Scott Proudfoot
Of
the
thesis
entitled:Reconstruction
Site
|Re-designingthe
disposable
Expo
Abstract:
Building,
supported
by
the
practice
of
architecture,
is
churning
resources
into
waste
at
an
alarming
rate.
Our
method
of
construction
has
its
inevitable
conclusion
in
a
pile
of
rubble.
Lamentably,
the
natural
resources
we
build
with
are
finite,
andour
exploitation
of
these
has
nearly
reached
its
peak.
As
humanity
strives
for
a
renewable
energy
future,
architecture
must
engage
in
the
renewable
use
of
materials.
In
the
long
term
future,
architects
need
to
design
buildings
so
their
materialscan
be
recovered,
refurbished
and
reused.
Principles
for
designing
in
circularlife
cycles
were
laid
out
by
McDonough
and
Braungart
in
their
2002
book,
Cradleto
Cradle.[1]In
more
than
adecade
sincethe
book
was
published,
there
is
little
evidence
that
the
process
ofarchitecture
has
changed
to
support
design
for
disassembly
and
the
reuse
ofmaterials.
This
thesis
aims
to
outline
a
method
of
design
for
material
reusethat
supports
a
healthy
circular
flow
ofmaterial
life,
death
and
rebirth.
World
Expositions
have
become
the
epitome
of
disposable
architecture,
withrenowned
architects
designing
pavilions
with
an
intended
life
span
of
sixmonths.
This
thesis
proposes
a
transformation
of
the
Expo
type
from
an
endgameof
waste
to
one
of
reuse.
Acontemplated
Expo
Toronto
in
2025
provides
theopportunity
to
reclaim
a
reputation
for
showcasing
the
future.
The
proposedbrief
for
such
an
Expo
challenges
countries
to
exhibit
stories
of
regenerationin
an
event
built
on
the
theme
of
reuse
and
recycling.
The
Expo
isan
idealvenue
for
the
design
of
prototype
pavilions
assembled
out
of
renewable
andreusable
materials.
This
thesis
proposes
two
pavilion
types,
which
at
theExpo’s
conclusion
will
be
immediately
reused
in
communities
across
Canada.
Thefirst
type
is
designed
to
beentirely
recycled
when
it
is
no
longer
needed.
Thesecond
pavilion
type
is
assembled
of
material
which
can
be
composted,
returningnutrients
to
the
soil.
The
resulting
buildings
will
be
adaptable
to
change,
reusablein
parts,
and
return
their
materials
to
circular
flows
atend
of
life.
[1].WilliamMcDonough
and
Michael
Braungart,Cradle
to
Cradle
:
Remaking
the
WayWe
Make
Things(New
York:
North
Point
Press,
2002),
166.
| Supervisor: | TerriBoake, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Member: | Jane Hutton, University of ݮƵ |
| Internal Reader: | Val Rynnimeri, University ofݮƵ |
| External Reader: | PaulDowsett, Sustainable TO |
The committee has been approved as authorized by the Graduate Studies Committee.
The Defence Examination will take place:
Thursday, January 5, 2017 1:00PM ARC2008
A copy of the thesis is available for perusal in ARC 2106A.
Snehanjali Sumanth
Of
the
thesis
entitled:Submechanophilia
Abstract:
Twenty-threefederal
offshore
oil
platforms
line
the
coast
of
Southern
California
forapproximately
200
miles
from
Point
Conepcion,
Santa
Barbara
County
toHuntington
Beach,
Oxford
County.
Installed
from1968
to
1989,
they
are
some
ofthe
oldest
platforms
in
theworld
and
currently
face
the
process
of
completedecommissioning
after
having
consumed
the
site’s
200-million-year-old
reservesin
just
over
a
century.
The
site
holds
a
heavy
history
with
oil;
from
one
ofthe
world’s
first
offshore
oil
wells
in
1896,
to
large
andcatastrophic
oilspills,
to
present
day,
with
unregulated
offshore
fracking.
However,
beneath
the
surface
of
the
water,
their
metal
lattice
structurethat
anchors
them
to
the
earth
is
covered
in
a
thick
layer
of
life,
as
theyhave
grown
into
dense
micro-habitats
that
support
an
entire
food
cycle
-
fromdeep
sea
invertebrates
to
fish
and
large
mammals.The
site
composes
the
firsthalf
of
the
Southern
California
Bight,
a
zone
on
the
coastal
shelf
that
is
richin
ecological
diversity.
Here,
complex
offshore
winds
and
eddies
twist
larvae,nutrients,
and
plankton
to
the
platforms,
initiating
the
growth
of
life.
Thequestion
of
thepreservation
of
life
on
the
platforms
has
placed
a
doubt
in
theprocess
of
decommissioning,
with
many
stakeholders
speculating
on
keeping
theplatforms
in
place
with
a
future
use.
Inspired
by
contemporary
French
sociologist
Bruno
Latour’s
spirit
ofinclusivity
and
collectivity
amongst
the
sciences,
this
thesis
proposes
thereuse
of
oil
platforms
as
centres
of
scientific
and
field
research,
invitingthe
sciences
to
re-enter
the
site
as
a
collective
whoseintention
is
to
studyand
cohabitate
with
the
site’s
ecology.
