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Title: EL CABAÑAL, A SUSTAINABLE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
Creator: Peris, Blanca
Date: 2013, 2013-07
Description: Every generation builds its own city in terms of the social, economic, technological and cultural conditions of its time. We have the...
Show moreEvery generation builds its own city in terms of the social, economic, technological and cultural conditions of its time. We have the opportunity to put forward a new model of urban development that responds to the new conditions of habitability for the start of the 21st century. The fact is that we no longer live in a compact metropolis, but in a discontinuous metapolis, an extensive territory criss-crossed by road and rail transport routes and occupied by kernels of population, logistics centers, industry parks and shopping and leisure centers around which people (local, national and foreign) move according to their needs. In this situation it is as necessary to propose strategies for the renewal and compaction of the urban centers as for the integration and protection of the elements that constitute the natural and geographical landscape of our environment. The challenge of constructing a new neighborhood on the boundary between the city of Valencia, in Spain, and it’s orchard (the famous ‘Huerta’) will enable to explore this open and dynamic new hybrid condition of the territory and to propose a new model for the construction of the urban fringes. I would like to address the challenge of integrating the landscape that surrounds the city of Valencia, the landscape we have inherited from our ancestors. To do this it is necessary to reformulate the very concepts of urbanism with which traditionally is operated in the city. The word 'urbanism' was coined by Ildefons Cerdà to designate the science of urban growth, a process based on the implanting of a rational grid, superposed on an agricultural layout, in which the owners of a plot of agricultural x land had transferred to them the ownership of a plot of urban land eligible for development. It is this principle that has informed and overseen the urban expansions of the 19th century and the modern city of the 20th, the typically North American low-density city and the historical revivalism of the end of the last century. But the challenge facing urbanism now is to manage to make the city grow, integrating into our developments the anthropological and cultural elements of the landscape that surrounds us - constructing and conserving are accomplished in the same act. As against the old city-country dichotomy I now propose to bring about an intelligent transition between these two formerly antagonistic modes of dwelling, an integration that lets us recognize the social and cultural value of -in this case- the landscape of the Huerta of Valencia and incorporate it into the urban fabric by means of appropriate management strategies. Given an increasingly uniform global society, we need to recognize the specific cultural and landscape values of each territory as fundamental to the quality of life of the people who live there and to reaffirm a distinct identity that can provide a competitive advantage. Because of this, in contrast to the town planning of the 20th century, conceived on the basis of the speed of the car, I would like to propose a new model of 'urban-agricultural' development that guarantees the creation of a high-quality local environment. More than designing a city, I would like to create habitable environments that effectively resolve the different factors that give people the assurance habitability at different scales: the neighborhood, the landscape and the home.
M.S. in Architecture, July 2013
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Title: Biophilic Calumet: Final Poster 34x44
Creator: Meder, Robert
Date: 2010-07-29

Title: Nibakure Children's Village School: Final Presentation Board
Creator: May, Bryan
Date: 2010-07-13

Title: Washington Park Center for Improvisational Music: Kellen White_FINAL 34x44 BOARD_01
Creator: White, Kellen
Date: 2010-07-30

Title: Hostile Spaces and Hostel Spaces: Re-Visioning Highway Infrastructure: Kevin_Smith Final Thesis Board 01-of-03
Creator: Smith, Kevin
Date: 2010-07-30

Title: Aeroponic Agriculture in Chicago
Creator: Maceachen, Charles
Date: 2010-07-29

Title: RE-POSITIONING THE CHICAGO BOULEVARD SYSTEM: TOWARDS THE DEFINITION OF AN ACTIVE URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE
Creator: Vadacca, Anna
Date: 2016, 2016-05
Description: How can urban infrastructures be reinterpreted based on their social potential? The thesis discusses the value that infrastructures can have...
