Theses and Dissertations from UMD
Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2
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 give thesis/dissertation in DRUM
More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.
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Item From the Solar Decathlon to Sustainable Communities(2018) Courtney, Christopher; Rockcastle, Garth; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This thesis explores the potential to use the fundamental elements of UMD’s decathlon submission, and transform it into scalable, modular, fully customizable, and sustainable houses for the Native Tribes, including Apache reservation in Bylas, Arizona. The thesis summarizes the various prototypes and possible arrangements of a solar home, but first lays out significant precedent analysis for sustainable solar communities to form a strong baseline of rich context. The history and culture of the resilient nomadic Apache tribe is then analyzed in order to better understand what is and is not appropriate design-wise for this culture. It explores options, a decision-matrix using a smartphone application, and layouts using the courtyard, compact and cluster arrangements. It concludes with sample houses and building designs that would be in the community.Item Dwelling Beyond: Sustainable Design On Mars(2016) Raimond, Austin Martin; Binder, Mike; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)In 1620, over the course of 66 days, 102 passengers called the Mayflower their home before arriving and settling in Plymouth, New England. In the years following the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 nearly 7 million people traversed extreme wilderness in covered wagons to found and settle the American West. This year, 2015, the first spaceport has opened in anticipation of sub orbital space flights in 2017 and manned settlement flights to mars by 2026. This thesis explores the questions: In this next phase of human exploration and settlement, what does it mean to dwell beyond earth? What are the current architectural limitations regarding structure and material sustainability? And, How can architecture elevate the traditionally sterile environments of survival shelters to that of permanent dwellings?Item Sustainable Placemaking: Restoring the Vitality of Underutilized Infrastructure(2013) Taylor, Michael David; Bovill, Carl; Simon, Madlen; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)A city experiences natural manipulation through time as the demographics, economy, technology, and industry evolve. As a result, formally prominent sites and buildings become neglected. This thesis explores a model of sustainable placemaking that adaptively reuses currently underutilized infrastructure to sponsor a restored definition of place for a community. I will illustrate how a small town has the opportunity to inform the larger society that living in a self-sustaining localized environment is achievable. The model of sustainable placemaking is illustrated through a case study in Frederick, Maryland. This historically sensitive, yet progressive, city offers exemplary circumstances of how a modest sized town, attentive to preserving its historical heritage, can incorporate sustainability. My study focuses on a blighted area, adjacent to a newly developed pedestrian creek front, to demonstrate how the City of Frederick can revitalize its sense of place with the sustainable redevelopment of existing underutilized infrastructure.Item The Building Skin as a Connecting Medium: A Case Study in Tehran(2010) Afshar, Mercedes K.; Rockcastle, Garth C; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This thesis will investigate ways in which the building facade can contribute to the city by having the ability to transform and embed within itself functions that go beyond the necessities of the buildings' primary purposes. The buildings' facade therefore will serve as a medium to shelter and initiate different activities and functions such as: circulation, access, view, assembly, growth, as well as communication. This transitory zone, consequently will serve as an organizing urban structural system that can be applied to any public building(s) in order to activate a two-dimensional layer of the building exterior through the means of giving it a third dimension. While being an addition this system seeks to reduce existing issues and to enhance the social and practical necessities pertaining to both the individual building as well as the chosen site. The selected site for this structure is a square in Tehran, the capitol city of Iran. Although the skin system is designed to be applicable to any building at any public realm, Tajrish Square will serve as the exemplary location for its application. Being culturally rich, and socially valuable, the site chosen for this investigation will demonstrate the adaptive use of the building system being proposedItem Adaptive Reuse of the Seaholm Power Plant: Uniting Historic Preservation and Sustainable Practices(2011) Meltzer, Emily Dana; Rockcastle, Garth; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Current historic preservation regulations and sustainability systems rarely overlap for a common goal. Historic properties have many inherently sustainable qualities, none of which are capitalized upon by either regulatory body. As sustainability becomes more essential in our modern world, these two industries must come together. This thesis will study how these two may unite to utilize best practices in reusing historic structures. After studying current sustainability and historic preservation frameworks, a set of values that, when present, formulate holistic sustainability, were created. These values, broken in to economic, environmental and cultural benefits come together for an innovative and education design. Based on these values, a new Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standard for Historic Properties was created, including a new Social Justice category. These theories were then tested in an adaptive reuse design project for the historic Seaholm Power Plant in Austin, TX.Item Sustainable Town Center: Wheaton, Maryland(2008) Ramos, Cesar Enrique; Schumacher, Thomas L.; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Population and automobile dependency are growing at a fast rate. This proliferation brings side problems, such as sprawl, shrinking of natural green areas, traffic, and air pollution. Bringing people back to the cities and relying on public transportation becomes important to solve or reduce some of these problems. Wheaton, Maryland, has the potential to become a better place. This thesis proposes the implementation of a sustainable mixed-use complex to revitalize the Wheaton town center. The town center seeks to provide a sense of community and to improve the social, economical, and cultural image of the individual and indeed of the larger community. Multiple family housing is the major component of this mixed income community that has access to various types of outdoor spaces which encourages interaction. The important uses, in addition to housing, of this mixed use community include office space, retail, and community services, such as a day care, a new mid county community center, and a police sub-station. This program affords the community the possibility to live, work, entertain, and shop within a pedestrian-friendly environment.