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2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase - Part VI

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In Part VI of the 2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase, we take a look at projects that address various agricultural concepts. For these projects, agriculture is much more than just farmland. From agrotourism and community-centered food banks to using Twitch streaming to cultivate a transparent farming process, viewers are encouraged to expand their thinking about what agriculture encompasses. Scroll down to browse the award-winning projects!

Seed to Seed by Elyssa Hines, Bachelor of Science in Architecture ‘24
Washington University in St. Louis | Advisor: Zahra Safaverdi

Within Garden City, Kansas, industrial agriculture is the bones of the community: the land is dedicated to farming and much of the population works directly with industrial agriculture. While sustaining human life, this drains Garden City’s ecosystem. To name a few examples, the watershed is shrinking, soil health is decreasing, and the better part of four years has been spent in drought. Legislation to allow for positive environmental action is unclear, misleading, or both, resulting in no progress. This creates a need for a place-based community resource such as Seed to Seed.

Seed to Seed is a live-work research institute that explores the life process of crops in the arid grassland with the intention of redesigning the farming process. It merges typical laboratory work with collaboration in other fields and in-situ work with the farmers who will implement the community’s findings. Within the spirit of collaboration and transparency, researchers will use the streaming services Twitch and Nebula to live stream their work within the lab and create curated content to share with researchers globally. Seed to Seed weaves seamlessly between the need for transparency regarding agricultural practices in Garden City and the larger system of sharing knowledge globally, not only through digital practices, but also with academic, industry, and government partners at a variety of scales.

The institute is designed around the circulation of inhabitants physically and digitally. Physical reality is organized around inhabitants’ interactions and deliberation between public and private. Digital reality is designed through what is visible to the streaming services and curated content. The curated content’s audience is Nebula, and they interact with Seed to Seed through 360° cameras. These cameras are within spaces the in-person public cannot access, but the digital audience has a full view of these spaces. Twitch content is streamed using immobile cameras in public spaces that constantly have people moving through them, becoming dynamic through what is within the camera frame. All cameras ensure that the inner workings of Seed to Seed are transparent to all audiences, encouraging everyone to work towards a reimagined farming process.

This project was featured in Washington University in St. Louis’s Year End Show.

Instagram: @elyssa.lyssa.lys

Suspending Urban Farm by Kai Chen & Qiuxiao Tang, M. Arch ’24
University of Pennsylvania | Advisor: Simon Kim

“Suspending” is emblematic of the project’s essence—representing the delicate balance between innovation and tradition, the elevation of community aspirations, and the support extended to those in need. It encapsulates the project’s endeavor to uplift and sustain. Both metaphorically and literally, as it seeks to suspend not just the structures of agriculture and art within its bounds, but also the collective hopes and dreams of a diverse community. The aim is to ensure they are nurtured and allowed to thrive amidst the urban expanse of New York.

In this studio, we propose to design a vertical farm to grow and equitably distribute fresh food to those in need, while also serving as a cultural promotion platform. It will not only cultivate and provide culturally varied foods but also host performances and productions from diverse nationalities, addressing food security and celebrating global cultural heritage. Efforts to combat food insecurity will be enhanced by a diverse fair-pay workforce aiding any group in need, overcoming language barriers, and ensuring accessible, culturally relevant food. Situated in Seneca Village, this project pays tribute to its historical roots, provides a haven for the needy, promotes cultural diversity, and bolsters the tourism economy, aligning with New York’s commitment to equity and inclusivity.

Instagram: @yohey.kim, @kaichen.architecture, @qiuxiaot

Revitalizing an Industry: Jute and Communal Empowerment, Bangladesh by Iana Ishrat, B.S. Architecture ‘24
University of Virginia | Advisors: Peter Waldman & WG Clark

The fibrous plant jute has an important history in Bangladesh. The once-thriving industry has seen closure and difficulties in recent years. But the high demand for plastic alternatives has rekindled interest in the natural fiber that plastic helped replace. 

This project uses architecture and design to revitalize an abandoned jute mill to establish a place of living-working space that can help the surrounding communities. Inspired by the communal traditions around rice cultivation, the project reimagines the arduous process of jute milling as a communal activity to create spaces that can inspire community and traditions around the production of jute products. 

The expansive and repetitive colonial-era factory invokes ideas of mass production. These structures are broken up strategically with alleys and courtyards to allow spaces that reflect a more human-scale work environment. 

The construction consists of two key parts. The first is a visitor center that can help educate the population about the important history of jute and its potential in the future. The second is the renovation of the factory and the construction of the central communal workspace. This area includes a mosque, library, office spaces, Bath house, indoor-outdoor workspaces and courtyard with a water-pool. The Mosque at the center of the site helps establish the factory as a central hub for the surrounding prominently Muslim population.

A small brick kiln is also established on site. This will provide material for the renovation and construction of the factory. With time, parts of the farmland surrounding the factory will be used for other crops like rice and vegetables to provide food for the workers. Some of this land will also be distributed among workers. They can utilize the brick from the kiln for any construction needs in their new communities. This initiative will help foster a sense of ownership and community building among the workforce.

Overall, the project seeks to revitalize the legacy of jute while empowering the local communities who play a vital role in its revival.

This project received the 2024 Exceptional Thesis Project accolade at the University of Virginia.

Instagram: @yana_ishrat, @aschool_uva

The Seed: A New Farming System that Bridges Urban and Rural Areas by Ziheng Li, M. Arch ’24
SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design)| Advisors: Andrea Bertassi, Aaron Wilner & David Gobel

The project is set in a broad expanse of land in Chengdu, a city characterized by its basin topography and predominantly cloudy weather. Addressing the challenges of rural depopulation, declining farmland, and the appeal of urban migration, the goal of this thesis is to create a new type of farming system that incorporates both traditional and modern farming techniques while also adding additional characteristics to help farmers gain revenue and close the urban-rural divide, preserving cultural heritage while enhancing sustainability. The design integrates residential modules with farming units, creating a cohesive and interactive community space that fosters rural culture within an urban context and contributes to urban food production. This system can grow and expand between urban and rural areas.

Instagram: @henoao_li, @andre_bertassi

A Framework for Regeneration by Lyric Barnik, Bachelor of Architectural Studies ’24
University of Waterloo | Advisor: Jaliya Fonseka

The Cambridge Food Bank is a 1,500sm food bank that integrates social services, food processing facilities, and community spaces. It is in Cambridge, Ontario with a continental climate that is relatively cold and temperate, with significant precipitation. The site, a contaminated brownfield with light-industrial infrastructure, was given to the Food Bank as a potential location for their new facilities. The proposed design explores a compact envelope, incorporating a pre-existing warehouse building and readapting the site into a communal greenspace. The design explores the regenerative multiplicity of food housed within a robust architectural framework.

The food bank sits at this unique intersection of food and community, partaking in duties of both production and social enrichment. The question underpinning this project begins by asking: How can the act of food heal us? How can the act of eating, making, shaping, growing, studying, and sharing food help to regenerate the body, community and land? The act of food is multi-faceted and its modes of expression are in constant flux. Thus, the proposed food bank looks at creating a set of infrastructures that can nurture this regeneration in whatever form it takes in the future.

The architectural manifestation of these guiding principles relies upon a reciprocal exchange between landscape, building and community. The site is divided using the physical and social forces of the site and a matrix of programs are formed, with the food bank radiating from the center of the grid. With a regenerative and circular landscape strategy in mind, the proposed programs study how new energy can be collected, old energy can be reused and long-term growth can be accommodated. In addition to traditional plot urban farming, alternative agricultural systems like a permaculture food forest, a livestock farm and a bio-filtration pond are proposed. The architectural concept proposes a compact square enclosure structured with a robust mass timber column grid, decoupled from the wall assembly. Four porches are created, establishing an interstitial zone between outside and inside as a lightweight shading canopy. A regular saw-tooth structure rests upon the timber frame, spanning across the entire building providing solar energy, collecting rainwater, and dispensing soft daylighting year-round. The spacious grid allows for programmatic flexibility, placing activities with a public appeal along the perimeter to best use the porches.

This project won the Soprema Award. 

Instagram: @lyriclmiracl

Centro de Agroturismo by Montserrat Sánchez Villaseñor, B. Arch ’24
Universidad Anáhuac Querétaro | Advisors: Patricia Cutiño & Jorge Javier

The focus of the Agrotourism Centre is primarily on the cultivation of wheat as a raw material. Integrating the whole process, from the sowing and harvesting of the wheat to the production of high-quality flour and the elaboration of artisan bread. The latter, characterised by its unique particularities rooted in the local culture, with the aim of becoming a true emblem that identifies and distinguishes Tejocote. 

A crucial element of this project is the integration of tourism in each of the production stages. The aim is to generate controlled and sustainable tourism in a decisive and strategic manner. The primary objective is that the main beneficiaries will be the inhabitants of Tejocote, who will experience a significant boost to their local economy thanks to the economic spillover from this agrotourism model. 

This centre not only offers an authentic and educational experience for visitors, but also contributes to the economic development and strengthening of the cultural identity of Tejocote.

Instagram: @arqwave, @arquitectura_anahuac

Red Mountain Pavilion by Daniel Icaza Milson, M.Arch ’24
University of Texas at Austin | Advisor: Nichole Wiedemann

With support of El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail Association, Tonkawa Tribe and Blackland Collaborative, this studio focused on Milam County, Texas, which straddles the Blackland Prairie and Post Oak Savanah traversed by three rivers –Brazos River ((Río de los Brazos de Dios), Little River and San Gabriel River– flowing to the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to the Camino Real, the area is punctuated by settlements including the Rancheria Grande, Spanish Missions and Freedom Colonies. The area is a place of convergence, connecting diverse peoples (and places) for over 10,000 years.

The Brazos River and its tributaries define the undulating, verdant landscape that surrounds Red Mountain, a sacred mountain for the Tonkawa tribe. These lands are still plentiful today – supporting the farms and ranches of Milam County. Embracing the economy and ubiquity of prefabricated metal structures, the Red Mountain Pavilion is arranged so that the visitor is reoriented from the restored Blackland Prairie and Little River toward Red Mountain, the origin of the Tonkawa. The building is staggered so that the landscape completes the experience of the visitors.

Instagram: @nicholewiedemann, @dash.ing.dash

Aloha Permaliving: Bridging People, Flora and Fauna by Chris Caracena, B. Arch ’24
Cal Poly University – Pomona | Advisor: Pablo La Roche

This permaliving project in Hilo, Hawaii, promotes sustainable and symbiotic agricultural living in the  Hilo Community, by integrating agricultural practices that coexist with the local flora, fauna and residents, the project creates an environment where ecological balance and human well-being go hand in hand addressing food security issues in Hawaii. This affordable housing project creates a sustainable and interconnected ecosystem that thrives on agricultural abundance and collective well-being. 

Instagram: @pmlaroche

Beetecture: Connection between Bees and Architecture by Yaimi L. Cartagena-Santiago, B. Arch ’24
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico | Advisor: Pedro A. Rosario-Torres

Throughout history, architecture has primarily focused on solving problems related to humans; however, humans consistently overlook the fact that they are part of a much larger world than themselves. In the current context, there is a steady increase in bee mortality worldwide. Various media outlets have attempted to draw attention to this issue, but the efforts of environmentalists, journalists, and a political minority have not generated a strong enough impact to effectively address this phenomenon. The purpose of the APIC (Apiculture Production and Investigative Center) project is to develop an architectural proposal that addresses the challenges faced by apiculture, focusing primarily on the devaluation of this practice and its impact on the scarcity of agricultural production.

The project’s location is the municipality of Hatillo, in the north coast of Puerto Rico. Currently, there is the Puerto Rico Institute of Beekeeping Education, Research, and Development (Hatillo School of Beekeeping), which offers theoretical and practical courses in beekeeping management. The place in turn offers a balance between tropical and subtropical climates, allowing for versatile beekeeping and the possibility of collecting beehive products for much of the year.

The APIC project, as a proposal, is based on the integration of various architectural programs. The main objective of the project is to bring together in a single facility all the activities related to beekeeping, which are currently very fragmented. This installation offers the opportunity to address the challenge of reconnecting architecture with nature. The project aims to maintain the bee population through responsible beekeeping practices, monitor and safeguard the pollination service for multi-floral agriculture, limit damage caused by pests and diseases to ensure bee safety, provide accessibility to the public encourage community sensitivity, and guarantee and promote the future of the local beekeeping industry. Social programs that can be developed within the facilities are proposed to integrate society into the beekeeping culture. The programs are classified into four general zones: beekeeping education, beekeeping production, apitourism, and apitherapy. In conclusion, this project represents a commitment to sustainability, biodiversity, and environmental consciousness while emphasizing the vital importance of bees in our delicate ecological balance.

Instagram: @yaimilizz

Río Verde & Parques del Río Verde Corridor by Hector Michael Miranda Sanchez, M. Arch ’24
University of Puerto Rico | Advisors: Omayra Rivera Crespo & Jose R Coleman-Davis

The sustainable Río Verde project consists of three buildings and a floating greenhouse interconnected through an agora and bridges, with a prominent focus on mixed-use. Most of its space program was determined based on the needs of the community. For instance, the Zoology department at UPRRP required a herbarium, laboratory, and storage space. Similarly, the Río Piedras community needed a place to promote their farmers’ market (agromercado). These spaces were provided, connecting the entire community system while preserving existing green systems. On the other hand, this project also introduces new urban and social public spaces. Additionally, the site borders two green areas: the University of Puerto Rico and the Plaza de la Convalecencia. As a result, the ecological corridor Parques del Río Verde is proposed, integrating directly with the proposed building. Its purpose is to implement a new green system in the urban area of Río Piedras, improving environmental conditions in a highly urbanized and paved city while serving as a bridge between other existing green systems. Furthermore, Río Verde and its corridor aim to promote biodiversity, sustainable and resilient elements, and integration with community agriculture, cultural and economic activities, visual landscapes, and the pre-existing urban fabric of Río Piedras. Ultimately, this project aspires to be an exemplary reference in sustainability, offering a solution within the green construction industry to address the current environmental crisis and mitigate accumulated impacts over the years in Río Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Instagram: @mike_mird, @uprarchitecture

Stay tuned for Part VII!

