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This project seeks to propose an ideal model for housing in a future where it is no longer feasible at a lower density. It identifies several characteristics of good housing, primarily: individual response to site, desirability, and sustainability, then applies them in the design of an apartment building on a specific site. The project also touches on questions of what makes a living space desirable, namely the preservation of the tenant's individuality and the fostering of community, each of which is examined and applied through the architecture. The project stresses that individuality is supported through a tenant's choice of living space and, therefore, that buildings following this model should not be identical copies, but rather unique responses to their own sites following the guiding principles of this project. It addition, as a secondary objective, the project explores the intricacies of mass timber construction and building code. Master of Architecture As the population rises and it becomes clearer that we can no longer afford to gobble up land for low density housing, our idea of what housing should be must also grow. It's inescapable that the future of housing involves refocusing on medium density apartments so that we can house more people on less land, but making that happen would involve a paradigm shift in what we consider the ideal housing condition. Convincing people to stay in apartment buildings instead of moving into a single-family house requires buildings that respond to their individual site, provide desirable apartments, respect the environment, and preserve the sense of community that is often found in low density developments. This project seeks to propose a model for the future of housing.

The poetics of an architecture of a moment is explored through design of a contemplative room (wherin the geometric transformation of a cubic base to a cone) demonstrates the rhythmn and proportion of the construction of the room and the relative motion of the sun in the space. The relationship of the sun rays on the walls of the room passing through a reflecting pool are shown using demonstrative and constructive means of descriptive geometry as both the design generator and poetic expression.The composition of the buildings reveals the play of light on form. Master of Architecture An exploration to understand the relationship of architecture and the material sensible world. The work seeks to reveal that through the tangible architectural strategies of form, structure, material and light, the intangible qualities of architecture are defined.

myth (n.) A traditional story which embodies a belief regarding some fact or phenomenon of experience, and in which often the forces of nature and of the soul are personified; a sacred narrative regarding a god, a hero, the origin of the world or of a people.2 A parable; An allegory. From the French word mythe (1818) and directly from Modern Latin mythus, which originated from ancient Greek mŷthos : "speech, thought, discourse, word, humour, conversation, story, saga, tale, anything delivered by word of mouth". Attested in English since 1830. Ever since I was a child, I have been fascinated with the fictional world of stories and the act of of storytelling. Always wide-eyed and excited, I remember the countless times that I have lost myself in the mythical worlds in stories. It is moments of sadness or of anxiety, but also of wonder, of ecstasy even, the experience of the beautiful under one or the other of its innumerable forms, the joy of love, of discovery, of happiness in that sense, that are most likely to remind us of our humanity. Hence, when I started my thesis about wanting to explore the design of a built space through the context of storytelling, I was confused. There were these three questions that hounded me at every turn : 1. What is a "place for storytelling"? Does the act of storytelling really exist within the confines of a particular "place"? 2. And if yes, do stories emerge from places? Or do places emerge from stories? What is the nature of the relationship between both? 3. And if places truly are born out of stories, is it possible to craft a journey through a built space akin to our journey through the mythical worlds of a storyteller? Master of Architecture What is a "place for storytelling"? Do stories emerge out of built spaces? Or do built spaces emerge out of stories? I had questions on the relevance of architecture in something as raw and primal as the act of storytelling. But what I did not anticipate was that, of all the many different things that I was exploring, the path that I was to actually take would lie in a children's book that I had never heard about before. It was pure serendipity that I chanced upon it, and later it changed my whole thesis in ways that I could not imagine. I realized that I needed not to find "answers" to questions; but rather enjoy this beautiful journey that I was on. The magic of storytelling cannot be shut within walls, but needs to grow outwards. Storytelling is as much about excitement as it is about contemplation. It is about remembering the child within us, and about taking a moment to stop and watch sunsets. It is about rituals and thresholds and gazing at stars. It is about shattering the layers and layers of "grown-up" ideas that we tightly wrap ourselves with. It was when I stopped looking for answers, that I could truly understand what is the nature of the built space that I was dreaming of. Rather than being a single elusive construct - it was an eclectic mix of many different experiences tied together into a journey, guided by a little boy with golden hair.