Show moreHow can urban infrastructures be reinterpreted based on their social potential? The thesis discusses the value that infrastructures can have in relation to mobility and quality of life, in the context of the urban project, and proposes an example of how underutilized spaces, that pertains to an outdated model of the city, can be re-configured as adaptable and dynamic infrastructures. The Boulevard System of Chicago emerged during the process of “beautification” that the “City Beautiful” movement fostered in the 19th century. From being the “Emerald Necklace”, as it was known, the Boulevard System became today a fragmented infrastructure that mirrors the socio-economic segregation of Chicago neighborhoods. Within the archipelago of different urban realities of the city, the Boulevard System represents today an under-utilized urban space that reinforces the already existing urban thresholds between different urban communities. The goal of the research is to re-think the Boulevard System as a new transportation corridor, able to interact with other urban systems. The proposal for the boulevards is part of an Infrastructure Plan for Chicago that aims to propose ways inwhich different actions on infrastructure can revitalize the City. The idea is to re-activate the boulevard through a series of interventions, articulated around the re-connection of the fragmented system, as a new “ring” infrastructure, and the engagement with the surrounding specificities. The proposed Bus Rapid Transit system should offer an experience through the parks in Chicago and support its reactivation through the promotion of activities and events. Furthermore, the creation of a hub around the Garfield Green Line station is meant to propose a more engaging transit experience around the city of Chicago.
M.S. in Architecture, May 2016
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Title: Bike Chicago
Creator: Moore, Matt
Date: 2010-07-29

Title: COMPUTATIONAL MODELS OF TRANSPARENT WATER STORAGE ENVELOPES FOR ENERGY EFFICIENT COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS
Creator: Liu, Xiangfeng
Date: 2012-04-25, 2012-05
Description: Transparent Water Storage Envelopes (TWSEs) are climatic adaptive fenestration systems. The major part of the system is an array of modular...
Show moreTransparent Water Storage Envelopes (TWSEs) are climatic adaptive fenestration systems. The major part of the system is an array of modular transparent water containers which are integrated into frames of curtain walls, and serve as both façade and auxiliary water tanks for a commercial building. The concept originates from the idea of combing transparency with dynamic benefits of thermal mass in summer, as well as passive solar heating in winter. Optical and thermal characteristics of TWSEs, including their energy performance, have been studied systematically via numerical approaches. Two numerical procedures covered in the thesis: one is based on the simplified synchronized onedimensional nodal thermal model, and the other is based on the more complex and accurate synchronized CFD model. In each numerical procedure, a triple-step simulation methodology and the correlated computational models of TWSEs are employed. Based on the calculation and simulation results, it can be definitely concluded that TWSEs are energy efficient fenestration systems. They can outperform conventional glazing as long as being designed elaborately with the consideration of the unique physical characteristics, applied under suitable climatic conditions, and operated with appropriate energy efficiency measures. Furthermore, the innovative technical paradigm of TWSEs and the numerical approach developed for energy simulation of TWSEs demonstrate great potential to be implemented in engineering practice for energy efficient commercial buildings.
Ph.D. in Architecture, May 2012
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Title: LAKESHORE CITY: A PROPOSAL FOR SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
Creator: Karpuzi, Isida
Date: 2013-04-25, 2013-05
Description: After the collapse of the steel industry, the US Steel South Works plant left behind a vacant 600-acre area of lakefront land and thousands of...
Show moreAfter the collapse of the steel industry, the US Steel South Works plant left behind a vacant 600-acre area of lakefront land and thousands of unemployed workers that had inhabited the adjacent neighborhood of South Chicago. This thesis proposes the revitalization of this abandoned area through the development of a new community called Lakeshore City. The design of the new city is informed by the social and economic issues that have kept South Chicago in a poor condition since the closing of the mill and it is based on the solutions to those issues. Through adding diversified program, enhancing connectivity, and encouraging human interaction, Lakeshore City attempts to create a contemporary and socially sustainable living environment that can bring new prosperity to its surrounding neighborhood.
M.S. in Architecture, May 2013
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Title: 'BUILDING' SKINS: EVALUATION OF THE DESIGN PROCESS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENT GLASS FAÇADES
Creator: Muro, Maria Palencia
Date: 2011-05-09, 2011-05
Description: The main significance of this Thesis is reinforcing the importance of validating the design decisions for glass façades in order to improve...
