UMD Theses and Dissertations

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/3

New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a given thesis/dissertation in DRUM.

More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Community Center

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Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Catalyst: Architecture for Change and Social Justice
    (2016) Joyce, Magalys Mercedes; Northen, Elijah L; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    In major cities today, there are neighborhoods that have been continually underserved and as a result are in decay. Private investors and developers turn to these particular neighborhoods, propose large developments that gentrify these areas, displacing communities and with them their social, political, and economic issues. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze South West, Baltimore, a community composed of 8 neighborhoods on the verge of being gentrified, by incoming development. Through investigating the key issues present in this community for many years, this thesis will attempt to develop a catalytic environment, which will facilitate change within the community by providing a place for its members to help tackle these issues, improving their circumstances, and the circumstances of the neighborhoods they form part of.
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    Reintegrating the Homeless Family
    (2013) Ng, Nicole; Ambrose, Michael; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This thesis explores the question: how can architecture reintegrate the homeless family back into the community? Shelters are stigmatized because they are often associated with crime, filth, and danger. The shelter should create an environment mutually beneficial to the homeless and the surrounding community; my project seeks to reintegrate the shelter into the city to facilitate healthier and stable lifestyles. This project delves into psychology and sociology; homelessness is a social issue affecting all groups of people. The shelter must instill a sense of stability and safety for families, as it is the first step towards rebuilding a steady life. Redesigning the shelter to serve the entire community allows new socialization patterns to be introduced that will aim to better support homeless families to expedite their transitional process out of homelessness.
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    Information Harbor: The Transformation of a Historic Chinese Village
    (2013) Zhao, Chen; Noonan, Peter Noonan; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    In modern-day China, policies have been enacted to foster stronger bonds between urban and rural areas in an attempt to bridge the gap in economic and informational inequality. Until now Chinese officials have made very little attempt to salvage decaying rural villages that still have value to society. As a response, how might one apply Critical Regionalist theory to an historic Chinese village and transform it from a bleak village into an energetic and educational tourist destination? Based on the research of traditional Chinese building culture and modern technology integration, a series of interventions are designed to address local dwellers' needs for contemporary information amenities in rural areas while also providing educational and recreational resources for city visitors and maximizing sustainability of the site. Baoshi Village has been chosen as a case study whose principles and strategies could also apply to the villages of similar size and situation throughout China.
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    Chinese-American Community Center: Expressing Community and Immigrant Identity
    (2012) Chen, Patricia; Gournay, Isabelle; Bennett, Ralph; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Monterey Park is a small suburban community, ten miles east of downtown Los Angeles, with a population of 60,269 residents. The largest percentage of Chinese immigrants in suburban America can currently be found in Monterey Park, California. Monterey Park has rightfully earned the title as "The First Suburban Chinatown" (Fong). It is the only city in America with a majority Asian population. Bounded by three major freeways, Monterey Park serves as the gateway to the San Gabriel Valley. Though a majority of the residents are of Asian descent, the community also consists of Caucasian, Hispanic, and African American residents. The goal of this thesis is to design a community center that will serve as a gathering space to bring the different populations together. The center will house public functions important for understanding Chinese culture. This will include a restaurant and teaching kitchen, theater, library, exhibit space, courtyard, garden, workshops, dance rooms and classrooms. The arrangement of these spaces, the choice of materials, and the expression of the façade reflect a unique Chinese-American style. This thesis explores the multi-faceted meanings of "identity" and how architecture can express the Chinese-American struggle to hold on to heritage while assimilating to a new culture.