2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase - Part V

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Welcome to Part V of the 2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase! In today’s installment, materiality plays a pivotal role in the functionality of buildings, designs, and various architectural processes. 

Cork, acrylic, steel, concrete, wood, timber, and wires – for many, they may seem like mere materials for building. However, the projects below invite viewers to think about these materials through a different lens. 

From rethinking raw material standardization to highlighting the benefits of mass timber, viewers are encouraged to think deeply about sustainable production and opportunities for innovation. Other projects focus on the use of cork as a sound-insulative and the integration of natural materials such as clay and man-made elements such as steel. 

L-Shape Modular Cork Shelving System by Suna Choi & Sara Mohamed, B. Arch ‘24
American University of Sharjah | Advisor: Tania Ursomarzo

This installation is designed to create a double-functional partition that provides sound insulation and serves as a shelving system. It will be installed between the open studio spaces in our architecture, art, and design college building (CAAD) to reduce noise while offering students a place to store their items. Additionally, it serves as an aesthetic decoration for the space.

We chose cork as the main material due to its excellent sound-insulative qualities. Plywood was initially selected as the secondary material to create the shelving planes; however, we later decided to use only cork to fulfill both sound insulation and shelving purposes. Cork is not only sound-insulative but also biodegradable and aesthetically pleasing with its natural color.

The L-shaped modules, consisting of three rectangular patterns, are strategically stacked to form a shelving system that can be used on all sides. To connect the cork L-shaped modules together, we experimented with different materials such as thin plywood and acrylic to create simple connectors. After multiple iterations, we chose acrylic for its transparency, which would not distract from the natural aesthetic of the cork, unlike plywood.

Finally, we painted the top view of the model (the shelving surfaces) using primary colors: red, yellow, and blue, inspired by Mondrian’s compositions.

Instagram: @suliman.studio, @suna.choi_i, @triptychnyc

MODULAR CORK ACOUSTIC INSULATION AND FURNITURE SYSTEM by Rabab Al-Ali & Razan Almajid, B. Arch ’24
American University of Sharjah | Advisor: Tania Ursomarzo

In approaching this project, our primary objective was to address the disruptive noise levels at the College of Architecture, Art, and Design (CAAD), where our site will be located. These noise levels are highly distracting for both students and visitors, necessitating an effective solution to enhance the acoustic environment. Our considerations for the site location are based on the noise levels. We identified the two loudest areas as the spaces between studios and the main entrance. These areas are particularly disruptive during pinups and reviews, necessitating a strategic approach to mitigate the noise and improve the overall environment.

Our aim is to design a flexible, easily movable, and rebuildable structure, ensuring multi-functionality. We sought to develop a solution that could be effortlessly relocated and reassembled multiple times, providing adaptability and improved acoustic management throughout the space. An additional benefit of our modular design is its versatility; the modules can be easily reconfigured into different types of furniture, demonstrating their efficiency and practicality.

We have selected cork as the primary material for our project due to its numerous advantages. Firstly, cork possesses excellent sound absorption properties, effectively addressing our main noise concern by significantly reducing noise levels and minimizing sound transmission between spaces. Secondly, its lightweight yet durable nature facilitates the easy construction, deconstruction, and relocation of our structure. Lastly, cork is a natural and sustainable material, harvested from the bark of cork oak trees without causing harm, making it an environmentally friendly choice.

Instagram: @ralali.arch, @rnm.arch, @triptychnyc

Wheel House by Tilden Reid Puckett, B.S. Architecture ‘24
University of Virginia | Advisor: Peter Waldman

I designed the Wheel House after experiencing land and water I know to be beautiful. Its sleek, sailboat-inspired lines and lotus flower aesthetics evoke a sense of tranquility and orthogonal organic beauty. The building’s foundation integrates seamlessly with the dam’s robust concrete structures, enhancing the synergy between natural and man-made elements. Inside, large windows and open spaces ensure an abundance of natural light, crafting an atmosphere reminiscent of being on an open ocean or beneath a cascading waterfall. Every detail, from the material strategy of utilizing the natural erosion of corten steel to the proportional light/heaviness that attributes to its vertical and horizontal harmony. 

The design draws inspiration from the works of renowned architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, known for his integration of structures with their natural surroundings; Tadao Ando, whose use of concrete and light creates spaces that are both minimalist and profoundly serene; and Peter Waldman, my studio professor of whom’s work intelligently collages materials into profound sculptures of place. With its placement, the Wheel House defines the nature around it. Built on a steep slope, its terracing and retaining walls allow it to seamlessly rest under, on, and above its environment. This project reimagines the home and presents a more careful architectural attention to beauty and art. I believe that when one looks at this structure, they can start to imagine the coarse roar of the water falling down the dam and feel the rippling wind stream across the reservoir. I designed the Wheel House to express further land and water I know to be beautiful. 

This project won the Duncan J. McCrea Memorial Award.

Instagram: @tilden.reid, @aschool_uva

Epiphytic-Retrofitting: Wooden Structures to Top Out Unfinished Constructions on the Galapagos by Paula Cano-Vergara, M. Arch ’24
University of Texas at Austin | Advisor: David Heymann

Epiphytic-Retrofitting: Wooden Structures to Top Out Unfinished Construction on the Galapagos Research explores potential applications of lightweight timber members to envision design possibilities that might lead to more environmentally responsive architecture, endemic to the Galapagos Island in Ecuador. 

The study focuses on ten wood species, both endemic and introduced—Avocado, Bamboo, Black Carob, Cascarilla Cinchona, Guava, Galapagos Guava, Machinel, Mahogany, Matazarno, and Spanish Cedar—to explore how timber can replace conventional construction methods and address rapid urbanization and the prevalence of unfinished concrete structures.

The title emphasizes two concepts: “Epiphytic,” referring to plants that use other vegetation for physical support rather than nutrients, and “Retrofitting,” a sustainable method for vertical growth and densification. The project aims to protect the fragile ecosystem by reducing the exploitation of natural resources and restoring endemic vegetation. The proposed vertical expansion utilizes lightweight timber from six selected species to complete unfinished buildings, up to 5 floors total.

The structural capacity of each species is determined by grain structure, categorized into three main types: 1) Curvy and wavy, 2) Irregular, and 3) Straight grain. Structural elements are designed based on standard branch and trunk diameters and lengths, with Mahogany and Matazarno ideal for joints, Spanish Cedar and Guava for primary and secondary elements, and Avocado and Carob for cladding and decking planks. The proposal also includes three vertical growth strategies that prioritize efficiency by branching to the nearest points from the top element to the next floor, based on [the types of] tree branching: Dichotomous, Monopodial, and Sympodial. Additionally, trusses integrate the vertical elements and transfer loads to concrete frames ranging from 3x3m to 9x15m.

Despite common perceptions of timber as an unsafe and inferior material compared to its competitors, this research advocates for its potential in developing safe, low-carbon buildings. Timber supports better forest management, curbs deforestation, and promotes the use of locally-sourced materials. Additionally, the research serves to protect and contribute data records of remote geographies like the Galapagos Island, the “living museum and showcase of evolution.”

This thesis was selected for the Innovation and Material category, Fall 2024.

Instagram: @utsoa

De-Framing the Built Environment by Drew Dunphy, M. Arch ’24
University of Miami School of Architecture | Advisors: Christopher Meyer & Joachim Perez

To design is to challenge what has come before to create something new. In today’s modern era of architecture, there has been an explosion of new programs and materials that facilitate the design process and have increased the production rate exponentially. In doing so, the profession has accepted standard practices as rules and allowed material use and industry to become rigid.

Challenging what makes architecture function as a profession is not easy, but it is necessary to continue driving innovation. Using mass timber as a case study, De-Framing the Built Environment looks holistically at manufacturing, architecture, and construction to break down what is immediately accepted as best practice. 

De-Framing the Built Environment breaks the process by which design goes from raw materials to an inhabitable space into three focus areas. Starting with the manufacturing process, it challenges the current centralized system of material sourcing and calls for a regionalist approach that emphasizes sustainable sourcing. From there, it stresses the importance of integrated design that reorients the cost from strictly economic to include ecological and temporal design costs. Finally, De-Framing the Built Environment rejects the accepted lifespan of a building by focusing on architecture that is easy to assemble, inhabit, and disassemble with a low margin of wasted material. 

Design, by its very nature, should be synonymous with innovation. While this thesis focuses on mass timber, questioning the process by which raw materials are transformed into space is a universal principle that must be applied across disciplines and building practices. You, as architects, designers, and construction professionals, are integral to this change.

This project was awarded an Honorable Mention by the University of Miami School of Architecture Faculty Award for Outstanding Thesis Work in the Master of Architecture Program. 

Instagram: @dunphy_27, @LU_lab_miami, @ateliermey 

Turning Tree Forks into Structures: An Experimental Analysis of a Minimally Processed Material Within the Age of Standardization by Zachary Chartrand, M. Arch ’24
Lawrence Technological University | Advisor: Scott Shall

Since the Industrial Revolution, the building industry has dedicated enormous energy to developing processes that can take raw, idiosyncratic materials and produce highly controlled, specifiable products. This has served the building industry well for years. Material standardization allows for standardized structural details and procedures that can be easily followed by the common builder, [allowing them] to produce structures that can be analyzed and designed based on the uniform properties of the building product. Unfortunately, this process rejects those materials that do not meet the uniformity required, regardless of their unique structural potential.

Recent advancements in digital analysis allow for the ability to identify unique qualities within raw materials. Advancements in computational technology allow for the optimization of a structural design to accommodate for these idiosyncratic properties. The development of a platform, involving digital analysis and computational design, would make this method of design available to the common builder and architect. The development of a process, using common construction techniques, would allow the common builder to build structures using these idiosyncratic pieces. The development of this platform for design, and system of construction, would demonstrate that advancements in technology can initiate a movement towards more sustainable architecture by reducing the amount of processing necessary to use raw materials in a structural capacity.

This will be studied by obtaining an inventory of tree forks and scanning them into a digital inventory. A script will then be developed that optimizes fork fitment to different assembly logics for shell structures. Next, a joinery system and system of construction will be developed that processes the forks based on data outputs from the script. Success will be measured in joint precision and structural rigidity.

This thesis won the 2024 CoAD Deans Award. 

Instagram: @scott_shall

Moore Square Indie Music Center by Daniel Knorr, Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture ’24
NC State University | Advisor: Zach Hoffman

Moore Square Indie Music Center gives a home to the indie musicians of Raleigh, fulfilling their three core needs: practicing, recording, and performing. The center contains practice and recording room clusters in addition to a main performance venue space. The center embodies the spirit of the indie music community through the use of rhythm and movement and a familiar gritty materiality that alludes to the idea of “garage” or “basement” bands. 

Interstitial spaces generate chance encounters between musicians and fans. This not only strengthens the indie music community, but more importantly, allows musicians to engage and grow their fan base.

The Stitch / Chance Encounters

The most important elements of the Center are the interstitial spaces that occur between major programmatic elements. These spaces act as an environment where chance encounters can happen between musicians and fans. This is especially important for indie music, a culture that thrives on strong interpersonal connections, and a strong dedicated fanbase. 

The entire Center is split down the middle, with the left theater half belonging to the community, and the right practice and recording half belonging to the musicians. The atrium space, “the stitch,” bridges the two halves of the Center together.

Materiality

The idea of a garage band has pervaded indie music culture since its inception. To capture this spirit, the Center uses materials such as cast-in-place concrete and raw metal, alluding to the origins of indie music. On the other hand, wood is used in the interiors of the practice studios to create a homey atmosphere, alluding to the idea of a sole musician practicing in their bedroom.

Texture and material are also used to signify the function of the spaces within the Center. The interiors of both the theater and the studios have highly textured acoustic paneling systems, whereas their exteriors are seamless and perfect. The exterior wood cladding of the theater serves to create an inviting presence that guides visitors into the theater. On the other hand, the monolithic concrete used in the exterior of the studios creates a fortress-like feeling, “protecting” the musicians inside.

This project won the ​​2024 AIA Triangle Student Design Award.

Instagram: @daniel.knorrr 

The Clay Huts and Metal Shed by Shixian Zhang & Ruozhao Cui, B. Arch ’24
Cal Poly University – Pomona | Advisor: Claudia Wainer

The Clay Huts and Metal Shed is a community-oriented ceramic arts and design center located in Elysian Valley. It is positioned with its north side facing the LA River and the future Taylor Yard development, and its south side overlooking the Lewis MacAdams Riverfront Park. The rich history of Elysian Valley, marked by a blend of manufacturing facilities, single-family homes, and a flourishing artist community, forms a distinctive backdrop for this project. The design merges existing industrial elements with new, organically inspired clay volume, aiming to create not just an artistic space for ceramic artists but also a vibrant community hub for the Elysian Valley neighborhood. 

