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Celebrate Architecture Week 2025 with AIA

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This week (April 13-19, 2025), the American Institute of Architects (AIA) celebrates Architecture Week, a nationwide campaign that aims to inspire the next generation of architects (including you!). Architecture Week invites architects and design professionals to share the wonders of architecture with their local communities–with a special focus on K-12 students. 

This year, AIA set a goal to reach over 15,000 K-12 students through outreach and activities. The organization plans to engage students through at least 60 chapters, 120 architecture firms, 350 AIA members, educators, parents, community members, and social media (via AIA). 

Here are three ways you can join the festivities:

1) Connect With Your Local AIA Chapter

AIA has over 200 chapters in the United States and abroad. Many chapters are planning exciting activations and events for K-12 students in their communities. 

20 AIA chapters received 2025 Architecture Week grants to support their community initiatives. AIA California’s Architecture by the Book program introduces children to the world of architecture through classroom visits, book readings, presentations from diverse architects, and other creative activities. AIA Blue Ridge is hosting their annual Kidstruction LEGO event at the Taubman Museum of Art. This free event invites students of all ages to create a city using over 40,000 LEGOs and 300 cardboard bricks. Over in Missouri, AIA St. Louis has various activities scheduled throughout the entire week, ranging from student educational workshops to coffee chats with architects. 

These are just a few examples of the amazing events happening during Architecture Week. Click here to find your local chapter and see what they have planned!

2) Join a Mentorship or Ambassador Program

AIA supports various mentorship programs, including the ACE Mentor Program and the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA)’s Project Pipeline. According to its website, ACE has a mission to “engage, excite, and enlighten high school students to pursue careers in architecture, engineering, and construction through mentoring and continued support for their advancement into the industry.” The organization achieves its goal by providing scholarships, internships, and mentoring for students as they pursue career pathways in the industry.

Project Pipeline empowers students by providing hands-on experience through fun exercises where they draw, build models, do research, go on site visits, and more. The program exposes students to the cultural, social, and historical implications of architecture, along with the many ways architecture plays a role in their everyday lives. Through Project Pipeline, NOMA provides summer camps for 6th-12th graders of color across the country. Click here to find a Project Pipeline summer camp near you. 

AIA also supports the She Built Foundation, which offers an Ambassador Program for young girls interested in learning more about the building and construction industry. She Built provides student ambassadors with books and other resources that will allow them to introduce stories and activities to elementary school students. 

These programs can give students like you the opportunity to gain hands-on experience. By pairing with a mentor or becoming an ambassador, you’ll be able to gain firsthand knowledge of the field and develop lifelong relationships. You never know—these connections may even help you as you apply for colleges, internships, and jobs.

3) Browse AIA’s K-12 Resources 

If you’re looking for fun, interactive architecture and design resources, AIA has just what you need! The organization’s K-12 Initiatives Page includes a treasure trove of activities, YouTube channels, online courses, and more. Having access to this resource library will allow you to build your skills and learn more about the field on your own time. The site also includes an interactive map where you can find opportunities near you.

Overall, Architecture Week is a great way to learn more about the field and participate in local events. Whether it’s a meet and greet with an architect in your area or signing up for a mentorship program, we hope this week encourages you on your architecture journey. Be sure to follow AIA on Instagram to stay tuned for updates!

Study Architecture Program Spotlight: Tulane University’s URBANbuild Program

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As an architecture student, you have the opportunity to access various programs that will expand your skills and provide you with hands-on experience. At Tulane University, URBANbuild is an award-winning design-build program that allows students to gain firsthand experience building homes in their local community in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The program was founded in 2005, with plans to launch that fall semester. However, the city of New Orleans was devastated when Hurricane Katrina made landfall later that August. Hurricane Katrina was one of the deadliest and costliest hurricanes in U.S. history. According to URBANbuild’s website, “the city was left 80 percent damaged with the population immediately reduced to one-third.”

(Image Credit: Tulane University)

“[Hurricane Katrina] really messed up our plans to start this new program, but more importantly and more rewardingly, it gave our program a new mission,” said Byron J. Mouton, Senior Professor of Practice at the Tulane University School of Architecture and Director of URBANbuild.

As New Orleans prioritized rebuilding, URBANBuild shifted its gears to not only assist in revitalizing the city but to also address New Orleans’ pre-Katrina problems including hesitancy to accept change. “When we first stepped into these communities, they were hesitant to buy into what we were doing,” said Mouton. “But then the second year came around and we returned and they were a little more receptive. And then it wasn’t really until we were there for three or four years that the community felt comfortable enough to engage with us.”

Community engagement and involvement is one of the most important qualities of URBANbuild. The program partners with local organizations including Bethlehem Lutheran Church, the Neighborhood Housing Services of New Orleans (NHS), and Urban Fabric. “We had to build that trust,” explained Mouton. “We also worked with an organization called Neighborhood Housing Services, which had been around before Katrina, and they specialized in helping people find ways to get homes. They were really the great connection between what we were doing as researchers and what the community needed.”

The URBANbuild program spans the fall and spring semesters, offering students the opportunity to engage in the home-building process from concept to construction. The fall semester focuses on planning and research. Participating students are tasked to investigate housing strategies, permitting regulations, drafting construction documents, the cultural fabric of the community, and other key considerations.

“[During the fall semester,] we get together with the students and we have a little in-studio competition. We identify our topic of research. They each develop a strategy, and then one is chosen. They select one at midterm, and then they work on the construction documents between midterm and the end of the semester,” explains Mouton.

Students get hands-on building experience as they begin the construction process during the spring semester. “We break ground in January of the spring semester and build the house by May,” Mouton continues.

(Image Credit: URBANbuild)

(Image Credit: URBANbuild)

Over the span of 16 weeks, students learn construction techniques, communicate with tradespeople, and watch their project come to life. “[The students don’t come in with construction experience], but they do have the desire to learn and they work hard,” says Mouton. “And to be clear, they do everything except I have to hire an electrician, a plumber, and an air conditioning consultant installer. And then once in a while I’ll have a crew hang the sheetrock, but they do everything else.”

By the end of the semester, students are able to celebrate the product of their research, construction, and teamwork: a fully built home. Finished projects include tiny houses, single-family homes, duplexes, mixed-use facilities, and more.

(Image Credit: URBANbuild)

According to UrbanBuild’s website, it’s during the spring semester that students develop strong bonds with the community’s residents. “Getting to work with NHS, I got to know the family [we worked with] very well, and I’ve been able to visit them years after,” shared URBANbuild alumna Karla Valdivia. “It’s great to get to know the family because you are creating something that really affects them. It has a very personal feel.”

(Image Credit: CBS News)

Recently, URBANbuild garnered national attention when the program was featured on CBS News. Aired in October 2024, the segment highlighted 63-year-old Benjamin Henry moving into his new home, thanks to the work of Tulane students. In four months, the students transformed a vacant plot of land into Henry’s “forever home.” Formerly unhoused for over a decade, Henry shared his excitement for the new chapter and expressed his heartfelt thanks to the students. “Building someone’s forever home is crazy and so rewarding,” said Tulane graduate Elliot Slovis.

Graduates of the URBANbuild program have gone on to become licensed architects and designers. They credit the program for providing them with an in-depth understanding of the construction process and emphasizing the importance of community engagement. “[URBANbuild] gives you the real-life experience of what life is like after school,” shared Valdivia. 

Design-build programs like URBANBuild are a great way to expand your skillsets and gain real-world experience before graduation. Visit the URBANBuild website to learn more about the program, browse the curriculum, and view finished projects.

Interested in learning more about Tulane University’s School of Architecture? Click here!

Questions about the URBANbuild program? Please contact Byron Mouton (bmouton@tulane.edu).

2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase - Part XVI

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Welcome to the final installment of the 2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase! It’s been a pleasure to celebrate these inspiring student projects.

Part XVI features student work that reimagines various housing typologies. From high-rise developments and mixed-use buildings to affordable single-family units, each project thoughtfully addresses critical housing issues. The presented design solutions involve incorporating machine learning into the design process, integrating various housing types, and much more. Scroll down for a closer look!

Reducing Architecture by Thomas Steven Tencer, M. Arch ‘24
University of Toronto | Advisor: Carol Moukheiber

Reducing Architecture is a system-based design approach that strives to make the expression of architectural identity more accessible. Architectural discourse often critiques suburban sprawl and the suburban aesthetic (it is unaffordable in an urban context, lacks density, projects outdated images of domesticity, and promotes land ownership which some consider criminal). However, since architecture is so disconnected from the development and design of single-family homes (influencing the design of less than ten percent of this housing type), 1) the practice is incapable of engaging with, disrupting, or affecting the future of the single-family medium.

Reducing Architecture proposes that architecture re-engage single-family housing, which remains Canada’s predominant housing type. 2) By disconnecting architectural expression from longer-lasting building layers, the creation of longer-lasting, higher

performing, and less costly houses is enabled; “A Primed Canvas.” 3) Onto this “canvas” distilled and articulated architectural expressions can be applied, at smaller scales and lower costs, so as not to disrupt the economies of scale achieved by mass-produced developer-built single-family housing. The result is a novel method for the expression of architectural identity, which is accessible, affordable, and efficient. Re-engaging single-family housing enables a discourse that may allow architecture to begin to influence the suburban aesthetic and morphology, rather than ignoring the medium in an act of architectural complacency.

Through Reducing Architecture, the single-family home could become more beautiful, more efficient, more culturally relevant, or more environmentally sensitive, so long as the architectural expressions that result from these objectives remain efficient, affordable, accessible, and desirable to consumers.

1. John Brown, “The Architect and the Single-family House,” Canadian Architect, September 30, 2002.

2. Government of Canada, “Type of Dwelling Reference Guide, Census of Population, 2021,” Statistics Canada, 2022.

3. Bernard Leupen, essay, in “Frame and Generic Space a Study into the Changeable Dwelling; Proceeding from the Permanent,” 010 Publishers, 2009, 33-34.

Instagram: @tommytencer

UrbanBots by Karan Patel, Mike Saad & Jacob Sam, M.SC in Architecture ‘24
New York Institute of Technology | Advisor: Sandra Manninger

Overview:

ARCH 702B is the second Advanced Architecture Design Studio in the Master of Science in Architecture, Digital Technologies program at the School of Architecture & Design at the New York Institute of Technology. The studio adopts an applied research approach, focusing on computational design through the development of digital experiments. Depending on the project, students engage with architectural challenges via expert and learning systems in individual, group, or class-wide projects. The studio critically examines the impact of technological advancements on design and fabrication patterns.

Project Focus:

This term, the studio’s focus is on mixed-use housing projects in Manhattan’s Garment District, inspired by the City of Yes initiative by the Department of City Planning. The initiative aims to update New York City’s zoning regulations to support small businesses and create affordable housing. One key strategy is converting underused office spaces and other non-residential areas into mixed-use housing, particularly targeting buildings constructed post-1961.

Motivation:

With hybrid work models becoming the norm, cities must adapt to address escalating housing shortages and rising rents. This transformation is crucial, especially given the national office vacancy rate of 18.6%, as reported by Cushman & Wakefield. The NYC Office Conversion Accelerator program has enrolled 46 buildings, with four already undergoing transformation to yield over 2,100 housing units.

Scope of the Project:

Location: Manhattan, New York

Boundaries: 23rd Street to 40th Street and 5th Avenue to 8th Avenue.

Methods of Assessment:

The assessment methods integrate machine learning (ML) techniques into the design protocol. The process involves three key stages:

Data Retrieval and Dataset Generation:

Collecting and organizing data relevant to the project

Creating comprehensive datasets to inform the design process.

Developing Protocols for 2D Information/Data:

Generating 2D representations and analysis from the datasets

Utilizing computational tools to explore design iterations and visualizations.

Developing Protocols for 2.5D Information/Data:

Extending 2D data into 2.5D models, adding depth and complexity to the visualizations

Applying ML techniques to refine and adapt these models to specific project requirements.

This structured approach ensures that students not only engage with advanced computational tools but also develop practical skills in generating and manipulating data for architectural design. Through this project, students gain valuable experience in leveraging generative AI and ML to address real-world urban challenges, positioning them at the forefront of technological innovation in architecture.

Instagram:@msact_nyit, @sandramanninger_studio

Ascending Worlds by Jose Power, M. Arch ’24
University of Toronto | Advisor: Jeannie Kim

The social landscape of the residential high-rise has precipitated a disinterested and isolated vertical microcosm. The elevator, facilitator of this smooth vertical metropolitan condition, emerges as a pivotal yet neglected architectural space. Despite the expected brevity of our occupation of this instrument of density, the elevator also serves as a momentary junction where the anonymous lives of residents converge. This thesis delves into the elevator’s history and spatial conditions – including its velocity, scale, and temporality – to unveil a space rich in social potential. It aims to redefine the elevator as an instrument of architectural invention capable of reshaping the communal dynamics within residential high-rises.

Instagram: @jose_power21

Leveraging Density –  A proposal for increased density permissions in exchange for affordable housing in Toronto’s Missing Middle by Joshua Giovinazzo, M. Arch ‘24
University of Toronto | Advisor: Carol Moukheiber

This thesis focuses on the intersection between the study of small-scale multi-unit housing typologies and a proposed new planning policy to directly create affordable housing in Toronto’s emerging missing middle. 

Working off existing conceptions of the transition zone, the S.M.U.R.B (Small Multi-Unit Residential Building) is proposed to help fill the density gradient between the existing multiplex and the upcoming Major Street Apartment. This formal solution is then complemented by the proposition of an as-of-right density bonus to systematically increase the supply of affordable units in our neighborhoods as they experience such a significant morphological change.

This policy-based solution is a response to Canada’s current myopic attempt to solve affordability through increased supply. Their approach, which embraces blanket upzoning – fails to define clear affordability targets, resulting in more of the same market-rate development. Learning from precedent policies in Seattle, Texas and Vancouver, the density bonus applied to small-scale housing looks to leverage these increases in density permissions by requiring a portion of the development as affordable housing.

‘Leveraging Density’ is rooted heavily in planning policy and construction finance, because housing is fundamentally the result of city planning and financial decision-making. This work does not focus strictly on an architectural resolution but rather looks to define a realistic framework for multi-unit housing affordability. This project is about the powerful systems that determine the built environment – defining what gets built and who benefits from it

This project won the Daniels Graduating Award. 

Instagram: @joshua.giovinazzo.realtor, @UofTDaniels

The Half-House by Elodie Price, BS in Architecture ’24
University of Virginia | Advisor: Mona El Khafif

The Half House is a generative housing community that expands and contracts depending on changing needs and demographics within a community. The Half House intends to respond to the increasing socio-economic and environmental pressures the world is facing at a global and local scale while promoting the agency of the individual residents in conjunction with community enrichment. In contrast to the typical US house, the Half House minimizes itself in size, material usage, embodied energy, associated carbon emissions, and waste, while maintaining the same amenities and utilities as its counterpart. 

This project takes a stance on neighborhood planning, including shared spaces and the potential for growth and densification over time. Organized into housing groups, a combination of units co-exist below a collective roof, sharing exterior spaces, amenities and resources to contribute to a more environmentally and economically responsible lifestyle. In each housing group, there are solar panels collecting renewable energy, rainwater stored for gray water usage and irrigation, bamboo gardens that sequester carbon and naturally create privacy screens, and vegetable gardens to feed the community and provide healthy outdoor activities. Each unit follows a standardized set of dimensions in such a way that necessary additions (and redactions) can be easily made. The design of the individual unit is firmly based on precedent research and an investigation of the spatial strategies employed throughout a vast array of projects, including nesting rooms within each other, carving into a thickened wall, and flexible furniture. This project negotiates at the scale of the furniture module up to neighborhood planning, and furthermore, as a siteless, deployable object utilized for emergency housing, urban infill sites, or even accessory dwelling units (ADU’s) to densify suburbia. 

The Half House embodies the idea that there is value in less. In a spotlighted prototype of a housing group arrangement that is a focus of this project, fractional units make up the square footage of an average American house, yet can accommodate as much as 4x the amount of people. This is achieved through space-saving strategies, flexibility and modulation, and an intentional design of the space between the units as equally important as the space inside each unit. The housing group has the ability to change over time, reflecting the shifting needs and demographics of the residents. Thus, it is a housing intervention that responds to the social, economic, and environmental needs of its occupants as well as the ecological site.

Instagram: @aschool_uva, @elodiemprice

Miami Made: Housing in the Tropics by Felipe Palacio Trujillo & Nicole Niava, M. Arch ’24
Yale University | Advisors: Adib Cure, Carrie Penabad & Deborah Garcia

Housing in Miami primarily features two typologies: the single-family detached home and the multi-story apartment block. The large gaps in the housing market prompted our studio to explore alternative solutions by imagining new housing typologies. Our project finds a middle ground, envisioning a mid-density housing typology inspired by the back bay townhouse and influenced by the “casa patio”—a traditional housing style of Latin America. 

The studio selected a 30-acre site located between Little Havana and Flagami. This site presented a tabula rasa condition which allowed us to rethink urbanism for these new typologies. Our design extends the Miami grid to integrate the site into the city while halving the typical Miami lot width from 50′ to 25′. This increased density facilitated the inclusion of a public park in the center of the lot, achieving greater density than typical Miami blocks. We envisioned urbanism as incremental, with each block functioning as a micro-neighborhood that could be built by small developers, thereby supporting incremental urbanism in the city. The arrangement of the block also decreases overall parking space while ensuring at least one parking spot per unit.

Within the block, we proposed two distinct housing typologies to foster diversity in sizes, ages, and incomes: a townhouse and an apartment building. The townhouse layout includes two areas: one for living, kitchen, and dining, and another for bedrooms and support spaces, connected by a courtyard. This design allows for cross-ventilation and access to nature. While designed for mechanical ventilation, the architecture encourages the use of passive systems for most of the year. The units are constructed using local materials and techniques, such as concrete block, precast vaults, tile, metalwork, and keystone. Emphasis on material and vegetation ensured a connection to the weather, nature, and culture of Miami.

The apartment block adapts features from the townhouse, tailored for communal living. The 25′ lot width remains consistent, with the townhouse elevated into a podium. This configuration creates six apartments on the first floor and six double-height apartments above, ranging from studios to three-bedroom units. The courtyard, featuring a water element and lush vegetation, provides a communal gathering space that ensures cross-ventilation while maintaining privacy for residents.

This project was published in Retrospecta 47. 

Instagram: @fptrujillo, @nicoleniava, @cureandpenabad

Parkside Avenue: Transforming Toronto’s Mid-Central Residential Neighbourhood by Oluwatobiloba Babalola Oluwaseun, M. Arch ’24
University of Waterloo | Advisors: Val Rynnimeri & Samantha Eby

The Parkside Avenue project addresses critical housing issues in Toronto’s mid-central residential neighborhoods, particularly within the “Yellow Belt,” known for its older single-family homes. This initiative aims to create a balanced urban solution that integrates market-based residential buildings with non-profit cooperative housing and other alternative models. The primary objective is to enhance housing affordability and mitigate the shortage of affordable housing options in the area.

Located between Pape Avenue and Gerrard Street, the project site encompasses approximately 50 private single-family homes. Its strategic location, near the high-traffic Gerrard Station and adjacent to Blake Street Junior School and Pape Avenue Junior School, makes it a prime area for redevelopment. The Parkside Avenue project plans to replace the existing 50 single-family units with 109 new residential units.

This development represents a significant shift in urban planning for the neighborhood, aiming to accommodate a diverse range of residents and provide more inclusive housing solutions. By integrating various housing types and focusing on affordability, the project seeks to foster a more vibrant, sustainable, and accessible community. The Parkside Avenue project stands as a model for addressing urban housing challenges while preserving the character and livability of Toronto’s established neighborhoods.