Show moreThe main significance of this Thesis is reinforcing the importance of validating the design decisions for glass façades in order to improve their energy performance and achieve an optimum interior space comfort without compromising its ability to adapt to future needs. Since the influence of glass façades in energy consumption is widely known and proved, and environmental and user needs change with time, this research encourages the evaluation of glass-wall designs in order to ensure high performing building envelopes. The research consists of three main parts. First, in relation to glass façade design there has been an analysis of glass components and its effects, an identification of the façade requirements, and a study of the technology behind the glass enclosure. Second, there has been a numerical evaluation of different glass-wall systems; glazing types, window-towall ratio and screening devices have been simulated for heating, cooling and lighting loads using TRNSYSlite, and COMFEN respectively. The combination of these results along with the study of the SHGC, U-value, Tvis, incident solar radiation and energy transmission and conduction, has concluded in a catalogue of glass-wall systems suitable for each orientation. Third, the numerical results have been applied in the design of a glass enclosure for an existing building in Chicago. The overall results of this research provide criteria to design a residential glass enclosure in Chicago that can improve its performance today, and can also be adapted to meet future space and environmental needs. Hopefully, architects will be encouraged to numerically evaluate their design intentions to obtain energy efficient and adaptable glass-wall designs.
M.S. in Architecture, May 2011
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Title: NEW SUSTAINABLE CITY IN MACEDONIA
Creator: Dubrovski, Filip
Date: 2012-11-14, 2012-12
Description: Blessed with the unique power of limited understanding, for centuries human supremacy stood as the universal rule for success and progress....
Show moreBlessed with the unique power of limited understanding, for centuries human supremacy stood as the universal rule for success and progress. With this organized human dominance, present humankind challenged the once unapproachable frontiers of the planet climate equilibrium. For some it is Mother Nature’s perpetual behavior, for others the point of self-destruction. With only a minimum effort given to understand its power and relevance, the human ignorance continued to consume the values of commodity and comfort to achieve an illusion of happiness and self-achievement. Until about five years ago, this illusion created the world’s greatest financial crisis that until today still has no resolution. Addressing the present environmental, social and economic issues by designing a sustainable city becomes a daunting challenge. Given the global unfavorable urban conditions, it is somewhat difficult to understand how the city, man greatest achievement, can also be comprehended as a redemption. Nevertheless, the only certainty of the evolution pattern of civilization is that global population increases will additionally worsens these conditions. Unlike in the past centuries when population increases favored the rich and well established, these patterns now occur in rural regions of undeveloped societies that begin to grow swiftly but without the infrastructure to meet the demand. Additionally disadvantaging are the patterns of intensive sprawl of the mega metropolis which are now captives of the amplifying cost of energy and the congestion of transportation. Therefore, it is an imperative to visualize the New City with its predetermined scale as the most efficient sustainable smart tool to mitigate the xi consequences of these undesirable patterns that are causing social and environmental destruction. The project for a New Sustainable City in Macedonia is an approach that envisions multidisciplinary contributions to society, environment and the economy. Its purpose is to present the best example of a new civilized relation between natural and artificial environment. The design implements values of the walkable and community based transportation methods, multiple socially interactive public squares and elevated residence living. It aims to protect the natural environment and mitigate ecological threats due to climate changes.
M.S. in Architecture, December 2012
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Title: INTEGRATION OF DAYLIGHT IN THE COMMERCIALLY USED BUILDINGS FOR ENERGY SAVING PURPOSES
Creator: Tabibzadeh, Meysam
Date: 2014, 2014-07
Description: The integration between different building systems’ operation in response to various room and weather conditions has a direct positive effect...
