Master's Theses

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kitche migawap âcimowin = Tipi tectonics: building as medicine
(2019-04-08) Clark, Krystel
The exploration of the Cree Tipi’s construction and structure is investigated to reveal precolonial tectonics that will be implemented into a building design by interweaving traditional knowledge and technical applications. The research is to propose alternate building practices as a strategy to implement Cree cultural significance into building construction to promote Indigenous health. The documentation is guided by Cree oral histories (stories) from my Indigenous heritage, originating from Montreal Lake Cree Nation in the Boreal Forest region of Saskatchewan. Indigenous tectonics are explored by deconstructing the Tipi through Gottfried Semper’s Four Elements of Architecture. The method of unearthing or discovery is explored through a series of drawings. Tipi tectonics establish a framework to better understand the differences between non-Indigenous and Indigenous construction and methodologies of health. Indigenous knowledge will develop strategies to implement Indigenous design and ways of healing into a final building design.
Ramsey Lake Interpretive Centre : an architectural response to aquatic environmental public awareness
(2019-04-08) Waldick, Justen
This thesis will aim to address the following theoretical questions: How can architectural interventions mitigate human impact on a more than human landscape? How can enhanced and sustainable interaction between aquatic life and people contribute to greater appreciation and conservation for underwater ecosystems? Specifically, this thesis will study and analyze Ramsey Lake, in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, through mapping exercises, scientific research, media articles, and site documentation to inform the design of a “Ramsey Lake Interpretive Centre”. The centre would raise public environmental awareness of regional aquatic ecosystems and provide direct opportunities for environmental remediation of a lake which has been impacted by industrial activity and urban development for over one-hundred-years. Ramsey Lake was selected as the focus of this study because of the central role that it plays within the community. In addition to acting as a drinking water reservoir for over 40% of Greater Sudbury, it also represents a significant centre for culture and recreation within the community.
Deconstructing the threshold: a new architectural language for the three nations border crossing
(2019-04-08) Warner-Smith, Christopher
Deconstructing the Threshold: A New Architectural Language for the Three Nations Border Crossing confronts the philosophical framework of the international border between Canada and the United States. By identifying three fictions, following Peter Eisenman in his essay “The End of the Classical: The End of the Beginning, the End of the End,” the thesis categorizes the language of a border crossing into three fictions: Identity (Meaning), Truth (Threshold) and History (Borders through Time). By understanding these fictions to be the message that Ports of Entry (POE) are designed to convey, how can they be deconstructed, to be read by groups of people who do not acknowledge the border? The study site and location of a building proposal is located at the Seaway International Bridge Crossing spanning between Cornwall, Ontario and Rooseveltown, New York. The site plays an important role in the ideas presented in the thesis as the site is the location of Akwesasne First Nation, unceded Mohawk territory which is bisected by this border, reinforcing the idea of borders as abstract constructs. As borders are not percieved in the same way by everyone this thesis poses the question - how can a threshold become a space that embodies the idea of shared collective difference?
A millennial housing typology: redefining the home of the next generation in Toronto laneways
(2019-04-08) Wong, Theodore
The “millennial” has become a prominent term in today’s society and culture. “millennials” refers to a generation of young adults born between the early 1980s and 2000.1 Made up of over 92 million people this generation is larger than the Baby Boomers2 , and have a huge influence on the world’s economy, social policies, culture, and urban fabric. As of 2018, the millennial generation will have an annual spending of 3.39 trillion dollars, surpassing the Baby Boomer generation in buying power.3 However, millennials have inherited a different circumstance from the previous generation, dramatically changing the social, cultural, and economic needs of the millennials. Challenges such as climate change, the housing bubble, and an inflated economy, influence the possibilities of future home ownership for this generation. Additionally, the element of technology is intertwined with the day-to-day of millennials. How might technology manifest itself within architecture of the future? And how will architecture adapt to suit the needs and desires of the upcoming generation?
