Architecture Masters Theses
Recent Submissions
Item No place like home: reclaiming historic urban spaces into a community of care
(2026) Aridano, Seth;This architectural thesis explores the adaptive reuse of an abandoned site surrounding an existing church, repurposing it for community programs and surrounding it with intergenerational, low-income, and accessible housing. This project reimagines the church site as a vibrant community anchor, preserving cultural heritage while integrating essential services and medical staff, and providing public amenities. Through sustainable design and intentional land use, the proposal establishes a resilient model of housing and healing that strengthens social connection and supports diverse populations. By integrating therapeutic design principles with existing architectural design theories, this study will propose a new framework for community care that is both adaptive and human-centered, redefining how built environments can enhance quality of life for individuals within the community. It challenges conventional housing models by demonstrating how the built environment can serve as a platform for healing and social cohesion.Item Hybrid habitats: rethinking urban form for flexible work and inclusive living
(2026) Kushol, Syed Abu Sufian;The rise of remote and hybrid work in the post-COVID era has fundamentally disrupted conventional urban patterns, exposing the inadequacy of traditional zoning models that rigidly separate residential, commercial, and public functions. As approximately 23% of the U.S. workforce currently engages in remote work—a figure projected to reach 35% by 2035—cities face urgent pressure to reimagine the built environment in response to evolving lifestyles and spatial needs. This thesis, Hybrid Habitat, proposes a new neighborhood model that integrates affordable living, flexible workspaces, and shared social infrastructure within a cohesive, sustainable urban framework. Focusing on Indianapolis, Indiana - a city emblematic of Midwest hybrid work adoption - the research identifies the former GM Stamping Plant site as a catalytic brownfield opportunity for adaptive urban regeneration. Through multi-scalar design strategies spanning individual live/work units, co-living typologies, and a community-scale social corridor, the project challenges the separation of home and work while fostering social connection, inclusivity, and ecological resilience. An energy-positive environmental strategy integrating passive design with solar, wind, and geothermal systems addresses the increased energy demands of hybrid living. Ultimately, Hybrid Habitat offers a replicable prototype for 21st-century neighborhoods—adaptive, community-centered, and responsive to the irreversible transformation of how and where people work.Item Marine Urbanism: The Impact of Sea Level Rise on the Identity of Future Cities of the Bahamas
Osborne, Kenyon;As the reality of climate change continues to augment the dangers of flooding and sea level rise in the world today, it is imperative that innovative methods of adaptive urbanization be considered to sustain the earth's growing populations. This paper presents an exploration into a dynamic form of urban implementation that may present a new frontier for resilience in future cities built in The Bahamas. Interviews conducted with locals, inclusive of educators, researchers, architects and government officials help to assess the effectiveness of current flood prevention strategies and measure public interest for marine living and its opportunities. Recent articles along with the data from local sources such as newspapers and online news organizations provide data that paint a narrative for the need of resilient urban implementation. Scientific literature and case studies reveal the exclusive advantages that maritime urban environments present for resiliency, social, and economic stability. The goal of this paper is to illustrate how a floating urban setting can not only neutralize the flood threat to future cities built in the Bahamas but also increase their capacity for economic improvement and sustainability.Item The Kush Train to Promote Patrimonial Tourism of the Ancient African of Kush, as a Means to Rejuvenate the Economy of Sudan
Mahgoub, Samah;In the Sudan, decreasing economic viability has depleted the country’s capital resources resulting in poverty, unemployment, and inequitable opportunities for its citizens. The paper discusses the following question: can architectural strategies supporting tourism assist in rejuvenating the economy of Sudan? To address this question, the following case studies are discussed: The Adrère Amellal Oasis project in the Siwa Oasis at the western desert of Egypt. Sudan and its bordering country Egypt, shares history and resources, and the project translates through architecture, how economic sustainability can be introduced into harsh environments through the hospitality industry. At the same time, the tourism of Sudan’s regional neighbor Uganda will be reviewed as an economic analysis of the impact of tourism on Uganda. While to better understand the impact of the build environment on an international level, the Boston Freedom Trail will be analyzed as a visual application at an urban scale, which connects historical tourist attractions. These examples have similarities in different aspects that can be abstracted to applicable input in Sudan. A brief overview of the history of Sudan is offered to present the kingdoms and related tourism attractions and relevant data. Economic based theories can be used to strategize the investment on the short and long term to address how tourism can help save the economy of Sudan. For example, contributions in hospitality and cottage industries, which can be reflected through modern and vintage textile fabrics weaving techniques created within the community, will enhance the overall experience of tourism. In addition to increased tourism, weaving techniques can be translated to architectural facades. The goal of this paper’s inquiry is to propose the Kush Train as an architectural intervention of different projects, that can reflect the identity of a culture, and to invest within Sudan through tourism.Item Environmental Medicine: Healing Through Creative Process