Gathering
the
sciences
that
maintain
aninterest
in
the
site,
the
design
aims
to
engage
with
site’s
assembly
of
humanand
non-human
forces
and
immerse
into
the
forces
of
energy,
matter
and
life.
| Supervisor: | AdrianBlackwell, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Members: | Anne Bordeleau, University of ݮƵ |
| Dereck Revington, University ofݮƵ | |
| External Reader: | JoyceHwang, University at Buffalo |
The committee has been approved as authorized by the Graduate Studies Committee.
The Defence Examination will take place:
Wednesday, January 11, 2017 10:30AM ARCLoft
A copy of the thesis is available for perusal in ARC 2106A.
Marieh Dialameh
Of
the
thesis
entitled:PORTABLE
POST-DISASTER
HOME
Providing
along-term
temporary
solution
for
the
displaced
people
affected
by
naturaldisasters
Abstract:
According
to
the
United
Nationsstatistics,
since
2008,
an
average
of
26.4
million
people
have
been
displacedper
year
because
of
natural
disasters.
In
other
words,
one
person
loses
his/herhome
every
second.
This
is
while
these
figuresdo
not
even
include
the
numberof
people
who
have
become
homeless
or
are
forced
into
living
in
terribleconditions
because
of
wars
and
violence,
or
other
issues
such
as
financialdifficulties.
Sadly,
the
number
of
displaced
people
areincreasing
every
year;this
is
while
so
many
critical
issues
such
as
lack
or
shortage
of
proper
housingor
shelter,
food,
water,
sanitary
facilities
and
many
other
problems
have
stillbeen
left
unresolved
for
those
who
have
been
displacedyears
ago.
Because
ofthe
importance
of
the
living
environment
on
one’s
mental
and
physical
health,my
thesis
is
focused
on
designing
a
mobile
home
that
would
be
used
as
along-term
temporary
solution
primarily
by
the
displacedpeople
who
have
losttheir
home
due
to
natural
disasters.
The
proposed
dwelling
unit
would
be
easilytransportable
and
would
include
the
basic
sanitary
facilities
such
as
a
toilet,wash
basin,shower,
and
a
mini
kitchen,
alongwith
other
spaces
needed
for
a
comfortable
life.
The
tiny
home
would
also
beable
to
operate
on
the
grid
as
well
as
off
the
grid
for
sites
where
no
orlittle
infrastructure
is
provided.
The
main
goal
of
thisthesis
is
to
propose
alight-weight,
cost-effective
and
compact
dwelling
unit
by
exploring
the
conceptof
“expandability”,
and
to
provide
the
displaced
people
with
a
safe,
healthy,and
comfortable
living
environment
until
theirpermanenthouses
are
reconstructed.
| Co-Supervisors: | JohnMcMinn, University of ݮƵ |
| RolfSeifert, University of ݮƵ | |
| Internal Reader: | ValRynnimeri, University ofݮƵ |
| External Reader: | Michel Caron, CaronConsulting Inc |
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Wednesday,
January
11,
2017
2:30PM
ARC2003
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.
Matthew Lawson
Of
the
thesis
entitled:Collective
Form:
Infill
housing
and
newdomestic
spaces
in
Toronto'sresidentialneighbourhoods
Abstract:
Torontois
facing
a
housing
crisis,
the
symptoms
of
which
are
apparent
across
the
city;property
values
are
increasing
at
a
dizzying
rate,
rental
vacancy
rates
are
athistoric
lows,
poverty
and
displacement
are
being
made
more
visible
by
waves
ofgentrification.
And
yet,Toronto
is
undergoing
a
boom
of
residentialconstruction,
with
high
rise
condominiums
changing
the
fabric
of
large
parts
ofthe
city.
Housing
in
this
climate
is
conceived
as
a
speculative
commodity,rather
than
as
a
space
of
dwelling;
this
is
a
crisis
not
only
ofaffordabilityand
access
to
housing,
but
also
the
quality
of
domestic
space.
This
conditionis
not
simply
an
issue
of
the
current
supply
of
housing,
but
inherent
to
itsproduction
and
form.
The
thesis
proposes
an
alternative
to
the
contemporaryproduction
of
housing,
as
acritical
response
to
the
housing
crisis
andcontemporary
domestic
space.
The
historical
evolution
ofresidential
typologies
in
the
city
makes
legible
policy
and
planning
tools
aswell
as
socio-economic
tendencies.
The
initial
subdivision
of
large
scaleproperties
in
the
early
city
into
individual
residential
lots
and
accompanyingcommodificationof
property
led
to
the
large-scale
production
of
semi
anddetached
single
family
homes
as
the
dominant
historic
type
in
the
city,creating
a
perceived
image
of
Toronto
as
a
‘City
of
Homes’
that
persists
intothe
present.
Post
war
development
expanded
this
production
ofsingle
familyhomes
to
the
suburbs,
while
displacing
substantial
urban
communities
throughUrban
Renewal
schemes
and
the
construction
of
high
rise
towers.
While
largersocial
and
economic
institutions
have
undergone
rapid
changes
characterised
bythe
currenttendency
towards
neoliberalization,
domestic
space
is
stillstructured
around
the
institution
of
the
nuclear
family,
and
the
type
of
thesingle-family
home.
