust multilingual speech-to-text transcription, and Google TTS for naturalistic speech synthesis. The system achieves 93% classification accuracy across 35 ISL classes (alphabets A–Z and numerals 1–9) on a dataset of 42,700 images, with macro and weighted F1-scores of 0.93. Deployed as a Flask …

Underwater Image Identification Using Fuzzy Soft Planar Graph, Bhuvaneswari Natarajan Jayakar, Karthick Palanisamy

Mansoura Engineering Journal

High-attribute underwater image segmentation is fundamental to autonomous marine exploration, biodiversity monitoring, and subsea infrastructure inspection. However, underwater environments are inherently stochastic, exhibiting severe light attenuation, chromatic distortion, scattering effects, and noise, all of which significantly degrade image quality and challenge conventional computer vision techniques. Hence, Fuzzy logic which handles uncertainty and imprecision in data and Soft sets which manage parameterized information, are widely applied to underwater image analysis. Fuzzy Soft Planar Graphs (FSPGs) constitute a mathematical framework that integrates fuzzy set theory, soft set theory and planar graph structures for preserving spatial topology. The proposed methodology adopts a hybrid …

Explainable Multi-Horizon Wind Power Forecasting Via Aquila-Optimized Machine Learning Models, Mostafa A. Abdelnaby, Nahla B. Abdel-Hamid, Eman M. El-Gendy, Mahmoud M. Saafan

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The inherently unpredictable nature of wind energy necessitates the development of sophisticated forecasting models to ensure grid stability and optimal distribution. In this research, we propose a novel and systematic approach to wind power forecasting (WPF) across diverse timescales. This approach leverages the power of various machine learning (ML) models, metaheuristic hyperparameter optimization, and utilizes explainable artificial intelligence (XAI). The developed methodology is based on the Aquila optimizer (AO), capable of automatically adjusting different ML models for four different time periods (30 minutes, 6 hours, 24 hours, and 36 hours) on the data collected from the Gabal El-Zayt wind power …

Warm Mix Asphalt: Key Issues, Performance Challenges, And Modeling Advances, Mahmoud Owais, Marwa Awad

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) has emerged as a sustainable alternative to conventional Hot Mix Asphalt by enabling asphalt production and compaction at reduced temperatures, thereby lowering energy consumption, emissions, and worker exposure to heat and fumes. Despite these advantages, the field performance of WMA remains influenced by technology-specific mechanisms, additive–binder compatibility, aggregate characteristics, moisture susceptibility, compaction quality, recycled material content, and climatic conditions. This review provides a critical synthesis of major WMA technologies, including foamed systems, chemical additives, organic waxes, hybrid additives, bio-based modifiers, and WMA mixtures incorporating reclaimed asphalt pavement. Particular attention is given to how these technologies affect …

Preserving The Identity Of Historic Coptic Orthodox Monasteries In Egypt Under Contemporary Pressures: Case Studies Of St. Bishoy And St. Anthony Monasteries, George Medhat Adeeb, Mohamed Khairy Amin, Mohamed Ahmed Al-Sherbiny

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Historic Coptic Orthodox monasteries in Egypt (HCOMEs) represent an important component of Christian heritage, integrating architectural value with enduring spiritual traditions that reflect both tangible and intangible dimensions. However, contemporary development and changing functional demands are generating transformations that may affect their identity if not carefully managed. Despite extensive scholarship, limited research has systematically examined these transformations through a structured evaluative approach. This study addresses this gap by developing and applying an analytical and evaluation framework to examine how contemporary pressures influence the historical, architectural-spatial, and spiritual identity of HCOMEs, and to assess the effectiveness of monastic responses. The framework …

Control Of Steel Corrosion Using Natural Corrosion Inhibitor, Rasha A. Nasef, O. Hamed, M. M. El-Halwany, M. H. Mahmoud

Mansoura Engineering Journal

This study investigates corrosion control of AISI 430 stainless steel in 1M HCl medium using an eco-friendly inhibitor extracted from pomegranate peel (PPE). The inhibition efficiency was evaluated at different PPE concentrations, with the highest applied concentration of 13g/L. Corrosion behavior was evaluated through weight-loss measurements and potentiodynamic polarization techniques conducted at room temperature.