This thesis studies how light, as a spiritual and symbolic element, cannot only uplift the human condition but also evoke the spiritual. The result can cause one to know what is unknowable without the presence of light and make one aware of what was unknown to them, as well as, revealing what is greater than themselves. The objective is to explore and design spaces that progressively lift the eyes of the observer with natural lighting techniques. Natural light is used to create a better sense of physical and spiritual awareness. Master of Architecture This thesis studies how light, as a spiritual and symbolic element, cannot only uplift the human condition but also evoke the spiritual. The result reveals what is greater than themselves. The objective is to explore and design spaces that progressively lift the eyes of the observer with natural lighting techniques. Natural light is used to create a heightened sense of physical and spiritual awareness. Using light, one is led on a staged journey through a series of reflection spaces. This thesis explores how light can be the thing that provides revelation and a deeper understanding of not only one's self, but the world around them, as well as, things greater than themselves.

A living vehicle sets forth the ability for a lifestyle not of a static place, but as part of the interstate system built into the American landscape. A living vehicle provides the ability to craft a lifestyle around mobility, and will support the situation of living on the road for extended periods of time with many potential benefits over traditional travel. First and foremost, a living vehicle gives the individual the ability to travel large spans with relative ease. A living vehicle's architecture will also provide the interior environment that supports the necessities and tasks of daily life similar to a house. This enables the individual to complete tasks in their living vehicle, as they traditionally would in their house, with the options available in the living vehicle to self drive and wirelessly charge all while remaining on the road. Master of Architecture A living vehicle sets forth the ability for a lifestyle not of a static place, but as part of the interstate system built into the American landscape. A living vehicle provides the ability to craft a lifestyle around mobility, and will support the situation of living on the road for extended periods of time with many potential benefits over traditional travel. First and foremost, a living vehicle gives the individual the ability to travel large spans with relative ease. A living vehicle's architecture will also provide the interior environment that supports the necessities and tasks of daily life similar to a house. This enables the individual to complete tasks in their living vehicle, as they traditionally would in their house, with the options available in the living vehicle to self drive and wirelessly charge all while remaining on the road.

Walls are important elements in architecture design history. Walls have been used as barriers and as structural elements as well. The biggest scale of a wall is a city wall which can protect the whole city area as a fortification--boundary. Another scale is the wall around buildings, which can define a site, a landscape, and separate a building from its surroundings. At a smaller scale, walls divide spaces in buildings. From ancient times to modern times, the wall was developed into various shapes and functions with different kinds of materials. This thesis is a study of walls of different scales and their harmonious whole. I am very interested in the city walls of Nanjing, a famous Chinese old city very close to where I was born. These city walls were built more than 200 years ago. These old walls are combined with new walls to make a space for communication and a new public attraction for the city. People can see the walls, feel the walls and then know much about the walls and architectural space. Wall gallery, visitor center and cafe/gift shop are located in this wall garden that I call "Paradise Island". Master of Architecture

Nature, as the major consideration of the Organic Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, has constantly been favored as a path for a pure soul to communicate with the spiritual. Inspired by Wright's Organic Architecture and Traditional Chinese Garden, this thesis celebrates the beauty of Nature in Pandapas Pond, Giles County, VA, where a "Water Garden" is created on the open space defined by its water. Formally, the whole garden complex takes the inspiration from lotus flowers floating on the water, which could be thought of as an "organic system of architecture." Master of Architecture

This study focuses on the importance of the quality of space through the introduction of water and its influence on the human reactions. Each space we enter has the potential to create a lasting impression in our mind. In other words, a space evokes emotions and reveals the phenomenological nature of elements such as water. The nature of water is revealed as it is presented in different ways. Each water event seeks to be a catalyst for creating atmospheres for human experience. Master of Architecture

Function is the first priority of designing architecture. Function lets architectural space serve human body movement properly. Today, there are many sport centers( gyms) for people to choose. Most of the gyms are simply rooms with machines. Although their spaces can fulfill the basic demands of a workout gym (function), the function of gym design is not only to give people space to work out, but also to use the architectural space to improve exercise performance. As a bodybuilder and powerlifter for seven years, I have competed in bodybuilding. I am also planning to compete in powerlifting. So, I want to use my knowledge and experience of training to improve the exercise performance through design of the architectural space. Master of Architecture

The "Impetus of Locomotion" takes the implication of a force in which movement happens. This thesis takes this connotatively resonant idea in which movement is construed and creates a static definition of it in a building, in this case a high speed rail station - a literal translation of movement. Through design interventions of modes of transportation, wayfinding, and architectural form, the impetus of locomotion is defined. Master of Architecture Architectural movement is an abstract concept in which the way certain forms and spaces are shaped and/or arranged in such a way that creates or invokes a feeling of motion in the architecture itself while remaining static. The goal of this thesis is to achieve this principle in a fundamental way using those arrangements and forms. On the technical side of my project scope, I have researched and implemented the literal modes of movement which would culminate in one location. These concepts of both architectural and literal modes of movement come together in the form of an intramodal station in Houston, Texas.