Balzano, Mia;Art therapy is an effective method of helping people - not only to recover from illness - but also to recognize how personal experiences affect oneself and others. Art therapy uses a combination of therapeutic reasoning and creative expression in order to decrease anxiety in an unconventional manner versus more traditional therapies including typical counseling or the use of medications. This hand-on approach helps those involved to better contextualize one's circumstance and environment through the immersion in the integrative, reparative and restorative process of making and creating which illustrates for the patient a process of release through expression. In this approach, the process takes precedent over the outcome, reinforcing the critical aspect of allowing one's intuition, connected to the subconscious and unconscious areas of the brain, to emerge what is invisible to us and make it visible. As part of the foundation of art therapy, both patients and their therapists need appropriate environments to fully explore and leverage therapeutic processes. The patient requires an environment that empowers and encourages one to safely explore and examine uncomfortable emotions, memories, perhaps even traumatic experiences. This type of expression-based treatment differs from many other therapeutic approaches in that it strives to simulate the image-based region of the brain that arises early in one's development, and in which memories are contained. For those who struggle to communicate effectively through verbal other normative means, art therapy can be most effective - especially with adolescents, whose brains still have plasticity and have not yet fully developed. it is this researcher's hypothesis that supportive environments can assist patients in the articulation of difficult remembrances. Similarly, the art therapist's role in stimulating the memories of a patient requires an environment that helps to build and strengthen a trust-based rapport in order to most effectively assist the patient in acquiring the insight and skill necessary to successfully manage their behavior in the expanded environments that comprise their daily lives. This paper explores the architectural aspects of adaptive healing environments that support the essential relationship between patient and therapist, and allows a patient to continuously progress through their unique prescribed program and eventually successfully navigate their daily lives. By fully understanding and documenting the atmospheric and phenomenal needs of both patient and therapist throughout the therapeutic process, the design of the architectural environment can be leveraged to augment the sensory and creative experiences central to a patient’s healing path.Item Redefining Public Spaces in Egypt: Architecture of Change and Ownership Empowered by Citizens
Eid, Samia;Architecture and Politics are connected in various ways, and one of the most notable functions of architecture in a political context is to reflect on the voice and needs of the people. This paper asks how architecture can become a catalyst for citizens to gain ownership of public spaces specifically, in Egypt. As an Egyptian citizen, I experienced the 18 days of the Egyptian revolution when people were able to temporarily gain their right to urban public spaces. As an architect, how can my design facilitate community engagement with public spaces becoming part of the city? I challenge the way, we Egyptians currently design, inhabit and create urban public spaces. This paper introduces a new concept of public spaces in Egypt by proposing a space where people have the power to create the place around them through communication, freedom, art, expressing ideas, and using technology. I suggest the principles of the revolution into the architectural design that means, redefining the traditional relationship between the architect and the community members focusing on a participatory design process. By creating urban public spaces through architectural strategies that respond to people’s need, physical site, history, memory and that promote expression, gathering, and becomes a physical connection to the city. Interviews were conducted with citizens (stakeholders), planners, and those engaged in architectural practice and study in Egypt. Case studies include Downtown Cairo’s urban planning, in general, and, specifically, Tahrir Square is a major case study.Item Meaningful Development: Value Producing Architecture
