Caelin Schneider
Of
the
thesis
entitled:Embracing
Or
Not
Enclosing
Abstract:
The
simultaneously
archaicand
hypermodern
“archetypal
fact”
of
twenty
first
century
architecture
andurbanism
will
be
the
enclosure,
the
wall,
the
barrier,
the
gate,
the
fence,
thefortress.
-Lieven
De
Cauter
I
no
longer
know
what
there
is
behind
thewall,
I
no
longer
know
there
is
a
wall,
I
no
longer
know
this
wall
is
a
wall,
Ino
longer
know
what
a
wall
is.
I
no
longer
know
that
in
my
apartment
there
arewalls,
and
that
if
thereweren’t
any
walls,
there
would
be
no
apartment.
-Georges
Perec
Reflectingon
the
parallel
between
displaced
towns
in
France
during
World
War
II
and
thecultural
condition
of
an
average
Westerner
today,
Nicolas
Bourriaud
states:“Culture
today
essentially
constitutes
a
mobile
entity,
unconnected
to
anysoil.”
Through
the
processesof
‘Modernism’
and
then
‘Postmodernism,’globalization
has
brought
the
world
‘closer’
together
through
an
expansion
ofcapitalism,
often
under
the
guise
of
democracy
and
equality.
The
ceaselessprogress
of
neoliberal
globalization
and
its
parallel
of
Postmodernismpromiseda
horizontality
and
a
recognition
of
the
other
that
had
been
conventionallyrepressed
and
pushed
away
by
Modernism.
Yet
the
shimmer
of
those
promises
haslong
faded
away.
From
globalization’s
subsumption
of
uniform
interiors
tocontemporary
society’sevolution
into
what
Lieven
De
Cauter
calls
a
“CapsularCivilization.”
Here
the
everyday
reality
clearly
aligns
with
Michael
Hardt
andAntonio
Negri’s
prescription
of
an
illusion
of
continuous,
uniform
space,
whichis
in
fact
densely
crossed
by
divisions.
Emergingout
of
this
context,
this
thesis
investigates
architecture’s
role
in
theproduction
of
new
inside-outsides
which
therefore
entangles
it
in
the
processesof
control,
regulation,
division
and
connection
that
result
from
thecontemporary
multiplication
of
boundaries.The
partitioning
of
the
world
thatis
so
often
delegated
to
architects
to
act
out
is
never
neutral,
and
theregulation
of
the
transmission
between
the
exterior
and
interior
of
thesepartitioned
capsules
can
be
seen
as
manifestations
of
Hardt
and
Negri’s
‘NewSegmentations,’wherein
architecture
acts
to
reproduce
these
contiguous
centersand
peripheries
among
the
interactions
of
daily
life.
Thework
of
this
thesis
takes
the
inherited
site
of
the
ݮƵ
School
ofArchitecture
as
an
area
for
questioning
the
structures
that
reduce
ourrelations
to
what
is
outside.
The
research
investigates
the
found
technologiesused
to
support
and
structure
the
conditions
ofaccess:
the
locked
door,
thecamera,
the
window
and
the
wall,
and
looks
to
provide
a
text
and
a
series
ofartifacts
which
subvert
these
identified
forces.
Reflecting
a
desire
to
thinksomething
other
than
the
division
of
inside/outside,
self/other;
to
search
fornew
stories
ofthe
interior.
| Supervisor: | Adrian Blackwell, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Member: | Anne Bordeleau, University of ݮƵ |
| Internal Reader: | Dereck Revington, University ofݮƵ |
| External Reader: | LuisJacob, Visiting Professor - University of Toronto |
The committee has been approved as authorized by the Graduate Studies Committee.
The Defence Examination will take place:
Monday, May 1, 2017 10:30AM ARCLoft
A copy of the thesis is available for perusal in ARC 2106A.
Victoria Suen
Of
the
thesis
entitled:Spaces
of
Production:
From
the
Industrial
tothe
Virtual
City
Abstract:
Inthe
industrial
city,
capitalist
ownership
over
the
means
of
production:
land,buildings,
tools,
technology
and
knowledge,
enabled
the
centralization,
controland
exploitation
of
the
working
class.
Monetary
exchange,
property
relations,and
the
dominance
of
productionfor
the
sole
purpose
of
capital
accumulationdeveloped
alienating
social
relations
in
the
life
of
the
city.
In
the
post-industrialcity,
the
liberation
of
information
through
digital
networks
has
democratizedthe
intellectual
means
of
production
creating
dramatic
shifts
inlabour,exchange,
and
social
relations.
These
shifts
have
the
potential
to
create
theconditions
for
an
even
greater
gap
of
inequality,
a
return
to
an
economydominated
by
inherited
wealth[1],and
where
capitalism
seeks
to
capture
economic
value
in
all
aspects
of
work,lifeand
the
city.[2]The
thesis
seeks
toexplore
how
design
and
architectural
practice
can
be
used
as
a
means
tocollectively
organize
and
mobilize
the
emerging
precariat
class
toreappropriate
fixed
capital
and
transform
labour
power
into
a
cooperative
spaceof
production.
The
thesis
focuses
on
thecity
of
Kitchener,
drawing
from
its
history
as
a
city
built
by
artisans
and
therecent
re-emergence
of
a
new
creative
working
class
that
has
propelled
themaker
movement.