Show moreThe integration between different building systems’ operation in response to various room and weather conditions has a direct positive effect on buildings energy performance and cost effectiveness. A Building Automation System (BAS) or an integrated Building Energy Management System (BEMS) typically control five major building systems, including people occupancy detection, shading control, HVAC, and lighting systems. Other building systems and internal energy loads also need to be considered when developing integrated controls and energy efficiency in office buildings. The controls are designed to operate in different building zones (lighting and thermal), while communicating with the main building management system. Whether the zone is being occupied or not will define further actions by other control components. The main goal of this research is to improve energy performance in commercial office buildings by developing the integration between various building controls and the use of natural light indoors and outside views while maintaining both the occupants’ visual and thermal comfort and high building energy performance at the same time. In this research, the proposed synchronization between building occupancy, daylighting, and integrated controls for various building systems in a commercial office space was assessed using computer simulations. The study uses Microsoft Excel as the primary database and result compiling platform. The work flow algorithm of the integrated control (in Visual Basic Application for Excel) automatically defines the new simulation criteria, makes adjustments in the simulation inputs, and runs DOE2.2 energy simulations for the proposed models with integrated controls as well as the baseline model (compliant with the ASHRAE 90.1-2010 standard) for further analysis. The simulations are conducted for eight simulation dates over five years. The results from the proposed model are analyzed and compared with the baseline results in order to evaluate its energy performance and to determine possible savings. The simulation results analysis determines how the implementation of the proposed system can improve the daylighting and energy performance in the building by maximizing the integration between different building systems controls in response to different parameters, such as occupancy, weather conditions, and daylight. The evaluated results of the proposed system are summarized as the system and sub-system algorithms, features, and components of each system, and, finally, as the design guidelines for implementation of the new fully integrated controls for commercial office buildings. From the evaluation of the proposed system performance, the list of research outcomes and deliverables will be concluded, by determining the impact of integrated controls on the overall energy performance of the office work space. The fact that if and when the energy efficiency and improved comfort and environmental quality work hand in hand, in addition to and the role of integrated occupancy in improving the energy efficiency will define the level of success for the proposed control system. The final research outcome is the development of the integrated workflow that can be used in new Building Automation Systems (BAS) or incorporated into the simulation engine for “Simulation Assisted” (see section 2.2.2) Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS).
Ph.D. in Architecture, July 2014
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Title: THE POLYMORPHIC DIAGRAM: CONCEPTS FOR DESIGN TECHNOLOGY TO MODEL SPATIAL CRITERIA IN ARCHITECTURE DESIGN
Creator: Hamadah, Qutaibah
Date: 2012-11-03, 2012-12
Description: In Architectural design, reasoning about space and its configuration lies at the center of the conceptual design workflow. The process unfolds...
Show moreIn Architectural design, reasoning about space and its configuration lies at the center of the conceptual design workflow. The process unfolds in a reflective and adaptive modeling methodology, through which architects structure their understanding of the design problem, and mediate its responsive and sensitive resolution. Paradoxically, however, modeling and representing spatial information – knowledge about the design problem’s spatial requirements and its relational orders – is perhaps the least welldeveloped feature in modern design systems. With all its importance in architecture design, existing design technology offers only limited assistance to one of architecture’s most critical and difficult design workflows, the definition of space, its layout and configuration. Moving forward, modern design systems must extend their ability to assist the architect in modeling spatial and relational design criteria. They must profit an integrated workflow where the problem definition, and the solution proposition develop in unison. In particular, it should pay heed to the architect’s cognitive and generative parameters, which necessarily relies on an adaptively and reflective modeling workflow, one that bridges between the problem definition and its solution proposition using multiple forms of representation. Towards this end, this dissertation presents the Polymorphic Diagram: a concept for a design technology to assist the architect in modeling spatial and relational design criteria using an interactive, graph-based, multi-representational medium.
PH.D in Architecture, December 2012
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Title: FROM FIREPLACE TO STEAM: DOMESTIC HEATING TECHNOLOGY IN NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES, 1840-1890
Creator: Morais, Caroline
Date: 2012-12-07, 2012-12
Description: Why study nineteenth-century domestic heating technology? Besides its pop- ular appeal and utilitarian value, domestic heating technology is...
