This thesis, completed in an architectural design studio, addresses the conflicts between, and potential compatibilities of, historic preservation and urban residential density through consideration of the specific case of downtown Tucson’s very low residential density and two commercial buildings therein. 128 and 130 E Congress Street, constructed in 1903, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and have housed the JC Penney Company (1927 - 1957) and the Chicago Store music store (1967 - today). A 20,000 square foot, three story residential addition above the existing building is proposed. Appropriate rehabilitation of existing underutilized historic buildings is considered simultaneously with the introduction of vertical residential additions. Many issues of compatible yet distinct additions are addressed including: scale, mass, material, and form; structure and circulation; efficient indoor/outdoor residences; and the poetics of old and new and the liminal spaces between. These issues are examined through photography, diagrams, text, architectural drawings in orthographic and isometric projection, analysis of census data, analysis of architectural precedent, and architectural perspective renderings. Particular attention is paid to structural issues and a thorough analysis of preservation issues of significance, period of significance, character defining features, and integrity.

My thesis is that culture and nature are the first to be ignored by the broad arm of globalization, and we cannot afford to recklessly abandon the cultures and ecosystems that define our world. Architecture cannot become yet another by-product of globalization but must reflect on, respond, and belong to the specific natural and cultural environment in which they exist. Given a site in Marfa, Texas and a program of an Institute of Contemporary Art, I studied extensively the culture and history of West Texas in order to understand what a building there should be. In my research, I discovered that living in West Texas boiled down to two very simple things: weather and survival. With this in mind, I studied the dog-trot house and the wrap-around porch house extensively and adapted my design off the precedent of these two styles. Thus, I designed a building that had an equality of indoor and outdoor and space, used the venturi effect to passively cool the spaces, and used natural stone walls and other vernacular materials that work effectively in the climate and create a building that will stand the test of time. This building exemplifies the identity of Marfa.

The intent of this study was to design produce a comprehensible but user-friendly method that would provide a step-by-step process and guide in originating sustainable, affordable and energy efficient net-zero residential housing. The right-step procedure of the VERSAE Method was linked to the traditional vernacular architecture of the Hopi, a Native American people who still reside on part of their aboriginal lands in northeastern Arizona. The process combined traditional strategies identified in local vernacular Hopi architecture with modern strategies to successfully design sustainable, affordable and energy efficient (net-zero) housing specifically for contemporary Hopi housing. The process was documented in the capstone project, "Housing for the Hopi Community: Designing Sustainable, Affordable and Energy Efficient Housing in the Hopi Community, Linking to Cultural Patterns of Sustainability". For this thesis, the VERSAE method and process was replicate to create a sustainable, affordable and net-zero housing prototype for the Omaha Nation located in Nebraska with significantly different climate, environment, local materials and cultural patterns. Both case studies validated the VERSAE method as conductive to sustainable, affordable and energy efficient (net-zero) housing design.

America was the leader in quantity and quality of high school diplomas. Today, it is ranked thirty six in the world. Some of the main factors that affect education in America are witnessing us on a daily basis. These factors affect our visual, thermal and auditory comfort levels. As environmentalists we strive to find solutions to these problems. Unfortunately, some designers aim their designs to merely aesthetics. Leaving out the environmental factor of thermal comfort to be dictated by mechanically engineers and not paying attention to how occupants interact with sound within the built environment. Today I will discuss how to design for the ears, and how sound has a major role in education promoting Children's health and wellbeing. Education reach its way to our minds through listening in adequate environment. Optimum design appreciates and is tailored to experiencing all five senses. Goal of this research: Design proper noise levels for classrooms to provide students with an optimal learning environment is imperative. Reverberation times need to be carefully sized and calculated, particularly in the primary grades when the young student's ears are not fully developed. Conduct background noise and reverberation time measurements in classrooms to assess the problem and recommend solutions. Acoustic performance design is vital. Good Sound = Happy Sound.

The continuous turmoil in some regions of the Middle East, including Syria and Iraq, has resulted in the displacement of millions of people, a big portion of those displaced people end up seeking refuge in neighboring countries, where often refugee camps are set up by multiple contributors for humanitarian causes. The infill form of planning that comes with an emergency situation such as war, does not optimize the individual, social and energy efficiency aspects of refugee camps. Looking at the various refugee camps around the world gives an insight on how to/ or not to design in relation to climatic conditions. Lessons learned can also be deducted from looking at established camps and social programs. The goal is to design a grouping of Green shelters that allows for individual wellbeing and social interaction alongside the rest of the basic human needs.

