Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Spanish and Portuguese

Barrio Chino de Lima (Lima's Chinatown) and Bairro "Oriental" da Liberdade (Sao Paulo's Japantown) represent orientalization and touristification experiences in Latin American metropolises. The Asiantowns' urban development is the result of national urban policies targeting Asian populations in Lima and Sao Paulo called ethnic cleansing and ethnic touristification. The ethnic cleansing policy was carried out through the displacement of Asian residents, exemplified by the demolition of Callejon Otaiza in 1909 (Peru) and the evacuation of Rua Conde de Sarzedas in 1942 (Brazil). The ethnic touristification policy was implemented through the political alliance between Lima's and Sao Paulo's local politicians and the Asian economic elite from the 1970s onwards. The Orientalist tourification process in Peruvian and Brazilian Asiantowns was shaped by two primary waves of urban renovation: the first, marked by the inauguration of the Chinese and Japanese Gateways under the influence of developmental ideologies by Latin American military regimes in the 1970s; and the second, characterized by the intense architectural Orientalist renovation and gentrification driven by the neoliberal ideologies since 1990s on. Thus, the contemporary tourist experience in Lima's and Sao Paulo's Asiantowns is almost exclusively through the commodification of Asian culture. Using a mixed-method approach that combines urban ethnography, historical archive research, and social media analysis on digital platforms, I conduct a comparative and panoramic study of Orientalized ethnic enclaves in Lima and Sao Paulo from the 1880s to the 2020s. I integrate theoretical approaches from urban sociology and anthropology, comparative race and ethnic studies, media studies in Latin America, and tourism studies. My argument is that the historical transformation of Asian urban communities into tourist and gentrified Orientalist urban areas reflects a shift in the imaginaries about Asian populations in Lat (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ana Del Sarto (Advisor); Laura Podalsky (Committee Member); Abril Trigo (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture; Asian American Studies; Comparative; Cultural Anthropology; Ethnic Studies; History; Latin American History; Latin American Studies; Mass Media; Minority and Ethnic Groups; Sociology; Urban Planning

Bachelor of Science of Journalism (BSJ), Ohio University, 2024, Journalism

Dilapidated is a three-part, narratively-reported exploration of property blight, oversight and solutions in Athens County, Ohio. In southeast Ohio, there is not enough affordable housing. Simultaneously, thousands of older, neglected homes sit unoccupied. How do the two issues connect? This professional project has three goals: to explain the scale and context of vacant and dilapidated properties in Athens, Ohio, to use journalism as an accountability tool to understand the operations of the Athens County Land Bank and to explore alternative approaches to making homes adopted by community members. The project consists of a series of three longform articles, mapping, public records, interviews and data visualization that combine human interest storytelling, geographical justice frameworks and investigative journalism. The accompanying scholarly essays reviews related literature on rural distributive (in)justice, media coverage of the Appalachian region and ethical best practices for journalists.

Committee: Aimee Edmondson (Advisor) Subjects: History; Journalism; Mass Media; Sociology; Sustainability

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2018, Civil Engineering

Dougong, one of the unique features of ancient Chinese architecture, are located at the intersections of pillars under the roofs in the support systems of ancient Chinese buildings. Virtual reality (VR) is a way to recreate or simulate an environment in which users can interact with objects with high realism and have an immersive experience exploring this virtual world. So far, 38 types of dougong have been modeled in 3-D graphics and imported into the virtual reality environment to establish a complete dougong 3-D graphical library, in which the user can browse and review dougong knowledge with multiple presentation methods in an immersive and interactive experience. Furthermore, a knowledge-based system with the inference engine as a decision tree, the Intelligent Dougong System in Virtual Reality (IDSVR), has been developed as a learning platform to introduce and comprehensively simulate dougong structure and construction. To assess the performance of the application of virtual reality adopted in engineering education, a set of surveys was conducted among the users to collect their feedback on IDSVR. The results obtained from this project prove that the technique of virtual reality is a promising approach to reconstructing ancient buildings and structures such as the Chinese dougong that was modeled, presented, and simulated in this project.