Using
the
city
as
a
place
for
prototyping
community
and
space,newspaces
of
production
are
emerging
through
grassroots
communities
to
testthe
material,
social
and
financial
platforms
of
a
post-capitalist
system.Interviews
with
makers,
artists,
and
creative
entrepreneurs
will
explore
theemerging
spatial
models
in
the
productiveeconomy.
The
thesis
will
usestrategies
of
the
maker-movement,
the
process
of
learning
through
doing,
andlean
thinking
to
prototype
spatial
programming,
the
organization
of
thecollective
and
the
feasibility
of
operating
a
productive
workspace.
Through
thedocumentation
of
the
process,
the
thesis
seeks
to
develop
a
process
guide
forthe
precariat
worker
to
collectively
organize
a
community
lab
workspace,
ownthe
means
of
production,
and
develop
a
networked
production
infrastructure
inthe
city.
[1]Thomas
Piketty,Capitalin
the
Twenty-First
Century,
trans.
Arthur
Goldhammer
(Cambridge,
MA:Harvard
University
Press,
2014).
[2]Maurizio
Lazzarato.
“ImmaterialLabour.”
InRadical
Thought
in
Italy:
APotential
Politics,
edited
by
Paolo
Virno,
by
Michael
Hardt.
(Minneapolis,MN:
University
of
Minnesota
Press,
1996),
133.;
Jeremy
Rifkin,The
Age
of
Access:
The
NewCulture
ofHypercapitalism,
Where
All
of
Life
Is
a
Paid-for
Experience,New
York:
J.P.Tarcher/Putnam,
2000,
100.
| Supervisor: | Rick Haldenby, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Member: | Adrian Blackwell, University of ݮƵ |
| Internal Reader: | David Correa, University ofݮƵ |
| External Reader: | EmilyRobson, City of Kitchener |
The committee has been approved as authorized by the Graduate Studies Committee.
The Defence Examination will take place:
Thursday, May 11, 2017 3:00PM Main Lecture Theatre
A copy of the thesis is available for perusal in ARC 2106A.
Parisa Kohbodi
Of
the
thesis
entitled:Library:
A
Social
Infrastructure
Abstract:
For
many
centuries,the
mission
of
the
library
as
a
civic
institution
has
been
seen
as
thecollection
and
dissemination
of
information.
Likewise,
the
library
typologycontinuously
responds
to
the
dominant
paradigm
of
information
andcommunications
technologies.Following
the
digital
revolution
of
the
latetwentieth
century,
information
has
been
transcoded
into
electronic
signals,thus
allowing
its
storage
and
distribution
to
take
place
independent
of
timeand
space.
Today,
with
access
to
information
so
ubiquitous,
is
the
library
aredundant
place?
In
thisthesis,
I
argue
that
by
democratizing
information,
the
library’s
fundamentalmission
has
been
overcoming
physical,
social,
and
economic
disconnectedness.The
library,
therefore
remains
to
be
an
essential
civic
institution.
However,despite
making
informationmore
accessible,
the
digital
revolution
has
producednew
types
of
disconnectedness.
Telecommunication
and
transportationinfrastructures
have
accelerated
suburbanization
and
decentralization
of
urbancenters.
In
the
current
digital
age,
spaces
of
flow
are
valued
morethan
spacesof
place,
resulting
in
a
loss
of
civic
space
and
suppression
of
diversity.Moreover,
the
infinite
and
simultaneous
nature
of
digital
information
hasincited
feelings
of
inundation
and
disorientation.To
address
these
new
types
of
disconnectedness,the
librarytypology
is
compelled
to
recombine
and
calibrate
its
historicaltraditions
with
a
new
set
of
expectations
in
the
digital
age.
Thisthesis
is
sited
in
the
suburban
campus
of
Conestoga
College,
which
is
locatedon
the
border
of
Kitchener
and
Cambridge,
adjacent
to
Highway
401.
The
specificand
universal
disconnectedness
affecting
this
institution
is
investigated
onthree
scales:
suburban
cityplanning,
Conestoga's
campus
master
plan
and
thelibrary's
design.
Informed
by
these
investigations,
I
have
proposed
analternate
design
for
the
campus
master
plan
and
the
library.
The
library
itselfis
a
manifesto
for
embodying
the
static
character
of
containment
and
thedynamic
character
of
flow.
On
a
grander
scale,
by
integrating
the
architectureof
the
library
with
a
bridge
infrastructure,
we
can
expose
the
friction
betweenthe
two
spatial
logics
of
flow
and
place,
and
provoke
a
multitude
of
movementsand
exchanges
between
theexisting
and
new
programmatic
elements.
This
speculative
intervention
aims
toreinforce
the
agency
of
architecture
to
counterbalance
the
consternations
thatare
prevalent
in
the
technocratic
paradigm
of
today.
| Supervisor: | Anne Bordeleau, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Member: | Rick Haldenby, University of ݮƵ |
| Internal Reader: | Lola Sheppard, University ofݮƵ |
| External Reader: | LianaBresler, SvN Architects + Planners |
The committee has been approved as authorized by the Graduate Studies Committee.
The Defence Examination will take place:
Monday, May 15, 2017 6:30PM ARC2026
A copy of the thesis is available for perusal in ARC 2106A.
Felix Cheong
Of
the
thesis
entitled:TALES
OF
THE
MAUNSELL
SEA
FORTS
|A
Philosophy
of
Making
in
the
Anthropocene
Abstract:
The
Age
of
the
Anthropocene
is
marked
by
ashift
in
power
between
the
relationship
of
nature
and
man.
