Architecture Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2743
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Item CONSTRUYENDO GUATEMALA Tradition & Technology: Living in a 21st Century Latin American City(2024) Velasquez, Deisy Noemi; Bell, Matthew MB; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)In Guatemala, 21.5% of the population is living in extreme poverty. Poverty is a leading factor in poor-conditioned housing and a high percentage of children not attending primary school. This thesis focuses on constructing communities in Guatemala using innovative solutions and sustainable materials. Mass timber construction is an energy-efficient alternative material that is changing the built environment due to its sustainability, biophilic design, construction process, and economic development. This thesis focuses on exploring timber technology in an earthquake-prone region by learning, understanding, and embracing place with new technology that can sustain the future.Item Sustainable Living: Integrating Climate Adaptation in Bangkok's Informal Settlements(2024) Pipatpongsa, Ploy; Kim, Taejun; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This thesis intends to demonstrate how the largest urban vulnerable communities in Thailand, using the case of At Narong in Khlong Toei, an informal settlement of over 30,000 residents who rent lands adjacent to the Port Authority of Thailand (PAT) in Bangkok. The PAT plans to evict the slum dwellers and develop the land, posing a severe threat to their lives and livelihoods. The thesis a multifaceted design framework that leverages social assets to enhance community resilience and inclusivity, particularly among vulnerable populations. The site location in PAT presents an opportunity to relocate informal settlements in the Lock 1-2-3 and 70 Rai communities, proposing multipurpose wetlands that serve as flood control, recreation areas and a market plaza that encourage social interaction and community cohesion.Item Cooperative Aging: Reimagining Multigenerational Housing to Support Aging in Place(2024) O'Grady, Reilly Jeanne; Filler, Ken; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Multi-generational housing is an ancient solution to a modern problem. The idea of living in a home with others to share in the workload, responsibilities, and security of the whole has been around since humans first constructed shelters. In modern times, however, we have lost this sense of community and resulting support. A majority of the population is facing elderly age and changing physical and mental requirements. The world is not prepared to care for and house such a large group of elders, especially the United States. Many people, young and old, are forced to move and seek assistance outside of their known and grown homes. Aging in place is the ability to remain in your home or community safely, independently, and comfortably regardless of age, income, or ability level. Multi-generational housing proposes a solution where adaptive unit design, focus on shared spaces, and slow circulation can create a community that grows and changes with its residents. By creating social engagement in an age of isolation, future growth and connection can be inspired in the greater community.Item BEYOND LABELS: BUILDING INTEGRATED COMMUNITIES FOR COGNITIVE ACCESSIBILITY(2024) LaQuey, Madison Amanda; Bennett, Ralph; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This project aims to create a tailored community for the mentally handicapped. This project will emphasize connectivity, creating a network of spaces to promote mental well-being and social interactions within the community. This planned community would create a living space where the community could live, learn, work, and enjoy outdoor spaces. The architecture will prioritize innovative and adaptable designs that cater to the specific needs of the mentally handicapped. Housing will offer flexibility to accommodate diverse needs and ensuring a supportive living environment. Emphasizing independence while maintaining a focus on safety. The incorporation of communal living spaces fosters a sense of community and shared responsibility, contributing to a holistic support system. The planned community incorporates vocational training centers and employment hubs specifically designed to cater to the unique abilities and challenges of this population. These spaces aim to create a supportive work environment that promotes skill development, independence, and a sense of purpose, contributing to the overall inclusion of mentally handicapped individuals in the workforce.Item Marley's Resurrection: Reimagining an Anne Arundel County Community Hub(2024) Sanabia, Rafael Christopher; Cross, Marcus; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Shopping malls over the course of American history have served as key hubs for visitors (either local or distant) to shop, dine, and be entertained. Though many malls have evolved with time and society through the incorporation of modern architectural elements and consumer needs/amenities, several shopping malls have faced significant declines. The rise of online shopping, fast fashion, high maintenance costs, lack of modern consumer/community amenities/needs, and outdated environments are some of prevalent reasons that have caused these retail centers to fall victim to abandonment, neglect, continual ownership change, and financial issues– ultimately becoming “dead”. Exhibited distinctly by Marley Station Mall in Glen Burnie, Maryland, this historic community hub in Anne Arundel County is now an outdated, low tenant and visitor occupancy building that no longer serves its community efficiently. This thesis will explore the redevelopment of this historic dead mall site into a new, sustainable community hub that meets its community’s needs and supports the county’s general development plan, Plan2040 that will positively impact the future.Item The Nexus: Healthy Student Living at the Library(2024) Riffle, Brianna; Simon, Madlen; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)With