Interior Architecture Commons^™

Soft Korsi: An Embodied Spatial Interior System For Communal Warmth, Faezeh Panahandeh

Graduate Final Projects

ABSTRACT

Soft Korsi: An Embodied Spatial Interior System for Communal Warmth reconceptualizes the historic Iranian Korsi as an innovative textile-based interior system. Traditionally, the Korsi functioned not only as a heating device but also as a spatial, material, cultural, and embodied system, which brought people together around a shared warm focal point. The integration of a heat source, textile coverings, floor seating arrangements, closeness of bodies, and domestic traditions related to warmth made possible a collective experience, rather than an individual or environmental one.

This design project seeks to address the disappearance of the Korsi from contemporary domestic environments as …

Jadughar: The House Of Magic, Dhruvi A. Shah

Masters Theses

Jadughar or the House of Magic is what people call a 'museum' in parts of South Asia. The practice of museum making, at its origin, is the act of collecting, preserving, interpreting and representing a culture’s tangible and intangible heritage to make it accessible to diverse audiences. Since the early 19th century such practices have been performed at various kala bhandars (art centers) in India, without the need of a formal or institutional organisation. The British introduced the model of a ‘museum’ in South Asia, with the aim of not only preserving ethnographic collections, but also showcasing their power and …

Care Ecologies Between Knots, Eliza R. Marris

Masters Theses

Discarded fibers like raw wool behave the way harm reduction does. Harm reduction resists stigma and works to move beyond assumptions and oversimplifications of substance use and addiction. Wool is irregular, complicated, and emotionally charged. It resists compression and maintains its own being even when pulled apart. Working with raw wool is in relationship with complexity, as is harm reduction.

At its core, harm reduction is grounded in thoughtfulness and empathy towards people, their lived experience, and its nuances. It is a witness to lives, memories, and imprints, acknowledging the entangled realities of addiction. Our detachment from fiber remainders, materials …

The Marathon Without Running: Experiencing A Runner's Sensorial Journey, Harin Kim

Masters Theses

The marathon is defined not by motion alone, but by the changing conditions a body moves through—and remains within—over time. Breath, cadence, heat, sound, crowd compression and attention fluctuate, producing phases that structure the race from within. These interior states are difficult to access by spectators from the sidelines, yet they are precisely what shape the runner’s experience.

This thesis begins with a simple but unconventional question: How can an exhibition translate the runner’s physical sensations and emotions into a multidimensional experience for spectators who do not run? Through a sequence of pop-up exhibitions placed along the New York City …

Real-Time Adaptable Residential Kitchen: A Plug-In Standard, Rachel Fuelberth

Masters in Architecture Program: Theses

This thesis looks at how a real-time adaptable standard could be put in place within the modern kitchen to allow for equitable use of the space by numerous members of the household and their differing physical characteristics. The residential kitchen is a fundamentally exclusionary architectural construction designed around able-bodied, average-height adults. This excludes children, the elderly, anyone outside of the average height, and people with mobility differences. The kitchen has never been a place of equity. It has been designed to be used by an average-height female, and it does not account for the discomfort of those outside this norm. …

Solitary Interiority In Hong Kong Public Spaces, Xia Bi, Kin Wai Michael Siu, Rosina Yuan

Interiority

Hong Kong's dense urban environment, constrained housing, and relentless tempo of everyday life create a context in which solitude is both scarce and valued. This article develops the concept of solitary interiority to capture how moments of solitude in public space generate interiority as a relational condition through the interplay of bodies, atmospheres, and cultural norms. Drawing on ethnographic interviews and multisensory experiential reflection, the article demonstrates how solitary interiority arises from the blurring of boundaries between the domestic and the urban, the self and others, and the private and the public. Individuals extend certain home-like qualities into public spaces, …

Built Different: Place, Identity, And The Holistic Well-Being Of Female Student Athletes, Jaye Mack

Theses and Dissertations

This research furthers the conversation surrounding holistic female student-athlete wellness, recognizing that their experiences can be inequitable – influenced by the intersectionality of race, gender, and athletic identity (Armstrong et al., 2018; Druckman et al., 2018; Neeley et al., 2021). This research accredits the physical environments where athletes train, recover, and connect as an underexplored factor in holistic well-being.

