Browsing by Author "Benham, Austin"
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Item Bioclimatic Design: Research at Assateague State Park(Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS), 2021) Benham, Austin; Bernstein, Ben; Centeno, Cristhy; Dandy, Selina; Defngin, Marcelino; DeGroff, Andrew; DiBella, Nicholas; Edwards, J. Chase; Gursoy, Talha; Habib, Samanty; Haider, Almas; Islam, R. Maisha; Jamero, Samantha; Jenkins, Talisha; Kaku, Upasana; Konan, Yan; Lee, Jihee; Loh, Marco; Long, James; Mencer, Abigail; Mirza, Farasat; Mora, Miguel; Perla, Vincenza; Rangel, Miguel; Register, Austin; Roberts, Lea; Smith, Jamal; Spencer, Abigail; Tram, Judy; Vargas, Daryl; Vazquez, Carlos; Binder, Michael P; Gardner, Amy; Gabrielli, Julie; Hu, Ming; Storm, KevinThrough their work with the National Center for Smart Growth at the University of Maryland (UMD), the Maryland Department of Natural Resources commissioned this report from the university’s Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability (PALS). This research study, conducted in a graduate level design studio, began with a shared vision that people and nature can co-exist in a mutually beneficial relationship. Angela Baldwin, Park Manager at Assateague State Park, and her colleagues from NOAA, the Maryland Park Service, the Chesapeake Coastal Service, and other DNR offices, challenged the University of Maryland team to test this vision in the design of a new day use facility for Assateague State Park, a much-beloved, special place that is increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The climate crisis requires architects to deepen their understanding of resilient design strategies. These range from place-based climate-responsive knowledge rarely taught in schools of architecture, to more technically advanced tools such as computer energy modeling, efficient mechanical equipment and on-site renewable energy.Item Envisioning the Future at Prince George's Plaza, MD(Partnership for Action Leadership in Sustainability (PALS), 2021) Dandy, Selina; Mencer, Abigail; Zadeh, Maryam Bana; Benham, Austin; Degroff, Andrew; DiBella, Nick; Haider, Alma; Jenkins, TaLisha; Kaku, Upasana; Konan, Yan; Vargas, Daryl; Vandergoot, JanaThe semester was divided in 3 projects. For project 3, the studio worked with Prince George's Planning Department on creating urban design schemes for the Prince George's Plaza Transit District including analyzing relvevant case studies, site visit to Prince George's Plaza, site documentation/analysis, and design proposals rooted from historical research while responding to complex contemporary issues (social inequality, safety, climate change, urban ecology, public health, local/global economies) in order to produce urban design master plans, street sections, perspectives vignettes for near-term and long-term 2035 year plans.Item The New Clear Normal(2022) Benham, Austin; Binder, Michael MB; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Both within the United States and abroad, the nuclear industry has seen a sharp decline in utilization due to a loss of public trust and/or economic factors. As energy demands grow on a global scale, and countries look to sustainable methods for meeting these needs there has been an opportunity for new advancements within the nuclear industry to viably present themselves. This thesis proposes the design of a nuclear power plant which utilizes small-modular-reactor(s) to be used for energy production and address other needs within the surrounding community, with integrated public facilities where possible. Through design, this facility will help to alleviate the damaged public perception of nuclear power and exhibit the new nuclear industry and its benefits over other forms of energy; It will provide context on past events and technology within the field, showing that, through architecture and site design the multiple aspects of a nuclear power plant site can be portrayed in a more upstanding manner to better accentuate the positive aspects that are inherently present within the industry. This thesis will ultimately establish that healing the social and environmental issues of the past will aid in the creation of a new, safe, sustainable, and reliable nuclear industry.