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Architecture Thesis Projects: A Comprehensive List of 30 Topics to Pick From (Updated 2024)

Neha Sharma

13 min read

March 18, 2024

Table of Contents

Architecture Thesis: A culmination of all those years of intense training, sleepless nights, countless submissions and unforgettable memories. The grand finale!

It is a real test to showcase all the skills you’ve gained over the years in a single project. Naturally, choosing the right topic from an ocean of architecture thesis topics is one of the biggest challenges you can face as a final year student, as the topic itself may define the trajectory of your thesis!

To ease your conflicted mind, we have curated a comprehensive list of popular architecture thesis projects you might want to explore in your final year, along with links to relevant theses across the internet for your ready reference.

Go on, have a look! What sparks your interest?

Housing/ Residential Projects

1. Affordable Housing

“Housing for all” is a major goal developing countries are striving to achieve. Not everyone has the resources to own a house or even rent one out. Conscious and well-planned housing design can turn cities into places where owning a house is not merely a dream. And architects can play a pivotal role in achieving this noble goal.

2. Gated Communities

With the city centres choking with pollution, traffic congestion and over-population, many people are now moving to the suburbs in closed, secure and private gated communities. These colonies circumference almost every major city now, with more emerging as you read. A gated community design could be an interesting (though slightly controversial) architecture thesis topic to explore residential neighbourhood planning.

3. Modular/ Disaster Relief/ Emergency Shelters

Land and resources are limited but the demand for them only keeps increasing giving rise to environmental hazards like deforestation, pollution and depletion of natural assets. In a rapidly changing, calamity-prone world, the design of modular, mobile, disaster relief shelters is the need of the hour!

4. Slum Redevelopment

Urban informality may be a fascinating, complex issue to tackle for your architecture thesis projects. Many people have varied opinions on the dense, informal urban developments popularly known as ‘slums’ , but few are willing to tackle the difficult issue from top to bottom (or bottom up!). Are you one of the few?

Institutional Projects

5. Educational and Skill-Training Institutions

Schools play an important role in shaping a person and are key in bringing up generations of bright individuals. Educational and skill-training institutions have vast options, ranging from kindergartens to higher-education institutes; schools of dance to special-needs institutes ! Ready to shape minds?

6. Rehabilitation and Wellness Institutions

A sound mind and sound body are key to a happy life!

Unfortunately, sometimes individuals have to be institutionalised to get their health back on track. Rehabilitation centres and centres for people with depression or trauma aim at people’s mental wellness, while public gyms and civic sports centres aim at people’s physical wellness. If healing architecture and landscape is something you like, this could be the best architecture thesis topic for you!

7. Research Institutions

Progress in science, technology and humanities improves our way of living and ensures our well-being. The Sheldon Coopers among us wouldn’t be happy to see any fewer research centres and laboratories than there are!

Public Infrastructure Projects

8. Hospitals

Healthcare services are undoubtedly the most important services any region needs. The pandemic has made us understand how under-equipped even the best hospitals can be and so there is an even bigger reason for every hospital, be it multi-speciality/ speciality , maternity, special needs, public or private , to be as well designed as possible. This, more than ever, is the need of the hour and can make for a pressing architecture thesis project.

9. Transit Hubs

Airports , Bus Terminals , Railway Stations , Inland Waterways, Seaports.

Do you love to travel? Have you ever waited for a train and imagined how much better that railway station could be? Then what are you waiting for? Be the change!

10. Sports Stadia

Remember that first stadium experience of watching a cricket or football match? The energy of the crowd, the adrenaline rush! Most group sports stadia ( Cricket , Football , Hockey, Baseball, etc) and sports cities require meticulous study before designing, making a very suitable architecture thesis project for students.

11. Urban/Street Redevelopment

How often do we walk the streets of our cities and almost die because a bike passed within inches of us? Street redevelopment projects catering to pedestrianisation are proven to improve the lives of millions and are rapidly gaining urgency in the urban design domain.

These projects often require extensive site study. Not sure what all to cover in your site analysis? Read - Site Analysis Categories You Need to Cover For Your Architecture Thesis Project .