What will you think of when talking about Cliffside? A dangerous place for valiant to challenge? Or an impressive view for tourists to visit? You probably will not think of a comfortable place for people to live in, not to mention a large community for a lot of people to spend their life together, right? And that is my thesis project, a community hanging aside of a Cliffside. It seems like people are unlike to live aside from a Cliffside, it could be dangerous, people may feel horrible, and there could be a lot of difficulties of moving up and down, but that's what makes it very interesting to overcome all these "impossible", to let people feel safe, feel comfortable and be willing to live in such an environment. Master of Architecture

In my thesis, I am trying to discover the beauty of proportion in architecture. I want to find the harmony and relationship between the elevation and interior spaces. After years of architectural learning, I always start a project from plan drawings. But it all finished by designing a facade which is completely separate from the interior space. The question of how to design an elevation has confused me. I believe the design of the elevation should be an integral part of the process of architectural design. Therefore, in this thesis, I made a series of studies about proportion in order to have a deeper understanding of the relationships between elements in architecture. the relationships between elements in architecture. Master of Architecture

This work seeks to explore the unmeasurable qualities of architecture that enrich the architectural experience, with a focus on the roles of light, sound, and memory as they interact with architecture in the making of that experience. Master of Architecture

Having grown up in a India, the importance of the courtyard was imbedded in the very essence of the understanding the architecture of a house.The project started of with the intention of designing a courtyard house, and eventually evolved to a house based on the principles of Indian building norms and cultures that have been cultivated for centuries. The fact that it is designed in the setting of Blacksburg, Virginia, these norms and cultural aspects were modified to suit the context of its surroundings. The projects resolves itself through details of practical elements that are romantisized by implementation of Indian building traditions and everyday rituals while the structural aspects of the house was made to reflect the local practices and methods. Master of Architecture

This thesis seeks to create an architectural response for learning spaces that gathers community. A school and community center are explored through the interaction at public and private zones, and day and night operation. The thesis develops a propositional response to the dualities through material, light, and scale. A particular focus within the study of light is the effort to minimize solar gains while improving daylight and view to the outside that is challenging in hot climates, such as in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Master of Architecture This thesis seeks to create an architectural response for learning spaces that gathers community. A school and community center are explored through the interaction at public and private zones, and day and night operation. The thesis develops a propositional response to the dualities through material, light, and scale. A particular focus within the study of light is the effort to minimize solar gains while improving daylight and view to the outside that is challenging in hot climates, such as in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

This thesis is an exploration of the ambiguous form. "Ambiguous" means having multiple interpretations. Usually, a figurative presentation will direct people to a particular thing. On the contrary, if familiarity is provided as the only way, people can find a deceptive scenario, and associate it with the corresponding space in his or her memory. This happens because the images stored in our minds are not very refined, especially the ones we see but do not remember deliberately. So we can say that the ambiguous form triggers our association and thinking. It could give us more affordance about architectural space. In addition, collage, an art of transforming fragments into a whole, is an essential approach for my thesis. The process involves disintegrating something first, analyzing it, then synthesizing the parts together. It is beautiful Master of Architecture

Architecture has been primarily ocularcentric for the last century. This thesis proposes a more sensible approach to architecture. A multisensory experience that gives the user a deeper response to the building. Architecture can activate and engage multiple senses through the revelation of nature such as: wind, light, and shadow. Architecture has the power to reveal the essence of nature and natural phenomena. It can also become a catalyst to help us understand nature and attain a deeper connection with it and ourselves. Through derived forms and attention to details, architects can capture the essence of nature without direct imitation. Architecture has always had the power to reveal. The architect must choose what is revealed. This thesis is an exploration into the idea of architecture as a revelation of nature in a specific climate, location, and context to allow the user to become more attuned to nature. Architecture can allow the users to explore and discover nature in a way that was previously ignored or overlooked, or perhaps it can reveal a phenomenon for the first time. Architecture can reveal nature through: orientation, material choices, form, function, openings, details, and spacing. Allowing natural phenomena to be a part of the design process creates a building attuned to nature. These revelations can occur with careful consideration to components, conditions, and details such as: wind, light, shadow, and structure. In order to achieve these, special consideration must be give to the tectonic and stereotomic construction. Master of Architecture

