School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation

Permanent URI for this community

http://hdl.handle.net/1903/1607

The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations.

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 785

A Private Beach Club
(1989) Blinchikoff, Laurie Jo; Schlesinger, Frank; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
The objective of this thesis is to design a private beach club that architecturally blends in with its community in terms of scale and appearance. The selected club is located in the Borough of Deal, a wealthy residential community situated on the New Jersey shore between the cities of Long Branch and Asbury Park. The site of the proposed beach club is presently occupied by Phillips Avenue Pavilion, a bath house, which consists of many small rooms used for changing and storing clothing and beach accessories. I propose to remove this structure and replace it with a new facility that will include a ballroom, dining room, club room, and spa. This thesis considers four architectural issues. The first is scale. The proposed beach club should have its own distinctive presence in the community but should neither overwhelm other residences nor appear too small. The second is frontality. A building on the seashore has a public front toward the street and a private front toward the ocean. These fronts pose specific problems of entrance and service locations. The third, beach club imagery, addresses the character of the club compared to other seaside structures of similar appearance and function. The fourth issue is detailing. The construction of the beach club and the detail s of the interior and exterior spaces will be thoroughly examined.
ROLE OF THE ARTS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN HAMPDEN, BALTMORE, MARYLAND
(2000) Polanec Graves, Monika Gabriele; Cohen, James; Urban Studies & Planning; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
The role of the arts within economic development is increasing as many cities attempt to replicate the success of the SoHo district in New York City. The SoHo paradigm is based on utilization of artists as sanitizing agents of former industrial districts in preparation for gentrification. This study examines SoHo and other case studies in which the arts are key components in redevelopment initiatives. The case studies are compared to the economic revitalization of the Hampden community in Baltimore City. The hypothesis states that an influx of artists and art-related businesses into Hampden was a catalyst for the current economic revitalization and that this clustering of artists and arts-related businesses indicates an economy of agglomeration. Data was collected through surveys, interviews, and secondary resources. The surveys were designed to collect data that would indicate why artists and business people settled in Hampden; whether a trend was occurring ; whether the location was beneficial to art careers or businesses; and if they perceived the arts as having a significant impact on Hampden. Results of the research indicate that a significant link exists between artists and the economic activity in Hampden; an agglomeration economy is implied, but not confirmed; and that the arts and economic development models employed by the Hampden community may represent a new combination of the models previously employed.
La arquitectura y la producción de imágenes de tarjeta postal: La invocación de la tradición versus el regionalismo crítico en Curitiba
(Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, 2001) Irazabal, Clara
A Communal Retreat for Writers in the Adirondacks
(2002) Makker, Kirin Joya; Mason, Randall; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
This thesis will explore the design of a retreat for writers in Adirondack Park in upper New York State. The intent of the project is to investigate how the 'border' between a group of buildings and the natural wooded landscape in which they sit may be blurred. It is the assumption of the author that rendering indistinct this border between the built and the natural will have bearing on whether a human's relationship to nature is harmonious. This study considers the transition (space, plane, or volume) from built to natural material: how do a compound, a building, and a construction detail meet the natural world in a manner in which the distinction between natural and human built is unconventionally blurred? How do a collection of buildings, a structure, and a detail suggest a harmonious relationship with the natural setting in which, or with which, they sit? The purpose of this thesis is to explore these questions and thus investigate the transition of natural landscape to built work at a variety of scales: the site scale, the building scale, and the detail scale.
Do Pruitt-Igoe ao World Trade CENTER: PLANEJANDO A EX/IMPLOSÃO do (pós)modernismo
(ANPUR, 2003) Irazabal, Clara