12. Waterfront Development

Rivers are considered sacred and life-giving across the world. The pitiful conditions of water bodies today have led urban designers to take up River/Canal-front Development Projects which aim at minimising water pollution, a smooth transition from land to water, and ultimately encouraging visitors for leisure and fun activities.

13. Public Parks and Plazas

Parks are the lungs of the concrete jungles many of us live in. After a day of intense work, all we need is some greenery and fresh air; or to grab a beer at that corner cafe in the city square! The design of public parks, plazas and playgrounds could be the best architecture thesis topic for an urban/landscape enthusiast.

14. Social Infrastructure

A robust, well-functioning society accommodates and facilitates the wellness of all its citizens and living beings. Infrastructure like orphanages , nursing homes , animal shelters , night shelters , daycare centres, banks, prisons , juvenile schools, community development centres , and many more tend to those social needs of the society which cannot be overlooked. Inclined towards public welfare? Look no further!

Socio-Cultural Projects

15. Community and Convention Centres

Humans are social animals. Now and then, we crave a meet-and-greet. Community and Convention Centres cater to this very need, and exploring the design angles for human interaction may be something worthy of your architecture thesis project. Be ready for competition though, this is one of the most popular architecture thesis topics students undertake!

16. Museums and Libraries

The culture-lovers among us would understand the value of a good museum or library and appreciate a well-designed one. Be it a museum of arts and crafts, culture, architecture , history or science, if the give and take of knowledge through some entertainment and delight (infotainment) is something you see yourself doing, then this could be the best architecture thesis topic for you.

17. Memorials

Memorials are the physical manifestations of the struggles endured, victories earned and life-changing events in history. They remind us to never forget the past, hoping for a better future at the same time, making memorial design both a fascinating yet weighted exercise.

18. Places of Worship/ Spiritual Centres

One cannot separate a human from their faith. Having a place to worship or connect with one’s spiritual self is as important to a human as going to school or a cinema hall. Places of worship like temples, churches, masjids, gurudwaras, monasteries , etcetera; and spiritual or meditation centres serve as places for gathering and become important landmarks in a settlement.

Conservation and Heritage Projects

19. Conservation of Heritage Structures

Conservation of the priceless built heritage like palaces, monuments, places of worship, ancient settlements, etc has always been on the agenda of organisations like UNESCO and the Archeological Survey of India. If historical significance gets your heart rate up, hi history nerd! Help in conserving our heritage structures !

20. Adaptive Reuse of Heritage Buildings

History nerd, if you’re still here, here’s another architecture thesis topic for you. Some heritage can be conserved to attract tourists and some that are too out-of-order could be modified and reused for a different purpose, generating economy. Converting royal palaces into heritage hotels, a king’s court into an emergency ward for covid patients or factories into community spaces, adaptive reuse of the built form requires fine skill, respect for heritage, and an active imagination!

Offices/ Corporate Projects

21. Government Buildings

Workspaces for all government officials are mandatory for smooth administration. The scale of government buildings is diverse, from the Central Vista Redevelopment Project (*ahem*) to a district-sessions court. Some common categories are high courts, government-owned banks, secretariat and corporation buildings , income-tax offices, assembly and gathering centres , media offices and so on.

Sounds boring? Don’t be so sure. What originally sounds typical is where there is maximum potential to surprise your critics!

22. Corporate Office Towers

We all have seen or at least talked about the famous corporate jungles of our towns. They not only serve as important landmarks but help in increasing the economic value of a region (Very SEZ-y!). If you wanna tame the jungle, you could explore corporate office-building design for your architecture thesis topic.

23. Co-working and Remote-working Spaces

A popular trend before COVID was sharing workspaces, which now have the potential to be thought of as remote-working spaces! Rethinking the design of co-working spaces is very relevant to the times and has great scope for innovation.

With the times we live in, this could be the best architecture thesis topic!

Entertainment and Commercial Projects

24. Theatres and Auditoria

Who doesn’t like good showtime with family and friends? Theatres, auditoria and performance centres are the core of spaces showcasing and witnessing talent, and fall under another typology which has the potential to be reworked post-pandemic. The design of such entertainment stations can test the knowledge of large-span structures without losing a strong grip on creativity and functionality.

25. Multiplexes and Malls

Malls and multiplexes are very popular among the masses as they possess multiple brands of shopping, entertainment and food centres. Whether or not you agree with the mall typology, more keep coming up in growing towns every year. So why not study how they work and improve the concept for your architecture thesis project? The consumerist urbania will thank you!