This project won the Design Studio Award, the Highest standing in ARCH 690 in the MB semester.

Instagram: @oluwatobilobababalola_

The Room is the Building is the City: Open-Ended Approach to Miami’s Housing Crisis by Sharona Cramer & Yotam Oron, M. Arch ’24
Yale University | Advisors: Adib Cúre, Carie Penabad & Deborah Garcia

Introduction (The Site, the Brief, and Our Approach):

Miami, currently the most unaffordable major city in America, faces a housing crisis with limited and unsuitable options for its growing needs. The city is dominated by detached single-family homes and high-rise condos, contributing to suburban sprawl and high land costs. Mid-rise housing models, offering innovative urban living solutions, have been largely overlooked.

The studio’s task was twofold: to propose a master plan for a 38-acre vacant parcel on the outskirts of Little Havana, addressing Miami’s urban morphology, and to design a new mid-rise urban housing typology for Miami, featuring mixed-use buildings with commercial/office spaces at ground level and various apartment types above.

To tackle these issues, which characterize Miami but are not limited to, the project operates at a wide range of scales, from the single room to the urban fabric, promoting an approach of open-ended locality. This combines consideration of climate, materiality, culture, and economy with flexible, rational, and modular architectural solutions.

The City:

Due to its limitations and restrictions, Miami’s current zoning, led by its parking regulation, makes building complicated and expensive. The market lacks competition, which makes housing unaffordable and attracts mainly big developers, prioritizing profit-making over building and architectural quality. The typical development project is done by conglomerating lots to develop ‘luxurious’ huge-scale anti-urban and anti-social residential compounds.

By suggesting a much more flexible and open alternative zoning system and limiting the conglomeration of lots, the project seeks to invite multiple players to participate in the city’s future development, creating quality, affordable, and diverse urban spaces and housing stock.

Additionally, the project proposes a series of site-specific design decisions: To connect the site to Miami’s urban fabric, we decided to continue the grid through the site and divide it into urban blocks similar in size to the adjacent blocks, then divide each block into lots in the typical Miami lot size: 50* 100 feet. Learning from successful urban spaces in the city, we propose a series of pedestrian streets and a linear park connecting all blocks from south to north. 

The Building:

In the project, we developed a mid-rise courtyard infill type. While the flexible zoning system allows multiple typologies, we chose to develop an infill building since Miami currently lacks this type. Furthermore, we believe that infill typologies offer potential in terms of high density, and the sort of streets they generate.

Inspired by similar typologies like the Berlin courtyard houses, the Mexican Vecindad, and the Creole townhouses, we created a local interpretation that reacts to the regional tropical climate and contemporary Miami standards. On one single lot, two relatively thin volumes are positioned, leaving a space for a central courtyard. The interior rooms, which have two orientations, are cross-ventilated and naturally cooled.

The building is designed using repetitive modules, thus increasing affordability and efficiency, making it easy to construct. Through sensitivity to details, use of materials, and small, subtle architectural gestures, these are realized without sacrificing architectural and spatial quality.

The building is divided into two distinct sections: “service” wings; housing private rooms, and an open flexible central “served” space. These sections are treated differently in terms of materials and construction techniques. The service wings hold all systems, structures, and storage, allowing the central area to remain free of these elements. This central space features light concrete precast vaulted slabs, which give the building its unique architectural character. The thicker floor sections in the service wings provide flexibility for plumbing fixtures, enabling them to drain through the floors to the vertical pipes that are located along the party walls – maximizing flexibility and allowing multiple apartment layouts.

The Room:

Instead of conventional drywall partitions, the project incorporates a modular furniture system that maximizes usable open space and provides flexibility. These modules can serve as walls, partitions, storage spaces, or even house plumbing fixtures. The variety and placement of these modules enable different floor plan configurations, allowing the housing units to be divided into two separate units—a main apartment and a studio—or to modify the internal layout of the apartment itself. 

The central open living space is designed to respond to and take advantage of the local tropical climate. Drawing inspiration from traditional and vernacular tropical architecture, deep loggias and shaders provide protection from the harsh sun during certain hours, while also serving as outdoor rooms that integrate the outdoors into daily life. The central living space opens up to the loggias, creating a cross-ventilated indoor-outdoor environment.

This project was Nominated for the Feldman Prize at Yale School of Architecture.

Morphological Growth of Raleigh by Raja Manikam Bandari, M. Arch, PhD in Design Candidate ’24
North Carolina State University | Advisors: Sara Queen & Tania Allen

Across the US, we are witnessing a housing crisis catalyzed by a pandemic-related housing shortage and exaggerated by income inequality resulting in a disproportionate burden on the poor and non-homeowners. This visual essay examines historic and contemporary data to interrogate many of the complex factors that have contributed to the current state of housing in Raleigh, the Triangle, North Carolina, and the US. The primary aim of this research is to create more equitable, effective and innovative design and planning approaches to the future of housing and urban development writ large.

Spatial Morphology (1)

This map series charts Raleigh’s historical expansion, tracing how the city’s footprint has expanded over time. Historical context illuminates pivotal moments of growth and development, showcasing the transformation of rural landscapes into urban areas and residential neighborhoods.

Temporal Morphology of Raleigh (2) 

This map illustrates the city’s expansion over time, showcasing the interplay between population influx and territorial expansion. Since its master planning by William Christmas in 1792, Raleigh has undergone significant transformation driven by diverse factors such as commerce, education, trade and natural opportunities. This timeline serves as a chronological thread, connecting historical milestones with the city’s expanding boundaries and changing demographics.

Proximity Growth Analysis of Raleigh (3) 

This map reveals a detailed analysis of Raleigh’s morphological growth pattern from 1792 to 2019 through proximity radar charts centered on the State Capitol Building which tracks annexed lands in relation to the city’s geographical center. Each radar chart depicts the distance in miles between the State Capitol and annexed parcels of land during a specific time period. The central graph illustrates the cumulative annexations over time.

Morphological Growth of Boylan Heights (4)

This map offers an intimate exploration of the morphological characteristics and unique layout of Boylan Heights, a neighborhood distinguished by its sloping topography and curvilinear street design. Situated on elevated terrain, Boylan Heights descends gradually from its highest point at Montfort Hall towards the east, south and west directions. Unlike the traditional right-angle grid common in earlier Raleigh developments, Boylan Heights features the city’s first curvilinear street grid, designed to harmonize with the natural slope of the land.

This project was selected as a finalist for the APDU Data Story Telling Award, AIA ASPIRE Student Design Award, and NC State Research Image Award.

Instagram: @raja_manikam_brv, @tanialeighallen, @rainrainqueen

Zoning Policy & Housing by Kole Retterath, B. Arch ’24
North Carolina State University | Advisors: Sara Queen & Tania Allen

Across the US, we are witnessing a housing crisis catalyzed by a pandemic-related housing shortage and exaggerated by income inequality resulting in a disproportionate burden on the poor and non-homeowners. This visual essay examines historic and contemporary data to interrogate many of the complex factors that have contributed to the current state of housing in Raleigh, the Triangle, North Carolina, and the US. The primary aim of this research is to create more equitable, effective and innovative design and planning approaches to the future of housing and urban development writ large.

Zoning and Affordability Incentives (1)

This map series explores the influential forces of zoning and affordable development policies on the current housing crisis. Zoning has major implications for cost, availability and affordability by indirectly impacting the supply and demand of housing stock. By highlighting how restrictive zoning policies historically privileged single-family typologies and reduced the opportunity for diverse affordable housing units, these maps illustrate how we have arrived at our current “Missing Middle” condition.

Residential Zoning in Raleigh (2)

This map isolates residential zoning categories and illustrates the dominance of residential single-family zoning (R-1 to R-10) in a purple gradient in contrast to the emerging pockets of residential mixed-use zoning (RX) in orange. The white negative space of the map indicates large institutional footprints and transportation corridors with industrial and commercial land uses.

Understanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (3)

This map visualizes all LIHTC projects in Raleigh and their respective values. Created in 1986, LIHTC is a method of financing rental unit development that caps rent amounts in exchange for equity-building tax credits. LIHTC remains one of the most important tools to finance affordable rental units, but drawbacks include that rent amounts are not permanently capped and very low-income renters often still require assistance to pay rent.

Perceptions of Zoning Policy: Oakwood Ave (4)

This perceptual collage depicts the diverse conditions along Oakwood Avenue which runs east-west from College Park and Washington Terrace neighborhoods to the Historic Oakwood neighborhood and exemplifies the impact of zoning overlay districts and preservation incentives in appearance and investment.

This project was selected as a finalist for the APDU Data Storytelling National Award, AIA ASPIRE Regional Student Design Award, and NC State Research Image Award.

Instagram: @tanialeighallen, @rainrainqueen

Homeownership & Economic Prosperity by Dillon Patel, B. Arch ’24
North Carolina State University | Advisors: Sara Queen & Tania Allen

Across the US, we are witnessing a housing crisis catalyzed by a pandemic-related housing shortage and exaggerated by income inequality resulting in a disproportionate burden on the poor and non-homeowners. This visual essay examines historic and contemporary data to interrogate many of the complex factors that have contributed to the current state of housing in Raleigh, the Triangle, North Carolina, and the US. The primary aim of this research is to create more equitable, effective and innovative design and planning approaches to the future of housing and urban development writ large.

Homeownership, Median Income and Urbanity (1)

This map series highlights the intricate relationship between homeownership rates and median income levels at four different scales. Nationally, urban areas are concentrated alongside major infrastructure, enhancing economic prospects. In NC, rural regions exhibit significantly higher homeownership rates, despite lower median incomes, compared to urban counterparts that attract higher incomes but fewer homeowners.

Median Income and Housing Affordability (2)

This map sheds light on contrasting economic landscapes within NC while highlighting the intricate interplay between income, housing costs, and the pursuit of homeownership. The graph traces the evolution of median incomes and average house listing prices to underscore the stark economic disparities within the state. It reveals Wake County as an apex of economic and housing market vitality as compared to Raleigh, the broader state, and Bertie County.

A History of Economic Disparities In Wake County NC (3)

This timeline charts how Wake County’s economic vibrancy stems from the distinct developmental patterns of its towns and the surrounding counties. Western Wake towns and cities have remained ahead of eastern towns due to the western-focused development toward the Research Triangle Park, Durham, and Chapel Hill. Average housing values are higher in western towns and cities of Wake County, and these are correlated with higher population counts and higher median income levels.

Old Roots, New Rises: Transitions of Architecture (4)

This investigative, on-the-ground mapping project delves into the architectural transformations in Raleigh’s Farrier Hills and Lakemont neighborhoods by documenting the evolution from traditional ranch-style homes to modern, multi-story residences, reflecting a complex interplay of tradition and modernization.”

This project was selected as a finalist for the APDU Data Storytelling National Award, AIA ASPIRE Regional Student Design Award, and NC State Research Image Award.

Instagram: @dilpickle01, @tanialeighallen, @rainrainqueen

Growth & Vulnerability by Gabrielle Schiltz, B. Arch ’24
North Carolina State University | Advisors: Sara Queen & Tania Allen

Across the US, we are witnessing a housing crisis catalyzed by a pandemic-related housing shortage and exaggerated by income inequality resulting in a disproportionate burden on the poor and non-homeowners. This visual essay examines historic and contemporary data to interrogate many of the complex factors that have contributed to the current state of housing in Raleigh, the Triangle, North Carolina, and the US. The primary aim of this research is to create more equitable, effective and innovative design and planning approaches to the future of housing and urban development writ large.

Growth & Vulnerability: Examining Development and Marginalized Groups (1)

This map series explores the complex relationship between redevelopment and marginalized communities. The concentration of recent building permits and opportunity zones illustrates foreseeable development with loose correlative patterns between growth and marginalized populations.

Growth & Vulnerability: The Disproportionate Rise of Housing Prices (2)

This map explores the potential correlation between residential development and marginalized demographics, questioning if historical patterns persist or are becoming increasingly obsolete. There are many factors that determine if a population is considered marginalized, prime factors articulated through this series include race, income, employment status, and housing burden.

Growth & Vulnerability: A Study of Housing Flux Within Wake County (3)

This visualization explores the relationship between population density, housing unit density and population growth within socially vulnerable communities using the CDC’s Socioeconomic Vulnerability Index (SVI). The map categorizes Census Tracts per SVI percentile with the least vulnerable census tracts at the top and the most vulnerable tracks at the bottom. Each string articulates the population and housing unit growth or decline from left to right.

Growth & Vulnerability: Erasure of Neighborhood Identity: South Park (4)

This map offers a human-centric counter-narrative to the statistical analysis of redevelopment featured in earlier maps and considers: Who is represented within neighborhood data and how do their lives weave into the greater tapestry of the community? The map illustrates the in-progress erasure of South Park’s historically rooted identities due to contemporary redevelopment patterns.

This project was selected as a finalist for the APDU Data Storytelling National Award, AIA ASPIRE Regional Student Design Award, and NC State Research Image Award.

Instagram: @gabrielle.schiltz, @tanialeighallen, @rainrainqueen

Are Opportunity Zones Helping or Hurting? by Maggie Kroening, B. Arch ’24
North Carolina State University | Advisors: Sara Queen & Tania Allen

Across the US, we are witnessing a housing crisis catalyzed by a pandemic-related housing shortage and exaggerated by income inequality resulting in a disproportionate burden on the poor and non-homeowners. This visual essay examines historic and contemporary data to interrogate many of the complex factors that have contributed to the current state of housing in Raleigh, the Triangle, North Carolina, and the US. The primary aim of this research is to create more equitable, effective and innovative design and planning approaches to the future of housing and urban development writ large.

Examining Income and Rentership within OZs (1)

This map series looks at the impact of Opportunity Zone designations on neighborhood displacement and overall housing burden. Signed into law by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Opportunity Zones (OZs) were originally launched as a place-based tax credit to encourage investment in impoverished communities, but have since faced a large degree of controversy.

Are Ozs Helping or Hurting? (2) 

This map features two contrasting cases, Erie, PA and Washington DC, exemplify the debate around OZs. US Treasury analysis reveals that 48% of zones do attract investment, but funds are often concentrated in isolated fractions of the whole zone. According to the NLIHC, targeted OZs often experience economic growth and renter displacement prior to investment. For Wake County, tracking OZ developments is crucial to examine who they serve and if they are contributing to equitable development.

Renter Cost Burden in OZs (3)

This map highlights change in rates of rent cost burden within OZs from three disparate countries, Wake (Raleigh), Washington DC, and Hennepin (Minneapolis), from 2017 to 2022 through box plots and beeswarm visualizations. The most extreme cases of either an increase or decrease of cost burden within each county are shown by tract.

Delineating the Fringe: OZs and Housing (4) 

This map records observations of the Southern Gateway OZ along the Lake Wheeler corridor in Raleigh NC. Within a half mile three extremes of housing conditions were observed: new high-rise apartments, existing single-family homes, and people experiencing homelessness. This map raises complex questions concerning the impacts and opportunities of increased density and redevelopment fueled by OZs.

This project was selected as a finalist for the APDU Data Storytelling National Award, AIA ASPIRE Regional Student Design Award, and NC State Research Image Award.

Instagram: @maggie.k, @tanialeighallen, @rainrainqueen

Predatory Development by Lucas Stott, B. Arch ’24
North Carolina State University | Advisors: Sara Queen & Tania Allen

Across the US, we are witnessing a housing crisis catalyzed by a pandemic-related housing shortage and exaggerated by income inequality resulting in a disproportionate burden on the poor and non-homeowners. This visual essay examines historic and contemporary data to interrogate many of the complex factors that have contributed to the current state of housing in Raleigh, the Triangle, North Carolina, and the US. The primary aim of this research is to create more equitable, effective and innovative design and planning approaches to the future of housing and urban development writ large.

What Makes a Neighborhood Vulnerable? (1)

This map series illustrates markers for housing vulnerability (race, housing burden, age, and occupancy status) to identify tracts as more/less vulnerable. These measures of vulnerability are overlaid with measures of population growth and the areas of overlap suggest the neighborhoods most vulnerable to the threats of gentrification.

Predatory Development (2)

This map visualized patterns of redevelopment in Southeast Raleigh which has historically had low-income residents and under-valued properties. By plotting building permit data, we see a distinct pattern of developers active solely within Southeast Raleigh versus developers that avoid it completely.

Speculative Real Estate and Community Vitality (3)

This graphic aims to raise questions about the ethics of modern-day, speculative property sales. Southeast Raleigh, a region with high housing vulnerability, has seen drastic changes in the ownership and popularity of its land. Over time it transformed from an affordable, black neighborhood into a threatened historic district torn apart by redevelopment, rising housing costs, and speculative real estate.

Urban Squeeze: The Weight of Gentrification (4)

Walking through the South Park neighborhoods reveals a shift from shotgun houses and net-less basketball hoops to two-story contemporary houses flanked by Teslas and neon playgrounds. At this map’s core is a weather-worn, dilapidated house—a relic of South Park’s past and a poignant symbol of the challenges faced by its residents. Street photographs of recently constructed housing developments, all within 500 feet, are meticulously collaged to convey the experience of ongoing social suffocation and displacement.

This project was selected as a finalist for the APDU Data Storytelling National Award, AIA ASPIRE Regional Student Design Award, and NC State Research Image Award.

Instagram: @tanialeighallen, @rainrainqueen

Live, Laugh Learn: Affordable Housing in Honolulu by Marco Zhou, B. Arch ’24
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona | Advisor: Pablo La Roche

Live Laugh Learn is a sustainable affordable housing project in Honolulu to provide housing for educators and researchers. Due to the high cost of living in Hawaii, there are poor retention rates for teachers, and schools rely on emergency hires. This project, located between an elementary, middle, and high school, provides an option to alleviate this issue. There are 120 units, and the ground floor fosters well-being and education. The project also aligns with the University of Hawaii’s core value, Aloha “Aina. The project aims to create a social hub that harmonizes surrounding amenities and infrastructure, promoting biodiversity in a dense urban area. AIA’s COTE framework for design excellence was integrated into the design. Energy modeling and carbon calculations were an integral part of the design process from the beginning. 

Instagram: @marcozhou_, @pmlaroche

Interested in being featured in next year’s showcase? Stay tuned for updates this summer!

2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase - Part XV

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Part XV of the 2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase highlights various intersections of the natural and built environments. The featured projects provide design solutions that address various environmental elements and ecosystems. Scroll down to learn more!

Lake Meredith Aquatic Research Institute by Carlos Cepeda Gomez, B.S. in Architecture ‘24
Washington University in St. Louis | Advisor: Zahra Safaverdi

Lake Meredith Aquatic Research Institute is a center that investigates water management, desalination, and local biodiversity in a man-made reservoir near Amarillo, in the Texas Panhandle. The lake contends with geological challenges from the Ogallala aquifer, Permian salt basin, and climate change. These features have caused diffusion points across the American arid regions, where the aquifer erodes the salt basin, forming brine pockets that then percolate into the water system through artesian pressure.

Salinification, lax water regulations, desertification efforts, and climate change effects have made the water reliance on the lake unreliable. During the emergency 2010-2014 drought, the lake dropped from 105 feet to a record low of 25 feet.

A diverse team of biologists, engineers, geologists, ecologists, and other specialists reside and collaborate at the institute. They engage local communities to educate them about the research conducted on-site while interacting with each other and the lake. The institute’s focus, systems, and research directions are decided sociocratically ensuring inclusivity, effective governance, and equity.