The
thesis
positions
itself
in
the
tradition
of
urbananalysis
and
infill
typologies
proposed
by
architects
like
Diamondand
Myersand
George
Baird,
and
associated
reform
planning
movements
that
emerged
inresponse
to
these
patterns
in
the
1970’s,
while
imagining
the
possibilities
ofnew
domestic
spaces
that
reflect
contemporary
living
conditions.
Building
upon
this
precedentof
infill
housing,
the
proposal
contextualizes
low-rise
high
density
developmentwithin
Toronto’s
residential
Neighbourhoods;
large
geographic
areas
of
singlefamily
homes
currently
protected
from
any
densification.
The
design
proposalacts
as
a
synthesis
to
these
ideas
about
the
form
of
contemporary
domesticspace
and
the
contextual
nature
of
infill,
creating
increased
density
forreasons
of
affordability
for
residents,
but
also
to
respond
to
both
social
andecological
sustainability
made
possible
byincreased
density
and
more
efficientland
use.
The
logic
of
the
building
form
is
contextually
responsive,establishing
a
series
of
setbacks
based
on
the
existing
structure
of
theneighbourhoods,
as
well
as
manipulating
the
forms
based
on
subtractive
planes.A
resident
leddevelopment
model
is
proposed
to
resist
the
commodification
ofhousing,
while
creating
spaces
that
are
more
suitable
for
a
diverse
range
ofcontemporarydomestic
realitieswith
reference
both
to
international
models,
as
well
as
a
longhistory
of
cooperative
housing
inToronto.
The
internal
organization
of
thebuilding
reinforces
these
social
organizational
structures
through
theprovision
of
common
spaces
and
the
collectivization
of
domestic
labour.
Thereplication
of
these
typological
experiments
across
the
urban
fabric
allows
ustoenvision
the
production
of
new
forms
of
collective
dwelling
as
a
radicalproposal
for
transforming
the
city
and
domestic
space
as
a
right
to
the
city.
| Supervisor: | AdrianBlackwell, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Members: | Marie-Paule Macdonald, University of ݮƵ |
| John McMinn, University ofݮƵ | |
| External Reader: | MarkSterling, University of Toronto |
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Wednesday,
January
11,
2017
5:00PM
ARCLoft
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.
Sarah Gertler
Of
the
thesis
entitled:City
Familiaris:
A
Study
inDomesticating
Infrastructures
Abstract:
Problems
associated
withhyper
density
in
Canada
are
fairly
new,
but
they
often
create
innate
conflictsfor
all
those
who
dwell
in
the
afflicted
areas.
CityPlace,
in
Toronto
is
onesuch
place.
The
project
is
the
largest
master-planned
community
within
Torontoand
is
alsodensest
neighbourhood
in
the
city.
The
model
for
its
development
isknown
as
Vancouverism
and
the
podium
–
tower
is
the
essential
building
block
ofthis
style.
The
main
goal
of
this
type
is
livable
high-density
which
isachieved
through
a
created
criteria
and
template
fordesign.
The
resultingdevelopments
tend
to
meet
the
“requirements”
needed
and
there
are
associatedbenefits,
but
due
to
their
compliance
a
homogeny
is
created.
This
homogeny
waspassed
down
to
the
residents
that
inhabit
these
buildings.
The
great
majorityof
residentsare
young,
urban
professionals.
The
problem
created
is
that
thisparticular
group
of
people
are
also
prone
to
bringing
a
being
that
was
notconsidered
in
the
design
and
does
not
fit
within
the
homogeny
created,
the
dog.
Dogs
are
abundant
residentsof
these
neighbourhoods
and
they
easily
show
the
problems
associated
with
thistype
of
development
because
their
presence
magnifies
the
inadequacy
of
theenvironment
created.
The
neighbourhood
lacks
public
spaces
and
accommodation;asa
result
it
lacks
community.
This
means
that
few
feel
the
need
to
takeresponsibility
for
the
neighbourhood
and
instead
of
understanding
the
problem,blame
is
often
given
to
the
dogs
which
are
perceived
as
the
problem.Considering
this
thesis’s
estimated
number
of
2900dogs
within
CityPlace
andadjacent
areas
this
problem
is
a
very
large
one.
The
intention
of
this
thesisis
to
alter
the
flawed
environment
(CityPlace)
by
lifting
away
some
of
itsdeep-seated
rigidity
to
make
it
more
open
to
the
other
which
in
this
case
isthe
dog.
When
CityPlace
was
being
designed
there
was
no
indication
of
the
dogpopulation
thatwould
reside
there.
No
accommodation
was
planned
for
thedisorder
they
may
cause
or
the
pressures
that
they
would
place
on
the
finite,available
green
public
space.
This
resulted
in
conflicts
over
the
problems
theycaused.
Since
there
was
inadequate
preparation,
stopgap
methods
such
as
signagewere
implemented.
As
these
failed
tensions
continued
to
rise
and
the
presenceof
the
dog
and
its
associated
by-products
are
now
one
of
the
most
hotlycontested
issues
within
CityPlace
and
neighbourhoods
like
it.
The
proposed
thesis
isdesigned
to
alleviate
these
problems
through
accommodation
for
the
other.