Thomas, Mark;I identify as a design-oriented entrepreneur, or "archipreneur." Most architects find themselves serving clients who ultimately make the key decisions. The architects of the 21st century should seek to strategically develop their projects as multi-faceted investments for themselves, their communities, and the environment. By taking on an entrepreneurial attitude of practice, projects can be developed with a sensitivity to issues deemed important by the designer, in addition to the obvious economic parameters. This strategy not only empowers architects to develop work they find meaningful, but it allows them to secure a less encumbered position upon outside resources - potentially leading to revenue streams greater than those from typical fee for service models. Following thorough market and contextual analysis, entrepreneurial designers can seek to create spaces that positively impact their immediate environment in a variety of ways. Areas of importance, such as: community investment, sustainable design, site sensitivity, and social responsibility can be the driving forces - instead of afterthoughts. These principles, paired with a design-oriented business plan, can yield meaningful and profitable developments, This is where good development can emerge. From a situation where traditional solutions are neither desired nor feasible, the archipreneur's creativity can evolve unhindered to resolve issues in non-traditional ways.Item Disobsolesence: an approach to obsolete industrial sites within the rust belt
Monroe, William Terry;The rust belt region of the United States, a once prosperous industrial epicenter for the world, suffered from rampant disinvestment, deindustrialization, and a shrinking population since its height in the postwar period. Paired with post-war urban sprawl, urban centers in the region have been in constant decline until recently when re-investment efforts have begun gaining widespread popularity. Given this, my thesis explores the viability of rehabilitating the numerous former industrial buildings throughout the region. Specifically, I will look to Toledo, OH, and the Great Lakes Terminal Warehouse as a design case study built upon identified principles for redevelopment. While many redevelopment efforts are hampered by a lack of community and market demand and bureaucratic procedures that require a site to be either fully occupied or fully vacant, my proposal offers a range of possibilities for postindustrial sites depending on specific conditions. While some sites may be fully viable for adaptive reuse, others present opportunities to retain meaning for surrounding communities through various uses beyond traditional market-based development practices or community-based rehabilitation strategies. My thesis will explore these options in the context of the Great Lakes Terminal Warehouse, and project their possibilities on sites throughout the Rust Belt. To analyze these possibilities, I will create a framework for analysis that can be applied to a series of sites throughout the region that could be tailored to any given city, site, and building conditions. Additionally, I will explore the more ephemeral and material nature of these buildings as historical artifacts and explore their possibility to convey larger narratives around local and regional identity, along with how buildings’ material and historical identity affects a consumer’s direct relationship with such facilities.Item Cricket for the people: designing stadium for the 21st century global community
Patel, Shravan;Cricket is a popular sport that is played in many countries around the world. It is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players. The game is known for its unique rules and terminology, including the use of a pitch, wickets, runs, and overs. Cricket is a sport that requires strategy, skills and teamwork, making it a popular choice for players and spectators alike. Cricket has a significant cultural and social impact, particularly in countries where it is widely played. It is also a sport that promotes diversity and inclusivity, with players of different backgrounds and nationalities representing their teams. Cricket has a growing presence in the United States, with the sport being played at various levels nationwide. However, cricket has struggled to gain mainstream popularity in the United States, with many Americans unfamiliar with the sport and its rules. As the immigrant population grows in the US, those from the formerly colonized British diaspora in particular are helping the sport to grow in popularity. These largely grassroots efforts result in many informal leagues and weekend pickup matches. However, the dominance of US major league sports and the broader professional sports industry prevents a broader cultural representation in the US of those who play cricket. Historically, cricket allowed local populations to take the British imposition of colonial rule and adapt it into their own cultural practices. Similarly, my goal for this project is to find ways to effectively represent the numerous immigrant communities on my chosen site in Dallas, Texas, while integrating with other local populations and sports culture. To do so, I will design a cricket stadium that is representative of these various groups. I will explore architectural languages of pre and post colonial sports architecture, as well as the everyday immigrant experience, and their expressions of material culture in their neighborhoods. Together, I will challenge the architectural primacy of the stadium as an extension of Western-inspired modernist architecture. Through a combination of architectural programs, events, and symbols, I plan to design a stadium that is reflective of a broader diaspora, while being responsive to other local conditions.Item Architecture For Crisis: Designing a Space Between Public Realms and Healthcare Facilities
