Set in a historic church in Philadelphia’s Italian Market neighborhood, The Living Mosaic is a gathering place designed to reflect the energy, diversity, and culture of its community. This project explores how creative interior environments can support meaningful connection by integrating food, drink, and play into everyday life. Community kitchens, a coffee-to-wine bar, workshops, and active zones foster joy and a deep sense of belonging. Vertical gardens, an outdoor wine garden, community garden beds, and a neighboring pocket park blend nature into the experience. The design encourages lingering, learning, and spontaneous interaction across generations and backgrounds. In contrast to the fast pace and isolation of urban life, The Living Mosaic creates an inclusive, welcoming environment where people feel supported and connected to something greater. It is a celebration of everyday moments, neighborhood rhythms, and the simple joy of being together.

Many unhoused individuals avoid traditional shelters due to overcrowding and institutional designs that overlook their emotional and psychological needs. In cities, the limited availability of supportive environments further reinforces cycles of isolation and invisibility. This thesis examines how interior architecture can serve as a transformative tool,creating spaces that restore dignity, safety, and belonging.Focusing specifically on shelters for women and single mothers, it explores how design can foster emotional healing and stability. By incorporating calming, nature-inspired palettes, soft textures, residential-scale furnishings, and spatial layouts that promote autonomy and privacy, the built environment can begin to undo the sense of exposure and powerlessness many residents feel. These design choices provide a  setting for recovery, reflection, and growth. In creating spaces that prioritize safety both physically and psychologically, the project also emphasizes features such as clearly defined personal zones, secure entryways, warm lighting, and communal areas that encourage voluntary interaction rather than forced proximity. Through such details, the shelter becomes more than a temporary refuge;it becomes a space of dignity and hope, where women can begin to feel safe, seen, and supported in rebuilding their lives.

As individuals increasingly seek culturally immersive and emotionally resonant experiences, this project explores how interior environments can celebrate identity without resorting to literal or stereotypical representation. Conceived as a contemporary oasis, the design offers a curated journey within a hospitality setting inspired by Middle Eastern culture – one that invites pause, reflection, and discovery. Rather than mimicking tradition, it evokes cultural memory through sensory storytelling, material richness, and spatial sequencing. The goal is to create an atmosphere that is both approachable and transportive, appealing to a broad audience, including those unable to experience such cultures firsthand. By navigating the space between authenticity and entertainment, the project proposes a design framework that honors cultural depth while prioritizing enjoyment, accessibility, and emotional impact.

The digital nomad lifestyle, blending remote work with extensive travel, has grown exponentially over the past decade. While it offers unmatched freedom and flexibility, finding suitable infrastructure—like co-working spaces, Airbnb, and wellness-oriented environments—often requires significant time and effort. These elements are rarely integrated or located conveniently together, creating friction in an otherwise fluid lifestyle. Existing setups tend to prioritize function over experience, limiting opportunities for deeper connection with the space and its surroundings. By incorporating natural elements, engaging the senses, and allowing for individual customization, we can transform temporary spaces into immersive environments that support focus while inviting exploration. The concept of meandering—wandering through spaces that spark curiosity and reflection—can be embedded in design to enrich daily routines. Through biophilic design, sensory richness, and a reflection of local authenticity, we can create cohesive, inspiring spaces that not only meet the practical needs of nomads but also elevate their journey.

Loneliness affects people of all ages, ethnicity, genders and occupations. It is a growing global issue, and has negative impacts on health and wellbeing. This thesis proposes to counteract loneliness by creating attachment to place through scent. By using scent to provoke memories of experiences, we can restore place attachment, which provides a sense of security and comfort. Designing for olfactory experience helps to cue vivid memories. Memories of scent are emotionally rich. The goal is to restore connections in design through scents, and create moments that evoke memories and nostalgia to alleviate loneliness.

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder see the world in a very different way. Many have hypersensitivities and sensory integration issues which can cause the environment they are in to have a great impact on their mental and physical state.