In the School of Architecture, students pursuing the Master of Architecture degree engage in a yearlong investigation in which they select a topical issue, develop a body of research both within and outside the discipline of architecture, and create a complete and detailed architectural design response to the topic. Master of Architecture thesis projects at Portland State range from community-focused public interest design concepts to explorations of architectural materiality and sustainability, from the poetic to the concrete and everything in between. The thesis program culminates in oral presentations to a panel of invited jurors, followed by the production of a commemorative book detailing the students' research, design process, and inspiring results.
SCHEDULE OF REVIEWS FOR THURSDAY, MAY 8th
09:00 - 10:00 am | Shattuck Hall 3rd Floor Crit Corner
Isabella Thomas: Architecture of Belonging: A Community for Growth, Care, and Belonging for Mothers Aging out of Foster Care. Each year, approximately 1,000 youth age out of the foster care system in Oregon. Of these, around 49% identify as female. Among that group, 70% will experience pregnancy before the age of 21. That means roughly 343 young people aging out of care will navigate pregnancy and early parenthood each year. This project proposes supportive housing for 40 of these young people, centering care, stability, and belonging during a critical life transition.
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10:00 - 11:00 am | Shattuck Hall Loacker Classroom 212
Anastasia Byrd: Dissolving Social & Physical Boundaries: How architecture & urban planning can play a role in the chronic loneliness epidemic impacting teen girls. With rates of chronic loneliness in the United States rising, especially in teens, I am exploring how architecture and urban design can help teen girls aged 13 - 16 experiencing chronic loneliness in Aloha, OR feel more connected by developing spaces that offer the opportunity to reinforce their sense of place, belonging, and community.
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11:30 - 12:30 pm | Shattuck Hall Loacker Classroom 212
Tatjana Babić: Designing for PTSD Recovery: EMDR Therapy Through Architecture and Landscape. Architecture and landscape are used to translate the structure of EMDR therapy into a spatial framework that supports psychological healing and reconnection in a post-conflict Bosnia.
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01:30 - 02:30 pm | Shattuck Hall 3rd Floor Crit Corner
Bedour Al Manea: Beit Wahad "One Home": Redefining Family Living Through Cohousing. This thesis explores how the cohousing typology can support child development across different stages by creating a model that redefines family living, bringing together single parents with children and independent seniors to form a supportive, intergenerational community that addresses various developmental needs for children.
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02:30 - 03:30 pm | Shattuck Hall Loacker Classroom 212
Santiago Gil: Once Upon A Time In The PNW: Leveraging the power of people-centered narrative to inspire citizens to shape their urban environment together. An invitation for architecture to more deeply involve itself in the personal, practical, and emotional lives of the humans it wants to serve.
GUEST REVIEWER PANEL:
Vikramāditya Prakāsh
Professor of Architecture at the University of Washington
Katherine Marple (morning)
Designer Colloqate Design, PDX
Elisandra Garcia (afternoon)
Director of Positive Impact at El Dorado Architects
Pro Tem Instructor, University of Oregon