Introducing concepts of Craftsman kit construction to the interior, as well as modern technology to lessen the cost of handcrafted details, opens the possibility to new methods of modular design in which interior units are configured around structural skeletons and central base points that provide supply lines to residential units. One example is Dutch design firm Minale-Maeda’s Keystones, a 3D printed connector that holds together any necessary components, like furniture. These keystones can be printed at home and save time and the need to obtain anything but essential components (website). The design firm works to create an “ongoing awareness of the possibilities of both mass-production and skilled craftsmanship” (L’arco Baleno, 2014). Another interesting example is Dutch design brand Fraaiheid’s Minimal Waste Table, which is created from one piece of laminated plywood with a CNC milling machine which makes for extremely minimal waste (Williamson, 2013). These examples of automation require a craftsman’s hand and mind to create the concept but introduce a modern approach to reducing waste, time and cost.

The community of Old Town Manchester lies across from downtown Richmond on the south side of the James River. Annexed in 1910, Manchester was the industrial hub of the city and home to the Chesterfield Railroad, the first railway in Virginia and used to transport coal. These industrial roots are still evident today in the warehouses and manufacturing facilities that continue to operate or have been repurposed. The building of focus is located on the corner of bustling Hull Street and quiet 7th Avenue. Distinctive in its stone masonry exterior, 616 Hull was constructed in the 1920s as a Chevrolet showroom and manufacturing facility. Both the proximity to downtown and the historic character of Manchester made it seem an ideal location for a hotel and restaurant. Considering the hotel as a source of stability for the community because it provides jobs, and the restaurant as an entity within the hotel that simultaneously serves the guests as well as the local residents, the concept of discovery and experience of place emerged. With the belief that locals share a sense of pride in the city in which they live, thus making Richmonders the city’s best advocates, this thesis was an exploration of how design can encourage interaction between two groups of people- visitors and locals.

This study explores the needs of teen and young adult cancer patients undergoing long-term chemotherapy treatments and the design of an outpatient clinic that accommodates this population’s unique needs. Most teens endure long-term treatments in a pediatric facility targeted primarily for children, while others are treated in adult facilities. Teens have different privacy and social needs than children, and while they are not adults, they are involved in their own treatment decisions, unlike children. The target age group for this study is teens and young adults, ages thirteen to twenty-two. A common theme emerged from research and interviews conducted in the project: these young patients feel an overwhelming sense of isolation. This informed the design of the clinic, which includes spaces where teens and young adults have private spaces for treatment, but larger group spaces that promote connections among each other. Pathways between the various spaces are important. Incorporating nature, environmentally conscious and healthy materials, accessibility, and comfort were essential considerations for the design. The design hypothesis for this project is that a place that targets the unique needs of teens and young adults could make a difference in their experience and ultimately in their healing.

This thesis project is an exploration of process in both design and winemaking. Wine has long been a part of Virginia’s history and culture and in recent years has influenced architecture and design that is specific to winemaking and hospitality. Through an interior intervention, this project addresses the many challenges of marrying production and hospitality design criteria under one roof. The final design encourages understanding of process through links between production and consumption with both a winemaking facility and laboratory that are integrated into the surrounding hospitality-oriented spaces. This visual exposure to the facility stimulates patron interest and intuitive knowledge of the intricate nature of the winemaking process. The concept of process is revealed through the use of materials and their application, designed in such a way to encourage patrons to explore how they are constructed. The use of natural materials that patina are used to celebrate the aging process that is inextricably linked to both design and wine. In addition, new ways of using materials that are part of the winemaking process are employed to expose patrons to nuanced aspects of the process that otherwise remain hidden.

