Architecture

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End date: 2019Subject: search.filters.subject.Urban planning

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    Access to the City: Physical, Economic, Social, Inclusion
    (2019) ramos, Adan Jose; Kelly, Brian P; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    ABSTRACT Urban Renewal Highways built following the National Highway Act of 1956 perpetuate a culture of inequity and segregation by acting as socio economic dividers in many postindustrial American cities of the Great Migration. In the Post-Great Recession Real Estate Boom communities disconnected by these highways have received little to no investment, while communities in desirable locations have faced displacement. Southwest Baltimore, Maryland embodies the former. Separated from the heart of Baltimore by Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard the neighborhood has made modest strides in recovering from urban exodus and institutional racism involved in home loans, red lining, and block busting following World War II. As cities revitalize, now is a critical point in history to improve connectivity across Urban Renewal infrastructure and provide access to improved quality of life in communities like Southwest Baltimore, while maintaining affordability and existing culture. To maintain these physical dividers in place is an endorsement of divisive urbanism and subsequent inequitable culture.
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    Social Enterprise Development: A preventative approach to homelessness and displacement in Point Breeze, Philadelphia
    (2019) Huntington, Cassandra Aaryn; Gabrielli, Julie; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Social enterprise development focuses on creating economic value to help solve social problems. This thesis tests the viability of this concept by creating a mixed-use, mixed-income property in a low-income neighborhood in South Philadelphia. A profit-sharing financial model is used to support both affordable housing and transitional housing for homeless adolescents. The thesis uses biophilic design principles and values to explore architecture’s role in healing from adolescent trauma and preventing future health issues. This thesis presents a preventative solution to social issues rather than a reactive solution. Prevention of chronic homelessness and prevention of displacement are key to addressing social injustice and help break cycles of poverty in low-income communities. This thesis exemplifies architecture’s ability to provide equal access to both housing and services to help the most vulnerable members of society and help them become self-sufficient and contributing members of the community.
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    URBAN DISCONNECT: URBAN COHOUSING AS SOLUTION TO SOCIAL ISOLATION
    (2018) Johnson-Williams, Malik-Jon E; Simon, Madlen; Lung-Amam, Willow; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    More than ever, Americans are experiencing the negative effects of infrequent social interaction and thinning social networks. However, the ‘loneliness epidemic’ is only one part of a greater issue facing the nation: the steady decline of community within America. The rise of social disconnection among Americans is further evidence that today’s communities can no longer be considered socially sustainable. Beginning with a literature review of social disconnection and social capital theory, this thesis will analyze social factors’ effect on individual and community health. Next, an analysis of alternative community models will be used to identify architectural strategies for promoting social interaction. Using the factors identified in both the literature review and precedent studies, a set of design guidelines for community development will be created. These guidelines for development will then be used to design a new urban community in the redeveloping business district in Wheaton, Maryland
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    Critical Juncture: Revitalizing Baltimore's Penn Station with MagLev
    (2017) Alli, Sarah Roetzel; Tilghman, James W; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This thesis seeks to examine what happens when a purposeful intervention is made at Baltimore’s Penn Station, an intervention that accommodates Mag-Lev Rail as part of the Northeast Corridor. With an augmented and fully integrated mass transit system, Penn Station can become an important economic node for the city and the Greater Baltimore Region. The expansion of the station and the design of the surrounding plazas can revitalize the urban fabric and make Penn Station a destination unto itself.
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    Druid Hill Park: The Next 150 Years
    (2016) Mundroff, Lili; Bell, Matthew J; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    As architects, planners and citizens embrace sustainability and preservation at an urban scale for improved social conditions and interactions, they begin to re-evaluate the urban fabric: building, infrastructure and open space to inform the dialogue. This thesis seeks to explore and re-evaluate the potential of the urban public park: edge, access, program, and interaction with neighboring community to preserve and sustain itself, to positively affect the larger city. An ideal case study for this evaluation is Druid Hill Park in Baltimore, the third oldest urban public park in the nation. In this park, issues of surrounding neighborhood crime and infrastructure disinvestment, along with historic structure and park edge erosion can be examined. An evaluation of their interdependence with proposal to connect urban fabric to park and vice-versa will protect the future park: a more accessible, inclusive and well-preserved place for active and passive recreation and catalyst for a vital neighborhood.
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    HANDMADE | CHINESE VILLAGE CULTURE AND CRAFTS IN DAKOU, CHINA
    (2017) Li, Boyu; Hurtt, Steven W; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Many villagers pursue a better life in cities nowadays due to urbanism in China, leaving their village home with farmland and seniors. Tourism is a double-edged sword. It salvages these villages economically but ignores the value of tradition and crafts. To protect and promote village traditions and financially benefit local people, architecture can establish a theme where people learn about craft-making and celebrate craft-related tradition. A craft-focused cultural center can be a first step towards rejuvenating the villages. It can also elevate the significance of crafts as intellectual property. This thesis will focus on how architecture treated as a craft can interpret the spirit of craftsmanship, encourage learning through hands and practice and eventually celebrate authentic Yellow River basin village life and northern Chinese traditional architecture.