For
the
first
timein
human
history
we
are
actively
shaping
the
environmental
systems
around
us
ona
planetary
scale,
causing
repercussions
beyond
our
scope
ofunderstanding.
Assuch
the
implications
for
how
we
as
a
species
should
live
in
this
paradoxicalage
of
scarcity
and
abundance
are
undefined.
Although
mention
of
theAnthropocene
has
pervaded
into
popular
culture
in
recent
years
the
study
ofthis
geological
era
is
still
inits
infancy.
Elsewhere,
in
the
Thames
Estuary
twelvemiles
off
the
nearest
coast,
a
collection
of
peculiar
structures
can
be
found.They
are
the
Maunsell
Sea
Forts;
a
series
of
abandoned
military
installationscreated
during
World
War
II.
Primarily
constructed
out
of
steel
and
concretethe
towers
seemingly
appear
out
of
the
water.
These
outposts
had
a
successfulcareer
defending
the
United
Kingdom
against
German
air-raids
throughout
thewar,
until
they
were
later
decommissioned,
stripped
of
their
armaments,
andleft
to
the
elements.
Since
then
thetowers
have
been
sporadically
appropriatedfor
a
variety
of
different
purposes
while
steadily
falling
into
ruination.
Withan
aesthetic
almost
as
fantastic
as
their
history
the
Maunsell
Sea
Forts
have
aunique
ability
to
capture
the
imagination.
Utilizing
the
Anthropocene
as
the
backdrop,
the
Maunsell
Sea
Forts
as
theprotagonist,
and
fictional
tales
as
the
vehicle,
this
thesis
investigates
whatit
means
to
be
a
designer
and
builder
in
the
current
global
context.
Itexplores
concepts
surrounding
transformative
use,material
realities,
andproductive
ruination
in
order
to
develop
a
philosophy
of
making
founded
on
anacceptance
of
impermanence.
Told
through
a
mixture
of
essays,
stories,
andillustrations,
this
thesis
creates
a
platform
to
speculate
at
the
role
of
thearchitect
for
themodern
age.
| Supervisor: | AndrewLevitt, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Members: |
Rick Andrighetti, University of ݮƵ JaneHutton, University ofݮƵ |
| External Reader: | FredThompson |
The committee has been approved as authorized by the Graduate Studies Committee.
The Defence Examination will take place:
Monday, June5, 2017 6:30PM BRIDGE Centre for Architecture + Design
A copy of the thesis is available for perusal in ARC 2106A.
Run Yi Emily Li
Of
the
thesis
entitled:Journey
into
Caldera
Abstract:
There
is
a
dormant
volcanoin
the
northern
province
of
Jilin,
China,
called
the
Baekdu/Chang
Bai
Mountain.At
the
top
of
this
2,744
m
mountain
is
a
large
caldera
filled
with
water,
named“Heaven
Lake”.
Geologically,
this
caldera
straddles
China
and
North
Korea,splitby
the
man-made
border.
As
a
sacred
mountain
to
both
people,
there
havealways
been
ongoing
cultural
and
political
disputes
surrounding
the
site.Despite
the
tentative
agreement
between
the
two
governments,
their
peoplerefute
each
other’s
historical
claims,
declaringthe
mountain
as
their
own.
Asone
born
not
5
hours
from
this
caldera
with
both
heritages,
I
have
experiencedfirsthand
this
issue
of
identity.
Originating
from
China,shibori
is
the
ancient
Japanese
method
of
dying
textiles.
It
is
the
union
oftwo
elements,
the
indigo
dye
and
the
resistance
of
the
fabric,
swirling
in
asteaming
bath,
transforming
into
an
entirely
new
character.
Through
hours
anddays
of
folding,knotting,
and
wrapping,
the
shibori
maker
works
in
tandem
withthe
nature
of
the
fabric
to
create
a
unique
and
beautiful
piece
every
time.
Thesymbiotic
nature
of
this
ancient
art
offers
a
new
perspective
to
the
ongoingterritorial
conflict.
Impacted
by
the
trip
to
themountain,
and
inspired
by
the
methods
of
shibori,
the
thesis
choreographs
ajourney
into
caldera.
As
an
inspiration,
Shibori
is
the
possibility
that
twoopposing
forces,
the
relentless
indigo
dye
and
the
resisting
white
fabric,
canunite
to
emerge
asa
new
identity.
Transcribing
the
caldera
as
a
physicalmanifestation
of
this
unity
between
two
cultures,
the
thesis
proposes
anintervention
on
this
highly
contested
pilgrimage
site.
It
does
not
offer
adefinitive
solution
to
the
political
conflict
around
Baekdu/Changbai,
butrather
examines
the
lines
of
connections
between
the
shibori
and
the
calderathrough
architecture
as
a
platform
that
promotes
a
harmonious
existence
of
twoforces.
| Supervisor: | Dereck Revington, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Members: |
Andrew Levitt, University of ݮƵ Donald McKay, University ofݮƵ |
| External Reader: | Jonathan Tyrrell |
The committee has been approved as authorized by the Graduate Studies Committee.
The Defence Examination will take place:
Tuesday, June 6, 2017 10:00AM ARC2026
A copy of the thesis is available for perusal in ARC 2106A.