The experimental results showed that corrosion resistance improved as the inhibitor  concentration increased. Lower corrosion rates were observed in the presence of PPE, along with reduced anodic and cathodic activities, indicating that the extract functions as a mixed-type inhibitor. Surface analysis confirmed the formation of …

The Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube-Incorporated Cfrp Laminates Interlaminar Fracture Toughness, Nikhil Janardan Rathod, Markala Karthik, Harshvardhan P. Ghongade, Javed Sikandar Shaikh, Rahul Soma Deshmukh

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The structural integrity of carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRPs) suffers from damage caused by interlaminar cracking and delamination which diminishes their performance capabilities. This study provides an experimental analysis of the impact of carboxyl-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness of CFRP laminates. The researchers created composite specimens by using epoxy systems which included MWCNT loadings of 0.1 wt% 0.2 wt% and 0.3 wt% together with an unmodified control. The researchers conducted Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) testing according to ASTM standards to ascertain the rate of critical strain energy release (G_IC) of the material. The …

Finite Element Analysis Of Oxygen Transport In Tissue And Capillaries With A Second Order Metabolic Consumption, Vikash Ramcharitar, Sreedhara Rao Gunakala, Reddappa Bandi, Donna M. G. Dyer, Jagdesh Ramnanan

Mansoura Engineering Journal

This study presents a numerical investigation into the oxygen transport through a Krogh-type capillary-tissue model with second-order tissue metabolism. The governing non-linear equations are solved by implementing a Galerkin finite element method with a fixed-point iteration scheme. The resulting code and solution algorithm were successfully validated against available analytical solutions for zeroth- and first-order kinetics, showing very good agreement. Numerical simulations indicated, that under the parameters investigated, relative to zeroth- and first-order kinetics, a second-order metabolism leads to less overall oxygen consumption within the tissue phase. This yields higher oxygen partial pressures at the outer tissue boundary and higher oxygen …

A Multi-Valued Fixed Point Theorem For Quasi-Contractions On A Cone Metric Space, Regina Mahadewsing, Sreedhara Rao Gunakala, Vikash Ramcharitar, Reddappa Bandi, Akhenaton Daaga, Thameem Basha H

Mansoura Engineering Journal

A set-valued (multi-valued)  mapping  assigns to each  a nonempty closed and bounded subset . Using this notion, the present work broadens classical fixed point theory by proving a fixed point theorem for multi-valued quasi-contractive mappings in cone metric spaces. The developed argument extends several earlier results that were restricted to single-valued maps and more familiar set-valued settings, thereby providing a wider analytical framework within ordered Banach-space structures. These contributions enrich fixed point theory in generalized metric environments and can be relevant to problems in nonlinear analysis and optimization

Optimization Of Mechanical Properties Of Copper Nanofiller Reinforced Banana Fiber Polyester Composites Using Grey–Taguchi Method, Nikhil Janardan Rathod, Mayur Jayant Gitay, Markala Karthik, Harshwardhan Ghongade, Upendra Rajak, Rajendra Sopan Narkhede

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Mechanical performance of banana fiber-reinforced polyester composites maximized using a composite Taguchi and a Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) process. This will aim at enhancing dispensation limits to enhance better tensile, flexural and impact belongings. The hand lay-up method was used to create composites by variable three key limits and they included banana fiber content (30 wt%), copper nanoparticle content (15 wt%), and curing temperature (80 o C). Trial design and mechanical properties were being measured in form of ASTM values on a L9 orthogonal array.