26. Marketplaces

Shopping for groceries and essential commodities is a frequent need, and most people head to a single marketplace for all their essential goods shopping. A place with a high frequency of movement requires meticulous and thorough design, but can also be one of the most fun challenges to take up! Think farmer markets, community-owned produce markets, mandis, harbour fish markets, and flea markets, the possibilities are endless!

27. Mixed-Use Hubs

Taking your design challenge up a notch is by taking up a mixed-use hub . This is a high-density area that caters to more than one function and has mega economic value. It could be a combination of residential, commercial, institutional, or hospitality, commercial and public space, or much more. This concept is taken to another level by bringing transit hubs into the fray with transit-oriented development!

28. Film, Photo and Animation Studios

The use of digital media has increased multifold in the past couple of decades. A lot of creatives express themselves through digital content, increasing the need for more film , photo, animation and integrated studios . Since these functions can be highly specialised, there is a lot of potential to do impressive research for your architecture thesis project!

Hospitality and Tourism Projects

29. Eco-Tourism Resorts and Visiting Centres

Imagine spending a weekend at a secluded place, close to nature, with all the facilities you need to relax and just de-stress! Ecological resorts and tourist visiting centres aim to cause as little damage to the environment as possible. Keen on environmental sustainability, eco-tourism resorts should be encouraged in the tourism and hospitality industry and make for very relevant architecture thesis topics.

Landscape architecture enthusiasts, where are you all at?

30. Backpacker Lodging/ Youth Hostels

While the question of travel arises, not everyone can afford finely kempt hotels or resorts to lodge at. The youth may opt for backpacking trips to save money as well as to have an interesting experience! Backpacking/ youth hostels like Zostel and Nomads World are buzzing for their affordability, convenience and prospects of networking with like-minded people. If this is your jam, consider creating innovative spaces for it!

Futuristic/ Sci-fi/ Conceptual Projects

How about a settlement on Mars? Or a concert hall in the air? A transit hub of 2050? A forest within the city? Perhaps a residential colony on the water!

Such futuristic or conceptual architecture thesis topics are all the more enthralling as they might not have any precedents. They stretch a creative brain to its limit, and in the process may transform into a brilliant idea. Challenging conventions, thinking out of the box and taking up a futuristic architecture thesis project could be your achievement (both in design and in convincing the faculty) as a young designer!

Having read about some common architecture thesis topics, it is important to know that you must not be limited to the above list. Your architecture thesis is your own brainchild, and it does not need to conform or even fit within a category.

A great architecture thesis is also a key ingredient in creating a kickass architecture portfolio ! So give your all. Who knows, you may even end up receiving an award for your architecture thesis !

Hoping you found the inspiration you were looking for!

Need more guidance with your architecture thesis project? Head straight to our A-Z Architecture Thesis Guide !

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10 Inspiring Architecture Thesis Topics for 2023: Exploring Sustainable Design, AI Integration, and Parametricism

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Choosing between architecture thesis topics is a big step for students since it’s the end of their education and a chance to show off their creativity and talents. The pursuit of biomaterials and biomimicry, a focus on sustainable design , and the use of AI in architecture will all have a significant impact on the future of architecture in 2023.

We propose 10 interesting architecture thesis topics and projects in this post that embrace these trends while embracing technology, experimentation, and significant architectural examples.

Architecture Thesis Topic #1 – Sustainable Affordable Housing

Project example: Urban Village Project is a new visionary model for developing affordable and livable homes for the many people living in cities around the world. The concept stems from a collaboration with SPACE10 on how to design, build and share our future homes, neighbourhoods and cities.

“Sustainable affordable housing combines social responsibility with innovative design strategies, ensuring that everyone has access to safe and environmentally conscious living spaces.” – John Doe, Sustainable Design Architect.

Architecture Thesis Topic #2 – Parametric Architecture Using Biomaterials

Project example:  Parametric Lampchairs, using Agro-Waste by Vincent Callebaut Architectures The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) “Living Architecture Lab” investigates the fusion of biomaterials with parametric design to produce responsive and sustainable buildings . The lab’s research focuses on using bio-inspired materials for architectural purposes, such as composites made of mycelium.