Show moreWhy study nineteenth-century domestic heating technology? Besides its pop- ular appeal and utilitarian value, domestic heating technology is one of the most signi cant yet least explored subjects in American history. American processes of industrialization, manufacturing, and transportation are well known, however, the impact of technological changes on the home is less familiar. Understanding past everyday lives is crucial to recognize the processes of adjusting to new technologies, particularly those technologies essential to today's American lives that have been overlooked. This dissertation examines the shift in domestic heating modes in North- eastern United States between the decades of 1840 and 1890. After carefully reviewing the literature on the subject of nineteenth-century heating technology, I asked myself why the domestic setting has received little schol- arly or historical attention in comparison to those of industrial and commercial set- tings. The answer lies on the fact that, traditionally, historians have been more interested in public events than in those within the private environment. The signi - cance of domestic heating technology has also been reduced duo to divisions between scholarly elds and disciplines. Also, the interpretation of artifacts has been more the eld of anthropologists than that of historians. Thus, few studies have narrowed their focus to a speci c topic of technology and the di erences in form, function, and cultural settings of its development. Investigating a historically obsolete technology and understanding the way people used it can be challenging. Domestic heating technology has advanced, and attitudes towards it have changed over time. It has been di cult to nd physical evidence of early examples in the form in which people originally used it daily. Addi- tionally, few people took the time to record their everyday-life interactions with the equipment and actual models of the old technology are hard to nd. Mid-nineteenth iv century American household heating apparatuses are a clear example of that. The ine ciency of systems previous to central heating challenged inventors and manufac- tures to search for and invest in more convenient and economical options to improve the quality of life. With the development of household heating technology, people gradually abandoned replaces and stoves and adopted furnaces and central heating as their primary source of heating. My goal was to explore the evolving meaning of domestic heating systems as a technological symbol. By analyzing the changing responses from one technological development to the other, I was able to identify some main points that made appro- priate domestic heating and ventilation a necessity for both comfort and health of Americans who lived in the focused period. I chose the ve decades between 1840 and 1890 because most of the modern conveniences were introduced into American homes for the rst time during those years and for their signi cance to the country's technological history. The Northeastern region was chosen as the geographical focus because the dispersion of knowledge began there, especially knowledge in heating and ventila- tion technology and apparatus manufacturing. The sources for the study included domestic advice manuals, architectural pattern books, engineering and architectural periodicals, patent records, manufacturers' and dealers' sales catalogs, and census schedules. The technological development of heating and ventilation systems culmi- nated with the advent of central heating, which currently represents the technology of domestic heating methods. In the design of American homes, central heating systems have superseded previous apparatuses such as replaces and stoves. They have become an option rather than a necessity of a comfortable and convenient domestic life. This disserta- tion is a brief study of that moment of transition. My intention was to expand on v basic assumptions about the technological development of the American home, not to challenge them. There has already been a considerable amount of attention given to the study of the American home and home life. Therefore, I see my research as an addition to the growing knowledge of the history of American domestic technology and the people and innovations that enabled its development.
PH.D in Philosophy in Architecture, December 2012
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Title: VISUAL TRAINING AT ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY: AESTHETICS IN ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION
Creator: Jones, Kristin
Date: 2016, 2016-05
Description: Over the course of 78 years, an aesthetic ideal which embodies architectural values has been collectively cultivated through Visual Training...
Show moreOver the course of 78 years, an aesthetic ideal which embodies architectural values has been collectively cultivated through Visual Training at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) school of architecture in Chicago. This dissertation provides a comprehensive explanation of Visual Training as it has been conducted at IIT. It promotes a better understanding of the background of Visual Training, the pedagogical practice of the Visual Training exercises, and the ongoing value of the course. The dissertation traces the underpinnings of Visual Training through the writings of Walter Peterhans, founder and Professor of Visual Training at IIT from 1938-1960, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Professor and Director of Architecture at IIT from 1938-1958 and other key figures. The thesis shows how the Visual Training program at IIT was influenced by movements in philosophy and mathematics in early 20th century Germany and how existing pedagogy at the Bauhaus was adapted to serve its aim. The dissertation includes an explanation of each exercise in the Visual Training program. It makes explicit the point of each exercise, how each one is conducted and why. Original detailed descriptions, illustrated with examples, show what a student gains from each exercise and how the process of performing the exercise achieves that end. The dissertation compares the way in which the Visual Training program originally developed in relation to other courses in the architecture curriculum to disclose the meaning of architecture, and what has happened in Visual Training as the architecture program at IIT has continued to evolve. The thesis brings to light enduring epistemological tensions underlying architectural education.