The digital age has pushed people closer together than ever before. A device that fits in the palm of your hand allows instantaneous communication with billions of other human beings. People share everyday experiences, passing thoughts, personal photos, sometimes privately, often publicly. Distances between people and places feel reduced. Never has it been so easy to be so emotionally close to so many people. But as digital experiences become routine, our collective perceptions of closeness and distance shift. As virtual communities become larger, so does our awareness of the actual distance between things. Even though humans can be genuinely close to one another on the internet, fragments of meaning, tone, and physicality are often lost in distance. Over-dependence on digital connection can erode local communities and generate apathy towards the real systems we depend on for survival. This project aims to investigate strategies designers and architects may employ to regenerate and recontextualize local communities in the digital age. Research suggests that contemporary cities benefit from a softening of the barrier between public and private spaces. Porous and permeable boundaries between interior and exterior realms can allow dialogues to open and communities to grow, resulting in more enriched urban societies.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:21:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Daniela Perpetuo.pdf: 20714570 bytes, checksum: 188e221388042cd1b7b54760993bea2e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-08-22 / Fundo Mackenzie de Pesquisa / This research is concentrated on the issue of modern architecture in São Paulo, with primary focus on interior architecture, and a study case of four homes selected of the Brazilian architect João Batista Vilanova Artigas, analyzing its architecture and interior configuration, and the set of elements, which create the "atmosphere" of settings. The four homes that will be more closely analyzed are: the "Cottage" ( Casinha ), from 1942; the Second House of the Architect, from 1949; Olga Beata s House, from 1957, and Elza Berquó s House, from 1967. Other homes will also be studied, such as Rubens de Mendonça s House, or Triangles s house, from 1959; the Telmo Porto s house, from 1968, and Martirani s house, from 1974. The analyzis will be performed from the comparison of photographic sources from different times. Each set of users, at different times, helped set up the arrangement of the rooms in different ways, which allows to indirectly check their interference in the internal arrangements of the houses. / Este trabalho pretende tratar o tema da arquitetura paulista moderna, com foco prioritário nos interiores arquitetônicos, e o estudo de caso de quatro residências selecionadas de João Batista Vilanova Artigas, analisando sua arquitetura e configuração interna, ou seja, o conjunto de elementos que criam a atmosfera dos ambientes. As quatro casas que serão mais atentamente analisadas são: a Casinha , de 1942; a Segunda Casa do Arquiteto, de 1949; a Casa Olga Baeta, de 1957 e a Residência Elza Berquó, de 1967. Outras residências do arquiteto serão mais brevemente estudadas, tais como a Casa Rubens de Mendonça, ou Casa dos Triângulos, de 1959; a Casa Telmo Porto, de 1968 e a Casa Martirani, de 1974. As análises serão realizadas a partir da comparação de fontes fotográficas de diferentes épocas e atuais. Cada conjunto de usuários, em diferentes épocas, ajudou a configurar as ambientações dos cômodos de diferentes maneiras, o que possibilita verificar, indiretamente, suas interferências nos arranjos dos interiores das casas.

The field of design is one that holds the power to empower, bridge gaps, inform, evolve and revolutionize human thoughts. To gain a higher understanding of the correlation of anthropometrics and ergonomics in an embodied space relative to the discipline of dance connecting one’s mind and body. The need for a space that instills a sense of freedom for artists to experience and execute their art and to reside alongside their mentors and traveling artists. The need for a space that can bring the diverse cultures that live in and around Richmond together through an expressive form of art. Providing an educational opportunity for the residents of the space as well as public on the importance of culture preservation and freedom of expression (Iwano, 2003). Research and precedent studies imply that: Design and dance are complementary forms of visual communication that have similar principles of rhythm, balance and contrast. Performative design can create higher levels of interaction between artists, students and public. The expressions and movements used in dance can be used to inform and evolve the architectural experience in the space. This research will support the design of an artists- in- residence space for the dance community in Richmond that will contain: A residential space where the artists can reside amongst faculty, students and travelling artists. Practice rooms where they are at liberty to express, practice, educate and engage amongst other dancers. A performance space where they can execute and showcase their expertise and engage with the public. A public community hall for where there is an opportunity for the diverse cultures and other artist communities to connect through dance. A library and a gallery space that gets integarted into the library that becomes part of the educational opportunity wherein they get a glimpse of the evolution of the various disciplines that dance is a combination of.

MOTIVATION In Richmond, there are 1.21 times as many African Americans as any other ethnic group. Yet 63.4% of African Americans live in poverty (Richmond, VA). African Americans face greater exposure to stress due to low socioeconomic status and poverty. In these communities, “discrimination and deprivation undermine individuals’ ability to accumulate the social and material resources to mitigate the effects of stress” (Brondolo, 2018). In this city’s African American community, where stress levels are high and consequential health concerns are prevalent, dance can be a remedy for managing stress and improving health (Hanna, 2006). DESIGN PROBLEM How can an intentionally designed interior environment support dance as a remedy for stress and its negative health effects? How can the design of this environment celebrate the culture of the African American community? METHODS Literature reviews on the relationship between space and dance will help inform design decisions. Studies of programmatic precedents will focus on spaces involving dance, healing, community engagement and cultural specificity. Studies of conceptual precedents that involve movement, rhythm and the body will take place. Rudolf Laban’s notation system for studying movement in dance will be utilized to analyze the movements required of African dance, resulting in a more targeted design approach. A dancer with a background in African dance will serve as a research advisor. Interviews of African American dancers will be conducted to gain insight into the practice of dance and the needs of a dance space. PRELIMINARY RESULTS Research shows that dance reduces stress levels. Specifically, African dance, significantly decreases perceived stress and repeated practice can lead to overall stress reduction (West, J. et al). African dance’s main purpose is to serve as an expression of the physical and psychological states of individuals, allowing for emotional release.(Welsh-Asante, 1996). Dance can be used to cope with stress by discharging repressed aggression, improving self-esteem and allowing for self expression . Dance also prevents stress through physical exercise (Hanna, 2006). Additionally, research from Steven Holl, Santiago Calatrava and other architectural masters discuss the relationships between dance and architecture. CONCLUSION The research will inform the design of a cultural dance center for the city’s historically African American neighborhood. The interior design of this center will support African dance and culture, foster creativity, and encourage stress reduction. The design will also support the secondary programs of dance movement therapy, seminars, celebrations, community outreach, educational programs, and exhibitions.