It is the house that has spaces above ground and spaces beneath the ground. The part above ground is separated into three volumes. The first space is for the owner to accompany with friends and family members, which is a significant part of one's life. The second space is the owner staying with close friends where they can work and design together. The third space is only for the owner where he can sleep, read and relax. Sometimes, the owner feels depressed, he prefers to run away from sadness like a child. Thus, I design a series of spaces for the owner to get away like a child. He can take a journey to get rid of sorrow by going through the underground spaces. The journey of the owner, created by a series of experiencing spaces underneath, starts from the third space. The owner will travel spaces containing different lights, sounds, and views. The owner can stop by during the journey to experience the spaces. He will gradually forget sadness and sorrow by the pleasure created by various experience. The owner will hear echoes when he sings in the spaces and will notice the sound of his footsteps and will view different scenes from various light tubes. Finally, the owner will reach a destination; it is a tower without a roof. He can experience starry night, rain, sunshine and so forth. He eventually reaches a place near nature, which is still one part of The House. Master of Architecture

Urbanization is the process of limitless expansion of that which is urban, the built essentials that constitutes a civilization, beyond the limits of what can be recognized as the city. Infrastructure is the method by which urbanization is possible. Certain infrastructure has created residual spaces where urbanization does not occur. There is an opportunity for architecture to employ elements of the specific city as well as elements of the local urbanized area as a means to separate from and confront the infrastructural and urban conditions surrounding these residual sites. Master of Architecture

This thesis is an investigation of architectural intervention; specifically a question: "How does one mediate the old through the intervention of the new?" By using methods of dissection, one is able to deconstruct the layers of a historic situation and identify key elements of the old in an effort to provoke a dialog with elements of the new. The historic artifact, in this case an abandoned distillery warehouse, held the essential material conditions of a stereotomic mass and a tectonic frame. Through the introduction of a new program, a brewery, a third architectural condition, the parasitic, was deployed to reveal a new synthesized whole. Master of Architecture

This thesis explores how a place can be made within a tidal marsh; a place where people can stay and experience being in the marsh. The experience should be able to be en- joyed at any time, day or night, good weather and bad. For this a shelter, a built form, is needed. This built form should have permanence. It is the constant that the ever-moving marsh registers against. Master of Architecture

The primitive hut, which is regarded as the initial model of architecture, came from humans' desire to survive and be sheltered from the severe weather outside. Architecture lays its root in practical use but when mankind thrives and begins to flourish, the practical use is no longer the only objective architecture needs to fulfill. My thesis is an exploration of processing architectural design when the practical program becomes the minor factor. The architect's inner pursuit for aesthetic satisfaction becomes the major motive in my thesis. Instead of a project that has an end, I consider my thesis as a continuing research of recording daily inspirations. Inspirations come from memories and could stimulate creations. Different architectural moments that come from my inspirations are pictured in this project in the aim of inspiring other people. I am exploring my own identity as a person who studies architecture. Master of Architecture

The special condition in the Anchorage, Alaska draws my attention when I traveled to this place. The downtown area is in the far north of the city, it is an interesting point to develop the lifestyle and living condition for the people stay in the northern city. My thesis starts from the research on the surrounding areas and determines what function of the building suits the site the best. Besides, the shape of the building has some extensions and elevations in order to emphasize the connection between the building and the surrounding spaces. Whats more, the design of the square and the interior parking space are based on the research of the special weather condition in the Anchorage, Alaska. Throughout the various stages of the design, the final project has the steel structure for the primary structural system and metal perforated board for the elevation to balance the huge body of the building. The feature of the project's function and programmatic needs are based on the connections between the site and the surroundings. Master of Architecture

Material is a common denominator between acoustics and architecture. The most basic building blocks of material are the elements: Earth, Water, Air (and Fire). Water is explored as an acoustic reflector, air as an escape path for sound, and earth as diffusor/absorber/reflector. This exploration of work dives into how acoustics can inspire architecture from the start. The thesis used two design projects to test the ideas: The San Francisco House of Music and The Boston Elemental Theater. Through this work I found the two interrelated fields can work together, and find a process and direction of design that raises the level of both disciplines. Master of Architecture