Ultrapassando o debate entre convergência e divergência urbanas: a arquitetura e o urbanismo em um contexto global
(Instituto de Planejamento Urbano e Regional - IPPUR, 2003) Irazabal, Clara
Digging into a Dugout House (Site 21SW17): The Archaeology of Norwegian Immigrant Anna Byberg Christopherson Goulson, Swift Co., MN
(Program for Archaeological Research, University of Kentucky, 2003-05-15) Linebaugh, Donald W.
This report presents the results of excavations on the dugout house site (21SW17) of Anna Byberg Christopherson Goulson in west-central Minnesota. The work was completed by Dr. Donald W. Linebaugh of the University of Kentucky and a group of family volunteers between June 6 and 12, 2002. Anna and Lars Christopherson reportedly moved into their dugout house ca. 1868. Lars and two of the five Christopherson children died of scarlet fever ca. 1878. Anna married Hans Goulson, who had immigrated to the area from Wisconsin, in 1879. Sometime after the birth of their first child in the dugout in late 1879, Anna and Hans built a small wood frame house on land located about a half mile south of the dugout. Archaeological survey and investigations identified the dugout house and documented the belowground architecture of the structure. The later ca. 1880 wood frame house was also recorded as part of this project.
Sustainable Design Center for Washington, DC
(2003-12-22) Eng, Vanessa Tracy; Bowden, Gary; Gabrielli, AIA, Julie; Bovill, Carl; Architecture
Discussions of sustainability have become increasingly common in recent times, as there has been a growing concern for the impact of the built environment on the ecological state of the planet. As we experiment with alternate energy sources, long- term development plans, and waste reduction techniques, new materials and design approaches are emerging. A synthesis of these discussions, this thesis examines how green buildings work in urban environments through the development of a museum and research center on sustainability for Washington, DC, that is itself, environmentally friendly. Utilizing and displaying green building systems, this public museum will teach the design profession as well as individuals through its exhibits and assembly. This learning machine will focus on the generality of sustainability, and the specifics of sustainable architecture.
The Revitalization of the Neighborhood Movie House and It's Role in the Community, The Avalon Theater, Chevy Chase D.C.
(2003-12-22) Wagner, Gretchen Elizabeth; Bowden, Gary A.; Eisenbach, Ronit; Mason, Randall; Architecture
The movie has traditionally been an important part of American mass culture. It has reflected the changes that have taken place in American life since the turn of the century. Entertainment and the entertainment industry depended heavily not only on the entertainment value of a movie, but also the architectural and social experience of going to the movie theater. In the 1950's, television surpassed the movie as the top choice of entertainment for the American public. By the 1960's grand movie palaces as well as art deco neighborhood movie houses all across the United States began to disappear. By the early 1970's, "mutli-plexes" with many screens were placed in shopping malls and strip malls, and took on more of a regional rather than a community role. I propose an addition and renovation to the Avalon Theater, a neighborhood movie house in Chevy Chase, D.C., to reintegrate the movie-going experience with a community focus thus reinvigorating this important 'place' of American mass culture. This thesis will incorporate a master plan for the block, and a program that will expand the services of the traditional movie theater by establishing exhibitions, and integrating retail and/or office space, along with community spaces in an attempt to enliven the area during the day, as well as at night. It will also involve looking at the Avalon Theater in a larger context as it relates to the stretch of commercial development along Connecticut Avenue south of Chevy Chase Circle.
A Planned City Comes of Age: Rethinking Ciudad Guayana Today
(Project Muse, 2004) Irazabal, Clara
In the 1960s, planners from MIT and Harvard, supported by an interdisciplinary group, were invited by the Venezuelan government to interact with national professionals to create a "growth pole" in the southern part of the country. A city named Ciudad Guayana was founded in 1961. The planning process that followed was extensively documented by this group of American scholars and their counterparts in Venezuela. Probably the strongest critique to this process has been presented by the American anthropologist Lisa Peattie who, in Planning: Rethinking Ciudad Guayana (1987), unveils the unbridgeable gap between the "platonic city" designed by the planners based on the development paradigm, and the "aristotelian city" that unfolded in reality. This study investigates national and local politics in the planning, decision-making, and