Eveline Lam
Of
the
thesis
entitled:One
hand
occupies
the
void
Abstract:
Theinterconnected
nature
of
void
and
matter
and
form
is
implied
in
architecture,but
rarely
explicitly
expressed.
Since
the
void
is
neither
form
nor
material,it
is
difficult
to
define,
but
it
occupies
a
critical
role
in
urban
developmentas
the
counterpart
to
the
urban
mass.The
narrative
of
the
modern
city
can
betold
through
the
presence
of
urban
voids:
the
transposition
of
material
andbuilt
form
resulting
in
two
typologies
of
the
void,
the
found
and
the
formal.The
first
exploration
of
the
found
void
is
dedicated
to
the
analysis
of
theclay
pit,the
companion
of
bricks,
which
is
often
ignored
as
an
unwantedby-product
of
the
construction
process.
This
deliberate
exclusion
from
theurban
narrative
is
reversed
once
it
is
rehabilitated
as
a
formal
void,
which
isvalued
as
an
element
of
urban
development.
The
secondexploration
analyses
thecondition
of
the
formal
void,
using
the
ceramic
vessel
to
construct
adomesticated
spatial
model
of
the
monumental
public
space.
The
identity
of
thecity
is
therefore
analysed
by
making
visible
the
imperceptible
void
through
thedocumentation
oftraces
and
boundaries.
The
foundvoid
is
a
by-product
of
the
city’s
development
and
is
not
planned;
it
can
alsobe
described
as
a
procedural
void
whose
physical
impact
is
rarely,
if
ever,considered
as
a
positive
influence
on
the
growth
of
the
city.
From
the
economicpoint
of
view,
its
temporaryuse
produces
resources
that
transform
the
urbanfabric,
but
the
found
void
itself
requires
reintegration
into
the
city
eitherthrough
erasure
or
reversal
to
solid.
The
analysis
of
the
former,
nowfilled-in,
19th-century
clay
quarry
in
east
Toronto
serves
as
the
firstinvestigationof
the
urban
void,
where
the
industrial
process
of
clayextraction
acts
as
a
force
that
influences
the
form
of
the
quarry
and
also
thesurrounding
neighbourhood.
The
formalvoid
is
a
tool
that
transforms
the
city
through
the
imposition
of
ahierarchical
structure
derived
from
a
deliberate
absence
within
the
existingfabric.
The
valorization
of
the
formal
void
as
a
solution
to
congestion
andchaos
in
the
built-up
urban
structure
is
basedon
its
perception,
even
now,
asan
ideal
space
that
promotes
circulation,
light,
and
air.
The
analysis
of
analternative
vision
of
Paris
conceived
by
Pierre
Patte
in
1765
expresses
theinterjection
of
the
void
into
a
pre-existing
urban
fabric
and
how
its
form
isconnected
to
thebuildings
that
it
displaces.
Thepractice
of
throwing
clay
on
a
wheel
depicts
the
reciprocity
between
matter,form,
and
void:
clay
is
shaped
into
a
hollow
vessel
through
the
interaction
ofthe
body.
The
found
void,
as
a
fragment
evolving
over
time,
is
compared
to
theprocess
of
throwing
and
analysedaccording
to
the
redistribution
of
thematerial
around
the
perceptible
void.
For
the
formal
void,
the
final
pieces
areused
as
models
to
express
the
circulation
and
tension
that
becomes
evident
whenconceptual
forms
are
given
material
bodies.
This
process
occupies
theintersection
between
the
theory
of
the
void
and
the
material
of
the
clay
mediumand
thereby
offers
a
critical
solution
to
the
architectural
paradox
thatengages
the
nature
of
the
profession
and
the
approach
to
space
itself.
| Co-Supervisors: |
AnneBordeleau,University of ݮƵ Dereck Revington, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Member: |
EricaS. Allen-Kim |
| External Reader: | CraigRodmore |
The committee has been approved as authorized by the Graduate Studies Committee.
The Defence Examination will take place:
Thursday, June 8, 2017 10:00AM BRIDGE Centre for Architecture + Design
A copy of the thesis is available for perusal in ARC 2106A.
Stefan Berry
Of
the
thesis
entitled:A
Present
Absence
Abstract:
For
the
last
tenyears
I
have
travelled
with
my
camera
out
on
the
roads
of
the
Canadianprairies,
usually
for
a
few
days
at
a
time,
up
and
down
stretches
of
highways,grids,
and
back
roads,
stopping
to
investigate
whatever
I
could
find.Myinterest
in
the
landscape
grew
from
forgotten
spaces
that
lay
dormant
in
theland.
There
is
something
exciting
about
being
in
unfamiliar
areas
and
steppinginto
once-inhabited
locations.
The
absence
of
people,
and
the
marks
theyleavebehind,
lend
to
the
allure
of
these
places.
The
prairies
are
a
harsh
environment,
and
wherethere
is
hardship
and
endurance
between
humans
and
nature,
it
is
inevitablethat
it
translates
into
the
relationship
between
architecture
and
thelandscape.Many
of
the
abandonedstructuresand
forms
are
seen
as
old
and
useless
—
a
hazard,
an
eyesore,
a
sad
reminder
—but
if
one
looks
closer,
they
can
see
that
they
are
becoming
something
new.
Abeauty
exists
in
the
decay
and
ruinous
state,
a
life
found
in
thestructuresembodies
history
and
knowledge.
