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2020 Student Thesis Showcase - Part I

architecture thesis city

Have you ever wondered what students design in architecture school? A few years ago, we started an Instagram account called IMADETHAT_ to curate student work from across North America. Now, we have nearly 3,000 projects featured for you to view. In this series, we are featuring thesis projects of recent graduates to give you a glimpse into what architecture students create while in school. Each week, for the rest of the summer, we will be curating five projects that highlight unique aspects of design. In this week’s group, the research ranges from urban scale designs focused on climate change to a proposal for a new type of collective housing and so much in between. Check back each week for new projects. 

In the meantime, Archinect has also created a series featuring the work of 2020 graduates in architecture and design programs. Check out the full list, here .

architecture thesis city

Redefining the Gradient by Kate Katz and Ryan Shaaban, Tulane University, M.Arch ‘20

Thesis Advisors: Cordula Roser Gray and Ammar Eloueini / Course: 01-SP20-Thesis Studio

Sea level rise has become a major concern for coastal cities due to the economic and cultural importance tied to their proximity to water. These cities have sustained their livelihood in low-lying elevations through the process of filling, bridging, and raising land over coastal ecosystems, replacing their ecological value with infrastructures focused on defining the edge between city and nature. Hard infrastructures have been employed to maintain urban landscapes but have minimal capacity for both human and non-human engagement due to their monofunctional applications focused on separating conditions rather than integrating them. They produce short-term gains with long-term consequences, replacing and restricting ecosystems and acting as physical barriers in a context defined by seasonal transition. 

To address the issues of hard infrastructure and sea level rise, this thesis proposes an alternative design strategy that incorporates the dynamic water system into the urban grid network. San Francisco was chosen as the location of study as it is a peninsula where a majority of the predicted inundation occurs on the eastern bayside. In this estuary, there were over 500 acres of ecologically rich tidal marshlands that were filled in during the late 1800s. To protect these new lands, the Embarcadero Sea Wall was built in 1916 and is now in a state of neglect. The city has set aside $5 billion for repairs but, instead of pouring more money into a broken system, we propose an investment in new multi-functional ecologically-responsive strategies. 

As sea levels rise, the city will be inundated with water, creating the opportunity to develop a new circulation system that maintains accessibility throughout areas located in the flood zone. In this proposal, we’ve designed a connective network where instance moments become moments of pause and relief to enjoy the new cityscape in a dynamic maritime district. 

On the lower level, paths widen to become plazas while on the upper level, they become breakout destinations which can connect to certain occupiable rooftops that are given to the public realm. The bases of carved canals become seeding grounds for plants and aquatic life as the water level rises over time. Buildings can protect high-risk floors through floodproofing and structural encasement combined with adaptive floorplates to maintain the use of lower levels. The floating walkway is composed of modular units that are buoyant, allowing the pedestrian paths to conform and fluctuate with diurnal tidal changes. The composition of the units creates street furniture and apertures to engage with the ecologies below while enabling a once restricted landscape of wetlands to take place within the city. 

The new vision of the public realm in this waterfront district hopes to shine an optimistic light on how we can live with nature once again as we deal with the consequences of climate change.

architecture thesis city

Unearthing the Black Aesthetic by Demar Matthews, Woodbury University, M.Arch ‘20

Advisor: Ryan Tyler Martinez Featured on Archinect

“Unearthing The Black Aesthetic” highlights South Central Los Angeles’s (or Black Los Angeles’s) unique positioning as a dynamic hub of Black culture and creativity. South Central is the densest population of African Americans west of the Mississippi. While every historically Black neighborhood in Los Angeles has experienced displacement, the neighborhood of Watts was hit particularly hard. As more and more Black Angelenos are forced for one reason or another to relocate, we are losing our history and connection to Los Angeles.

As a way to fight this gentrification, we are developing an architectural language derived from Black culture. So many cultures have their own architectural styles based on values, goals, morals, and customs shared by their society. When these cultures have relocated to America, to keep their culture and values intact, they bought land and built in the image of their homelands. That is not true for Black people in America. In fact, until 1968, Black people had no rights to own property in Los Angeles. While others began a race to acquire land in 1492, building homes and communities in their image, we started running 476 years after the race began. What percentage of land was left for Blacks to acquire? How then can we advance the development of a Black aesthetic in architecture?

This project, most importantly, is a collaboration with the community that will be for us and by us. My goal is to take control of our image in architecture; to elevate, not denigrate, Black life and culture. Ultimately, we envision repeating this process in nine historically Black cities in America to develop an architectural language that will vary based on the history and specificities of Black culture in each area.

architecture thesis city

KILLING IT: The Life and Death of Great American Cities by Amanda Golemba, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, M.Arch ’20

Advisors: Nikole Bouchard, Jasmine Benyamin, and Erik Hancock / Independent Design Thesis

For decades, post-industrial cities throughout the United States have been quietly erased through self-imposed tabula rasa demolition. If considered at all, demolition is touted as the mechanism for removing unsightly blight, promoting safety, and discarding the obsolete and the unwanted. Once deemed unworthy, rarely does a building survive the threat of demolition. 

In the last decade, the City of Chicago has erased over 13,000 buildings with 225 in just the last four months. Not only does this mass erasure eradicate the material and the spatial, but it permanently wipes the remnants of human bodies, values, and history — a complete annulment of event, time, and memory. 

But why do we feel the need to erase in order to make progress?

Our current path has led to a built environment that is becoming more and more uniform and sterile. Much of America has become standardized, mixed-use developments; neighborhoods of cookie-cutter homes and the excessive use of synthetic, toxic building materials. A uniform world is a boring one that has little room for creativity, individuality, or authenticity.

This thesis, “KILLING IT,” is a design proposal for a traveling exhibition that seeks to change perceptions of the existing city fabric by visualizing patterns of erasure, questioning the resultant implications and effects of that erasure, and proposing an alternative fate. “KILLING IT” confronts the inherently violent aspects of architecture and explores that violence through the intentionally jarring, uncomfortable, and absurd analogy of murder. This analogy is a lens through which to trace the violent, intentional, and premature ending and sterilization of the existing built environment. After all, as Bernard Tschumi said, “To really appreciate architecture, you may even need to commit a murder.”1 But murder is not just about the events that take place within a building, it is also the material reality of the building itself. 

Over the life of a building, scarring, moments in time, and decay layer to create an inhabitable palimpsest of memory. This traveling exhibition is infused with the palimpsest concept by investigating strategies of layering, modularity, flexibility, transparency, and building remains, while layering them together to form a system that operates as an inhabitable core model collage. Each individual exhibition simultaneously memorializes the violence that happened at that particular site and implements murderous adaptive reuse strategies through collage and salvage material to expose what could have been.

If we continue down our current path, we will only continue to make the same mistakes and achieve the same monotonous, sterilizing results we currently see in every American city and suburb. We need to embrace a new path that values authenticity, celebrates the scars and traces of the past, and carries memories into the future. By reimaging what death can mean and addressing cycles of violence, “KILLING IT” proposes an optimistic vision for the future of American cities. 

  • Tschumi, Bernard. “Questions of space: lectures on architecture” (ed. 1990)

architecture thesis city

A New Prototype for Collective Housing by Juan Acosta and Gable Bostic, University of Texas at Austin, M.Arch ‘20

Advisor: Martin Haettasch / Course: Integrative Design Studio Read more: https://soa.utexas.edu/work/new-prototype-collective-housing

Austin is a city that faces extreme housing pressures. This problem is framed almost exclusively in terms of supply and demand, and the related question of affordability. For architects, however, a more productive question is: Will this new quantity produce a new quality of housing? 