The Institute’s center around water, geology, and erosion was determined via an importance matrix—using six data sets affecting the lake’s surroundings: Weather, Salinity, Human Factors, Biodiversity, Water Levels, and Geology. The data sets and intersections were translated into a three-dimensional spider chart study. The concluding “blobs” created through data analysis were used through Boolean operations to develop an architectural language.

The building reflects its function, interior programming, and residents’ ethos, resulting in a blend of efficient, desalination, and scientific areas that develop research to protect the reservoir’s ecology. Its geological, cavernous structures diverge from contemporary architecture, allowing scientists to make eco-political statements on humanity’s abusive relationship with nature and advocating for dismantling systems of eco-exploitation and resource mismanagement. They address environmental catastrophes and innovative architecture and reconceptualize governance systems. The Institute’s community and purpose channel the scientists’ energy into activism, policy-making, and technological development, rather than self-radicalization, within the context of post-colonial and capitalistic frameworks.

This study focuses on water, sedimentation, and erosion, utilizing locally sourced materials to address local issues, enhance the local environment, and redefine the relationship between humans, nature, and architecture promoting intersectionalism between justice, equity, and environment.

Stó:lō Relationalities: Exploring Infrastructures of Climate Adaptation along the Fraser River by Wilson Tian Zhi Jiang, M. Arch ’24
Carleton University | Advisor: Jake Chakasim

This thesis confronts the issue of climate-induced flooding along Stó:lō, or the Fraser River in British Columbia. In November of 2021, the Sumas Prairie near Chilliwack flooded, creating what the agricultural minister Lana Popham described as the “largest agricultural disaster in BC.”  Many instances of flooding predate 2021, notably in 1894 and 1948, more recorded in Dirk Septer’s 2007 report Flooding and Landslide Events Southern British 1808-2006, and as old as 12,000 years ago. A conventional modern response to flooding is to build infrastructures like dykes that preserve the economic function of the land, perpetuating a colonial relationship to land dependent on technical, extractive processes which overlook existing cultural connections essential to climate adaptation. For its First Nations, Stó:lō has always been a formidable force, an interconnected ecosystem over 1300 kilometres long and home to migrating salmon for 9,500 years. Land sovereignty, defined through Indigenous cultural practices and ecologies, becomes a framework for approaching climate adaptation and decolonization, built on marginalized narratives from Indigenous and non-indigenous communities. The methodology follows three phases – encountering, entangling, and engaging – of indigeneity from a Chinese-Canadian perspective.

Encountering Stó:lō – Mapping exercises from the scale of the river to regional story maps. Macroscopic drawings document themes of climate, community, and infrastructure. Story maps of  ‘touch-down points’ document oral histories and anecdotes on architecture, infrastructure, and migrant labour.

Entangling Stó:lō – Explorations of embodied knowledge of Stó:lō by making, weaving, and interpreting. Initialized with a cedar basket-making workshop in Seattle, Washington, followed by weaving exercises on a custom-built Salish loom. This section concludes with a ‘Weirloom’ apparatus that interprets Coast Salish and Chinese Canadian history through craft.

Engaging Stó:lō – Design of a socio-ecological infrastructure over a creek near the Musqueam Cultural Center in Musqueam territory. Its program builds on the shared history of two marginalized groups on Musqueam-Chinese farms, synthesizing earlier research. The resulting structure combines indigenous basketry with an underlying beam-woven structure common to traditional Chinese bridges with a continuous space for exhibits and resting spaces, reminding users of entangled histories of place, cultural connections to water, and a fluid relationship to water and climate change.

This project won Carleton University’s 2024 OAA Guild Medal and was nominated for the Canadian Architect Student Award of Excellence.

Instagram: @wilson.tz.jiang, @jakechakasim

On the Edge: A Climate Adaptive Park for Battleship NC Memorial by Josh Gogan, Maggie Kroening & Stella Wang, M. Arch & B. Arch ‘24
North Carolina State University | Advisors: Andrew Fox & David Hill

On the Edge proposes a redesign for the parklands surrounding the Battleship North Carolina. The reimagined site celebrates a challenging narrative of place that reveals and highlights multifaceted histories while embracing infiltrating water. The new park transcends physical composition, serving as a dynamic memorial space connecting people, time, ecology, and climate through the goals of integration, adaptability, preservation, and restoration. The design proposes numerous site-specific community amenities, including a visitor center, a moveable tidal pavilion, a memorial bridge, and a hybrid shoreline. The result is a destination park that adapts to water as the climate and site shift, allowing the memorial to withstand the test of time.

Battleship Park in Wilmington, NC presents a contrast between the natural and built environment. Through our experience and analysis of the site, we asked ourselves as designers how this could adapt to consider people, time, ecology, and climate more cohesively for the greater community of Eagles Island. On the Edge explores Battleship Park as a space of education through experiences of integration, adaptation, preservation, and restoration. The site’s adjacency to the USS NC and views to Wilmington highlight the need to convert the current parking lot into five additional acres of park space. The new design elevates portions of the site by five feet and depresses areas for water to escape, allowing the site to embrace water over time with the construction of wetlands and rain gardens. Hydrologic remembrances are revealed at points along the path, staining the timber elements to remind visitors of sea level rise. At moments where the path converges, existing memorials are placed to provide contemplation. Within these explorations, users will engage with the site’s native species; encouraging the prosperity of the site as it continues to change. Native plantings act as wildlife attractions, softening edge conditions and generating educational opportunities. 

Over time, sea level rise and climate conditions will infiltrate the site. On the Edge allows users to experience the amenities of the park and the Battleship as water overtakes. 

This project won the 2023 National ASLA Award of Excellence in Student Collaboration, the 2024 North Carolina ASLA Student Award of Excellence in General Design, and the 2023 AIA Aspire Student Design Award. 

Instagram: @kroening.3dm, @davidhillarch, @stellawang_2 

High Seas, Low Lands: When Water Creates Spaces by Aya Youssef, B. Arch ’24
American University of Beirut | Advisor: Trevor Patt

Understanding the relationship between architecture and climate change necessitates a detailed scientific comprehension of their causality. Collaborating with the National Geographic Society, this initiative explores how architecture can mitigate climate change impacts through innovative building practices. Central to this approach is the integration of biorock technology, a process that forms solidified building materials underwater using mineral accretion. This technique not only produces materials with a zero carbon footprint but also harnesses the ocean as a novel construction medium.

Biorock technology leverages natural electrochemical processes to precipitate minerals from seawater, creating strong, durable materials akin to limestone. This environmentally friendly method significantly reduces carbon emissions traditionally associated with concrete and steel production. Furthermore, the biorock structures support marine ecosystems, promoting coral growth and enhancing biodiversity.

The design process is inherently adaptive, taking into account site-specific environmental and geographic conditions. This allows for procedural iterations, ensuring each project is tailored to its unique context. The result is architecture that harmonizes with its surroundings, minimizing ecological disruption and maximizing sustainability.

At its core, this approach is both planet and human-centered, emphasizing the importance of ecological balance and human well-being. By utilizing the sea as a construction medium, this initiative opens up new possibilities for sustainable architecture that not only reduces carbon footprints but also contributes positively to marine environments. This paradigm shift in building design signifies a promising step towards addressing climate change, showcasing how innovative architectural practices can lead to sustainable and resilient built environments.

This project was recognized as the Best Degree Project of 2023/2024.

Instagram: @ard_aub

BREAKWATER – Breaking the Cycle by Adrian Mora, M. Arch ’24
University of Maryland, College Park | Advisors: Julie Gabrielli, Brian Kelly & Marcus Cross

A significant portion of the world’s population is concentrated along coastlines. Climate change has produced hazardous environmental conditions that threaten coastal populations, including many poor, vulnerable communities. The built and natural environment within this diverse boundary zone must be redeveloped as a self-resilient system that can protect its inhabitants from climate-induced hazards. 

This project acts as a testbed for the ecological urban renewal of the Baseco Compound, a high-density urban neighborhood located on an artificial island within Manila Bay. An underutilized lot adjacent to the island’s beach and a small mangrove nursery has been transformed into a series of urban spaces defined by three distinct modules inspired by vernacular stilt housing. The modules also feature traditional and experimental construction techniques being pioneered in the Philippines, including structural bamboo, recycled plastic cladding and bamboo-reinforced concrete. Two residential modules, the Bahay Patayo and the Bahay Kublihan, explore different configurations of two-bedroom units that offer varied levels of density. The Kapwa Community Center module will serve as the new focal point for the neighborhood, providing multi-functional amenity spaces for public use and shelter during emergencies. 

The renewal of the built environment will be coupled with the restoration of the natural mangrove forests that previously occupied Manila Bay. The new buffer zone will also create an adaptable living barrier that will mitigate the impact of storms and flooding on the community and the rest of the Baseco Compound. The proposal will provide amenities that promote activities to support the neighborhood’s self-resilience and environmentalism within the urban context. Establishing a critical connection between new residents and the emerging grove will encourage active stewardship of the local environment.

This project won the UMD Architecture Thesis Award.

Instagram: @amora.art.photos, @umdmappschool

Building Biodiversity: Architectural Interventions for Mangrove Restoration and Community Engagement by Emily Bigelow, M. Arch ’24
Lawrence Technological University | Advisor: Scott Shall

Biodiverse ecosystems play a critical role in maintaining the health of the world. They help to combat climate change, prevent natural disasters, and mitigate the spread of diseases among other benefits. Mangrove ecosystems are biodiverse habitats that provide more important benefits including carbon sequestration, water filtration, and coastal erosion mitigation.

However, these habitats are frequently threatened by human development and construction practices that prioritize speed and profit over sustainability. Current conservation strategies, which involve regional-scale coexistence, struggle to address this issue because the demand for more human settlements remains higher than the demand for wildlife preservation. As more ecosystems are compromised by urban landscapes, the regional balance between the two shifts in favor of humans at the expense of the environment.

These problems are worsened by the imposition of building strategies that are foreign to a climate region. This practice not only reduces occupant comfort and increases energy demands, but also disrupts natural processes like the flow of water and predation patterns. Vernacular architecture, on the other hand, has an intimate relationship with the surrounding environment and has been adapted to provide comfort within the given conditions. These practices can provide insider knowledge of the local climate and ecosystem to produce new developments that aid in restorative projects rather than harming them.

This thesis seeks to find a symbiotic development strategy, wherein architectural interventions benefit biodiverse ecosystems along with human constituents. It explores innovative and indigenous strategies for urban integration with mangrove ecosystems which reduce habitat destruction and promote restoration. This project recommends a transformative strategy for urban development that makes use of indigenous building techniques and ecological principles to guarantee a symbiotic coexistence of mangrove ecosystems and human infrastructure.

This project won the CoAD Chairs Award, 2024. 

Instagram: @emilybigelow_designs, @scott_shall

Disrupting the Global Supply Chain in Architecture – A Hyper-local Approach to the Built Environment by Frangiscos Hinoporos, M. Arch ’24
Carleton University | Advisor: Sheryl Boyle

The building industry has come to rely heavily on the global supply chain with materials such as concrete, glass and steel becoming ubiquitous. From manufacture to construction, these materials adversely contribute to climate change. This thesis embraces a circular economy and uses data and design to inform how a hyper-local materials ecosystem for construction could be achieved locally; proposing how, over the next century, steps towards circularity can be achieved in Ottawa. By establishing hyper-local supply chains that only use materials local to the region, the goal of this thesis is for Ottawa to become minimally reliant on the global supply chain. Local materials in this case are defined as materials extracted from the Ottawa area and ones extracted from existing built structures. Through experimentation, prototyping, design, and research this thesis explores concepts and presents a design proposal that enables Ottawa’s future to become unshackled from the global supply chain.

This thesis is separated into three distinct parts. Part I envisions a Regenerative Building Center that helps facilitate the move away from the Global Supply Chain. Situated on the footprint of a soon-to-be-demolished public works building in Ottawa, the design utilizes the existing foundation as well as other building components to create a center that espouses the ideas that this thesis stands for, bio-based local materials, radical reuse, design for disassembly and more.

Part II explores materials, locality, and supply chains, going in-depth on broader global scales as well as focusing on Ottawa. In this part, a rough account of potential materials diverted from landfill in the Ottawa area is taken, and local availability is assessed.

The last part, Part III imagines speculative futures, in the form of 3 distinct typologies each one 25, 50, and 100 years into the future. Here a future that is gradually less and less reliant on the Global Supply Chain is imagined, to the point where minimal reliance is required and Ottawa’s architectural ecosystem is fully circular and self-sufficient.

This project won the Maxwell Taylor Prize, through Carleton University’s Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism. It was also awarded the CAGBC Scholarship for Sustainable Design and Research, through the RAIC Foundation

Instagram: @frankhinoporos, @csaltarchitecture, @carleton_architecture

Aquatic Bio-Park: Harmonizing Public Space and Water Treatment by Andrew Hertz, M. Arch ’24
New York Institute of Technology | Advisors: Marcella Del Signore & Evan Shieh

The relationship between water and the built environment continues to challenge designers. Water, although an obstacle in design, is a defining element among many urban environments; it influences ecology, building typography, social equity, social gathering and economy. Sao Cristovao of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is no exception. 

The Aquatic Bio-Park is designed to serve the community of Sao Cristovao. Rivers emanating from the mountains to the west merge with the city’s urban systems and canals and out to the Guanabara Bay to the east. The canals carve through the urban fabric, often running parallel to major roads, highways, and places of gathering and commercialism. While rich in culture and industry, Sao Cristovao’s inequities, access to urban systems and green space burden the community and environment.  

The bio-park addresses the challenges of inequity, access to water, purification of water bodies, urban heat, and so on. While confronting these issues, the bio-park also celebrates the local culture, ecology, and the utility of water. Using three different grounds: the lowest ground treats the canal water, which is channeled into the site, and purified through simulated marshlands through multiple filtration stages. The highest ground provides the public with open space, vegetation supported by the processed water, and visual connections to the filtration ponds below. Lastly, the middle ground merges the public space with water treatment. Bridging across the ponds creates a physical connection and understanding of the processes of filtration. At the destination of all grounds, whether water treatment, park or spectacle, they unify. At this point of celebration, the results of the journey are on full display: flourishing vegetation, purified water, and a place to gather, observe and learn. These grounds taper off into the urban landscape extending public space into the site. 

Throughout Sao Cristovao, there are numerous canals and implementation opportunities. Different canals carrying varying quantities of water can adjust the scale of each bio-park, as required. Servicing multiple areas throughout the region would theoretically reduce the urban heat concentration, provide public space and clean water, all while celebrating the culture and ecology of the local community. 

Instagram: @marcelladelsi, @ev07

Building Resilience: Innovative Architectural and Planning Strategies for Ecological Restoration in Qinghai’s Deserted Landscapes by Bochuan Zheng, B. Arch ’24
Rhode Island School of Design | Advisors: Junko Yamamoto & Leeland McPhail

This thesis explores the interplay between architectural innovation and planning strategies for ecological restoration in Qinghai, China, a high-altitude grassland region severely impacted by desertification. The area, primarily dependent on herding, faces challenges from overgrazing, over-cultivation, and sparse rainfall, which threaten the livelihoods of pastoralists and lead to conflicts over resources like land and water. The study proposes integrated architectural and planning approaches focused on sustainable land management and resilient infrastructure development to mitigate these threats and ensure stable, sustainable habitats for local communities. Particularly, the research emphasizes cultivating two resilient plant species, Saxaul (Haloxylon ammodendron) and Cistanche Deserticola, which are well-suited to harsh climates. It details how tailored architectural solutions enhance planting efficiency and safety, accelerating ecological restoration and improving community living conditions. The findings provide a blueprint for addressing similar environmental challenges globally, demonstrating that merging ecological science with architectural and planning ingenuity is crucial for enhancing community resilience and socio-economic development and mitigating the impacts of desertification and climate change.

This project was recognized as a Thesis Award Nominee.

Instagram: @innerpeacechuan, @junkoyamamoto_, @risdarch

Stay tuned for the final installment, Part XVI!

2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase - Part XIV

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Architecture plays a large role in the restoration and preservation of buildings. The projects featured in Part XIV of the 2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase focus on revitalizing spaces. 

Today, we look at various sites, including areas impacted by natural disasters, former industrial zones, federal buildings, and more. Each project blends old and new, demonstrating the ability to recover and reclaim using architecture and design.

Reclaiming Antakya: Post Disaster Community Recovery for Resilient Futures by Zeynep Dila Demircan, M. Arch ‘24
University of Maryland | Advisor: Ken Filler

The earthquakes that struck Southwestern Turkey and Northern Syria in February 2023 caused extensive damage, ranking among Turkey’s worst disasters in its history. The city of Antakya, especially, suffered severe destruction in its center, resulting in significant losses of lives, culture, and history.

This thesis presents a comprehensive plan to recover and reclaim Antakya’s center, enhancing community resilience through proactive design strategies. It focuses on a specific urban block, a key commercial, residential, and administrative hub across the Asi River and the historical district. The proposal outlines a multi-phased approach to transform this urban block, starting from the post-disaster period and concluding with its complete redevelopment. The phases include recovery, reclamation, reconstruction, and reconnection.

For the recovery phase, temporary shelter and gathering spaces are provided for residents within the grove area existing on the site, while efforts to engage stakeholders in the recovery process begin. Reclamation involves reforming the cleared area based on existing and new street systems, integrating new public streets and courtyards that make up the green infrastructure. Reconstruction involves rebuilding the site in smaller blocks, starting from the middle section and expanding to the upper and lower sections. The reconnection phase focuses on finalizing building blocks and reintegrating them into the larger context. 

This includes the creation of a new urban plaza and the introduction of programs aimed at fostering cultural and social resilience, as well as commemorating the earthquake through a memorial space within a community center. The proposal introduces two main building types: The Block, a mixed-use structure with a courtyard for residents, and The Hub, a community center featuring public spaces, a museum, gathering areas, and studios for local crafts practices.

In essence, this thesis aims to not only reconstruct Antakya’s physical infrastructure but also to cultivate resilient communities through place-making strategies. It endeavors to revitalize cultural and social life while fostering trust and collaboration, ultimately laying the groundwork for a robust and resilient future.

This project won the UMD Architecture Thesis – Director’s Award and the ARCC 2023-2024 King Student Medal for Excellence in Architectural + Environmental Design Research.

The Topographical Reactivation by Yanbo Zhu, M. Arch ’24
University of Waterloo | Advisors: Mohamad Araji & Shiyu Wei

Community Center Design at Kitchener

This design features three keywords: nature, history, and topography.

  1. NATURE: The site is located in the center of Kitchener, with the expansive Victoria Park to the south. However, due to roadways and parking areas interrupting the flow, it’s challenging for this landscape to permeate the site effectively. Simultaneously, with a site area of 15,000 square meters and a required building area of only 1,500 square meters according to the project brief, the strategy involves integrating small-scale structures with the landscape to address the issue of the site’s excessive scale.
  2. HISTORY: Within the site, there is an abandoned Charles bus terminal, with its main hall building well-preserved, but the historical elements of its platforms, bus lanes, and connecting corridors are poorly maintained. In the design, preserving the original waiting hall while removing other elements yet continuing its multi-linear spatial configuration is a critical historical stance.
  3. TOPOGRAPHY: On the eastern side of the site, there is an elevation difference of nearly four meters. In the design, a planted roof is utilized to seamlessly connect, allowing individuals to enter the building from the roof. Simultaneously, the height difference is employed to create outdoor stepped activity areas or sloped gardens. Additionally, to respect historical architecture, a partial sunken approach is employed in spaces like the art gallery and lecture hall, forming various topographical experiences.