Buildings
have
seen
things,
the
land
has
seenthings,
but
they
don’t
confess
the
knowledge
openly.
Truths
are
revealed
slowly—
not
all
at
once.
This
thesis
moves
through
a
series
ofterritories
following
the
increase,
and
subsequent
decline,
of
the
populationon
the
rural
prairies.
Forgotten
rail
networks,
trails,
domestic
andutilitarian
structures
—
as
well
natural
landmarks
—contain
the
presence
ofthose
who
were
once
there.
Photographic
documentation
and
field
research
mapsthe
spatial
endeavours
that
shaped
the
prairie
landscape
as
the
place
it
istoday.
| Supervisor: | Donald McKay, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Members: |
Rick Haldenby, University of ݮƵ JaneHutton, University of ݮƵ |
| External Reader: | AlexBozikovic, The Globe and Mail |
The committee has been approved as authorized by the Graduate Studies Committee.
The Defence Examination will take place:
Friday, June 9, 2017 2:00PM ARCLoft
A copy of the thesis is available for perusal in ARC 2106A.
Marc-Antoine Pepin
Of
the
thesis
entitled:History
of
failure
Abstract:
The ability to project avirtual vision on the world and give it physical form sets the human apart. Byshaping his surroundings at will, the human holds considerable power not onlyon the environment, but onfellow humans and the world at large. The thesisdiscusses the different shapes the horror of architecture takes. Told as aloose history of civilization, it constructs a theory of horror from the primalconfrontationto nature, lingers on the oppressive walls of contemporarysociety, and projects a future of labyrinthine sentient buildings. A chimeraone part asterochronic[1]collage and four parts picaresque[2]novel, theresulting document recalls the failure of the thesis as building todwell on the indefinable, uncontainable nature of horror, a dark internalizedversion of the world with an undertone of settled accounts.
[1]"[The
asterochronic]establishes
connections
between
events
that
are
heterogeneous
in
time
andspace."
Muriel
Pic
as
quoted
by
Nicolas
Bourriaud,The
exform(Brooklyn:
Verso,
2016),
156.
[2]The
picaresque
is
often
characterized
by
the
absence
of
a
clear
plot
and
arogue
hero
living
by
his
wits.William
Flint
Thrall
and
AddisonHibbard,A
Handbook
to
Literature(New
York:
Odyssey
Press,
1961).
| Supervisor: | RobertJan van Pelt, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Members: |
Anne Bordeleau, University of ݮƵ Marie-PauleMacdonald, University of ݮƵ |
| External Reader: | ScottSorli |
The committee has been approved as authorized by the Graduate Studies Committee.
The Defence Examination will take place:
Monday, June 12, 2017 12:30PM ARC2026
A copy of the thesis is available for perusal in ARC 2106A.
Safira Lakhani
Of
the
thesis
entitled:TheRiver
is
for
Washing
Carpets
Abstract:
Contemporary
peacebuilding,notably
as
it
is
practiced
in
Afghanistan,
consistently
fails
to
address
localneeds
in
favour
of
international
priorities
for
global
security.Despite
the
significant
presence
of
foreign
agenciesand
aid
mechanisms
in
the
country,
peacein
Afghanistan
remains
elusive.Any
semblance
of
peace
achieved
is
neitherdurable,
nor
sustainable,
particularly
because
of
international
ignorance
ofon-the-ground
environmental
and
social
realities,
with
specific
reference
tonatural
resource
managementand
gender
dynamics.These
failures
are
localised
in
Bamyan,
asmall
valley
in
Afghanistan’s
Central
Highlands,
most
well
known
for
itshistoric
Buddhist
complex,
circa
6thcentury.An
anomaly,
Bamyan
is
a
pocket
of
peace
in
anotherwise
turbulent
country,a
direct
result
of
global
interest
(and
thereinforeign
engagement)
in
the
preservation
of
eight
archaeological
sites
in
thevalley.Yet
the
valley’s
‘World
Heritage’designation
(2003)
has
ultimately
prescribed
a
development
policy
thatemphasises
heritageconservation
over
local
socio-economic
livelihoods.In
so
doing,
the
people
of
Bamyan
are
stilltoday
incredibly
vulnerable,
subject
to
insecurity
in
their
water
resourcebase,
which
is
further
aggravated
by
a
changing
climate
and
transition
tourbanity.
Critiquing
present
models
ofpeacebuilding,
this
thesis
is
an
advocate
for
the
agency
of
design
in
fragilestates.Specifically,
the
thesissuggests
that
the
intersection
of
architecture,
infrastructure,
and
ecologycreates
a
framework
for
sustainable
development
thatis
grounded
in
localconditions
and
livelihoods.Herein,peacebuilding
becomes
a
bottom-up,
pro-active
process,
engaging
with,
andresponding
to,
the
needs
of
local
people
as
a
means
of
building
a
paradigm
ofself-sufficiency.That
is,
the
thesisstrives
for‘positive’
peace,[1]with
the
intention
of
cultivating
relationships
of
solidarity
between
and
amongcommunities.In
Bamyan,
opportunity
forthis
is
found
through
shared
spaces
for
water.Water
has
important
ecological
and
cultural
implications.Rehabilitationof
water
infrastructure
isnecessary
to
restore
the
valley’s
denuded
landscape.Ritual
importance
of
water
additionallyprovides
occasion
for
community
gathering
and
social
encounter,
both
for
menand
for
women.Women
especially,
are
integralto
the
peaceprocess
as
their
presence,
in
Afghan
society,
enables
the
‘familyspace,’
a
safe,
gender-neutral,
and
culturally
appropriate
space
for
informal,public
community
gathering.