This thesis explores alternate typologies for a coastal promenade park in the town of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. The proposal acts as a link between the town, the park and the coastal edge. The coastal promenade park is created as a connector, defined mostly by the concrete walls that resemble the coastal edge. The concrete walls are used as connecting and defining elements of this entities. Master of Architecture

Color is both physical and perceptual. We see color, we feel color, and we dream of color. For the color study, I constructed the perspective drawings of the house as graphic compositions with no materiality. The application of primary colors to the drawings transformed the walls, ceiling, and floor into colored planes, which are common elements of concrete painting and pure Euclidean space, as explored by de Stijl and Rietveld through the medium of architecture. Aesthetic pleasure, following on my own judgment, is the final determining intention.Design of a house situated on an Appalachian cliff overlooking a lake 100 feet below. The program is intended to suit a young couple with the desire to escape urban life. Master of Architecture

Town planning and political interaction of citizens are the main factors that affect civilizations on the most basic level. My study comes from an understanding of a need for a society to develop politically active citizens that are ascetic in nature, less they wish for a more despotic government. This study makes an attempt at understanding the basic elements that make civic structure of a city at the scale of a block. These elements are broken down into: Site, Boundary, Axis, Residence, Commerce, and Civic. The major focus being on Civic and the engagement of making a virtuous citizen through the study of the self and the formal decisions that make the Architecture. Civic structure comes after the forming of the city and its managerial needs, so before civic can reside within a city other formal decisions must be made to create structure for the greater need of the civilization. I will attempt to layout the structure needed and my projection of this structure and the preceding Civic Life that comes from this architectural study. Master of Architecture

The rose window is a bridge between heaven and earth, a spiritual encounter, and an expression from within to allow the love of joy. Ornament and beauty are the adoration of light. Layers of composition and layers of light allow form to follow feeling through the structural repetition and thought of light as a material itself. Master of Architecture

This thesis is an exploration of the historical, societal, and individual as well as material factors that contribute to the constructing of space, and in particular, sacred space. With the idea that the making of sacred space is simultaneously a material construct and a construct of the mind, both postures were considered and studied throughout the research and design process of the thesis. Master of Architecture

This is an exploration beginning with memory of growing up in and exploring a forest surrounding my childhood home. This environment encompassed overwhelming scale and comforting intimacy, with a small intervention that related them. My thesis attempts to extract memory from growing up in the woods and create mediating, complimentary built interventions in a hypothetical world of meaning. It is an exercise in creating for others by extracting from personal memory and identifying personal sensibilities. With abstract spatial drawings, architecture's possible influence is understood at a slower pace. Through layered colored pencil drawings, my work attempts to depict human influence and its enhancement on the natural world surrounding it. Master of Architecture

This thesis is an investigation of a tower known only from the ancient works of a discoverer. The discoverer, who holds witness to the wondrous composition of the monument, documents the tower through illustrative and literary terms as a record of the findings for the reader. Master of Architecture

This thesis studies the use of stained glass as a building material and how it can enhance the visual presence of light, materiality and space in a building interior. Lighting, color, and texture were integral paths of study which culminated in a stained glass installation at the concrete Cube at the Research + Design Facility in Blacksburg, Virginia. The resulting space becomes a room that reveals a dimension of architectural space not rarely studied or thought about when designing, revealing the way light continually shapes and defines a space throughout the seasons and time of day. The goal of the installation is to highlight ordinary conditions of light and space in a new light through color intervention of the interior. Master of Architecture

Getting old involves a lot of changes in life. Family and social relations change and mobility can decrease. These variations require new settings, and of course special care. A nursing home is a place dedicated to help with this situation. Sometimes nursing homes can be perceived as mere institutions by society, and even by future residents. Inside, senior citizens are suppose to spend the rest of their lives doing the same activities day after day. How can we improve these days? Architecture can help. This project deals with architectural design of a nursing home located in an open green area in Blacksburg, Virginia. The project's focus is in creating a home that is related to its surroundings and the proximity to nature. Also deals with all the complexity of this kind of program, but tries to create a homely feeling, and an architectural environment that can adapt to the resident's physical and mental condition over time. Master of Architecture