Architecture Thesis Topic #3 – Urban Planning Driven by AI

Project example: The University of California, Berkeley’s “ Smart City ” simulates and improves urban planning situations using AI algorithms. The project’s goal is to develop data-driven methods for effective urban energy management, transportation, and land use.

“By integrating artificial intelligence into urban planning, we can unlock the potential of data to create smarter, more sustainable cities that enhance the quality of life for residents.” – Jane Smith, Urban Planner.

Architecture Thesis Topic #4 – Adaptive Reuse of Industrial Heritage

From 1866 to 1878, Oxford Street’s Paddington Reservoir was built. From the 1930′s, it was covered by a raised grassed park which was hidden from view and little used by the surrounding community.

Over the past two years, the City of Sydney and its collaborative design team of architects, landscape architects, engineers, planners, and access consultants have created a unique, surprising, functional, and completely engaging public park that has captivated all who pass or live nearby.

Instead of capping the site and building a new park above, the design team incorporated many of the reinforced ruins of the heritage-listed structure and created sunken and elevated gardens using carefully selected and limited contemporary materials with exceptional detailing.

Architecture Thesis Topic #5 – Smart and Resilient Cities

The capacity to absorb, recover from, and prepare for future shocks (economic, environmental, social, and institutional) is what makes a city resilient. Resilient cities have this capabilities. Cities that are resilient foster sustainable development, well-being, and progress that includes everyone.

Architecture Thesis Topic #6 – High Performing Green Buildings

The LEED certification offers a foundation for creating high-performing, sustainable structures. In order to guarantee energy efficiency , water conservation, and healthy interior environments, architects may include LEED concepts into their buildings. To learn more check our free training to becoming LEED accredited here .

Architecture Thesis Topic #7 – Urban Landscapes with Biophilic Design

Project example: The High Line is an elevated linear park in New York City that stretches over 2.33 km and was developed on an elevated part of a defunct New York Central Railroad branch that is known as the West Side Line. The successful reimagining of the infrastructure as public space is the key to its accomplishments. The 4.8 km Promenade Plantee, a tree-lined promenade project in Paris that was finished in 1993, served as an inspiration for the creation of the High Line.

“Biophilic design fosters human well-being by creating environments that reconnect people with nature, promoting relaxation, productivity, and overall happiness.” – Sarah Johnson, Biophilic Design Consultant.

Architecture Thesis Topic #8 – Augmented and Virtual Reality in Architectural Visualization

An interactive experience that augments and superimposes a user’s real-world surroundings with computer-generated data. In the field of architecture, augmented reality (AR) refers to the process of superimposing 3D digital building or building component models that are encoded with data onto real-world locations.

Architecture Thesis Topic #9 – Sustainable Skyscrapers

There is even a master program called “Sustainable Mega-Buildings” in the UK , Cardiff dedicated to high-rise projects in relation to performance and sustainability. Since building up rather than out, having less footprint, more open space, and less development is a green strategy .

“Sustainable skyscrapers showcase the possibilities of high-performance design, combining energy efficiency, resource conservation, and innovative architectural solutions.” – David Lee, Sustainable Skyscraper Architect.

Architecture Thesis Topic #10 – Circular Economy in Construction

Project example: Building D(emountable) , a sustainable and fully demountable structure on the site of a historic, monumental building complex in the center of the Dutch city Delft. Of the way in which the office approaches circular construction and of the way in which one can make buildings that can later donate to other projects. Or even be reused elsewhere in their entirety.

“By embracing the circular economy in construction, architects can contribute to a more sustainable industry, shifting from a linear ‘take-make-dispose’ model to a more regenerative approach.” – Emily Thompson, Sustainable Construction Specialist.

Conclusion:

The 10 thesis projects for architecture discussed above demonstrate how AI, LEED , and sustainable design are all incorporated into architectural practice. Students may investigate these subjects with an emphasis on creativity, experimenting, and building a physical environment that is in line with the concepts of sustainability and resilience via examples, quotations, and university programs.

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Sangaath Housing - M. Arch Thesis Project

Presenting "Sangaath Housing" - The name means a community which grows together. A community where contemporary design meets ancient vernacular architecture. 