Thislessens
the
rigidity
imposed
on
the
neighbourhood
to
make
it
more
accepting
todogs
and
humans.
This
is
achieved
through
integration
into
the
existingneighbourhoodthat
takes
advantage
of
all
the
underused
or
under-plannedterritories.
Accommodation
does
not
impede
upon
the
community,
but
insteadmakes
it
better.
It
also
allows
for
the
spreading
out
of
design
interventionswhich
has
the
added
benefit
of
diffusing
the
intensity
ofuse.
Not
only
willthis
reduce
conflict,
but
it
will
allow
for
the
design
to
become
multipurpose.This
will
all
be
done
in
an
effort
to
provide
better
accommodation
for
the
dogwhile
increasing
benefits
to
all
other
parties
involved.
| Co-Supervisors: | Val Rynnimeri, University of ݮƵ |
| MonaEl-Khafif, University of ݮƵ | |
| Committee Member: | Adrian Blackwell, University ofݮƵ |
| External Reader: | LisaRapoport, PLANT Architect Inc. |
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Thursday,
January
12,
2017
2:00PM
ARC2003
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.
Sheng Wu
Of
the
thesis
entitled:Tactics
to
Tiny:
Finding
YourWay
Home
Abstract:
This
is
a
study
of
tiny
homes
and
how
they
fit
within
thepractical
and
theoretical
framework
of
our
regulatory
housing
system.
It
startswith
a
(much)
smaller
home
but
has
social,
political,
financial
and
legalimplications
fargreater
than
its
physical
size.
Concluding
with
a
guidebook
oftactics
in
a
choose-your-own-adventure
format,
readers
navigate
the
currentsystem
and
experience
the
choices
and
challenges
it
takes
to
obtain
a
tinyhome.
Itoffers
conscious
readers
the
opportunity
to
critique
their
ownpresumptions
on
traditional
home-ownership.
The
format
is
congruent
with
thebelief
that
there
is
more
than
one
way
to
reach
a
destination
and
there
is
morethanone
destination
when
it
comes
to
choosing
our
homes.
We
should
nurture
thesmall,
agile,
and
convivial
efforts
of
autonomous
individuals
making
a
home
forthemselves.
The
dweller
gains
back
control
of
the
home,
allowing
itto
becomeone’s
specific
adaptation
of
the
world.
| Supervisor: | ValRynnimeri, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Member: | Andrew Levitt, University of ݮƵ |
| Internal Reader: | Donald McKay, University ofݮƵ |
| External Reader: | Fred Thompson |
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Monday,
January
16,
2017
6:00PM
Main
Lecture
Theatre
(ARC
1001)
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.
DinaTranze-Drabinia
Of
the
thesis
entitled:A
Home
for
Urban
Families:
An
Alternative
Approach
to
Housing
inDowntown
Toronto
Abstract:
As
prices
of
single
family
homes
rapidlyincrease
in
Toronto,
many
families
are
faced
with
a
challenging
dilemma:
movebeyond
the
city’s
peripheries
to
where
house
prices
are
lower,
or
remain
withinthe
city
and
attempt
tofind
suitable
housing
in
multi-unit
buildings.Recently,
more
families
have
been
choosing
the
latter,
yet
discovering
that
thecity
offers
very
few
affordable
housing
options
suitable
for
families
withchildren.
This
thesis
is
anexploration
into
why
this
is
the
case
and
aproposition
for
a
possible
solution.
The
exploration
is
broken
down
into
twocomponents:
the
political
and
economic
framework
of
housing
affordability
andan
urban
and
architectural
analysis
of
design
compatibility
of
housing
forfamilies
with
children.
Thefindings
suggest
that
a
more
comprehensive
economicmodel
is
required,
with
consideration
given
to
community
land
trusts
andco-operative
housing.
Furthermore,
a
design
approach
which
considers
theamenities
anddiversity
required
by
family
life
is
seen
to
create
a
moreinclusive
built
environment.
The
research
culminates
in
a
design
synthesis
-
a
proposal
of
aco-operative
building
on
an
existing
parking
lot
in
Bloor
West
Village.
Theproposed
design
of
the
Home
for
Urban
Families
is
exemplary
in
nature,
in
thatitdisplays
a
possible
solution
within
the
established
framework
of
the
thesis.
| Supervisor: | ValRynnimeri, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Members: | Andrew Levitt, University of ݮƵ |
| John McMinn, University ofݮƵ | |
| External Reader: | Michael Hannay, W Architect,Inc. |
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Tuesday,
January
17,
2017
3:00PM
ARC
2008
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.
Elie Bourget
Of
the
thesis
entitled:TheSmall-er
House
Design
Scheme
Abstract:
There
is
a
conflict
takingplace
between
regional
and
community
interests.This
tension
is
nothing
new.Often
times
this
conflict
is
borne
out
of
urban
renewal
schemes
and
majorinfrastructure
interventions
in
core
neighbourhoods.Asthe
‘back
to
the
city’
trend
increaseshowever,
these
conflicts
are
more
and
more
likely
to
push
into
first-ring
andpostwar
suburbs.With
intensificationpolicy,
like
with
urban
renewal
schemes
of
old,
it
is
the
small
things
that
getlostin
the
shuffle.In
Ottawa,
Canada,this
conflict
is
being
fought
over
character;
sun,
trees,
parking,
landscaping,setbacks,
and
affordability.These
arenot
the
most
glamorous
aspects
of
architectural
design
and
many
would
arguechangeis
inevitable.But
if
thesecharacteristics
were
in
fact
founding
tenets
of
a
residential
community,
thenpolicy
makers
ought
make
every
effort
to
protect
them
as
they
set
and
pursueintensification
targets.