This project won the Edward Allen BTES Award and the Second Prize SOPREMA Award. 

Instagram: @yanbo_zhu

Amending the Capitol by Garrett Krueger, M. Arch ‘24
Virginia Tech | Advisors: Susan Piedmont-Palladino, Paul Emmons & Scott Archer

The United States Capitol Building has long been an iconic symbol of the American government and democracy worldwide. Despite this, the United States has had many major events since 1892, and the Capitol has not had any representation of those events.

One example of stalled symbols of change is the number of representatives in the House. Since 1913, the House of Representatives in Congress has had 435 representatives, despite the population more than tripling since then. Many have had the idea to increase this number and expand the House. This idea gives an opportunity to design a new, larger chamber for the House to meet in. This thesis proposes a new chamber to redefine the architecture of the Capitol Building and symbolize the century of history that has yet to be represented in the Capitol.

The idea of making a new expansion to the iconic Capitol Building comes with challenges. This thesis was done amid historic turmoil and record lows in productivity in the House. This thesis also begs the question of whether the building that Congress meets in can be part of the solution. The House Chamber, when completed, had no electric lighting, let alone C-SPAN cameras and smartphones in every lawmaker’s pocket. This new extension aims to provide Congress with a workplace designed to address the difficulties it faces in keeping itself in order. As a whole, this thesis is about the idea of representing change. The nature of a democratic government is one of changing ideas and laws, and this project seeks to have the Capitol Building embody that aspect. Thomas Jefferson himself is known for saying rejecting change is like “requiring a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when he was a boy.” Congress needs a new coat. 

This project won the WAAC Crystal Award. 

Instagram: @vt_waac

Life, Death, and the Eternal Recurrence of Architecture by Geri Roa Kim & Kelvin Hu, B. Arch ’24
Pratt Institute | Advisors: Adam Elstein, Frank Gesualdi & Ashley Simone

Life, Death, and the Eternal Recurrence of Architecture proposes building anew as a form of preservation. Situated along the Arakawa River Island in Tokyo, this project is a story of a building that has grown over time since 1946. The building undergoes successive replication and revision every few years, each edition is built next to its predecessor, eventually becoming an endless, linear, horizontal skyscraper that constantly reinvents itself through time. 

This architectural approach, rooted in preservation, provides a tangible way to experience changes that normally unfold over centuries. Architecture, then, becomes a device to register time.

This project won the Best Degree Project of 2023/2024.

Instagram: @g.eroaii, @kelv.hu

Unbound Beirut: Reimagining Boundaries & Transforming Realities by Sima Fayad, B. Arch ’24
American University of Beirut | Advisor: Makram Al Kadi

This architectural thesis culminates in transforming Beirut’s iconic dome, The Egg, located in Solidere, into a multifaceted public space. It seamlessly integrates medical, educational, and cultural uses through a harmonious fusion of virtual and physical elements. This design transcends Solidere’s boundaries, fostering interaction among diverse user groups within a dynamic environment. Symbolizing Beirut’s resilience and revival, The Egg blends history with a vibrant future, redefining spatial inhabitation by bridging physical and virtual realms.

At its core, this thesis explores the intersection of physical and virtual spaces, emphasizing the enduring significance of tangible structures while delving into the growing realm of digital environments. It investigates how architects can utilize digital technology to craft emotionally and socially resonant spaces that transcend traditional boundaries. Envisioning a future where architecture integrates seamlessly with digital elements, the study challenges architects to reimagine spatial design.

The introduction lays the foundation by recognizing the pivotal role of physical spaces in our spatial understanding, positioning the thesis at the confluence of the tangible and intangible. As digital technologies increasingly influence our physical reality, this thesis calls on architects to incorporate digital elements such as virtual reality and internet connectivity into their designs. It highlights how these once futuristic concepts are now essential tools for creating visually striking, functional, and socially impactful architectural spaces. 

The thesis examines the redevelopment of Beirut’s downtown area, specifically focusing on The Egg, a striking dome in the Solidere district. This site symbolizes Beirut’s resilience and revival post-war, embodying the city’s enduring spirit while highlighting the economic barriers that modern urban landscapes can create. The Egg stands as a testament to Beirut’s cultural heritage, illustrating how architecture can blend the past with a vibrant future, bridging physical and virtual realms to redefine our concept of inhabiting space.

Instagram: @ard_aub

PENINSULAR PAPER CO. by Chase Dietrich, B.S. Arch ’24
Lawrence Technological University | Advisor: Masataka Yoshikawa

The project, PENINSULAR PAPER CO., began with an in-depth site analysis. The design was initially inspired by the natural gathering spots surrounding the existing building. This project aims to renovate and expand the existing structure, guided by the logic of these natural gathering points and the acute angles they form. The contemporary vision for the building’s renovation leverages these convergent points, ensuring the new design seamlessly integrates with the environment while enhancing functionality and aesthetic appeal. By focusing on these natural elements, the project promises a harmonious blend of old and new, creating a revitalized space that respects its historical context and serves modern needs.

This project won the Lawrence Technological University Chair’s Award.

Instagram: @chase.a.dietrich, @masataka.yoshikawa

Steamtown Revival by Mason Ramsey, James Gentilesco & Dalton Metzger, B. Arch ’24
Marywood University | Advisors: Jodi La Coe & James Eckler

The Joseph Biden Presidential Library uses various design concepts to best represent our president’s values. Green walls, aquaponics, water reuse, and bioswales all work together to visually demonstrate President Biden’s environmental priorities. These are new concepts for the proposed site in Scranton, Pennsylvania, currently occupied by the Steamtown Mall, a development that only hurt the economy and environment of the city, as Jane Jacobs argued. The entire site is to be replaced with biking and walking trails to best integrate the cityscape with nature. Inside this presidential library, one may visit Biden’s museum collection, browse through his personal selection of books, and even request access to presidential archives in this new landmark in a regrowing city.

Instagram: @ramsey_architecture, @gentilesco_architecture, @jodilacoe

“Navigating Uncertainty” in Lebanon by Karly Abou Dib, B. Arch ’24
American University of Beirut | Advisors: Trevor Ryan Patt & Rana Haddad

“Navigating Uncertainty” embarks on a detailed exploration of oil terminals, delving into their structural intricacies and temporal dimensions. By examining the historical significance, contemporary functionalities, and future uncertainties of these terminals, the study unfolds a narrative that seeks to craft a transformative blueprint for their decommissioning and sustainable future.

At the heart of this exploration is the concept of transforming challenges into opportunities for innovation through human collaboration. The uncertainty surrounding oil terminals is reimagined as a productive force, driving the evolution of a resilient and environmentally conscious infrastructure. The study proposes a shift from impermeable industrial containers to porous courtyards or “voids” that invite nature to reclaim and transform these spaces. This transformation symbolizes a transition from industrial to ecological, where past structures are enveloped by greenery and become communal spaces that foster biodiversity and community interaction.

Strategically designed “solids” are introduced within these voids, serving as eco-friendly program holders that benefit the environment. These solids house activities such as labs and workshops, green markets, and human energy-powered gyms, directly engage with and enhance their natural surroundings. The design and proportion of these solids vary based on their environmental impact, with programs that have a significant positive effect on nature occupying more prominent spaces.

The interface between the new solids and the voids is filled with community engagement opportunities and pathways that foster educational and cultural experiences. Visitors navigate through these transformed spaces, engaging with layers of information and activity that promote a deeper understanding of sustainability and its impact. This dynamic environment educates and inspires, cultivating a greener mindset among its visitors.

The project transforms an industrial site into a vibrant green space through the development of a porous wetland. This wetland enhances social well-being, supports biodiversity, and aids in natural water treatment and flood mitigation. It serves as an educational hub promoting environmental sustainability and highlights the role of wetlands in urban ecosystems. By integrating water into the site, the wetland mitigates flood risks and improves urban microclimates, showcasing how industrial areas can be reclaimed by nature

Instagram: @ard_aub

Global Educational Center for IT Specialists and Migrants in Istanbul by Anatolii Savoskin, Diploma in Strategic Interior Design / Private Master Degree ’24
IE University | Advisor: Elvira Munoz

For my graduate project, I tackled the challenges faced by skilled migrants, drawing from my own experience and that of friends worldwide. Using design tools, I aimed to provide solutions by identifying a real client in crisis and repurposing an underused building. Researching the client’s needs and challenges was pivotal in shaping our design strategy. We chose a historic building in central European Istanbul, strategically located near public amenities and transportation hubs to cater to our target audience: migrants with IT backgrounds. Detailed user mapping helped to understand their expectations and needs. My design concept focused on four key elements: an Al educational center, a rebranding campaign for Blackberry, integration of multicultural design elements reflecting migrants’ cultures, and a transition from classical to modern styles throughout the building’s floors.
Instagram: @iearchdesign, @anatolii_savoskin

Extending The Patchwork | The Pier by Jillian Sproul & Olivia Nunn, M. Arch ’24
Toronto Metropolitan University | Advisors: Joey Giaimo & Julia Jamrozik

Located in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, a tourist beach town, the project proposes an extension of the current pier providing opportunities for vendor expansion. The new pier proposal is achieved through the implementation of subtractive and additive heritage strategies. It provides locals with the agency to expand their business onto the structural modules that will aggregate as needed based on future growth, extending the existing vendor and architectural patchwork. The existing main pavilion has been opened up as a midpoint for resting and [eating]. The newly designed end pavilion embraces the past entertainment values of the site, showcasing live performances and expansive views out to the water. The form of the performance structure is shifted to align with the main street of the town, inviting visitors to adventure through the entirety of the pier, especially during sunset, when sun rays reflect off of the metallic panels. The two-storey performance pavilion is accessible with the feature ramp leading tourists on a journey separated from the busy vendor stalls. The total pier addition allows the current architectural and vendor patchwork to be valued as a key component to the pier’s long-standing success since 1899.

The physical model utilizes three types of wood to visualize the architectural patchwork of the current pier and the proposed extension. The burnt maple represents existing components of the pier, while the cherry represents existing components that have undergone renovations. This is contrasted with the basswood that represents the proposed patchwork extension.

Instagram: @jilliansproul, @olivianunn14

Reshaping Red Hook: Creative Placemaking and Connective Infrastructure. by Matthew Tepper, B.S. Architecture ’24
University of Virginia | Advisor: Mona El Khafif

From a manufacturing and transporting port to a refined and vibrant community hub, the masterplan analyzes the demand to unify the Red Hook, Brooklyn neighborhood to its adjacent post-industrialized, underutilized waterfront. It looks at a series of 19th-century waterfront warehouses as a symbolic reference to its connection with shipping and connectivity within the New York Harbor and a dilapidated water’s edge to activate opportunities for public engagement and hospitable, engaging programming. 

Red Hook, named by the Dutch in the 17th century, references its red clay soil and brick construction methods, as well as its jutting peninsula forming into the Upper New York Bay. In the late 19th century, Red Hook was the busiest freight port in the world, serving as the center of the city’s cotton trade. Later on, with the rise of Robert Moses, the Gowanus Expressway and the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel were built in the 1940s, followed by the first federally funded public housing projects in New York City. While Red Hook’s socioeconomic status declined due to a decline in maritime trade and employment access, its economic outlook is rising again as new businesses, artists, and artisans are beginning to bring vitality.

The program explores indoor, outdoor, and interstitial moments as means for a creative ecosystem, expanding a sense of connectivity through the Cobble Hill Tunnel within neighborhood bounds. The Cobble Hill Tunnel, the oldest tunnel in New York City, was rediscovered in the 1990s after being inactive for over 120 years in Downtown Brooklyn. It was imagined to stretch to Red Hook but was never fulfilled. In reimagining the existing lack of public infrastructure within Red Hook, this physical and symbolic representation would allow for connectivity across Red Hook while recognizing the neighborhood’s rich history. 

Forming an experiential approach to this connectivity aims to foster and maintain local, community-driven growth. The proposal intends to re-establish the water’s edge with a realignment of the existing Red Hook gridded organization and shift vehicular traffic to prioritize pedestrian experiences and modes of public transportation. To enable economic incentives for development, existing two-story warehouse buildings will expand upon their mass-timber structure as an extension of contemporary mass-timber building codes to provide a relationship between working and living environments. The existing parking lot will transform into Red Hook’s public square to support local artists, and a central amphitheater will serve as the concluding nexus of the tunnel. These transversal relationships can ensure dialogue between above- and below-ground environments as a new typology for untapped programming and real estate investment.

Instagram: @mattportfolio, @aschool_uva

Fluid Landscape: A Speculation on Edge by Marla Stephens, M. Arch ’24
University of Florida | Advisors: Charlie Hailey & Jeff Carney

Architecture for a Fluid Landscape: A Speculation on Edge, addresses the ephemeral nature of dwelling on Florida’s coastal edge. This project aims to unearth Florida’s fluid strata to resurface a forgotten timeline of architectural ruins and stories lost at sea and to reinterpret future coastal habitation for an accreting landscape. Using Wilbur-by-the-Sea and Cape Canaveral, Florida as stations for witnessing and recording the evolution of an edge, this project will begin to negotiate the nature of impermanence and symbiosis of architecture along the shore. 

As time passes, layers of stories, artifacts, ecologies, and technologies are embedded within the anthropogenic landscape. Is time as fluid as the littoral edge? Is there a way to work between the layers, to establish a permanent marker of change, to record the unfolding of time on an uncertain edge? Time moves quicker and shorter here, each day is a different coast. On the edge, change is felt at a more alarming rate. Here we bear witness to the ecological impact we have made; impacts which are felt slowly, suddenly, or all at once. Can architecture make us notice more? Notice the imprint of a seashell along the shore, and the fluttering of the saturated sand made by a sand flea hiding beneath the surface; to the detrimental effects of toxic runoff which tarnishes the shore with a nauseating green film, and the infrastructural damage inflicted by hurricanes and rising tides. We must notice more, to slow down time once again and decelerate our current path towards exponential degradation, to restore Mother Nature’s natural procession.

This project will collect and unearth objects and stories found along the fluid landscape while using the Florida Houses of Refuge as a generative part for testing markers on the coast. The Houses of Refuge were ten stations along the east coast of Florida constructed for the sole purpose of saving the lives of shipwrecked persons, yet they evolved into much more. This project uses the forgotten coast of Chester Shoal as a proving ground for ever-evolving iterations of stations that witness the transformations of an ephemeral landscape.

Instagram: @charlie.hailey, @marla.stephens

Conservatory of Theater: A Spot Light in the User by John M. Campis-Bobe, B. Arch ’24
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico | Advisor: Pedro A. Rosario-Torres

The decline of performing arts in contemporary culture can be attributed to a lack of cultural identity. Historically, theater served as a platform for societal reflection and discussion of political and sociocultural issues. Today, this art form has lost its prominence in many countries, necessitating a revival to inspire a new generation. To address this, the project employs the concept of a perfect prism to contrast its surroundings, highlighting the performance space as a vital expression of cultural identity.

Located in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, near the urban train’s last station, the project identifies existing entities and highlights those proposed for improvement. By linking the urban core, it establishes a new theatrical district with an axis running from the town hall through Marti Street to the Theater Conservatory. The conservatory’s design incorporates six strategies from modern theater culture, seamlessly integrated into the urban context, emphasizing both external and internal engagement. Its purpose is to create a series of encounters between performances and spectators, inviting exploration and contemplation throughout the city. For example, urban niches carve fenestration within each façade, showcasing rehearsal rooms, foyers, and terraces to residents and visitors passing by. The black box theater is cantilevered from the building façade, marking the culmination of the theatrical district axis. Inside, there are adaptable spaces for various scenarios that aren’t restricted by a fixed arrangement. This expands on the versatility to reconfigure to the constant changes in our contemporary culture. To improve the user experience and accessibility, an elevated urban plaza is created, bridging the conservatory with the surrounding urban fabric and inviting community interaction. Due to the tropical climate, sustainable features include natural ventilation on all floors, permeable pavement, solar panels, and an underground cistern for water storage.

The final model reveals the axis that unifies the new theatrical district and an alternative route from the train station, designed to enhance pedestrian access. By integrating urban connectivity, cultural engagement, and sustainable design elements, the conservatory sets a new standard for functionality and environmental stewardship, marking a transformative icon for new cultural expression. 


Instagram: @johncampiss

Archi-eulogy: Negotiating Ruination in the Urban Void by Glory Nasr, B. Arch ’24
American University of Beirut | Advisor: Sinan Hassan

In a dense alleyway of a residential suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, lies a neighbourhood-sized construction site, halted at the excavation stage. Where once stood the Laziza Factory, the first brewery in the Levant that was demolished in 2017, remains a 20-meter-deep manufactured chasm, vestiges of the unfinished construction of a high-end, Starchitect-made residential project. The chasm resembles a tomb with no capstone, a tomb for the demolished brewery and the immaterialized lofts, but more importantly for the notion of architecture as a practice above the human realms of economic crisis. The result is an absurd condition caught between architecture, geology, and ruin. 

With this urban condition as the site of the project, Archi-eulogy stands as a manifesto 

critiquing the method with which we build, developing an architecture that is inherently one of nonarchitecture. Building on the image of the site as an urban tomb, Archi-Eulogy proposes the acceptance of death through a lowering of a literal and metaphorical capstone onto the construction site over a 100-year cycle, corresponding to the average lifespan of a building. The capstone houses an art gallery and archival space, preserving the memory of the original brewery. Each height above the street level corresponds to a year, creating a geological stratification of the building height. As the capstone descends 0.5 cm a week 

for a century, matter accumulates and decumulates in the pit. The pit houses a parking space on the upper two floors, while the bottom three floors are left as public space for the residents of the neighbourhood. Once the capstone closes and the excavation is remediated, the project enters its second phase, becoming a curated ruin-scape, allowing for informal uses of the public park. Finally, hundreds of years into the future, archaeologists descend into the pit through its towers, exhuming the archaeological body buried in the tomb. By literally and metaphorically closing the urban tomb, the project aims to remediate the violence the unfinished construction inflicted on the neighborhood. 

This project was the 2nd Prize Winner of the Areen Projects Award for Excellence in Architecture and won the Dean’s Award for Creative Achievement.

Instagram: @ard_aub

Stay tuned for Part XV!

2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase - Part XIII

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Public spaces take the spotlight in Part XIII of the 2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase. The featured projects include recreation centers, parks, memorials, performance spaces, multi-faith facilities, city centers, and more!

Each student’s design was crafted with community needs at the top of mind. They utilize strategies ranging from reducing height in response to residential locations and combatting hostile architecture. They are also intentional about the use of materials with mediums such as wood, steel, and glass playing a role in curating the visitor experience. Each project aims to promote equity, education, belonging, socialization, and connectedness within their communities.

Scroll down to view these inclusive, accessible, and vibrant public spaces!

Tarboro Road Recreation Education Center by Lucas Stott, B. Arch ‘24
North Carolina State University | Advisor: Marshall Purnell

Compelled to provide vital community forums, recreation, and green spaces to East Raleigh, the 30,000-square-foot Recreation Education Center (R.E.C.) has created a gathering location for residents while linking local neighborhoods to Raleigh on a broader scale.

E. Edenton St. and New Bern Avenue have become defining features of East Raleigh, bringing in a surge of traffic from Downtown Raleigh. This results in a corridor of commercial properties and roadways that divide low-income neighborhoods. R.E.C. uses its visibility of these high-traffic roads to revitalize the region.

