Architecture

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://uwspace.uwaterloo.ca/handle/10012/9902

This is the collection for the University of Waterloo's School of Architecture.

Research outputs are organized by type (eg. Master Thesis, Article, Conference Paper).

Waterloo faculty, students, and staff can contact us or visit the UWSpace guide to learn more about depositing their research.

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Now showing 1 - 6 of 6

A Dive into Chinese Science Fiction: A Language of the Chinese Dream
(University of Waterloo, 2022-12-20) Li, Zhi; Boake, Terri; Rynnimeri, Val
This thesis investigates an emerging international wave of fantastical writings that surfaced roughly a bit over a decade ago, the globalization of Chinese science fiction (SF or sci-fi). Underdiscussed in overseas modern discourses and always overshadowed by the worldwide glorification of Western SF works, the distinctive history, culture, social values, and political drives of the “Chinese Dream” (中国梦) ideology present alternative thinking and speculation for the collective visions of tomorrow. Focusing mainly on the study of literature, this thesis unravels the unique and complex elements of Chinese SF through theoretical, historical, political, cultural, and social analyses. Henceforth, the boundless prospects of human civilization are explored through a divergent lens of imaginative contemplation, with a specific focus on the architectural notion of dwelling in the home and the city. A significant portion of this thesis will be a review of literary case studies of Chinese science fiction short stories via theoretical, historical and political, and socio-cultural discussions. Subsequently, corresponding reflective illustrations will be created to serve as an experimental vehicle to communicate sophisticated analyses through utilizing drawing as a research tool and narrative methodology. Although the thesis is predominantly concerned with the discourse of Chinese SF, commentaries regarding Western SF concepts and theories will be included for supportive reference, since the historic timing of Chinese science fiction did follow that of Western science fiction. Although particular ideas, themes, and speculations are universal commonalities within the global science fiction community, the research of this thesis is mainly dedicated to realizing the uniqueness of Chinese SF, and its alternative perspectives regarding humanity’s future dwelling landscapes. Ultimately, the thesis question is: If architects and designers interrogate the rich ingredients of Chinese science fiction, how can the ideology of the ‘Chinese Dream’ upon which it is largely based, influence future universal architectural discourses regarding the home, the city, and the act of dwelling?
Harmony in Highrises for Humans and their Loyal Companions: A canine inclusive design guideline for best practices
(University of Waterloo, 2024-09-10) Wong-Chun-Sen, Matthew; Boake, Terri
The idea of a house has always been present since the beginning and as humanity underwent evolutionary transitions over the course of history, so did the understanding of what a house is. Architecturally, while houses have modernized with regard to construction methods, materiality, and technology, the essence of a home seems to have remained the same. At first glance, many who read the previous statement do not see anything wrong with it, but take a second and dig a little deeper and you will begin to realize the underlying issues within. If modern homes can be defined as permanent or semi-permanent spaces used as residences for one or more human occupants, which is clearly driven by the necessities of people, then what happens when society evolves? If the people change, shouldn’t the essence of a home change with it and be reflected in the architecture? In the last few decades, there has been a noticeable surge in the canine population in North America, a trend that further accelerated in the wake of the 2021 pandemic (Institute 2022). While the concept of dog-inclusive architecture is still in its infancy, a comprehensive synthesis can be attained by exploring the realms of both canine behavioral psychology and selective architectural philosophies. Notable figures like Aldo Van Eyck and Jane Jacobs have contributed their spatial design philosophies in public realms (Jacobs 2011), serving as foundational references. Though they didn't specifically address dogs, Eyck, for instance, explored the concept of affordances – the possibility of action - through his playground designs (Strauven 2007). Additionally, and arguably more importantly, the work of Jakob von Uexküll, a Baltic German biologist, delves into animal behavior studies and introduces the concept of Umwelt, acknowledging the unique subjective worlds of animals and humans (Uexküll 2010). Uexküll argued that different species perceive and engage with their environments differently, emphasizing the importance of comprehending these distinct perspectives to truly understand animal experiences (Uexküll 2010). Therefore, to successfully create an architecture for both humans and dogs, we must first recognize the shift society underwent to coexist with dogs and then understand their Umwelt. This thesis aims to tackle the social neglect towards our dogs as their presence has grown in our society and challenges what the new fundamental ingredients are that structure the essence of what a modern home should be. Specifically, this research will investigate how to create a canine-inclusive design guide for high-density North American urban landscapes, by reimagining high-rise residential architecture in order to improve the everyday quality of life for our canine companions. Concepts such as inclusivity, sustainability, and building science will be considered to help guide the research, which eventually will culminate in a final design proposal in Toronto’s Liberty Village as a successful canine inclusive example. It is our responsibility as Architects to understand the fundamental distinction between a house and a home, recognizing that both are integral to the creation of successful designs. While this thesis attempts to offer a fresh perspective on architecture, it also seeks to emphasize the profound significance of the bond between humanity and our loyal canine companions - between “man-kind” and “man’s best friend”.