Promee, Zerin Tasnim;In 2020, when COVID-19 hit worldwide, many nations ran out of capacity for hospitals, treatments, and facilities, forcing hospitals to expand their facilities beyond their traditional physical boundaries. Even with advanced technologies, supply chains, and economic resources, the question remains for US healthcare and its communities: are people prepared for the next pandemic? Historically, pandemics created similar conditions where overflow facilities and field hospitals were set up in iconic sites such as New York’s Central Park during the tuberculosis epidemic. This thesis explores this connection between public space, healthcare, and architecture’s role in crisis events. When the pandemic hit, people built numerous permanent health facilities and temporary field hospitals, transforming public places into alternative care sites. The temporary structures built into the public domain were so abundant that most were dismantled and unused, foreclosing any possible long-lasting connection between the public realm and healthcare. On the other hand, permanent healthcare facilities, such as hospitals, operate on their own spatial and technological logic, often creating no broader connection to the surrounding context or community, creating a sense of barrier to the public. Typically, hospitals were designed so that only the served and service providers could access them, even though they had a large occupancy in the community sphere, opening questions related to broader notions of “care work” that often happens in the public domain. This thesis will explore the coexistence, revitalization, and regeneration of health facilities and public spaces. It studies the health and social risk factors based on the overlapping vulnerabilities of the high mortality rate, low community resilience, flood, rising sea levels, poverty, and the possibility of another pandemic. The thesis will research and apply the idea in Miami, Florida. Specifically, the thesis aims to study the current situation of existing healthcare facilities, how they responded to the last pandemic and natural disasters, the flexibility of these facilities, and community resilience. Based on these prompts, I propose redesigning the existing facilities to expand their capacity to serve more patients and accommodate additional staff by extending it into a community facility and turning it into a satellite hospital in the case of the following health crisis. It is also essential for the facility to remain engaged with the community and continue to be involved in public activities, which is a primary concern of this thesis.ning the existing facilities to expand their capacity to serve more patients and accommodate additional staff by extending it into a community facility and turning it into a satellite hospital in the case of the following health crisis. It is also essential for the facility to remain engaged with the community and continue to be involved in public activities, which is a primary concern of this thesis.Item Reclaim, remediate, & revitalize: environmental injustice in Detroit, MI
Curtis, Christopher, Jr.;This thesis study investigates the effects of living in toxic communities and the relationship between humans and the natural environment. The industrial revolution brought many new forms into urban/industrial cities. With the rise of factories, automobiles, and landfills near residential neighborhoods, air, and soil pollution have become an issue. Focused on how racist and bad city planning has affected residents’ health causing cancer and asthma by allowing hazardous facilities in residential neighborhoods. During the research process in learning about toxic communities, it was found that poor people and minorities live in low-cost real estate/land, and that attracts polluters such as industrial factories. It was found in Hamilton’s research that polluters are actively trying to be in the low-priced and income communities because the locations had lower chances that polluters would get fined for breaking zoning laws. City landfills, factories, cars, and residents all play a role in the negative effects of air quality. This thesis explores how architecture and urban design are complicit in and can offer solutions to, the ongoing legacy of pollution in industrial cities. The design purpose of my thesis is to be a community asset that represents all the history of the site, remediate the environment and be a resource to the community. The goal of my thesis is to Reclaim, Remediate, and Revitalize the Oakwood Heights neighborhood of Detroit MI. My main thesis question is “How can architectural designs contribute to environmental well-being while also finding imaginative alternatives to traditional plaques for preserving memories?” How does pollution affect architecture? What does the integration of nature and architecture look like? Do you integrate nature in architecture as a precedent of building form or as an architectural component? How can architectural materials combat air immersions of smoke and smog? The goal of my research is not to solve the problem of air pollution but instead to show how we may have to make changes to architecture and lives if air quality continuously decreases. Also, the goal is to create a program that can be implemented in highly polluted areas that help combat air pollution. This topic takes us down a deep dive into how racial discrimination has affected housing and zoning. The racial discrimination of redlining and clustering, made industrial factories cluster in certain neighborhoods which caused residents to gain health issues. How can communities use architecture to visualize invisible conditions of harm, such as pollution? Rather than positioning any solution as one that assumes or seeks to recreate an unadulterated natural environment, this project explores how architecture can respond to real, rather than ideal, forms of environment. Research for this thesis was collected from secondary qualitative and quantitative sources. Structured interviews were conducted with 5 residents.Item Rethinking the world expo