Excitement is rumbling through the city just waiting for the grand opening. A fresh new face has been added to the streetscape of downtown Roanoke. A new branch library and baseball stadium is set to open soon. The site is near the edge of downtown Roanoke, Virginia at the intersection of Jefferson St. and Elm Ave. All the construction is complete and cleared away. Residents and employees all around Roanoke are eager for a new baseball season to start up. Those especially eager are downtown employees, who have just a short walk from work to the stadium. The new stadium has created a buzz from all the downtown businesses looking forward to the influx of people this summer, not to mention the amount of jobs the stadium will provide residents of Roanoke. Fans will be treated to a great event and will be fully entertained. The mountains far away create a beautiful backdrop for all. With baseball games becoming more and more of a social event and atmosphere, this stadium’s seating exhibits a new socially driven design while still mixing in the simplicity of the traditional seating style. The new branch library sits atop the stadium having its own autonomous nature while also blending in with the stadium form. It has its own specific entrance designed only for library use. Its grand entrance reaches out from the brick stadium wall signifying its special use. The library is one long floor filled with book stacks, personal reading spaces, large group meeting rooms, and computers. Views outward toward the baseball field and overlooking the Roanoke area provide a peaceful spot for all to sit back and enjoy a good read. At night, the large rooms are rentable for parties on game nights allowing for a private feel while still getting the great atmosphere of the game. Master of Architecture

Pro bono work has always appealed to me. The prospect of being able to help those less fortunate with my knowledge and skillset is uplifting and gratifying. There is something truly rewarding about taking the architectural knowledge and training I have received and finding a solution to a problem for a nonprofit or a group of people that could not easily afford to hire someone. It gives me the opportunity to explore creative solutions with a low budget while still making something beautiful and thoughtful, that not only provides the spaces needed but also adds the detailing and uniqueness that gives the place and its users a sense of pride and pleasure. This thesis seeks to present the programmatic needs, local building materials and resources, a study in efficient building, the local needs and customs, and ways to improve people's lives with an orphanage in Savanette, Haiti. The goal is to explore the fundamental needs of an orphanage and a school in a developing country and develop strategies to address these needs. A successful orphanage needs to provide comfortable housing but also a sense of safety and security, a loving environment where orphans can grow and heal, a self-sustaining community that can care for the facility, and a means to train and educate orphans for adulthood and the working world. Since education is such a central need for an orphanage, and since schools are limited in Haiti, it only made sense to open this up to children in the surrounding area as well. The purpose of this thesis is to develop an architectural language of building components that can be utilized to answer the programmatic needs of the orphanage and school. This system creates the overall structural layout and is intended to be an easily constructible and expandable model while providing good design that is culturally sensitive. Master of Architecture

This thesis is a study of creating the first-ever camera museum by using unique building forms and structural elements, as well as water and light features. Additionally, throughout this thesis project, I would like to celebrate the Canon franchise with all the camera enthusiasts and express my personal appreciation to Canon camera who has always been a companion in my entire architecture journey. The building site, shape and location allow a discovery of the building elements and shape consequently while participating in the building visit. From far beyond, the building can be seen as a simple sculpture piece as an iconic gateway of this Canon Park. While approaching and pursuing the passage into the museum, building shape and components start to build the experience more than just a museum. Different lighting conditions, vertical and horizontal circulation methods, building form and structure are used to direct not only the journey of Canon camera, but also an experiment of my own architectural language. Master of Architecture

This thesis confronts the ultimate limits of perceiving the constructed world and the limits of our ability to experience architecture. The imperative of architecture is poetic: to and project encounters between matter and energy that shape the existing and bring forth the as yet unimagined to form a continuing human world. This is explored through the imagining of a habitat and vessel that projects the human endeavor of architecture into the formless depth of space. In drawing the physical from the void, the page becomes a way to move architecture from non-existence into the real by means of the imagination. An imagined wold is drawn from the void in search of the center for a universal and humanist architecture. The thesis is conceived as a vehicle for drawing the limits of perception when we attempt to imagine that which is greater than ourselves. Master of Architecture

Like Art, Architecture has the potential to impact people. Art is often considered the process of consciously arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. Architecture can also be described similarly. However, the key difference between Art and Architecture is that while Art is pure personal expression, Architecture carries with it a certain accountability towards its immediate context and inhabitants. While a painting begins and ends on a canvas, Architecture cannot stop at a whim; it must transform from imagination to tangible reality. This process brings with it, a set of constraints imposed by structural, climatic, socio-economic aspects, construction methodologies and material properties, amongst others. These constraints call for fine-tuning of the design. The sophistication and elegance used to handle these constraints differentiate a "building" that poses as a mere visual sculpture in isolation, from "architecture" that evolves as a response to its context and people. Matthew Frederick (2007) says, "being genuinely creative requires something different from conventional, authoritarian control; a loose velvet tether". The "velvet tether" possibly represents the constraints that need to be navigated through, during the realization of the project. The central focus of this thesis is to explore how to address some of those constraints, through the design of a school campus for students of music and dance. The program includes practice, rehearsal and classroom spaces for music and dance, administrative spaces and a library. Themes explored as part of the design development process include architectural form, materiality and detailing. Master of Architecture