MORE THAN JUST SMOKE AND LIGHTS: THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONCERT STAGE DESIGN
(University of Waterloo, 2023-09-25) Dingman, Leah; Boake, Terri
Live music creates an environment that allows your mind to go silent, where all your senses are stimulated in perfect harmony. It’s a heightened sense of reality, a place to escape and be consumed in something that feels like your bones are being hugged. Architecture is what is used to make these ethereal moments a reality. Architecture plays a pivotal role in amplifying the overall experience for the audience and performer by creating an immersive spectacle, yet architects have frequently been left out of the conversation of concert stage design, which has led to underdeveloped immersive concerts. Concert design has now become an oversaturated field and an architect’s contributions have not yet been fully understood. By understanding how the skills of an architect can be utilized in concert design, elements such as space, scale, sightlines, functionality and aesthetics can transform arenas into engaging environments, and transcend the audience into new realms. To understand the role of an architect within this field of design, research was conducted to understand the last 100 years of performance history, the core materials and effects used in sets, the different types of stages, the expectation of the spectacle, and design logistics. With this research, I seek to contribute to the broader discourse on the fusion of architecture, live music, and emotion, by analyzing how different architectural elements such as stage shape and scale can evoke different emotions for the audience. The findings of this research are tested through the comprehensive design of three stages, each of which aims to emphasize specific emotional responses, and use different architectural elements that transform space to address said emotions. The stages are designed respectively around three songs composed and performed by the R & B artist Labrinth. Labrinth is a highly dynamic and versatile artist with a discography of music that includes a range of styles, tempos and emotions. Additionally, Labrinth has yet to go on a full arena scaled tour, allowing for an uninfluenced imagining of his performances. The first stage is designed for his song “Jealous”. “Jealous” is a slow and dreamy composition, therefore the corresponding stage uses lightweight architectural elements, including hanging, interactive fabrics that evoke an ethereal environment. The second stage is designed for the song “When I R.I.P.” which is a more rhythmic and high tempo song, so the corresponding stage design transitions into a profile stage with a grounded, heavy base and overhanging roof. This stage typology creates an intense and edgy environment due to its invasive protrusion into the audience, and added stark materiality. The final stage is for Labrinth’s song “Sexy MF” which is an upbeat, high energy song that inspires dancing and togetherness. The resulting stage design utilizes a large roof structure that encapsulates both Labrinth and the audience, effectively creating an interconnection within the space. These architectural contributions will envision new possibilities that push the boundaries of concert stage design past just smoke and lights, revolutionizing the way we experience live performances.
Nature Nurtures: Architectural Greenery Systems to Support Healing in Canadian Hospitals
(University of Waterloo, 2021-09-20) Eng, Cynthia; Boake, Terri
How can living plant systems be combined with healthcare facility architecture to increase beneficial interactions with nature, while still maintaining healthcare standards of safety, efficiency, and control? Nature can provide healing benefits to hospital occupants by lifting their spirits and by counteracting the difficulties of fighting illness. Architectural designers can help to create more positive hospital environments by utilizing vegetation as a building material and in building systems. Vertical and raised greenery systems such as living walls, green façades, and green roofs can deliver more accessible green spaces in dense, urban hospital sites. Greenery systems can also create synergistic relationships between plant life and functional healthcare programs. This thesis analyzes the benefits, costs, and challenges of greenery system typologies and their various construction types. Demonstrated are architectural designs for key patient and visitor spaces in a hypothetical patient tower on an existing Canadian hospital redevelopment site. Within this design, greenery systems support long-term care patients of specialty units like rehabilitation, palliative care, acute elderly care, and mental health. By providing knowledge about the application of architectural greenery systems, this thesis promotes a sustainable design of greenery systems and a plant-based philosophy to the way hospitals are envisioned, and health care is achieved.