Empowerment through architecture: women’s transitional cohousing in Northern Ontario
(2019-04-08) Leck, Charlotte Joy
This thesis is a response to the lack of supportive post-intervention housing for women who have survived domestic violence. In Canada, 76.2% of the women who are murdered, are killed by a spouse, family member or intimate partner. Women are statistically at a higher risk of being killed by someone they are close to than their male counterparts. As a result of experiencing violence, they require new housing and support as their previous residence is not an appropriate place to return. Additionally, having an affordable and safe housing option when vulnerable situations arise is important for women, so safety does not need to be compromised for the sake of urgent need or financial circumstances. This presents the need for housing options for women transitioning out of vulnerable situations. Women are celebrated in the proactive and reactive supportive housing model that is explored in the design proposal for the Women’s Transitional Cohousing.
Water source of concern: an architectural response to the implications of the Winnipeg Aqueduct on a way of life in Shoal Lake 40 First Nation
(2019-04-08) Tuusa, Paige
This thesis focuses on the community of Shoal Lake 40 First Nation in Northwestern Ontario and the impact of the Winnipeg Aqueduct on a way of life. This thesis aims to present an architectural response which provides a restorative environment for a community, as well as developing a sustainable economy within that community. The main architectural response includes a water purifcation centre, a community greenhouse and a constructed wetlands park. Potable water will then be available to the community’s residents. Once this is established the second phase will be an eco-lodge that incorporates the living museum previously established within the community, along with a series of cabins, as this will promote eco-tourism. A series of landscape and low impact design strategies are also planned throughout the proposal across a spectrum of design scales, from the master plan, to the building scale, including the ecological. Through these phased interventions over time, the community of Shoal Lake 40 First Nation will frst provide potable water to its residents, and then subsequently continue to develop a sustainable community
The downsizing Catholic Church: learning from Borromini’s counter-reformation architecture
(2019-04-09) Korb, Kayla
This thesis examines the work of Baroque architect Francesco Borromini toward an architectural response to the downsizing Catholic Church in North America. The century following the Protestant Reformation offered similar challenges to the Church. In response to the Reformation, numerous Counter-Reformation measures were employed to revive the Catholic Church. Architecture that conveyed Catholic theology was considered a valuable tool in restoring the Church. Selected buildings designed by architect Francesco Borromini are examined for insights into design techniques and strategies explored to synthesize Catholic theology and architecture. The Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza and San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane churches in Rome are studied using research-creation methods that employ architectural drawing as an investigative tool to discover the theological significance of the buildings. The architectural design proposal explores conclusions drawn from research and applies the research findings toward the design of small contemporary Catholic Church in Orangeville, Ontario.
Graphic narrative and design in mining and apocalypse
(2019-04-09) DiGiacomantonio, Miranda
“Is there valid application in processing architectural design in the method of graphic narrative? This thesis explores utilizing the language of graphic narrative to blur boundaries between apocalypse, mining, and architecture. Set in the abandoned Stobie-Frood mine of Sudbury, Ontario, the narrative in tandem analyzes the past, present, and apocalyptic driven future of the design. By including the three-time sequences in time, the structure transcends all and becomes a character itself in this narrative. The purpose of creating this connection between the method, topics, and design is to create a boundless universal language that can explore larger scale issues such as adaptive reuse, natural energy systems, and subterranean architecture. The graphic narrative in this thesis offers a portal into the architecture world, one that can be understood by architects and non-architects alike.”
Projective architecture: an approach to building an immersive Art Centre for Sudbury, Ontario
(2019-04-09) Renaud, Anastasia (Koutsoukis)
This research explores the design for an art centre in Sudbury, Ontario in which the architecture is not only activated or animated by its community but also inspires its community to be more active within the city’s culture. Drawing upon the concept of Projective Architecture as coined by Sarah Whiting and Robert Somol, the proposed art centre would respond to and with its surrounding context to focus on its effects on the social condition of the surrounding community.1 The proposed institution would facilitate the community’s engagement by a layering of substrates, filters, light, film and video projections, by an interactive exterior screen-like facade system, to reveal the movements of the art centre and its art film-making residency program artists. This second-skin surrounding the abandoned General Hospital building in Sudbury would facilitate views to the landscape beyond connecting the visitors with the surrounding Northern city through an unusual and interesting lens. Film and video art, haptic diagramming, conceptual object making and immersive installation art all served in the research-creation process to determine the aesthetics and ideologies of the proposed art centre. Focused on an active reciprocal engagement between the community and emerging arts artists, the centre seeks to breed new genres of Northern Ontario art.