This is a memorial to gold mining in Southeast Alaska. The structure takes visitors from the Treadwell trail onto the edge of a popular local beach, reclaiming a forgotten place that was once the largest gold mine in the world. A tangible tribute to this obscure period of history, this building kindles a connection between artifacts and the community. It is a liminal space, connecting ocean and mountain, past and present, civilization and wilderness. An investigation of the Treadwell Gold Mining complex influenced its form and function. Its foundation is two deep concrete footings that achieve stability in the loose tidal flat sand. Its building assembly is a result of model studies to understand the connections between the central wall, roof, and floor. This is the end result of a desire to build a meaningful place in Alaska. Master of Architecture

This book contains the design for a vacation house. This house is situated on the south facing slope of Lone Mountain in Gallatin County, Montana and receives heavy snowfall each year. This project was primarily explored through model making and focused on the relationship of different materials to one another and the spaces those materials can create. The contrast between concrete and wood best shows the dynamic use of materials in the house. The final design of the house evolved through the way different elements and materials responded and interacted with one another. Master of Architecture

a bridge bridges. we build bridges so that we may overcome a perceived break in the continuity of our movement and wonder. the bridge intercedes in order to make a way towards something; beyond a limit, river, border, or mountain. it physically connects that which is perceived as separated. what is special about a bridge are the many relationships that are illuminated and created by the finished work. towards this end, the architect manipulates the bridge's form and space to render the prevailing relationships of a bridge and its landscape. he works to cultivate the landscape in order to unite the disparate entities present, just as the bridge unites one place with another. through precise and thoughtful compositions, he frames views to capture the beauty of the form he makes, the water it crosses, the earth it springs from and the sky it marvels at. the architect gives us eyes to see the landscape as it ought to be seen. Master of Architecture

This project is a celebration. Inspired by time spent in Baltimore, this thesis examines how standardized elements can be utilized to create Architecture and make astute, functional, contextually sensitive, and pleasurable design accessible for all. With the heavy, stuccoed buildings of New Orleans as precedent, the Neutral Grounds Market utilizes CMUs for both practical and aesthetic purposes. Drawing from a rich lineage of structural polychromy and through knitting CMUs together into a subtle pattern, the building speaks to its colorful context, despite the lack of CMU structures in the area. Weaving ethics and aesthetics, the site sits within a Food Desert and this thesis begins at the seam of three neighborhoods - Freret, Milan, and Uptown. Block by block varies tremendously within these neighborhoods, and the static images of both the opulence and desolation of New Orleans becomes clear here. Aiming to bring not only fresh food into the neighborhood, but to work realistically within the diverse backgrounds of the residents’ lives, the program integrates a Farmer’s Market with a Grocery Store so fresh food will constantly be available and can meet the needs of all the citizens. In addressing context as a matter of both the material, built environment and the personal, human milieu this thesis addresses the economic and the emotional as a pair, realizing the importance of each. This integrated program creates a new civic space which will bolster the vibrant growth already begun on Freret St. and throughout the neighborhoods. This project is a celebration. Master of Architecture This project is a celebration. Inspired by time spent in Baltimore, this thesis examines how standardized elements can be utilized to create Architecture and make astute, functional, contextually sensitive, and pleasurable design accessible for all.