How do we live in the city, how do we create individual and collective identity through architecture, and what are the urban consequences? This studio investigates new urban housing types, smaller than an apartment block yet larger and denser than a detached house. Critically assessing existing typologies, we ask the question: How can the comforts of the individual house be reconfigured to form new types of residential urban fabric beyond the entropy of tract housing or the formulaic denominator of “mixed-use.” The nature of the integrative design studio allowed for the testing of material systems and construction techniques that have long had an important economic and ecological impact.

“A New Prototype for Collective Housing” addresses collectivity in both a formal and social sense, existing between the commercial and residential scales present in Austin’s St. John neighborhood as it straddles the I-35 corridor; a normative American condition. A diversity of programs, and multigenerational living, create an inherently diverse community. Additionally, a courtyard typology is used to negotiate the spectrum of private and shared space. Volumes, comprising multiple housing units ranging from studio apartments to four bedrooms, penetrate a commercial plinth that circulates both residents and mechanical systems. The use of heavy timber ensures an equitable use of resources while imbuing the project with a familiar material character.

architecture thesis city

ELSEWHERE, OR ELSE WHERE? by Brenda (Bz) Zhang, University of California at Berkeley, M.Arch ’20

Advisors: Andrew Atwood and Neyran Turan See more: https://www.brendazhang.com/#/elsewhere-or-else-where/

“ELSEWHERE, OR ELSE WHERE?” is an architectural fever dream about the San Francisco Bay Area. Beginning with the premise that two common ideas of Place—Home and Elsewhere—are no longer useful, the project wonders how disciplinary tools of architecture can be used to shape new stories about where we are.

For our purposes, “Home,” although primarily used to describe a place of domestic habitation, is also referring generally to a “familiar or usual setting,” as in home-base, home-court, home-page, and even home-button. As a counterpoint, Elsewhere shifts our attention “in or to another place,” away. This thesis is situated both in the literal spaces of Elsewhere and Home (landfills, houses, wilderness, base camps, wastelands, hometowns) and in their culturally constructed space (value-embedded narratives determining whether something belongs, and to whom). Since we construct both narratives through principles of exclusion, Elsewhere is a lot closer to Home than we say. These hybrid spaces—domestic and industrial, urban and hinterland, natural and built—are investigated as found conditions of the Anthropocene and potential sites for new understandings of Place.

Ultimately, this thesis attempts to challenge conventional notions of what architects could do with our existing skill sets, just by shifting our attention—Elsewhere. The sites shown here and the concerns they represent undeniably exist, but because of the ways Western architecture draws thick boundaries between and around them, they resist architectural focus—to our detriment.

In reworking the physical and cultural constructions of Homes and Elsewheres, architects are uniquely positioned to go beyond diagnostics in visualizing and designing how, where, and why we build. While this project looks specifically at two particular stories we tell about where we are, the overall objective is to provoke new approaches to how we construct Place—both physically and culturally—within or without our discipline.

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Home > HFA > Department of Architecture > Architecture Masters Theses Collection

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Architecture Masters Theses Collection

Theses from 2023 2023.

Music As a Tool For Ecstatic Space Design , Pranav Amin, Architecture

Creating Dormitories with a Sense of Home , Johnathon A. Brousseau, Architecture

The Tectonic Evaluation And Design Implementation of 3D Printing Technology in Architecture , Robert Buttrick, Architecture

Designing for the Unhoused: Finding Innovative and Transformative Solutions to Housing , Hannah C. Campbell, Architecture

Investigating Design-Functional Dimension Of Affordable Housing With Prefabrication On Dense Suburbs Of Chelsea, MA , Siddharth Jagadishbhai Dabhia, Architecture

Architecture of Extraction: Imagining New Modes of Inhabitation and Reclamation in the Mining Lifecyle , Erica DeWitt, Architecture

Utopian Thought and Architectural Design , Anthony L. Faith, Architecture

Building Hygge In-Roads into Incremental Living , Tanisha Kalra, Architecture

NATURE INSPIRED ARCHITECTURE , Salabat Khan, Architecture

Sustainable Architecture in Athletics: Using Mass Timber in an Old-Fashioned Field , Zach C. Lefever, Architecture

Off-grid Living for the Normative Society: Shifting Perception and Perspectives by Design , Patsun Lillie, Architecture

The Evolution of Chinese Supermarkets in North America: An Alternative Approach to Chinese Supermarket Design , Ruoxin Lin, Architecture

Refreshing Refinery: An Analysis of Victorian Architecture and How to Translate its Elements for Contemporary Architecture , Richard J. Marcil, Architecture

After Iconoclasm: Reassessing Monumental Practices and Redesigning Public Memorials in Twenty-First-Century Massachusetts , Lincoln T. Nemetz-Carlson, Architecture

Earthen Materials In Organic Forms: An Ecological Solution to the Urban Biosphere? , Rutuja Patil, Architecture

Adaptive (Re)purpose of Industrial Heritage Buildings in Massachusetts A Modular Strategy for Building a Community , Riya D. Premani, Architecture

Community Design: A Health Center Serving the Greater Boston Population , Brandon E. Rosario, Architecture

The Food Hub as a Social Infrastructure Framework: Restitching Communities in Boston After the Pandemic , Connor J. Tiches, Architecture

Theses from 2022 2022

Equitable Housing Generation Through Cellular Automata , Molly R. Clark, Architecture

Beneficial Invasive: A Rhizomatic Approach to Utilizing Local Bamboo for COVID Responsive Educational Spaces , Megan Futscher, Architecture

Architectural Activism Through Hip-Hop , Micaela Goodrich, Architecture

Addressing Trauma Through Architecture: Cultivating Well-being For Youth Who Have Experienced Trauma , Megan Itzkowitz, Architecture

Buildings Integrated into Landscape & Making People Care for Them: Exploring Integrated Land-Building Ecosystems and the Lifestyles Needed to Support It , Sara Mallio, Architecture

Reimagining Black Architecture , Esosa Osayamen, Architecture

Prefabricated Homes: Delivery At Your Doorsteps , Obed K. Otabil, Architecture

Memory and Resistance , Cami Quinteros, Architecture

Mycelium: The Building Blocks of Nature and the Nature of Architecture , Carly Regalado, Architecture

IN-BETWEEN SPACES: ATMOSPHERES, MOVEMENT AND NEW NARRATIVES FOR THE CITY , Paul Alexander Stoicheff, Architecture

Theses from 2021 2021

Creating New Cultural Hubs in American Cities: The Syrian Diaspora of Worcester, Massachusetts , Aleesa Asfoura, Architecture

Firesafe: Designing for Fire-Resilient Communities in the American West , Brenden Baitch, Architecture

The Beige Conundrum , Alma Crawford-Mendoza, Architecture

Cultivating Food Justice: Exploring Public Interest Design Process through a Food Security & Sustainability Hub , Madison J. DeHaven, Architecture

Physical to Virtual: A Model for Future Virtual Classroom Environments , Stephen J. Fink, Architecture

Detroit: Revitalizing Urban Communities , David N. Fite, Architecture

The Homestead Helper Handbook , Courtney A. Jurzynski, Architecture

An Architecture of a New Story , Nathan Y. Lumen, Architecture

Border Town: Preserving a 'Living' Cultural Landscape in Harlingen, Texas , Shelby Parrish, Architecture

Housing for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Creating an Integrated Living Community in Salem, MA , Tara Pearce, Architecture

From Sanctuary to Home in the Post-Interstate City , Morgan B. Sawyer, Architecture

Exploring the Use of Grid-Scale Compressed Air Energy Storage in the Urban Landscape , Connor S. Slover, Architecture