This project involves the adaptive reuse of an existing industrial building, which serves as a shell for the newly proposed clay volumes. The design strategy begins by categorizing program spaces into enclosed and loose types. Each clay volume, distinct in its form, encompasses a variety of enclosed functions. The interstitial spaces between these volumes, designated as loose programs fostering interaction and community engagement. Additionally, the design incorporates two sculptural gardens within these volumes. The clay huts deform the metal shed perimeter and break down the scale of the building, making it more approachable and relatable to the community.   

The material palette is a harmonious blend of clay and steel, symbolizing the integration of traditional craftsmanship with industrial production. The clay walls, constructed of rammed earth, feature a scalloped facade that lends a tactile, organic feel to the design. The primary structure utilizes the existing metal framework, altered and updated to support the new programmatic volumes. This interplay of materials is a defining characteristic of the design, with some areas showcasing an overlap of clay and steel through openings, while in others, the metal shell stops short, allowing the clay volumes to peek through. 

The juxtaposition of the clay huts against the metal shed highlights the contrast between stereotomic and tectonic, creating varied transitions in different spaces. For instance, upon approaching the building, one can see both the clay and corrugated metal cladding simultaneously. Entering the building through the open programs, visitors experience the interplay of the metal shed, steel structure, and clay huts. Once inside a clay volume, the surroundings are entirely enveloped by clay finish, offering a distinct spatial experience.

Instagram: @claudwain

Debunking the Myths of Wood: Mass Timber Contemporary Architecture to the Rescue of Cultural Heritage by Neftalí X. Luciano-Castillo, B. Arch ’24
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico | Advisors: Manuel De Lemos-Zuazaga & Pedro A. Rosario-Torres

Wooden architectural heritage represents an invaluable asset in the cultural and historical narrative of Puerto Rico. With its unique characteristics, craftsmanship and carpentry of a bygone era, it stands out from other architectural styles. Moreover, wooden heritage serves as a catalyst for reevaluating our approaches to designing and constructing buildings. As society gravitates towards sustainable practices, the resurgence of wood as a primary construction material offers a promising opportunity. This resurgence not only revitalizes historical structures but also enables a harmonious coexistence between traditional wooden architecture and contemporary design. However, this traditional architecture is often misjudged and misunderstood due to the poor knowledge and involvement of people in their culture, and the lack of legislations in favor of heritage preservation. Due to these and other external threats, these structures have begun to disappear from our urban fabric, leaving not only a void in space, but also in our culture and identity.

As a response to these factors, the proposal seeks to promote the preservation of wooden architectural heritage through community engagement, tourism, education, testing and manufacturing, in a design that serves as a living laboratory that combines historic structures with mass timber construction. The synergy between historic preservation and the incorporation of contemporary architecture signifies a unique chance to embrace the past while paving the way for a more sustainable future. The project’s location is the Central Aguirre Historic District in Salinas, Puerto Rico, an old sugar cane company town that houses a collection of historic wooden structures. The design is organized into three main volumes: a restored and repurposed historic building that houses museum spaces; a second volume that contains a manufacturing laboratory; and a taller volume that functions as a school of wooden architecture design and conservation. The main goal of this project is to serve as a catalyst for the preservation and restoration of historic wooden structures in Aguirre and all around Puerto Rico.

Instagram: @neftalixavier

Harmonic Convergence by Nicholas Owens, M. Arch ’24
Lawrence Technological University | Advisor: Masataka Yoshikawa

This project explores spatial and structural design, inspired by the concept of a ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ and music. The initial phase focused on finding objects and integrating music, using guitar strings and thick wire to symbolize sheet music, representing order in chaos.

In the representation phase, the project incorporated methodologies from Neil Denari and Borges. The transition to 2D representation utilized Maya to create music stand models linked by chains, with six layers of wire illustrating chaos and order visually.

During development, Rhino was used for initial designs and Zbrush for refinement, creating a wire mesh structure. This phase emphasized materiality and spatial dynamics, resulting in a unique architectural design facilitating gallery spaces and visitor pathways.

The final phase integrated the structure with its landscape, showcasing LED wires and spatial potential. Interior renders highlighted the gallery space’s unique characteristics, creating a quasi-moiré effect with overlapping glass structures. The project envisioned future enhancements, including wire animation to visualize music flow, enhancing the visitor experience and reflecting the project’s foundation in music and organized chaos.

Overall, the project is a sophisticated blend of design, representation, and development, creating an innovative space that intertwines musical and structural elements to find order in chaos.

Instagram: @owensarchitecturaldesign, @masataka.yoshikawa

Stay tuned for Part VI!

2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase - Part IV

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Infrastructure is the central theme covered in Part IV of the 2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase. Defined as “the facilities and systems that serve a community,” infrastructure can range from public transportation to roadways.

Today’s featured projects look at existing infrastructure and use design solutions to improve conditions. Examples include creating opportunities for connection between surrounding areas, reimaging exclusionary foundations to support upward mobility, developing comprehensive building codes, and promoting sustainability.

Suburbia As the Anti-Society: Why We Need a Suburban Architectural Rebellion by Megan Kaminski, M. Arch ‘24
Lawrence Technological University | Advisor: Scott Shall

There needs to be a Suburban Rebellion in architecture. Suburbs were originally built for a white middle class and continue to be built for a white middle class, even as suburbs begin to change and evolve socioeconomically. The conditions of which are a prevailing continuation of a dependency on automobiles, zoning, and infrastructure that becomes dangerous limitations as the flow of suburban sprawl moves income and investment farther and farther away, causing an equal sprawl of suburban decay in its wake.

Existing suburbs should be reimagined by reusing decaying or underused conditions by the community, in spite of harmful regulations that have been institutionalized since the 1950s, to rewrite them.

To investigate this, I propose to design a methodology for how future suburbs can be designed by people/the community as well as detailing how existing conditions can be reused in order to achieve this.

Instagram: @scott_shall

Post-Infrastructure: Structure as Site by Hilal Kobrosly, B. Arch ’24
American University of Beirut | Advisors: Carla Aramouny & Sinan Hassan

The concept behind this project is an exploration of how infrastructure, in this case, the columns of the Mdayrej bridge, can undergo a profound transformation, transcending their utilitarian purpose to become integral elements in a new architectural narrative. By interweaving a performance hall and a hotel into the existing columns, this endeavor challenges conventional notions of these structures as purely functional, highlighting their potential as generators of space and meaning.

The project’s design engages with the history of architectural evolution, drawing inspiration from the Cordoba Mosque’s expansion stages. Much like how the mosque’s structure evolved over time while maintaining its essence, this project seeks to evolve the bridge’s columns, blurring the lines between pre-existing and newly constructed elements. This approach introduces a sense of continuity and harmony to the site, where the boundaries between old and new become indistinct.

As one enters the parking area, the experience unfolds progressively. The scale shift from the vast field of columns to the more confined performance hall is reminiscent of a journey through architectural time and space. It is as if one is moving through layers of history and design, gradually immersing themselves in the evolving narrative of the project.

In the context of the performance hall, the design draws inspiration from ancient Greek theaters, where integration with the natural landscape was paramount. Here, the topography lines of the site plan effortlessly lead to a niche beneath the eastern columns of the bridge, forming a natural amphitheater. 

The roof overhead serves as the only enclosure needed, allowing the audience to connect intimately with both the landscape and the columns. In this setting, the columns cease to be mere structural elements; they become performers themselves, adding a dynamic dimension to the grand hall’s ambiance.

Moving on to the hotel, it occupies a floating strip, gracefully positioned above the performance hall’s roof. Along the western columns of the bridge, the project’s field condition undergoes a transformation. 

The columns, now experienced at a more intimate scale, transcend their load-bearing role to become intricate surfaces. This shift in perspective challenges preconceived notions about the relationship between structure and space, highlighting how architecture can breathe new life into utilitarian elements.

Instagram: @ard_aub

Turnpike Beef by Ray Wincko, M. Arch ‘24
University of Florida | Advisors: Charlie Hailey & Bradley Walters

Turnpike Beef is a design project that synthesizes the inherent relationships amongst underlying infrastructural systems, the subliminal qualities of the banal, and a bucolic Floridian landscape. Florida is notorious for fantastical manufactured environments like the neon nightmares of Miami or the fabricated magical kingdoms of Orlando. Turnpike Beef suggests that the systems of infrastructure that stitch these urban centers hold a more accurate perspective of what this landscape beholds. Arguably the most overlooked component of infrastructure that, in its absence and introduction, has contributed to the development of Florida is the fence.

Through the analysis and invigoration of the fence, Turnpike Beef aims to envision how “fence” as an architectural tool can catalyze and shift the manner in which citizens perceive and interact with infrastructure, banal space, and the in-between of the Florida landscape. Once the idea of the fence surpasses its normally understood role of line and boundary, it acquires a greater set of roles as a spatial mediator, raconteur, and witness to the environment. The fence is most often interacted with while traversing between destinations at high speeds which demands a regional scale of response. Along with a regional response, a more impactful aspect of infrastructural interaction is that in a time of intimate and reflective pause or rather, rest.

In search of tying narrative and conditional threads between infrastructural landscape and seemingly regular program, this study proposes a set of interventions that utilize the “fence” as a tool for synthesizing and charging spatial, political, and cultural relationships. The intervention, programmatically, is a reinterpretation of a contemporary staple of American travel, the rest stop. A  generally disregarded, temporal experience along our routes, the rest stops of Florida’s state highway system are designed to operate as efficient exchanges of north and south-bound travelers with little regard for its infrastructural context or the often-enriched historical landscape that surrounds them. Through ceremonial defecation, boiled peanuts, trucker showers, and billboard propaganda, this project connects the individual with infrastructural traces and the forgotten celebration of the subsided program.

Instagram: @charlie.hailey, @r_winky

Central EJE de Movilidad Turística Tequisquiapan by Axel Josua Nogales Bernal, B. Arch ’24
Universidad Anáhuac Querétaro | Advisor: Jorge Javier

This project was born as an integral mobility strategy for the state of Querétaro, as well as from the need to connect the city of Tequisquiapan with the rest of the magical towns in the region.

The proposal is inserted in the periphery of the urban area, in order to integrate different local transports and make it easier to move around.

The building, a structural integration of uniform columns that link the large concrete roof through subtle arches, divides the public part from the private part, expanding the uses, in order to have internal plazas and open spaces and thus achieve a great amplitude for the transit and boarding of the bus users.

This project won the 2024 AIA Triangle Student Design Award.

Instagram: @axelnogales, @ajnb_arq, @arqwave, @arquitectura_anahuac

Exclusionary Infrastructure & Displacement: A Study on Architectural Mobility by Elisa Castañeda & Luke Murray, B. Arch ’24
Mississippi State University | Advisors: Jassen Callender, David Perkes, Mark Vaughan & Aaron White

Jackson, Mississippi, is a unique place, the capital of the most low-income state in the Nation, the Blackest major city in the United States per capita, and a city whose history is translated through its infrastructure and built landscape. While the implementation of policies and regulations are directly in view as forms of disenfranchisement in marginalized communities, public infrastructure, urban planning, and the built environment are not often recognized as forms of regulation. The placement of highways, railroads, walls, and more, have had profound effects on the organization of different racial demographic groups within the city of Jackson – these patterns are still pervasive today.

The above implicates exclusionary infrastructure, defined here as the placement and construction of built works that hinder accessibility between communities, resulting in systemic disinvestment and social plight. 

This proposal aims to examine how these factors – and their historical, social, and political contexts – have resulted in inequity at multiple scales. And furthermore, leverage that research to better understand how architecture can be a form of liberation rather than control in a city and a state that fails to reconcile under the weight of its own history.

What follows, is our research and conclusions on how architectural design skills can be used to illustrate how we might begin to break down exclusionary infrastructure and create collective autonomies over spaces that may seem divisive. To argue that physical divides can become points for connection. 

Through this analysis, we were able to identify what public infrastructure in the built environment had the most negative impacts within the Jackson community. Out of this came the Illinois Central Railroad as the site for a theoretical design intervention. In many instances, the track represents a literal earthen wall through the city that separates lower-income black communities from more fluent white-centric communities. The mission of the design intervention is to provide spaces to connect, while also contributing to social mobility among local stakeholders. This brought about a new re-imagining and reinvention of how we perceive train tracks as an occupyable space. One with broad reach and the ability to adjust to changing needs, both in programming and location.

This project won the CDFL Capstone Studio Travel Award.

Instagram: @elisa_castaneda, @chimichurrimurray, @jassencallender

Emerging Connections: Renetworking Formal and Informal Public Space by Hoi Ting Chan & Nicole Giella, M. Arch ’24
New York Institute of Technology | Advisors: Marcella Del Signore & Evan Shieh

“Emerging Connections: Renetworking Formal and Informal Public Space” focuses on adaptive reuse to revitalize mono-use infrastructure and reclaim underutilized public spaces in São Cristóvão, Rio de Janeiro. The project aims to enhance the local social infrastructure by extending its reach and promoting both formal and informal community interactions. A detailed analysis of the neighborhood’s existing connectivity and functional drivers informed the creation of a spatial matrix that seamlessly integrates current conditions with new opportunities for social engagement. In line with Rio’s goal of zero transport emissions by 2050, the design prioritizes pedestrian-friendly environments, reducing dependence on private vehicles.