Northern Ontario camp informing architecture
(2019-04-09) Blais, Maxine
This thesis explores the idea of Camp in Northern Ontario and how it can inform architecture in the region. The work examines Camp through four categories: History, Community, Placemaking, and Sentiment. Six types of camps are analysed through drawing and text, which is based on personal experience, and through text-based research. A set of site and building design guidelines are developed from this analysis. A speculative cohousing project at Whitewater Lake in Azilda, Ontario, is chosen as an architectural typology and site to test an architecture informed by Camp. Using these design guidelines, the cohousing project contributes to maintaining a sense of place through its history and its making processes, providing a shared sense of community and creating a sentiment that is rooted in the collective memory of Camp. The final result indicates what an architectural regionalism can mean for Northern Ontario and how it will improve the way people interact with their built environment and communities.
An architectural response to multi-generational housing inspired by Haudenosaunee culture
(2019-04-09) Schumacher, Haley
Indigenous culture is rich and vibrant all across Mother Earth; more commonly known as North America, and sadly is rarely reflected in the built environment of their communities. This thesis seeks to answer the question: How can the culture of the Haudenosaunee be reflected within their built environment to align with the needs of the community? Through the exploration of community engagement and case studies it was proven designs in Indigenous communities should be inspired by the culture’s history and traditions while reflecting the community within the 21st century. Concepts, meanings, and teachings from Indigenous culture have the ability to influence a 21st century building. Through the exploration of wampum belts, Haudenosaunee longhouse, and longhouse village, a proposed multi-generational housing project demonstrates how the Haudenosaunee culture can in fact be reflected within the built environment to align with the needs of the community
A new centre for civic engagement in architecture
(2019-04-09) Dharmaraj, Sahana
How connected are residents to the development of architecture in their respective communities? This inquiry precipitates from the growing concern that the degree of engagement between the greater public and the discipline of architecture is dismally minute. At a local level, residents are left largely uninformed of the swift expansion that often radically alters their surroundings. Architecture centres attempt to address this divide by hosting a variety of programmes—such as lectures, exhibitions and workshops—that enable those not versed in architectural discourse to question and contest their built environment. Drawing from communication theory and the field of graphic design, this thesis explores the architecture centre as a locus of community engagement and participative debate fueled by information made accessible through rigorous visual communication strategies. From an in-depth study of architecture centres, globally and nationally, emerges five distinct types of centres: the "institution", the "centre", the "hub", the "temporary" and the "digital". Case studies of each type reveal that reanalysis of the operative functions of architecture centres is necessary to envision even further salient methods of engaging the public. This thesis argues that architecture can be made accessible by learning from systems of communication employed by contemporary communication agencies and graphic designers. Experimentation-through-making of print media such as zines and posters assists in understanding how best to convey messages to the target audience. The thesis posits that an architecture centre sited in a community that is projected to see rapid, unprecedented growth will act as a proactive means of spurring a dialogue between architects and residents to ensure all voices are being accounted for in their prospective built environment. The design of an architecture centre further develops the proposition that democratizing architectural ideas and planning processes can aid in elevating the quality of future development in a community; and ultimately act as an example of a single centre that would compromise a much larger network of analogous centres working in tandem across Canada.
Cultural and architectural revitalization: a reinterpretation of Chinese tradition
(2019-04-09) Mai, Tony
Toronto’s downtown Chinatown was once the central core of Asian culture and business in Canada but now has been superceded by Markham’s opening of Pacific Mall and ongoing development of suburban neighbourhoods. As a result, Toronto’s Chinatown Centre, a mall and landmark in the heart of Chinatown, has significantly suffered as markets, shops and restaurants have either closed or are now deprived of business with no sight of recovery. Through a reinterpretation of core principles of the traditional Chinese siheyuan, this thesis explores how architecture can become a catalyst in the revitalization of Chinatown Centre, retaining inherent qualities of Chinese culture through a narrative which could be understood transgenerationally and transculturally. As geopolitical, economical and technological implications forced the outsprawl of Chinese communities to migrate out of downtown, the same factors could play a significant role in bringing the Chinese communities back. The project becomes a symbol and a physical reminder of Toronto’s resilience while bringing awareness to the serious issue of the declining Chinatown Centre.