Afifiyan, Erfan;Throughout history, the World’s Fair has brought together nations to share accomplishments, technological advances, industrial might, architectural experimentation, and cultural identity. World’s Fair buildings are largely temporary structures, which often leave a significant carbon footprint and sites that are difficult to adapt after their use. Additionally, the current nature of World’s Fairs tends to favor specific countries through their pavilion sizes, dollars invested, and prominence within the broader master plan. More recently, fairs of this size tend to increasingly rely on private investors, pressuring the pavilions to act more as advertisements for specific companies or industries than as cultural representations of a given. This project tries to bring the world “architecturally” together and becomes a world Expo for all people through the design of an alternative World’s Fair. To more accurately represent the multiple cultures at the World’s Fair, I will: assess historical case studies to find successful examples; analyze the funding structures that further some agendas while minimizing others: analyze afterlife of previous world fairs; and spatially analyze World’s Fair sites to understand how they spatially prioritize some countries and ultimately leave an unsustainable carbon footprint. As a design proposal, I intend to redefine the current trend of making monumental pavilions and plan to instead make sites more equitable for all cultures involved. To do so, I will explore ideas to make the Expo transnational for all people around the world instead of country based pavilions, as well as try to create a new expo format in order to address the afterlife of the expo and its equitability.Item Itinerancy and shelter in the 21st century: exploring dignified living solutions for unsheltered communities
Whitaker, Macy Dana;According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the numbers of homeless individuals has been on the rise since 2017, increasing 2% between 2019 and 2020 alone (“State of Homelessness: 2021 Edition). With statistics like these, the existing solutions in the form of homeless shelters or other affordable housing options cannot accommodate the numbers of people that need support. Shelters and other social service sites can quickly become overcrowded, and there are other factors at play that may deter some people from seeking out shelter services. Currently, solutions for housing the homeless are largely stationary and don’t take into consideration the movement patterns of the population they serve. Relegated to more simple forms of portable shelters, the most popular options for those living on the streets are camping tents, pitched in any location with enough space, whether it is public or private. Today, we see people successfully living and thriving in forms of itinerancy besides homelessness. These conditions range from nomadic communities across the globe to social media influencers traveling in remodeled cargo vans. Bringing to light a variety of situations that call into question what many people associate with the term “itinerancy” will start to challenge and destigmatize the way we think about the condition of homelessness. In my design thesis, I will study the support systems, cultures, and methods of building and movement of multiple migratory communities, to begin to understand the tactics that have allowed some of these mobile lifestyles to endure and provide comfort for the people who live them. To explore these topics, I will map out urban and rural conditions to understand how access to amenities and social services vary by the location in which people live. In addition to mapping, I will provide visual and spatial comparisons of shelters used by other groups of mobile people, as well as inventories of personal possessions to better understand living conditions and needs. These methods will aid in exploring the possibilities of integrating successful aspects of traditional and modern itinerant living into America’s homelessness epidemic to design a community based alternative living environment for people experiencing homelessness in Akron, Ohio.Item Symbiosis: Revitalizing Houma tribal identity through community cultural spaces