Ph.D. in Architecture, May 2016
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Title: PROTOTYPE OF SUSTAINABLE NEW CITY IN CHILE
Creator: Hernandez Gomez, Soledad Macarena
Date: 2012-11-20, 2012-12
Description: In an era of global climate change and rapid urbanization, it is necessary to change the way of cities have been developed. Cities need a new...
Show moreIn an era of global climate change and rapid urbanization, it is necessary to change the way of cities have been developed. Cities need a new vision and a new strategy to reduce their impact on the environment. Therefore, it is essential to research about how to design sustainable cities, which are the main characteristics of a sustainable urban design, and how it is possible to combine all these factors in a sustainable way to develop a city which reduces impact in the ecosystem and creates a better quality of life as a place to live. For these reasons, one of the main objectives of this thesis is to develop a prototype of a sustainable new city based on the sustainable city principles, and also to understand the social, economic and environmental context where the city is located. In this proposal, the new city is located in the extreme South of Chile to replace a previous city that was destroyed by a volcanic eruption. Therefore, this new city - New Chaiten- is an opportunity in the region to build a city which represents a new vision of sustainable urban development which promotes a balance between the social and economic needs of the community and environmental conservation. Furthermore, it creates an enjoyable urban environment with a high quality of life while reducing energy consumption.
M.S. in Architecture, December 2012
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Title: THE PERSPECTIVE GRID: MUSEUM AND PARK FOR THE SOUTH LOOP
Creator: Idrovo Orellana, Santiago Javier
Date: 2015, 2015-12
Description: The diverse and infinity of forces that are shaping the cities are luckily unknown. The bigness of the forces may not have a beginning nor an...
Show moreThe diverse and infinity of forces that are shaping the cities are luckily unknown. The bigness of the forces may not have a beginning nor an end. The questions and the answers are always late. Cities are always running behind, trying to code and survive through the economic condition. The speed of the fluids are always mutating, transforming and taking different shapes. We are constantly proposing and putting in practice perception in between the endless spiral of the present. Our human behavior and perceptions are being built by others and by different matters. History in the end is the only parameter from which we can rely. Our mastery of the knowledge technics keep holding the population and transforming the way we live by processing and turning resources into elements of survival. The 21st century characterizes by the transformation of matter and energy into technological tools that we unconsciously rely on while they are also being misused and manipulated, giving non-consistent answers. The thesis travels through different subjects in an attempt to construct a general perspective that will define the decisions on the urban programmatic plans and direct them into educational and cultural performances. Due to economical forces and a projected demographic growth, the near south region of Chicago is looking for a transformation and a direction to travel. Through the general perspective the proposal for the region firstly study to connect cultural collective open spaces injected on a particular area of the South Loop. The area is mainly influenced by industrial infrastructure that can be replaced or reprogrammed according to a considered value. The study will explore the cultural connection from the neighborhood to the Museum Campus as catalyzers for the future interventions of the zone. Secondly, the near south region of Chicago is looking for a transformation and a direction to travel. Through the general perspective the proposal for the region firstly study to connect cultural collective open spaces injected on a particular area of the South Loop. The area is mainly influenced by industrial infrastructure that can be replaced or reprogrammed according to a considered value. The study will explore the cultural connection from the neighborhood to the Museum Campus as catalyzers for the future interventions of the zone. Secondly, the near south region of Chicago is looking for a transformation and a direction to travel. Through the general perspective the proposal for the region firstly study to connect cultural collective open spaces injected on a particular area of the South Loop. The area is mainly influenced by industrial infrastructure that can be replaced or reprogrammed according to a considered value. The study will explore the cultural connection from the neighborhood to the Museum Campus as catalyzers for the future interventions of the zone. Secondly,, the near south region of Chicago is looking for a transformation and a direction to travel. Through the general perspective the proposal for the region firstly study to connect cultural collective open spaces injected on a particular area of the South Loop. The area is mainly influenced by industrial infrastructure that can be replaced or reprogrammed according to a considered value. The study will explore the cultural connection from the neighborhood to the Museum Campus as catalyzers for the future interventions of the zone. Secondly,the general perspective will go more specific into the museum campus and the appropriation of the abandoned McCormick Lake Site Center. An infrastructure located in a zone where the ecological systems and the cultural concern are the roots of its creation. The proposal will face the parameters to reorient the building into a filtered cultural source and as a natural connection infrastructure.
