Category: ARCH 793AB: Cultural Practice

In 2021, Myanmar’s military seized power, leading to international outcry and violent crackdowns on protests, resulting in significant loss of life and a setback for democracy.

This thesis advocates for a Museum of Memory and Democracy in Yangon, Myanmar, designed to chronicle the 2021 coup and its aftermath. A key feature of this museum is its modular component, envisioned to detach and function independently as a public hub. This innovative aspect allows for flexible engagement with communities, facilitating educational programs, discussions, and exhibitions tailored to local needs and interests. By integrating this dynamic element, the museum not only memorializes the struggle for democracy but also actively participates in community healing and democratic discourse, embodying a living testament to resilience and the pursuit of freedom.

How could we preserve the local culture while advancing architecture? Beijing natives love to use the common area in between the buildings. They used the Hutong as their shared garden, tea house, playground, etc, and these activities formed and inherited the local culture as well. However, the illegal building additions and occupation of public areas for private use are running rampant and killing the local culture. My project aims to provide a new possibility for communities in Hutong while balancing the modern lifestyle and local culture.

How different would cities and architecture look like if we embraced existing cultures? Our ideas of architecture and urban planning is heavily influenced by colonialism/European architects and architecture. There’s so much we can learn from pre-exciting cultures to improve and diversify our cites. My interest lies in Damascene architecture, stemming from my background but also the significantly sparse documentation of an awe-inspring and intricate architecture history. In exploring Syrian or Shammi architecture from a micro level to a macro level, Syrian craftsmanship to the city of Damascus, will not only serve as an architectural endeavor but also as a cultural mission, redefining the boundaries of architectural practice and fostering cultural care and awareness in the built environment. The research will be used to create a conceptual urban design based on traditional Syrian (shammi/damasca-n) patterns, geometries, and architecture. The creation of a conceptual urban design rooted in traditional Syrian patterns and geometries stands as a further exploration of what does architecture mean look like and why.

As a geographically exposed coastal city, Venice has long been regarded as a paragon of urban development. Murano lsland, situated to the north of Venice, is renowned for its glass artistry, offering visitors a unique opportunity to witness the art of glassblowing and explore a community dedicated to preserving this ancient craft and vibrant culture.Thus, the Bubble Museum represents a reinterpretation and tribute to Venetian urbanism, aiming to transform the island’s vacant spaces into new, modern, and enticing places, fostering symbiosis between the old and the new, and serving as a platform for promoting the glass art culture of Murano lsland. Symbolically, the only approach to the building is by navigating along the waterways. Unlike traditional glass art museums, this is a more open museum type with intriguing edges, where cultural and everyday activities thrive within, turning city residents and artists into actors in the urban drama, while visitors assume the role of spectators, and the entire building becomes a fixed stage within the city. The spatial scenes of the stage combine the cultural and historical aspects of the city through dramatic visibility serving as elements of urban life phenomena, where visitors utilize these cultural and historical reference points to create their own memories.

Is rap culture a poor representation of American society? Hypothetically, the answer is “No”. Rap culture is a way of life, and its representation in architecture mirrors the reality of our communities. At its foundation, it facilitates self-expression, uniqueness, and unity. This is exemplified in the southern hip-hop culture of my hometown, Houston, Texas. My thesis project aims to create a transition piece that serves as a conduit for the Houston flow of rap to architecture that expresses social and cultural significance, celebrates its representation, and fosters new ways of learning and promoting peace, unity, and transparency.

My thesis explores the potential of architecture to amplify social awareness and foster healing, specifically targeting the mental well-being of firefighters who contend with occupational stigma and resource shortages. I propose a novel integrated fire station complex that includes mental health spaces and residences for those in need, situated within a therapeutic natural setting to promote health and nature preservation. This design is informed by extensive research and interviews with firefighters, aiming to improve their working environment and public awareness about emergency services. By doing so, the project advocates for architecture’s role in enhancing mental health support and establishing a supportive community, challenging conventional architectural norms and contributing to cultural and social advancement

In an increasingly globalized world, is there a way to preserve regional characteristics within architecture and urban environments? The accelerating trend of globalization often blurs the boundaries between nations, involving every region in its competition. Even regions that have developed unique cultures, previously isolated from external influences, are now forcibly drawn into this competition, resulting in the erasure of their cities’ distinctive identities, swallowed by the wave of urban homogenization. The disappearance of uniqueness and the standardization of everything may indeed seem very convenient and rational. Within this sense of despair, is there a way to find hope?

This project aims to explore this question, focusing on Little Tokyo in Los Angeles. Situated on the West Coast of the United States, this area has nurtured its own culture for over half a century, characterized by its unique immigrant composition. Like many other cities, it faces significant pressure for redevelopment. This town possesses one of the few pedestrian cultures in LA and its location overlooking downtown evokes a certain verticality.

Widespread displacement and the inadequate distribution of resources caused by civil wars, social strife, and climate change are ongoing threats to the livelihoods of Latin American communities. Roughly half of Guatemala’s current population lives in poverty and requires humanitarian aid, with numbers projected to increase by the end of 2024. Humanitarian efforts and research in response to this crisis are underway, but funding is limited and aid is often unable to reach the areas that need it most. Merging culturally thoughtful practices with interdisciplinary approaches to sustainable rural planning, this project aims to investigate how architecture can be leveraged as a tool to support inclusive rural development frameworks that allow impacted communities to self-navigate crisis response efforts and achieve long-term stability.

How does architecture relate to astronomy? Living in Arabian deserts, people have always contemplated the stars. There has always been an intimate relationship between people and the stars, which is reflected in Arabic poetry and literature. There are astronomical connotations in many cultural and religious practices of people in Saudi Arabia. The fixed stars and constellations in the sky were landmarks that helped people navigate the vast deserts and find the Qibla “prayer” direction, towards Makkah. Lunar phases determine important occasions and holidays for Muslim people upon sighting the crescent.
This exploration delves into the spiritual relationship between the desert and the stars glittering in the night sky above. Exploring the symbolic connections between buildings and the skies through domes as sacred forms.

In an era where architectural aesthetics are increasingly leaning towards addressing the nuanced spiritual and emotional needs of humanity, there is a compelling need to give voice to these subtle desires through inventive spaces. This thesis argues for the establishment of
multifaceted urban hubs, seamlessly integrated within the global urban context of metropolises such as Berlin, New York, and Kyoto, Japan. These hubs are envisioned as spaces for cultural and ritualistic communication and practices, meticulously woven to capture the delicate interplay of light and shadow, thereby narrating an inviting, psychological realm for its occupants.

The investigation of light’s intensity, purity, saturation, and temperature is incorporated into the design of the modules. Through comparative analysis of the effects of lighting at different times of the day and at different locations, I intend to create optimal scenarios for performing ritualistic practices in urban cities. This project is Empirical, Personal, and Reflective.