The Indivisible Self Model of Wellness (IS-WEL) was used to (1) explore the influence of physical design features on female student athletes' holistic well-being and (2) understand how their identity shapes how they experience and attach meaning to their team environments. …

Investigating The Relationship Between Noun Classes And Plant Folk Taxonomy In Chasu Language Of Kilimanjaro Region In Tanzania, Peter Rabson Mziray

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The current study investigates the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu (G 22). The study focuses on two objectives: the first objective is to describe the plant folk taxonomy in Chasu and the second objective is to determine the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu. Data were collected from rural villages in Same and Mwanga districts by using free listing, field interviews (jungle-walk-and-identify), and written texts containing Chasu plant names. The findings reveal that Chasu folk taxonomy reflects different ethnobotanical categories; including a unique beginner which is mmea/mimea ‘plant(s)’, and three life …

From A Shtetl House To An Urban Apartment: The Soviet Jewish Home Negotiated, Transformed, And Reimagined, Anna Kushkova

Jewish Folklore and Ethnology

This essay argues that despite the powerful forces of assimilation, official campaigns against Jewish religion/languages, and grassroots/state antisemitism, the “Jewish home” did not disappear, as is sometimes assumed, but continued to present a site of Jewish ethnic production and transmission, creativity, and resistance during the Soviet regime. In the Soviet Union, especially in the postwar period, Jewish ethnic culture was forced to leave the public sphere, where it became unwelcome and even dangerous, and withdrew into the less visible space of domestic interiors. The degree of Jewish public presence varied geographically: the situation was generally better in the Baltic Republics, …

A Green Concrete Mixture Using Rice Husk As Partially Cement Replacement, Khloud Khalid Eldamshiry, Zeina Salama, Amany Micheal, Rania Rushdy Moussa, Ayatallah Raafat

Architectural Engineering

Egypt's agricultural waste production has increased significantly in recent decades, leading to improper disposal methods and environmental pollution. Rice husks are the most common agricultural solid waste in Egypt, contributing to "black clouds" and causing health issues. On the other hand, Cement, a crucial component of construction materials, generates unsound residues and greenhouse gas emissions. Green concrete with rice husks could be a profitable solution for environmentally sound construction, reducing cement consumption and increasing the durability and integrity of new materials. This study investigates the use untreated rice husk fibres with a concrete mixture, avoiding burning and contributing to environmental …

Navigating Transportation Barriers: Older Adults’ Familiarity With New Mobility Options And Perceptions Toward Autonomous Vehicles In Arkansas, Arna Nishita Nithila, Suman Kumar Mitra, Michelle Gray, Alishia Juanelle Ferguson, Jennifer D. Webb

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The objective of this study is to analyze older adults’ familiarity with new transportation options (ride-hailing services, bike-share services, and shared e-scooter services) and their perception towards autonomous vehicles (fully autonomous cars), as well as how transportation barriers influence their familiarity and perceptions, in Arkansas, a predominantly rural state. Data from 775 older adults aged 60 years or older were collected between October 2021 and October 2022. To fulfill the study objective, the study used Latent Class Cluster Analysis to segment older adults into classes based on their familiarity with new transportation options and their perceptions of autonomous vehicles. The …

Flex-Spatialities: Interior Spaces, Play, And Fantasy, Camilo Lozano-Rivera

Interiority

This article examines how interior spaces in the digital age have evolved into flexible, adaptive environments shaped by technological mediation and shifting everyday practices. Focusing on smart homes and home offices, this article introduces the concept of flex-spatiality to describe how these spaces continually reconfigure in response to changes in needs and digital interfaces. Grounded in Gregory Bateson’s (1972) theory of play and fantasy, the study explores how interior spatiality operates on two levels: as a locus for expressing identities and as a structure for organising social interaction. Through Bateson’s distinction between metalinguistic and metacommunicative functions, flex-spatiality is framed as …