Unfortunately
these
low-density
residential
streets
have
fallen
into
apolicy
blind-spot
and
city
planners
are
currently
scrambling
to
refine
newbylaws
aimed
at
curbing
invasive,
or
excessive,
developments.So
how
do
we
add
morepeople
to
theseneighbourhoods
without
the
wholesale
replacement
of
the
existing
housingstock?For
the
suburb
of
Overbrook
theanswer
may
be
to
take
a
page
out
of
the
50’s
and
go
small,
extra
small.The
introduction
of
coachhouses
wouldunlock
a
much
needed
source
of
infill
for
this
neighbourhood,
and
many
like
itacross
the
country.This
thesis
proposestheir
regulation
and
deployment
aided
by
a
federal
initiative
inspired
by
thepostwar
Small
HouseDesign
scheme
of
the
Central
Mortgage
and
HousingCorporation.
| Supervisor: | DonaldMcKay, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Member: | Rick Haldenby, University of ݮƵ |
| Internal Reader: | Val Rynnimeri, University ofݮƵ |
| External Reader: | Michael Hannay, W Architect,Inc. |
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Tuesday,
January
17,
2017
6:00PM
ARC
2026
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.
Sara Torki Baghbadorani
Of
the
thesis
entitled:Contemplative
Space:Design
for
Generative
Parametric
Tessellations
Applied
to
a
Shell
Structure
Abstract:
This thesis focuses on a componential shell structure constructed through a generative, parametric, modular system at global and local scales. The shell form uses vault topology, is adaptive to various geographical regions, and serves as contemplative space. For this purpose, Grasshopper components hosting written C# code are used to design two strategies within a multi-layer system.
First, the design proposes a master system that is standard in both strategies, capable of expanding based on the region in which the design is to be realized. The second layer of this complex system uses the specific topology of the vault system. The two proposed strategies have the same components, column (the load-bearing module) and bridge (the module for covering the span), each of which exhibit different behaviours: first, symmetrical and homogeneous form and, second, non-symmetrical and heterogeneous form. The internal decoration system proposed for each strategy is based on algorithmic geometry, with two different characters: the first is inspired by muqarnas as a specific vernacular ornament (primarily from traditional Persian architecture), whereas the second is a non-cultural, neutral ornament (originating from computational design and achieved by deformation of mesh division).
The research informing the design focuses on two main areas, historical and contemporary architecture. In the first area of research, two precedents, “Arabesque Wall,” by Benjamin Dillenburger and Michael Hansmeyer, and “La Voûte de LeFevre” by Brandon Clifford and Wes McGee are described. An analysis of these contemporary architectural precedents help to explore how emerging digital technologies, in collaboration with the past, can create a new design ecology and culture. The second area of research considers cultural and phenomenological observations and the aesthetics of the design in its physical and psychological aspects in both historical and contemporary contexts, from the topology of the form to the visual perception of the internal surface that aims to create a “contemplative space.” This investigation indicates the points of contact between arabesque art as vernacular ornament and contemporary, computer-based art. Computational and parametric design is considered with regards to its effect on contemporary design culture. The parametric strategies, software, and C# coding used in the thesis are introduced along with Peter Fotiadis, the author of the C# programming. The spatial ornament known as muqarnas is analyzed as one example of algorithmic ornament, illustrated through a contemporary “art of the knot” designed using parametric tools. In the last part of the research, the features of the vault system are demonstrated historically and through individual examples of each kind. In parallel, the contemporary shell structure and methods form optimization by means of computational simulation and morphogenesis are investigated.
The
parametric
system
developed
in
the
thesis
design,
using
C#
coding
integrated
with
Grasshopper
software,
provides
an
opportunity
to
design
a
complex
geometrical
system
to
be
applied
to
the
shell
envelope.
The
resulting,
stand-alone
shell
provides
a
shelter
for
protecting
people
from
weather
conditions,
capable
of
hosting
a
variety
of
public
or
private
activities.
The
parametric
shell
structure
is
proposed
to
be
implemented
based
on
the
decoration
strategy,
with
the
“Modular”
strategy
for
specific
regions
familiar
with
the
vernacular
option
such
as
Iran
and
Arab
countries,
and
the
“Vault”
strategy,
using
a
deformed
mesh
decoration,
for
two
different
sites
in
St.
Petersburg,
Russia
and
Las
Vegas,
USA.
| Supervisor: | Philip Beesley, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Member: | David Correa, University of ݮƵ |
| Internal Reader: | Val Rynnimeri, University ofݮƵ |
| External Reader: | Matthew Spremulli |
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Thursday,
January
26,
2017
4:00PM
ARC
2003
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.
