The environment evolved five human senses; through these receptors the majority of us experience life. Or do we? The a vast majority of our daily landscape resides enclosed, shut off from the exterior; separating people from the elements, organizing and distributing the multitude of functions that affect how we live and feel. The mental state of society is poor, the “daily dis-ease” of we wrestle with; stress, emotions, fatigue, exhaustion, disconnection suck the life out of the moments we live to barely even see. These interactions and experiences we encounter in, on, under and around the architectural forms we travel between are often so boring and ordinary we don’t even label them as experience. I challenge architecture can be more. The tangibles (senses) can be invigorated and spaces can be driven and designed by the senses, by the body and by the mind. The creation of unique experiences involves not only the measureable (light, smell, touch, taste & sound etc.) but also immeasurable effects on the body (memory, unity, serenity, etc.) The core of this project aims to cultivate an architecture that provides an array of nurturing and invigorating experiential and exploratory moments harmoniously placed throughout the natural landscape. Through this reintroduction to experience, the individuals attending the retreat will be engulfed in experiencing the moment and living each breath of sensation. For meditation is the existence in contemplation, relaxation and mental hygiene that provides the platform, the vessel for self-exploration and internal growth. Here the architecture becomes the marbles in the landscape, nestled into the site located in Mountain Park in Holyoke, Ma. “Come experience life, and energize your body and mind”

Given humankind’s ability to dramatically affect the natural systems that support life on our planet, what is the designer’s role in building empathic consciousness towards our biosphere? Our consciousness is the gestalt effect of what we know, feel, and believe. The built environment is both illustrator and shaper of this shared consciousness. Our attitude toward the biosphere is a product of the ways the industrial revolution shaped our landscape, economy, social organization, governance, art, and design. This thesis uses a site in Holyoke, Massachusetts (160 Middle Water St.), to test theories about how spaces change the way we think, feel, and act toward our planet. Holyoke, the first planned industrial city in the nation, is a cultural landscape that tells the story of reshaping natural systems for human benefit. The program for the space emerges from the budding creative economy in Holyoke. Specifically, movement artists are using dance to build community, increase health and fitness, and express emotional experience. 160 Middle Water offers a vision for this engagement, connecting dancers to the earth, river, and sky. This thesis builds on the precedents of landscape architects, architects, sculptors, scientists, poets, and ecologists who have shaped our built environment and framed our view of the world. The tools belong to design disciplines, but the theories are shared by those committed to synchronizing ourselves with the interdependent web of existence of which we are a part.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 667-678). Print copy also available.

Thesis (M.A.)--Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, MA, 2005. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [112]-115).

Thesis (M.A.)--Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, MA, 2005. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [112]-115).

In order for the green movement to be successful, it is necessary for society to be aware and to participate on all levels. Holyoke is a city of the working class and there are several vocational programs available offering job-specific training. Unfortunately, these programs pay little attention to the environmental issues associated with their trade; and, as issues of global warming are becoming more pertinent, the vocational curriculum remains disconnected. To promote sustainable awareness and participation among vocational students in Holyoke, a new campus located in the downtown neighborhood will be introduced to the school system. In this new green vocational school, students from multiple disciplines will come together to engage in the sustainable practice of their trade. Given the decaying state of the downtown neighborhoods, the urban landscape will serve as a canvas for new ideas and projects. Through the collaboration of these vocations, students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge addressing real projects while contributing to the social and physical revitalization of downtown Holyoke.

No description available.

Consumer culture’s spatial dynamics have rarely been examined. This study will use a methodology of “triangulation” – a term borrowed from Geographer Richard J. Dennis – to explore the characteristics of consumer culture among the working classes in a single industrial, planned city (Holyoke, Massachusetts). Each facet of the tripartite method – literary, cliometric, and geographical sources – will be used to conclude that consumer capitalism fundamentally changed the spatial character of Holyoke’s working class communities. A time period roughly from 1880 to 1940 has been selected because novels about Holyoke in this period help augment an understanding of the city’s consumer landscape. The study examines two writers who grew up in Holyoke: Jacques Ducharme and Mary Doyle Curran. It also centers on two streets, High Street and Main Street, which served as the commercial centers for very distinct types of communities. The study draws from oral histories, sociological data, place-based analysis, advertisements, material culture, census records, newspaper accounts, and corporate records from manufacturers and the city’s largest department store.

The intent of this thesis is to explore the design challenges and opportunities presented by the reintroduction of passenger rail to a small economically challenged New England city. Central to my thesis is that the advent of more efficient transportation options is not, in itself, enough: the infrastructure built to support those options must provide users with a comfortable, safe, and welcoming experience. The architecture of the rail station is critical in influencing that behavior and moving our society toward greater energy efficiency. Holyoke is a small mill city in western Massachusetts whose fortunes peaked in the early twentieth century and today struggles with decaying buildings and infrastructure, high unemployment, and significant poverty. The city also has many strengths, including relatively inexpensive hydro-electric power, sturdy adaptable mill buildings, an excellent location, strong neighborhood and civic pride, and a rich history on which to build. The city’s boosters feel that it is ripe for a renaissance already being driven by industry, the creative economy, telecommuters escaping the region’s major cities, and tourism. This research component of this thesis will explore: Current and historical demographic, industrial, and commercial context of the city and its passenger rail service, including usage projections, connections with various parts of the city, and Transit Oriented Design implications The needs of the adjacent Flats neighborhood for basic services and community space; strategies for attracting more consistent use of the station throughout its hours of operation by meeting the neighborhood residents’ needs Potential requirements for a station’s future capacity and adaptability – it will consider strategies for creating a flexible and adaptable building so as to meet the needs of the station and city as it changes over time Precedents that include rail stations and public buildings – it will investigate strategies used by effective public buildings The design component of this thesis incorporates the above research in developing site and program plans with a specific focus on design strategies that address accessibility, wayfinding, relevant services, and creating a welcoming gateway into the residential, industrial, and commercial heart of the city.