The chosen site is characterized by intersecting boundaries, including a canal, a ground highway, an elevated highway, and the adjacent underutilized land. The intervention is executed in three phases: Phase One transforms ground-level highway lanes next to the canal into a pedestrian-friendly urban park, making the canal a central public space. Phase Two introduces a new community center on the adjacent underutilized land, enhancing local social infrastructure. Phase Three converts the elevated highway into a dynamic network for social exchange, with spaces dedicated to educational activities and formal gatherings.

Nodes play a critical role in the design, shaping areas for both formal and informal social activities. At the highway level, formal nodes, including a library, café, and lecture hall, are accessed through various paths to provide distinct user experiences. On the ground level, informal nodes are strategically placed around and above the canal, integrated with pedestrian pathways. Informal nodes accommodate street vendors, crucial to Rio’s vibrant social fabric, offering adaptable spaces that support formal events and accommodate temporary uses.

Resiliency measures include expanding the canal’s edges to prevent flooding and incorporating green infrastructure to improve air quality and address climate change. These interventions make São Cristóvão’s limited green space, previously dominated by a single park, more accessible. By focusing on implementing these strategies at the city’s boundary intersections, the project enables multi-directional and multi-level growth, enhancing public social interactions, and elevating the quality of life for Rio’s residents.

Instagram: @ngiella_, @virginiacht, @marcelladelsi, @ev07

Beyond Disaster Relief by Jean-Paul Abi Awad, M. Arch ’24
Boston Architectural College | Advisors: Ian F. Taberner, AIA & Asli Baran

This thesis explores how architects respond to disasters by designing urban spaces and architecture. The thesis has two perspectives: the immediate response to crises, which involves the design of temporary shelters and essential infrastructure, and future-proofing designs to prepare for potential crises by incorporating resilience, flexibility, and adaptability. 

The thesis aims to demonstrate architecture’s role in responding to and mitigating the effects of crises and how designers can create more resilient and adaptive spaces for the future.

The project aims to create a center to study and address the root causes of crises, develop comprehensive building codes and regulations, and conduct research. The project will engage with various stakeholders to promote collaboration and coordination in addressing crises and will be a hub for knowledge sharing and collaboration in the region.

This project received the M. Arch Thesis Commends.

Connecting Assets: towards an integrated city by foot. by Shreya Sanghvi & Tanaya Gawade, MS. Architecture in Urban Design ’24
New York Institute of Technology | Advisors: Jeannette Sordi & Jeffrey Raven

The São Cristóvão neighbourhood, often seen as an isolated island due to its perceived disconnection from surrounding areas, is on the brink of transformation. Our vision is to redefine this area, overcoming its barriers and enhancing connectivity to key landmarks like the market, bio park, and harbour. This initiative presents a unique opportunity for São Cristóvão to become a beacon of sustainable urban development, influencing the design of city blocks, open spaces, transit systems, and bicycle networks, thus revitalizing the entire region. Central to this strategy is the implementation of a major pedestrian-friendly system. Dismantling the invisible barriers that fragment the neighbourhood requires establishing a porous pedestrian network. This network will enable the seamless movement of people and facilities, fostering integration and accessibility throughout the area. By prioritizing walkable infrastructure, such as lively streets, plazas, neighbourhood parks, and green spaces, we can ensure safe and convenient passage between the neighbourhood and the harbour.

Moreover, innovative elements like elevated walkways and bridges will provide new dimensions of connectivity, further integrating São Cristóvão with its surroundings. The inclusion of blue and green infrastructure is pivotal, as it not only enhances connectivity but also addresses pressing climate issues. Green corridors and water management systems will create a resilient and inviting environment for residents and commuters alike.

Our strategy aims to breathe new life into São Cristóvão, making it a model of urban revitalization. By prioritizing pedestrian mobility and sustainability, we can transform this neighbourhood into a vibrant, interconnected community. This approach will not only improve the quality of life for current residents but also attract new visitors and businesses, driving economic growth and fostering a sense of community pride. Together, we can turn São Cristóvão into a thriving urban oasis, leading the way in sustainable urban development.

This project won the Black Spectacles, Spectacular Studio Awards, 2024

Instagram: @_shreya_sanghvi, @tana_yeahhh, @jeffrey.raven, @jeannettesordi

TerraCrux by Joseph Kim, B. Arch ’24
University of Southern California | Advisor: Eric Haas

The ceaseless interplay between human and natural forces focuses on the errors of our inventions and reminds us of nature’s everlasting presence. However, our efforts have left divisions in its realm, forcing the equilibrium to kneel to our errors. As our infrastructure falters, we will ensure that natural pathways resurface, interweaving with the very essence of our dominion. With the passage of time, aided by us, nature will thread through our past errors, restoring balance through its own fruition. Within the I-5 and CA-14 corridors, an error reveals an opportunity. This space will not only establish a new pathway but also create a sanctuary for wildlife.

Tapestry of tomorrow: weaving culture, commerce and community by Anushka Naik & Manogna Sai Padi, Ms. Architecture in Urban Design ’24
New York Institute of Technology | Advisors: Jeannette Sordi & Jeffrey Raven

In the bustling heart of Rio de Janeiro lies São Cristóvão, an industrial zone awaiting transformation into a sustainable, mixed-use area by 2050 through our visionary project, “TAPESTRY OF TOMORROW”. This endeavor aims to seamlessly integrate industrial and residential spaces, enhancing accessibility, connectivity, and harmony within the community.

Our approach prioritizes sustainability, considering the long-term impacts on environmental conservation, economic prosperity, social equity, and urban well-being. To realize our vision, we meticulously analyze the site, dividing it into a grid to address challenges such as flooding, waste management, and heat stress. This granular examination allows us to tailor solutions that ensure neighborhood resilience and sustainability. Our design serves as a versatile blueprint, capable of adapting to diverse urban problems in São Cristóvão and beyond. By understanding each location’s unique characteristics and issues, our strategies can be scaled and transferred, contributing to broader sustainable urban development initiatives.

It emphasizes green infrastructure, renewable energy sources, and mixed-use development to create a resilient urban environment. Incorporating elements like green roofs, rain gardens, and permeable pavements enables effective stormwater management and reduces urban heat island effects. The utilization of solar and wind power, coupled with energy-efficient building systems, underscores our commitment to sustainability. Additionally, our project fosters community engagement and economic growth through carefully designed public spaces and innovation hubs.

Furthermore, “TAPESTRY OF TOMORROW” celebrates São Cristóvão’s rich cultural heritage, blending history with modernity. By preserving the area’s cultural identity while embracing innovative design and technology, we aim to create a vibrant neighborhood that honors its past and embraces a sustainable future. This project epitomizes a holistic approach to urban revitalization, weaving a tapestry of sustainable, innovative, and culturally vibrant communities for generations to come.

Instagram: @anushkanaik12, @manogna_s_padi, @jeffrey.raven, @jeannettesordi

Stay tuned for Part V!

2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase - Part III

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Welcome to Part III of the 2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase! Today’s installment answers the question: “How can architecture serve as an avenue to celebrate and preserve cultural heritage and history?”

The award-winning student work below highlights various ways to honor history and culture. Innovative methods include using indigenous construction to promote ecotourism, illuminating transient Holocaust sites using artifacts and survivor testimonials, multi-modal exhibitions, and more. These projects also include diverse subject matters ranging from an exploration of the history of Toronto’s Caribbean Carnival to analyzing North and South Native American artifacts.

The Making of Mas’: Archiving Toronto’s Caribana by Jasmine Sykes, M. Arch ‘24
University of Toronto | Advisor: Jeannie Kim

Toronto’s Caribbean Carnival, originally known as Caribana, is an event that transforms architecture and urban experience through communication, performance, and social exchange. Originally a one-off parade for Expo ’67, Caribana has become North America’s largest cultural festival. Caribana’s impact extends beyond Toronto, with a geographic, economic, and spatial impact that is global in scale. The festival’s growth has prompted a shift in its traditions, raising concerns about its distancing from Caribbean roots. These concerns are reflected in the lack of an archive documenting Caribana’s history. This thesis advocates for the preservation and understanding of Caribana’s cultural and spatial legacy in Toronto.

Instagram: @jasmine_sykes

A Journey from Ancient Roots to Modern Revelations: Designing a Coptic Orthodox Museum & Cultural Sanctuary in the heart of Washington DC by Yostina Yacoub, M. Arch ’24
Temple University | Advisor: Prof. Sally Harrison

This thesis explores the reinterpretation of traditional Coptic architecture within the context of a contemporary museum, memorial, and community hub in the heart of Washington DC. The project aims to bridge the knowledge gap between Pharaonic Egypt and modern-day Egypt, illustrating the cultural, religious, and political shifts that have shaped the nation while narrating the story of the Copts, the indigenous people of Egypt.

Furthermore, it aims to honor the 21st-century Coptic martyrs and shed light on global Coptic persecution, serving as an educational platform for both the Coptic Diaspora and the general public, highlighting the Coptic Orthodox community’s history, faith, art, architectural heritage, and contributions.

Instagram: @yostinay

Nayala: Cultivating Architectural Memory and Identity by Ryan Saidi, M. Arch ‘24
The Catholic University of America | Advisor: Ana Maria Roman Andrino

This thesis unveils earthen chambers of memory, reflection, and hope, shaping the city’s trajectory towards renewal. In Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, co­lonialism led to architectural amnesia, obscuring precolonial heritage. The city now seeks a revival, a vibrant hub of memory to reclaim lost architec­tural forms for a sustainable future. Nayala emerges as this sanctuary, bridging buried traditions with emerging dreams. 

This thesis was one of three to be placed on the University’s final Super Jury.

The Museum Remembering North and South Native Americans by Kelly Locklear, Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture ’24
NC State University | Advisor: Patricia Morgado

The Museum Remembering North and South Native Americans is located in the small town of Pembroke, NC, land of the Lumbee Tribe. The Museum holds a collection of Native American artifacts from both North and South America gathered from the Smithsonian Museum. Two artifacts are of particular interest: 

– A Dugout Canoe: made by the Lumbee tribe. The entire community comes together to carve the canoe from a burnt tree. My people used canoes such as this to travel the Lumber River and to hunt fish. 

– A Totem: made by the Tlingit Kiks.ádi Clan in southeast Alaska, used as a symbol to commemorate those lost in the 1804 Battle of Sitka. 

It was important to approach the design taking into consideration the meaning of these artifacts as well as the best conditions to view and interact with them. 

For Native American cultures, earth and sky are sacred. There are main two elements: 1) mass, representing the earth from which spaces, niches, and openings to view the artifacts are carved, and 2) plane, representing the sky, used to bound the space and transform light. To externalize the spiritual qualities of the sky to this culture, the interior of space is oriented along the astronomical north. The roof is split; one part retains the orientation of the town’s grid (N-S) while the other aligns with the astronomical north. 

As the visitor approaches the entrance from the town, they are offered views into the museum through openings on the east façade. Visitors enter the museum through a vertical slit in the mass and step on a floating platform. Upon entering, they abandon the orientation of the town grid to experience the spiritual orientation of Native Americans. They are offered a view of the main pieces of the collection, the Totem and the Dugout Canoe, but cannot access them until they enter below. The path leads visitors to the final space, one of reflection of the Native American cultures and from where they can have a full view of the Totem as well as of the Lumber River where dugout canoes have been used for centuries.

This project won the 2024 AIA Triangle Student Design Award.

Instagram: @locklear.design, @patriciamorgadomaurtua

Spirit of Place through Material and Cultural Lifecycles in Ghardaïa by Sarah El Ouazzani, M. Arch ’24
McGill University | Advisor: Alan Dunyo Avorgbedor

Among dunes and oases, the vast desert spans 33% of the Earth’s surface. Within this expanse lies Ghardaïa—a city where architecture unfolds in harmony with the unhurried rhythm of the Algerian Sahara in North Africa, embodying the essence of slow architecture through its lifecycle properties. Here, the rhythms of nature and culture shape the spirit of the built environment, ensuring that architectural design blends harmoniously with its surroundings and nurtures a sustainable ethos benefitting both the community and the landscape.

The Mozabite community thrives through an architectural approach rooted in eco-centric principles, where the lifecycle properties of local materials and cultural practices seamlessly intertwine amidst Ghardaïa’s landscape. Influenced by this unique ecological environment, its architectural essence produces a unique phenomenological dimension. It fosters a distinctive cultural atmosphere that profoundly influences both the body and the mind, shaping communal existence and creating an authentic local spirit of place.

This project seeks to reclaim cultural and sustainable landscapes, transcending conceptual design to express the unique relationship between material lifecycles, culture, and embodiment in Ghardaïa. Through a multi-modal exhibitionary approach, this project curates embodied culture, crafts, and material lifecycles of the Ghardaïa natural and built environment alongside original audiovisual documentation and situated experience within an immersive installation. 

In The Forest, Don’t Touch Anything by Sarah Turkenicz, MLA ’24
University of Toronto | Advisor: Liat Margolis

This thesis is about the transient history of Jews who sought refuge in the forests across Eastern Europe during the Holocaust. Unlike urban post-Holocaust sites, this history lacks enduring, tangible infrastructure and artifacts. In the forest, concealment was paramount, and any disruption of the natural environment posed an existential threat. Embedded within an evolving landscape, the remnants that do exist today are undocumented, unprotected and disappearing. Through conducting primary research of physical remnants and oral testimonials of the last living survivors, this thesis illuminates the transient nature of Holocaust sites, reshaping our perception of them not as mere collections of features, but recognizing them as landscapes.

This project won the Daniels Faculty Graduation Award – Heather M. Reisman Gold Medal in Design. The Gold Medal is awarded to the graduating student demonstrating exceptional achievement in design in architecture, landscape architecture, or urban design. It was also, submitted to the 2024 ASLA student awards.