Shannon Wright
Of
the
thesis
entitled:Claiming
the
Sky:
Rethinking
High-Rise
Development
in
the
City
of
Toronto
Abstract:
Toronto is following the footsteps of populated urban cities like New York through the extrusion of skyscrapers, transforming Toronto into one of the densest cities in North America. Rapid development of residential density has produced a mono-centric core in which density is favoured over sustainable social neighbourhoods. This “gold rush” of condominium development has superseded the production of public amenity infrastructure to support the density added. Limited vacant lands, coupled with rising housing prices and the ever-increasing population, points to a potential crisis in which the long-term sustainability of these towers is questioned. Towers within the core can no longer afford to maintain the existing inflexible mono-culture, but must include public amenity infrastructure which supports the rapid density and diverse populous. The presence of the “tower”, soaring far beyond the ground plain, has further amplified the social and physical disconnect of the cities fabric and its inhabitants, while removing the responsibility from developers taking advantage of the trends.
This thesis aims to investigate the production of tower “neighbourhoods” through the hybridization of vertical public and private spaces. The proposal aims to question the current high rise trends and limited public amenity infrastructure within the city and provide an alternative model for porous vertical neighbourhoods in which public amenity infrastructure is used to achieve social sustainability within Toronto’s core.
| Co-Supervisors: | Rick Andrighetti, University of ݮƵ |
| Mona El Khafif, University of Virginia | |
| Committee Member: | Val Rynnimeri, University ofݮƵ |
| External Reader: | Mark Sterling, University of Toronto |
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Wednesday,
March
22,
2017
10:00AM
ARC
2003
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.
Brock Benninger
Of
the
thesis
entitled:THEOTHER
PLACE
|Building
a
Retreatof
One’s
Own
Abstract:
How
is
one
to
ground
themselves
in
an
increasingly
virtual
andabstract
world?The
Other
Place
offers
acomplimentary
environment
to
daily
life.
Here
one
can
establish
the
necessarycritical
distance
from
the
conditionswhich
define
day
to
day
life,
and
gainthe
perspective
required
to
position
ones
self
within,
or
against,
theseconditions.Interpretations
of
The
OtherPlace,
beginning
with
the
ideology
of
Otium
as
expressed
through
theromanvilla,
continue
today,
varying
widely
across
cultures,
regions
andindividuals.The
Other
Place,
then,
canbe
understood
as
representative
of
characteristics
that
are
at
once
general,and
quite
specific,
reflective
ofbroad
contextual
considerations,
and
theparticularities
of
its
occupant.
Therich
and
complex
process
of
designing
and
building
a
retreat
of
one’s
own,
inthe
tradition
of
the
Ontario
Cottage,
on
an
island
property
3
hours
northeastof
Toronto
is
used
to
engage
with,
in
a
rich
and
tangible
way,thearchitecture,
and
understanding
of
the
retreat
as
acomplimentaryenvironment
necessary
in
contemporary
life.The
act
of
building
leads
to
an
examination
of
how
building
and
self
areinseparable.Building,
then,becomes
a
meansof
architectural
and
self-understanding.As
The
Other
Place
facilitates
a
wholeness
in
contemporary
existencefound
through
its
experience,
so
too
is
a
wholeness
in
architectural
educationgained
in
thepragmatic
relationship
between
theory
and
practice
found
inmoving
from
the
studio
to
building
site
and
applying
knowledge
gained
from
oneto
the
other.
| Supervisor: | Rick Andrighetti, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Members: | Rick Haldenby, University of ݮƵ |
| John McMinn, University of ݮƵ | |
| External Reader: | PaulDowling |
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Friday,
March
24,
2017
1:30PM
ARC
2026
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.
Rachel Cohen-Murison
Of
the
thesis
entitled:From
Mountain
toMaleh:
Water
as
an
Agent
of
Negotiation
in
theKidronValley
/
Wadi
an-Nar
Abstract:
In
a
site
with
significantly
fractured
political,
social,
and
environmentalgovernance,
it
comes
as
no
surprise
that
the
West
Bank’s
water
network
isfraught
with
issues.
Over-pumping
of
groundwater,
inadequate
sewage
treatment,andcontamination
of
surface
and
groundwater
are
by-products
of
theIsraeli-Palestinian
conflict.
The
West
Bank’s
Mountain
Aquifer
system
generatesmore
than
a
third
of
Israel’s
yearly
water
intake
(600-700
million
cubicmetres)
but
isbeing
heavily
pumped,supplying
significantly
more
water
to
Israelis
than
Palestinians.
Arecharge
area
of
4700
square
kilometres
allows
polluted
wastewater
from
overtwo
million
Israeli
and
Palestinian
inhabitants
of
the
West
Bankand
Jerusalemarea
to
enter
groundwater.Over
time,levels
of
nitrate
and
micro-biological
contaminants
from
inadequate
sewagetreatment,
dumping,
and
agricultural
runoff
have
increased,
compromising
futuredrinking
water
qualityfrom
springs
and
wells.
One
valleyin
particular,
Nahal
Kidron/Wadi
an-Nar,
receives
a
significant
amount
ofpollution.