Accordingly,
the
thesisproposes
a
network
of
decentralised
physical,
ecological,
and
socialinfrastructures
throughout
the
local
watershed
of
Bamyan
that
seek
to
buildenduring
social
and
environmental
resilience.Integration
of
vernacular
and
moderntechnologies
capitalises
on
localknowledge
and
historical
models
of
behaviour.Participation
of
the
community
in
the
building
process
moreover
strengthenssocial
relations,
producing
a
shared
sense
of
ownership
in
the
peaceprocess.This
is
explored
throughdetailed
design
of
one
node
in
the
network,
a
washing
house
along
Bamyan
River,which
connects
water
and
women
as
mechanisms
for
enduring
peace,
uncovering
thepotential
of
shared
spaces
for
water
to
mobilise
community
solidarity,
empowerculturalidentity,
and
build
human
dignity.Coupling
ecological
and
cultural
systems
draws
on
the
existing
and
theessential,
and
the
thesis
thus
conceives
a
practice
of
design
that
canappropriately
engage
in,
and
foster,
sustainable
peace
in
fragile
states.
[1]In peace theorydeveloped by Johan Galtung, ‘positive’ peace looks to prevent structuralviolence, as opposed to ‘negative’ peace which is regarded simply as theabsence of direct violence.
| Co-Supervisors: |
AnneBordeleau, University of ݮƵ MonaEl Khafif, Univeristy of Virginia |
| Committee Member: |
Tammy Gaber,Laurentian University |
| External Reader: | HadiHusani, Aga Khan Agency for Habitat |
The committee has been approved as authorized by the Graduate Studies Committee.
The Defence Examination will take place:
Friday, July7, 2017 11:00AM ARCLoft
A copy of the thesis is available for perusal in ARC 2106A.
Peter Bohdal
Of
the
thesis
entitled:Monster
Abstract:
451 ManningAvenue, home to an architect and an artist, has generated an adverse reactionwithin its community. The property is maintained as a testament to the Raofamily history in Canada, but most visibly,Villa Rao stands in advocacy ofdiversity within our built environment. The recently proposed addition is amonstrosity by one hundred and twenty accounts.
| Supervisor: |
Donald McKay, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Members: |
Rick Andrighetti,University of ݮƵ Marie-PauleMacdonald,University of ݮƵ |
| External Reader: | ScottSorli |
The committee has been approved as authorized by the Graduate Studies Committee.
The Defence Examination will take place:
Thursday, July 13, 2017 6:00PM ARC 2026
A copy of the thesis is available for perusal in ARC 2106A.
Bryce Clayton
Of
the
thesis
entitled:53
North:Tactical
Infrastructure
in
Edmonton
Abstract:
Edmonton,
Alberta
has
followed
thetypical
North
American
pattern
of
growth,
replicating
the
urban
andarchitectural
designs
established
further
south.
Long,
straight
citystreets
and
a
proliferation
of
voids
within
the
downtown
urbanfabric
arecharacteristic
of
many
American
cities,
but
when
this
condition
is
replicatedin
the
far
north,
the
negative
aspects
of
the
winter
season
are
amplified
asarctic
winds
sweep
through
the
streets
and
open
spaces.
As
urban
designhas
failed
to
account
for
the
winter
conditions,
architecture
hasovercompensated
in
its
response.
Mechanical
climate
control
is
overlyrelied
upon
creating
sharply
delineated
areas
between
over-protection
and
totalexposure,
creatingharsh
transitions
for
the
citizens
as
they
move
throughbuilt
and
unbuilt
environments.
The
resulting
effect
on
society
is
theworsening
of
an
already
negative
perception
of
winter
fostering
a
culture
ofavoidance,
but
as
the
urban
designhas
made
winter
life
more
difficult
thevoids
it
has
produced
can
also
provide
the
spaces
in
which
winter
life
can
beembraced.
For
Edmonton
to
become
a
healthy
“Winter
City”
it
must
attemptnew
approaches
in
urban
andarchitectural
design
to
resolve
both
its
lifelessdowntown
core
and
the
societal
rejection
of
winter.
This
thesis
explores
creating
a
new
design
tool
whereby
the
intrinsicvalues
of
snow
can
be
utilized
to
create
winter
public
spaces
to
temporarilyoccupy
the
urban
void.
A
new
structure
is
proposed
where
City
groups
willact
ascoordinators
sanctioning
land
parcels
for
urban
interventions
using
thesnow
on
each
site
and
that
cleared
by
the
municipal
workers,
sculpted
intobasic
forms.
When
used
in
combination,
the
forms
create
protective,desirable
micro-climates
which
inject
program
and
activity
into
the
formerlyvacant
lots,
introducing
positive
winter
activity
into
the
realm
of
daily
lifein
Edmonton.
The
iterations
in
form
serve
a
dual
purpose
by
acting
as
atesting
grounds,discovering
new
urban
and
architectural
design
strategiesthrough
experimentation
and
observation,
informing
future
designs
within
thecity.
| Supervisor: |
RickAndrighetti, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Members: |
Adrian Blackwell, University of ݮƵ JaneHutton, University of ݮƵ |
| External Reader: | HelenaGrdadolnik, WORKSHOP Architecture Inc |
The committee has been approved as authorized by the Graduate Studies Committee.
