Architectural History and Criticism Commons^™

Building The Body, Jasmine Flowers

Masters Theses

Bodies and space co-produce each other and the process of co-production originates racializing and gendering work.

The concept, thesis, and subsequent design are informed by the historical context around the House for Josephine Baker by Adolf Loos. Presented here is the culmination of research which grounds itself in the relationship between Primitivism and Modernism, theory on the body and flesh, architectural graphic standards, spectacle, gaze, surveillance, hypervisibility, invisibility, implications of privacy versus publicity, expressions of Blackness and its place in femmehood (a neologism that expands “womanhood” to be trans-inclusive), all of which directly engage in co-production.

This co-production changes how …

House Calls, Gregory Goldstone

Masters Theses

This thesis explores the unique architectural challenges and opportunities present in rural communities, with a focus on addressing the crisis of affordable housing. Grounding the discussion in the author's personal experiences growing up in the rural town of Cambridge, New York, the thesis illuminates the diversity of identities, needs, and values that coexist within the rural context.

The thesis critically examines the architectural academy and its urban-centric biases, which have led to a neglect of rural design issues. It highlights the shortcomings of standard affordable housing approaches, such as public housing and mobile homes, in meeting the independent spirit and …

A Dispatch From The Site Office, Adrian Pelliccia

Masters Theses

In the middle of the 20th century, a rare confluence of political, economic, and cultural forces aligned to produce a slate of highly progressive policy and design agendas for social housing in the United Kingdom. A widely shared utopian ambition to house all people with dignity was made real by a motivated government and its well-resourced planning and architecture offices, tasked with bringing this vision to bear in the built environment. In London, the London County Council Architect’s Office and later local council-led architecture and planning offices were at the forefront of designing and delivering high quality, formally ambitious housing …

Dreampool, Xia Li

Masters Theses

DREAMPOOL is a spatial experience of virtual architecture based on the public bathhouses of northern China during the 00s - 10s. It focuses on the significance of nostalgia and the connection between architectural space and the spiritual world. The dreampool began with my interest in Bathhouse and Dreamcore videos that were popularized on the Chinese internet during the pandemic.

Like every nostalgia trend emerging, such as steampunk, some young Chinese people are starting to miss their childhood life around the year 2000 at a time when they are losing their public space and socialization. Public bathhouses, as a collective memory …

Folding (And Unfolding): A Site-Responsive Strategy For Reusing Construction And Demolition Waste, Jennifer Ansley

Masters Theses

Discarding—in its most reductive formulation— is a sorting operation that makes distinctions between materials (as well as objects, people, communities, and landscapes) based on perceived value. In her book Waste of the World, Nicky Gregson, therefore, argues for a more careful collection-curation strategy that revalues and re-signifies “waste” to make it available for repair and reuse. Gregson, however, points to limited space and infrastructural capacity as a potential barrier to the development of new material handling strategies. My design responds by proposing a network of walls and paths that operate in each of the sites I’ve identified as an …

Design With Decay, Charlotte Wyman

Masters Theses

The following project is an exploration and argument for greater acceptance of material change. The argument finds its narrative through the story of five historic coastal properties in Rhode Island that have become increasingly threatened by rising sea levels.

Despite undergoing foundation upheaval, relocation and leveling onto stilts, all but two homes remain intact. This project is a proposal for an alternative past in which the homes are not moved or raised, but instead ushered into states of decay that challenge our notions around sub-natures and their viability.

Beyond The Idle Machine: Spatio-Subjective Architecture, Andrew Schnurr

Masters Theses

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Icons Of Solitude: Peace, Quiet, And The Urban Condition, Jack Schildge

Masters Theses

The urban environment lacks sufficient public places to be alone, where individuals can feel free to seek respite from the intensity of city life. While solitude is easily achievable in the vast landscape of the natural world, it is something that must be carefully and deliberately carved out within the confines of the city and remains inaccessible to many. We’ve all heard of follies in the landscape, both sitting in remote places and dispersed throughout public parks in either case taking advantage of open space, but why couldn’t we carve room for follies in denser environments? What can be extracted …

Demonstration Dwellings: Building Racial Capitalism And Economic Cooperation In New Deal Housing, 1933–1942, Austin Ehrhardt