The Operational Performance Of Buildings In A Humid Subtropical Climate: Insights From Empirical Data And Assessment Models, Oluwafemi Awolesi

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis evaluates the operational performance of residential and non-residential buildings in a humid subtropical climate, emphasizing Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) and energy performance through empirical data and assessment models. Motivated by the increasing need for integrated sustainability evaluations, this study combines a systematic review with multi-method field investigations to advance understanding in this domain. The systematic review critically analyzed 99 case study articles, identifying dominant IEQ assessment methodologies and highlighting methodological inconsistencies that hinder cross-study comparability. Emerging computational approaches, although promising, remain underutilized. The review advocates for standardized, climate-responsive, and feedback-oriented evaluation frameworks. Field investigations assessed IEQ and energy …

Rethinking Green Building Development Through Policy And Operational Metrics: Insights From Baton Rouge And Beyond, Oluwafemi Awolesi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores the challenges and opportunities associated with the development, adoption, and performance of green buildings in regions with relatively low certification uptake, drawing insights from Baton Rouge and its parish system as a case study. It addresses three primary research questions: (1) How can the adoption rate of green buildings be enhanced? (2) How do certified buildings perform compared to their non-certified counterparts? (3) What operational metrics can be applied to better evaluate building performance in the future?

Using a mixed-methods approach, the study examines stakeholder perceptions in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, investigates energy performance, indoor environmental quality, …

From In To Out, Jaeyeon Shin

Masters Theses

In contemporary Korean society, where uniform ideals and social pressure often dominate, individuality—especially emotional individuality—can be difficult to maintain. This loss of personal agency has real consequences: mental and physical health challenges, including eating disorders, are on the rise.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 3 percent of the global population is affected by such disorders—roughly 1.55 million people in South Korea—despite the country having the lowest obesity rate among OECD nations. The increase, particularly among women in their teens to thirties, reflects the emotional toll of conforming to rigid societal standards.

Architecture is not merely a backdrop …

From Industrial Building To Affordable Senior Housing: An Idea Book Beyond Code, Weiyi Ma

Masters Theses

This thesis envisions a proposal to adaptively re-purpose Rhode Island’s extant industrial building stock into affordable housing tailored to the needs of its older and more vulnerable citizens. Architectural dignity, in terms of older citizens amidst this housing crisis, is the creation of living environments that honor their autonomy, comfort, and identity through design interventions that provide accessible, luminous, breathable, and socially enriching spaces, reaffirming their rightful place within the community. With humanistic care and logical rigor, it establishes a mathematical framework for assessment and execution, anchored in five criteria: light, air, space, accessibility, and livability, and presents itself in …

Terrashift, Mill Jignesh Shah, Mill Shah

Masters Theses

Keywords: Adaptive Reuse, Vernacular Craftsmanship, Food Security, Urban Agriculture, Community Revitalization, Heritage Preservation, Regenerative Design

In India’s rapidly urbanizing landscape, Tier-I cities continue to dominate as aspirational centers, leaving smaller towns to face depopulation, economic drift, and cultural amnesia. Terrashift challenges this imbalance by proposing a regenerative model that reclaims the vitality of Tier-II and Tier-III towns through the layered strategies of adaptive reuse, vernacular craftsmanship, and integrated food systems.

Centered in Sidhpur, Gujarat—a town rich with Bohra Muslim architectural heritage and centuries of Hindu-Muslim cultural synthesis—this project envisions the transformation of abandoned havelis into vibrant community anchors. These spaces, …

Transplant Transplant(Ed) Transplant(Ing), So Jung Yoon

Masters Theses

Boundaries shape our lives and identities. The tangible presence of boundaries becomes a medium for engaging with the world—such as who occupies a space and how, or what tools are deemed valid in a design process. These boundaries aren’t always visible; they’re embedded in systems, habits, and assumptions that shape how we move, create, and are recognized. They extend far beyond fixed geographies and the specific positions we occupy within them.