Space & Story: Constructing and Communicating Narrative Space in Dungeons and Dragons
(University of Waterloo, 2023-05-12) McNeil, Alison; Boake, Terri
Designing and communicating spaces is an ever-evolving practice and challenge for the architect who must translate individual and collective experiences of space both to those within the field of architecture, and those outside of it. Drawings of plans, renders, sections, and elevations conspire to make the imagined real in the minds of various stakeholders, treating unbuilt design projects as tangible. In narrative-based tabletop games such as Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), a central challenge is translating a sense of space to often non-spatially minded players. This thesis seeks to explore how communication of space works in D&D as it re-interprets architectural methods to articulate imagined spaces, which are further reinforced in D&D by the use of spatial narratives. Research into spatial understanding through narrative has yet to critically examine D&D, which only recently achieved explosive global popularity. While architecture has previously looked to Film Theory, Set Design, or Radical and Speculative Architecture for novel approaches to understanding, rethinking, and communicating space, academic studies of D&D itself typically center psychology, ludology, and education. This thesis identifies where architecture too can learn from D&D’s unique ability to translate sophisticated imagined spatial arrangements to ‘real’ immaterial space, such that a broad range of players can envision it. Through a multifaceted approach that employs written analyses and drawing as research, Space & Story seeks to provide insight to architects on articulating space to non-architects. A literature review on how narrative forms space across multiple fields and media, and the abstraction and representation of space in map-making, architecture, and D&D past and present informs a hybrid design exercise. The production of a short D&D adventure focuses on how elements of story are identified, translated spatially, and then communicated through a narrative experience that is both designed and open-ended. Space & Story engages with D&D’s process of conceptualizing and communicating immaterial spaces and explores how it both utilizes and diverges from traditional architectural methods, beginning to reflect on how preconceived understandings of program, type, and genre play into users’ experiences of space. This thesis is a celebration and commentary on both practices and explorations of creating unique spaces for humans to exist and play within.
Tracing the Grotesque: Finding Value in the Urban Villages of Shenzhen
(University of Waterloo, 2022-05-06) Yang, Yunhao; Boake, Terri
The rapid urbanization, which has happened since the 1979 economic reform, has fundamentally changed Shenzhen, China. The city was developed to be an Economic Zone, so millions of original village houses were demolished and replaced by skyscrapers. However, the still remaining village houses are excluded from the urban planning strategy and they are described as the “dirty, unorganized, bad” Urban Villages. The formally constructed Shenzhen metropolis, which was intended to greatly improve life in Shenzhen through modernization, somehow fails to provide full sense of rootedness to the residents, while the residents who live within urban villages are having surprisingly positive connections with these low-end neighborhoods. So, do the informal and unorganized elements in the Urban Village only imply the sense of chaos and disorder? Can they mean something more? Professionals such as Juan Du and Meng Yan have critiqued that the grotesque Urban Villages are actually called “homes” by millions of immigrants, and the orthodox urban planning strategies for the Shenzhen metropolis do create some negative effects. On the other side, figures such as Jane Jacobs and Jan Gehl state that public spaces are the most noticeable organ which flow throughout a community and these can fundamentally affect individuals’ lives. Thus, this project aims to capture, record, and archive the public spaces within the Urban Village, the goal being to re-assess the spatial experience and try to define the positive attributes. The thesis photographically documents the public spaces in the Urban Village and compares them to the modern commercial housing community in the metropolis region. Furthermore, the thesis includes study diagrams on public spaces’ dimensions and dynamics, and on sociological knowledge that are used to compare and critique these contrasting neighborhoods. This project focuses on researching how different public spaces, in which most of the public activities happen, assist to form different social life. Thus, the following documentation and discussion will exclude the impact from private interior residential space. This thesis project aims to promote inclusion and support the maintenance of the Urban Village type. It also aims to discuss how the design of public space contributes to the wellbeing of residents; how access to public space allows for social inclusion. Lastly the thesis will purpose strategies based on lessons learned from successful aspects of the social life in the Urban Village that could be used towards positive modifications of the commercial housing type.

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Browsing Architecture by Author "Boake, Terri"