Masters of Environmental Design Theses

Beginning in 1933, the United States federal government initiated a series of historic investments in the nation’s housing infrastructure. Propelled by the convergence of the Great Depression and the Great Migration, New Deal administrators commissioned a network of segregated residential prototypes to operate as replicable models for private industry. At the core of the discriminatory program was the creation and circulation of federally-insured debt. Reading across federal records, correspondence circuits, and contemporaneous Black journals and newspapers, this thesis revisits struggles for land, property, and Black participation in the emergent housing-based economy. It explores the distributed networks within which the Black …

Modernism And National Identity In Architecture, Ahmed Shaker, Ehsan Sheikholharam Mashhadi

Symposium of Student Scholars

This paper discusses a comparative analysis of the architectural views of the Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy and the Swiss French architect Le Corbusier in terms of aesthetics, national identity, and materiality. This analysis will be reviewed from various perspectives regarding politics behind their projects, their architectural visions, and an analysis of their main projects: Fathy’s New Gourna Village and Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh Capitol Complex. In the 20^th century, Fathy, emphasized on sustainability, vernacular architecture, social awareness, and the Egyptian identity. However, Le Corbusier worked on modern urbanism, functionalism, and the usage of industrial materials. In terms of aesthetics, Fathy …

Resurgence, Caleb Willis

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

As much as technology has advanced in the past couple of centuries, it appears that the relationship between the architect and the site has only grown thinner. Working from home and technological advancements have created an environment that loosens the grasp that architects have with the site. Documents are sent directly to contractors over email, buildings are standardized and plotted unto any landscape desired, and buildings are demolished at the touch of a button. With this loss in connectivity, this project aims to reconnect the architect to their site, as they shall be issued land for development, not a building. …

The Question Of Design In The Context Of The First Australian Nations: Designing Reparations Through Decolonial Architecture, Eli Abamonte

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Forget about tourist postcards and picture-perfect landscapes. Australia's true heart beats in the ancient stories of the Indigenous communities that tell them, their vibrant cultural tapestry woven beneath the surface. My research dives into this tapestry, not as an Architect with blueprints imposing my own vision, but as a student with an open ear and collaborative spirit. Australia’s vastness holds countless stories, but my research led me deep into the heart of East Arnhem Land, where ancient legends whisper in the wind and the Yolngu people dwell. Anthropologists like Bruno Descola shattered my singular view of the world, revealing a …

Knit Architexture: Crafting A Feminine Narrative, Cameron Shapiro

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

During the industrial period, a transformative wave swept through the realm of architecture. The advent of new technologies gave rise to a sleek and polished modern form, marked by its concise, efficient lines. This era brought forth remarkable advances in construction technology, leading to significant improvements in structural integrity and architectural form. However, in the midst of these innovations, a certain artistic touch began to wane. The landscape became dominated by the repetitive replication of similar structures worldwide, leaving the artistry of craftsmanship fading into the past.

To address this growing concern, a solution emerges: the reintroduction of craft. Craftsmanship, …

Towards Sustainable Architecture: Exploring The Potential For Mold Making In Cob Building, Sarah Halldorson

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

With the call for sustainable design appearing to be on the rise in recent decades, cob can offer a unique solution for creating sturdy, long-lasting, environmentally friendly, and moldable homes. With the need for sustainability in architecture and construction becoming more evident, a return to well-documented ancient building practices that have proven to stand the test could create a unique solution for some wanting to find an alternative to modern construction and design. Traditionally a method of construction lacking an architect’s input and seen as a pure vernacular form of architecture, could added awareness and the ability to create more …

Towards A New Urbanism- Using Artificial Intelligence To Reconcile Modernist Aesthetics With New Urbanist Principles, Nicholas Hurley

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

As urbanization and densification of cities have become undeniable trends of the past few centuries, designers have theorized ways of building the ideal environment for its inhabitants to thrive. These methods include the Garden Cities, Late Modern Housing Estates, and New Urbanism. This study will focus on New Urbanism. Known for its reluctance to embrace new architectural styles and ways of building, incorporating contemporary architectural styles presents a challenge to the future applicability of New Urbanism.