Committee: Fabian Tan (Advisor); Lisa Burris (Committee Member); Abdollah Shafieezadeh (Committee Member); Michael Parke (Committee Member) Subjects: Archaeology; Architecture; Civil Engineering; Computer Engineering; Education; Engineering; History

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2015, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

This thesis seeks to address global issues of sustainability through the development of a systemic approach to urban renovation and renewal that simultaneously deals with issues of urban blight and vacancy, and maintains the existing character of the urban fabric. Reusing the existing urban fabric minimizes environmental costs of material production, acquisition, and transportation, while sustainable master-planning and architectural concepts, adapted from existing projects seeking similar ends, address broader goals of awareness, passive and renewable energy infrastructure and an ethical awareness of the environmental costs of construction. This systemic methodology addresses urban renewal at three scales and develops strategies for each one: the entire neighborhood; the structures that inhabit it, and the infrastructure that supports them; to the detail-construction scale. This thesis proposes utilization of ecologically sustainable architecture and neighborhood master-planning that serves as a vehicle for psychological, societal, and ethical shifts toward a paradigm of sustainable urban renewal.

Committee: John Eliot Hancock M.Arch. (Committee Chair); Michael McInturf M.Arch. (Committee Member) Subjects: Architecture

Master of Arts (MA), Wright State University, 2009, Educational Leadership

The purpose of this research study was to investigate changes in student utilization of a campus recreation center following a two-year renovation project that added 3,500 square feet to the existing facility. The variables studied for this investigation were the recreation center user age, class level, ethnicity, and sex. Data for this study were collected though activity reports produced when users swiped their University ID cards for admission to the recreation center. Overall there was a 189% increase with unique users following the renovation project. Mean student uses also increased for most variable categories, most notably with freshman and sophomore students, Black, non-Hispanic students, and both female and male students.

Committee: Lawrence Mrozek M.A. (Advisor); Lawrence Mrozek M.A. (Committee Co-Chair); Charles Ryan Ph.D. (Committee Co-Chair); Michael Cusack Ed.D. (Committee Member); Suzanne Franco Ed.D. (Committee Member); Scott Graham Ph.D. (Other); Joseph F. Thomas, Jr. Ph.D. (Other) Subjects: Higher Education; Recreation

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2010, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Architecture (Master of)

The building skin provides opportunity to significantly impact the success of a built project. It is responsible for serving a multitude of performative functions as well as providing the visiting card of the building. It mediates between the in and out. The facade is often exploited and developed as a marketing tool, representing the identity of the institution it serves. As Leatherbarrow stated, “The idea of the facade as a distinct representational face of the building has existed since the late medieval and early Renaissance periods.” My thesis inquires if existing, run-down buildings can be renovated and rehabilitated using the building skin as the primary tool for the renovation. As buildings deteriorate and fail to have the ability to accommodate its users and modern building systems, they are often demolished. This destruction fails to take advantage of the existing structure and economic conditions as well as completely eliminates cultural recognition and identity of the community in which it is built. Renovation through recladding achieves a number of established goals. The reclad accounts for higher performance and efficiency. It also allows the client to present the proper identity and image through a high level of aesthetic quality. The thesis suggests that a renovation through a recladding process will be able to achieve the said goals as well as maintain cultural recognition and the identity of the community.