It
is
one
of
the
only
cross-border
streams
between
Israel
and
thePalestinian
West
Bank
to
not
have
an
environmental
remediation
plan
inplace.Framed
within
the
parameters
of
the
current
Israeli-Palestinian
conflict,research
on
the
impact
of
unmitigated
surface
and
groundwater
pollution,
aswell
as
social
inequity
between
communities
in
the
Kidron/Wadi
an-Nar,
hasinspired
this
thesis‘s
design
of
architecture
and
landscape
treatmentstewarding
environmental
and
social
agency.
The
thesisfirst
examines
the
existing
context
of
the
water
network
and
politicalboundaries
of
the
Kidron/Wadi
an-Nar.
Cultural
history
and
urban
theory
informthe
analysis
of
the
site,
further
explaining
how
water
and
land
arespatiallynegotiated
and
governed
in
a
state
of
conflict.
Finally,
this
thesis
proposesarchitecture
and
landscape
interventions
at
three
locations
along
theKidron/Wadi
an-Nar.
These
installations
operate
at
varying
scales,
from
a
smallcommunity
park
to
large
landscape
installations,
in
order
to
serve
asinterfaces
for
independent
water
sourcing,
distribution,
and
treatment
outsideof
the
existing
de
facto
West
Bank
water
infrastructure
network.
Theseinstallations
donot
propose
a
solution,
however
desperately
needed,
to
the
long-heldconflict
in
the
region,
but
instead
set
up
a
series
of
architecture
andlandscape
interventions
which
shape
how
the
sites
would
be
managed
in
thefuture.
This
thesis
draws
methodologicalinspiration
from
existing
EcoPeace
Ecoparks;
design
inspiration
from
the
AravaInstitute’s
sewage
disposal
units
for
rural
Palestinian
towns,
as
well
as
frompreventative
planting;
and
animplementation
structure
from
the
existing
KidronAction
Plan
steering
committee,
as
well
as
the
Arava
Institute's
Centre
forTransboundary
Water
Management.
These
groups
and
projects
harness
respectivecommunities‘
agency
overwater
within
their
broader
watershed.
| Supervisor: | Lola Sheppard, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Members: | Rick Andrighetti, University of ݮƵ |
| Suzy Harris-Brandts | |
| External Reader: | FadiMasoud, University of Toronto |
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Monday,
April
10,
2017
9:00AM
ARC
2003
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.
Rachel Fung
Of
the
thesis
entitled:AquaCalifornia:
Water
Infrastructure
in
the
Age
of
Scarcity
Abstract:
Waterscarcity
is
one
of
the
most
prominent
water
issues
worldwide.
Globally,
thereare
multiple
countries
suffering
from
various
degrees
of
drought
and
the
recentCalifornia
drought
is
indisputably
one
of
the
most
critical
examples
ofthewater
shortage
issue.
A
series
of
natural
phenomenon
triggered
by
climatechange
have
caused
depletion
in
the
regional
freshwater
supply.
This
lack
offreshwater
has
led
to
the
closure
of
agribusinesses
and
decrease
in
employmentand
food
supplies.
Water
shortage
is
not
just
an
environmental
crisis
but
alsoaffects
economic,
political
and
social
systems
on
multiple
levels,
and
thegolden
state
that
once
represented
the
American
dream
now
suffers
severely
fromits
worst
drought
in
1200
years.
The
situation
inCalifornia
is
not
merely
a
result
of
climate
instability;
out-dated
waterinfrastructure
systems
and
failure
to
capture
potential
water
resources
arealso
key
contributors
to
the
scarcity.
Due
to
the
state’s
diversemicroclimates,
much
of
California
currently
depends
on
other
parts
of
theregion
for
imported
water
supply.
Under
the
existing
drought,
the
large-scalewater
allocation
systems
are
proven
to
be
unreliable
as
they
further
unbalancewater
stress
at
the
source
and
end-use
locations.
Locally,
there
is
also
a
lackof
public
interest
and
effective
water
infrastructures
to
facilitate
thecapture
of
stormwater
and
recycling
of
wastewater.
Many
parts
of
Californiafail
tocapitalize
these
potential
water
savings
and
simply
direct
them
intodisposal
systems.
This
contamination
and
waste
of
runoff
represented
a
valuablebut
missed
opportunity
to
offset
the
drought
impacts.
The
goal
of
thisthesis
is
to
develop
a
series
of
decentralized
water
systems
that
focuses
oncapitalizing
alternative,
localized
water
resources
in
Californian
cities,
and
couldbe
simultaneously
expanded
as
spaces
for
additionalprograms
in
urban
areas.The
speculative
design
would
not
only
serve
as
a
prototype
for
future
urbandevelopments
and
encourage
planners
and
builders
to
rethink
the
urban
fabric
aspart
of
the
larger
hydrological
system.
It
helpsreinvent
water
infrastructuresto
better
facilitate
urban
life
and
actively
engage
the
public
in
order
tocreate
a
paradigm
shift
in
the
water
consumption
culture.
As
dry
conditions
become
the
“new-normal”
of
the
American
West,
designers
must
renegotiate
the
relationshipbetween
the
urban
fabric
and
its
water
infrastructure.
Through
the
assessmentand
redesign
of
the
current
water
network,AquaCalifornia
proposes
a
new
directionof
water
infrastructure
development
that
helps
construct
a
potent
and
reliablewater
future
in
California.
| Supervisor: | Lola Sheppard, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Members: | MonaEl-Khafif, University of Virginia |
| Ila Berman, University of Virginia | |
| External Reader: | FadiMasoud, University of Toronto |
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Monday,
April
10,
2017
11:00AM
ARC
2026
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.