Perhaps the quintessential project for an architect is the design of a house. This thesis takes the approach of designing a house by way of a unique construction method. Influenced by the strickbau, or woven wood, method of stacking timber most commonly seen in the Swiss chalet, the project explores materials and details to address the limitations of the strickbau method of construction. The centerpiece of the project is a robust model, which acts as an analogue to the actual construction method. Master of Architecture

This research explores the new tradition of creating mass murder memorials in the United States at the turn of the twenty-first century. Using written and oral history sources in combination with memorial designs, I explore the planning processes undertaken by five different communities: Virginia Tech, Columbine, University of Texas, Oklahoma City and Edmond, OK. I analyze what these case studies reveal about how changing cultural expectations and political needs transformed commemorative practices concerning violence in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. By exposing how the timely interventions of national figures increasingly shaped local commemorative aspirations, my research illuminates how the brief period of national unity in the immediate aftermath has been discursively and materially foregrounded as the heart of national public memory narratives of mass murder. I argue that at the turn of the twenty-first century the memory of victims of mass murders"assuming something akin to the role that fallen soldiers have played for the bulk of American history"are now viewed by a range of political, religious and cultural actors as a highly effective means of bolstering perceptions of local, organizational and national unity. This project contributes to the interdisciplinary literature on commemoration in three ways. First, I challenge the literature on memorials built in the immediate aftermath of violence and tragedy by illustrating how these memory sites are increasingly but the first stage of the material culture of public memory. Second, my theory of a ritualized assemblage develops the existing literature by forwarding a concept well suited to analyze the relationship of between seemingly disparate memory sites. Lastly, the rhetoric of what I call the Myth of the Slaughtered Citizen contributes to the literature on nationalism and commemoration by explaining how the victims of mass murder were culturally substituted into the commemorative role traditionally held by fallen soldiers to promote a sense of local and national unity. Ph. D.

The project is located in the Teton Valley of Idaho, sited on the eastern slope of the Big Hole Mountains oriented toward the western face of the Teton Mountain Range. The program is a vacation house for a young family of four to be used throughout the year. Themes covered in the project include issues of topography, site conditions, and landscape; the harnessing of a powerful context and views; water management specific to the site; architectural expressive form and scale; circulation; and materiality. The site and its conditions, including slope, vegetation, sun orientation, wind direction, drainage patterns, and views, were the driving forces behind most of the design decisions made for the project. Circulation on and off the site, how one moves throughout the house, location of the program elements, placement and size of windows to capture views, and material selection were all inextricably tied to the physical nature of the site and its environment. The project is documented with diagrams, line drawings, perspective renderings and model photographs to illustrate the thesis. Master of Architecture

This thesis is an investigation into the construction of ephemeral phenomena through material means and at multiple scales. Studies utilized abstract methods that are not immediately relatable to the scale of occupable architecture but at the same time convey inhabitability. These investigations informed the design of an art gallery for Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the town of Blacksburg, Virginia. Master of Architecture

The house at 45 King St. in Charleston, South Carolina is more than a home. It is a story of the home. A story told through history, through a vision exhibited in architectural drawings, and through the social heritage closest to my heart. 45 King is a story for the South; the story of its grandeur, its climate, its natural beauty, its hospitality, its comfort, and its veils. It is a story that was told yesterday and one that is still told today. Like an oral history, the telling of it may change over time. The story changes as people change. The economy changes, the land develops, technology rolls ahead, and the story which was informed by a heritage of living history begins to take a modern form. 45 King is today's story of the Southern home. Master of Architecture

What is a Cultural Collage? It is what is happening in Jordan today; different people from different backgrounds come to one piece of land looking for any refuge and hope. I wanted to create a building for this phenomenon. This is a building where people could come to and meet at to drink coffee and smoke hookah and share their stories. The characters that played the role in the Surrealist Movement in Paris in the 20s were my inspiration to design this building. The Artists came together in a time of war. The first World War was in action and yet, they met at a small coffee shop in Paris to discuss what they felt like discussing and at the end of the day an art movement was born. Storytelling. In these small rooms, the meeting rooms, or even the coffee house on the first level, people meet. As they order their coffee and move into the next room they can sit and socialize, tell stories and make art. As they move up to the next level the spaces become bigger and more open. The whole building starts telling a story. Master of Architecture

This thesis grew from a curiosity to understand monumentality, form, and design in a project that is rooted in constructional development. The program is a city hall in Rockville, Maryland, in the spirit of a basilica. A city hall should act as a room for the city. This is a place for public matters to be debated, people to meet others, events to be celebrated, and ideas to be discussed. Master of Architecture

A house composed of two bedrooms and two bathrooms sits in a landscape of towering pine trees, lush orange groves, and tall grasses. Approaching from the west, a stepped lava tock garden wall protects the terraces of gravel and grass that bound and hold the concrete walls of the house. Within these wall an architectural game of turning, pushing, pulling, and shifting begging to play out; found in the shadows of a corner, in the depths of a break, in the repetition of a joint. Master of Architecture