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Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1981. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 147-148). / This is a study of the ways in which the forms in landscapes - natural terrain adapted and inhabited - can serve as references in architectural design. As references for design, landscapes provide a richness of responses to local and evolutionary factors and a richness of associations which are central to our own identity and the identity of places or regions. In this thesis several perspectives on ways in which landscapes serve as references are analyzed. The landscape and surrounding context of each particular site importantly define its character and offer significant references for forms to be extended or generated. More broadly, landscapes can be viewed as sources for forms which can be transposed in multiple ways; the ultimate test of their value being whether they provide habitable, usable spaces. Landscapes can also be studied for the associations which they bring. These associations may explain feelings which we have about the quality and character of places . A series of principles for design are proposed. These principles reflect convergence amongst the several perspectives on how landscapes can serve as references and constitute a collection of suggestions for design. The principles are organized along a continuum of "forms", "processes of addition and change", and "associative qualities". Design studies for a site along the Neponset River at the south edge of Boston have been undertaken to aid in the development of the principles and illustrate their application. A mix of uses and building methods have been studied. The site for the studies is near the village center known as Lower Mills. The natural topography, the river's transition from narrow rapids to open estuary, and the historic collection of industrial buildings form a landscape rich in references and associations. / by James P. Batchelor. / M.Arch.

Thesis advisor: Carlo Rotella / Thesis advisor: Tom F. Mulvoy / Vietnamese immigrants and refugees have made their home in Boston, especially in Dorchester's Fields Corner neighborhood, since the end of the Vietnam War. Still one of the Hub's youngest immigrant groups, the Vietnamese have helped define the "New Boston," a term used to describe a city where white residents are now in the minority. This paper explores the triumphs and challenges, past and present, facing the Vietnamese community as they march steadily toward economic security, political recognition, and acculturation. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2006. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: English. / Discipline: Communication. / Discipline: College Honors Program.

Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1981. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-73). / This thesis explores the processes of building evolution and the methods in which old buildings are recycled for continued use. Reuse is the process in which a building's life is extended through a preservation or alteration of its existing morphology. It is a process in which memories are both extended and interpreted; designers try to renovate outdated structures into rich and diverse environments in which people can once again live and work. This thesis is a case study in reuse, in which I study the process of recycling several old industrial buildings. The Walter Baker Chocolate Factory sits on the boundary line between the Massachusetts towns of Milton and Dorchester, straddling the Neponset River. I discuss the morphology of the existing buildings, and I explore their conversion into an artists' colony. Reuse makes sense economically and environmentally, and also helps us preserve a connection to our ancestry, our cultural heritage, and our collective memory. In Working Places: the Adaptive Use of Industrial Buildings, Walter C. Kidney says: "America, at least in its attitude toward material wealth, may be undergoing a major psychological change. In the recent past, anything made the day before yesterday, whether it was a building, a car or a saucepan, was liable to be scrapped." Today, this trend is beginning to reverse, and architects are looking to explore the potential for reuse of outdated buildings. As a guide for my exploration, I have selected the program that the architectural team of Gelardin, Bruner, and Cutt used to create the "Piano Craft Guild", an artists' colony in the South End of Boston. I have, however, taken the freedom to tailor the program to fit the specific conditions extant at the east complex of the Walter Baker Chocolate Factory. / by Fernando D. Castro. / M.Arch.