nearly 80% of students in the United States consistently experiencing moderate to high levels of stress and a significant proportion attributing stress to poor academic performance, there is a clear imperative to explore innovative design solutions. Drawing on the field of neuroarchitecture, this thesis investigates how architectural design can positively influence the physical, psychological, emotional, and social experiences of university users. This thesis addresses the pressing need for university libraries and student housing that better support student well-being and learning capabilities. Neuroarchitecture, a field that integrates neuroscience, environmental psychology, and architecture, speaks to the psychological effects that a building’s design decisions can have on the user’s experience of the space. One main contributor to a positive experience within a building includes the use of biophilic design principles. This offers a unique opportunity to study the neurological effects and prominent biophilic principles that create a calming, rejuvenating, inspirational, and focus-inducing space. This thesis will apply strategies derived from neuroarchitecture principles to the design of university libraries.Item Medford, Oregon | Community Resilience in a Time of Change(2024) Bowers, Jessica Jane; Matthews, Georgeanne; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)In recent years, like many places around the globe, Medford, Oregon and the surrounding areas have been severely impacted by events such as the Covid-19 pandemic which caused severe illness and economic hardship for countless families in the region. At the same time, the Almeda Drive and Obenchain fires of 2020 destroyed thousands of homes and left over 4,000 people displaced. The purpose of this thesis is to develop a plan for a revitalized community hub within a greater spatial network based around the Rogue Valley Shopping Center and the Bear Creek Greenway of Medford, Oregon. This place is intended to add another layer of sustainability and support to this community through the creation of programmed public space for finding peace, play, connection, and joy, while also connecting other supportive spaces within the community.Item Razing the Bar: Coastal Resilience and Community Cohesion through Ecological Design(2024) Nivison, Erin Hamilton; Kelly, Brian; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Separated by iron fences, dense trees and drastic changes in elevation, two seemingly close communities are divided by economic greed, a lack of urban planning and community engagement. Over the last two decades the shoreline along National Harbor, Maryland has transformed from abandoned plantation land to a revitalized urban center. Now home to the MGM Casino, Gaylord Convention Center, Tanger Outlet Malls, the iconic Capital Wheel, and million-dollar townhouses, National Harbor’s master plan has been realized into a dense economic hub. While it has grown extensively, it lacks connectivity to the surrounding suburbs of Fort Washington on a multitude of scales. On a macro scale, it is one of the few suburbs of DC that isn’t serviced by a metro line and on a micro scale it lacks porosity to neighboring developments. Iron fences aren’t the only issue Fort Washington is facing, with the continued effects of climate change, sea levels are expected to rise an additional two feet by 2100 and commercial and residential developments will be put at risk. While the Potomac River is finally showing signs of improvement after half a century of pollution from sewage, agricultural runoff and sediment runoff, how can we protect both the natural and built environments harmoniously?Item Untangling the Sea of Trees: An Architectural Analysis of the Impact of the Built Environment on Suicide Rates in Japan(2024) Richmond, Addison R.; Noonan, Peter V.; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Resulting in over 30,000 mortalities every year, suicide ranks as the number one cause of death for young adults in Japan. Extreme stress at work, Stigma surrounding mental health, and congested urban conditions cause hundreds to see the Aokigahara Suicide Forest as their only option. With its increased notoriety as the second most visited suicide location in the world, how can we utilize biophilic design, traditional Japanese construction methods, and Zen Buddhist philosophies to reduce work stress, and prevent depression, and help individuals untangle the sea of trees?Item LIFE AFTER DIAGNOSIS: REIMAGINING WELLNESS FOR CANCER PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES(2024) Grabill, Hannah; Williams, Joseph; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world. Not only are these patients and their families dealing with the devastating news of their illness, but they also need to think about how they are going to afford it. The cost of medical bills, chemo treatments, mental health appointments, and housing (if they plan to stay home or relocate to be closer to a hospital) can be a large burden to take on at once. The main question that drives this thesis is, how can architecture and design elements be utilized to create a calming and therapeutic environment within housing and a community center to support the mental wellbeing of cancer patients? There are many foundations that have started designing these healing spaces through housing and community center designs, for example, Gilda’s Club, Maggie's Centers and the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge. By using these foundations as precedents, this thesis can gain some inspiration on key architectural elements that can benefit the overall wellbeing of cancer patients while battling their illness. The complex life of battling cancer leads to high levels of depression and anxiety due to feeling isolated and out of control of their situation. This thesis aims to restore independence to patients and to move away from the typical sterile hospital design being the only place for patients to heal.