We as a species face a fundamental disconnect with our surroundings that has created an existential threat to our continued survival on this planet. If we are to change we need to allow ourselves the opportunities to make deeper connections with our environment once again. The idea of nature is socially constructed. It is ...

A DESIGN INVESTIGATION LOOKING AT BROADER SYSTEMS TO INFLUENCE PROCESSES AT SITE SCALE INTENDING TO INTERRUPT, ALTER, OR ENHANCE SELECTED FLOWS AND ACCRETIONS THROUGH BUILT AND LANDSCAPE INTERVENTIONS.

During any given night of the year, there are more than 4500 people unsheltered, homeless in Seattle. In most cities across the US, homeless counts are declining, but not here. We have the 4th highest homeless population, and it’s only getting worse. The homeless problem is getting so out of control that the Mayor, Ed Murray, ...

This thesis embraces the task of biodiversity conservation within the realm of architecture. In the midst of an anthropogenic mass extinction on Earth—the most menacing of the current environmental crises—it advocates for the prioritization of biodiversity conservation in any design project. A bold articulation of the attitude ...

The idea of the wilderness as a physical place and as a cultural image has existed since the founding of the United States. Cultural attitudes toward wilderness have fallen into two broad categories: viewing wilderness as a resource to be used for the sake of civilization; and as an amenity that provides a counterpoint to ...

As one of the oldest European cities, Berlin has many historically significant buildings. Due to heavy bombardment during World War II, many of those historical architectural remains are present in ruined condition today. In many cases, instead of being demolished for new construction, they are excavated, preserved and turned ...

The story of Miami, Florida is written in water. While the image of the city is dominated by the sea and oceanfront development, there is another body of water that has helped forge Miami into the cosmopolitan city it is today-- its' river. The Miami river was once a vital corridor connecting diverse landscapes, peoples, and ...

The villa of Murin-an was commissioned by the statesman Yamagata Aritomo in 1894. The garden is considered a collaborative product of Yamagata's vision and the skill of the garden's designer, Ogawa Jihei VII. Although the garden is described as modern and different, an essay written by Yamagata about the villa reveals a ...

This thesis takes a magical realist approach to unpack today's challenges and to inspire a subjective relationship to these matters. The primary motivation is to add to the dialogues of our times and to enhance architecture's normative approach for a-historical, pragmatic, short-term problem solving. Interbay is the industrial ...

As a physical edge, urban waterfronts have historically provided both margins and thresholds between cities and nature. As the foundation of transportation, trade, and industry, America’s ports led to growth and prosperity along its waterways. However, as further settlement and industrialization spread through the United ...