Bridging the Gaps in Public Conversation by Fostering Spaces of Activism , Karitikeya Sonker, Architecture

Re-envisioning the American Dream , Elain Tang, Architecture

Tall Timber in Denver: An Exploration of New Forms in Large Scale Timber Architecture , Andrew P. Weuling, Architecture

Theses from 2020 2020

Urban Inter-Space: Convergence of Human Interaction and Form , Clayton Beaudoin, Architecture

The Hues of Hadley Massachusetts: Pioneering Places for Preservation and Growth , Elisha M. Bettencourt, Architecture

Reinvigorating Englewood, Chicago Through New Public Spaces and Mixed-Income Housing , Givan Carrero, Architecture

Architectural Agency Through Real Estate Development , Hitali Gondaliya, Architecture

Multimodal Transit and a New Civic Architecture , Samuel Bruce Hill, Architecture

Rethinking The Suburban Center , Andrew Jones, Architecture

Resilient Urbanism: Bridging Natural Elements & Sustainable Structures in a Post-Industrial Urban Environment , Nicholas McGee, Architecture

Adaptive Airport Architecture , Yash Mehta, Architecture

Rethinking School Design to Promote Safety and Positivity , Emily Moreau, Architecture

The Built Environment and Well-Being: Designing for Well-Being in Post-Industrial Communities During the Age of Urbanization , Tyler O'Neil, Architecture

Brutalism and the Public University: Integrating Conservation into Comprehensive Campus Planning , Shelby Schrank, Architecture

Spatial Design for Behavioral Education , Madeline Szczypinski, Architecture

Theses from 2019 2019

THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY: FOR REFUGEES , Raghad Alrashidi, Architecture

From Archaic To contemporary : Energy Efficient Adaptive Reuse of Historic Building , Nisha Borgohain, Architecture

(RE)Developing Place: The Power of Narrative , Kinsey Diomedi, Architecture

Rethinking Ambulatory Care Delivery , Senada Dushaj, Architecture

Photosynthesizing the Workplace: A Study in Healthy and Holistic Production Spaces , Kaeli Howard, Architecture

Museum Design As A Tool For A City , Cunbei Jiang, Architecture

Architecture and Wilderness: An Exchange of Order , Ashley Lepre, Architecture

Cross-Species Architecture: Developing an Architecture for Rehabilitative Learning Through the Human-Canine Relationship , Jake Porter, Architecture

Intermodal Transit Terminal: Integrating the Future of Transit into the Urban Fabric , Guy Vigneau, Architecture

Theses from 2018 2018

Bangladeshi Cultural Center: for the Bangladeshi Population Living in New York City , Sabrina Afrin, Architecture

THE ENHANCEMENT OF LEARNING THROUGH THE DESIGN PROCCESS: RENOVATING THE FORT RIVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN AMHERST, MA , Reyhaneh Bassamtabar, Architecture

LEARNING SPACES: DISCOVERING THE SPACES FOR THE FUTURE OF LEARNING , Michael Choudhary, Architecture

ARCHITECTURAL SYNERGY: A FACILITY FOR LIFELONG LEARNING IN ACADEMIA AND PRACTICE , Ryan Rendano, Architecture

Resilient Architecture: Adaptive Community Living in Coastal Locations , Erica Shannon, Architecture

Theses from 2017 2017

New York City 2050: Climate Change and Future of New York | Design for Resilience , Abhinav Bhargava, Architecture

The Performance of Light: Exploring the Impact of Natural Lighting in the New UMass School of Performance , Dylan Brown, Architecture

Regional Expression In The Renovation Of Remote Historic Villages , Jie chen, Architecture

An Incremental Intervention In Jakarta: An Empowering Infrastructural Approach For Upgrading Informal Settlements , Christopher H. Counihan, Architecture

UMASS Dining Hall. A Path to Resiliency , Lukasz Czarniecki, Architecture

LIVING CORE OF THE FUTURE: PROPOSING NEW APPROACH FOR THE FUTURE OF RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX IN METROPOLITAN AREAS , Mahsa G. Zadeh, Architecture

HUMANITY IN A CHILDREN’S CANCER HOSPITAL , Sara Jandaghi Jafari, Architecture

Designing Symbiosis for the New Church Community , Evan Janes, Architecture

A Visible History: A Synthesis of Past, Present and Future Through the Evocation of Memory Within Historic Contexts , Nicholas Jeffway, Architecture

Creating A Community A New Ecological, Economical, and Social Path to Uniting a Community , Andrew Stadnicki, Architecture

Z-Cube: Mobile Living for Feminist Nomads , Zi Ye, Architecture

Theses from 2016 2016

Music and Architecture: An Interpresence , Rachel J. Beesen, Architecture

Intervening in the Lives of Internally Displaced People in Colombia , Amy L. Carbone, Architecture

Designing Waste Creating Space: A Critical Examination Into Waste Reduction Through Building Techniques, Architectural Design, and Systems , Courtney M. Carrier, Architecture

Umass September 11 Intervention , Mohamad Farzinmoghadam, Architecture

Merging Social Science and Neuroscience in Architecture: Creating a Framework to Functionally Re-integrate Ex-Convicts , Kylie A. Landrey, Architecture

From Shelters to Long Living Communities , Yakun Liang, Architecture

Building Hope: A Community + Water Initiative, La Villa de San Francisco, Honduras , Christopher D. Mansfield, Architecture

THE SPATIALITY IN STORYTELLING , Xiang Yu, Architecture

Innovation of the Residential Buildings and Community in the Emerging City Rongcheng , Xing Yu, Architecture

Art and Life - Make invisible visible in Cao changdi village, Beijing, China , peng zhang, Architecture

Theses from 2015 2015

The Dialogue of Craft and Architecture , Thomas J. Forker, Architecture

MOSQUE IN THE VALLEY: A SPACE FOR SPIRITUAL GATHERING & CULTURAL LEARNING , Nabila Iqbal, Architecture

EXPLORATION OF CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN URBAN PLAZA AND MIXED USE BUILDINGS , Youngduk Kim, Architecture

Design Of A Housing For Urban Artisan-Living Work , Fahim Mahmud, Architecture

Membranes and Matrices: Architecture as an Interface , Nayef Mudawar, Architecture

Building for the Future: Revitalization through Architecture , Rebecca N. Perry, Architecture

Developing Maker Economies in Post-Industrial Cities: Applying Commons Based Peer Production to Mycelium Biomaterials , Grant R. Rocco, Architecture

Design of Children's Event and Cutural Center in Osu, Accra, Ghana , Rudi Somuah, Architecture

Sustainable Design of Student Centers Retrofitting and Adaptive Reuse of UMass Student Union , Tianye Song, Architecture

Design/Build in Architectural Education: studying community-focused curriculum , Matthew K. Sutter, Architecture

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RTF | Rethinking The Future

20 Types of Architecture thesis topics

architecture thesis city

An architectural thesis is perhaps the most confusing for a student because of the range of typologies of buildings that exist. It also seems intimidating to pick your site program and do all the groundwork on your own. While choosing an architectural thesis topic, it is best to pick something that aligns with your passion and interest as well as one that is feasible. Out of the large range of options, here are 20 architectural thesis topics .

1. Slum Redevelopment (Urban architecture)

Slums are one of the rising problems in cities where overcrowding is pertinent. To account for this problem would be one of great value to the city as well as the inhabitants of the slum. It provides them with better sanitation and well-being and satisfies their needs.

