2010
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ItemRevitalizing Urban Areas: Nature Enveloping the City( 2010-05)This study provides insight on America’s development history from the late 1800’s to the present day and presents the problem that America currently faces as a result. This problem is the lack of cohesion in our urban communities, such as buildings that fail to relate to each other, weak and dangerous pedestrian connections, and the deficiency of parks, open spaces and nature. Providing interesting public spaces, which are filled with nature, along with integrated mixed-use developments can strengthen our communities. Solutions are explored through case studies, with a focus on installing vegetation and creating parks in urban areas. The intent of this D. Arch project is to take an existing site in Oahu’s urban area and install nature in this urban space. The research strategies utilized are: Interpretive Historical Research: The research will describe America’s development history and identify what events and decisions led to our current way of living. Qualitative: Contemporary issues such as new urbanism and smart growth will be explored as well as studies of the benefits plants bring to our lives. Case Study Research: This research will include studies of contemporary examples of buildings that enhance communities with nature that add new ideas to the final design. Design Based Research: The design section will use the knowledge gained from the above sections to create a project effectively incorporating nature into the design.
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ItemBridging The Gap Between School and Community: A project based high school for contemporary education( 2010-05)This thesis presents a design exploration into educational facility design, in particular to high schools, and the implications of educational pedagogy on high school design. The thesis poses the question, how can architectural design bridge the gap between schools and community, raising the value of education for students, parents, advisors, and community? A literature review and case study analyses examines both the existing paradigm of traditional school models and the alternative paradigm of the project based model. This thesis focuses on the project based learning model as it relates to design, significantly the three relationships: student to student, student to advisor, and school to community through their influence on design.
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ItemHawaiian Ahupua'a Planning Approach (H.A.P.A.) for Rural Communities in Hawai'i: Modern Culturally-Based Sustainable Living Through Planning for Architecture( 2010-05)Contemporary Architects and Planners in Hawai’i are consistently pursuing sustainable, affordable, and ecologically friendly concepts and practices to incorporate into their designs. Their intention is to improve the quality of life for the residents of Hawai‘i and ensure the well being of future generations. The ancient Hawaiians settled the islands and developed harmonious relationships with, the natural elements, which they honored as Gods; the land; and among themselves - Aloha i Nā kua (love and honor the Gods), Aloha ʻ ina (love and care for the land and ocean), and Aloha Kekāhi i Kekāhi (love and respect one another). From these relationships emerged a stewardship-minded culture, which proved to be an excellent example of the concepts and practices sought by modern planners and architects. In this dissertation, traditional Hawaiian planning practices will be explored and its successful elements identified. These elements will be incorporated into a planning approach that can be used as a foundation for rural community design in Hawai‘i. Case studies of modern rural planning and design approaches in Hawai‘i are explored and the preferred practices are extracted. These are combined with Hawaiian ahupua‘a principles to derive what I call the Hawaiian Ahupua'a Planning Approach (HAPA). A culturally relevant implementation process is included to illustrate how the HAPA strategy can be effectively integrated into a participatory planning effort. The outcome of such an effort can result in a plan and design suited to the natural resources of the land. This process can be used in any rural community in Hawai‘i, but is applied in this dissertation to the community of Hana, Maui as specific example.
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ItemPhilippine Urban Squatter Resettlement: Design for a Health Clinic( 2010-05)This doctor of architecture project proposes an approach to locate decentralized community health clinics, and proposes a design for a prototypical clinic to replace the existing Southville health clinic. This clinic is located in the Southville Relocation Project, where the government relocated railway urban squatters from Manila to Cabuyao. Through interviews, case studies, and literature research, this health clinic proposes innovative use of local materials. This project researches the culture and healthcare needs of this low-income population to determine the spaces needed in the health clinic. It examines the problems of the physical environment and infrastructure of the relocation project, the necessity of healthcare, and analyzes the Southville area for the proper sites for the decentralized health clinics. A site is chosen within the area, and this site is further analysed for sustainable design potentials. The health clinic addresses the residents’ immediate healthcare needs by providing better facilities to diagnose, treat, and prevent health problems caused by their resettlement. Traditional medicine practices are explored and incorporated into the spaces needed for the facilities. The prevention of health problems in the community will allow the residents to focus on re¬building their lives in Cabuyao. This health clinic will be properly located and designed according to the site and the needs of the people. It is expected to be a better facility than the current health clinic located in the Southville Relocation Project.