Transplanting is the process by which things are moved or move across boundaries in hopes of being planted, finding a place to stay. Though it can be a search …

Eos Wellness Center: Rethinking Inpatient Mental Health Facility Design, Emily Simms

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The design of mental health facilities significantly impacts patient outcomes, especially for individuals with depression. Environmental factors such as lighting, thermal comfort, and access to nature influence mental health. This research explores how architectural design can reduce self-harm incidents and enhance recovery outcomes for patients with depression. The project hypothesizes that synchronizing light patterns and thermal comfort with patients’ circadian rhythms will reduce self-harm incidents and improve recovery. The problem established in the research is that disruptions to circadian rhythms increase the risk of depression, PTSD, and anxiety by 30% (Burns et al., 2022). Suicide is also the second leading …

From Plate To Perception: A Comparison Between Fine Dining, Fast Casual, And Fast-Food Restaurant Lighting Design In Dallas, Texas, Allison Nicole Cain

Interior Design Undergraduate Honors Theses

This capstone explores the intersection of lighting psychology and interior design within restaurant environments, focusing on the impact that lighting design has on the dining experience. The research evaluates how lighting design varies across fine dining, fast casual, and fast-food restaurants in Dallas, Texas, and how it affects customers’ perceptions, emotions, and satisfaction. A mixed-method approach was used, combining qualitative interviews with industry professionals and restaurant employees with quantitative analysis of lighting parameters such as color temperature, illuminance, and fixture types across nine case studies. Key findings reveal that fine dining restaurants prioritize warm, high-contrast lighting to enhance intimacy, fast …

Affordable Architecture: Promoting Mental Health Through Cost-Effective Design In Underfunded High Schools In Dallas-Fort Worth, Raphaella Malicay

2025 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Mental health awareness has increased over the years as well as numerous strategies to support mental health. Some of these strategies include addressing the built environment. This paper explores the intersection between mental health and the built environment through the lens of affordable architectural methods that would be effective in underfunded secondary schools. This study examines how architecture influences students’ well-being and how certain design strategies can be implemented even in schools that lack the financial resources for adequate infrastructure. Here the focus is on investigating affordable solutions such as improving ventilation, optimizing natural light, having flexible learning spaces, and …

Eos Wellness Center: Circadian Rhythm & Mental Health Facility Design, Emily Simms

Symposium of Student Scholars

The design of mental health facilities significantly impacts patient outcomes, especially for individuals with depression. Environmental factors such as lighting, thermal comfort, and access to nature influence mental health. This research explores how architectural design can reduce self-harm incidents and enhance recovery outcomes for patients with depression. The project hypothesizes that synchronizing light patterns and thermal comfort with patients' circadian rhythms will reduce self-harm incidents and improve recovery.

The problem established in the research is that disruptions to circadian rhythms increase the risk of depression, PTSD, and anxiety by 30% (Burns et al., 2022). Suicide is also the second leading …

Design Solutions For Common Problems In Senior Living Facilities, Mary Schmidt

Senior Honors Theses

With the aging population of the United States, the prevalence of dementia rises along with its challenges for individuals in long-term care facilities. As cognitive function deteriorates, dementia patients face growing difficulties in performing daily activities. Common issues such as wayfinding, wandering, exit attempts, agitation, and a generally low quality of life plague most dementia patients at long-term care facilities. Design features can improve quality of life, safety, and coherence for residents with dementia at assisted living facilities. This paper examines existing research to present various design strategies that can enhance daily life for dementia patients in long-term care facilities. …

How Biophilic Design Impacts Office Spaces, Addison Carter

Honors Projects

Many working individuals experience burnout and dissatisfaction in their jobs. Although is this a result of individual mental strain, or are there other environmental factors contributing to the problem? This study investigates the impact of design on well-being and examines how biophilic design can serve as a solution to the negative effects certain architectural features may have on occupants. A literature review was conducted; it analyzed existing research on topics such as office design, biophilic design, and the influence of architecture on comfort and wellness. To explore how biophilic design can be applied in all settings, not just new construction, …

The Impact Of Visual Stimuli And The Properties Of Green Walls On Human Well-Being In Built And Immersive Virtual Environments, Alireza Sedghikhanshir

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The built environment significantly influences human well-being, particularly in the context of stress recovery and cognitive restoration. This dissertation investigates the impact of visual stimuli, particularly green walls, on human responses related to stress, restoration, and thermal comfort. The research is guided by three primary objectives: (1) examining the role of visual stimuli and their properties in promoting stress recovery and restoration, (2) evaluating the potential of Immersive Virtual Environments (IVEs) as tools for delivering and studying restorative environments, and (3) investigating the influence of green walls on indoor environmental conditions.