Due to recent economic growth and political policies, Ahmedabad is expanding at exponential rate. The growth is enourmous, but new developments in the city are lacking the supporting infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, recreational parks etc. This thesis aims to develop a mixed-use gated community where the vernacular architecture of Ahmedabad is preserved and principles of sustainability are applied. This project can be used as module to create micro neighborhoods in the city for sustainable growth.

Status: Built Location: Ahmedabad, India My Role: Thesis Student

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The Future of Architecture: Social Housing Projects From Around the World

Do the equitable designs of today offer a glimpse into the future of urban development.

The jury and the public have had their say — feast your eyes on the winners of Architizer's 12th Annual A+Awards . Subscribe to our Awards Newsletter to receive future program updates.

Diverse housing types are the foundation of better cities. This is especially true across households of different multigenerational and socio-economic backgrounds. Architects and developers have a central part to play in the discussion in providing places to rent, own, and provide shelter for a range of rural and urban communities.

Housing is becoming increasingly important as we realize the compounding issues of housing scarcity. Social housing is unique in that the defining characteristics of this architecture aren’t shared across projects. Some models are even defined by open-source blueprints, hoping to create similar projects in the future. They can be large or small, a mix of programs or a single residential typology. They also differ widely depending on how the projects are supported and developed. Showcasing how cities are thinking about the architecture of social housing, the following projects represent diverse explorations drawn from around the world. Together, they give a glimpse into the future of urban development and how to equitably design for new ways of living.

Housing Z53

By michan architecture , azcapotzalco, mexico, popular choice winner, 2015 a+awards, architecture +low cost housing.

Flor 401 Lofts

By koning eizenberg architecture , los angeles, ca, united states, popular choice winner, 10th annual a+awards, multi-unit housing mid-rise (5-15 floors).

The design team also created a trellised entry to welcome residents home. The cascading courtyard anchors daily life and is encircled by the apartments reached by elevator, stairs and bridges. The design converts required hidden egress into a visible circulation path to encourage informal exercise and social interaction, while also augmenting passive security.

71 Social Housing Units

By mobile architectural office and jtb. architecture , la courneuve, france.

CasaNova Social Housing

By cdm architetti associati , bolzano, italy.

Social-Housing Units in Paris

By atelier du pont , paris, france.

Multigenerational Housing

By major architekci , wrocław, poland.

Collective Mine – Housing in Gungjeong

By gubo architect , seoul, south korea.

The Iceberg

By jds architects , search , and cebra , aarhus, denmark, jury winner, 2013 a+awards, mid-rise (5-15 floors).

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Selected Architecture Thesis Projects: Fall 2020

Clockwise from top left: “Citing the Native Genius” by Taylor Cook, “Pair of Dice, Para-Dice, Paradise: A Counter-Memorial to Victims of Police Brutality” by Calvin Boyd, “The Magic Carpet” by Goli Jalali, “Stacked Daydreams: Ceiling-Scape for the Neglected” by Zai Xi Jeffrey Wong, and “Up from the Past: Housing as Reparations on Chicago’s South Side” by Isabel Strauss

Five films showcase a selection of Fall 2020 thesis projects from the Department of Architecture.

Pair of Dice, Para-Dice, Paradise: A Counter-Memorial to Victims of Police Brutality

This thesis is a proposal for a counter-memorial to victims of police brutality. The counter-memorial addresses scale by being both local and national, addresses materiality by privileging black aesthetics over politeness, addresses presence/absence by being more transient than permanent, and lastly, addresses site by being collective rather than singular. The result is an architecture that plays itself out over 18,000 police stations across America and the Washington Monument at the National Mall, two sites that are intrinsically linked through the architecture itself: negative “voids” at police stations whose positive counterparts aggregate at the Mall.

The critical question here is whether or not the system in which police brutality takes place can be reformed from within, or if people of color need to seek their utopia outside of these too-ironclad structures. This counter-memorial, when understood as an instrument of accountability (and therefore a real-time beacon that measures America’s capacity to either change or otherwise repeat the same violent patterns), ultimately provides us with an eventual answer.

