Architecture Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2743
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Item The Contemporary Local Market: Creating a Network of Food Distribution(2017) Shanklin, Eli William; Lamprakos, Michele; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)During the United Nations’ 1996 World Food Summit, the concept of “food security” was defined as existing “when all people, at all times, have physical, [social] and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”. In the United States, the Department of Agriculture, measures food security on four levels—high, marginal, low and very low, with income and access as two of the major factors contributing to the problem of food insecurity. The country is dotted with hundreds, if not thousands, of food deserts—rural, suburban and urban census tracts—wherein the inhabitants do not have access to fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthy whole foods. Today, 1 in 7 households, which equates to approximately 17.5 million households, are estimated to be food insecure. This thesis seeks to address the problem of food insecurity by creating a community-supported agricultural prototype in which nutritious foods are made accessible to an underprivileged neighborhood while debunking the beliefs surrounding the practices, processes, and sourcing associated with food production and distribution (e.g. “Farm to Shelf”).Item Contemporary Spiritual Re|Image|ination: Relating the Traditions of the Episcopal Church to Modern Society(2015) Bennett, Patrice Michelle; Noonan, Peter; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)In the American colonial era, Anglicans associated with the Church of England founded parishes and built churches throughout the colonies. After the Revolutionary War, many of these Anglicans refused any sort of loyalty toward the Church of England, and thus established the Episcopal Church. Early churches were often central within individual settlements and central to the lives of its inhabitants. Over the centuries, however, the Episcopal Church has migrated to the peripheries of communities and has diminished in importance to much of the populace. Over the last decade membership in the Episcopal Church has decreased by nearly twenty percent, despite progressive attempts by church leadership to evolve with an ever-changing society. Utilizing the canon and customs of the Church as a guide, this thesis will explore how the Episcopal Church can respond and relate to a diverse contemporary society while maintaining its rich history and traditions so vital to its tenets, and explores what role innovative architectural thinking can play to support that evolution.Item VERTICAL COMMUNITIES; FUTURE LIVING FOR BALTIMORE'S INNER CORE(2011) Bilger, Paul Costello; Quiros, Luis D; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)How do we continue to densify our cities while providing a habitable environment for citizens to live and grow? With the increase in global population and the trend to move into cities, the urban core will have to be reinvented to accommodate this influx of people. My strategies for the future of the urban core include: first, vertical communities, which focus on equality and the sharing of resources to increase quality of life. Secondly, hybridization, which is the mixing of program designed to increase daily activity and to localize amenities. Thirdly, climate analysis, used to increase the performance and livability of the building. Lastly, context analysis, meant to place the building within the existing urban fabric without disrupting its continuity. This thesis envisions life in the city that provides a healthy living environment for all of its citizens to live and grow.Item RE-DESIGNING SUITLAND, MD AS A TOWN/GOVERNMENT/EDUCATION CENTER(2010) Ganginis, Amanda Rachel; Hurtt, Steven W; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This thesis explores an urban intervention in Suitland Maryland. Suitland is serviced by the green line of the Washington DC metro rail system, yet it has seen little to no development or increased density. The metro services a 230 acre Federal Center that houses government employees for different government organizations. The city outside the Federal Center has earned a negative reputation of crime and poverty; however, there are many assets within miles of the Suitland Metro stop that could inspire a new vision for this area of Prince George's County. A series of new public spaces will provide the opportunity for the residents, Federal employees, and visitors to come together. A community college will also be incorporated into the new urban plan. Physical, social, and economic connections between the Federal Center, the town, and the new college are likely to create a revitalized community in Suitland, Maryland.Item Urban Kibbutz: Integrating Vertical Farming and Collective Living in Jerusalem, Israel.(2010) Ankri, Daniel Scott; Ankri, Daniel S; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This thesis is predicated around the critical question: how do we feed an exponentially growing world population? With 80% of the world population living in an urban context by the year 2050, it is crucial for us to explore the architectural potential of what city living can be like in combination with urban farming. Using the social typology of a kibbutz as a vehicle for investigation, this thesis analyzes the Israeli version of agricultural co-housing. Parallel to this analysis is a study on the technique of urban agriculture which can be applied to the site in the horizontal and vertical dimensions. The site, located in the cultural center of Jerusalem, Israel, is an underdeveloped parking lot adjacent to the famous shuk (farmers market), home to hundreds of vendors competitively selling their produce. This thesis begins by researching and analyzing two different themes. The first theme focuses on various hydroponic techniques which would consist of a comprehensive study of the eco-design components of urban farming and its applications. The second theme will investigate the social characteristics of a kibbutz and how we can apply this collective community into an urban environment. The end result will be a synthesis of the two that will allow us to explore the potential of integrating collective living with urban agriculture. What would the product be like when people begin to take responsibility for the growing of their own food? Or when the separation between architecture and agriculture blends into a single entity?Item A Sensual Retreat From an Urban Landscape(2009) Cheung, Jason; Kim, Julie Ju-Youn; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The visual sense has been given predominance in many parts of experience in the Western culture. The commodity of visual images has resulted in architecture being critiqued primarily in the form of printed and digital media, designed with only one sense in mind. However, architecture is inescapably sensual by nature and building cannot be reduced as objects to depict abstract architectural ideas. The intent of this thesis explores the sensual experiences of space through a series of choreographed moments. The qualitative aspects of light, sound, materiality, and water are studied and cued within these moments to enrich our bodily dialogue with space. This sequence will occur in Downtown Silver Spring, MD where a proposed civic park and spa will induce a multi-sensorial experience while integrating architecture to its urban landscape.