Katherine Holbrook-Smith
Of
the
thesis
entitled:Mediations
of
Shattered
Water
|EnvironmentalIntimacy
&
the
Dissolution
of
the
Self
Abstract:
In
a
time
ofaccelerated
environmental
degradation,
a
human-centric
approach
to
engagementhas
engendered
a
pervasive
cultural
passivity
towards
the
environment.
Thisfatalistic
detachment
amplified
by
technological
advances
and,in
Canada,
thevastness
of
our
landscape
demands
that
we
reanimate
our
perception
of
thenatural
world.
Environmental
intimacy
aims
to
dissolve
the
“I-it”
relationshipthrough
an
affective
merging
of
subject
and
object,
recognizingthat
just
as
wemove
through
the
landscape,
the
landscape
moves
through
us,
resulting
inheightened
ecological
attunement.
This
research
uses
thesensing
human
body
as
the
primary
site
of
spatial
perception.
With
a
camerastrapped
to
my
body
I
encounter
waterfalls.
From
these
encounters,
thesensations
of
shattered
water
are
cultivated
and
reformed
intocast
plaster
andconcrete
artifacts,
deterritorializing
the
waterfalls
from
their
physicallocation
into
affective
material
formations.
These
crafted
artifacts
are
thedistillation
of
my
encounters
with
the
shattering
of
water,
extending
themovement
of
the
body
through
the
landscape
into
the
craft
and
navigation
ofarchitectural
space.
The
process
of
translationcreated
to
test
the
potential
ofaffectivedeterritorializationinvolves
the
technical
mediums
of
photography,digital
editing,
computer
modelling,
Computer
Numerical
Control
(CNC)
routingand
vacuumforming
to
develop
the
sensuous
cast
surfaces.
These
processes
bringthe
digital
image
back
into
the
material
world,
resulting
in
a
new
form
of
castlandscape
detached
from
a
geographical
location
while
resonant
with
the
forcesmoving
through
it.
These
castings
are
deterritorialized
landscapes
ofsensations
which
engage
the
integral
and
reciprocal
relationships
between
thebody
and
its
environment.
| Supervisor: | Dereck Revington, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Members: | AnneBordeleau, University of ݮƵ |
| Jane Hutton, University of ݮƵ | |
| External Reader: | YvonneLammerich |
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Wednesday,
April
26,
2017
10:00AM
ARC
Loft
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.
Andrew Cole
Of
the
thesis
entitled:TheReflexive
Urban
Fabric:
The
Re-imagining
of
Toronto’s
Rail
Corridor
Abstract:
The
thesisThe
Reflexive
Urban
Fabric:
The
Re-imagining
ofToronto’s
Rail
Corridoris
concerned
with
architecture’s
role
in
shapinginfrastructural
systems
into
designed
composite
networks
that
respond
to
local,social,
andecological
conditions.
Infrastructuralsystems
present
a
dichotomy
between
the
technical
and
cultural
influences
thatare
inseparable
from
urban
planning.
They
have
been
given
technical
priorityover
natural
and
urban
landscapes
for
anagenda
of
higher
mono-focusedproductivity,
while
also
shaping
urban
fabrics
in
relation
and
interactions
tothe
supplies
with
which
infrastructural
systems
provide.
Through
theacknowledgement
of
historical
development
within
downtown
Toronto,
theinfrastructural
interventions
of
past
eras
have
generated
spatial
conditionsthat
currently
constrict
the
desires
of
potential
urbangrowth.The
city
is
forced
to
develop
around
thesesuppressing
interventions,
creating
a
tension
between
the
growing
demands
of
anamenity-filled
contemporary
city
and
the
supply
dominance
of
functionalefficiency.
The
Torontorail
corridor
is
currently
a
void
in
the
urban
fabric,
which
is
splitting
theground
plane
and
limiting
the
connection
between
the
city’s
core
and
itswaterfront.
Thus,
it
is
the
exploration
of
reflexiveinfrastructuralinterventions
along
the
rail
corridor
that
attempts
to
reposition
the
role
ofthe
civic
conduit
and
expand
the
perception
of
its
performance
to
includesocial
and
cultural
dimensions.
The
primaryintervention
focuses
on
the
Toronto
rail
corridor
between
Bathurst
Street
Westto
Blue
Jay
Way.
The
proposal
is
an
investigation
of
the
role
of
thespecialized
park
as
an
act
of
reflexive
infrastructure,
wherethe
layering
ofboth
social
amenities
and
technical
functions
produce
a
composite
network
forToronto.
The
site
of
the
Toronto
rail
deck
park
is
the
first
intervention
in
alarger
series
of
interventions
to
re-imagine
the
railcorridor
as
a
whole
intoa
reflexive
network
of
designed
spaces.
| Supervisor: | John McMinn, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Members: | RickHaldenby, University of ݮƵ |
| Val Rynnimeri, University of ݮƵ | |
| External Reader: | Mark Sterling, University of Toronto |
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Thursday,
April
27,
2017
4:00PM
ARC
Loft
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.