A series of experimental studies were carried out to …

Synchronizing Work And Teaching Practices With The Spatial Dna Of Distributed Work And Learning, Manju Aishwarya Adikesavan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Phygitality, the seamless and synergistic integration of physical and digital realms, is an indispensable and irrevocable part of contemporary office-based work. Phygitality facilitates spatially and temporally distributed or multi-local working where employees work from diverse locations such as their home, office, and third places at any time of day or night. It also makes nonterritorial working at temporary workspaces accessed on a session-by-session basis possible.

This dissertation examines how phygital, multi-local, and nonterritorial working reshape individual and group work behaviors, organizational spatial practices, work-centric settings, non-work-centric settings, neighborhoods, cities, and regions. The Spatial DNA of Distributed Work encapsulates a conceptual …

Soul Surfers Forced Into A Fragmented Exteriority, Siti Balkish Roslan, Nor Atiah Ismail, Sumarni Ismail

Interiority

This study explores the profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on soul surfers, individuals for whom surfing transcends mere sport to embody a spiritual, psychological, and physical communion with the sea and ocean. The pandemic’s restrictions, which limited access to the sea, challenged the core of soul surfing practices, prompting surfers to seek alternative means to sustain their connection with the sea and ocean. Through qualitative research, employing phenomenological analysis, theories of affordance, symbolic interactionism, and interpretive interviews, the study examines the transition from a natural exterior to a built interior, adapting their living spaces to maintain their surfing identity, …

A Fresh Breath: Study Abroad Sustainable Housing Expectations In Higher Education, Mary-Porcher S. Warner, Beth L. Mcgee

Honors College Theses

In 2017, Georgia Southern purchased the Convent of Perpetual Adoration for their latest Campus in Wexford, Ireland. This particular Convent is 147 years old and has a rich history in the community. With the purchase of this Convent, the University plans on repurposing the building into a living quarters for students who choose to study abroad. With this decision comes many more considerations, such as students' needs, comfort, and safety. A survey has been conducted where students from Georgia Southern University who had studied abroad in Wexford, Ireland answered a variety of questions about their experiences and preferences. The participants …

Three-Dimensionalization Mediates The Subjective Experience Of Fractal Interior Spaces, Joori Suh, William Stalker, Steen Pedersen, Assaf Harel

Psychology Faculty Publications

A fractal, a self-similar organic or geometric pattern that repeats at varying scales, is one of the most compelling characteristics found in nature. Previous studies on fractal patterns have demonstrated consistent trends in potential psychological benefits, such as stress reduction. However, we fall short of understanding one of the essential properties of fractals found in nature, i.e., the three-dimensionality of their appearance. In this study, we aimed at understanding the role of the three-dimensionalization of fractal patterns in spatial structures on human subjective perceptual experience. Two hundred seventy three-dimensional spatial prototype models were created for this study, spanning two dimensions: …

Ai Integration In Cultural Heritage Conservation – Ethical Considerations And The Human Imperative, Kholoud Ghaith

International Journal of Emerging and Disruptive Innovation in Education : VISIONARIUM

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the conservation of cultural heritage marks a significant transformation in preservation methodologies, heralding both innovative solutions and complex ethical dilemmas. This article undertakes a comprehensive examination of the multifaceted role AI plays in the conservation and restoration of cultural artifacts, buildings, and sites, underscoring the irreplaceable value of human skills and ethical judgment in this domain. Through an analysis of current research, case studies, and insights from professionals in the field, the paper elucidates how AI technologies—encompassing machine learning algorithms, digital twinning, and predictive maintenance—can enhance the accuracy and efficiency of conservation efforts. …