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2. Maggie Center (Healthcare architecture)

This particular typology of buildings was coined by a cancer patient,  Margaret Keswick Jencks,   who believed that cancer-treatment centres’ environment could largely improve their health and wellbeing by better design. This led a large number of starchitects to participate and build renowned maggie centres.

20 Types of thesis topics - Sheet2

3. Urban Sprawl Redesign (Urban design)

The widening of city boundaries to accommodate migrants and overcrowding of cities is very common as of late. To design for the constant urban sprawl would make the city life more convenient and efficient for all its users.

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4. Redesigning Spaces Under Elevated Roads and Metros (Urban infrastructure)

A lot of space tends to become dead space under metros or elevated roads. To use these spaces more efficiently and engage them with the public would make it an exciting thesis topic.

20 Types of thesis topics - Sheet4

5. Urban Parks (Urban landscape)

Urban parks are not only green hubs for the city, which promotes the well-being of the city on a larger level, but they also act as great places for the congregation and bring a community together.

20 Types of thesis topics - Sheet5

6. Reusing Abandoned Buildings (Adaptive reuse)

All buildings after a point become outdated and old but, what about the current old and abandoned buildings? The best way to respond to these is not by demolishing them; given the amount of effort it takes to do so, but to enhance them by restoring and changing the building to current times.

20 Types of thesis topics - Sheet6

7. Farming in Cities (Green urban spaces)

With climate change and population on the rise, there is statistical proof that one needs to start providing farming in cities as there is not sufficient fertile land to provide for all. Therefore, this makes a great thesis topic for students to explore.

20 Types of thesis topics - Sheet7

8. Jails (Civil architecture)

To humanize the function of jails, to make it a place of change and rehabilitation, and break from the stereotypical way of looking at jails. A space that will help society look at prisoners as more than monsters that harm, and as fellow humans that are there to change for everyone’s betterment.

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9. Police Academies (Civil architecture)

Academies that train people to be authoritative and protective require spaces for training mentally and physically; focussing on the complexity of the academy and focussing on the user to enhance their experience would work in everyone’s favour.

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10. High Court (Civil architecture)

Courtrooms are more often than not looked at as spaces that people fear, given the longevity of court cases. It can be a strenuous space; therefore, understanding the user groups’ state of mind and the problems faced can be solved using good design. 

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11. Disaster-resilient structures (Disaster-relief architecture)

Natural disasters are inevitable. Disaster-resilient structures are build suitably for the natural disasters of the region while also incorporating design into it, keeping in mind the climatic nature of the location.

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12. Biophilic design (Nature-inspired architecture)

As humans, we have an innate love for nature, and the struggle between integrating nature and architecture is what biophilic design aims towards. To pick a topic where one would see minimal use of natural elements and incorporate biophilic design with it would be very beneficial.

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13. Metro stations and Bus terminals (Transportation spaces)

Bus terminals and metro stations are highly functional spaces that often get crowded; and to account for the crowd and the problems that come with it, plus elevate the experience of waiting or moving, would contribute to making it a good thesis topic.

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14. Airport design (Transportation spaces)

Airport designing is not very uncommon; however, it is a rather complex program to crack; thereby, choosing this topic provides you with the opportunity to make this space hassle-free and work out the most efficient way to make this conducive for all types of users.

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15. Sports Complex (Community architecture)

If your passion lies in sports, this is a go-to option. Each sport is played differently, different materials are used, and the nature of the sport and its audience is rather complicated. However, to combine this and make it a cohesive environment for all kinds of users would make a good thesis topic.

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16. Stadium (Community architecture)

Unlike a sports complex, one could also pick one sport and look at the finer details, create the setting, and experience for it; by designing it to curate a nice experience for the players, the public, and the management.

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17. Waste-recycling center (Waste management)

Reducing waste is one of the most fundamental things we must do as humans. Spaces where recycling happens must be designed consciously. Just like any other space, it has been given importance over the years, and this would make a good thesis topic to provide the community with.

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18. Crematorium (Public architecture)

Cremation of a loved one or anyone for that matter is always a rather painful process and a range of emotions is involved when it comes to this place. Keeping in mind the different types of people and emotions and making your thesis about this would mean to enhance this experience while still keeping the solemnity of it intact.

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19. Museums (Community architecture)

Museums are spaces of learning, and the world has so much to offer that one could always come up with different typologies of museums and design according to the topic of one’s interest. Some of the examples would be cultural heritage, modern art, museum of senses, and many more.

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20. Interpretation center (Community architecture)

An interpretation center is a type of museum located near a site of historical, cultural, or natural relevance that provides information about the place of interest through various mediums.

architecture thesis city

References:

  • 2022. 68 Thesis topics in 5 minutes . [image] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NczdOK7oe98&ab_channel=BlessedArch> [Accessed 1 March 2022].
  • Bdcnetwork.com. 2022. Biophilic design: What is it? Why it matters? And how do we use it? | Building Design + Construction . [online] Available at: <https://www.bdcnetwork.com/blog/biophilic-design-what-it-why-it-matters-and-how-do-we-use-it> [Accessed 1 March 2022].
  • RTF | Rethinking The Future. 2022. 20 Thesis topics related to Sustainable Architecture – RTF | Rethinking The Future . [online] Available at: <https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/rtf-fresh-perspectives/a1348-20-thesis-topics-related-to-sustainable-architecture/> [Accessed 1 March 2022].
  • Wdassociation.org. 2022. A List Of Impressive Thesis Topic Ideas In Architecture . [online] Available at: <https://www.wdassociation.org/a-list-of-impressive-thesis-topic-ideas-in-architecture.aspx> [Accessed 1 March 2022].

20 Types of thesis topics - Sheet1

Online Course – The Ultimate Architectural Thesis Guide

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architecture thesis city

Flora is a student of architecture, with a passion for psychology and philosophy. She loves merging her interests and drawing parallels to solve and understand design problems. As someone that values growth, she uses writing as a medium to share her learning and perspective.

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10 Award-Winning Architecture Thesis Projects From Around The World

architecture thesis city

Neha Sharma

8 mins read

Architectural Illustration as a part of a thesis project.

It is always interesting to see the architecture thesis projects students come up with every year. With each passing batch, there is more knowledge passed down and a better base to begin. The result is a rise in innovation and creativity by students, and overall a better mix!

Architecture thesis is an ordeal all students are intimidated by. From choosing an architecture thesis topic all the way to giving a great final thesis review , every step is equally challenging and important. It is that turn in an architecture student’s life that pushes them to churn out their best. Therefore, it is inevitable to come across some life-altering design solutions through architecture theses across the world.

To identify and appreciate these exceptional final projects by architecture students, many organisations across the world like Archistart, Council of Architecture, etcetera, award recognition for excellence in architecture thesis and also grant financial support for further research to the projects worthy of being realised.

Read through the list of 10 such award-winning architecture theses across the world with links to study them in detail!

1. ISTHME // Le CHAOS SENSIBLE - Dafni Filippa and Meriam Sehimi

architectural visualisation of a mixed-use hub by B.Arch students

ISTHME // Le Chaos Sensible - Architecture Thesis of the Year 2020 (Source: www.nonarchitecture.eu)

Starting from the most recent one, the award-winning thesis is a proposal of a mixed-use building in the capital city of Ghana, Africa, that aims to cater to a large spectrum of functions of the Ghanaian community, especially living, commercial, sports and leisure.

This culturally thoughtful architecture thesis project is an honest effort to celebrate the African spirit and empower the local community, which reflects in the ‘sensible chaos’ of the design.