To analyze this issue, this study will leverage the ability of Artificial Intelligence image generation software to evaluate the compatibility of New Urbanism principles …

Geometric Principles In Architecture Aesthetics, Vincent Gemmiti

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study focuses on geometric formalism in three major monuments across different architectural eras in time. The use of three distinct geometric principles to outline the use of pure or manufactured shapes and figures helps to discover and isolate an aesthetic component of architecture within which it is contained. A collection of studies are implemented and are focused on orthographic drawings from each monument in horizontality and verticality, consisting of a dual set of overlay and interpretative drawings for each type of orthographic representation for each monument. A discussion follows and highlights the changes or similarities over time the role …

Spatial Justice: Deductions, Demonstrations, And Derivations, Fabio Capra-Ribeiro

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Mapping Stratcom: The Architecture Of Offutt, The U.S. Military, And Strategic Command, Anna Miles

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Architecture and the military have always been intertwined. The built environment both on and off U.S. military installations responds to the events, history, and influences of the military. This project explores one example of this by investigating the history of the United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, through the lens of architecture.

When exploring USSTRATCOM, this project aims to understand not only its history, but also its impact: on Offutt, on the world, and most importantly, on architecture. Firstly, the project explores the history of the military in the state of Nebraska and …

Multihalle Pavilion: The Renovation Of An Innovative, Experimental Structure From The 1970s, Steffen Lehmann

Architecture Faculty Research

This article discusses the significance and challenges of renovating a unique 1970s experimental timber building and iconic structure: the Multihalle Pavilion in Mannheim (Germany), which has the world’s first and largest self-supporting wooden grid shell roof structure. Originally conceived as a temporary structure for the 1975 Federal Garden Exposition, Multihalle uses a lattice grid shell structure with gentle curves, remarkably slim profiles, and a translucent roof. The term ‘grid shell’ refers to a doubly curved surface formed from the lattice of timber with uniform spacing in two directions. Furthermore, this was one of the first buildings in Germany whose plan …

At The Death Of Architecture: Frank Lloyd Wright's Dreams Of America In Japan, Matthew L. Delgaudio

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

In 1832, French writer Victor Hugo declares the death of the edifice as a result of the totalizing popularity of Gutenberg’s printing press since the fifteenth century. American architect Frank Lloyd Wright would echo this sentiment to an intrigued Chicago audience almost 70 years later in his 1901 lecture, “The Art and Craft of the Machine.” The argument went that architecture, chief among the arts, would employ ornament, applied art, and symbolic meaning to capture and spread lasting imprints of human thought before the book usurped this position on account of its greater efficiency in accomplishing the same ends. While …

A Material History Of The Early Eighteenth-Century Cod Fishery In Canso, Nova Scotia, Adrian Lk Morrison

Northeast Historical Archaeology

In the early eighteenth century, Canso, Nova Scotia housed an influential Anglo-American fishing and trading community with far-reaching connections across Europe and the Americas. The islands were inhabited by a small permanent population joined each year by hundreds of migratory workers who established seasonal operations along their shores. Despite high hopes for long-term development, success would be short lived. Canso was a volatile space: the islands were contested territory and existed within a tense and turbulent frontier. The settlement was attacked multiple times and was destroyed in 1744. This paper draws upon new research and previous archaeological studies to discuss …

Photography, Architecture, And Environment: An Architectural Analysis Of Edward Ruscha’S 26 Gasoline Stations, Rebecca Tonguis

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

This presentation explores Edward Ruscha’s photobook 26 Gasoline Stations through an architectural lens. Specifically, it treats Ruscha’s work as historic evidence of how consumption, industry, and commodity have infiltrated all kinds of environmental contexts through architectural manifestations. Known for being the first artist’s book, 26 Gasoline Stations ambiguously exists as both fine art and documentation of everyday conditions, with the overall graphic character highlighting its perceived focus on overarching narrative. Since gasoline stations are the primary subject of each of the 26 photographs, the subject of this work is arguably architecture, suggesting that the historic relationship between mass gas consumption—or …

Urban Waterfront Revitalization As A Regenerative Tool Of Sustainable Cities, Nora M. Rehan

Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ)

Waterfronts are regarded as one of the most crucial components of urban development as they connect water elements to the urban fabric. They provide residents with opportunities to engage in essential waterfront activities, which contribute to the area's social, economic, urban, and environmental importance. Urban places with waterfronts are more valuable and help people visualize certain scenes in their mind maps. Egypt boasts numerous waterfronts with distinct locations, particularly Port Said city, which overlooks the Suez Canal along the city's tourist walkway. This significant site is considered the cornerstone of the world and the meeting point of the continents of …