M.S. in Architecture, December 2015
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Title: AMERICA'S NEW HOME
Creator: Klinger, Ryan J.
Date: 2013-04-30, 2013-05
Description: The role of the American nuclear single-family home has shifted significantly in the past 100 years.It began with the introduction and...
Show moreThe role of the American nuclear single-family home has shifted significantly in the past 100 years.It began with the introduction and expanded availability of the automobile by Henry Ford in 1908. Though private ownership of single-family homes steadily increased in the early part of the Twentieth Century, the majority of the existing housing market remained on rental. As a result of the stock market crash in 1929, the American housing market saw its first decline in the growth rate of new properties being built and occupied. Following the crash, the housing market experienced its first declining growth rate of the century. It was not until the late 1940s, with the end of World War II and the G.I. Bill’s introduction, that Americans saw an unprecedented increase in private homeownership nationwide. Pre-fabricated building processes, adapted from assembly-line production during World War II, radically transformed standard building methodologies for production of housing communities. Levittown, Pennsylvania was the primary example of this new fast-paced method of construction beginning in 1948. In the two decades following World War II, single-family homeownership surpassed rentals to become the majority of occupied housing units in the United States. The housing market took another hit in the economic decline of the 1970s. An economic downturn and an oil embargo that occurred during the 1970s produced a rising demand for rental properties that weakened the demand for newly-built singlefamily homes. In 1980 FHA revised its form of financing private homeownership and the American single-family home was now available to an expanded demographic of qualified owners. ix This resulted in another expansion of units being built and occupied from the later 1980s through the early 2000s. In 2007 America saw this come to an end; the American housing market crashed, forcing homeowners across the country into premature foreclosure. Private homeownership, once a central aspiration of the American Dream, is now shattered on a wide scale. As we move into the next phase of the American singlefamily home, many wonder if it will survive as a building model and reemerge as a prominent housing typology. It is the sole purpose of this investigation to establish the new face of the singlefamily home in an urban setting. The Gap Neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side will be used as an example. The investigation’s conclusion will provide the architectural community, as well as the target client-population, with a prototypical case study for the emerging single-family dwelling unit.It will serve as a comprehensive model that has reacted to the current issues that remain as a result of the housing crisis.
M.S. in Architecture, May 2013
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Title: DEVELOPING INTELLIGENT AND ADAPTIVE BUILDING SYSTEMS FOR OUR DIGITAL ECOLOGY
Creator: Hansen, Kai
Date: 2013, 2013-07
Description: Our world is being changed by a dynamic digital presence. The marriage of virtual and physical represents an ecology which has become...
Show moreOur world is being changed by a dynamic digital presence. The marriage of virtual and physical represents an ecology which has become intertwined with the lives of nearly everyone, fundamentally altering how our society functions. While we have evolved in this sense, the built environment has become outmoded and strains to meet emerging occupant requirements. To correct this, it has become necessary to develop environments that are capable of intelligently responding to shifting requirements. As curators of the built environment, architects are responsible for seeking out and engaging new mechanisms to achieve spaces that occupants find desirable. An experiential summary of the architectural-digital-hacking process will be given. A more traditional research method was followed when possible while engaged in this learning process. This research focuses on utilizing readily available digital tools that are capable of simultaneously mitigating issues associated with occupant requirements and energy consumption. It will also address shortcomings related to occupant comfort and energy consumption observed in our buildings by producing a series of working prototypes that will be tested and analyzed. Results will be presented, and will consist of components used and how they were used to serve as a reference for future development.
M.S. in Architecture, July 2013
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