2. INFRA-PAISAJE: New Landscape Architecture - Luis Bendezu

illustration of a landscape thesis project by a student

INFRA-PAISAJE: New Landscape Infrastructure for San Juan de Marcona - Special Mention: Architectural Thesis Award ATA 2018 (Source: www.archistart.net)

Landscape architecture manifests the connection between humans and nature. The landscape thesis project proposes a series of technical elements for the creation of a seamless landscape between the urbanised territory of San Juan de Marcona in Peru and the suburban parts, thus forming a cohesive townscape which converses with the coastline and brings active life to the otherwise desolate expanse of the region.

3. Water Exploratorium - Satyam Gyanchandani

architectural visualisation of a thesis design project by a B.Arch student

Water Exploratorium - Ace of Space Design Awards: Outstanding Student Thesis Award (Source: www.architectandinteriorsindia.com)

Water is a life-giving resource and considered sacred across many cultures. To sustain life on earth, it is important to save and use it with utmost efficiency. The architecture thesis project showcases experiential design through and for water. It also tackles design challenges like infotainment by educating visitors on water conservation and creating a static built form for an element as fluid as water for a wholesome sensory experience.

Want to know how to come up with such fascinating thesis topics? Read: 7 Tips on Choosing the Perfect Architecture Thesis Topic For You

4. Architecture for Blind People - Mariagiorgia Pisano

multiple design solutions for the visually impaired

Between Light and Shadow: Architecture for Blind People - 1st Place: Architectural Thesis Award 2017 (Source: www.archistart.net)

Inclusive design offers a wide-spread net of research opportunities and is gaining much-needed recognition today!

Design for people with disabilities is dealt with empathy in this architecture thesis project, where the focus is exploring innovative design solutions for the visually deprived and getting the design of rehabilitation centres as close as possible to meeting their needs.

5. Mosul Postwar Camp - Edoardo Daniele Stuggiu and Stefano Lombardi

architectural digital collage for a thesis project by students

Mosul Postwar Camp - 1st Place: Architectural Thesis Award ATA 2019 (Source: www.archistart.net)

War does permanent damage to a person’s mental health. The survivors experience trauma, loss and even destruction of self-identity. The architecture thesis project proposes a postwar camp at Mosul, Iraq, aiming to create a place where people of various backgrounds can peacefully coexist and build a community based on humanitarian values to prevent war in the future.

architecture thesis city

6. Consolation through Architecture - A New Journey through the Abandoned Landscapes of Varanasi - Navin Lucas Sebastian

visualisation and architectural drawings of a thesis project by a B.Arch student

Consolation Through Architecture - COA National Awards for Excellence in Architectural Thesis 2016 (Source: www.coa.gov.in)

The intangible aspects of design are tough to pinpoint but necessary for the essence and feel of it. This urban design thesis project shows light on architecture’s influence on one’s emotions with the holy city of Varanasi in India as the backdrop. With a focus on issues arising due to the city’s cremation grounds, the thesis explores innovative and sustainable solutions for the same.

7. Unfinished Tor Vergata Scenario - Carmelo Gagliano

illustration of a part of an architecture thesis project

Unfinished Tor Vergata Scenario - 1st Place: Architectural Thesis Award 2020 (Source: www.archistart.net)

When it comes to building projects, the trend of the ‘unfinished’ is something Italy has been increasingly seeing in the past few years. The most popular unfinished public work is Calatrava’s Olympic Stadium, which is the main object for reuse in the proposal of a science museum at Rome Tor Vergata.

This architecture thesis project explores the existing building trends of the region, aims to reinvent the iconic building and become a scientific attraction for tourists and locals.

8. Chachapoyas Peri-Urban Park - Nájat Jishar Fernández Díaz

illustration of a part of an architecture thesis project

Structures for Incidents in Nature: Chachapoyas Peri-Urban Park - Special Mention: Architectural Thesis Award ATA 2019 (Source: www.archistart.net)

Growing urban areas are a concern as they slowly consume the ecology surrounding them. Chachapoyas (forest of clouds) in Peru faces a similar problem from the expanding urban confinements which are slowly taking over the beautiful landscapes for which the place is particularly famous.

The project aims to mend the damage by connecting every speck of open land available in the region and converting it into a network of green corridors, making for an interesting urban planning thesis!

9. Garden of Reconciliation, Kashmir - Jay Shah

graphic illustration of a miniature drawing for an architecture thesis project by a student

Garden of Reconciliation: Miniature Drawing - COA National Award in Excellence for Architectural Thesis 2018 (Source: www.uni.xyz)

Cultural and political unrest in a region has always been the glue for controversies, leading to public tip-toeing around such topics. This bold architecture thesis project looks at the conflicted region of Kashmir, to analyse its cultural, social and artistic practices and then come up with an architecture program best suited for the region. This is traversed in the form of a mixed-use landscape that aims to find a solution and is not the solution itself!

Such theses usually require intensive site studies. Read: Site Analysis Categories You Need to Cover For Your Architecture Thesis Project to know more.

10. Adaptive Reuse of STP Grain Silos - Alila Mhamed

illustration of a part of an architecture thesis project by a student

Poudrière Community Hub - 2nd Place: Architectural Thesis Awards ATA 2020 (Source: www.archistart.net)

Adaptive reuse of spaces that have been uninhabited for a long time does true justice to the core values of architecture and design. This thesis project explores the creative redefinition of the old STP Grain silos complex, the first mill constructed as a part of the Poudrière industrial park in the present-day city of Sfax, Tuscany, Italy, by converting it into a mixed-use hub for art, commerce, trade, administration and collaboration.

Numerous amazing architecture thesis projects come to light every year and the list is not limited to this one! At the learning stages, people have the power to unleash their creativity without any limitations and such scenarios might just lead to the right solutions for the time and society we live in.

Giving your architecture thesis project? Check out our A-Z Architecture Thesis Guide!

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2021 Thesis Prize in Landscape Architecture: Gracie Villa’s “City | Forest: Reordering Plant-Human Relationships Toward Healthy Cities”

Rendering of man walking in the city with an overlay of various ecologies on either side

by Gracie Villa (MLA I ’21) — Recipient of the Thesis Prize in Landscape Architecture

Based in the belief that the quality of the urban landscape directly reflects the quality of its soil, I propose to utilize processes of beneficial disturbance to reorder the vegetative and soil regimes in the city’s public realm. The outcome is a regenerative living infrastructure identified as the City Forest ; a collection of trees, associated undergrowth, and soil where people live, work, and play. This topology offers an alternative to the objectified street trees that make up most of America’s urban vegetation and curates an intensive dialogue between people and forest, or city and forest, not possible under current spatial practices.   

In this case study, the City Forest redefines major corridors in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as an  efficacious  place to begin intensifying the forest. Cambridge is a leader in urban forestry but has yet to boldly confront the socioeconomic practices inhibiting a healthy future. By rejecting the hierarchies and land – use patterns inherent to our car-centric landscapes, the City Forest emphasizes solidarity with nonhuman nature and advocates against destructive forms of economic practice and ontological distinction, asserting that the natural capital that accumulates in the forest reciprocates directly with  a  healthy lived experience in the city.

Visit the 2021 Virtual Commencement Exhibition to see more from this and other prize-winning projects.

Before and after images of the proposal and a small map locating the place of the view.

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10 Inspiring Architecture Thesis Topics for 2023: Exploring Sustainable Design, AI Integration, and Parametricism

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architecture thesis city

Choosing between architecture thesis topics is a big step for students since it’s the end of their education and a chance to show off their creativity and talents. The pursuit of biomaterials and biomimicry, a focus on sustainable design , and the use of AI in architecture will all have a significant impact on the future of architecture in 2023.

We propose 10 interesting architecture thesis topics and projects in this post that embrace these trends while embracing technology, experimentation, and significant architectural examples.