R.E.C.’s L-shape shields the neighborhood, opening towards the local community and protecting it from the intruding larger-scale city. Two diaphanous frames visible from the intersection attract new visitors intriguing fresh faces that would otherwise never visit the region. The existing historical educational building, converted into a 200-seat event hall, encourages public forums and community-building, breaking down barriers that traditionally separated East Raleigh from the rest of the city. 

Commercial spaces and community resources are organized separately into two elevated frames, with an atrium acting as the convergence point and entry. The first frame, a 24-foot deep truss, suspends across the landscape, revealing the commercial gymnasium and activity spaces it protects. Ramps down to the gym address difficult topography to reduce the R.E.C.’s height in response to its residential context. The second frame floating over the atrium provides vital educational resources to the underprivileged community, fostering skill development to improve employment chances in a rapidly transforming economic landscape. Curved aluminum panels coating the floating frames are perforated with a pattern that interacts with light and shadow, creating a unique experience. 

The north end of the site is grafted into the neighborhood’s skin. The form tilts open to reveal an outdoor space optimized to bring in local pedestrian traffic, encouraging residents to treat it as their backyard. Enclosed between the building and forested paths on the north side, a large open court becomes an important anchor on the site, freely defined by community-organized events and activities.

This project won a 2024 AIA Triangle Student Design Award.

A Hostile City, Inequitable Privatization of Public Spaces by Bailey Berdan, M. Arch ’24
Lawrence Technological University | Advisor: Scott Shall

Hostile architecture is a term used to describe design strategies that are intended to deter certain groups of people or behaviors in public spaces. While bench dividers and ground spikes are widely recognized examples of hostile architecture, their impact goes beyond these small-scale designs. Hostile architecture is pervasive in areas such as policy, law, and privatization, and it can have serious negative consequences on a community’s economy, walkability, and overall environment. 

To address this issue, one potential solution is parasitic architecture, which is a practice that is not commonly used but is often employed as a response to dysfunctional conditions. Parasitic architecture involves the creation of structures that are attached to or embedded within existing buildings or infrastructure, utilizing underutilized or overlooked spaces. This approach has the potential to combat hostile architecture and empower communities to reclaim their right to public spaces. 

By repurposing underused spaces, parasitic architecture has the potential to increase the availability of public spaces, reduce the costs of new construction, and foster a sense of community ownership and engagement. Additionally, these structures can be designed to be flexible and adaptable, allowing them to evolve and respond to changing community needs over time. Overall, parasitic architecture represents a promising approach to combat hostile architecture and create more inclusive, accessible, and vibrant public spaces. By empowering communities to collaborate and take ownership of their public spaces, parasitic architecture has the potential to create more livable, sustainable, and equitable cities.

This project was a finalist for the ARCC King Student Medal Award.

Instagram: @__b.berdan__, @scott_shall

Counter [con]text by Zeina Medlej, B. Arch ‘24
American University of Beirut | Advisors: Rana Haddad & Dr. Howayda Al-Harithy

This thesis investigates how tactical public space interventions within Beirut’s neoliberal landscape can create heterotopic spaces that counteract dominant urban narratives. The study is grounded in the theoretical frameworks of Michel de Certeau, David Harvey, Henri Lefebvre, and Michel Foucault, focusing on how architectural constructs can reflect and engage with diverse social narratives beyond the homogenized, capitalist-driven designs.

The central question guiding this research is: How can tactical public space interventions within Beirut’s neoliberal landscape create heterotopic spaces that counteract dominant urban narratives?

The research is structured into two phases:

Phase 1: Initial disruption through punctual tactics. This phase involves programmatic interventions at 18 strategically chosen sites around Beirut. Each site is selected to reflect and challenge various neoliberal rationalities, aiming to create a series of small-scale disruptions that collectively unsettle the status quo and open up possibilities for transformation.

Phase 2: Tactical integration for large-scale disruption. This phase focuses on a single, impactful site—Martyrs’ Square—to implement a significant tactical intervention. The intervention transforms Martyrs’ Square into a multifunctional, dynamic urban space that serves as a cultural hub and community center. By integrating historical, cultural, and social elements, this transformation challenges and redefines the socio-spatial narratives of Beirut. The thesis proposes a heterotopic constellation of spaces that operate outside conventional time-space frameworks, fostering inclusivity, resilience, and public engagement. By opposing the dominant urban narrative, these tactical interventions aim to contribute to the creation of a more diverse and inclusive urban environment in Beirut.

Through this research, the thesis aims to demonstrate how tactical interventions can serve as powerful tools for social critique and urban transformation, ultimately fostering spaces that are not only physically distinctive but also socially transformative.

Instagram: @ard_aub

Urban Legacy –  Preserving Cultural Continuity in Land Scarce Singapore by Denzyl Zhang, M. Arch ’24
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) | Advisors: Andrea Bertassi, Aaron Wilner & David Gobel

This thesis looks at how memorial spaces might be integrated into urban parks, with an emphasis on the Sanctuary of Passage, a prototype for ecological and culturally sensitive memorial architecture in Singapore’s Ang Mo Kio-Bishan Park. The design tackles the issues of urban congestion and the displacement of customary burial grounds caused by the urgent requirement for living space in increasingly urbanizing regions. The thesis suggests a paradigm in which memorial spaces coexist alongside recreational places while also improving the ecological and social fabric of urban surroundings. The Sanctuary of Passage is based on the idea of a journey through sorrow, expressed by a series of ascending spaces that represent the phases of bereavement. 

Each level of the construction provides a unique experience with nature and architecture, allowing for a gradual shift from grieving to recollection and healing. The proposal draws on the natural dichotomies of visibility and obscurity, enclosure and exposure, and nature and architecture to create a dynamic place that respects and reacts to Singapore’s unique cultural traditions around death. 

The thesis concludes with a design that reimagines the function of memorial spaces in urban environments, arguing that they may be effortlessly incorporated into the city’s landscape, acting as crucial public places that provide consolation and connectedness. By doing so, it establishes a precedent for future developments across the globe, implying that combining urban growth with memorialization techniques may produce places that commemorate the past while also benefitting the present and future.

This project won the AIA Savannah Thesis Honor Award.

Instagram: @denzyl.zhang, @andre_bertassi

The Intragames: Shaping the Olympics for Local Publics by Weilin Berkey & Valentine Batteur, B. Arch ’24
Pratt Institute | Advisors: Evan Tribus, Cathryn Dwyre & Alex-Pierre de Looz

The nonprofit known as the International Olympic Committee can influence real-world social conditions through its corporate and financial power, thus making the [Olympic] Games a potential catalyst for new participatory publics. However, historically, the Olympic Games have struggled to benefit the host city beyond economics. Based on our research of previous Olympic Villages in recent years, they fail to acknowledge and engage with local programs and architecture, which we identify as the vernacular of the host city. 

Ironically, the goal of the Olympic Games is to embrace different cultures and to promote collectivity. Our research shows that, in fact, it produces negative effects on the host city by standardizing the way it deploys new venues and temporary housing. World-scale events like the Olympics often ignore local communities for profit. How might distributed hybrid vernacular venues amend the relationship between corporate goals and local needs to create new participatory publics within resident neighborhoods?

The Intragames hypothesizes that the use of vernacular typologies in combination with public spaces, will encourage locals to participate in collectivity sponsored by the Olympics. Currently, the upcoming Los Angeles 2028 Olympic plan focuses on improving existing infrastructure but neglects the potential connectivity among/between distributed venues. Layered with the existing competitive events, we want to incorporate new recreational and leisure Olympic events that the local fans can participate in along the LA River. Experimenting with combinations of vernacular typologies and Olympic programs is critical to our distributed venues’ longevity and future use. Additionally, having a deep understanding of the vernacular landscape will allow us to revitalize the forgotten concrete banks of the LA River and its connection to the city. 

This formula for designing new public venues will allow local spaces to be integral to urban-scale events. These additional programs will surpass the short timeframe of the Olympics, leaving new integrated publics along the river and changing the lasting impact of the games.

This project won The Best Degree Project of 2024, Undergraduate Architecture at Pratt Institute. 

Instagram: @wberkarch, @v.b._design, @pressg5, @pneumacat, @delicatemunch

The Spaces In-Between: The Making of an Urban Network by Dana Kanaan, B. Arch ’24
American University of Beirut | Advisor: Dr. Howayda Al Harithy

In Beirut’s urban environment, the absence of and the treatment of public spaces has led to the weakening of community ties, fragmentation of communities, and urban isolation. This is exacerbated by rigid boundaries that separate districts and hinder social interaction, as public spaces are crucial for community cohesion. Moreover, there is an abundance of interstitial and in-between spaces that are underutilized and leftover. The rigid boundaries that separate districts and neighborhoods, whether physical or mental, combined with the neglect of these leftover spaces contribute to the fragmentation of urban communities and hinder social interaction. This is because social interaction occurs in the public realm. Thus, this fragmentation in the public sphere exacerbates the weakening of community ties and urban isolation.

Interstitial spaces in between buildings, especially those that act as ruptures in the urban fabric, can be activated and used as an opportunity for a network of connectivity. These interstitial areas can be activated through methods such as layering, dissolution, dissociation, and blurring. The objective of creating a blurred space is to foster social interaction, which emerges during periods of liminality and ambiguity. Therefore, a network of private spaces is created in the absence of public spaces utilizing interstitial and in-between spaces. 

This project was nominated for the Areen Projects Award for Excellence in Architecture

Instagram: @ard_aub

Urban Projections by Tessa Laplante & Julia Nahley, M. Arch ’24
The University of Texas at Austin | Advisor: Matt Fajkus

“Urban Projections” addresses the notion of a cultural landmark in the context of an evolving city. With the massive amount of development happening at such a rapid pace in Austin, it raises the question of how the city will maintain and continue to define its own cultural identity. In order to maintain it, [this] design includes a film museum, while live performance spaces continue to define the city’s culture. A key intention for the site is to encourage circulation through the urban block towards nearby greenspaces including Republic Park and Shoal Creek. The heart of the block is defined by an elevated and rotated performance space, which sculpts the public plaza beneath. A film museum wraps around the block at the third level, serving as a plinth that begins and ends at Republic Park. Liminal spaces are emphasized in the project, with vertical circulation and intermission spaces celebrated and shared between programs.

The notion of projection is repeated at all scales of the project, reflected in the projection of the building’s structure onto the exterior facades. A steel mesh acts as a surface for the projection, as well as a thermal barrier to filter light and movement between interior and exterior spaces. A steel frame with CLT cores and floors is utilized as a replacement for concrete in conjunction with steel trusses that support the cantilevered theater spaces and wrap the upper levels. As visitors process from the main lobby into the more private spaces, they experience a sequence of atmospheres generated by different relationships between wood and steel. Specifically, in spaces where the program is flexible, the relationship between materials is clear, with transparent glass exposing the building’s primary steel members and CLT floors. In contrast, the interiors of the theaters are entirely wood to encourage concentration for the experience. 

This gradient of privacy through materiality reflects the project’s overarching intention to blur the boundaries between programs without compromising the essence and needs of the programs themselves. In an effort to establish a cultural landmark, liminal spaces are celebrated to encourage new relationships within the site, rendering them just as important as the more defined programs. These shared moments exist as a stage for the city to maintain and continue to define its cultural identity.

Instagram: @tessamarie108, @julia_nahley, @mf.architecture

Expo 2025 by Trever Bellew, B.Sc in Architecture ’24
University of District of Columbia | Advisor: Golnar Ahmadi

For the spring semester of 2023, students were required to design a pavilion for the 2025 World Expo that will take place in Osaka, Japan. The World Expo is a global event that showcases the best in technology, sustainability, and architectural design. With the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” the Expo aims to present innovative solutions and ideas that positively impact human lives. It focuses on sub-themes such as saving lives, connecting lives, and empowering lives, highlighting the Expo’s commitment to addressing global challenges and creating a better future.

Being originally from Brazil, I challenged myself to create the Brazilian pavilion. [This design drew] inspiration from Burle Marx, a plastic artist, and architect who designed the most iconic boardwalk located in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I crafted an organic shell that encompasses the entire pavilion program. The project’s aim was to create an immersive experience that transports visitors to a jungle-like setting while educating them on various topics related to mental and physical health through the exhibit rooms. 

Instagram: @Golnarahmadi

Shopping Shells to City Cells by Ruyue Qi, B. Arch ’24
Rhode Island School of Design | Advisors: Junko Yamamoto & Leeland McPhail

Shopping malls, spanning an area equivalent to 33+ Manhattans, are key symbols of consumerism. Built for short-term savings, these malls often become abandoned due to high maintenance costs and the rise of e-commerce. In the United States, out of an estimated 1,150 malls, it is forecasted that only about 150 may remain operational by 2032. Despite numerous closures, new mall construction continues as developers aim to attract shoppers with the Next Big Thing. Abandoned shopping malls (large size, connected layout, huge parking, enclosed structure, and strategic positioning) have the potential to be transformed into compact cities to nurture a future that is both eco-efficient and interconnected. 

Large abandoned shopping malls are large enough to become diverse and mixed-used neighborhoods. They can provide housing units with fixed infrastructure cores and flexible layouts, depending on the climate and needs. Additionally, abandoned malls could evolve into walkable neighborhoods connected by escalators and platforms. Existing escalators can create a unique urban environment where residents can easily navigate between different areas. Transforming vast parking lots into parks, gardens, and farms could enhance connectivity to nature and mitigate the urban heat island effect. Enclosed shopping malls depend solely on mechanical systems to provide a controlled climate inside, introducing natural ventilation could significantly lower their carbon footprint. By strategically repurposing abandoned shopping malls, we can revitalize neighboring areas by enhancing community involvement, boosting the local economy, and creating new communal spaces and facilities.

This project was a Thesis Award Nominee. 

Instagram: @julyqi_, @junkoyamamoto_

Beating Heart: A Joe Biden Presidential Center by Nick Biser, Aidan Knupsky & Kaiden Estep, B. Arch ’24
Marywood University | Advisors: Jodi La Coe & James Eckler

Located in the heart of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Beating Heart is a Presidential Center for Joe Biden housing his presidential archives, a museum, and a new gathering space for the community. Taking a symbolic approach to the design, the building is split between a massive tension cable glass facade and a tall stone building. These two different approaches are brought together by an all-encompassing canopy. This symbolic design follows President Biden’s aim to unite individuals, no matter how different they may seem on the outside. The organic shape of both the canopy and facade represents the changing nature of the American spirit and people. Instead of a traditional Presidential Library, Beating Heart conveys more of Biden’s wishes and beliefs. 

At the center of the building is a massive cylindrical Heart of America – a brilliant spiral stair clad in Cor-ten steel that stands in contrast to the rest of the building. The Heart extends over 120’ high, going past the roof for all of Scranton to see. The entirety of the first floor diverts from the typical museum program of a Presidential Library. The front half is surrounded by seemingly endlessly tall glass that surrounds the occupant in an indoor/outdoor space. This winter garden preserves native vegetation and reclaims what was once a desolate parking lot into a reborn green space. The glass facade supported by thin tension cables creates a visually seamless transition between the reworked streetscape and the interior. 

In coordination with the winter garden is a Living Learning Lab serving as a space for the Scranton Community to learn more about the vegetation in the winter garden as well as ecological conservation techniques. Lastly, the first floor hosts a large, double-height Community Room, which features a large learning stair for the community to gather and discuss current events and issues. The museum section occupies the upper stories having the occupant flow in and out of the central Heart. The exhibits rotate around two symmetrical interior atriums allowing clear visibility and transparency throughout the museum. The active rooftop provides a space to fully view the Electric City of Scranton. 

This project won a 2024 MUSOA Studio Award.

Instagram: @nick_biser, @biser_architecture_and_designs, @aidanknup07, @kaiden_estep, @jodilacoe

Regarding the Commons: Addressing the current social and economic power dynamics as they manifest in the public realm by Magdaline Kuhns, M. Arch ’24
Lawrence Technological University | Advisor: Scott Shall

In the United States, “the Commons” has historically been a contested issue. The definition of the Commons began in Medieval Europe regarding areas of unrestricted resources of food and materials; in modern times, this definition has expanded to include digital commons, urban space, health access, and the ability to practice culture (IASC, 2023). Before the birth of the Nation, Native peoples viewed the land as a common resource, unable to be owned. European ideals introduced the idea of ownership and commodification to this hemisphere of the globe, and with it, a limiting bounding of space.

There are many factors at war with each other when determining what “public” actually means. Is safety more important than freedom, and when regarding safety, whose safety is being addressed? What role do capital and ownership have in the creation of boundaries between public and private? What “buy-in” should be required for an individual to take part in the public realm? As Li et al. describe in their work about publicness, “Space can gain its publicness through…’ purposeful occupation’.” (“Defining the ideal public space…”) The rights of all individuals to use public spaces for these purposes have been long-contested, making it a crucial conversation to be considered in the modern production of architecture and urban areas.

This work aims to fill a void many have observed in the modern manifestation of public space. People’s lived experiences in the city do not always reflect the supposed publicness of the space, but through intentional acts of occupation, a new version of the Commons might be fully realized. The architectural solution to this issue will include the physical and digital utilities commonly required by nomadic people groups – the group that needs the Commons most – available without restriction.

Instagram: @ace_kuhns, @scott_shall

Manus Mouvere by Dillon Alexander Brown, M. Arch ’24
Pennsylvania State University | Advisor: DK Osseo-Asare

This project seeks to explore ineffable ideas in a physical space: designing a multi-faith facility in a multi-faith society. Based in Central Park, New York City, this building facilitates five distinct religions: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. These five were selected from the census data of New York City. 

In preparation for the design, interviews were conducted at a temple with a religious leader for each religion, coinciding with a tour. Additional interviews with fellow students occurred to gain a more rounded understanding of each faith, their temple needs, and what could possibly lie for the future of the religion. With this information, five temples were designed within a single building and connected by a neutral secular space. 

Additionally, to explore the form of space the use of watercolor and pigment theory was used to see how different colors blended, or didn’t blend. This was done to explore how the culture of one faith may physically reside with another faith. The intuition gained from this exercise granted knowledge of how an idea may become overwhelmed and how much contrast is physically needed to keep a faith true to its own idea.

The exterior of the temples are angled to face their respective religious customary directions, but also act as geometry that encourages visitors to sit and face each other, a gesture to encourage dialogue. The building is designed to cross-pollinate understanding and promote tolerance between its visitors. It is representative of the existing religious landscape of New York City, and America as a whole.

This project won the ​​2024 Jawaid Haider Award.

Stay tuned for Part XIV!

2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase - Part XII

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Now more than ever, sustainability is a top concern in architecture as we continue to witness the impacts of climate change. Part XII of the 2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase features projects that promote sustainable, eco-friendly practices.

From design solutions to reduce the production of harmful greenhouse gases to innovative use of green technologies such as rainwater harvesting, solar cells, etc), this showcase presents various strategies to address sustainability concerns. The featured projects seek to support not only humankind but the flora and fauna that share the planet as well. The award-winning designs also emphasize the importance of community preservation, integration, and education.

Spirit of Water, Empire of Sun Designing for Desert Living by Nate Dansie, BS in Architecture ‘24
University of Virginia | Advisor: Mona El Khafif

Historically, the Southwest [of the] United States has been defined as a place of rampant westward expansion by American citizens in one of the most iconic landscapes on this planet. Accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Southwest has gone through a renewal of rapid growth, where the landscape of mountains and sand has transformed from monuments of nature to backdrops for newly planned communities. 