Formal And Color Indications In The Design Of Billboards On The Facades Of Buildings In The City Of Salt: An Analytical Study, باسم العبيدي, علاء الشرع

Jerash for Research and Studies Journal مجلة جرش للبحوث والدراسات

The graphic design, especially the billboards installed on the fronts of shops, public and private buildings, and columns, is considered one of the creative arts due to its wide spread among societies and its different layers and complementary to human activities and in keeping with the industrial and commercial development that resulted in artistic production that is characterized by creativity and innovation in a conscious spirit with aesthetic values for the purpose of Achieving the goal and the goal, which is an activity or product in accordance with general and beneficial principles to achieve an end, and it should generate …

The Role Of Symbolic Resistance In The Permanence Of Islamic Forms, Riyam Rajab Fanjan Rr.

Emirates Journal for Engineering Research

The Islamic forms reflect a symbolic content and spiritual and ideological dimensions. Between their resistance to change and their response to the formal transformations resulting from technology and contemporary techniques, new ideas and forms are generated. This puts the Islamic form in a challenge that could lead to its emptying of its symbolism and semantic expressions and between its flexible transitions across time and space. Therefore, the research raises the concept of resistance (symbolic-formal) that is known as the interconnected relationship between form, meaning, symbol, and spiritual values. Therefore, the research problem appears " The variation and formal diversity of …

Reconstruction Of The Neglected: Cal Poly’S Old Powerhouse, Sophie Meier, Morgan Cuthbert, Luke Zamlich

Architectural Engineering

Cal Poly’s Old Powerhouse (BLDG 76) is the only remaining building from the original Polytechnic school left on campus. It was built in 1910 and placed on the national registry in 1993. The Powerhouse used to do exactly what its name implies, provide power to campus. After it retired from its purpose, it was used for many other use cases, particularly as a space for the College of Architecture and Environmental design. Through its time, it was used as a classroom space, pottery/creative space, a workshop, and even once contained a fishpond. The building was then abandoned in 1990, a …

A Municipal Modernity: Women, Architecture, And Public Health In Working-Class New York, 1913–1950, Jessica Fletcher

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

“A Municipal Modernity” is the first study to analyze the architectural history of the district health centers in New York City that women reformers and their allies founded to address poor health in working-class communities. It reveals that women’s philanthropic adaptive re-use was foundational to the architecture of the public health care in New York and led to a program of municipal district health centers. Philanthropic reformers adapted buildings in the 1910s and 1920s to provide affordable health care for low-income women and children in European immigrant and Black neighborhoods. During the New Deal, municipal officials followed the example set …

Lost & Found (Game Series) [Book Chapter], Owen Gottlieb

Articles

Description of game series for use in the classroom with best practices.

Reframing Perceptions Of Signares In French Colonial Senegal, Gabriela E. Weaver

Swarthmore Undergraduate History Journal

Fifteenth to nineteenth-century French Colonial Senegal was a period of unprecedented cultural contact and convergence in Western Africa. With these interactions came new social hierarchies and the emergence of the signare identity. Signares were wealthy mixed-race and African Women who became involved with French men. This paper examines nineteenth-century art by Frenchman David Boilat and Stanislas Darondeau, and the eighteenth-century house of signare Anne Pepin. It critiques the racism and sexism depicted within Boilat and Darondeau’s work as well as its misinterpretations by contemporary scholars Mark Hinchman and George E. Brooks. Signares were knowledgeable entrepreneurs rather than manipulative and seductive …

Visual Privacy As An Approach To Improve Human Needs In Residential Buildings In Egypt, Inas Samir Ibrahim, Walaa Nour, Mustafa Alwan

Journal of Engineering Research

Architecture reflects a nation’s cultural, social, and environmental characteristics. As a result of the recent globalization, countries have lost their distinctive architectural identities; due to this, it is difficult to identify A country’s unique identity locally and regionally. Specifically, in Egypt, houses in the traditional style are considered one of the most iconic architectural styles. There is an amazing local identity and a unique spatial quality in the region that characterizes Egypt. On the other hand, Western influences have caused many of the values and attributes of houses to fade. One of the most prominent values is the home’s loss …