Thesis Projects
Thesis Projects by Year
Beyond Displacement: Design as a Decolonizing Tool
Food brings people together—but the spaces where we gather to eat tell stories, too. This thesis explores the intersections of food, architecture, and sensory design, focusing on how dining environments can express regional identity and terroir. Terroir—often associated with wine—refers to the interplay of environment, tradition, and human craftsmanship that gives food and drink their distinctive character. It reflects how land, climate, and culture shape not only flavor but also the spaces in which food is prepared, shared, and celebrated. Drawing on research in foodways, regional architecture, and sensory experience, this project investigates the shared values of food and architecture—craft, materiality, and connection. It proposes that dining spaces should reflect terroir by embedding environmental and cultural narratives into their design. Through features such as sensory tasting rooms, edible gardens, and areas for preservation and production, the project envisions immersive environments that deepen our relationship to food and place—celebrating not only what we eat, but how, where, and with whom we gather.
Taste of Place: Designing Immersive Culinary Spaces Through Terroir
Food brings people together—but the spaces where we gather to eat tell stories, too. This thesis explores the intersections of food, architecture, and sensory design, focusing on how dining environments can express regional identity and terroir. Terroir—often associated with wine—refers to the interplay of environment, tradition, and human craftsmanship that gives food and drink their distinctive character. It reflects how land, climate, and culture shape not only flavor but also the spaces in which food is prepared, shared, and celebrated. Drawing on research in foodways, regional architecture, and sensory experience, this project investigates the shared values of food and architecture—craft, materiality, and connection. It proposes that dining spaces should reflect terroir by embedding environmental and cultural narratives into their design. Through features such as sensory tasting rooms, edible gardens, and areas for preservation and production, the project envisions immersive environments that deepen our relationship to food and place—celebrating not only what we eat, but how, where, and with whom we gather.
Coworking Beyond Walls: Reimagining Workspaces Through Indoor-Outdoor Architecture
While digital work culture can keep us tethered to enclosed indoor environments, working spaces emerge as a unique opportunity to reimagine the workplace experience. This thesis explores how indoor-outdoor architecture can be integrated into work environments to promote wellness, productivity, creativity, and foster a deeper connection to nature. By blending built environments with natural elements, the design aims to evoke the openness, calm, and restorative qualities we associate with the outdoors. Drawing on principles of nature-inspired design, this research investigates how elements such as daylight, greenery, water features, natural ventilation, and natural materials can shape more human-centered workspaces. The thesis proposes a coworking model that redefines the modern workplace—transforming it into a dynamic, inclusive, and rejuvenating ecosystem aligned with the evolving values of contemporary work life.
Normalizing Play For Adults
George Bernard Shaw once said, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” Generally, adults grow out of playing. Why? Play is inherently human, fulfilling a need for expression resulting in mental and physical health benefits. Play releases endorphins – the body’s natural feel-good chemical. Play is contained, curated, and only acceptable in specific spaces. However, it is a necessary component for our everyday happiness. Should we have to seek playgrounds or parks to fulfill our playful desires? Imagine if we encountered playful design in our daily, everyday spaces? What would these architectural details and elements look like? The focus of my thesis is to figure out how to design playful elements into our everyday spaces to promote and provide more opportunities for adults to play.
Blending
This thesis proposes a blending of built and natural environments in the urban fabric. The design blends both physical elements and features as well as social relationships between people. Blending is a way of thinking about the shared experience of the city, incorporating people, landscape, and the built environment.
Composing Experiences within In-Between Places
Urbanization requires adaptation to population density and embrace of associated housing typologies, including vertical living that is cost-efficient, sustainable, resilient, and inclusive.
Plug Into Nature: Restoring Nature Connectedness Through Immersive Experiences
Urbanization requires adaptation to population density and embrace of associated housing typologies, including vertical living that is cost-efficient, sustainable, resilient, and inclusive.
Incorporated: Combining Community in Corporate Design
The evolution of the office and corporate workplace solutions have predominantly been an exclusive process. This thesis will take an outside-in approach to include the community directly into the professional corporate spaces. Combining these “markets” will create new definitions of territory and foster a place for increased collaboration under one roof.
Exploring Community and Social Bonding through Place-Experiences
This thesis explores the idea of place identity and its role in communities that have a focus on place-experience such as Disney or professional sports venues. Aspects to explore include the formation of community through social bonding and shared experiences, how narrative and storytelling help shape a community, and how these communities provide a healthy sense of escapism from everyday life through immersive experiences.
Resistance: Speculative Design Confronts Systemic Trauma of the Black Diaspora
Urbanization requires adaptation to population density and embrace of associated housing typologies, including vertical living that is cost-efficient, sustainable, resilient, and inclusive.
Into One: Welcome Center for Immigrants
Immigration to the United States causes challenges and hardships that are associated with a cultural transition. I plan to address how the engagement and interaction of public space can facilitate openness and inclusivity.
Constructing Experience through Atmosphere, Light and Color: Brew HUE, a Sensorial Progression
This thesis explores constructed experience through atmosphere, light and color. Research conducted includes a technical understanding of light and color perception, along with translucency and transparency as a method of veiling. A greenhouse, the selected site for this project, provides the stage for a sensorial progression highlighting mood and materiality. Inspired by Holi, brew HUE serves explosion of color, meditation on light, and quality seasonal micro-brews. An included sit down restaurant highlights the practicality of the greenhouse, encouraging patrons to dine among the hops used to brew their beer, which has been paired with seasonal cuisine.
Bio/Digital/Fabrication
Design of the Kiosk/Pavilion is generated at the intersection of 3 separate areas of work: 1) Biology, 2) Design and 3) Fabrication. The project explores use of Mycelium, Bacterial Cellulose with aluminum as the frame in a temporary structure.
Urban Wilderness School: Supporting ecological connection, respect, and behaviors
Exploring ways to blur the division between interior and exterior spaces, promoting a sense of curiosity towards the natural world.
21st Century Nomads: Re-Conceptualizing the Amtrak Experience
This thesis has explored the concepts of global and digital nomads – in that, due to factors such as globalization and technology, we are able to live location-independent lifestyles.
Mino Art Mall
Mino is a large entertainment and leisure art mall. It is built in the abandoned PECO power station which located in Fishtown.
CAPAS: The Creative and Performing Arts School for the d/Deaf
This thesis project explores how traditional rectilinear buildings can be modified and designed to support d/Deaf students.