building practices of the city, and their definite imprint on its urban form and quality of life. Emphasis is placed on the last 15 years, and particularly the period since 1999, when Hugo Chávez Frías assumed the presidency of Venezuela. En la década de 1960, un grupo interdisciplinario de planificadores del MIT y Harvard fueron invitados por el gobierno nacional Venezolano a trabajar recíprocamente con profesionales Venezolanos para crear un "polo de desarrollo" en la parte sur del país. Como consecuencia de este proceso, se (re)fundó una ciudad en 1961 llamada Ciudad Guayana. El proceso de planificación que siguió fue documentado extensivamente por este grupo de expertos Estadounidenses y sus contrapartes en Venezuela. Probablemente la crítica más fuerte a este proceso, presentada por la antropóloga estadounidense Lisa Peattie en Planning: Rethinking Ciudad Guayana (1987), revela la significativa brecha entre la "ciudad Platónica" diseñada por los proyectistas con base en el paradigma de "desarrollo", y la "ciudad Aristotélica" que se desplegó en la realidad. Este artículo investiga la política local y nacional en la toma de decisiones y las prácticas de desarrollo urbano en Ciudad Guayana, y su impacto en la forma urbana y en la calidad de vida en la ciudad. El énfasis se pone en los últimos 15 años, y particularmente desde 1999, cuando Hugo Chávez Frías asumió la presidencia de Venezuela.
Increasing Bus Transit Ridership: Dynamics of Density, Land Use, and Population
(California Department of Transportation, Division of Research and Innovation, 2004) Banerjee, Tridib; Myers, Dowell; Irazabal, Clara; Bahl, Deepak
The study explores the possibilities of revitalizing existing urban communities, increasing transit ridership, decreasing jobs-housing imbalance, and mitigating the impacts of sprawl from transit corridor development or TCD, a variant of the more general class of TOD or transit-oriented development. We present findings of a study that focuses on the relationship between transit ridership and density and mixed land use developments along major arterial corridors in Los Angeles. Our research focuses on Ventura Boulevard and Vermont Avenue as a comparative study of two heavily subscribed transit corridors. Our analysis suggests that the predominant land use around these corridors is low-density automobile-oriented development which remains transit –unfriendly. However, the City’s policy environment has undergone favorable changes with the introduction new zoning ordinances. In light of these changes, we develop and recommend spatial and urban design strategies that productively utilize surplus and marginal space along transit corridors to accommodate future population growth. It is our expectation that the densification of the underutilized commercial corridors will create vibrant local economies, increase opportunities for market and affordable housing, revitalize retail, and lead to a fuller use of transit lines and increased ridership, a trend that we have already observed in higher density bus station areas
LOOKING FOR THE LOST WATER --- RENEWAL OF XIAN-YU-KOU RIVERFRONT IN BEIJING
(2004-01-02) Sun, Lingbo; Bechhoefer, William; Gournay, Isabelle; Jeronimo, John M; Architecture
Beijing as a historic city now is going through with dramatic changes. There is always the confliction between preservation and new development. It is against this background that my thesis is attempted to study and propose a sensitive development whose intent would be to treasure and preserve design philosophy embodied in the old city fabric. The proposed site Xian-yu-kou area in Beijing used to be a commercial place for over 500 years. A historic river, which was filled early last century, not only stimulated the development of the whole area, but also was the generator of its unique urban fabric. Now as many traditional neighborhoods, this area is facing both physical and environmental issues. My thesis is to pursue a reinterpretation of the historical urban context: by restoring the most important urban element - the old river and redevelop the waterfront amenities to revitalize this whole historic neighborhood.
A School for the Chinese Martial Arts
(2004-01-07) Currey, Evan; Francescato, Guido; Bechhoefer, William; Bovill, Carl; Architecture