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ItemArchitecture & Spirtuality; an Architecture-Centered Aesthetic Experience( 2010-05)This research was executed in three stages; data collection and analysis, internship, and interviews. First, by assessing two case study communities through site visits and conducting a comparative analysis of the two predominant cultural groups; second, a semester of research and internship at an architecture firm resulting in the production of an architectural checklist for culturally appropriate design; and third, conducting interviews with members of case study communities, including experts from the UH Department of Anthropology as well as the Center for Pacific Island Studies.
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ItemArchitecture Zen: A Place for the Way( 2010-05)This DArch project investigates the impact of Zen on architecture. The project begins with a brief history of Zen and its relationship to the arts. Zen art is distinct in that it captures something much more than technical skill and much deeper than artistic creativity. Zen calligraphy is literally, “writing Zen with a brush.”1 The renown Zen Master Omori Sogen refers to the heart of Zen being, “[T]o wake up and see things, just the way they are, in the here and now.”2 Zen art is a clear demonstration of this experience and the result is palpable and well documented. The core of Zen training is the transcendence of duality and teahouses are traditionally the clearest venue for this practice. Woven throughout my research about the Way of Tea and Zen is a narrative about my own design for a Zen teahouse. Located on the grounds of the Spring Green Dojo, a Zen temple whose lineage traces back to Hawaii and Japan, this process of designing a teahouse provides a window into the highly personal world of Zen training. This paper documents the physical, mental, and metaphysical aspects of Zen practice as well as the design process for the building. Designing a Zen building is as much a process of designing a Zen body and building a Zen building is a process of building a Zen body. The common link between these elements is my body and mind and my own struggle to resolve dualities in the world and in my understanding of architecture. The influence of Zen on the arts and specifically the characteristics outlined by the philosopher and educator Shin’ichi Hisamatsu provides the criteria to judge my design work. My Zen training offers a chance to connect physical training to design and the project outlines ways in which Zen training can more broadly benefit architecture, architects and architecture students. The project concludes by correcting the misconception that architectural products are the manifestation of Zen architecture. Architecture becomes just one of many ways in which Zen can impact a creative process. Whereas the project started with a goal to discover architecture that captured the Zen spirit, the project ends with the assertion that the term “architecture Zen” is a more useful way to describe architecture that emerges from a Zen life. 1 Sogen, Omori and Terayama Katsujo translated by John Stevens. “Zen and the Art of Calligraphy: The Essence of Sho.” Arkana: London, 1990. Preface. 2 Sogen, Omori and Terayama Katsujo translated by John Stevens. “Zen and the Art of Calligraphy: The Essence of Sho.” Arkana: London, 1990. Preface.
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ItemArchitecture + Ninjutsu: Negotiation of Tactical Space in Everyday Places( 2010-05)The main purpose of this research project is to see whether if two unrelated fields of study, architecture and ninjutsu (the art of the ninja, infamous for being Japan‘s espionage agents), can meet on common ground. Research Goals: Define Japanese anthropological space, tracing the creation of kukan or three-dimensional objective space (to broaden and deepen an understanding of space). Find different means to document movements stemming from ninjutsu, especially in terms of the relationship of body, space and movement. To capture spatial relationships in ninjutsu and find equivalencies in everyday places The methodology of this project will mostly be of the qualitative and experimental type. The training of ninjutsu is a purely a kinesthetic practice, where the one‘s own experience and interpretation are more important. I will also include case studies when necessary, or use phenomenological examples to help find reasoning for my findings. I will also conduct experiments using various mediums to help illustrate my points. I will also keep a journal as a record of my findings in the experiments or my personal opinions. The main methodology used to link the two worlds became the use of the helmet cam. This showed first person perspectives of the spaces experienced in ninjutsu, and I compared them with the spaces found in the everyday (between bodies). The second part was analytical diagrams that show the objective spacing between bodies to also help make a comparison. From this research, I have concluded that Ninjutsu and the everyday places we as architects create are both involve the action of spatial negotiation. By juxtaposing the two, ninjutsu and the everyday, the former is an intensification of the latter. They involve similar concepts, yet manifest in different ways.The main purpose of this research project is to see whether if two unrelated fields of study, architecture and ninjutsu (the art of the ninja, infamous for being Japan‘s espionage agents), can meet on common ground. Research Goals: Define Japanese anthropological space, tracing the creation of kukan or three-dimensional objective space (to broaden and deepen an understanding of space). Find different means to document movements stemming from ninjutsu, especially in terms of the relationship of body, space and movement. To capture spatial relationships in ninjutsu and find equivalencies in everyday places The methodology of this project will mostly be of the qualitative and experimental type. The training of