Body therapy and the built environment
(2019-04-09) Ekiyor-Katimi, Sonia
In trying to decide whether theory and practice should be amalgamated, a lot of people fail to account for the fact that this debate is the luxury of those mainly unaffected by the factors outside of architecture that define its social structure. Critical theory as it pertains to feminism is necessary because of the disparity of violence faced by women in society both historically and currently; Many of these sites of violence are mundane until a person is forced to confront it consciously after an assault. This brings up the question of what architecture can do to prevent such assault and how an architecture or typology may start to form for the rehabilitation of survivors. Through addressing the failures of the current typologies for sexual assault preventative design, this thesis aimed to uncover opportunities for modifying already-existing architectural styles to have safer qualities for assault prevention. It also aimed to find ways to educate the public in hopes that it could evolve the community past sexual shame and lessen sex related crimes. I believe that by exploration and consideration of the connections between design and sexual safety, we may be able to create a more open conversation about sexual violence and a safer community
Sustainability in cold climates: a vernacular study of Icelandic turf houses
(2019-04-09) Kreps, Taylor
This thesis investigates the principles of vernacular architecture in cold climates to inform sustainable design and building practices in the 21st Century. More specifically, the thesis aims at studying the building typology of Icelandic Turf Houses, to develop a series of informed architectural strategies for cold climates, that will support the environmental and culturally sustainable development and transformation of northern built environments. Through literature review and a material and spatial analysis of existing turf houses, this thesis sheds light on three key aspects of a cold climate sustainable architecture: 1) Passive and environmental strategies, ancient and new, as they relate to cold climate conditions; 2) material selection and expression; and 3) its relation to social structures and interactions. Observed principles are then further explored in the project Turf House Complex, a sustainable building complex addressing issues of the climate balanced protected indoor and outdoor spaces, farm to table food sustainability, as well as incorporating strategies of passive systems resulting in a sustainable occupation of the project.
Connecting architecture and nature at the Lake Laurentian Conservation Area
(2019-04-09) Dipsell, Matthew
This thesis explores how a matrix of architectural interventions at a variety of nested scales can elaborate on existing site conditions and integrate nature to mitigate their impact on a protected ecological landscape. The Nickel District Conservation Authority is the governing body that oversees all activities and projects within the 9.5 square kilometers of the Lake Laurentian Conservation Area in Sudbury, Ontario. Through extensive empirical site research and documentation of ecological and human elements within this site, a network of systems was analyzed. It was found that a number of existing interventions such as benches, bridges and stairs were designed and fabricated to serve a functional and practical purpose without incorporating the characteristics of their natural surroundings. Thus, a set of design guidelines have been developed and tested through potential architectural interventions that include a pavilion, a lookout and a bench. These interventions are located at various regions of the site and demonstrate how architecture can mitigate its impact on nature so the two can co-exist in a symbiotic manner.
Mauer-Frei : generating transformation at the Berlin-Brandenburg border
(2019-04-09) Morawietz, Katherine
Whether architectural or urban in scale, the basic building element of the wall is invariably a product of its sociopolitical context. While often deceptively simple in form, walls embody complex political maneuvering and perpetuate tremendous divisive power. A striking instance of this at a large scale was the descent of the Iron Curtain across Europe, which, through the aggressive imposition of walls, literally and metaphorically concretized the ideological contention between democracy and communism in the twentieth century. Taking Berlin as a vivid case through which to investigate the legacy of this polarizing divider, this thesis offers a timely reflection on the potential and relevance of subverting the inherent divisiveness of walls. Titled MauerFrei (or, “Wall-Free”), this thesis project advances an antithetical elaboration on the restrictive and imposing influence of the Berlin Wall and positively engages those traversing the zone demarcated by the former DreilindenDrewitz (East) and Checkpoint Bravo (West) border crossings.