Through the design of a school for the Chinese martial arts, the issue arises of transposing a style of architecture to a time and place other than its original context. Accordingly, the distillation and transformation of principles of Chinese architecture will be a part of the creation of an architecture appropriate to a modern American city. The goal of this thesis is to design a new school for training in kung fu, specifically the hung-fut system. This system teaches traditional kung fu, lion and dragon dancing, tai-chi, and sparring. Students of the Chinese system of martial arts known as kung fu should have a sense of the culture that produced the system of kung-fu. A building for the school must fulfill the requirements for the primary function of education as well as secondary functions such as administration and public performance. The architecture of the school should express the culture and history that created this system of martial arts. Therefore, principles of Chinese architecture, as well as relevant philosophies such as feng-shui, should be incorporated in the design of the school. The site for this project is the corner of H and 6th Streets in Washington, DC's Chinatown, the building will attempt to establish a cultural focus in the historic district and help to re-knit the urban fabric, and to revitalize the neighborhood.
Creating An identity for Kiplin Hall: Bringing New Life to a Historic Manor House
(2004-01-13) McClure, Jill Cathleen; Kelly, Brian; Gabrielli, Julie; Jeronimo, John; Architecture
The preservation of historic properties allows a specific time period to be captured, and a former lifestyle of those that lived upon the historic site to be conveyed and understood to a visitor of the site. Although, historic sites provide educational services to the community, they often, have financial challenges. The upkeep and restoration of a historic site is costly and often the demanding budget can not be met by visitor ticket sales. In order to give vitality to a historic property, it must be understood that a site has to consider new uses or additional buildings in order to survive. Kiplin Hall, located in North Yorkshire, England, is facing many of these challenges. This thesis proposes the addition of contemporary buildings to Kiplin Hall in order to help it continue as a historic amenity as well as offering new and additional services to the North Yorkshire community. The addition of new buildings and the restoration of gardens to the site will help support the original building of Kiplin Hall. These additions will help educate the visitor not only about the lifestyle and history of the families that lived at Kiplin but also will provide them with other cultural opportunities such as landscape history, gardening, music concerts, and educational lectures.
MIXED INCOME HOUSING, A REVITALIZATION PROJECT IN MEDELLIN,COLOMBIA
(2004-01-14) de los Rios, Roberto M.; Bechhoefer, William; Francescato, Guido; Bennett, Ralph; Architecture
Settled in the Central branch of the Andes mountain chain, the city of Medellin (3 million inhabitants) has occupied most of the land available for urbanization. This pattern has led to the appropriation, use and development of topographically unstable slopes that often represent geological risks and little by little destroys one of the city's most valuable attributes: the beauty of its geographic location. In spite of the deterioration and the correspondent decline in the architectural landscape, downtown Medellin continues to be a vibrant market for both formal and informal commerce and services activities out of which numerous low-income families survive, not to mention its value as a historical urban setting where Medellin was founded and where the first commercial and governmental institutions shaped the city life. All this calls for an urban policy that creatively re-evaluates the growing possibilities of Medellin. Based on the frame summarized above, and following the basic guidelines of an existing partial plan for a deteriorated but historically valuable downtown area (area of intervention for this purpose), formulated by the Government of Medellin, I propose: First, to develop a schematic housing system that complies with the normative plan, critique it and decide whether it should be pursued or improved. Second, to design a mixed-income housing system that: Responds to the socio-economic characteristics of traditional inhabitants to the area while responding to the need for a functional mixture of housing, services and commercial activities. Help solve the existing housing deficit Connect the neighborhood to the urban fabric
Confluence Station: A Bicycle Station for Denver, Colorado
(2004-01-14) Leibman, Cynthia Denise; Hurtt, Steven W; Architecture
This thesis proposes a design for a community transit center which promotes the ideas of living and working downtown, the use of non-polluting transportation alternatives and living in harmony with the natural environment. The proposed facility will be located at the confluence of the South Platte River and the Cherry Creek, accessed by existing bicycle trails, and connected to the fabric of the city through local public transportation systems. The building itself will primarily serve the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians, thus making commuting by bicycle a more viable and attractive option for more people. The building itself will be as sustainable as possible with the intention of creating an easily understood model of a building existing in harmony with its surroundings. The building will be designed with the intention of embodying the spirit of the place and celebrating the landscape, historical heritage, and prospects for the city's future.