ninjutsu is a purely a kinesthetic practice, where the one‘s own experience and interpretation are more important. I will also include case studies when necessary, or use phenomenological examples to help find reasoning for my findings. I will also conduct experiments using various mediums to help illustrate my points. I will also keep a journal as a record of my findings in the experiments or my personal opinions. The main methodology used to link the two worlds became the use of the helmet cam. This showed first person perspectives of the spaces experienced in ninjutsu, and I compared them with the spaces found in the everyday (between bodies). The second part was analytical diagrams that show the objective spacing between bodies to also help make a comparison. From this research, I have concluded that Ninjutsu and the everyday places we as architects create are both involve the action of spatial negotiation. By juxtaposing the two, ninjutsu and the everyday, the former is an intensification of the latter. They involve similar concepts, yet manifest in different ways.The main purpose of this research project is to see whether if two unrelated fields of study, architecture and ninjutsu (the art of the ninja, infamous for being Japan‘s espionage agents), can meet on common ground. Research Goals: Define Japanese anthropological space, tracing the creation of kukan or three-dimensional objective space (to broaden and deepen an understanding of space). Find different means to document movements stemming from ninjutsu, especially in terms of the relationship of body, space and movement. To capture spatial relationships in ninjutsu and find equivalencies in everyday places The methodology of this project will mostly be of the qualitative and experimental type. The training of ninjutsu is a purely a kinesthetic practice, where the one‘s own experience and interpretation are more important. I will also include case studies when necessary, or use phenomenological examples to help find reasoning for my findings. I will also conduct experiments using various mediums to help illustrate my points. I will also keep a journal as a record of my findings in the experiments or my personal opinions. The main methodology used to link the two worlds became the use of the helmet cam. This showed first person perspectives of the spaces experienced in ninjutsu, and I compared them with the spaces found in the everyday (between bodies). The second part was analytical diagrams that show the objective spacing between bodies to also help make a comparison. From this research, I have concluded that Ninjutsu and the everyday places we as architects create are both involve the action of spatial negotiation. By juxtaposing the two, ninjutsu and the everyday, the former is an intensification of the latter. They involve similar concepts, yet manifest in different ways.The main purpose of this research project is to see whether if two unrelated fields of study, architecture and ninjutsu (the art of the ninja, infamous for being Japan‘s espionage agents), can meet on common ground. Research Goals: Define Japanese anthropological space, tracing the creation of kukan or three-dimensional objective space (to broaden and deepen an understanding of space). Find different means to document movements stemming from ninjutsu, especially in terms of the relationship of body, space and movement. To capture spatial relationships in ninjutsu and find equivalencies in everyday places The methodology of this project will mostly be of the qualitative and experimental type. The training of ninjutsu is a purely a kinesthetic practice, where the one‘s own experience and interpretation are more important. I will also include case studies when necessary, or use phenomenological examples to help find reasoning for my findings. I will also conduct experiments using various mediums to help illustrate my points. I will also keep a journal as a record of my findings in the experiments or my personal opinions. The main methodology used to link the two worlds became the use of the helmet cam. This showed first person perspectives of the spaces experienced in ninjutsu, and I compared them with the spaces found in the everyday (between bodies). The second part was analytical diagrams that show the objective spacing between bodies to also help make a comparison. From this research, I have concluded that Ninjutsu and the everyday places we as architects create are both involve the action of spatial negotiation. By juxtaposing the two, ninjutsu and the everyday, the former is an intensification of the latter. They involve similar concepts, yet manifest in different ways.
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ItemCity in a Fluidity Landscape Rethinking the Urban Lao Village on the Mighty Mekong( 2010-05)The Japanese Teahouse and tea ceremony are more than a cultural ritual. It has become a spiritual experience of layers of history in beauty, tranquility, and honor. What is it in the space that conveys the authentic Japanese essence? Every Japanese architect, and many others in various fields, has studied the tra-ditional Japanese teahouse and its history. It is because the evolution and changes in teahouse styles are significantly influential in the development of Japanese architecture. Along with the periodical architectural movement, tradi-tional teahouses represent distinctive philosophies of the tea masters and his his-torical, political, and social relationships during the time of his career. The expe-rience of a tea ceremony is also exquisite, and exclusive to Japan. Though small in size, chashitsu, or tearoom, today embraces six hundred years of profound Japanese history. Traditional teahouses are the epitome of Japanese aesthetics. Teahouses and tearooms are ambiguous, yet refined and insightful-simple and sophisticated at the same time. The subtle expressions in the teahouse itself are the true key to the past and present Japanese sense of beauty, state of mind, and conspicuous yet ambiguous soul.