The Defence Examination will take place:
Wednesday, July 19, 2017 9:30AM BRIDGE Centre for Architecture + Design
A copy of the thesis is available for perusal in ARC 2106A.
Dustin Parkes
Of
the
thesis
entitled:DreamingSpace:Exploring
the
Transformative
Power
ofImmersive
Art
and
Architecture
Abstract:
Therole
of
art
is
to
transform
our
experience
of
reality.
This
process
ofteninvolves
a
quality
of
rupture;
of
breaking
through
the
boundaries
of
ourhabitual,
conditioned
modes
of
perception
in
order
to
experience
new
andunexpectedsensations.[1]Gilles
Deleuze
and
Felix
Guattari
write
thatarchitecture
is
the
first
of
the
arts.
Art
does
not
begin
with
the
body
butwith
the
house;
with
the
experience
of
space
and
light,
and
the
constructedenvironments
which
mediatebetween
our
bodies
and
forces
of
the
universe.[2]
Thisthesis
follows
the
physical
and
affective
journey
of
a
group
of
artists
overmany
years.
This
journey
involves
challenging
forces
of
social
and
culturalconditioning;
breaking
through
boundaries
of
fear
and
habit,
as
well
asartisticand
architectural
convention.
We
have
a
need
to
explore
aestheticswithout
limitation.
Thedreaming
spacewhere
thisjourney
is
taking
place
is
a
studio
on
a
property
in
my
hometown,
Sarnia,Ontario.
This
is
where
I
live
and
work
with
my
uncle/mentor,
and
threecompanions.
Both
the
studio
and
the
experience
of
theparticipants
are
in
acontinuous
state
of
transformation.
The
space
has
become
an
ever-evolvingimmersive
collage
of
paintings,
sculptures,
architectural
constructions,mirrors,
video,
projections,
and
compositions
of
magical
objects.The
expansive,dark,
earthen,
dream-like
quality
of
the
space
is
immediately
affecting.
It
isa
place
for
dreaming
and
composing;
for
channeling
visions
and
exploringaltered
states
of
sensory
awareness.
We
are
exploring
thepossibilities
of
whatart
and
architecture
can
do:
specifically,
how
it
can
facilitate
sensorialencounters
which
transform
our
experience
of
reality.
Thisthesis
takes
the
form
of
a
series
of
reflections
on
thisdreaming
space.
It
has
a
personalhistory
with
a
cultural
context.
It
has
caves,
grottos,
and
tunnels;ever-changing
compositions
and
installations,
surrounded
by
the
underworldandbuilt
up
over
time.
Within
the
dreaming
space
we
are
continuously
exploring
theincredible
possibilities
of
the
transformative
power
of
art
and
architecture.
[1]O’Sullivan,
Simon.
ArtEncounters
Deleuze
and
Guattari:Thought
beyondRepresentation.
2006.
p.
1
[2]Deleuze,
Gilles,
and
Félix
Guattari.
What
IsPhilosophy?1994.
p.
180,
182,186
| Supervisor: |
DereckRevington, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Members: |
John McMinn, University of ݮƵ RobertJan van Pelt, University of ݮƵ |
| External Reader: | Jonathan Tyrrell |
The committee has been approved as authorized by the Graduate Studies Committee.
The Defence Examination will take place:
Wednesday, July 27, 2017 3:00PM BRIDGE Centre for Architecture + Design
A copy of the thesis is available for perusal in ARC 2106A.
Adrienne Huang
Of
the
thesis
entitled:Mudzi
Owala,Village
of
Light–Lessons
from
Malawi
Abstract:
This
thesis
explores
my
journey
to
a
small
corner
of
Africa,
where
Ilived
with
and
learned
from
the
communities
of
rural
Malawi.In
particular,
it
examines
the
architecturallessons
that
emerged
from
my
involvement
in
a
local
building
project
calledMudziOwala(Village
of
Light).
My
African
travels
were
inspired
by
the
realization
that
more
thanninety
percent
of
the
total
number
of
architects
in
the
world
live
and
work
inthe
wealthiest
countries,
cities,
and
neighbourhoods.While
most
architectural
schools
focus
ondesign
studio-basededucation,
the
exemplified
clients
and
projects
account
forless
than
ten
percent
of
the
population
on
a
global
scale.Over
time,
I
have
realized
that
my
interestlies
in
working
with
those
without
access
to
standard
architectural
services
–namely,
theoverwhelming
majority
of
the
population.
In
an
era
dominated
by
global
challenges
such
as
large-scale
informalsettlements,
unsustainable
development,
and
resource
scarcity,
the
traditionalrole
and
training
of
the
“desk
architect”
can
be
increasingly
questioned.In
the
21st
century,
the
role
of
thearchitect
demands
the
cultivation
of
many
so-called
non-architectural
skillsand
experiences.The
contrast
between
mytraditional
architectural
education
and
the
realities
I
witnessed
in
my
adoptedcommunity
led
me
to
a
new
understanding
of
architecture
thatfundamentallychanged
my
mindset
about
what
it
means
to
work
as
an
architect.