Through a society driven by individual and economic success, these large development projects in growing towns are made as cheaply and quickly as possible. This becomes a plastic city in a landscape that is losing its identity as it continues to fill with more and more people. In hand with this increasing population, the Southwest is facing some of the most prominent climate change effects in the world. From rising temperatures, spreading desertification, and uncontrollable wildfire, to the most severe drought in the last 1,200 years, the future of desert living will be defined by how we adapt to climate change’s outcomes. This unsustainable growth of capital-driven small-town populations in juxtaposition to the increasing effects of climate change provides a dangerous future that we are heading towards. The city of St. George, Utah typifies these conditions and serves as the site for this thesis proposal. Known as one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the United States, it is dealing with one of the most severe water crises- with the demand for water expected to pass the supply by the year 2030.

The story of this town needs to shift from a one-directional water system into a cyclical and sustainable metabolism that addresses all scales of design. The proposed solution comes through a duality of increasing the water supply through a new master-planned housing typology at the community scale, and a sociological shift in our relationship with water through the architectural and individual scale to conserve what we have. We must reinvent how we live in a place to accommodate sustainable urban growth and amplify the original identity and ecology of the desert landscape.

This project was recognized as the Best Project of the 2023 Thesis Cohort.

Instagram: @natedansie.design, @aschool_uva

Skyscraper/ Megastructure Design Studio by Ko Harmes, B. Arch ’24
Endicott College | Advisor: Robert Augustine

Concept Brief: Eco-Portal to a Sustainable Future in the City of Boston

Located on a waterfront site, near the Charlestown Naval Yard, this advanced Mega Structure / Skyscraper / “Eco-Ark” serves as an inspiration for a sustainable, green future.

These two, organic-shaped, net zero towers, serve as stewards of the environment, featuring living green roofs and balconies that mitigate urban heat island effects. Special features include large, multi-story green-walled atriums, rainwater harvesting systems, and thin solar cell glass windows that generate over 25% of the power used by the facilities.

Built, in part, from the recycled remnants of the adjacent Tobin Bridge, currently slated for demolition, these organic-shaped towers celebrate advancements in environmentally responsive, sustainable, green technologies. 

The Site: One of potentially the most important landmark sites along Boston’s harborfront, the existing site can currently be described as mostly “a parking lot”… a hardscape/ industrial wasteland. The proposal re-establishs an eco-system that re-introduces nature back into this brittle area that once was home to native species of plants like the Sugar Maple, Eastern White Pine, Highbush Blueberry and Woodland Sunflower also helping re-introduce wildlife and pollinators back into the ecosystem.

Program: Mixed-use apartments, shopping malls, hospitality/ hotel space and a large informational eco-sphere / sky bridge, suspended between the two towers provide a green sky garden and a digital communication outer sphere. 

Structure

A mega core with an outrigger framing system, similar to that used in the construction of the Burj Khalifa, currently the tallest skyscraper standing today. The mega core system requires larger cross sections in addition to a shear wall that is part of a composite core or reinforced concrete. This allows for the system to have no column or shear walls on the outer perimeter because the mega core can resist all the vertical and lateral loads.

Facilitating Extrastructure by Reilly Walker, M. Arch ‘24
University of Toronto | Advisor: Jeannie Kim

Amidst a megadrought, Arizona has announced water-saving plans that include direct potable reuse: upgrading municipal wastewater treatment facilities to produce effluent suitable for processing into drinking water. In this high-risk decision, how can these new additions create spaces that are interwoven with the communities they serve? This thesis focuses upon the fenceline as the experiential threshold of these typically off-limits facilities: interlacing fence and building to provide new vantage points; manipulating border and landscape to provide new visual access; and transforming the boundary into an infrastructure of maintenance and care.
Instagram: @reindustrial

Village of the Levy: Switchgrass by  Brenda R. Castillo, B. Arch ’24
University of Houston | Advisor: Roya Plauche

“The Village of the Levy” is a visionary project dedicated to nurturing and caring for the Earth by creating a machine composed of natural systems and ecosystems that fulfill environmental, architectural, and cultural roles. This project centers around switchgrass, a perennial grass with incredible potential for improving soil health, flood control, and carbon sequestration. Through detailed micro and macro studies, the project explores the morphology, structure, and growth of switchgrass and its suitability for producing cellulosic ethanol, an eco-friendly alternative to traditional ethanol sources.

The project conceptualizes “Switchgrass Pods,” establishing a village of programmed framed systems within one of the many placement areas proposed by Project 9 on the Houston Ship Channel. These systems protest against the existing refinery infrastructure along Buffalo Bayou, highlighting the need for sustainable practices. The site integrates human, natural, and industrial ecology, by programmatically offering a research and nature center for the adjacent communities. 

The project includes potential site planning and urban/architectural responses, culminating in detailed floor plans, sections, and isometric views of the “machines.” “The Village of the Levy” aims to create a system between nature and urban development, demonstrating the potential for ecological innovation in addressing environmental challenges.

This project won the Super Jury First Place prize.

Instagram: @brcarq, @rocio.arq, @royaplauche

ReGen Hall by Lexi Hudson, Saba Abdolshahi, Michael Alada, Dariya Fallon, Catherine Graubard, Marcell Hajmuhammad, Qin He, Ruiqi Huang, Zane Johnson & Sarah Rosseau, MSSD (Sustainable Design) / M. Arch / B. Arch / Chemical Engineering / Mechanical Engineering ’24
University of Texas at Austin | Advisor: Michael Garrison

Addressing the pressing need for student housing at UT, ReGen Hall integrates ecological sustainability and affordability while meeting the housing requirements of Dell Medical students and the adjacent neighborhood. Positioned at a unique edge between Austin’s East Campus and the historic Blackland neighborhood, ReGen Hall prioritizes health through its design, program, materials, and environmental considerations. The design promotes collaborative living, encouraging community interaction and adaptability through interconnected spaces.

The design features seven courtyards, providing medical students with outdoor access and spaces for respite. Optimal cross-ventilation is ensured through thoughtful window placement and modular design, enhancing air quality within residences and communal areas. To accommodate varying schedules, bedrooms are equipped with rolling exterior shading systems for daylight control, while sound insulation was considered to ensure residents’ sleep quality. 

Sustainable practices are integral, incorporating Passive House level insulation as well as a photovoltaic system on the roof and western facade to achieve net zero operational energy. ReGen Hall exemplifies a holistic approach to sustainable architecture through both design and engineering.

Further enriching community engagement, the ground floor hosts a free clinic staffed by medical residents, offering essential services to the historically underserved Blackland neighborhood. The project’s modular construction reduces costs, absorbing the upfront cost of high-performance insulation and photovoltaics. Designed with consideration for neighborhood scale, the building steps in height from two stories along the neighborhood side to six stories facing the university, responding to community feedback for enhanced integration and preservation of local character.

This project was a 2024 Solar Decathlon Design Challenge Finalist. 

Instagram: @utsolarhorns, @utsoa

Fort Point Channel: Gillette Site by William Prout, BS in Architecture ’24
Roger Williams University | Advisor: Edgar Adams

The planned movement of manufacturing facilities from Gillette’s Boston headquarters to a remote site provides a unique opportunity to explore the potential of this crucial site as an exploration of the issues of sustainable density and coastal resilience. The site is a vulnerable pathway for the flooding of the Fort Point Neighborhood and a crucial link between the Seaport and South Boston.

Suburban Symbiosis: Balancing Ecology and Economics in Suburban Development by Diego Courtney, M. Arch ’24
Lawrence Technological University | Advisor: Scott Shall

Following World War II, a mass exodus from cities to suburbs necessitated new building patterns that prioritized economics and speed over environmental considerations, changing landscapes and having a negative influence on ecosystems. This growth, which we now know as sprawl, combined with profit-driven motives, has led to an emphasis on quick, low-cost construction methods like stick framing, which frequently ignore the impact on the local environment and result in significant waste. In the profit-driven model, the residential development process begins with street layout, then lot/parcel maximization, with ecological and landscaping considerations as afterthoughts. This foregrounds the concerns of the car over the environment, prompting developers to sterilize the environment, resulting in fragmented habitats and homogeneous ecosystems that are detrimental to regional biodiversity. 

The consequences of this uncontained sprawl, which are already significant, will be exposed by the inevitable natural disasters, which are anticipated to become more frequent as a result of climate change. The current suburban development pattern is flawed, outdated, and unprepared for these environmental changes which we must contend with as architects.

To investigate this concern, this thesis will investigate an alternative development pattern, tested within the parameters of a neighborhood located within the rapidly sprawling city of Austin, Texas. This development strategy is intended to balance economic needs with environmental sustainability, with the goal of establishing a widely adopted, US-based model that corresponds with current economic proformas while regenerating and preserving the surrounding ecology. This thesis aims to address the concerns of both profit and the environment by attempting to achieve symbiosis with the environment at the suburban scale using the Living Building Challenge.

Instagram: @diego_courtney, @scott_shall

Choreography of Topography: Dalieh’s Calibrated Auto-Datum & E-co Interplay by Doria Doubal, B. Arch ’24
American University of Beirut | Advisors: Dr. Howayda Al-Harithy & Sinan Hassan

“Choreography of Topography: Dalieh’s Calibrated Auto-Datum & E-co Interplay” redefines the concept of ground by exploring its philosophical and spatial dimensions. Ground is not just a physical foundation but a dynamic entity influenced by the interaction of natural and artificial forces. This thesis examines Dalieh, a site in Beirut known for its historical significance as a vineyard, characterized by perpetual transformation.

The architecture harnesses humidity for irrigation, uses solar and wind energy to generate movement, and incorporates systems that expand, contract, inflate, and deflate in response to environmental conditions.

Central to this approach are the metaphors of the pergola and fishnet, reflecting Dalieh’s identity and the daily lives of local fishermen. The interventions are connected physically and conceptually by a temporal grid put throughout the site that interacts with the ground, people, and birds. Key interventions include:

  1. Reintegrating Lost Identity: Revitalizing the site by planting a vineyard and restoring Dalieh’s historical significance as a “vineyard” in Arabic.
  2. Vegetation Restoration: Addressing areas ruined by construction, this intervention includes:
  • Mist & Propel: Harvests atmospheric moisture to cool the air and disperse seeds.
  • Eco-Kinetic Soil Revive: Uses kinetic mechanisms to aerate the soil and inject nutrients.
  • Seed Shooter: Disperses native seeds to promote biodiversity.
  • AquaBloom Irrigator: Collects fog moisture for irrigation.

These systems regenerate the soil and enhance flora and fauna for public use.

  1. Vegetation Conservation: Attracting birds and providing feeding and shelter areas, ensuring ecological balance and integrating human interaction through designed seating spaces.
  2. Fishermen Strip: Supporting the primary users of the site, this area creates a fluid connection between the corniche and the water, facilitating economic activities by day and transforming into cultural spaces by night.
  3. Temporal Grid: A flexible structure throughout the site, used by the public for various activities depending on the season, festivals, weather, and time of day.

This project embraces the temporality and ephemerality of Dalieh, creating an ever-evolving architecture that responds to the rhythms of nature and human activity. It reimagines ground as a multilayered, dynamic entity, fostering a harmonious interplay between the environment and its users.

This project was the 3rd Place Winner of the Areen Projects Awards for Excellence in Architecture.

Instagram: @ard_aub

From Waste to Wealth: Food and Community Nexus by Fatema Dula & Rachel Aronbayev, M. Arch ’24
New York Institute of Technology | Advisors: Marcela Del Signore & Evan Shieh

The food waste processing facility is strategically designed to bridge both the literal and metaphorical divide between the hilltop favela residents in São Cristóvão, and the bustling food market below, a critical cultural hub. Situated on a hill, the facility not only connects these separate communities but also aims to serve as a vital nexus, enhancing interactions and mutual benefits between the informal settlements and the market. The facility is envisioned as a symbol of unity, sustainability, and progress, bringing together diverse groups for a common purpose.

The building is structured into three clusters, each dedicated to a specific treatment type: Composting, Anaerobic Digestion, and Recycling. Within each cluster, there are three distinct areas: a waste zone for processing, a communal area for collaborative activities, and a recreational space for leisure and relaxation. The design of these clusters ensures that the facility is not just a processing plant but a community center that encourages participation, education, and engagement in sustainable practices.

The three clusters are linked by a versatile circulation path that ranges from fully outdoor to semi-outdoor and indoor segments, enabling traversal from the hilltop down to the food market level. This path is designed to be accessible and inviting, with shaded walkways, benches, and educational signage about waste management and environmental stewardship. It serves as a continuous thread weaving through the facility, fostering a sense of connection and flow.

In addition to its primary function of waste processing, the facility is intended to host workshops, community meetings, and educational programs focused on sustainability. It aims to empower residents with the knowledge and tools to reduce waste, recycle more effectively, and participate in a circular economy. Through these initiatives, the facility aspires to create a more resilient and interconnected community.

Instagram: @fatty_2109, @marcelladelsi, @ev07

Natural Reflection: Reducing the Environmental Impact of Architecture through Biomimetic Design by Keenan Doricent, B. Arch ’24
Kennesaw State University | Advisor: Robin Puttock

The use of biomimetic design can be used to develop construction techniques and integrated building systems that reduce the increased amount of operational and embodied energy consumed by contemporary approaches to building. Factors like material production, site preparation, and equipment use are just a few examples of contributors to the amount of embodied energy consumed by a structure before it is even completed, while active building systems consume energy throughout the life of an occupied building. Because of greenhouse gasses, the long-term effects of historical and current architectural and infrastructural strategies have had a detrimental effect on the climate. The forest, desert, tundra, mountain, and aquatic biomes are all home to countless types of plant and animal life that adapted to their respective surroundings to become a part of the natural cycles that occur within any given area. This thesis project strives to study plants and animals that occupy and interact with the environment in order to reduce energy consumption and the ecological footprint of typical buildings.

This project was a finalist for the ARCC King Student Medal Award.

Instagram: @thenumber1fun, @xkdesign1

Powering Equality: Teaching Clean Energy on Multiple Grounds by Sabrina Innamorato, M. Arch ’24
New York Institute of Technology | Advisors: Marcella Del Signore & Evan Shieh

Due to the complex nature of the São Cristóvão neighborhood, in-depth research and an understanding of the mounting spatial and social issues were paramount prior to the development of an urban intervention for the city. Resiliency and vulnerability at the urban and human scale were analyzed through three interconnected lenses: social/cultural, environmental/ecological, and infrastructural/networked.

The proposal looks to develop public, peaceful nodes that operate on “urban collision” sites by hybridizing clean energy infrastructure with social programs. The proposal transforms former “pass-through” sites into places that are productive and social.

The concept is to allow the site context to inform an organizational armature. Building near the coast requires an attitude about not just having multiple floors of a building, but also about offsetting multiple ground planes. A diagrid column system acts not only as the main structure but also creates light wells and, at times, is occupied by supporting programs like egress cores or plumbing chases. There are a series of small pavilions for 5 clean energy systems: Geothermal, Hydro, Biogas, Wind, and Solar. The systems function on the site and the pavilions include teaching space to inform community members and stakeholders about the operation and importance of clean energy, while the space between is a public park. Ultimately the project is an infrastructural playscape.

Through a series of teaching pavilions, observable clean energy infrastructure, and public green space, the architecture provides a physical ground for knowledge building, where community members can become ambassadors for spatial and social change in São Cristóvão and beyond. The project looks to acknowledge and adapt to the already irreversible effects of climate change by offsetting and creating multiple grounds that anticipate and accept sea level rise, and simultaneously address the importance of mitigating future climate change. The park is a prototype for a larger strategy that can begin to bridge social and spatial divides and heal communities at an urban scale, by teaching clean energy on multiple grounds.

The project was presented at NYCxDesign 2024 Student Showcase at F.I.T., and the cartographic model was exhibited at Salone del Mobile in Milan, Italy, along with the Gold Certificate of Excellence in Design and the ARCC King Medal.

Instagram: @sabrinainnamorato, @si_archidesign, @marcelladelsi, @ev07

UrbanSymbio by Bharat Satish & Nicholas Reid, M. Arch ’24
New York Institute of Technology | Advisors: Marcella Del Signore & Evan Shieh

The UrbanSymbio can be viewed as a self-sustaining and carbon-neutral organism that coexists harmoniously with its surrounding urban environment, promoting energy circularity in São Cristóvão. Its growth is guided by the cellular automation algorithm, which mimics natural processes of organic growth and adaptation, ensuring a sustainable and efficient use of resources. Like living organisms that evolve in response to their environment, this kit of parts expands and transforms itself based on the changing needs of its inhabitants and the available space within the urban fabric.

Its modular and flexible nature allows it to seamlessly infill and occupy underutilized or vacant spaces, repurposing and revitalizing them without causing significant demolition or displacement. This minimizes waste and maximizes the use of existing resources. The system’s self-organizing capabilities and sensitivity to changes within itself and its surroundings enable it to grow sustainably by utilizing renewable energy sources and implementing circular processes that minimize resource consumption and carbon footprint. Its adaptive nature ensures that as the city evolves, the system can continuously reconfigure itself to optimize energy efficiency and resource utilization, avoiding the creation of obsolete or redundant structures that contribute to urban blight and environmental degradation. This system could act as a prototype that could be implemented in any city worldwide.

Instagram: @0ero_persepctive, @unruly.don_, @marcelladelsi, @ev07

Dataism Motion Exhibition Center by Begimai Baibachaeva, B. Arch ’24
Boston Architectural College | Advisors: David Eccleston & Robert Gillig

Location: 40 Commercial St, Portland, ME 04101 

Project: Exhibition Center

Site Description: Portland is a center of connectivity, equity, sustainability, and authenticity. Portland’s Eastern Waterfront is one of the primary economic hubs that serve as a center for travel, fishing, commerce, and shipping. Thus, it’s essential to continue supporting the waterfront in a rapidly changing world. The concept of the project is to revive Portland’s waterfront while celebrating its heritage and innovation. 

Considering that our site is a center of various activities, my vision was to create a seamless connection between the distinct boundaries of land and water, particularly through the exhibition hall experience, visually at the heart of the building. But also mimicking the freedom and fluidity of water, envisioning a scenario where these two natural elements (land and water) coexist harmoniously. The approach included providing people with access to water through strategic landscape design.

Concept: The architectural thesis envisions a dynamic synthesis of Umberto Boccioni’s “Development of a Bottle in Space” and the progressive essence of artificial intelligence, merging seemingly disparate concepts through the lens of time and motion. Set in Portland, Maine, the design employs curves in both the facade and interior spaces, integrating intelligent program design and enhancing the user experience. The primary structure, a space frame, supports the organic design, while a cylindrical curtain wall pays homage to Boccioni’s sculpture, marrying the rhythmic dance of form with the seamless interconnectivity of data.

This project received Commendations: Bachelor’s Degree Project in Architecture and the Edwin T. Steffian Centennial Award: Bachelor’s Degree Project in Architecture.

Instagram: @begimay_b_, @thebacboston

Walking with Gentle Giants by Manshi Manojkumar Parikh, M. Arch ’24
Boston Architectural College | Advisor: Ralph Jackson, FAIA

Humans have long sought to dominate and exploit every corner of the planet. As civilization advances, coexistence with other species becomes increasingly dystopian thought. Humans have harmed the environment and imposed our presence on the voiceless, including the majestic Asiatic elephants, who face abuse and exploitation, with some populations nearing extinction. Elephants act as ecosystem architects, playing a vital role as keystone species in creating forests and maintaining biodiversity. The endangerment of these critical species signals a potential loss of other interconnected species, jeopardizing nature’s essential services. Preserving nature and developing strategies to adapt to climate change is crucial for the survival of endangered species. Caring for animals and plants is about safeguarding the Earth’s natural caretakers. 