Weathering introduces a language of durability and change throughout time. Architecture and its materials are constituents of place, as is the way they weather and age. The intent of this research is to analyze regional weathering characteristics specific to the American Southwest as a reflection of a sense of belonging that evolves over time.

This project is located in the St. Henri neighborhood along the Lachine Canal in Montreal, Quebec. Industrial artifacts along the canal are culturally and historically significant to the people of Montreal. These artifacts are currently disconnected from public access – residents and tourists should be able to fully engage with them. The abandoned malting plant site has the potential to become an engaging destination that visitors want to explore. The proposal honors and reimagines the site’s industrial infrastructure and introduces valuable public amenities to the Lachine Canal. The 30/30 concept refers to the juxtaposition of the existing thirty silos and proposed thirty mounds. Generated from the volumetric capacity of the silos and natural form of grain, the mounds support vegetation to restore the sites pre-industrial presence of nature. Museum functions and public spaces are integrated into both the silos and mounds, resulting in an activity-driven experience for visitors that is centered on exploration and discovery. The proposal has the potential to host events, exhibitions, and outdoor activities year-round. By allowing guests to "trespass" through urban artifacts, they are invited to discover the mysterious atmosphere and cultural significance of the former factory and the site’s new public amenities.

Spaces are usually classified as either being indoors – frequently private or public outdoor spaces. Transitional spaces are an important aspect to the built environment as they have great potential to modify the environmental conditions of both indoor and outdoor spaces. They are the connecting space between the outdoor and indoors, between the natural climate and controlled climate. They can aid to building efficiency and to outdoor human thermal comfort. Transitional spaces in a hot arid region are crucial to maintaining the comfort of a user while being outside. The purpose of this investigation is to prove that shaded outdoor transitional spaces can lead to outdoor human thermal comfort and building performance. The problem being addressed is the lack of attention on shaded transitional spaces in a hot arid climate. Being located in such a harsh climatic environment it is important to look into the relationship between the building and its outdoor spaces as well as users. They are used to create a comfortable microclimate while transitioning into the building. A 9 step method will be proposed to defend the idea that shaded transitional spaces can lead to outdoor human thermal comfort and building efficiency. Methods being used are eQUEST Simulations, micro-climate data collection, and calculating outdoor human thermal comfort. The results confirmed the notion that shaded transitional spaces can lead to outdoor human thermal comfort and building performance. The comfort of the user was defined and the performance of the building was established through energy modeling simulations.

Consequences of human activity in natural environments can be observed in urban phenomena. Urban Heat Island is one of those consequences, it is characterized by higher temperature levels in surface-cover and air in urban centers compared with its surrounding rural areas. UHIs are present in cities of arid ecosystems such as Phoenix and Tucson. Existing urban development trends contribute to UHI episodes. Urban Agriculture (UA) is an emerging environmental strategy and, contrary to traditional and industrial agricultural methods, UA systems provide the option of not using soil, its geometrical arrangement lets grow crops disregarding of extensive surface of land to be consumed. UA systems can be implemented as building fabric components. Urban Agriculture provides access to healthier and economic food, it is more energy efficient and promotes a more vegetarian diet which can eventually contribute diminishing health problems such as obesity and toxicity. A response for achieving a decrease in temperature levels in an urban arid region scenario can be established by demonstrating the following premise: "Urban Heat Island effect in arid regions can be mitigated if vegetated surface in the form of agriculture is properly integrated in the built environment". Research procedures were applied at building scale. Results involved physical objective data acquisition. Research methods required the use of software and thermodynamic tools to measure thermal behavior of samples. The impact of vegetated cover in temperature levels and thermal comfort in an outdoor scenario was digitally simulated. The selected research case contributed as a source of data for comparison and baseline benchmarking of thermodynamic circumstances. Employment of green infrastructure in cities can contribute to the improvement of energy efficiency in buildings and developing self-sufficient communities. Urban agriculture comprises implications and side beneficial environmental consequences in arid habitats beyond decreasing temperature levels in cities, such effects are energy conservation, reducing air pollution, diminishing food security concerns, improving soil quality and runoff wastewater as well as cutting down fossil fuel use in transportation of food. In that sense, future research fields include water quality and availability, innovative emerging materials, climate analysis, societal and cultural value, Net zero development and energy efficiency as well as solid waste management.