The
thesis
is
a
collection
ofarchitectural
research,
reflections,
and
responses
shared
as
a
series
oflessons.Represented
through
personalnarrative
and
photography,
the
result
is
an
account
of
my
travels
in
Malawi
asa
means
of
understanding
how
our
approachto
the
role
of
the
architect
maychange
in
order
to
be
able
to
meet
the
challenges
that
define
our
new
global
reality.
| Supervisor: |
ValRynnimeri, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Members: |
Andrew Levitt,University of ݮƵ JohnMcMinn,University of ݮƵ |
| External Reader: | AlisonHannay, Cornerstone Architecture Incorporated |
The committee has been approved as authorized by the Graduate Studies Committee.
The Defence Examination will take place:
Friday, August11, 2017 9:30AM ARC 2026
A copy of the thesis is available for perusal in ARC 2106A.
Chris Black
Of
the
thesis
entitled:2
Degrees
Celsius:
Assessing
the
Potentialof
Urban
CommercialBuildingsin
Canada
to
Meet
the
2°C
Climate
Change
Target
Abstract:
To
avoid
the
catastrophiceffects
of
climate
change,
scientific
consensus
and
international
conventionhave
determined
that
the
mean
rise
in
global
temperatures
must
be
limited
tobetween
1.5°C
and
2.0°C.TheIntergovernmental
Panel
on
Climate
Change
suggests
thebuilding
sectorpossesses
the
most
immediate
mitigation
potential
and
has
proven
technologicaland
design
capability
at
hand.To
meetthis
goal,
a
55%
reduction
is
required
compared
to
a
proposed
Business-As-UsualScenario
forecast
in
emissions
between
2005
and2050.For
Canadian
commercial
buildings,
this
isequivalent
to
emissions
dropping
from
88.4
MtCO2e
to
39.8
MtCO2e/yr.
Between
2005
and
2050,
thefloor
area
of
commercial
building
is
expected
to
double
from
654.2
million
m2to
1,139.5
million
m2while
the
emissions
are
to
be
halved.The
proposed
model
suggests
that,
by
2050,new
and
substantially
renovated
buildings
should
emit15.3
kgCO2e/m2/yrto
achieve
this.
When
combined
with
existing
buildings,
the
blended
emissionscap
is
expected
to
be
34.9
kgCO2e/m2/yr.Given
that
in
2013
new,
renovated,
andexisting
buildings
in
Canada
was
46.67
kgCO2e/m2/yr,
thisambitious
target
implies
asignificant
transformation
of
commercial
buildings.
When
consistently
applied
toevery
building,
the
15.3
kgCO2e/m2/yr
rate
suggests
anevolving
approach
to
design.
This
is
especially
true
for
urban
sites
wherepassive
design
and
renewable
energy
opportunities
are
limited.
Although
thereare
a
number
of
built
projectsthat
meet
the
criteria,
they
remain
theexception
rather
than
the
norm
and
deploy
a
maximum
of
energy
efficienttechnologies
and
design
strategies.Afull
range
of
innovative
passive
and
active
building
technologies
is
leveraged,and
many
examples
are
most
often
notsituated
in
a
dense
urban
environment.
Using
an
emission
rate
persquare
metre
reflects
a
"bottom-up"
approach
to
transforming
Canadiancommercial
buildings.
Rather
than
relying
on
sweeping
policy
intervention
ormandating
particular
technologies,
this
metric
can
be
used
to
bring
the
variousdrivers
ofemissions
together
for
an
individual
building,
thus
allowing
themost
applicable
technologies
and
strategies
to
be
selected
on
a
case-by-casebasis.
The
thesis
will
demonstrate
that
a
suite
of
measures
focused
on
thecombination
of
energy
conservation
and
fuel
choice
cannot
only
achieve
thistarget
on
urban
projects
with
limited
passive
means
but
suggest
that
theadoption
of
further
passive
and
active
technologies
could
push
performance
evenfurther.
To
investigate
theimplications
of
the
emission
cap
in
this
context,
a
demonstration
project
is
proposedand
sited
in
three
different
locations
on
a
prototypical
urban
block.Located
on
a
north-facing
end-block,
amid-block,
and
a
south-facing
end-block
site,
each
isdesigned
to
both
currentcode
requirements
and
the
2°C
scenario
emission
limit.
The
selection
of
anurban
context
bridges
the
gap
between
the
ideal
conditions
of
rural
or
campusbuildings,
where
few
obstructions
to
leveraging
passive
design
and
implementingextensiveon-site
renewable
energy
systems
exist,
and
urban
buildings
withtight
sites
and
limited
passive
opportunities.
With
the
world
now
predominantlyurban,
these
sites
are
expected
to
represent
the
norm.Pablo
Picasso
saw
constraints
as
sources
ofinspiration
and
inventionrather
than
limitations
to
creativity.
Similarly,rather
than
being
a
limitation
to
design,
this
thesis
will
show
that
it
has
theopportunity
to
become
a
foundational
design
driver
motivating
invention
andinnovation
within
the
field’s
practical
and
conceptual
foundations.
| Supervisor: |
TerriMeyer Boake, University of ݮƵ |
| Committee Members: |
John Straube,University of ݮƵ GeoffreyLewis,University of ݮƵ |
| External Reader: | TedKesik, University of Toronto |
The committee has been approved as authorized by the Graduate Studies Committee.
The Defence Examination will take place:
Monday August 28, 2017 1:00PM ARC 1001
A copy of the thesis is available for perusal in ARC 2106A.