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    SAFETY THROUGH COMMUNITY IN HIGH SCHOOLS
    (2016) Sein Win, May La Pyeit; Binder, Michal; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    “Safety through Community in High Schools” started out as the result of a long-time fascination with the educational system in the United States and the contradictions that exist within it. One such contradiction is the attempted inclusion of the greater community within the physical realm of the school—through the allowed use of an auditorium, for example—while simultaneously advocating for physical barriers and checkpoints which foster an air of distrust. Another contradiction on a smaller scale relates to a premise that students function best when exposed to natural sunlight. However, the need for security—elevated by the increase of mass shootings—has influenced many public schools to build with small windows, which restrict natural light and often make for an oppressive environment. This thesis aims to bring forth a design which arises out of thoughtful explorations of such contradictions between community, security, and stimulating learning environment.
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    Designing Happiness: Architecture and urban design for joy and well-being
    (2016) Habtour, Rebecca; Simon, Madlen; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Scientific studies exploring the environmental and experiential elements that help boost human happiness have become a significant and expanding body of work. Some urban designers, architects and planners are looking to apply this knowledge through policy decisions and design, but there is a great deal of room for further study and exploration. This paper looks at definitions of happiness and happiness measurements used in research. The paper goes on to introduce six environmental factors identified in a literature review that have design implications relating to happiness: Nature, Light, Surprise, Access, Identity, and Sociality. Architectural precedents are examined and design strategies are proposed for each factor, which are then applied to a test case site and building in Baltimore, Maryland. It is anticipated that these factors and strategies will be useful to architects, urban designers and planners as they endeavor to design positive user experiences and set city shaping policy.
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    School Development in Urbanizing Areas
    (2016) Rai, Pranjali; Bennett, Ralph; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Good schools are essential for building thriving urban areas. They are important for preparing the future human resource and directly contribute to social and economic development of a place. They not only act as magnets for prospective residents, but also are necessary for retaining current population. As public infrastructure, schools mirror their neighborhood. “Their location, design and physical condition are important determinants of neighborhood quality, regional growth and change, and quality of life.”2 They impact housing development and utility requirements among many things. Hence, planning for schools along with other infrastructure in an area is essential. Schools are very challenging to plan, especially in urbanizing areas with changing demographic dynamics, where the development market and housing development can shift drastically a number of times. In such places projecting the future school enrollments is very difficult and in case of large population influx, school development can be unable to catch up with population growth which results in overcrowding. Typical is the case of Arlington County VA. In the past two decades the County has changed dramatically from a collection of bedroom communities in Washington DC Metro Region to a thriving urban area. Its metro accessible urban corridors are among most desired locations for development in the region. However, converting single family neighborhoods into high density areas has put a lot of pressure on its school facilities and has resulted in overcrowded schools. Its public school enrollment has grown by 19% from 2009 to 2014.3 While the percentage of population under 5 years age has increased in last 10 years, those in the 5-19 age group have decreased4. Hence, there is more pressure on the elementary school facilities than others in the County. Design-wise, elementary schools, due to their size, can be imagined as a community component. There are a number of strategies that can be used to develop elementary school in urbanizing areas as a part of the neighborhood. Experimenting with space planning and building on partnership and mixed-use opportunities can help produce better designs for new schools in future. This thesis is an attempt to develop elementary school models for urbanizing areas of Arlington County. The school models will be designed keeping in mind the shifting nature of population and resulting student enrollments in these areas. They will also aim to be efficient and sustainable, and lead to the next generation design for elementary school education. The overall purpose of the project is to address barriers to elementary school development in urbanizing areas through creative design and planning strategies. To test above mentioned ideas, the Joint-Use School typology of housing +school design has been identified for elementary school development in urbanizing areas in this thesis project. The development is based on the Arlington Public School’s Program guidelines (catering to 600 students). The site selected for this project is Clarendon West (part of Red Top Cab Properties) in Clarendon, Arlington County VA.
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    A Transformative Olympic Village: The Washington 2024 Post-Games Legacy
    (2016) Schroeder, Evan` Michael; Tilghman, James; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This thesis explores the Modern Olympic Games to strategically design an Olympic Village for Washington D.C. that plans not just to house athletes, but to provide a vision for the post-Games city. Through discovery of the spirit and meaning behind one of the world’s biggest events and analysis of various post-Games Villages, the proposed Olympic Village will innovate the future of Washington D.C.’s Southeast region. Study of existing mixed-use architecture, urban planning, and adaptation will help formulate an Olympic Village design. It is the intention that the Olympic Village, much like its athletes, will emulate the Olympic motto “Citius, Altius, Fortius,” meaning “Faster, Higher, Stronger.” The objective is to establish a village that allows for a faster turnaround in post-Olympic design, utilizes higher standards, and uses stronger applications to building a more sustainable city.