A Touch of Rural in the City: Green Education for DC Youth
(2004-02-04) Channell, Cecily; Schumacher, Thomas; Architecture
This thesis project will design a small environmental education facility that provides alternative educational opportunities for students of D.C Public Schools through a program that teaches the history of agricultural life in this country, and the farm as a model of sustainability and environmental stewardship, this unique experience will offer these children rewarding hands-on lessons in personal and societal responsibility. I have chosen a site in Near Southeast Washington. This 3-acre site (now a parking lot) allows ample space for the program, which will include a series of vernacular buildings situated around a courtyard, that are clothed in an urban industrial/commercial hybrid façade.
Reclaiming the Annapolis Waterfront: Towards an Architecture of Place
(2004-02-17) Kautz, Ryan David; Schumacher, Thomas L; DuPuy, Karl; Francescato, Guido; Architecture
Title of Thesis: RECLAIMING THE ANNAPOLIS WATERFRONT: Towards an Architecture of Place Name of Degree Candidate: Ryan D. Kautz Degree and Year: Master of Architecture, 2003 Thesis Directed by: Thomas L. Schumacher, FAAR, Professor Annapolis, Maryland is one of the nation's most important historic cities, and the character of its historic core remains much as it did over two hundred years ago. Despite this fact, the most unique amenity that Annapolis offers has suffered from the effects of the automobile and poor planning. The Annapolis waterfront has been developed over the past fifty years as a series of poorly designed buildings and parking lots that take little advantage of their location adjacent to the water. For a city known as "America's Sailing Capital," the Annapolis waterfront does not live up to expectations. This thesis proposes to entirely redesign the Annapolis waterfront. A new Visitors Center will be a focal point in the City Dock area, providing a center for information, education, and entertainment. The new waterfront will also incorporate a hotel, retail, restaurants, offices, residential, and parking facilities, as well as landscaped parks and plazas. The challenge of this thesis is to explore how contemporary architecture can blend effortlessly into a vernacular context of fifty, one hundred, and two hundred year old buildings. The true measure of success in this endeavor is not in creating buildings that stand out as objects, but rather in creating modern buildings that seem to be as much a part of the background fabric as the historical context.
Design with Climate: A Retreat for Vieques, Puerto Rico
(2004-03-02) Rellihan, Sara Salazar; Gardner, Amy; Etlin, Richard; Bovill, Carl; Architecture
One of the main ideas this thesis pursues is the impact of climate on architecture. It involves the exploration of an architecture that is sensitive to the climatic particularities of its site and is able to create a passively comfortable environment for its inhabitants. The focus of the thesis has been the design of a retreat on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Of particular interest has been the study of 19th century plantation houses in Puerto Rico and their climatic adaptation to the region during a time when climate control mechanisms did not exist. The site is located on the former lands of the United States Navy, which, until May 2003, had occupied most of the island. Due largely to the presence of the Navy, much of Vieques has remained undeveloped. It is a "virgin" island with pristine beaches and a variety of flora and fauna that attract a fair number of tourists.
A Children's Hospice -- A Comprehensive Environment for Families Living through a Critical Time
(2004-03-03) Stokes, Lynn Riley; Kelly, Brian; Vann, Robert L; Weese, Melissa; Architecture
Hospice is a concept of caring a philosophy emphasizing quality rather than quantity of life. A residential hospice is a place where patients with terminal disease can go to live their last moments in a supportive environment. Currently, in the United States, there are no free-standing children's hospices in existence. This thesis proposes the Hospice as a feature to the Johns Hopkins campus in downtown Baltimore, Maryland. Johns Hopkins prides itself on its history of medical, philosophical innovation and unsurpassed medical talent. This site, with its urban, campus and residential neighborhood elements, will provide a rich dialog between building and site, boundaries and gateways. An ultimate goal of the Children's Hospice is to assist families in remaining intact, functional and capable of achieving the highest quality of life together in the midst of very extreme circumstances.

Browse

Browsing School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation by Issue Date

Results Per Page

Sort Options