MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2014, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

What if I told you that architects, even residential architects, don't design houses? They design homes, sure – stylish, enviable, beautiful homes. But what about houses, those durable goods with stable values and long economic lives? Why don't architect's design houses? Is there really a difference between the two – homes and houses – beyond the semantically superficial, and does it even matter? The architectural profession has had a longstanding flirtation with the notion of industrialized housing. Unfortunately, it's a flirtation that has born little fruit. Many have failed and so many others are floundering, presenting modest pre-fab boxes when the market seems to ask for gaudy neo-eclectic mash-ups. The reality is that architects are not product developers, manufacturers, marketers, or business-people in the broader sense. This is unfortunate, given the scope, value, and environmental and social impacts of the American housing industry. There were 502K houses sold in 2012. As the average price for a new house in 2012 was $292.2K, the new housing industry is annually worth about $150B, or about 1% of US GDP. In other words, the housing industry is important – so important that we are still feeling the aftershocks of the burst of the housing bubble in 2008, when new housing accounted for more than 3% of US GDP. Of the aforementioned 502K houses sold in 2012, only 47K were “owner built.” The rest, a staggering 90%, were either “built for sale” or built using contractor-backed financing. The conventional, developer-driven model dominates the housing industry, which leaves architects on the outside, looking in. Architects provide a service - an expensive service. So-called “custom” homes come at a premium that puts them beyond the reach of most of the American public. It's not that these people aren't being serviced; they are, and in a big way. There are 160,000 house building businesses in the U.S. While these entities are predominantly sm (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Michael McInturf M.Arch. (Committee Chair); Aarati Kanekar Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2014, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

The continued growth of online shopping has forced retailers to rethink strategies and brand identities. While much has happened in the way of integrating retailers into technology, the design of the spaces remains stagnant. The design and ambiance of a real space, such as a store, is one key difference of online retailing. The brand identity and core values can be better portrayed in real space than in virtual space. While retailers such as J. Crew control all of their inventory through their own highly controlled sales channels (online or in-store), not all retailers have this luxury. The successful retailer of the future will be able to change their physical store as quickly as they can alter their website.

Committee: Udo Greinacher M.Arch. (Committee Chair); Michael McInturf M.Arch. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2009, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Architecture (Master of)

Our expectations for a building's usefulness have become less permanent. As user needs change rapidly, buildings often outlive their intended use. Buildings that are purpose-built are difficult to adapt and costly to renovate; conventional construction methods yield results that are too permanent. Demolition and new construction is costly, time consuming, and detrimental to the environment. Off-site fabrication provides greater efficiency by cutting waste and on-site construction time.Buildings - like the neighborhoods they occupy - are not static and need adjustment to remain attractive, safe and useful. Buildings must be planned and constructed differently to adapt for changing functions, standards of use and modification. The aim of this research is to offer potential solutions and demonstrate the benefits of integrating off-site fabrication with adaptable design strategies. The project is a high-rise building in an urban context that tests the integration of these two methods.

Committee: Elizabeth Riorden (Committee Chair); Gerald Larson (Committee Chair) Subjects: Architecture

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2006, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Architecture (Master of)

There is a trend towards choice and control that has become central in our postmodern consumer market. Today's consumers demand a multiplicity of choices that can more accurately reflect their increasingly varied lifestyles. Product developers give consumers not only choice, but also provide for personalization and customization. Compared with today's products, the house is static and reflects modernist ideas of segmentation and generalization over individual needs and desires. Housing must situate itself in the time, using current ideas, thoughts and methods to bridge the widening chasm between what we think, buy and build. The flexible house reflects the postmodern era ideas of control and choice in order to adapt to a variety of specialized needs and desires without over-generalizing the increasingly diversified population. This dwelling does not become a product of a one-time decision or a particular mode of thought, but an evolving organism that can reflect the ongoing transformations in views and lifestyles.

Committee: Barry Stedman (Advisor) Subjects: Architecture