MOTIVATION In the simplest form, a pencil mark on a page is removed by a traditional rubber eraser. However, the marks are often never fully removed, and the paper thins with each attempt to rub out an old idea. But how does one erase a chair? A pilaster? A room? A building?... More importantly, how does the subtractive act of erasing become an additive one? The historical fabric of a building is important; it is also imperative that it does not remain stagnant. Erasing is an opportunity to design an interior environment that both acknowledges the traces of the pencil marks and the eraser. It is an opportunity to learn from historic design strategies and thoughtfully transition into the present to create a living, breathing palimpsest (Plesch, 2015). PROBLEM Current preservation policies and landmarking tactics arguably contradict preservationists’ claims of promoting environmental, economic, and social growth within communities by exempting historical buildings from complying with codes and regulations which consequently use property that could be more sustainably employed. Historical preservation is largely based in social constructs; therefore, present policies should be reflective of societal changes. At times, the act of preserving often removes these buildings from the possibility of a relevant and functional future by attempting to keep them wedged within historical restraints (Avrami, 2016). METHOD Research of precedent incidents of erasure with applications to concepts involving historical preservation and restoration in the fields interior design and architecture will influence the design approach. These precedent studies will include works by Carlo Scarpa, Peter Zumthor, and David Chipperfield. To supplement these studies, other artistic disciplines and artists, including Robert Rauschenberg, will be researched to holistically comprehend approaches to the concept of erasing. The execution of explorations of erasing different objects and media to better understand the process of erasure will also be imperative. These experimentations will include the strategic erasing of pencil sketches and common objects to investigate how to best represent an object that has been erased. PRELIMINARY RESULTS The approach to erasing the historical fabric of a building is largely dependent on the building itself. This is evident in Scarpa’s attention to the physical and metaphorical joinery of new and existing structures in his design of Palazzo Abatellis, Zumthor’s weaving of old and new brickwork at Kolumba, and Chipperfield’s use of exposed ruins in his design strategy for the Neues Museum (McCarter, 2013; Carrington, 2008; RYKWERT, 2009). The process of erasure within the realm of preservation is a constant and demonstrates how the act of erasing allows opportunities for the existence of something new (Katz, 2006). CONCLUSION Choosing to re-program and systematically erase a section of a historically significant but outdated medical tower as a collective art studio space would introduce the opportunity to design an “erased space “as an environment for post-graduate art students to produce creative work. This space would strengthen the growing bond between a school of the arts and a historic medical school while contributing to the culture of the surrounding neighborhoods and contribute to the rich tradition of art within the city.

MOTIVATION Two main groups in American society today are floundering: adolescent children of low income families and the elderly. Between the hours of 3:00 and 6:00 p.m., one in five children are unsupervised. Left to their own devices, many become involved in negative behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse, sexual activity or in the worse cases, delinquency (Afterschool Alliance, 2016). It is proven that when children are alone after school, they not only miss out on valuable learning opportunities, but also their parents are affected as well by having to lose as many as eight work days annually to resolve behavioral issues. In this negative cycle, businesses experience losses of up to $300 billion a year (Afterschool Alliance, 2018). The other demographic group that is struggling is the elderly. Due to advanced medical care and better education, people are living longer (Singh, A., & Misra, N. 2009). After they retire from the work force, many find themselves with an unstructured routine. Friendships often fade. Connection with family may become less frequent, and it is difficult to form new relationships. These changes in their lives often result in feelings of isolation, loneliness, depression and even death (Singh, A., & Misra, N. (2009). A solution to these two problems is creating an intergenerational program. Intergenerational programs bring different age groups together to participate in activities and cultural exchanges. Bringing adolescents and the elderly together enriches the quality of life for each. The elderly can bond with youths through tutoring, mentoring, and sharing their life experiences, while gaining social interaction they would otherwise lack. The children can receive individual attention academically and emotionally, broaden their social skills, and benefit from their elders’ life knowledge and experience (Bethesda Health, 2014). PROBLEM For every dollar spent, three dollars are saved by increasing kids’ learning potential, improving kids’ performance at school and reducing crime and juvenile delinquency (Afterschool Alliance, 2017). However, under the current administration, funding is going to be cut nationwide by 100% in the 2019 fiscal year. (Afterschool Alliance, 2018). Therefore, it is essential to design a space that is conducive to relationship building, low maintenance and sustainable to reduce overhead and maximize funds for the participants. METHODS Methods of research will include peer reviewed literature and case studies. For example, I will study a program founded in Columbia, MD that helps disadvantaged children with at least one incarcerated parent achieve their dreams. I will also study local and regional afterschool programs. I also intend to create a survey for both adolescents and elderly to collect data on attitudes and expectations of intergenerational programming. PRELIMINARY RESULTS Intergenerational programs are beneficial to everyone in a community. By participating in such programs, both populations can help each other by understanding and accepting each other’s similarities and differences and learning from one another (Bethesda Health, 2015). They create a safer and more productive society and encourages upward mobility in economically depressed neighborhoods. For a relatively low investment, the return is tremendous. The major challenge of intergenerational programs is funding. CONCLUSION The research methods described above will support the design of an intergenerational clubhouse for the immediate community. The space will provide academic, social and values enrichment through supportive mentoring and the use of technology. And equally important, a safe place, security, comfort, trust, respect, and pride.