Singhal, Ayushi;Earth’s climate has altered over time. There have been seven glacial advance and retreat cycles in the last 650,000 years, with the abrupt conclusion of the last ice age marking the start of the con temporary climate era – and human civilization. The current warming trend has been the product of human activities since the mid-twentieth century, and it is occurring at an unprecedented rate span ning millennia. Notably, countries in low-lying areas and small islands are concerned that their land areas would be decreased due to inundation and coastal erosion, and, at worst, a large proportion of their population may be forced to leave their land and migrate. Although climate change impacts all communities, Indigenous peoples are among the first and most severely affected. Indigenous peoples are frequently connected to the land; many tribes depend on fishing and hunting for sustenance and spend time outside for spiritual or cultural reasons. Indigenous peoples have long recognized the close ties between their land, water, and animal and plant life. Traditional practices and lifestyles may be adversely impacted by climate change-related harm to the land, the water, and living things, resulting in great distress. Additionally, displacement brought on by climate change may compel individuals to abandon their ancestral homes, leaving them vulnerable on the social, economic, and cultural levels. In an attempt to restore the cultural identity of one such tribe, This Thesis project would study the tribes of Houma based in south Louisiana and attempt to provide them with a unique tribal center that would provide them a sense of pride and ownership in their lost land and help revive and share their culture and practices with the world around them.Item Empowered networks: exploring digital equity & spatial subversion in the rohingya refugee settlements
Rachana, Tanzim;This thesis aims to re-investigate effective placemaking in the humanitarian context, particularly in the Rohingya refugee crisis in Bangladesh. It will explore the impact of design in promoting digital equity within existing spatial subversions in the refugee camps. The empowerment of underprivileged populations through digital literacy and equity has been an emerging topic in the design field for the last two decades. On the other hand, the global crisis of refugee settlements and the geopolitical debates regarding the physical and socio-cultural rehabilitation of informal and forced migration across countries continue to persist. The Rohingya population from Myanmar, often called “the world’s most persecuted minority”1, has been forcefully displaced and is confined within the refugee camps in the coastal borders of the neighboring country Bangladesh. While they are thriving in a status quo with the repatriation in stasis, the settlements continue to grow, creating complex challenges regarding the spatial design, functioning of the community, and their empowerment within the closed boundaries. This thesis is an attempt to explore how multi scalar mapping can reveal impactful socio economic dynamics concerning the design complexities in a refugee settlement, which often gets out of focus from a top-down aerial perspective. Moreover, the prevalent practices regarding the use of digital tools in design are often indifferent to the questions of digital equity among the underprivileged population and in the accommodation of relevant needs of technology and energy sources in the camps. Although initiatives to improve Internet accessibility, such UNHCR's Connectivity for Refugees and NetHope, advance and increase programmatic research on usage and accessibility, there is still “a persistent gap between idealized visions of what digital connectivity could achieve (globally) and evidence about how new connectivities are used in specific contexts” (Smart et al., 2016).22 Design interventions have the potential to work as a subversive advocate for the refugees in this situation, to bring out their voices and needs from a bottom-up approach of spatial dissection. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the dynamics of place-making within the critical socio-cultural context of the refugee camp and the ways to promote digital equity through design. This has a major impact on shifting the socio-economic paradigm in the settlements and ensuring long-term resilience and empowerment for the refugees. The research will be conducted in the existing Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh as the case study. The final aim is to explore adaptive alternatives in placemaking, within the digital infrastructure of the camps, which will empower the refugees to create an agency for themselves that reciprocates the context specific paradoxes.Item Evaluating cross cultural courtyard housing for social well being in Manhattan, New York
Nuzrat, Soniha;My inspiration towards working on housing living community emerged from the environment where I grew up in Bangladesh. I lived in a neighborhood where people avoided community places and lived alone. Housing affects both the material and immaterial aspects of urban life, hence it's vital in deciding quality of life. After moving to the U.S., I noticed a lack of community gatherings in housing where I live. Community housing provides an opportunity for some to live a happier life along with other people by sharing common spaces in dwelling and community spaces. Although problems may never be completely avoided, as contrast to the isolated environment of a more conventional neighborhood. Co-living establishes a sense of community through communal kitchens, living areas, and backyards, yet each resident lives in a fully equipped apartment. Community spaces in housing's effects on physical and mental health, as well as quality of life and wellbeing, have been examined in certain papers. (Carrere, J., 2020) However, these articles have not properly analyzed the relation of community gathering spaces and the domestic spaces and also the residents’ behavior towards those spaces. The focus