Architecture thesis topics

Architecture Thesis Topic #1 – Sustainable Affordable Housing

Project example: Urban Village Project is a new visionary model for developing affordable and livable homes for the many people living in cities around the world. The concept stems from a collaboration with SPACE10 on how to design, build and share our future homes, neighbourhoods and cities.

“Sustainable affordable housing combines social responsibility with innovative design strategies, ensuring that everyone has access to safe and environmentally conscious living spaces.” – John Doe, Sustainable Design Architect.

Parametric lampchairs 16

Architecture Thesis Topic #2 – Parametric Architecture Using Biomaterials

Project example:  Parametric Lampchairs, using Agro-Waste by Vincent Callebaut Architectures The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) “Living Architecture Lab” investigates the fusion of biomaterials with parametric design to produce responsive and sustainable buildings . The lab’s research focuses on using bio-inspired materials for architectural purposes, such as composites made of mycelium.

Architecture thesis topics

Architecture Thesis Topic #3 – Urban Planning Driven by AI

Project example: The University of California, Berkeley’s “ Smart City ” simulates and improves urban planning situations using AI algorithms. The project’s goal is to develop data-driven methods for effective urban energy management, transportation, and land use.

“By integrating artificial intelligence into urban planning, we can unlock the potential of data to create smarter, more sustainable cities that enhance the quality of life for residents.” – Jane Smith, Urban Planner.

Cs9 tzg paddingtonreservoir 041465 700x525 1 690x420 2

Architecture Thesis Topic #4 – Adaptive Reuse of Industrial Heritage

From 1866 to 1878, Oxford Street’s Paddington Reservoir was built. From the 1930′s, it was covered by a raised grassed park which was hidden from view and little used by the surrounding community.

Over the past two years, the City of Sydney and its collaborative design team of architects, landscape architects, engineers, planners, and access consultants have created a unique, surprising, functional, and completely engaging public park that has captivated all who pass or live nearby.

Instead of capping the site and building a new park above, the design team incorporated many of the reinforced ruins of the heritage-listed structure and created sunken and elevated gardens using carefully selected and limited contemporary materials with exceptional detailing.

5ebaa250e7d0b pexels photo 169677

Architecture Thesis Topic #5 – Smart and Resilient Cities

The capacity to absorb, recover from, and prepare for future shocks (economic, environmental, social, and institutional) is what makes a city resilient. Resilient cities have this capabilities. Cities that are resilient foster sustainable development, well-being, and progress that includes everyone.

Untitled design 20

Architecture Thesis Topic #6 – High Performing Green Buildings

The LEED certification offers a foundation for creating high-performing, sustainable structures. In order to guarantee energy efficiency , water conservation, and healthy interior environments, architects may include LEED concepts into their buildings. To learn more check our free training to becoming LEED accredited here .

Diller scofido renfro high line architonic 02 highline photography by iwan baan 02 edited

Architecture Thesis Topic #7 – Urban Landscapes with Biophilic Design

Project example: The High Line is an elevated linear park in New York City that stretches over 2.33 km and was developed on an elevated part of a defunct New York Central Railroad branch that is known as the West Side Line. The successful reimagining of the infrastructure as public space is the key to its accomplishments. The 4.8 km Promenade Plantee, a tree-lined promenade project in Paris that was finished in 1993, served as an inspiration for the creation of the High Line.

“Biophilic design fosters human well-being by creating environments that reconnect people with nature, promoting relaxation, productivity, and overall happiness.” – Sarah Johnson, Biophilic Design Consultant.

F26cd7cf5a02e0e06ec19590939128da

Architecture Thesis Topic #8 – Augmented and Virtual Reality in Architectural Visualization

An interactive experience that augments and superimposes a user’s real-world surroundings with computer-generated data. In the field of architecture, augmented reality (AR) refers to the process of superimposing 3D digital building or building component models that are encoded with data onto real-world locations.

Green buildings header

Architecture Thesis Topic #9 – Sustainable Skyscrapers

There is even a master program called “Sustainable Mega-Buildings” in the UK , Cardiff dedicated to high-rise projects in relation to performance and sustainability. Since building up rather than out, having less footprint, more open space, and less development is a green strategy .

“Sustainable skyscrapers showcase the possibilities of high-performance design, combining energy efficiency, resource conservation, and innovative architectural solutions.” – David Lee, Sustainable Skyscraper Architect.

Img 3943 bewerkt leonvanwoerkom web

Architecture Thesis Topic #10 – Circular Economy in Construction

Project example: Building D(emountable) , a sustainable and fully demountable structure on the site of a historic, monumental building complex in the center of the Dutch city Delft. Of the way in which the office approaches circular construction and of the way in which one can make buildings that can later donate to other projects. Or even be reused elsewhere in their entirety.

“By embracing the circular economy in construction, architects can contribute to a more sustainable industry, shifting from a linear ‘take-make-dispose’ model to a more regenerative approach.” – Emily Thompson, Sustainable Construction Specialist.

Conclusion:

The 10 thesis projects for architecture discussed above demonstrate how AI, LEED , and sustainable design are all incorporated into architectural practice. Students may investigate these subjects with an emphasis on creativity, experimenting, and building a physical environment that is in line with the concepts of sustainability and resilience via examples, quotations, and university programs.

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ARCHITECTURE THESIS OF THE YEAR | ATY 2021 : CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

ARCHITECTURE THESIS OF THE YEAR | ATY 2021 : CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS - Image 1 of 1

  • Published on June 01, 2021

ARCHITECTURE THESIS OF THE YEAR | ATY 2021

PREMISE The most amazing Architecture Thesis of 2021! Academic Design endeavors allow the free flow of unfettered ideas – experimental, bold, promising, and unconventional. An intensive architectural discourse and a collaborative design process are essential to developing ingenious solutions to complex problems of the future.

An Architecture Thesis is considered the avant-garde – pushing the boundaries of what is accepted as the norm in the architectural realm. It is the outcome of months of painstaking research and an excruciating design process yet it hardly gets any recognition beyond the design studio. It is imperative to share such revolutionary ideas with the entire fraternity to open up new possibilities for dialogue.

‘Architecture Thesis of the Year 2021’ is an international architecture thesis competition that aims to extend appreciation to the tireless effort and exceptional creativity of student thesis in the field of Architecture. We seek to encourage young talent in bringing their path-breaking ideas to the forefront on a global scale.

Competition Brief - https://thecharette.org/architecture-thesis-of-the-year/

AWARDS Exposure and recognition is the key to success for any designer. The ATY 2021 competition provides students the opportunity to showcase their work on a global stage.

The first prize winner of ATY 2021 shall be awarded a cash prize of $1,000 USD.

TROPHIES TOP 3 WINNERS will be awarded Custom Designed Trophies to honor their achievement. The trophies and certificates will be shipped to the Top 3 Winners.

INTERVIEW TOP 3 WINNERS will get an exclusive interview in, both, written and video formats. Photos, interviews, and more will be published on our website.

PUBLICATIONS TOP 3 WINNERS & 10 HONORABLE MENTIONS will be published on the Charette’s website and other international architecture websites partnered with us. The best entries will also be featured in theCharette Journal.

CERTIFICATES TOP 3 WINNERS, 10 HONORABLE MENTIONS, & TOP 30 entries will receive an e-certificate for their achievement.

ELIGIBILITY ATY 2021 is open to architecture students of all nationalities and institutions. All Undergraduate/Bachelors and Graduate/Masters Thesis conducted in the calendar year 2016 – 2021 are eligible to participate. Group, as well as individual entries, are allowed. The official language of the competition is English.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES Participants are required to submit one Presentation Board (Landscape A1) in the form of one JPG/JPEG file for the ATY 2021 competition.