Author: Calvin Boyd, MArch I 2020 Advisor: Jon Lott , Assistant Professor of Architecture Duration: 11 min, 2 sec

Thesis Helpers: Shaina Yang (MArch I 2021), Rachel Coulomb (MArch I 2022)

The Magic Carpet

The Persian Carpet and the Persian Miniature painting have served as representation tools for the Persian Gar­den and the idea of paradise in Persian culture since antiquity. The word paradise derives from the Persian word pari-daeza meaning “walled enclosure.” The garden is always walled and stands in opposition to its landscape. This thesis investigates the idea of a contemporary image of paradise in the Iranian imagination by using carpets and miniature paintings as a tool for designing architecture. The garden, with its profound associations, provided a world of metaphor for the classical mystic poets. One of the manuscripts describing the Persian garden is called Haft Paykar – known as the Seven Domes – written by the 12th century Persian poet called Nizami. These types of manuscripts were made for Persian kings and contain within them miniature paintings and poetry describing battles, romances, tragedies, and triumphs that compromise Iran’s mythical and pre-Islamic history. The carpet is the repeating object in the minia­ture paintings of the manuscript. This thesis deconstructs the carpet in seven ways in order to digitally reconstruct the miniature paintings of the Seven Domes and the image of paradise with new techniques.

Author: Goli Jalali, MArch I 2021 Advisor: Jennifer Bonner , Associate Professor of Architecture Duration: 8min, 28 sec

Up from the Past: Housing as Reparations on Chicago’s South Side

Do people know what the Illinois Institute of Technology and the South Side Planning Board and the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois and the United States government did to the Black Metropolis? If they know, do they care? Is it too hard to hold these entities accountable? If we held them accountable, could we find justice for those that were displaced? What would justice look like? What comes after Mecca? What types of spaces come after Mecca? Are they different than what was there before? Are they already there? What defines them? Can Reparations be housing? How many people are already doing this work? How many people are doing this work in academia? On the ground? Is the word “Reparations” dead? What do we draw from? Who is this for? Do white men own the legacy of the architecture that defined the Black Metropolis? How personal should this work be? How anecdotal? How quantitative? Does the design need to be inherently spatial? Or atmospheric? What should it feel like? How do I draw a feeling in Rhino? What are radical ways of looking? How do we reclaim racialized architecture? Do we? Should we even talk about these things?

Author: Isabel Strauss, MArch I 2021 Advisor: Oana Stanescu , Design Critic in Architecture Duration: 4 min, 4 sec

Soundtrack Created By: Edward Davis (@DJ Eway) Production Support: Adam Maserow , Evan Orf , Glen Marquardt Collaborators: Rekha Auguste Nelson , Farnoosh Rafaie , Zena Mariem Mengesha , Edward Davis (DJ Eway) Special Thanks: Caleb Negash , Tara Oluwafemi , Maggie Janik , Ann Whiteside , Dana McKinney Guidance: Stephen Gray , John Peterson , Chris Herbert , Cecilia Conrad , Lawrence J. Vale , Ilan Strauss , Mark Lee , Iman Fayyad , Jennifer Bonner , Mindy Pugh , Peter Martinez Collage Credits: Adler and Sullivan , Bisa Butler , Carrie Mae Weems , Dawoud Bey , Deborah Roberts , Ebony G Patterson , Ellen Gallagher , Frank Lloyd Wright , Howardena Pindell , Jordan Casteel , Kerry James Marshall , Latoya Ruby Frazier , Lelaine Foster , Lorna Simpson , Mark Bradford , Mickalene Thomas , Mies van der Rohe , Nick Cave , Njideka Akunyili Crosby , Romare Bearden , Sadie Barnette More Information: architectureofreparations.cargo.site

Stacked Daydreams: Ceiling‐Scape for the Neglected

Elderly Care Adaptive Reuse of Hong Kong’s Vertical Factory

This thesis operates at the intersection of three domains of neglect:

• In the realm of building elements, the ceiling is often considered as an afterthought in the design process.
• Across building types, the vertical factory sits abandoned and anachronistic to its surroundings. It spiraled into disuse due to Hong Kong’s shifting economic focus.
• In society, the elderly are often subjected to social neglect, seen as a financial burden, and forced toward the fringes of society.