of my thesis is to encourage communal living through the exploration of courtyard housing. My preliminary research included precedent analysis and literature review on the community living and housing design projects to establish a baseline of best practices to alleviate social isolation and loneliness. From the precedent analysis the idea of housing community areas design and the housing units’ development will be introduced. My paper will use courtyard patterns to illustrate the relationship between community spaces and residents of co-housing not only horizontally and but also vertically to reduce the mental health issue of people living there. So, my argument is not only the common shared spaces (kitchen, dining, communal hall) can bring people together but also different scaled multi-level courtyards can make the neighborhood lively and happy. I will explore these topics through housing districts in Manhattan, New York, developed during the modernist era. A thorough investigation of the urban grid, open spaces, roadways, and the connectivity of the housing area with the communal spaces will be done at the site, which was selected from the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). These investigations would be useful in identifying the housing shortage in Manhattan's East Harlem neighborhood. As a result, these analyses will continue to constitute a rich part of the design intervention of this project.Item Rust belt revitilization: retrofitting communities through transit oriented development
Moyer, Seth William;The American Railway system increased rapidly in the late and early 19th century altering the dynamics of surrounding cities and their role in urbanism. Railways, a product of the Industrial Revolution, fundamentally transformed the possibilities of urban growth, economic exchange, and public transportation. As a result, cities became increasingly tied together, altering perceptions of travel, and opening doors to new opportunities. This thesis project will explore the impact of railways, specifically those associated with Transit Oriented Development. This growing method in urbanism seeks to create mixed-use communities centered around high quality transit systems to create vibrant, livable, and sustainable communities that stimulate the local economy and help to revitalize urban areas. Currently, the geographic region spanning from New York through the Midwest is synonymous with a problem of industrial decline, loss of population density, and declining neighborhoods leading to a loss of community identity historically associated with each respected region. Once booming production hubs of steel, coal, and the automotive industry is now home to shrinking cities in need of an architectural intervention. Recent reports regarding Transit-Oriented Development have shown it to be a critical factor in revitalizing such urban areas through access to better jobs, education, and a reduction in the area’s carbon footprint. In addition, the rust belt region presents itself as a unique and special opportunity to experiment with creating a culture of transit-oriented communities that act as the generators of population growth and economic renewal to preserve each area’s unique historical background. Additionally, I will analyze key case studies and conduct site analysis through the lens of Transit Oriented Development to understand the impacts on surrounding communities. This method will provide insight into the principles of rail technology, rider participation, and critical architectural programming methods that are key factors for promoting urban growth. I will also perform an asset-based development study to understand how proximity to public transit can be crucial in creating transit-oriented communities. To conclude, this thesis seeks to explore the possibility of a transportation hub to aid in the urban revitalization of the Rust Belt region, positioning itself as a generator of equitable opportunity hence promoting social and economic growth.Item Designing a green middle school as a 3-dimensional textbook: a thesis
Mousavi, Niloofar;The Teaching Green Building (TGB) initiative is gaining traction as a method to include the users of a building in conversations about environmental issues by means of the building's architectural design. If built environment, natural, and cultural architecture can be used as instructional tools, educational environments can be more effective. Architects design these buildings to achieve high levels of environmental performance and to encourage inhabitants to engage in the environmental narrative of the structure as well as its day-to-day operations. “The surrounding nature as a passive area” with “the building’s surrounding natural areas” may be used to teach environmental concerns, ecology, and sustainability. The question of "how the Green Building School encourages students to be aware of their environment and to understand the application of the concept of green in their school?" has been widely debated in educational and sustainable design, with scholars such as "Nurhayatu Nufut Alimin" and "Laura Cole" arguing when students are placed in an environment, their behavior, mind, and choices are influenced by the environment. However, these publications do not sufficiently address how we might teach sustainability to children by involving them in sustainable design and school design, including sustainable curriculum and school curriculum. In my thesis, I will present research and design to showcase