KEY DATES Advance Entry:1 June – 30 June 2021 Early Entry:1 July – 31 July 2021 Standard Entry:1 Aug – 30 Nov 2021 Submission Deadline: 1 Dec 2021 Results: January 2022

REGISTRATION FEE $45-$65

Download the information related to this competition here.

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Neighborhood Planning

Moscow's Novy Arbat is an ode to socialist architecture and Soviet planning. In the mid-1960s, municipal authorities plowed a highway through old Moscow and built skyscrapers along its path. Today, city planners are trying to cope with the results.

Kuznetsov argues that the best way to transform Novy Arbat is through the use of trees, pedestrian zones, building restoration and proper lighting. The city government originally wanted to turn Novy Arbat into a Russian Times Square and flood it with bright lights. "But there are residential buildings there and bright lights would have made it impossible for people to sleep," says Kuznetsov. "So we took the opposite approach: We added trees and fill-lighting, which creates a greater sense of intimacy in the evening and reduces the sense of mega-space."

Soviet mega-spaces are one of Moscow's main urban design problems. "The human eye can distinguish individual faces up to 60 meters away," Kuznetsov explains. "People are able to distinguish leaves on a tree, a branch, a bench, elements of a certain scale. But open spaces of any great size create associations of danger. Spaces should be compact. That is why we decided to restore lindens on Tverskaya and plant trees along the Garden Ring," he says.

The area around Patriarch's Ponds is one of Moscow's most comfortable urban environments; many residents saying it doesn't feel like being in Moscow at all. Kuznetsov explains what makes it work. "It is very accessible, something to which we aspire: The first floors of buildings are devoted to businesses. Cafés and shops can only appear where space is physically available, so if an architectural plan makes no provision for them then that area will never attract visitors," he says.

One of Kuznetsov's big ideas is to allow increasing numbers of Moscow neighborhoods to exist autonomously. Like in Berlin, for example, where residents of Mitte, Kreuzberg or Prenzlauer Berg think of themselves as denizens of those specific districts. No longer will Muscovites need to cross half the city in order to reach the nearest good restaurant, bar or park.

Source: Moskva Agency

Soviet mega-spaces are one of Moscow’s main urban design problems. Kuznetsov believes spaces should be compact.

River embankments are one of the most lackluster areas of the city. "In the Soviet era, the waterfront was considered a peripheral area, a sort of backdrop for the city," he says. "They put garages and garbage dumps there. As for the river, there was nothing to be done with it. It was simply a transportation hub. Now, we believe that the river should be the city's main thoroughfare."

The chief architect believes that the construction of a new park across from the Kremlin will help revive the river embankment. The Zaryadye Park is to be built on the site of what was once the Soviet Union's largest hotel. When it is completed in 2017, it will include an approach to the water and a café.

Kuznetsov is also busy revitalizing the embankment in the area of the former ZIL factory in the south of the city. The factory itself is now gone — a huge vacant lot in its place. Kuznetsov promises the site will become home to bike paths and pedestrian zones. He hopes that changes will make the embankments unrecognizable within a decade. "For a project of this size, 10 years is nothing," he says. "Even in terms of a single human life, a decade is not a long time. That gives cause for optimism."

Upheaval to Continue

Optimism is in short supply among Muscovites these days. The city's liberal residents who mostly welcomed urban reform three years ago now increasingly greet changes with hostility. Many progressive Muscovites now view the creation of Western-style bike paths as a change for the worse, as a symbolic return to Soviet policies. The general response to any new construction is resentment.

The recent controversial decision to erect a 16-meter monument to Prince Vladimir in one of Moscow's most prominent locations — Borovitskaya Ploshchad, a location protected by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee — is just one such case. It is an important political undertaking, and one over which he has no influence. Kuznetsov says that his only role was to choose the landscaped design around the monument.

"Twenty young Moscow architects took part in the [landscape] contest," Kuznetsov says. "The winning project by AI Architects is a visual allusion to the historic baptism of Rus. It will appear as if water is flowing around the monument, while the stone steps will symbolize diverging ripples of water. I think that, with the right lighting for the monument and stairs, it look beautiful at night."

Greater outrage is expressed over the dismantling of famous public landmarks. As many as 35,000 people signed a petition against the demolition of a telephone exchange building on Pokrovsky Bulvar, originally built in 1929. A legacy of the famous Moscow constructivism movement, the building never gained official designation as an architectural landmark. When the building's owner decided to raze it and build a residential building it its place, the public was outraged. Several dozen architects, including Sergei Choban, Kuznetsov's former architectural partner, demanded that the mayor halt the demolition. None of that helped. Kuznetsov, again, argues that this particular incident is outside his jurisdiction and comes under the authority of the Urban Heritage Department.

Source:

Aside from complaints about individual reconstruction decisions, the main gripe from Muscovites has to do with the capital's constant construction. Kuznetsov counters that "any metropolis is a major construction site and the transition from the rigid Soviet model to a more flexible modern capital is inevitably painful."

Major new hubs are set to appear in the city, Kuznetsov says. Luzhniki Stadium will become the center of a zone devoted to sports; river embankments will become a paradise for runners, cafés and parks; while VDNKh will transform into an intellectual and educational center.

"Temporary inconveniences," as Kuznetsov calls the construction, are the price residents will have to pay for large-scale change. "Of course, if you live in the city center and workers are digging right outside your window all summer, that isn't much fun, but there's no getting around the fact a lot of the work has to be down there."

At the heart of it all is preparation for the 2018 FIFA World Cup , the engine pushing Moscow to change so rapidly. "I think the whole feel of city life will calm down after 2018," Kuznetsov says. "Everything will go back to the usual routine. This is only temporary work, but the results will be long-lasting. We need to have patience. That is the only advice I can offer." 

First published by The Moscow Times .

All rights reserved by Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

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Alexander Anisimov

Alexander Anisimov was born on April 16, 1935 in Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation. He was the son of Anisimova Eugenia Aleksandrovna and Anisimov Viktor Ivanovich.

In 1958, Alexander Anisimov graduated from Moscow Architectural Institute. In 1963, he enrolled to post-graduate at Research Institute of Public buildings and Facilities and in 1967 successfully defended his thesis. From 1968 to 1985 he taught at VGIK (now All-Russian State University of Cinematography named after S. A. Gerasimov) at decorating faculty.

After graduation A. Anisimov went on an assignment to Tomsk. In 1958 he taught at the Institute of Construction. In 1959 he returns to Moscow. By this time Alexander Viktorovich was the author of two buildings under construction. Since 1959, A. Anisimov works as an architect of the Central Research Institute of Housing. Under the leadership of Alexei Sergeevich Obraztsov, Alexander Viktorovich participated in the design of the Shopping Center in the Academic Township in Novosibirsk (1960). In the same year he designed a popular cafe among the youth called “Aelita”.

As part of the team of authors A. Anisimov also worked on the project of the Public Center for the village of Kalinovka in the Kursk region (1961-1964). From 1968 to 1985 he taught at VGIK (now All-Russian State University of Cinematography named after S. A. Gerasimov) at decorating faculty. Since 1969, he became the head of the design workshop in TsNIIEP educational buildings, where he designed a small town at Smolensk. From 1971 to the present time, Alexander Viktorovich works in Mosproject-4, specializing in the design of theatrical and spectacular buildings.

A special page in the creative activity of the architect is the Taganka Theater. Under the leadership of Alexander Viktorovich a new building was designed, the old was reconstructed and the interiors of the theater were created (1986).