Instagram: @uoftdaniels

Notes on a Conjectural Form* by Peihao Jin & Zamen Lin, B. Arch ’24
Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI_Arc) | Advisor: Russell N. Thomsen

History, as we know it, is only one of many facts. Our thesis perceives history as non-linear, where there is no singular cause and effect, but a field of multiple possible interpretations. Each site therefore exists not purely in its present moment but contains an accumulation of its histories, a compounding of its past, present and future. Histories, not history. Absences, not just presence. The site of Estonia’s Tartu Cultural Center today exists as petrified pieces of something old and a living piece of something Other. Akin to a palimpsest, it comprises the memories of what once existed but also the embalming of the living present. 

Our thesis proposes selecting, reading, interpreting, integrating and mediating traces embedded beyond existing contextual conditions. Aspects of excavated histories are conflated and manipulated to form a complex ecology of systems, suggesting possibilities for organization, form and tectonics. Steering clear from the literal reconstruction of history, the registration of selected histories produces a series of local reactions that inflect and deform the whole. Histories registered here are not of symbolic significance but one of multiple non-sign readings, where the sign and signified no longer exist in one-to-one relationships. This heterogeneity enables the architecture to enter into multiple relationships that refuse to settle into fixed nor stable hierarchies; an uneasy whole.

*The suggestion or reconstruction of a reading of a text not present in the original source

Instagram: @rntarch, @peihao_jin, @zamenlmh

Reviving the Lao Vernacular: Preserving Culture through Floating Communities by Juliana Viengxay, B. Arch ’24
Kennesaw State University | Advisor: M. Saleh Uddin

The goal of this project is to strengthen a community through a series of cultural activities coexisting with nature with treehouses, houseboats, and a community center through ecotourism in Laos. There has always been floating communities on land and water due to the amount of rainfall and monsoons from May to October. With a strong focus on elements such as material, form, and structure while preserving the local culture. [This project aims] to improve the economic well-being of the indigenous people while fostering symbiotic links between visitors and the land while educating tourists about the culture.

Analyzing the indigenous way of construction to understand the complexities of Laos architecture. The proposal to utilize the ease of construction is heavily emphasized with a series of connections of tied bamboo, and steel nodes. The proposal combines increased efficiency, and maintaining cultural authenticity. Research methods to support the objectives of this project is through site analysis, existing case studies, and design testing to make proper design decisions.  

The project promotes skill-sharing with weaving classes and the development of craft markets and supports the existing floating market to strengthen community engagement with Lao culture. This innovative ecotourism project embraces immersive experiences and ecological methods in an effort to rebuild indigenous communities understanding their way of living. The idea behind the project is to design treehouses that in the forests and boathouses that are rooted in rivers while increasing engagement.

This project won First Place in the KSU Architecture Thesis Competition in 2024. 

Mercado Urbano, Tierra y Raíz by Andrea Lomelí Ruiz, B. Arch ’24
Universidad Anáhuac Querétaro | Advisors: Alfonso Galván & Jorge Javier

This architectural project aims to redefine not only the physical landscape but also the very fabric of the community. This integral market is presented as a beacon that illuminates the possibilities of empowering and renewing the social and solidarity economy in this remote environment. 

Based on the tradition, identity, character and history rooted in every corner of Cadereyta, this project emerges as an architectural manifestation that seeks to re-establish harmony with the territory and connect with the rich history that defines this locality. 

Awareness, respect for the environment and history are the foundations that enable this market to become a visible and locatable symbol, an urban node that links service properties through interaction. 

This integrated market is not only a transaction centre; it is an architectural response to the importance of local consumption and its benefits. It is a reminder that to truly get to know a city, one must explore its markets, understand the stories that weave through its aisles and connect with the people who pass through them. 

At its core, this project seeks to restore the population’s connection to its origins, re-establishing harmony with the territory and connecting with the rich history of Cadereyta de Montes and reconnecting with its roots.

Instagram: @andrea.lomelir, @arqwave, @arquitectura_anahuac

Stay tuned for Part IV!

2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase - Part II

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In Part II of the 2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase, we take a look at projects that focus on education. From supporting the social integration of neurodivergent students to designing a Makerspace for a university, the featured student work addresses education in various capacities.  

Today’s installment includes proposals to build schools and increase the accessibility of education in underserved communities, designs for South Korean Hagwons, and more!

Sustainable School in Bangladesh by Cesar Augusto Borges dos Santos, B.Sc in Architecture ’24
University of District of Columbia | Advisor: Dr. Golnar Ahmadi

Elin Nordegren once said, “Education is one thing no one can take away from you.” This powerful statement underscores the importance of establishing an elementary school in Modhubagh, a densely populated and predominantly low-income area in Dhaka. Currently, the absence of a local elementary school forces children to embark on long and arduous journeys to reach distant educational institutions. This situation not only hinders their academic progress but also exacerbates the cycle of poverty that grips the community.

According to UNICEF, only 19% of children aged 3-5 in Bangladesh attend an early childhood education program. This alarming statistic highlights the urgent need for more accessible educational facilities. By constructing a new elementary school in Modhubagh, we can ensure that children have better access to quality education, thereby laying a strong foundation for their future.

The proposed school will serve as a beacon of hope, providing a safe and nurturing environment for the children of Modhubagh. It will offer a comprehensive curriculum designed to foster cognitive, social, and emotional development. Moreover, the establishment of this school will create job opportunities for local residents, further uplifting the community.

In summary, building an elementary school in Modhubagh is a transformative step towards breaking the cycle of poverty and empowering the next generation. This project is not just about constructing a building; it is about building a brighter future for the children and the community as a whole.

Instagram: @Golnarahmadi

SNAPD by Baraa Abdolkarim, Yusuf Abdul-Rakib, Lauren Cepeda, Alondra Egure, Angel Estrada, Aneida Flores, Luis Flores, Marianne Friedel, Lorena Gonzalez, Brianna Guerra, Douglas Long, Isabel Vera Lopez, Simran Maredia, Kawa Ojo, Bylasan Shalabi, Jesus Sifuentes & Kyndal Thompson, B. Arch ’24
The University of Texas at San Antonio | Advisor: Armando Araiza

The project was designed for the entrance of the new Makerspace in the newly finished Science and Engineering Building at the UTSA Main Campus. The design allows students from all majors to showcase projects made in the Makerspace as well as welcome students to work on new projects. The studio explored the concept of folding, while transforming 2-dimensional surfaces into 3-dimensional volumes. The volumes organically flow throughout the Makerspace Lobby, displaying the concept of growth and transformation. Color and lights were incorporated into the design in order to illuminate the project and make it feel like an immersive and interactive experience for those entering the Makerspace Lobby.

Field Station: A Land Based Elementary School by Huê Bùi, M. Arch ‘24
University of California, Berkeley | Advisors: Neyran Turan (Primary Advisor) & Liz Gálvez

Field Station proposes a land-based elementary school as a response to the growing disconnect between people and land in industrializing rural Vietnam.

Land is big and school is small. Field Station is situated in Bac Giang, Vietnam, and centered around the lychee tree, the region’s key agricultural export. The school is located on an existing field to foster direct, place-based knowledge. The school is realized as a trail, integrating local land maintenance practices into both its pedagogy and architecture.

In the flat topography of the site, lychee trees are grown on mounds to help the roots stay above flood level and protect them from weeds. Field Station comprises interventions around these lychee mounds, organized like an almanac that suggests how architecture can adapt seasonally to facilitate different programs and spatial organizations during different planting stages throughout the year. The scroll drawing experiments with depicting both time and space in a two-dimensional medium. Read from right to left, the drawing aims to depict Field Station at four points of activation: Spring school during flower development, Summer school during harvest, Autumn school during ground preparation, and Winter school during canopy development. 

Land time is long and school time is short. Yet both are cyclical, rooted in repetition and resulting in growth. Field Station explores time across scales: the time of a human, a tree, a school year, an annual crop; the time of growth and decay. Using primarily bamboo and lychee bi-products (branches, leaves, fruits), the interventions aim to promote regenerative agriculture through various composting strategies, proposing the restoration of land depleted by mono-crop as an essential component of land education.

Instagram: @nemestudio, @office.for.example, @ucberkeleyarch

Social Ribbon by Brandon Rosas, Eddie Lam & Huiying Tan, M. Arch ’24
University at Buffalo | Advisor: Jin Young Song

The competitive college entrance process in South Korea has led to the proliferation of Hagwons, after-school private learning institutions. We also observe an emerging trend of commercialized “Study Cafes” in most Hagwon districts. A Study Cafe is a hybrid space between a cafe and a reading room in a library. This project explores a novel integration of Study Cafes into a “vertical school,” maximizing the performance of the cafe space in the context of classroom spaces in Hagwons.

The Study Cafe spaces are all connected as a flow of socialization, like a ribbon. The “social ribbon” is a new vertical school typology featuring vertical and diagonal circulation to encourage social interaction, relaxation, and other diverse activities. This ribbon transforms the Hagwon spaces, creating versatile, programmatic areas that blend the boundaries between levels, including Study Cafes, mini libraries, lounges, and galleries. Accessible from the ground to all levels, the ribbon offers students the freedom to engage in collaborative or private activities, easing the stress of their daily routines. The verticality is designed to provide efficient and diverse behaviors, not only as places but also as means of circulation.

Additionally, the ribbon incorporates a series of angled and protruding balconies that provide outdoor space and shade, enhancing the building’s performance. This design gesture is highlighted on the north façade, serving as a prominent feature that activates both the building’s interior and exterior.

Instagram: @ubuffaloarchplan

Hagwon On The Move by Toni Vargas, Omar Ibrahim & Staci Tubiolo, M. Arch ’24
University at Buffalo | Advisor: Jin Young Song

Hagwon On The Move proposes a transformative intervention in the heart of South Korea’s Hagwon (private institutions) culture. We understand that young students have the most interactive, meaningful, and enjoyable social activities ‘before and after’ classes. While the current Hagwon culture focuses on efficient learning, the architecture lacks the sense of a ‘place’ to linger. We aim to extend this particular ‘before and after’ class time as much as possible. Through an extended walking experience within the building, the project redefines the traditional private cram school experience, creating a vibrant, inclusive learning environment for students of all ages.

The building emphasizes the social and physical benefits of walking, inviting users to explore its 7-story structure via a moderate 1:25 continuous ramp. While the north-facing side of the building is reserved for efficient learning spaces, the south-facing side is highly dynamic, accommodating various programs including flexible studying spaces, a library, and activity lounges.

Ascending to the open roof, users are treated to engaging views across the building through a central atrium, transforming the walking experience into a spectacle. The constant change in the angle at which the floor slabs meet the façade introduces double-height balcony spaces, reconnecting users with nature. This shifting, angular design is clad in terracotta panels that mirror the fluidity of the ramp behind and provide shade and thermal comfort. Additionally, terracotta baguettes extend underneath the panels to provide extra shading where needed.

Hagwon on the Move offers students the opportunity to engage with their peers and surroundings in a dynamic setting that contrasts with traditional education spaces. Embracing innovation and community, the project is poised to re-evaluate the learning experience in vertical spaces.

Instagram: @ubuffaloarchplan

Down Syndrome: A Path to Independence by Luis D. Maldonado-Albertorio, B. Arch ’24
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico | Advisors: Pedro A. Rosario-Torres, Juan C. Santiago-Colón & Manuel De Lemos-Zuazaga

Down Syndrome is a condition observed in different parts of the world, and people with this condition are often perceived as incapable of doing what a neurotypical person would do. However, in many cases, these individuals do not achieve independence because appropriate approaches for their integration into society are not adopted. There is a mistaken belief that a simple program will solve their problems. People with Down Syndrome may have intellectual disabilities, motor difficulties, and some distinctive features in their bodies, but this does not mean they cannot improve and advance toward a successful life. It is crucial to work with them from an early age to achieve great results in adulthood.

The project proposes an idea where architecture performs a central role in creating a space specifically designed for people with Down Syndrome to learn and progress towards an independent life.

The architectural proposal is located in Puerto Rico, in the city of Ponce, at a site that is currently an incomplete and abandoned sports complex. This represents an opportunity not only to improve and develop a master plan for the complex but also to implement an educational proposal for children with Down Syndrome. Being located in an existing sports area, the project will help improve the users’ motor skills and allow for the “Special Olympics” to take place for this community, fostering an exchange of experiences and learning between neurotypical individuals and children with Down Syndrome.

From an architectural perspective, the idea is to implement ludic areas that will make learning efficient and enjoyable, helping to improve both mental and motor aspects. Additionally, various programs specifically designed for these users are implemented, such as the simulation of a home, located in volumes of geometric shapes. These colorful geometric shapes aim to help the users clearly identify different spaces.

Instagram: @daniel_albertorio30

Architecture for Autism Spectrum Disorder: In Search of Social Integration for People with ASD by Jorelma Alfaro-Padilla, B. Arch ’24
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico |Advisors: Pedro A. Rosario-Torres, Juan C. Santiago-Colón & Manuel De Lemos-Zuazaga

Over the years, statistical studies have demonstrated the exponential increase in diagnoses and prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) globally. This is a lifelong condition implying that each diagnosed individual receives personalized treatment, and it is primarily characterized by its impact on individuals’ communication skills. With the growth of this community, the need for spaces that foster the social integration of the autistic community with the neurotypical population has become more apparent. Although the autistic community must be fully attended to, early diagnosis and care allow for the identification of strategies and the insertion of individuals with the condition into environments that enable full development adjusted to their abilities. In this context, architecture becomes a tool for designing spaces that meet the needs of autistic users, such as through the use of sensory design theory, allowing for spaces that promote the social integration of these users.

