2023 THESIS AWARD WINNERS
Home Renovation for Community Empowerment
Empowering Home Owners and Community Members through Effective Methods of Renovation
How can the issue of residential blight in Detroit neighborhoods be addressed through affordable home repair and renovation methods driven by the needs and desires of the community? This thesis critiques current home repair, renovation, and property acquisition processes in Detroit and explores renovation methods that are more sustainable, cost-effective, and responsive to different housing typologies and lifestyles, specifically in the Islandview neighborhood. This study has informed renovation guidelines that can be applied to existing abandoned houses, utilizing explored methods and empowering Detroit residents.
Top Research Award, Spring 2023
School of Architecture and Community Development
University of Detroit Mercy
Grace Clifford M.Arch 2023
Thesis Advisor: Virginia Stanard
External Advisor: Gaston Nash
Representation + Reality(s)
Exploring the Effect of Media on Place Identity
This thesis explores the relationships between media representation, perception, identity, and branding - and how these elements interact with one another to impact a city’s perceived identity. The medium of film was utilized to uncover narrative trends related to environmental conditions in Detroit, with an emphasis on imagery showcased in the films. The overall purpose of this work is to develop a methodology using branding and marketing strategies to create alternative narratives for a city’s desired future image.
Top Research Award, Spring 2023
School of Architecture and Community Development
University of Detroit Mercy
Grace Cooley M.Arch 2023
Thesis Advisor: Virginia Stanard
External Advisor: Enrique Ledesma
Spatial Opportunities for Refugee Integration
Exploring Architectural Solutions to Refugee Resettlement in Windsor, Ontario
Canada’s pledge to resettle over 60,000 refugees per year from 2022-2024 highlights an opportunity to analyze current efforts and propose new solutions to refugee resettlement. Faced with the challenges of navigating a new place, refugees often fall short of the expectation to integrate seamlessly into their host-societies. This thesis addresses the gaps related to refugee resettlement in the City of Windsor, Ontario by proposing an architectural intervention rooted in the urban network of existing refugee resources to support the integration of refugees and address their tangible and intangible needs. This proposal argues that the built environment can help refugees integrate into new societies more successfully through the promotion of self-sufficiency, economic independence and psycho-social belonging.
Grace Lee Boggs Award for Social Justice, Spring 2023
School of Architecture and Community Development
University of Detroit Mercy
Mona R Makki M.Arch 2023
Thesis Advisor: Claudia Bernasconi
External Advisor: Fatima Fakih, Mohamad Ayoub
The Neighborhood for Well-Being
Designing a Built Environment that Supports the Well-Being of High School Students.
Studies have shown that low-income communities possess more characteristics that are more likely to impact well-being negatively. The sheer lack of basic amenities, safe spaces, public connections, and environmental elements inspires an urban design project engaged in developing a neighborhood that is calibrated toward the well-being of high school students in Denby, Detroit. This thesis explores restorative urbanism as a strategy to generate a variety of site interventions that help to improve the development and well-being of high school students. With the end goal of creating an actionable plan to the residents and high school students of Denby, Detroit.
Steve Vogel Graduate Achievement Award, Spring 2023
School of Architecture and Community Development
University of Detroit Mercy
Jack Probert M.Arch 2023
Thesis Advisor: Virginia Stanard
External Advisor: Ceara O’Leary
Manitou Miikana
Developing opportunities for connection, education, and preservation on Manitoulin Island, Ontario
Manitou Miikana proposes a communal experience to address historic and emerging challenges within Canada’s rural landscape, creating deeper connections among indigenous and non-indigenous residents and tourists. The investigation analyzes Manitoulin Island specifically due to its unique history, identity and underlying challenges with consideration of comparable peripheral areas. The investigation and resulting spatial response seek to unite communities and foster a sustainable tourism environment through new opportunities for recreation, education, and mobility. Placeknowing, a concept tied to indigenous design and planning, inspired the framework that investigates Manitoulin at three scales. The developed proposal suggests a path network which unites each scale and connects the separated communities and tourists through shared immersion in the Island’s art, history, and environment. The supporting architecture and wayfinding elements provide the network with a spirit that fosters further collaborative recreation and education.
Bruno Leon Award for Top Thesis, Spring 2023
School of Architecture and Community Development
University of Detroit Mercy
Jack A Lavigne M.Arch 2023
Thesis Advisor: Wladek Fuchs
External Advisor: Andreea Vasile-Hoxha, Thomas Provost
Beyond Shelter
Designing Interventions To Foster Agency, Dignity, And Psycho-social Well-being in Zaatari
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reports 103 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, including 32.5 million refugees. Among them, 22% live in refugee camps that lack adequate opportunities for livelihood, housing, recreation, and agency, negatively impacting their psycho-social well-being and sense of dignity. This thesis focuses on the Zaatari refugee settlement, which currently accommodates 82,000 Syrian refugees out of 6.8 million. This thesis aims to enhance spatial conditions and address the settlement’s continuous growth through design interventions that include multi-scale urban, neighborhood, and alley strategies. Specifically, the thesis proposes the use of small-scale modular structures and materials to create recreational spaces, shaded areas for walking and resting, and private interstitial spaces that prioritize the refugees’ psychosocial well-being and sense of dignity.
Grace Lee Boggs Award for Social Justice, Spring 2023
School of Architecture and Community Development
University of Detroit Mercy
Hanen Mohammad M.Arch 2023
Thesis Advisor: Claudia Bernasconi
External Advisor: James Leach