The multi-response optimization was performed with the help of the Grey Relational Analysis, which was …

Harmonic Mitigation And Reactive Power Support Using Dpfc And Upfc In Grid‑Connected Solar Pv Systems: A Comparative Performance Evaluation, Abhishek Vashistha, Dharmbir Prasad, Rudra Pratap Singh

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Harmonic distortion, reactive power imbalance, and voltage instability represent major challenges regarding the power quality of grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. Various recently developed flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) devices such as the unified power flow controller (UPFC) and distributed power flow controller (DPFC), however, have made them possible solutions but still do not provide a quantitative comparison in similar dynamic conditions. In this paper, comparative performance analysis of UPFC and DPFC in 3 MW grid connected solar PV system using Matlab Simulink is presented. The two controllers are affected by same disturbances, namely irradiance step change at t = …

Performance Enhancement Of A Fully Integrated Solar Still Using Flat Plate Collector, Reflector, And Evaporative Cooling System, Joe Patrick Gnanaraj Sundararaj, Vanthana Jeyasingh

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Water scarcity has become a major global concern due to increasing population growth, industrialization, and depletion of freshwater resources. Solar desalination is considered an eco-friendly and sustainable solution, especially for rural and off-grid regions where conventional water treatment facilities are limited. However, conventional solar stills suffer from low productivity, which restricts their practical application. In this study, a fully integrated solar still system was designed and fabricated by incorporating a flat plate collector, front-wall reflector, and passive evaporative cooling arrangement. The system was experimentally tested under natural climatic conditions over seven consecutive days to evaluate temperature variation, distillate yield, and …

An Iterative & Analytical Hybrid Deep Learning Framework For Enhanced Brain Tumor Detection And Segmentation In Mri Video Scans, Swati V. Sakhare

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The critical need for accurate and robust brain tumor detection in MRI video scans is for early diagnosis and treatment planning operations. However, the existing methods suffer from several limitations, such as not being able to capture spatio-temporal features, handling class imbalances, and generalizing across datasets with diverse characteristics. To address these challenges, I propose a hybrid deep learning framework that integrates multiple advanced techniques to enhance the detection and segmentation of brain tumors. My approach starts by using the 3D CNN-LSTM (ResNet3D-LSTM) to extract spatio-temporal feature, which utilizes ResNet3D for spatial detail extraction and LSTM for temporal coherence across …

First-Job Contract Review Cheat Sheet, Johanna Jones-Morris, Ashlee Martellacci

Teaching and Learning Resources

This cheat sheet helps first-time employees understand what to review before signing an employment contract. It highlights job duties, compensation, scheduling, employment terms, benefits, restrictive clauses, worker classification, and common red flags so that individuals can ask informed questions and recognize potentially unfair or unclear terms.

Assessing Flood Resilience In West Virginia Communities: Integrating Physical, Institutional, Socioeconomic, And Environmental Dimensions, Anahita Mahmoudi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Flooding is one of the most frequent and damaging natural hazards in the United States, with impacts expected to intensify under changing climate conditions. In regions such as West Virginia, complex terrain, development patterns along river corridors, and socioeconomic disparities contribute to elevated flood risk. Traditional approaches to flood risk assessment often focus on single dimensions of vulnerability or rely on binary floodplain maps, which do not fully capture the spatial variability and multidimensional nature of flood resilience.

This dissertation develops an integrated, community-scale framework for assessing flood resilience in West Virginia by combining physical, environmental, institutional, and socioeconomic dimensions …

The Symbolic Language Of Militarized Orthodoxy In Patriarchal Sermons, Architecture, And Pseudo-Historical Memory, Oleksandr Lukyanenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article is devoted to a comprehensive cultural and religious analysis of the processes of militarization of religious worldview in modern Russia using the example of public speeches of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, as well as the symbolic space of the Main Temple of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Particular attention is paid to the study of the mechanisms of sacralization of war through the integration of historical memory, Orthodox rhetoric and the state ideology of the “Russian world”. The study analyzes the peculiarities of the interpretation of World War II as the sacred foundation of modern Russian …