how sustainable features can be used as an educational tool to help students gain a sense of sustainability and built systems around them, using a combination of green school design and educational goals. To a certain extent, I am looking for ideas and structures that guarantee the learning and participation of students in all areas related to the initial middle school curriculum (Biology, geometry, technology and so on), 4 C's skills (communicating, creativity, critical thinking and collaborating) and sustainability. In particular, I am interested in how sustainable features, architecture and education can be combined to reinforce all areas of children's development and learning by creating a well-designed environment. School buildings may provide an opportunity for students to engage with themselves, their communities, and their environment. Children can relate their learning to their world, be proud of where they live, and as a result become real and practical learning experiences, concerned and participatory citizens. The purpose of this thesis is to explore this main question: How a green building school can act as a 3D textbook and teaching tool for students giving them a comprehensive understanding of not only the school's curriculum, but also the ideals of sustainable design for nature and humans? Even though there are instances of teaching green school building both in the United States and elsewhere, they do not support all aspects of education and also the amount of contribution of students in sustainable structures and projects are really low. In conclusion, this study provides fresh light on the previously recognized problem of lack of sufficient techniques and sustainable education to children by carefully evaluating new curriculum and new educational environments.Item Intersections In The Architecture Surface: The Facade as an Interface for Ecological Development
Kokensparger, Max;Intersections In The Architecture Surface is an extensive inquiry into the facade and transitional interior/exterior thresholds that control the ecological conditions of the built environment and how we interact with it. This thesis constructs methods through parametric processes for controlling the built threshold and its interaction with site context, with specifc emphasis on the role of the facade in communicating space, light, form, and interaction. These methods are then employed in the design process of a regional maritime museum along the Maumee riverfront in Toledo, Ohio.Item The void in between urban neighborhood: the urban context of Dhaka
Nath Joy, Pankaj;Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh and one of the most crowded cities on earth, is almost three times as dense as Manhattan. The city’s edge is constantly evolving to respond to the never-ending needs. In this thesis, I am interested in ap plying lessons from the old part of Dhaka to new developments amid urbanization by questioning the unrestrained commitment to western urban design principles in a city like Dhaka from South Asia. In this contemporary global context of constant ly changing technological, socio-economical, and political paradigms, traditional neighborhoods in different cities in South Asia are constantly creat ing room for change. However, the lacking sense of belonging and social integrity in contemporary city design makes the new neighborhoods vul nerable and isolated and this creates an invisible social void. Le Corbusier, one of the pioneers of modern city design, completely ignored the diver sity that must be kept in mind while designing a city in South Asia. When we follow Corbusian city planning, we mostly forget about the coexistence of diverse demographics in our traditional cities. Without these cultural spaces, the people living in the cities loses the sense of belonging. This the sis is about addressing those social and cultural voids in a city like Dhaka and bringing back the cultural dynamics in the urban design by building critical references from different traditional and new neighborhoods. In this thesis, I will consider Jane Jacobs’s theo ries in urban space and how her criticism of the failings of modernist planning theories in her book “The Death & Life of Great American Cities”. Then, I will define the notion of “Social Void” and why it is necessary to address it now. Through dif ferent case studies from the old Dhaka, I will first try to find all the traces of diverse coexisting de mographics. The analysis of the findings in those traditional spaces will include the story of its street, people, culture, sense of be longing, and socio-economic and political contexts. Secondly, I will study different neighborhoods of newly developed Dhaka and try to find out, how some of them lost their identity while following the western city design pattern and how some of those neighborhoods are constantly trying to get back to their organic growing pattern of the city. Last, I will investigate multiple cultural and social spaces in a neighborhood in the new Dhaka and propose where and how these cultural values should be integrated into the design of a city. These solutions can play a crucial role in designing a new kind of communal neighborhood space where its inhabitants will have the ability to grow and have strong social integrity. This thesis will create room to question Modern City Planning and how we as architects or urban designers should look at the development of a new city planning and its neighborhood in the context of the Global South.