Climate Change Awareness Through Design

Abstract

This thesis seeks to explore how architectural design can raise awareness about climate change. Climate change is becoming ever more apparent in today’s world, most recently evident by the mass flooding in Texas by Hurricane Harvey. The world as we know it, and all the living creatures that inhabit it, will soon have to face its fate if humans do not alter their unsustainable way of life. However, statistics show that only 40% of Americans believe that climate change will harm them personally and therefore, do not see climate change as a concern. Climate change is an issue of unsustainability, but it is also an issue of public awareness. This thesis explores how architecture can raise awareness about climate change through a monument, polar bear habitat, and a museum and will be strengthen by its location on the National Mall in Washington D.C.