At the beginning of the last century, the world had 100,000 Asian elephants. Over the past three generations, their population has dwindled by at least 50 percent. India is home to more than 50 percent of the elephant population. Habitat reduction, fragmentation, commercial poaching, and the illegal trade of live elephants drive these nomadic creatures to near extinction. In December 2022, India reported the loss of almost 500 elephants due to electrocution, train collisions, poaching, and poisoning. This data underscores the challenges of protecting elephants, with most deaths in West Bengal caused by train collisions between 2012 and 2017. Since 2018, 379 elephants died from electrocution, 80 from train accidents, 40 from poaching, and 25 from poisoning. 

The aim [of this thesis] is to create a safe haven for these gentle giants, protecting them and the environment that makes our planet unique. A holistic design approach can bridge our worlds, fostering understanding and shared living. Through architecture, we can create a space where humanity’s impact shifts from exploitation to harmonious coexistence. This thesis explores solutions for conserving Asiatic elephants in the West Bengal region of India focusing on one of the elephant corridors situated between the Apalchand forest and the Gorumara Wildlife Sanctuary, by designing a facility that serves as a refuge for elephants in need, inspiring, educating, and providing a research base for conservation. The goal is to enhance the well-being of these gentle giants with a holistic approach, creating a coexisting environment. This sanctuary aims to go beyond traditional conservation models, reviving the migration corridor and positively impacting both humans and elephants. 

This project received the M. Arch Thesis Commends.

Bio-Encapsulation by Justin Wolkenstein-Giuliano & Crystal Hope Giard, B. Arch ’24
Syracuse University | Advisors: Britt Eversole & Julie Larsen

Harmful freshwater and saltwater algae blooms, which are caused by phosphorous and nitrate from agricultural and wastewater runoff mixing with increasingly warm waters, constitute a widespread environmental crisis. As a response, architecture must develop environmentally responsible construction and innovate with novel materials. We propose that, in navigating ongoing ecological degradation from harmful algae blooms, we can develop a unique design language and material expression that captures problematic substances and redirects them toward literally constructive ends. 

Our design research explores the bio-material robotic fabrication possibilities that might arise from intervening in the environmental cycle of agricultural production, runoff, and algae growth. To give form to the formless and explore the aesthetics of the toxic, we built a prototype 3D algae printer that extracts algae from the environment and, using a proprietary admixture that we developed, redirects it to build novel architectural assemblies. Agricultural industries use a hydrogel called sodium polyacrylate to mitigate liquid runoff. When combined with liquid, this dry powder will absorb and expand, creating a gel. Our 3D printer makes use of existing sodium polyacrylate and existing toxic algae; when combined and then applied to sand mold formworks and allowed to cure, the algae hardens into three-dimensional forms and thin folded and warped surfaces. 

Our design research operates at a 1:1 scale, rather than analogs or models. In terms of size, we have managed to produce large-format components, approaching 3’-0” in length. However, the system, chemical combinations, and logic of manufacturing can scale up. The system we have created will serve to index a degrading ecology but also offer the possibility of creating a new cycle of pollution remediation and growth: one where design is not a solution to the toxicity of our world, but rather an opportunity to collaborate with toxins, resulting in a new formal language of bio-encapsulation.

Instagram: @syr_arch, @jmlarsen, @g_britt_eversole, @justinwg64

Saltscapes: Architectural Systems for Salt Reuse by Peiyu Luo & Shengxuan Yu, B. Arch ’24
Syracuse University | Advisors: Britt Eversole & Julie Larsen

Our design research investigates the many scales—local, regional, and continental—of the material and environmental economy of salt. Salt is both a naturally occurring and manmade substance that is entangled with the human environment. Salt is in and on our bodies and food. It is found in masonry, stucco, mortar, and cement. It is an essential substance in countless industries. Its most harmful application, however, is the massive amount of salt deployed on roads and highways during the winter to melt snow and prevent ice buildup. High concentrations of road salt circulate through the environment, leaching into the watershed where it harms plants and animals, especially amphibians.

Our project speculates on the role of architecture, infrastructure, and design in remediating the ongoing problem of salinization caused by road salt usage in the United States’s transportation infrastructure system. The salt used for wintertime road treatment is either extracted from mining or formed from the natural crystallization of salt flats. The enormous quantity of road salt used in the United States taps into a complex shipping network that moves salt around the Nation and even imports salt from multiple countries. Throughout the northeastern states, storage facilities for keeping and spreading the salt serve as the local nodes of this network, which underlines the architectural and infrastructural possibilities for intervening in this economy.

After visualizing the global and regional economies of salt, as well as the ways in which it reenters and pollutes local environments, we explored the possibility of building infrastructural interventions that would capture runoff and crystalize the road salt, making visible the enormous quantities of an otherwise invisible substance. We imagine occupying the medians of interstate freeways, where we would rebuild the architectural infrastructure of salt distribution and, more importantly, capture runoff and construct saltwater habitats. We explored different crystallization methods as well as substrates for the constructions, ultimately settling on engineered timber tetrapod units that could be structurally stacked or linked in predetermined geometric configurations, or piled and accumulated to create structures that rely on friction for their structural stability. Salt would accrue on the units and collect underneath them, while saltwater plant species would flourish and animals would take over other areas as habitats. However, given climate change, we project that the need for road salt will decrease as snowfall in the Northeast declines. Our project therefore has a lifespan of 50 to 100 years, by which time the wood units will decay, and the medians can return to being non-saline environments.

Lastly, we explored visualization strategies—using both physical and digital modeling—to represent the constantly forming and unforming state of the matter in construction. During the summer, the assemblies would largely be devoid of salt, whereas during the winter the medians would become saline environments, requiring us to develop particle-based drawing and modeling strategies that represent material and environmental change over time. Our final model assemblages and architecture drawings were created as a means of epitomizing all our research on salt, providing a detailed visualization connecting all the research information we found on road salt usage, and picturing a design response to our research subject.

This project won the Dean’s Citation for Excellence in Design.

Instagram: @syr_arch, @jmlarsen, @g_britt_eversole, @cass_peiyu

Stay tuned for Part XIII!

2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase - Part XI

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Architecture and design can serve as avenues for storytelling. Part XI of the 2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase includes designs that express emotions, experiences, and concepts. From garments and cinema to a building that serves as the main character – each project tells a story.

The presented narratives convey the experiences of displacement, highlight marginalized voices, share themes of life, and detail the connections between time and the built environment.

No Place Like (No) Home: Architecture and Displacement through Storytelling by Meena Chowdhury, M. Arch ‘24
University of British Columbia | Advisor: Rana Abughannam

This thesis explored my mother’s story of displacement in an attempt to show that reconstructing architectural representation can help showcase underrepresented stories. While hearing my mother’s story, I realized that she had an interesting relationship with architecture and time. She was forcefully moved from place to place without ever knowing what was going to happen next, and she would always make changes to her space in order to adapt to her needs. The current way to represent architecture cannot capture this complex relationship between space and time. Architects need to develop new ways of representing the spaces that refugees live in and that highlight these temporal aspects.

I created a garment that incorporates elements of my mother’s story as a refugee as she verbally reported them to me, as well as visual representations of multiple places where she lived as a refugee. Using the fabric allowed me to experiment with this notion of time. When the garment folds, rotates or transitions, it recontextualizes the drawings on the garment. The garment transitions to different articles of clothing based on my mother’s transition to different locations. It helps show that, for a lot of people who are displaced, architecture is not anchored by site. Most people who are displaced do not know the context of the location they are currently in, and that is what happened to my mom. She didn’t go through the locations, rather the locations went through her. This garment rethinks architectural representation, as self is the site. Hopefully, this creation will open new doors on how to think about representation in architecture.

This project won the Abraham Rogatnick Book Prize.

Instagram: @chowdhury.projects, @ubcsala

When Words Become Worlds by Catherine Chattergoon & Angelina Widjaja, B. Arch ’24
Pratt Institute | Advisors: Cathryn Dwyre, Evan Tribus & Pierre Alexandre de Looz

“When Words Become Worlds” is a project that speaks to the potential for us to bring our interior lives into public space and center marginalized people and voices in shaping new futures, realities, and worlds through storytelling and language. We see a framework of learning and unlearning as the ways we reconnect to and understand our diasporic identities, ancestral knowledges, and (mother)land(s). Through this framework, public space becomes a living archive, both a place and a process that allows us to record ourselves and create spaces that are receptive to change, constructed from new forms of building and community, and begin to move us toward transformative possibilities for the future.

The capitalist society that we live in is embedded in privatization and reflects the vision and voice of those who are already in a position of power and privilege. Infecting our public spaces and educational institutions, the pervasiveness of privatization forces us to consume and conform to top-down knowledge and “truths,” becoming an obstacle to self-expression, creativity, and, ultimately, our ability to shape our own worlds. Given that the built environment has historically maintained privilege by censoring, surveilling, and policing to perpetuate the immobilization of the oppressed, how can storytelling and language become means through which people access design and architecture to transform their own environments and create a future shaped by love and community?

Our project is cyclical and intergenerational. It is a space to gather, to be entangled with the land and with each other, and to learn about ourselves and the world within our world and with others. It is a space to learn and unlearn, to touch and be touched, to perform and to listen, to be dirty and to be wet, to engrave and endure, and to be free and to love, to build upon and honor our untold histories. This project is a model and manifestation for the creation of public space and the built environment to be shaped by community members and collective values, where design becomes the means for people to have agency in making change.

This project won the Top Honors: 2023/2024 Degree Project Award.

Instagram: @angie.9800, @angiegmbr, @cchatter13, @pneumastudio, @pneumacat

joy! [as an act of resistance] by Harrison Lane, M. Arch ‘24
Carleton University | Advisor: Piper Bernbaum

The concept of joy, the feeling of joy and the experiences of it are something I am deeply interested in and I have this feeling that you all might be, too. I also have this feeling that as we are wading through it all [the wake of the pandemic, major social injustices, the world is on fire, my dog peed on the carpet, am I killing all the bees by not having wildflower gardens? Oh no, is there lactose in this?], it has become difficult to remain, or even want to be joy-full. Joy, fun, play, or even laughter are almost punk rock in their defiance of the weight of all other issues we collectively and individually shoulder. For thousands of years, joy has been dissected and interpreted, it has even had its existence denied, but joy is kind of like a morphing confusing cryptid, impossible to pin down and where every time you think you’ve really got a handle on it and attempt to capture its likeness, only a blurry photo akin to Sasquatch remains. 

So, my leather jacket-metal stud-teenage angst-loud music-sweeping bangs-esque response to this feeling is as such: What does joy look like while it resists? When it defies convention, plays with archetypes, and has fun with an idea? So I tried to answer that. I interpreted theories of joy as furniture, and made sure to feel joy as I built them. And then built a curriculum with the joy of learning and teaching at its core. 

My thesis is a reflection through a series of pointed questions about what joy truly and deeply means. It also examines joy through the conduit of resistance to show how it can manifest as furniture, a pedagogy, or maybe even a way of life. I wanted the culmination of my architectural education to be fun, to offer insights into big questions about seemingly simple things, and most of all, I wanted anyone who stumbles across it later to be so deeply moved that they have no choice but to inject joy as vigorously and recklessly into all that they do, just as I have.

Instagram: @hdslane, @piperb, @carleton_architecture

METAMORPHOSIS by Shaikha Al-Khazim, M. Arch ’24
Lawrence Technological University | Advisor: Masataka Yoshikawa

In selecting “The Epic of Gilgamesh” for this piece, I was drawn to its exploration of fundamental life themes, including mortality, friendship, and the intricate dynamics of the human-divine relationship. The narrative unfolds as a man ventures beyond the confines of his town in pursuit of profound insights into life and the inevitability of mortality. Throughout his odyssey, he grapples with a spectrum of emotions, ranging from the depths of loss and grief to the heights of happiness and victory.

Upon his return to the town, a transformative metamorphosis has occurred within him. The beliefs that once anchored him have undergone a profound shift. In essence, the epic serves as a poignant reflection on the inherent human struggle with mortality, underscoring the pivotal role of companionship in fostering personal growth and prompting contemplation on the nuanced boundaries that exist between mortals and the divine.

In translating these themes into visual art, I opted for abstract shapes to symbolize the complexity of emotions encountered throughout the journey. The careful selection of colors serves to visually articulate the intricate interplay between these nuanced emotions, thereby encapsulating the rich essence of Gilgamesh’s narrative.

This project received the Lawrence Technological University Dean’s Award.

Instagram: @shaikha.alkhazim, @masataka.yoshikawa

Other Time Land by Leming (Michael) Jin, B.S in Architecture ’24
Washington University in St. Louis | Advisor: Zahra Safaverdi

The project “Other Time Land” unfolds in a remote Texhoma crop circle, housing seven characters in a microcosm detached from conventional time and space. Their lives center on agricultural and architectural production, intertwined with individual roles and diverse perceptions. Through the contextual model, the narrative explores collective understanding amid subjective interpretations. It delves into the complexities of human existence, navigating the realms of history, culture, and the meaning of collective life. Over three distinct eras, from functionality to formalism and nostalgia, the project reflects on human interaction with the environment, culminating in a monument to the enduring struggle between humanity and nature.

This project was featured in the YES Show at Washington University in St. Louis.

Prosthetic Mountain by David Paraschiv & Oriol Grana Garriga, B. Arch ’24
Pratt Institute | Advisors: Jonathan Scelsa & Jason Vigneri-Beane

Meet Trevor, the Olympic infrastructure that knows he won’t always be the star. Unlike the previous models of Olympic development, which attempted to redefine the city but ended up only reusing existing infrastructure, Trevor performs an architectural photobomb. Through association with the Hollywood sign, he casts himself as a character into LA’s catalog of landmarks. Trevor is many things: mascot, stadium, tower, mountain, monument, icon, landmark, camera, torch, cat, bat, owl, spider, octopus, and monster. As Trevor’s tensile tent shifts to shade one of three events on the mountain, pistons morph his tent body into the mascot for that event.

        Over a century ago, Mt. Lee’s peak was shaved off to construct Los Angeles’ first television broadcast tower. We propose to restore the peak with this prosthetic infrastructure. As a prosthetic, Trevor not only restores the peak but also serves as an opportunity to create a landscape that accommodates both non-standard bodies and wildlife. For this reason, Trevor has been designed with the Paralympics having priority over the standard event. Access is not just enabled but maximized through funiculars, gondolas, ramps, elevators, and cherry pickers. These infrastructural elements become the very means of Trevor’s ultimate performance, his retirement. Sports courts are released and sent rolling down the funicular tracks, eventually becoming public infrastructure for the neighborhoods below. During this act of pulling, Trevor’s skin is torn open, allowing the elements into the stadium. At this point, Trevor’s hyper-artificial hot pink and electric yellow skin begins to reveal its true nature, with its dust-collecting tendrils starting to build material on the surface. As the seasons pass, this material is fertilized by the fauna of Mt. Lee’s subnature, eventually camouflaging the structure with the mountain. In this act, Trevor becomes a new kind of monument, one that isn’t afraid to embrace fragility as a means of new life.

This project received Degree Project Top Honors, the Michael Hollander Drawing Award (section), and the ModelMaker Prize Second Place.

Instagram: @otterfruit, @ori6g, @oparchland, @jcvb_split

Narrative Architecture: Framing a Fleeting World by Sam Sabzevari, M. Arch ’24
Toronto Metropolitan University | Advisor: Marco L. Polo

Narrative-making is the human ability to imagine, modify, and question myths, dreams, and desires; evolving cyclical journeys of challenging the present to draw a future. For a fleeting world, every creative production of an era responds to its grand narrative until it escalates to a time where the exchange of ideas moves faster than those who produce them. Landing on the age of the circuit, this thesis looks at a narrative shaped around incalculable reproductions mediating the world of human performative modes of operation and the algorithmic atmosphere of digital exchange. The Caravanserai, introduced as a narrative architecture typology from the age of the wheel, forms the architectural basis of a contemporary reading that can be applied to the age of the circuit. Established on experimental prompts of developing a narrative architecture, the new reading of the environment is described as a vessel among a place of exchange, a home, and an archive meant to be interpreted as open threads of making spatial scenarios. Appearing in sequences of experimental investigations on architectural scenarios throughout this document, prompts of a narrative architecture are explored and as an outcome of overlaying prompts of narrative architecture, Poetics of the Digital proposes a series of architectural prepositions that can become tools of architectural storytelling. Giving overall clues of what each tool can be, the verbal references to prepositions open them up to interpretations and form a new system of interpreting any space to any story. But how can a system break down its logic and genetically evolve into another story? The answer remains in human interpretation. 

The thesis ends with a gamified version of the poetics of the Digital, offered as abstract pieces of architectural storytelling to players of the game. Every person reads and interprets in their own way, shaping their world of understanding. Translating the game outcomes into drawings shows how each has already begun to become another story. This is the essence of the postmodern fleeting world, contemporary narratives coming from any place by anyone, about anything, all at the same time. 

Instagram: @sami_sabz, @dastorontomet

NOSTALGHIA DRIVE-IN: RESURRECTING MEMORIES by Elvis Castaneda, Jesus Nava & Opec Hynds, B. Arch ’24
Arizona State University | Advisor: Julia Lopez

Our journey into the heart of Andrei Tarkovsky’s “Nostalghia” has been transformative, resonating deeply with its exploration of nostalgia, isolation, and spiritual yearning. Through meticulous analysis of Tarkovsky’s cinematography, set design, and narrative techniques, we have unearthed profound inspiration for our architectural endeavor.

Tarkovsky’s masterful use of camera movements—his sweeping panoramas capturing the vast Italian landscapes and intimate interiors bathed in soft light—has guided our design philosophy. Just as Tarkovsky’s camera delicately navigates the emotional terrain of his characters, our architectural concept embraces the poetic essence of “Nostalghia.”

The film’s portrayal of dilapidated structures amidst timeless landscapes has become the cornerstone of our vision for revitalization. By reimagining a historic drive-in theater, we honor its cultural legacy while invigorating it as a vibrant community hub. Inspired by Tarkovsky’s subdued color palettes and symbolic imagery, our choice of materials and spatial compositions embodies a narrative that resonates with both the past and the future.

Our project is more than mere architectural intervention; it is a testament to the enduring power of storytelling through built environments. It seeks to foster not only physical renewal but also a profound sense of connection, belonging, and renewal among community members. Like Gorchakov in Tarkovsky’s narrative, we embark on a journey of exploration and discovery, guided by the spirit of nostalgia and the quest for meaning in a fragmented world.

In embracing “Nostalghia” as our muse, we endeavor to create spaces that transcend functionality, resonating deeply with the human condition and offering a sanctuary for reflection and contemplation. This is not just architecture; it is a testament to the timeless dialogue between cinema and built form, where each brick and beam tells a story of longing and hope.

This project won the TDS Design Excellence award.

Instagram: @ec.garcia6, @_opec_

The Production of Time: An Architectural Time Machine by Naim Zgheib, B. Arch ’24
American University of Beirut | Advisor: Sinan Hassan

How can one design an architectural time machine or one that deliberately produces time in its multiplicity?

  1. What are the dimensions of time as related to a built construct and their implications on the latter?
  2. How can one quantify, represent, visualize, and design the time-space?
  3. What architectural elements, languages and/or tectonics could best serve this discourse?

This architectural research delves into the captivating relationship between time and architecture. Drawing from theories such as Einstein’s relativity and Rovelli’s “The Order of Time”, it aims to explore the intricate connections between time and the built environment.