Committee: Patricia Kucker MARCH (Committee Chair); George Bible MCiv.Eng (Committee Chair) Subjects: Architecture

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2010, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Architecture (Master of)

The renovation of Marcel Breuer's Cleveland Trust Tower serves as the case study for this thesis, which focuses on the expression of contemporary renovations to historic structures. Examining attitudes towards history and change as driving forces behind decisions made about the built environment, as well as the physical strategies for integrating old and new fabric, this study seeks to unite new construction with existing artifacts in meaningful ways. Using tectonic theory as a model, strategies for material expression, joinery, and the articulation of multiple components are analyzed to develop a methodology for integrating the architectural expressions of different eras. Numerous precedents are examined to illustrate that honoring the past and progressing towards the future are not mutually exclusive desires, and that contemporary interventions can provide a modern voice that augment history without mimicry. The conclusions from this research are used to develop a proposal for a series of interventions on the Trust Tower, seeking to revitalize the structure with a contemporary language that enforces Breuer's original vision.

Committee: Elizabeth Riorden MARCH (Committee Chair); Patricia Kucker MARCH (Committee Chair) Subjects: Architecture

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2004, Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning: Architecture (Master of)

Architecture and the design of interior spaces has inherent to it the power of guiding users experiences through space. In this thesis, the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, California is explored as a future home for Circus Center, a ‘new circus' troupe. Emphasis has be placed on the ways members of groups perceive each other as a group, as well as the ways individuals within a groups perceive others in their own group. These interactions between people, using all senses: visual, auricular, tactile, and impressional, are not only the premise for the ‘new circus', but inherent to the architecture of the place. Adding to this melange the experiential memory of the users concerning not only the architectural place, but also more importantly the memory of the other users - the circus as a place of joy and carefreeness - the circus becomes a mecca of sensory experiences.

Committee: Nnamdi Elleh (Advisor) Subjects: Architecture

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2013, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

Throughout the 1900's, architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright have set out to change the existing housing paradigm to meet the needs of society. The traditional Victorian style home was designed primarily for the wealthy with servants, during a time when energy and resources were more plentiful. The Victorian design ethos became the paradigm for the American single family home, even though as a society we have evolved from this state and it no longer meets our needs nor desires. The 2012 census notes 65% of housing units are owner occupied single family homes (SFH). However many issues may be present with these homes when an owner considers purchasing one. For example, most homes built prior to the 1970's oil crisis are energy inefficient. Further, older homes are designed around the Victorian/outdated family structure. This thesis takes an adaptive reuse/design build approach to renovation of traditional homes in the Midwest United States. There are many older homes on the market currently not being utilized to meet today's living situations. These homes have the potential to be adapted for different family types, with room and amenity updates to meet modern lifestyles and energy consumption. Through the use of a series of architectural interventions, one can improve the existing structure to provide a home which better meets the needs and desires of society and of the homes occupants. The accomplishment of this must start with proper design thinking to make a meaningful impact on social, financial and environmental levels. Often renovations can be performed for prices below new construction rates. Architects should strive to uphold all of these core values as a larger part of a thoughtful building project. Recognizing the potential in existing homes, Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity has moved into home renovation alongside building new homes. The organization can house five families in renovations versus three families on new builds for the same money. Howe (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, 2013, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

At the turn of the century, Frank Lloyd Wright set out to change the housing paradigm to meet society's new needs in housing. He exploded the traditional cut up interiors calling them "boxes beside boxes or inside boxes... cellular sequestration that implied ancestors familiar with penal institutions." Wright's introduction of the open plan was able to better meet a family's program requirements due to the fact that the traditional Victorian style home was designed primarily for a wealthy family with servants, during a time when energy and resources were vastly different. Yet the Victorian design ethos became the paradigm for the American single family home and is largely dominant today. The 2010 census notes 65% of housing units are owner occupied single family homes. However many planning and energy conflicts may be present with these homes. For example most homes built prior to the 1970's oil crisis are energy inefficient. Further, older homes are designed around the outdated, Victorian family structure. This thesis takes a design/ build approach to renovation and home planning strategies on some of Cincinnati's older homes. Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati has given this thesis a chance to actually implement designs from the studio and research. Energy data and occupancy evaluations will be kept and studied. Ultimately the strategies for better planning and energy savings will be applicable to the vast market of homes throughout the middle of the United States.

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