Alexander Viktorovich Anisimov was a Corresponding Member of the International Academy of Architecture, Moscow Union of Architects (1962), Board of the USSR Supreme Soviet (1975-1985), Corresponding Member and Chief Scientific Secretary of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Building Sciences. He is also a member of Council of the Higher Attestation Commission and Scientific Councils in Research Institute of Theory and History of Architecture and Urban Planning (RITHAUP) and Moscow Architectural Institute.

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  1. Architecture Thesis Presentation 2023

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  1. THEORY AND CITY FORM: The Case of Ahmedabad

    to distribute publicly copies of this thesis document in whole or in part. Signature of author Egg Shat ejpal Department of Architecture May 8,1987 Certified by 1~ Accepted by lian Beinart Professor of Architecture Thesis Supervisor \J Julian Beh, Chairman s%41ss4epartmental Committee for Graduate Students

  2. CITY HALLucination: The Arching Attitudes of City Halls from Surface to

    This thesis aims to examine the role of city hall as an acupuncture architectural and urban design project within the American urban landscape across from the urban center to the urban edge. The first half of the thesis is a taxonomic research, which examines the arc of attitudes towards the political, social and spatial dimension of city halls ...

  3. 15 Architecture Thesis Topics for Urban Architecture

    1. Low-cost housing | Architecture Thesis. As more and more people are moving to dense urban cities like New York, in search of a better quality of living and opportunities, the city population is on the rise. As is the cost of living, making low-cost housing a dire need of societies, as low-income residents have limited choices for affordable ...

  4. Thesis Topics for Architecture :20 topics related to Sustainable ...

    Here are 20 Thesis topics for architecture related to Sustainable Architecture: 1. Urban Park | Thesis Topics for Architecture. To make a city livable and sustainable, urban parks play a key role to provide a healthy lifestyle for the residents of the city.

  5. 2020 Student Thesis Showcase

    KILLING IT: The Life and Death of Great American Cities by Amanda Golemba, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, M.Arch '20. Advisors: Nikole Bouchard, Jasmine Benyamin, and Erik Hancock / Independent Design Thesis. For decades, post-industrial cities throughout the United States have been quietly erased through self-imposed tabula rasa demolition. If considered at all, demolition is touted as ...

  6. FLOATING CITIES FROM CONCEPT TO CREATION

    A discussion of the challenges that are pending the floating city through literature review by Ali Adnan B. Arch, BRAC University, 2017 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF Master of Advanced Studies in Architecture in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

  7. Selected Architecture Thesis Projects: Fall 2020

    MAR 24, 2021. Location. Gund Hall Exterior. Department. Department of Architecture. Five films showcase a selection of Fall 2020 thesis projects from the Department of Architecture. From "Pair of Dice, Para-Dice, Paradise: A Counter-Memorial to Victims of Police Brutality" by Calvin Boyd. Pair of Dice, Para-Dice, Paradise: A Counter ...

  8. In-between Spaces: Atmospheres, Movement and New Narratives for The City

    thesis presents a multi-media study of atmospheres of in-between spaces in. Montreal focusing on writing as a tool for generating new narratives that inform. design. This research project develops a new methodology that reorients design-thinking towards a sequence of experiences through atmospheres in the.

  9. Architecture Thesis Projects: A Comprehensive List of 30 ...

    The design of public parks, plazas and playgrounds could be the best architecture thesis topic for an urban/landscape enthusiast. 14. Social Infrastructure. A robust, well-functioning society accommodates and facilitates the wellness of all its citizens and living beings.

  10. Architecture Masters Theses Collection

    Theses from 2023. PDF. Music As a Tool For Ecstatic Space Design, Pranav Amin, Architecture. PDF. Creating Dormitories with a Sense of Home, Johnathon A. Brousseau, Architecture. PDF. The Tectonic Evaluation And Design Implementation of 3D Printing Technology in Architecture, Robert Buttrick, Architecture. PDF.

  11. 20 Types of Architecture thesis topics

    Out of the large range of options, here are 20 architectural thesis topics. 1. Slum Redevelopment (Urban architecture) Slums are one of the rising problems in cities where overcrowding is pertinent. To account for this problem would be one of great value to the city as well as the inhabitants of the slum.

  12. Architecture Thesis Of The Year

    ELIGIBILITY. ATY 2022 is open to architecture students of all nationalities and institutions. All Undergraduate/Bachelors and Graduate/Masters Thesis conducted in the calendar year 2017 - 2022 ...

  13. DVITVA FILM CITY, THESIS REPORT by Sahas Vankadara

    Create a flipbook. DVITVA film city, a dedicated film city for the Sandalwood industry Architectural design thesis project, by Sahas V, USN:1DT17AT025, School of Architecture, Dayananda Sagar ...

  14. Toward a Resilient Architecture

    Toward a Resilient Architecture. YAZDANPANAH, ILIA. 2021. Toward a Resilient Architecture. Master's thesis, Harvard Graduate School of Design. Today, sustainability is recognized as a technical problem and is relegated to engineers. However, the issue of environment and design are so interdependent that one can shape the other.

  15. 10 Award-Winning Architecture Thesis Projects

    This urban design thesis project shows light on architecture's influence on one's emotions with the holy city of Varanasi in India as the backdrop. With a focus on issues arising due to the city's cremation grounds, the thesis explores innovative and sustainable solutions for the same.

  16. 2021 Thesis Prize in Landscape Architecture: Gracie Villa's "City

    by Gracie Villa (MLA I '21) — Recipient of the Thesis Prize in Landscape Architecture. Based in the belief that the quality of the urban landscape directly reflects the quality of its soil, I propose to utilize processes of beneficial disturbance to reorder the vegetative and soil regimes in the city's public realm.

  17. 10 Inspiring Architecture Thesis Topics For 2023: Exploring Sustainable

    Architecture Thesis Topic #7 - Urban Landscapes with Biophilic Design. Project example: The High Line is an elevated ...

  18. Architecture Thesis- City Centre by Kajal Makhijani

    D. COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, SVIT, VASAD College of Architecture Design Thesis Project IX Semester. E. City Centre - A Retail-tainment Centre. About the project The topic for my Thesis is City ...

  19. ARCHITECTURE THESIS OF THE YEAR

    Participants are required to submit one Presentation Board (Landscape A1) in the form of one JPG/JPEG file for the ATY 2021 competition. KEY DATES. Advance Entry:1 June - 30 June 2021. Early ...

  20. Moscow: The making of a modern metropolis :: Web media :: Publications

    A city such as Moscow cannot usher in a brand new era of architectural competence without the right educational centres and opportunities. In this respect, the city is well served with design and architecture schools including the Strelka Institute, MARCH Architecture school, the Higher School of Urbanism and the prestigious Moscow ...

  21. studio associato bernardo secchi paola viganò

    In the history of many cities, like in Moscow history, this has happened several times; marking the city social meaning in the different periods: the aristocratic city, the soviet city and, this is our thesis, the Moscow of the XXI century. «Magnificenza Civile» does not concern only architectural icons.

  22. Moscow's chief architect envisions the city's future

    Sergei Kuznetsov's goals have changed little in his six years as Moscow's chief architect. He is still primarily focused on developing pedestrian areas, public spaces and traffic flows.

  23. Alexander Anisimov

    Architectural guidebook" (1997); "Venice" (2002), "The City of St. Petersburg" (2003). Membership Alexander Viktorovich Anisimov was a Corresponding Member of the International Academy of Architecture, Moscow Union of Architects (1962), Board of the USSR Supreme Soviet (1975-1985), Corresponding Member and Chief Scientific Secretary ...