School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation
Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/1607
The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations.
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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 CREATING A WEAVING URBANISM FOR THE WEAVERS WHO WEAVE FOR LIVELIHOOD(2019) Dobariya, Mohit Ramniklal; Vandergoot, Jana Kristina; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This thesis proposes that the holistic traditions and ancient way of life of weavers in the village of Sualkuchi, Assam, India are a forward-thinking model for sustainable urbanism. And will explore strategies to revitalize the traditional weaving heritage of a village (Sualkuchi, Assam, India) by providing a more robust platform to generate economic opportunities. The approach chosen for the benefit of the weavers’ community by taking inspirations from the past and implementing in the future, thus increasing potential. It is an institution within itself which benefits the entire complex as one unified whole. This handloom center, informal and accommodating of the weavers’ language is an interactive platform for the welfare of the weavers’ community, and for understanding of the entire country. The main objective of the project is to promote the development and sustainability of the traditional textiles and its products by creating a handloom element for the weavers of the country with proper civic arrangements and functions. It is an attempt to preserve the rich heritage of the textiles of India and save it from the clutches of extinction.Item Our Wild: Architecture Catalyzing Ecological Revitalization of the Potomac(2018) Morris, Jake Sharlin; Williams, Brittany; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)As the global environment becomes increasingly unstable, our role in the ecosystem has become more critical than ever. By becoming stewards of the environment we can ensure a healthy world for future generations of humans and wildlife alike. This thesis will focus on the Potomac River ecosystem and how a center for conservation and wildlife rehabilitation can engage and educate the public with the ecosystem they rely upon so heavily. Architecture defines our physical environment yet its influence is not bound to humanity, rather it has a defining role and impact on the greater ecosystem. Developing a design that works to remediate its site while simultaneously instilling a sense of environmental empathy on a communal scale can successfully begin the imperative process of revitalizing the Potomac River.Item Public Dyeworks: The Eco-Industry and Hydrology of the Chicago River's South Branch(2017) Chorosevic, Jennifer Ann; Vandergoot, Jana K; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This thesis seeks to redefine our relationship to the natural landscape by challenging our perceptions of what industry is. The goal of this thesis is to break down the processes of mass-production and make them part of local and accessible processes that better serve and engage nearby communities. Through the program of an eco-industrial textile facility, this thesis demonstrates how architecture can serve as a primary means to reconnecting people, industry, and nature by revealing and celebrating human activities as an integral part of natural cycles and systems.Item Ecotourism and Architecture: the Intertwining of Ecology, Culture, and Economy(2015) Sciolli-Claverie, Vittorio Stefano; Eisenbach, Ronit; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The town of Orbetello, located near the ancient port of Cosa in Tuscany, has, for many years, benefited from the seasonal influx of domestic tourism. However, uneven expansion in the town’s industrial sector, as well as seasonal overuse of the land’s natural resources, has negatively impacted the lagoon and its delicate ecosystem. Most recently, in the summer of 2015, over two hundred tons of fish were lost overnight due to increasing temperatures, lack of oxygen, and most likely, poor water-interchange between the lagoon and the Tyrrhenian . The continuous loss of this precious ecological and economic asset is, of course, devastating for an economy so reliant on its harvest. With these extremely delicate natural, economic, and historical conditions, the need for responsive design becomes increasingly important. The focus of this thesis will be on the urban and architectural design interventions that could aid the Orbetello region, through the reclaiming of local ecology, reuse of historic structures, and linking of urban zones in the downtown area. This document will serve as a study on how the models of pescatourism and ecotourism can be applied to the fishing industry, both as a regenerative tools, and as an economic devices.Item Designing for Water: Case Studies in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed(2011) Wilson, Allison Marie; Simon, Madlen; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The built environment negatively affects the water cycle, introducing chemicals and nutrients into the system, impacting the ability of plant, fish, and animal species to survive. Stretching from New York to Virginia, the 64,000 square miles of the Chesapeake Bay watershed includes housing, commerce, and industry for 16.6 million people. While architecture is typically designed to shed precipitation away from buildings, it is not typically designed for the on-site retention and management of that rain, snow, and sleet. Exploring the possibilities of ecoregion-specific environments illustrates the best practices for rainwater harvesting and storm water management across the varied landscapes of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. By using technologies such as cisterns, green roofs, and constructed wetlands, the built environment can be designed to decrease our need for expensive water purifying infrastructure and preserve the health of fragile estuary ecosystems such as the Chesapeake Bay.