This architectural proposal is located in the town of Caguas, Puerto Rico, on a lot adjacent to a cluster of existing schools. The proposal comprises a set of structures subdivided according to their use: education, treatment, and integration; leading to the creation of five structures: an amphitheater, a treatment center, a K-12 school, a gymnasium, and a school of fine arts. The placement of these structures seeks the social integration of the autistic community through the creation of a connecting axis that facilitates the creation of spaces for interaction between school communities through urban spaces, as well as the interaction of neurotypical and autistic school communities in the fine arts program. As part of the educational program, the implementation of retreat spaces in classrooms for autistic students was considered, so that in the event of overstimulation or lack of stimuli, they can take a moment to recompose themselves and use a space that, in addition to being designed for their needs, becomes an element for the façade design of the K-12 school. Additionally, the structures feature sensory gardens which, together with the vegetation, provide an outdoor retreat space and an area for social interaction. Architecture, in these respects, becomes a mediator for the social integration of autistic users, enabling interactions among users.

Instagram: @jorelma_a

Stay tuned for Part III!

2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase - Part I

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Welcome to the 2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase!

Over the summer, we called on architecture school faculty from across the globe to nominate graduating students whose work exemplifies excellence in architectural education. The submitted work reflects the various skills and concepts taught in architecture schools while inspiring future architecture students. With the Fall semester in full swing, we are excited to share these outstanding projects with you over the next few months.

These projects will focus on topics ranging from climate change and revitalization to public health and housing. Tune in every Tuesday and Thursday for a new installment focused on a specific topic.

Today’s showcase features projects that are centered around technology. As the world continues to make technological advances, architecture must adapt. Technology can benefit architecture in many ways, as demonstrated by the projects below. From AI and VR to robotics and other digital tools, these projects highlight opportunities to utilize technology as an avenue for innovation and construction.

Nexus by Angela Hanna, M. Arch ’24
Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) | Advisor: Louis Hachem

In the dynamic landscape of modern education, “NEXUS” underscores USEK’s unwavering commitment to excellence in education, envisioning a state-of-the-art, smart headquarters that serves as a global hub of interconnected learning.

The Faculty of Robotics and AI represents technological advancements. The iconic dome houses the main auditorium for global educational events, and the surrounding ring encapsulates research laboratories. Innovative features such as dynamic partitions and a revolving stage enhance flexibility, while holographic technology dissolves physical boundaries, fostering a network of knowledge exchange. Sustainability is a cornerstone of the Nexus, employing passive and active methods to reduce energy consumption. Welcome to Nexus, where Architecture, AI and Nature align.

Instagram: @angela.h_, @usekschoolofarchitecture

Architronics: Utilizing Virtual Reality in Architectural Pedagogy by Dean Lambros, B. Arch ’24
Kennesaw State University | Advisor: Robin Puttock

This research is about integrating the recent advancements in VR technology as a way to ‘playtest’ and design in architectural pedagogy. To better gauge the interest in VR and prove the need for VR integration, surveys were conducted among students and faculty within KSU’s College of Architecture and Construction Management (CACM).

A ‘site analysis’ was then conducted within surrounding firms in the greater Atlanta area, leading to precedent studies of local firms that use VR in their practice. By utilizing the firms’ advancements, this shed new light on how VR could be implemented into architectural pedagogy, and why it hasn’t been incorporated into the curriculum yet.

This then led to an analysis of four architectural metrics: light, form, tectonics, and program. Each of these metrics were analyzed in VR through case studies that best exemplify their features. Doing so allowed for a more immersive and concise design approach, which explored new ways to collaborate and critique, and help obtain a better sense of scale within each space.

To compare the architectural design process between traditional pedagogy and VR-tailored pedagogy, a research study was performed on a test group of 14 first-year students implemented in the spring semester 2024 accelerated program. They performed a small-scale design project where half utilized VR-centric design and the other half utilized traditional design. The students were critiqued based on the four metrics previously analyzed by qualified jurors, which revealed that the VR design group outperformed the traditional group by 20%, as well as getting twice as high of a score in the ‘program’ metric.

This research, performed within KSU’s College of Architecture and Construction Management, was utilized to propose a 2nd-year Studio course centered around these findings. This comparative analysis on VR pedagogy versus traditional design justifies the need to move towards a more immersive construction industry.

This project was recognized as a Thesis Competition Finalist.

Instagram: @robinzputtock,

Building Trust: Maintenance and Care for Autonomous Vehicles by Dear Liu, James Vadasz & Catherine Yu, BS (Bachelor of Science in Architecture) ‘24
Washington University in St. Louis | Advisor: Constance Vale

This multi-modal transit hub proposes a new AV transportation and maintenance center for people to learn about and experience the latest technology. To further publicize the use of AV, our building deliberately displays the acts of maintenance through material choices, apertures, and curated spatial sequences. As a result, we imagine the building welcoming anyone passing by as a place of efficiency, comfort, and wonder. 

Our design focuses on aperture and pushes it to the extreme. What if the ground floor was a multitude of portals that led one to their desired stops and lifted the building up? How can the mere use of a singular element not only segment spaces both above and below but also provide the necessary structural support for the building? 

This project was collected for the Washington University in St. Louis Student Work Publication, Approach.

Instagram: @dearliuweihang, @de_architects_, @jamesvadasz2, @catherineyu.qh, @constancevale, @washu.architecture

CITY IN POCKET, Level up TODAY! by Rachana Charate, M. Arch (Urban Design) ’24
R V College of Architecture | Advisors: Anup Naik & U. S. Maiya

This exploratory thesis looks at creating a people- and market-friendly urban environment by synthesizing AI computational analysis and generation to increase the efficiency and quality of architecture and urban design.

Cities are complex environments in which multiple factors play a role in shaping a liveable neighbourhood. The cities consist of many distinct data sets and stakeholders. The city development process is single-handed and static. The crafting and timely updating of zoning regulations represent a constant challenge for municipal governments, more so when said regulations attempt to guarantee that goals of liveable parameters are met and an equitable urban experience is ensured. Traditional standards and practices for a city continue to function and evolve, largely based on historical patterns and outdated workflows and are no longer adequate.

The current process for the design of an urban realm typically involves a team of architects, designers and planners that conceive a handful of schemes based on zoning requirements manually or with the help of CAD software. They may intend for the plan to achieve a set of performance goals (sociability, economic, environmental, etc.), but quantitative analysis is rarely conducted early and consistently through the design process. This makes it difficult to understand the full range of approaches that are possible on a site and the relative performance of each scheme. In order to best accommodate rapid urbanization while making cities more liveable, and equitable, designers must utilize quantitative tools to make informed decisions about their designs. Computational analysis and generative design techniques have been successfully used at the building scale to test numerous designs and quantify their performance, but are challenging to apply at the urban scale due to increased computational expense, difficulty in limiting inputs, and more stakeholders involved in the process. The purpose of this project is to introduce a methodology for AI generative models, capable of evaluating performance goals based on the information available at each step of the development and communicating the impacts on those goals of any decisions regarding land use, density and form, etc.

The City in Pocket proposes AI computational and generation, where the real and virtual are constructed as part of the same urban fabric, which will allow a re-thinking of long-established fundamental architecture and urban design values. It will contain an ever-accumulating amount of content, expanding infinitely, layer on layer. New media and the network-facilitated distribution will turn more people into both consumers and creators. While individuals may create and publish content, multi-authored channels will be created. The tool space is location-based, users can create 2D and 3D geo-tagged maps, reports, photographs, paths, zones, spatial data and recommendations, giving order and meaning to the city. An open framework of AI will allow anybody to freely contribute to the city and will breach the gaps between different areas, departments, expertise, and the general public and increase efficiency and quality.

Instagram: @_charate_, @usmaiya.design

Bespoke Moon by Austin White, B. Arch ’24
Kennesaw State University | Advisor: Jeffrey Collins

Welcome to Bespoke Moon, the next high-tech, component-based system that allows architects and designers to fully immerse themselves in design once again.

Designers grow up nurturing a passion for design, then eventually attend school to hone their skills. However, bringing these designs to life in the built environment involves a lot of tedious work and time to ensure safety, structural integrity, and compliance with codes. With that in mind, I aim to transform our traditional processes.

Bespoke Moon’s component-based system utilizes 3D-printed, prefabricated steel components that lock, seal, stack, and interlock in a unique way, allowing them to connect with one another and incorporate structure. These connections enable the components to withstand all weather and climate conditions in the future, potentially an extraterrestrial environment, reflecting an industrial outer-space aesthetic.

This high-tech component system is powered by Bespoke Moon’s new AI, which assists in generating these components, allowing architects and designers to focus solely on design. Moreover, the components generated from other designs provide an opportunity to create a library of Bespoke Moon components. This enables reuse in various ways in new designs across a variety of scales. The ultimate goal of this high-tech, component-based system is to allow architects and designers to dive back into design, as they were taught and born to do, by integrating artificial intelligence to revolutionize conventional construction and design processes in modern architecture.

This project was awarded third place in the KSU Architecture Thesis Competition 2024.

Operative Approaches: Potential in Limits in Design Process by Chantal Shahmooradian, M. Arch ’24
Toronto Metropolitan University | Advisors: Carlo Parente (Supervisor), Kate Myers (Second Reader) & John Cirka (Program Representative)

In the realm of architecture, limits are often perceived as obstacles, however, this research reimagines them as powerful catalysts for creativity. By embracing constraints and leveraging operative approaches– with structured systems revealing a comprehensive array of possibilities within project limitations– architects can unlock new depths of innovation within the design process. This research explores the transformative potential of working within limits, through the use of a variety of tools such as drawing, digital media, AI, and physical models to illustrate how constraints can inspire inventive solutions.

The thesis advocates for a holistic view of design tools, not merely as means of production but as active agents in the creative process. It demonstrates how models and drawing techniques can shape design outcomes from the earliest stages, fostering a dynamic and iterative approach. Through the use of exercises that implement transforming physical models, with chosen limits, the study underscores the critical role of limits in defining problem spaces and guiding the creative journey.

A key focus is the distinction between given constraints and those chosen by designers, showcasing the architect’s skill in navigating these boundaries. The research highlights heuristic reasoning’s impact on design decisions, balancing the benefits of guided problem-solving with an awareness of cognitive biases. Visual explorations with the use of dynamic physical models with limits demonstrate the potential of these approaches as key pedagogical tools which can enhance the way designers and architects approach design problems, fostering innovative design thinking strategies.

Operative approaches are explored through physical models inspired by 3D puzzles, which serve as inspiration for problem-solving methodologies within defined limits in the design research. These models reveal the rich spatial possibilities that emerge within set constraints, offering new avenues for creative exploration that exist within the limits.

By showcasing a series of innovative design solutions derived from these explorations, the thesis illustrates how constraints can be harnessed as opportunities rather than hindrances. This approach not only enhances architectural creativity but also provides meaningful insights and outcomes, demonstrating the profound potential of limits in the design process.

Instagram: @chantal_shah, @dastorontomet, @tmu_archgrad

Cadences of Being: Architecture for the Living by Anna Kosichenko, M. Arch ’24
Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University)| Advisors: Paul Floerke (Supervisor) | Stanislav Jurcovic (Second Reader) | Carlo Parente (Program Rep)

Architecture is an artifact frozen in time, a physical ‘time stamp’ – an object that reflects its environment and values. While such physical ‘time stamps’ define our relationship with mortality, it begs the question: “What is the future role of burial architecture in the realm of living?”

‘Funeral Machine’ is a conceptual representation of current outdated, mechanized and costly burial practices are centred on the efficiency of the process rather than the experience of users, facilitating further physical and metaphysical disconnect between life and death.

New technologies for sustainable dying provide an opportunity to reform the ritual of mourning and use the built form to redefine culture’s relationship with mortality and grief. The proposal provides a space for grieving in a city, crafting architecture that values human-centred experience and shines a light on death as part of life.

Instagram: @enot_sosna5, @tmu_archgrad

The Architecture Factory by Steven Fallon, M. Arch ’24
Boston Architectural College | Advisor: Sam Landay, AIA

The Architecture Factory contemplates craftsmanship in the context of contemporary architecture and re-imagines the role of the Architect in a new age of digital design and construction. Standing amidst the global housing and climate crises, the project asks how we can utilize robotics to not only advance construction and design efficiency but also enter a new age of design that is built upon excellence in the craft of building.  

The ideas of this thesis are represented through the design of a factory on the site of a previous machine shop on the waterfront of East Boston, Massachusetts. Inside, a new studio space takes hold, where architecture comes to life in the form of physical construction, a craft that is taught and learned, experimented with, and refined. No longer would architecture be represented just by drawings, but by physical and material representations of the designer’s imagination, built directly in the studio. Wielding the powers of the robot and computer to their advantage, here, the robot becomes a prosthetic arm and extension of the architect, while the architecture transcends from concepts and representations into physical, tangible creations.

The project first delves into the fabrication and construction methods of our future homes. It then examines the design and construction of the factory itself, considering the human interaction with the building process and asking how we can bring light to the processes that build the world around us. Robots construct their own factory and provide humans the space to observe the performance of construction from a distance. Architects serve as maestros of a robotic symphony, guiding these machines and orchestrating a performance of precision and efficiency-driven construction, resulting in an architecture that is founded in the fundamental elements of architecture – material, craft, and construction.