The study begins by investigating various theories of time, from ancient philosophies to contemporary scientific understandings, establishing a comprehensive foundation. By examining time as both a subjective experience and a measurable entity, this project seeks to merge the abstract and tangible. The research explores the application of phase space equations and algorithms in architectural design (which represent dynamic systems mathematically). By analyzing the temporal dynamics of spaces, it seeks novel temporal experiences within the built environment. The 8-dimensional phase space becomes the new representation of time in architecture.

The intent is to hypothesize an architecture that deliberately produces time to achieve ultimate timefulness, thus timelessness, engulfing the entire phase space. The design phase serves as the practical manifestation of the research, proposing architectural interventions that embody the theories, equations, and concepts explored. Through innovative design strategies, such as temporal layering and dynamic spatial configurations, this project seeks to redefine the relationship between architecture and time.

“The Production of Time” aims to build on the architectural implications of time, inspiring architects to reconsider the temporal dimensions of their creations deliberately and intentionally. In this eternal dance between architecture and time, let us leave an indelible mark upon the world—a beacon of our profound understanding of the temporal, and our unwavering dedication to the art of sculpting time as matter.

This project was the 3rd Place Winner of the Areen Projects Award for Excellence in Architecture. 

Instagram: @ard_aub

{in}Visible Maintenance by Daniel Wong, M. Arch ’24
University of Toronto | Advisor: Carol Moukheiber

Nothing lasts nor endures; instead, trends come and quickly fall into obsolescence. We pursue objects that offer immediate satisfaction, producing more and more to fuel a system that trends toward overconsumption and boredom. {in}Visible Maintenance provides an alternative vision somewhere in between the speculative, the surreal, and the plausible—a resistance to our valuation of existing buildings. Drawing is used to unravel the everyday maintenance, cleaning, and repair of buildings, highlighting their palimpsest history of time, age, and care work.

{in}Visible Maintenance poses the question: What if the durability of a building could be chronographed as a fundamental element of everyday design? Imagine a shift where we prioritize celebrating the natural process of decay, favouring robustness and heightened flexibility over the current economic model of superficial environmental posturing.

Through a speculative collection of drawings, a series of building parts, components, and systems—when assembled—creates a radical eclecticism around the buildings we maintain. These drawings are bound to the imaginary and convey a polemic reality based on the everyday, memory, age, place, change, and the virtues we associate with the buildings we inhabit. The shifting drawings and methods of representation are used to reframe, shift, and provoke a new paradigm and aesthetic that celebrates and accepts our existing aging built environment. Finding pleasure and discovery through the dilapidated, the strange, and the ordinary.

Instagram: @Danielw.dwg, @uoftdaniels

An Architectural Bargain: Games of Requit by Daniela Liang, B. Arch ’24
University of Southern California | Advisor: Eric Haas

The incorporation of intentional error is not novel. From the works of Borromini to those of MVRDV, linear perspective and visual perception of form and geometry have become tools for manipulating perceived reality. The intentional design of error, or the trick, is a productive language for exercising viewer agency. By creating an opportunity for the viewer to engage in an investigative experience, the trick becomes a game-like negotiation of reality within architecture. 

The result of these visual tricks creates privileged views and abstract reality where the uncovering of truth becomes enriching to the viewer’s understanding of the architecture. The project is the analysis of how these architectural deceptions can create different states of immersion between the viewer and the design. A game-like experience is proposed by the various ways “error” can be used as productive confrontation. Four self-contained sites of “error” immersion are created, displaying different applications of design deception: encounter, investigation, absorption, and co-existence. 

This project won the Raymond S. Kennedy Creative Innovation Award – Methodology

Instagram: @dandeliang

Front Veiled, Back Revealed by Sacha Azzi, B. Arch ’24
American University of Beirut | Advisors: Rana Haddad & Makram El Kadi

The architecture of this project stands as a demonstrative device of activism and empowerment. It is an architecture that is temporary yet timeless, standing tall around a social plaza of one of Beirut’s last agricultural gardens in the area of Mar Mikhael. This new typology creates a new ecosystem in a circular motion, a loop for change that aims to install an agency of political culture through the built form, a design for activists, an architecture of expression, a space of experimentation and a culture of democracy.

It is an incubator space that serves as both an incubator and an expression.

By integrating activism principles into its core the architecture evolves into an entity that educates, motivates and mobilizes individuals. It fosters conversations, encourages community involvement and raises awareness while serving as a supporter and facilitator of endeavors. The design features spatial arrangements and material selections, meticulously chosen to mirror and advance movements through methods of inclusivity efforts or by providing areas for protests and gatherings. This innovative architectural approach not only provides spaces for activists but also actively participates in activism through its design and purpose. It aims to challenge norms that incite thoughts and influence actions turning the built environment into a force for change. The structure serves as a tool that engages with people and the environment embodying activism motivating change and supporting change. This new approach highlights how buildings can play a role in advocating for social justice, equality and environmental conservation by enhancing the influence of activism, through their presence.

Within this thesis’s extensive and thorough research, we can conclude that architecture can serve as an agency for political culture, both programmatically and spatially. Firstly, by blending different users on site, and secondly, by standing as temporary architecture—a harmless yet powerful loop of change, with buildings shaped by their users and reshaped by these buildings again—a completion of form and function.

Instagram: @ard_aub

Stay tuned for Part XII!

2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase - Part X

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Part X of the 2024 Study Architecture Student Showcase highlights projects that address various aspects of urban morphology and city life. The featured work takes place in metropolitan settings including Los Angeles, Tokyo, Philadelphia, Camden, Ras Beirut, and Brooklyn.

The presented themes include fostering engagement in urban settings, creating spatial pauses in the city, the adaptability of urban design in response to societal changes, supporting the needs of city dwellers, and more. Scroll down to browse the award-winning student work!

LEARNING FROM LITTLE TOKYO: MEMORIES IN GEOMETRY by Osamu Sakurai, M. Arch ‘24
University of Southern California | Advisor: Andy Ku

The loss of regional identity in urban large-scale redevelopment, accelerated by the pressures of globalization, continues worldwide, with homogeneous spaces isolated from local environments and nature taking center stage within giant monoliths. Little Tokyo in Los Angeles is no exception to this trend. The aim of this project is to contemplate regional identity within the global context, with the means being “boxes” and “free shapes.” The “boxes” symbolize both participation in and challenge to globalization simultaneously. Randomly stacked boxes serve as a gesture to incorporate the external environment and attempt to supply external spaces vertically. The “free shapes” (geometry) strive to transform the identity of Little Tokyo into tangible forms. Only these two operations shape the architecture, emerging amidst the tension between internationalism and localism. Born in the midst of internationalism and localism, this architecture seeks to preserve the regional identity within the pressure of redevelopment, further developing and passing it on to future generations.

This project won the Master of Architecture Design Communication in Directed Design Research Award.

Instagram: @osamusakurai0420

Subversive Surfaces by Aya El Zein, B. Arch ’24
American University of Beirut | Advisor: Sinan Hassan

Exploring the dynamic relationship between city dwellers, walls as a shared language within a community, and boundaries that dictate the public and private understanding. The wall becomes an urban communication tool, materializing the reaction to societal power dynamics. The walls are a clear sign of the way in which the environment is dealing with the public, either by rejecting any intervention (manicured fenced walls) or by allowing for a layered intervention by the public. Following the analysis of the walls, a binary emerged, the wall itself within an architectural framework is seen as a planar separator between the indoor and outdoor/front and back. Thinking of the wall as a surface is where the forms started to emerge. Taking into account the need to subvert the users, the structures and planes become active, inhabitable singular surfaces/systems. Leveraging the surface-based network to create safe spaces in the city for minority groups. By delving into subversive design strategies and porous forms, enabling users to hide yet observe, thus granting them an added layer of agency whilst blurring the lines between boundaries. Shedding the planar notions of vertical and horizontal planes situated on top of each other. Dissolving the urban wall into a surface that inhabits the space having attributes of verticality and horizontality. 

Instagram: @ard_aub

The Vertical Fold by Riwa Karanouh, B. Arch ‘24
American University of Beirut | Advisors: Dr. Howayda Al-Harithy & Hana Alamuddin

Modern-day life is fast-paced & intense which compromises the everyday experience leading to the disengagement of the urban dweller from his surroundings. The architecture is complicit in this disengagement, by not interacting at the urban level. 

Therefore, how can projects in Beirut have a set of pauses to re-engage people with their surroundings, reinforcing the notion of urban citizenship and belonging? 

A hypothesis of using spatial engagement strategies was explored to produce spatial pauses in the city, defining “pause” as an experiential moment of engagement with the built environment. It is not about physically stopping, but a shift in experience. 

Jeanne d’Arc Street, a prominent street in Ras Beirut, has witnessed the loss of its sociocultural spatial practices compromising its experience. To reinvigorate its public realm and engage the citizens, a design system of folding was employed. Through extending, elevating, and twisting the ground plane, Jeanne d’Arc is integrated into the site, serving as a theatrical vertical extension of the street, compelling pedestrians to pause and engage with the building. The folded surfaces serve as interactive connectors, seamlessly linking the underground, ground, and vertical planes, transforming individuals into active engaged performers in the urban experience. 

This project was the First Prize Winner of the Areen Projects Award for Excellence in Architecture

Instagram: @ard_aub

The Architectural Sublime in Artificially Intelligent Mobility Systems by Wayne Li & Jack Zhang, BS (Bachelor of Science in Architecture) ’24
Washington University in St. Louis | Advisor: Constance Vale

Our project aims to redefine urban mobility, shifting from private car ownership to a shared, autonomous vehicle (AV) system. This initiative tackles LA’s infamous traffic by converting parking lots near public programs into dynamic AV hubs, creating a network of connected nodes across the city. The project’s design embodies the sublime, with intricate structural frameworks that evoke a sense of awe and, at the same time, foster an enlightening experience to let people understand how AV works. AVs move around the intricate circulation, recharging as they move through the long trajectory before returning to circulate in the city, thus eliminating the need for circulating and increasing traffic in the city. Its adaptable structure allows pedestrians to witness the inner workings of AV operations, fostering engagement and education. Through transforming static spaces into active educational hubs, the project promotes a cohesive, efficient, and forward-thinking urban landscape, guiding Los Angeles into a new era of connectivity and communal urban life.

This project was collected for Washington University in St. Louis’ student work publication, Approach.

Instagram: @wayne_li_0611, @jack_arch_, @constancevale, @washu.architecture

Dream House by Meisam Dadfarmay, M. Arch ’24
Pennsylvania State University | Advisor: DK Osseo-Asare

“Dream House,” is a project I designed for myself as a personal home and workplace, examining how these spaces adapt and transform to reflect the dynamic nature of dense cities and the architect’s life, and a vision for the future of architecture, where design transcends traditional functionalities and purposes. It is also a proposal for vertical city growth in Tokyo, which is a dialogue with my precedent project, ‘Tower House,’ designed by Takamitsu Azuma in 1966. Tower House, a project designed for architecture itself, is located close to my project site, and both are situated in tiny sites with almost the same geometry. Tower House stands as an impressive example of innovative architecture, illustrating how limitations in space can lead to creative and functional design solutions. It remains a testament to Azuma’s architectural vision and the adaptability of urban design in response to societal changes.

The Dream House concept, influenced by Slavoj Žižek’s theories, delves into homes composed mainly of secondary spaces, highlighting the importance of spatial arrangement in architectural design. Žižek’s critique of contemporary architecture, focusing on “Architectural Parallax” and “interstitial space,” his perspective connects Jameson’s “political unconscious” to the architectural realm. This viewpoint sees underutilized spaces as potential solutions to social issues, particularly class struggle, scrutinizing the ideological underpinnings of architectural projects and their claims of “anti-elitism.” 

The connection between the “Dream House” concept and architectural critique lies in their shared interest in the ideological ramifications of architectural design. Both perspectives view space not just as physical dimensions, but as carriers of socio-political and cultural narratives. The “Dream House” concept focuses on individual architects’ choices, while the broader critique examines architectural trends and their societal impacts. 

Together, these perspectives seek to uncover deeper meanings in spatial design, questioning how these designs influence or challenge the prevailing socio-political dynamics in both personal homes and public structures.

This project received the Haider Award for Design Excellence – Honorable Mention.

Instagram: @meisamdadfarmay

Gateway Park and Arts Center, Camden, NJ by Philip Edmonston, BS Architecture ’24
University of Virginia | Advisors: Peter Waldman & WG Clark

Situated between two industrially important rivers, Philadelphia was laid out on a grid plan in 1682 by William Penn. The city is organized around two axes and is punctuated by four public parks, each within walking distance of the others. While Penn’s ideal city was historically planned for its residents, its partner city Camden was not.

Camden, [located] on the east shore of the Delaware (A), began as an industrial zone serving Philadelphia. After the twilight of American urban industrial centers in the latter half of the twentieth century, Camden fell into deep poverty as a result of disinvestment. No longer used for manufacturing, Camden became a center for cheap office space – more affordable than Philadelphia while still benefiting from proximity to the larger city. This shift in Camden’s financial basis caused a shift in urban planning, where former industrial space was razed and new offices were built. Further, new highways bisected Camden’s neighborhoods, allowing non-residents to work in Camden’s downtown, but sectioning off some neighborhoods from others. Because of historic disinvestment and continuing urban renewal, Camden has become hostile to its residents, who are alienated from their city. 

Camden has been treated as culturally secondary to Philadelphia – while there is a strong “Philly” identity, Camden’s identity has not been cultivated and protected in the same way. Because it is culturally undervalued, historic preservation is not seen as vital in Camden as it is in Philadelphia. This in turn causes a pattern of razing and building new, and it is because of this pattern that Camden is losing connection to its historic spaces. We connect with our cities through historic spaces and the weathering apparent in the material of old buildings. This project proposes not a clean-slate renewal, but rather a care for and celebration of weathering, history, and the industrial space that facilitated Camden’s development.

The Gateway neighborhood (B) in Camden is one such example. Lying between the I-676 highway to the West and the Cooper River to the east, the neighborhood is relatively isolated from Camden’s downtown and from the city’s public space. Further, the Campbell’s Soup headquarters to the North cuts Gateway off from the rest of the city. The project becomes a new Northern boundary for Gateway and connects it to the larger Cooper River Park.

At the site scale, the project exhibits a series of methods for environmentally conscious use of formerly industrial space. These three methods: infill, excavation, and bioremediation through aeration, are shown in sequence as visitors walk across a path connecting the Gateway neighborhood to the Cooper River Park. The excavated and infilled areas are designed as park spaces, while the bioremediation space lies under a series of raised pathways. 

In addition to providing residents with a new boundary and park, the project proposes an art space serving residents and visiting artists. The space, designed using principles taken from the industrial context, consists of three components: a residence and service space for visiting artists, a workspace for artists and residents, and a meeting hall for local groups.

This project was recognized as a 2024 Exceptional Thesis Project at the University of Virginia.

Instagram: @philip.edmonston, @aschool_uva

Into the [dys]utopian maze, the case for subterranean spatial re-organization and dis-orientation by Sarah Karam, B. Arch ’24
American University of Beirut | Advisor: Sinan Hassan

Inspired by Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities and Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, this thesis envisions a novel architectural and urban morphology to uncover hidden (dys)utopian experiences within our environments. Recognizing that our mental depiction of the physical world is limited by societal conventions, this project introduces the concept of a “third space,” — a realm where conscious and unconscious aspects merge, allowing for a deeper exploration of our urban landscapes.

Drawing upon Sigmund Freud’s Oedipus complex, it is posited that humans possess an intrinsic desire to get lost, a need that can be facilitated through the architectural form of a maze. The maze acts as a connective tissue, enabling individuals to encounter new perspectives and engage with the (dys)utopian layers of their environment. The research begins with a theoretical investigation into the interplay between dystopian/utopian experiences, the third space, and the maze. This involves analyzing case studies and testing strategies to select a suitable site, ultimately choosing Sassine, Ashrafiye, Lebanon. The final intervention includes a subterranean spatial reorganization aimed at uncovering a (dys)utopian world, with the third space mediating between utopian and dystopian elements.

The project employs the maze to challenge conventional spatial orientation and organization. It rethinks circulation and spatial distribution, creating unpredictable encounters and perspectives. The maze, both above and below ground, facilitates diverse (dys)utopian experiences, blending formal and informal activities, and connecting the disjointed urban fabric of Sassine.

Concisely, this thesis proposes an architectural framework that integrates (dys)utopian thoughts into a third space through the labyrinthine design, addressing the human desire to get lost and reimagining the urban experience. Through this, the project aims to create a dynamic and multifaceted urban morphology that transcends traditional spatial conventions.

This thesis was nominated for the Areen Projects Award for Excellence in Architecture.

Instagram: @ard_aub

Beyond The Wall by Zili He & Wenan Hu, B. Arch ’24
Southern California Institute of Architecture | Advisor: Maxi Spina

In the past, the wall offered both contextual and functional performances by unifying the interior programs and the exterior experience along the wall. The purpose of the wall here is its security and infrastructural nature, as well as a social and organizational one. A wall is not only a figure full of turns and edges but also a linking device that connects all the spaces and experiences associated with it.

This thesis borrows from, learns from, and adopts strategies from ancient city walls and therefore transfers them into a new generator for architecture, which can be applied through articulation in multiple layers and multiple scales. Challenging the efficiency-oriented cliche of the convention center, letting the wall typology generate a sequence of experiences while responding to the large, this thesis offered a new perspective looking at large civic buildings with urban ambitions.

“The wall is what contains. defines. channels. constraints, limits. stops, articulates and divides.” —A field of walls, Dogma.

Instagram: @luke_hezili2001, @olllihu, @maxispina

Midnight on the Stairs by Shun Sasaki, B. Arch ’24
Southern California Institute of Architecture | Advisor: Karel Klein

This project explores the reinterpretation of societal norms, architectural spaces, and individual identities homogenized by modernization by investigating the diachronic transformation of architectural elements. The fusion of modernism and capitalism suppressed behaviors conflicting with their doctrines under societal hygiene, leading to an obsession with cleanliness and, in architecture, the “theatricalization of architectural spaces.” Recently, the architectural doctrine of Program Blocks, exemplified by OMA, has disregarded individual activities that do not fit the intended program, considering activities within architecture only through the combination of programs.

This project, “Residential Stadium,” is based on the brief of the public competition “Residential Stadium: Adaptive Reuse,” held in 2018 on a site in Brooklyn, New York. In this thesis, I first examine the ‘stoop’—a distinctive architectural element observed on the facades of Brooklyn rowhouses—investigating how a generic stair typology acquires its unique ‘stoop’ identity. Next, by overlaying the semi-public nature of the stoop with the function of stadium seating, I designed a program that integrates stair/stoop/stadium seating within a single stair typology. Furthermore, by extending this architectural element to other features characteristic of Brooklyn rowhouses, such as fire stairs, balconies, cornices, and windows, the design aims to create architectural devices that mediate between residential and stadium spaces. The activities occurring within these spaces are intended to expand the discussion beyond what traditional design methods with program blocks can capture.

At the massing scale, the relationship between the residential and stadium programs transforms into three typologies based on their degree of integration with the adjacent urban street.

In Chunk 0, typical rowhouses line North 12th Street, showcasing a standard Brooklyn rowhouse configuration. In Chunk 1, the floor plan of a generic stadium superimposed with Brooklyn rowhouses creates an unusual spatial relationship, with the adjacent roadway extending into McCarren Park. In Chunk 2, the roadway disappears, leaving Brooklyn rowhouses floating above the park’s meadow, detached from the urban street. The space is completely open at the ground level, with the stadium field connected to the park’s field.

This thesis reveals enigmatic objects from architectural and societal shifts, enhancing our understanding of their impact on society and identity.

Instagram: @ssasaki636, @karelnyla

Stay tuned for Part XI!