Situé: arénas de l’autoroute 11 // Situated: Highway 11 arena’s
(2019-04-09) Vachon, Julie
Comment l’architecture peut-elle renforcer l’identité locale du nord aux arénas communautaires existants par la transformation tout en conservant la mémoire collective déjà présente? La notion de lieu est un concept aussi vague que fascinant. Durant ma jeunesse et jusqu’à ce jour, j’ai été privilégiée de visiter plusieurs endroits grâce au hockey. Sur notre territoire canadien, certains lieux, et indirectement bâtiments, semblent mériter et recevoir politiquement et architecturalement plus de respect comparativement à d’autres. Les arénas communautaires sont importants et représentent le bâtiment le plus fréquenté et utilisé par la communauté locale dans les petites communautés canadiennes mais souffrent de ce manque de mérite respectueux. Treize communautés et leurs arénas en bordure de l’autoroute 11 dans le nord-est Ontarien seront visités et analysés selon leurs similitudes et différences pour conclure avec un seul site choisi par la fin du semestre. Cet aréna sera le premier prototype né de la recherche élaborée de cette thèse. Théoriquement parlant, un autre problème émerge avec la typologie des arénas communautaires; de tels bâtiments ne sont pas classifiés assez nobles pour être considérés de l’architecture avec un grand ‘A’. Je vais défier cette opinion répandue et rendre le respect approprié et dû à ces bâtiments en grand besoin de soins, réparations et rajeunissement pour assurer leur pérénité. Une transformation architecturale sera proposée afin d’offrir davantage à la communauté. Pourquoi considérer des stratégies de rénovation versus la construction d’un nouveau bâtiment sera un sujet débattu. La valeur de la mémoire collective enfermée dans le présent bâtiment sera d’une grande valeur pour ma stratégie. Ces petites municipalités ne possèdent aussi aucun, sinon très peu, d’exemples d’architecture contemporaine publique de qualité. En raison des contraintes de l’économie locale et du très petit bassin de taxes municipales dans le nord, les nouveaux bâtiments civiques requièrent souvent accès à l’aide des autres paliers gouvernementaux. Cela équivaut souvent à une réplique d’un modèle comprenant une structure en acier préfabriquée conçue dans le sud ontarien afin de minimiser les coûts. En gros, la notion d’identité, de mémoire collective, de régionalisme et même de développement durable dans tous ses aspects est ignorée. Mon projet va annuler l’option d’un nouvel aréna selon les normes que permet le financement gouvernemental afin de considérer et incorporer ces notions si importantes. La question du lieu en toute sa grandeur sera explorée car ce simple concept déterminera une méthodologie, des justifications et un design reflétant le style et les intérêts locaux, avec des ressources locales pour l’économie locale.
Favoriser le bien-être et l'apprentissage des élèves par le parcours: projet de complexe scolaire a Blind River
(2019-04-09) Lemieux, Denis
Cette thèse examine la façon dont l’architecture peut favoriser l’apprentissage et le bien-être des élèves du Nord de l’Ontario. Une revue de la littérature, des sessions d’engagement avec des professionnels en éducation, ainsi que des études de cas et des visites d’écoles inspirantes ont permis d’identifier les besoins et priorités actuels en termes d’éducation, ainsi que les solutions architecturales mises en œuvre pour y répondre. La thèse se concentre sur quatre aspects qui se trouvent au cœur de l’atteinte du bien-être, soit le confort physique, l’activité physique, la connexion à la nature et la collaboration. Par un projet d’établissement scolaire regroupant des institutions de différentes langues et niveaux dans la municipalité Blind River, elle soutient l’argument que des interventions architecturales développées autour de l’idée du parcours permettent de répondre de façon originale et synergique à ces quatre thèmes clés, pour concevoir des écoles du 21e siècle.
Neuroarchitecture : quantifying perception to inform a design for improved mental well-being
(2019-04-10) Ferlaino, Mikayla
As complex, biological organisms, neuroarchitecture aims to address notions that natural and built environments can effect changes in our organismic systems at cellular, neurological, emotional, perceptual, and cognitive levels. Knowing this however, there is still little quantifiable data regarding the metrics of interior environments and how they impact human cognition. The question thus arises: Can we attempt to quantify human perception pertaining to architectural experience through the use of sensing technologies, in order to substantiate the effects of natural elements, and thus inform a design for improved mental well-being? This thesis aims to explore these ideas first through existing knowledge and theory regarding human perception and sensory stimulation. Furthermore, through self-analysis per the use of modern sensing technologies, both cognitive and environmental data will be gathered in order to gain an understanding of the relationships between spatial qualities and the physiological responses they evoke. Through this method of theory and data collection, a more informed design framework will be proposed to design a student residence that places a greater focus on improved mental well-being.

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