This project was awarded Commendations: Master of Theis Excellence – Architecture. 

Instagram: @stevenfallon7

Stay tuned for Part II!

2024 Student Showcase Call for Projects

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For the last five years, Study Architecture has put out a call to architecture school faculty from around the world to nominate graduating students whose work exemplifies excellence in architectural education. This year, we invite you to submit your student’s most impressive work to be featured in the 2024 Fall Student Showcase on Study Architecture’s website and social media.

Submission deadline: July 1, 2024

Click here to be directed to a Google form where you can nominate your students and submit their work.

We hope by sharing a glimpse into what architecture students create while in school, more students will begin to take an interest in the architecture field and potentially apply to a program that appeals to them. Architecture is a broad field and we are excited to highlight the many unique aspects of design that are submitted.

2023 Study Architecture Student Showcase - Part III

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This week the 2023 Student Showcase takes a broad look at buildings and parks on university campuses. We look at a couple of design build projects completed by architecture students as well as adaptive reuse designs and new builds that aim to evolve architectural education curriculum through wellness and sustainability. Shifting gears slightly we also feature a video game that inspires architecture learning, after all campus should be a space that encourages enjoyment while learning.

We hope you enjoy this week’s collection of student work and come back next week for a new installment.

Commensalis by Dakota Witte and Dylan Moyano, B.Arch ’23
Washington State University | Advisor: Vahid Vahdat

Commensalism is a biological relationship between two organisms in which one benefits while the other derives neither a benefit nor harm. Here at Washington State University, creating relationships amongst the design disciplines is challenging at the very least. Students are expected to become masters of their own curriculum, however in design, we are also expected to share knowledge with our cousin disciplines. This ideology has become a greater necessity as miscommunications between designers and builders create complications in the design process. The origin of these obstacles can be attributed to our academic backgrounds. A lack of communication can be attributed to the traditional academic architecture practiced amongst universities.

Our goal in this project was to innovate this narrative and create both a physical and psychologically alternative to the educational practice of design. We set out to create a commensalism between design disciplines and the academic system. Our site was located on the South end of WSU’s campus. As a prime location, we began creating an academic building for both engineers and architects. The unfamiliar organism’s veins stretch and pull through the natural scenery. Initially seeming like something out of the Twilight Zone, further innovation within our environment gives a drastic alternative to the organism as it begins to create flower beds and public benches that surround the structure. Exterior cladding of our structure uses traditional red brick to pay respect to the surrounding architecture of campus.

We felt it was important to iterate that our intentions are not to change higher education itself, but rather change the systems we have been using for hundreds of years. To show this, the organism has begun to encompass the exterior of the structure changing its shape as it begins spreading throughout campus. The interior of Commensalis creates a mix of both public and private spaces with a heavy emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration. This first level is home to a large museum space meant to display the projects of various students. The second and third levels of the structure also hold multiple public and private seating areas to encourage a variety of study methods.

Instagram: @dakota.witte, @dgm.design2022, @3rdscript

ArchiLounge by Neroly Mora, Daniel Gribben, Michael Anzalone, Kayla Dawson, Kianna Ladue, Julia Dorr, Abby Lumpkin, Nate Simpson, Lauren Trippiedi, Charles Vasas, Joe Walsh, Serene Martens, M.Arch ’23 and B.S. Arch ’23
Norwich University | Advisor: Tolya Stonorov

Our typical SoA+A design build program has an outward, community focus – this is based on our belief that architecture can help people through providing solutions to society’s problems. This year, however, I was able to teach a design build studio that had a special opportunity to look inwards and focus on our own SoA+A community.

The ArchiLounge design build studio focused on the design and fabrication of the student lounge in Chaplin Hall as well as an overall look on how we could bring our current branding into the building. The studio reimagined and redefined what was needed and proposed an innovative, material rich, dynamic solution. This began with an outreach effort to the entire SoA+A community to determine what program the space should encompass. As part of the lounge, the studio incorporated a memorial to Donovan Kurt, a beloved architecture student who tragically passed in 2022.

The studio’s main focus was on investigating and redesigning the student lounge in Chaplin. This began by understanding how to draw as builts, a tool used in most architecture offices. We conducted a model-focused precedent study and a Surface + Joint study with an emphasis on digital fabrication, both in terms of the joint and overall spaces. We worked with our digital fabrication tools: 3D Printers, CNC router and laser cutters and a CNC router workshop was taught after our initial research. The bulk of the studio involved a heavy investigation into materiality and making. We poured concrete, worked with fabric, wood and metal. While each student had an area of study and is developing expertise, it was my intention that each student contribute to all aspects of the project through group discussions. In order for these group discussions to be successful it was imperative that the studio have an atmosphere of open dialogue. While we discussed and critiqued ideas, we made sure that we were not excluding people from contributing to this process. Working across the table was also an opportunity for all of the studio to learn more about how we all solve problems. I worked many hours outside of studio to try to ensure a successful group environment. This studio had the most cohesive group dynamic that I have experienced in my 11 years of teaching.

The design build process is a ground breaking pedagogy that encourages students to problem solve, think together, and make real design innovations in the field. Students learned that their drawings had real meaning and tangible implications. The studio had extensive community engagement as we worked with the SoA+A students, faculty and staff. Community-focused work in design build studios consistently demonstrates that holding community activism as a goal, yields a rich student experience as a result. I believe that this impact is two-fold: 1) students gain confidence because they are entrusted to design and build a real project and thereby achieve results outside of their comfort zone and 2) they are able to see concretely how their own work can help the community.

Through the design build experience, students shape a personal, more inclusive, definition of the architectural process and its tangible social and economic impacts. Working with the team of 12 architecture students was fantastic, but also challenging. The students were consistently motivated and worked cohesively to produce a beautiful building. Students repeatedly described these design build courses as some of the most valuable of their architecture education.

Instagram: @eaglewolf_14, @_juliadorr_, @abbylmpkn, @stonorovworkshoparchitects, @norwichdesignbuild

Voiland College Student Center by Chenlu Zhang and Luke Nye, B.S. Arch ’23
Washington State University | Advisor: Vahid Vahdat

In this project, we used a variety of software to build a workflow (rhino, revit, enscape, photoshop, to ensure a high level of finished product quality in a limited time.

The link between creativity and schooling has always been a difficult relationship to explain. In the fields of architecture, engineering, and creation, a heavy amount of creativity is required. Creativity requires boundaries to be broken and order not to interfere, which is a direct counter to that of modern education. As a result of the inherit divide between these elements of education and creativity, “Discrete Rectagular” replicates this relationship in the physical structure.

A cavity-shaped, complex organic structure is present next to solid traditional interior rooms. This cavity shape represents creativity as the solid routine structures represent the order that is required in education. For the spaces to work well together, we decided that the organic shape should hold most of the lounging area required in this site while the traditional rooms should be responsible for the more practical uses of the building. This division of labor further defines the relationship between creativity and order. To not disrupt the shape of the entire site, we modified the existing architectural topologies which in turn influence the structure giving it it’s shape. The loadbearing columns at the base of the organic structure are connected to the structure which displaces the overall weight. A lightweight steel was used for the skin (scaffolding with curtain wall glass) of the building which increases the sense of breathing.

The conventional practice of introducing the outdoor environment is not adopted, but the shell through its transparency is used to release the interior space of the whole building giving a spectacle to engage with. Furthermore, the main entrance is equipped with a similar organic shape to continue this spectacle and desire to be inside. The whole building is made of white light material and metallic material so that its square volume floats in place and disappears. The organic structure is heavily used for lounging as we want to challenge the existing academic architecture typology but not change it completely. Hence we chose to use this alternative style.

Instagram: @clzpurplem, @3rdscript

KCAI DoARC by Jessie Grieser, Kendall Hartley, Halima Moore and Abriana Wilson, B.S. Design, ’23
University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Advisor: Peter Olshavsky, Ph.D.

If education involves “values made flesh,” then what values will be incarnate by the year 2050? To think through the entanglements of this question, third year architecture students were asked to design of a Department of Architecture (DoARC) building on the Kansas City Art Institute campus in Kansas City, MO. This effort started from the basis that design education is changing. Our architectural lives, and the education that prepares us to live them well, should aim at our being someone and not just acting professionally.

This 30,000 sq. ft. project, rethought architectural education through curriculum, pedagogy, and the agency of architecture. This new project on the famed arts campus was approached through wellness in connection with sustainable systems. The department was divided into four and one-half levels to support the programmatic needs of its social life. The east and west edges of the building were rounded to create unique campus spatial conditions and maximize view across the Kansas City arts district. The layering of program enables students, faculty and staff to have quality light and in views on three sides. Subtractive gestures on the building’s face to create exterior green spaces and sheltered entrance conditions. Entrances were placed on campus side (facing the quad) and public side (facing Nelson-Atkins Museum) on two different levels to respond to the existing site’s ten foot east-west slope. The facade was develop with white brick to connect to the existing masonry on campus, while the long southern face used glazing and metal paneling to control atmospheric lighting, prevailing winds for natural ventilation, and manage solar heat gain to reduce energy consumption. The external landscape was developed to establish a new social place on a campus that was lacking quality outdoor spaces. Permeable pavers, bio-swales, and native plantings helped managed run-off from the sloped quad while creating a quality natural environment in which student could occupy on the southern end of the intimate arts campus.

Instagram: @jess_grieser, @kendallhartley_, @polshavsky

Cultural Kitchen by Emily Pressprich, Austin Bass, Brandon Garza, Caitlin Truong, David Alvarez, Ian Green, Taylor Sanville, Ivan Cherniske, Kana Takagi, Maddie Crane, Marianne Fitzwilliam, Morocco Branting, Pamela Aymar, Patrick Norton, Radha Iyer and Yessenia Islas, M. Arch ’23
University of Washington | Advisor: Steve Badanes, Jake LaBarre and Miriam Gee

Designed and built by 16 students in the spring quarter of 2023, the World Cultural Kitchen is a gathering and cooking space for visitors, volunteers, and student workers at the UW farm, a 1.5 acre urban farm and educational center on the University of Washington campus. The Cultural Kitchen will be used for cooking and farming demos by the UW Farm, celebrations that are hosted at the adjacent Center for Urban Horticulture, and as a unique meeting place for visitors to the nearby walking trails of the Union Bay Nature area.

The design is a consensus-based group project, working with both graduate and undergraduate architecture students (2 of which are construction management double majors) to create a beautiful and durable structure to meet the needs of the client within an 11 week quarter. After refining a loose program, the class presents their schematic design to the client and then works to develop a construction document set which incorporates client feedback that is appropriate for a tight budget and even tighter construction schedule. By week five, they are building and testing project elements, developing their construction skills, and refining details to preassemble the project elements in studio. The final weeks of the studio involve project layout, site prep, reassembly, and finally a celebratory ribbon cutting as the project gets turned over to the client.

Instagram: @emilypressprich, @aust1n_bass, @caitlinche, @ivancherniske, @crane_maddie, @morocco.branting, @pameaymar, @patrick_norton, @jacoblabarre, @build_lightly, @co.everything, @NeighborhoodDesignBuildStudio

Bubble Rumble by Kathy Bi, Clytie Mak, Tien Pham and Yuzhou Wang, M.Arch ’23
University of California, Los Angeles | Advisor: Feghali Yara

Bubble Rumble is an educational platform-game that draws inspiration from Archigram’s Seaside Bubbles and City Pop aesthetics. Players ascend platforms, progressing from daytime to nighttime, encountering architectural and artistic moments. Trigger questions provide architectural knowledge, emphasizing learning through play. Bespoke tiles, derived from Archigram’s iconic imagery, give Bubble Rumble a distinctive visual language.

Drawing inspiration from Archigram’s groundbreaking designs, we have developed a set of distinctive tiles that add a visually captivating and unique element to our game. These tiles play a pivotal role in the gameplay experience, and comprehending their functionality is essential for fully immersing oneself in the enjoyment of the game.

Instagram: @feghali.yara

Humb.LED by Trenton Scott, B.Arch ’23
Tuskegee University | Advisor: Roderick Fluker and Dr. Carla Jackson Bell

The design proposal seeks to strengthen community-university relations by developing a public park which links two existing sites significant to each: Tuskegee University campus stadium and a Tuskegee community park and recreational center. Both facilities are enhanced and expanded architecturally and promote sports participation and fitness in bringing together members of each community. The shared spatial programming also provides opportunities for the university to strengthen its recruitment pipeline locally and community engagement for students and faculty.

Instagram: @carla_jackson_bell

 

Head Heart Hands by Tyler Littes, B.Arch ’23
Tuskegee University | Advisor: Roderick Fluker and Dr. Carla Jackson Bell

The project explores the aesthetic implications for a new campus living learning center in the context of the existing historic district of Tuskegee University. Space, program, and material use combine to form an inviting and comforting living environment for students – allowing them to feel empowered to achieve their full educational potential. Symbolically the project employs the themes of head, heart, and hand in addressing student needs, and linking to Tuskegee’s founding, the campus, and the teaching philosophy of Booker T. Washington.

Instagram: @carla_jackson_bell

PASSAGE by Gabriel Valdez, B.Arch ’23
The University of Texas at Austin | Advisor: Nichole Wiedemann

Inspired by the latent potential of old alleys throughout the increasingly dense West Campus, the design introduces another alley, an informal and lively pedestrian passage, that unites a range of people and programs. The strategy helps to resituate a longstanding religious institution, who owns the property, and introduce student living and services. While the base is shaped by mixed-use and church functions creating a public sphere, the residential towers are shaped by views and light. Suggestive of the larger pedestrian network in the neighborhood, the PASSAGE creates a social landscape through intermingling and movement.

Instagram: @nicholewiedemann

Lighthouse Christian Study Center by Alyssa Lee, M.Arch ’23
California Baptist University | Advisor: Dr. Matthew Niermann

The Lighthouse Christian Study Center is on a college campus acting as a beacon of light and hope within its community. The beacon draws faithful people into the unified structure to experience transcendence through the use of light. The Center contains three primary live, study, and worship spaces.

Each significant space displays organized connectivity within a unified form. The gleaming exterior is complemented by an outdoor plaza, cafe, and prayer garden support student life and vibrancy. The post and lintel structure incorporates sun-shading twisting vertically oriented louvers along tall glazed facades. The dynamism of each aluminum louver gives a sense of movement to those passing by and through the building, with further liveliness provided by the varying effect of daylight through the vertical strokes of the facade.

Instagram: @cbuarch

Stay tuned for the next installment of 2023 Student Showcase!

2023 Study Architecture Student Showcase - Part I

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Welcome back to the Study Architecture Student Showcase fall series!

We put out a call over the summer for student work and received a record number of submissions – thank you to everyone who participated. With the Fall semester in full gear, we are excited to share the most outstanding projects with you over the next few months. To give you an insight into what it is like to study architecture, we will take a closer look at student thesis and capstone work from 2023.

Throughout the Student Showcase series, we will feature work from recent graduates of ACSA member schools from across the globe. These projects will highlight an array of topics and explorations, ranging from building designs focused on women empowerment or climate change to research on biomaterials and much more. Tune in every week for a new installment focused on a specific topic.

This week we take a look at projects that are aimed at combatting the issue of flooding, which we are seeing rise in frequency across the globe. In the last few weeks alone, we have seen extreme examples of just how damaging floods can be. The work below focus on how we can improve the flood protection process.

Urban Flooding Reuse for Addis Ababa (Ethopia) by Michael Clifton, B.Arch ’23
Tulane University | Advisor: Ruben Garcia-Rubio

The Urban Flooding Reuse Proposal is intended to create a way for residents of the river meander to live with and reuse flood water for their own benefit. This is a response to a high population of Addis Ababa’s (Ethiopia) residents living in highly vulnerable areas to flooding and a high amount of housing being built from weaker materials like mud and wood. These two problems that exist in the city lead to dangerous living conditions with flooding in a city that experiences plenty of rain and flooding yearly—and is projected to see much more in the future due to climate change.

The proposal tackles other problems as well such as cleaning polluted water and creating public space in the city, while restructuring at-risk housing. The city has problems with pollution due to poor drainage and sewerage systems, and the amount of green space is far below the World Health Organization standard.
The proposal uses a system of channels that serve as pathways for water to travel from parcel to parcel while also being slow mobility pathways for pedestrians. The system for flow of water includes inputs from the Upper Kebena River, and introduces three different types of parcels for different treatment of water. The first being retention pools which hold water at the first stop in the system. The retention pools also include some natural vegetation for slight cleaning at this point. The second parcels are cleaning parcels, which have more natural vegetation and help clean water through the use of bioswales. The third type of parcels are for reuse of water and mostly come in the form of urban agriculture while also providing spaces for recreation and leisure throughout the river meander. The reuse parcels are spaces that create a public environment for pedestrians and can help create jobs through farming. The new housing buildings can have shops on the ground floor as well to help keep the informal economy alive in this area. Runoff water from the city is cleaned through the use of underground water deposits which will help with solid waste filtration and chemical cleaning before water from the streets enters the system. The proposal also includes bridges and ramps to help pedestrians cross the river and more extreme terrain on the north side of the river meander, creating a better connection from the city to the river.

This project was selected by the Oslo Triennale.

Instagram: @rubgarrub

Creative Triggering by Christine Chen, Meichen Duan, Ji Hyun Hwang, Jing Kang, Hong Ke, Wanshan Li, Zhe Li, Xinru Liu, Hoi Yau Lo, Ankita Mallick, Weixuan Wang, Ruijie Zhang, Wenhao Zhang, M. Arch ’23
University of Melbourne | Advisor: Justyna Karakiewicz & Theo Blankley

This studio takes the site of Australia’s largest major urban regeneration project – located at Melbourne, Fishermans Bend – which is over 480 hectares of land directly adjacent to the CBD. We propose the future of the precinct in light of ecological, environmental, structural and social changes across staged developments into the next century.

The Fishermans Bend precinct has its challenges. Much of it is threatened by flooding. A significant portion of the land is heavily contaminated by previous industrial users. We have learned that the quick fixes we often employ are based on misinterpreting symptoms for causes as we try to address current problems. We can observe that our quick interventions distract us from doing the deeper work needed that might lead to a better world for the planet, for all species and the environment, rather than just for the electorate.

By 2025, the Stage 1 will be completed and will feature large scale facilities for advanced manufacturing, fabrication, testing and prototyping with large scale collaborators such as the University of Melbourne, Boeing, Tesla, and others. By 2050, the Victorian Government proposes there will be 80,000 residents and employment for up to 80,000 people. Looking forward, we know that by 2100, much of Fishermans Bend could be under water, even under the most moderate predictions for sea level rises. We know that most of the surface soil is toxic. This combination of toxic land and flooding does not suggest that this is suitable place to live.

Combining Slow, Medium and Fast approaches, the propositions are illustrated by small, medium and large projects. These include two urban infrastructure strategies, and eight architectural projects.The works shown here illustrates an incremental development, with Stage 1 in 2025-2030, Stage 2 in 2030-2050, and Stage 3 in 2050-2100. Students worked collaboratively and developed programs and outcomes that interconnected and linked with each other – as evidenced in the final panels showing relationships between proposals and how one project may ‘trigger’ another.

Instagram: @msdsocial, @msd.gallery, @theoblankley, @meichend_, @lohoiyau, @ankitamallick,

BQE Hydrology Hub by Emma Mangels, B.Arch ’23
New York Institute of Technology | Advisor: Evan Shieh

The re-imagination of the Gowanus Canal aims to address the environmental and hydrological issues facing the Gowanus Canal at the local scale and the surrounding neighborhoods of Brooklyn at the borough scale. The Gowanus Canal and the surrounding neighborhood of Red Hook has been a highly-contested area due to the status of the waterway being declared a superfund site. As well as flooding occurring on the shoreline and also in-land which can be traced back to the out-dated combined sewer outflow system or CSO feeding into the canal.

To address this issue, a “Hydrology Hub” will be created at the crossing of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE) at the local scale to clean water in an efficient manner and reduce in-land flooding as well as making the water filtration process visible to the community. The hub will allow for people to follow the newly designed circular system of water filtration that uses both natural and man-made processes. The filtration circulation will bring the person down to the canal level where a walkable park will take over the current hard-edge of the canal. In order to protect the new in-land system, the borough scale will include the implementation of a soft shoreline to slow erosion and provide habitats for flora and fauna, creating a “kit of parts” to foster an environmentally resilient community while also placing an emphasis on circular systems of water.

Instagram: @mangels.arch, @ev07

Island Revitalization by Kelly Zheng, B.Arch ’23
New York Institute of Technology | Advisor: Farzana Gandhi

Coney Island is a peninsula that sits in the southern part of New York City. The site is a smaller scale of NYC that demonstrates the environmental problems that the city faces. It is an area full of residential structures and commercial businesses.

Coney Island suffers from bad air quality, urban heat, flooding, and poor water management, causing bad living quality and health risks. These issues should not be understood and treated separately. They are all part of a reciprocal ecosystem where one problem typically worsens another.

It is essential to develop a holistic and comprehensive integrated solution that makes Coney Island more livable today and far into the future. The proposal is inspired by such solutions found around the world and at multiple scales from masterplan to kiosks.

Coney Island was originally a collection of islands and shifting sand, with inlets connecting the islands during low tide periods. In the late 1700s, the sand-shifting movements closed the inlets, so the residents filled in the space and connected the islands into one whole island. Coney Island Creek was the water body that separated Coney Island from the mainland. Over time, the island expanded due to natural and manmade activities such as sand shifting or landfilling.

The proposal reintroduces the creek, forming additional routes for water flow. Additional canals will be integrated, dividing the island into 3 mini-islands. This development isolates the island’s midsection, the portion that will be most likely affected by flooding. The isolation prevents water overflow from entering the surrounding inland areas. The middle mini-island will be redeveloped as an amusement island, and be designed as a sponge park to absorb flooding or overflowing water.

Recreational areas and water management systems are incorporated into the islands, rapidly expanding the amount of green and blue to decrease the environmental risks. Real-time visual notifications and warning systems are integrated into the streets, using lights, sounds, and kiosks to educate people about environmental factors and give alerts for safety threats. The strategies and real-time data systems work together to build a stronger, low-vulnerable community for citizens and visitors.

Instagram: @kellyzhangarch

Replacement by Zoe Holiday, B.Arts ’23
Savannah College of Art and Design | Advisor: Gordon Nicholson

Replacement is a Community Center located in Wilmington Island, GA. The site is nestled between an elementary school, a fire station, and two churches. A walking path alongside a main road accessing the site encourages pedestrian and vehicular engagement. The proposed community center – Replacement – will do just that by superimposing a new structure of CMU while maintaining the existing concrete structure. The main concrete columns will be inverted to create void where there was once a solid. The exterior faces of the new structure take shape from the radii of the trees defining the current landscape.

The building’s approach to water was integral to the form of the roof and interior courtyard. The two form a connected system of water collection through phytoremediation, water retention, and overflow channels that are capable of managing storm water and flooding. Replacement aims to become a shelter and everyday hub for the Wilmington Island community.

Water Wise Wrapper by Debdeep Dam, M.Arch ’23
University of Southern California | Advisor: Lisa Little

California and the world at large have been facing tumultuous weather patterns. Respite from long-term drought comes in the form of devastating floods.

Throughout history, humans have had a symbiotic relationship with natural sources of water; often carrying both cultural and spiritual significance. Unfortunately, modern city-making has been oriented toward over-engineered city planning because modern cities have had access to uncontested water resources without regard to ecosystems or context. The modern city treats stormwater as a nuisance; something to be drained away out of sight even though water scarcity has become so real an issue that architectural systems that try to mitigate this by having systems in place for water conservation, collection, cleaning, and reuse should be adopted by all buildings.

With the increasing commodification of clean potable water and gross exploitation of this natural resource, it has become imperative to explore options for democratically using, storing, and distributing this natural resource.

“Water-Wise Wrapper attempts to bring this crucial subject to the forefront of urban living while advocating for a system that can leverage the vast vertical landscapes of the modern city and act like a sponge: absorbing or releasing water when needed and releasing it when required. This thesis proposes a system that physically stores and releases water while also acting as a visual representation of the scarcity of this vital resource.

This project won the USC Master of Architecture Innovation in Directed Design Research Award. In recognition of the most outstanding graduate final degree project illustrating technological innovation and advancement.

Instagram: @debdeepdam, @lisa_k_little

Hydro-Urbanism: A Walkable, Coastal Neighborhood Designed to Withstand Flooding and Use Water as A Design Asset by Zachary Faza, M.Arch ’23
Florida Agricultural And Mechancial University | Advisor: Kyle Spence

Located on the low-lying, sandy peninsula of Pinellas County, St. Petersburg, Florida, is a coastal city that has much at risk from hurricanes and heavy rainfall events. No Florida county has more buildings and more value at risk in Category 1 storms.

When a severe storm impacts a coastal city, high winds build up and push the water from the sea over the land. This is called storm surge, and it can cause devastating damage like that seen during 2022 Category 4 Hurricane Ian impacting this region of the State.

Zachary’s design-research investigative thesis presents research on existing case studies of aesthetically pleasing, multi-beneficial flood infrastructure that benefits society beyond flood control. This project applied intuitive thought to produce a design proposal for a walkable, 40-acre master-planned development that integrates flood-adaption infrastructure as aesthetic and recreational features.

The proposed master planned development orients around a central pond serving as a water retention feature and encloses two public park islands. This pond connects to a site-wide network of waterways and bioswales (naturally filtering landscape features) designed to absorb, filter, and store stormwater runoff from neighborhood roads.

Around the pond are several distinct built areas, each with latent design exploration. The primary regions built around the pond include a Canal-Front residential area that has elevated structures that looks inwards onto tree-lined canal parks, the Waterside Shops mixed-use shopping center with a grocery store, waterfront commercial spaces, and apartments, and the public Forest Park that spans two islands within the central pond and forms the spine of the development’s pedestrian and bicycle circulation network.

Zack’s project is a design exercise demonstrating that flood adaptation measures can be an aesthetically pleasing part of a holistic urban design solution that mitigates damage from floods and storms and creates vibrant, profitable commercial, public, and residential areas.

This project won the FAMU Three-Minute Thesis First-Place Award

Come back next week for Part II!

2023 Student Showcase Call for Projects

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For the last four years, Study Architecture has put out a call to architecture school faculty from around the world to nominate graduating students whose work exemplifies excellence in architectural education. This year, we invite you to submit your student’s most impressive work to be featured in the 2023 Fall Student Showcase on Study Architecture’s website and social media.

Submission deadline: July 7, 2023

Click here to be directed to a Google form where you can nominate your students and submit their work.

We hope by sharing a glimpse into what architecture students create while in school, more students will begin to take an interest in the architecture field and potentially apply to a program that appeals to them. Architecture is a broad field and we are excited to highlight the many unique aspects of design that are submitted.