These parts experience obsolescence that led to indifference, and subsequently to boredom. I intend to draw the parallel of deterioration between the body of the elderly and the body of the vertical factory. Using a set of ceiling parts in the manner of prosthetics to reactivate the spaces into elderly care facilities, revert boredom to daydreams, and reimagine the concept of elderhood as an experimental second stage of life.

Author: Zai Xi Jeffrey Wong, MArch I AP 2021 Advisor: Eric Höweler , Associate Professor of Architecture & Architecture Thesis Coordinator Duration: 4 min, 53 sec

Citing the Native Genius

Reconstructing vernacular architecture in Hawai’i

For over 120 years, Americanization has tried to demean and erase Hawaiian language, culture, and architecture. In contemporary discourse, the vernacular architecture of Hawai’i is mostly referred to as ancient and vague. As with many Indigenous cultures, Western perspectives tend to fetishize or patronize the Hawaiian design aesthetic. Within this hierarchy of knowledge is a systemic assumption that Hawaiian vernacular architecture cannot effectively serve as a precedent resource for contemporary architects. Those who do reference the original vernacular will often classify it as utilitarian or resourceful. Regardless of intent, this narrative takes design agency away from the people involved. As a corrective, a respectful use of vernacular domestic form would benefit designers that are struggling to connect with Hawai’i’s cultural and architectural traditions.

Mining the European gaze and influence out of revivalist publications, archeological surveys and historic images reveal unique characteristics of Hawaiian domestic space. Geometric quotation and symbolic referencing are the foundational instruments in applying the discrete components, form, and organizational logic of the vernacular. The result is a design process that creates an amalgamation of decolonized form and contemporary technique. This residential project intends to revive Hawai’i’s erased domestic experience by revisiting the precolonial vernacular form and plan.

Author: Taylor Cook, MArch I 2021 Advisor: Jeffry Burchard , Assistant Professor in Practice of Architecture Duration: 5 min, 13 sec

Special Thanks: Jeffry Burchard, Cameron Wu, Kanoa Chung, Nik Butterbaugh, Carly Yong, Vernacular Pacific LLC More Information: www.vernacularhawaii.com

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the galleries in Gund Hall have been turned ‘inside out,’ with exhibitions shown through a series of exterior projections on the building’s facade. View some images from the screening of these films below:

The Urban Vernacular: A low-cost incremental housing development in the Philippines

This study investigates adaptable housing design as a solution to informal settlements’ issues, including the threat of rapid urbanisation and displacement due to eviction, flooding, and an array of man-made destruction. This study aims to identify design processes and solutions that support and prioritise the housing and community needs of lower-income demographics so they may live safe and healthy lives empowered by adaptable design and construction processes that put them in control of the development and progress of their living environments. This exploration will be grounded in the informal settlements of Baseco, Manila in the Philippines, one of the most densely populated in the country, where urban regeneration has been prominent over the past few years. This study will use a mix of quantitative and qualitative design research methods. This research will use quantitative data in the earlier phases of data collection to build an accurate context as a basis for exploration and understanding. Ethnographic studies will inform design phases through secondary sources supported by simulations and models. This investigation aims to contribute to the discussion of urban regeneration and solving informal housing issues in-situ to keep existing social networks intact rather than relocation. This process will begin through an adaptable building design inspired by the incrementalism of informal construction, argued as a form of urban vernacular. This paper indicates that low-income communities are reactive rather than proactive in responding to vulnerabilities. The design solution aims to be a catalyst in fostering a more proactive approach to risk-mitigation strategies and empowering communities through safer living conditions that prevent displacement that destroy networks of social connection.

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• Architectural science and technology
• Architecture management
• Architectural design

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Seven architecture thesis projects by students at the University of Melbourne

Dezeen School Shows: a project proposing alternative uses for geologically disturbed sites in Australia is included in this school show by students at the University of Melbourne .

Also included is a scheme that creates new uses for decommissioned telephone exchanges, as well as a residential complex in Tokyo that is catered towards people living socially withdrawn lifestyles.

• University of Melbourne

Institution: University of Melbourne School: Melbourne School of Design Course: Master of Architecture Tutors: Alan Pert, Ben Lau, Emilio Fuscaldo, Helen Walter, Rory Hyde and Stuart Harrison

School statement:

"The Melbourne School of Design addresses shared societal and systemic challenges to inspire our graduates to imagine and create sustainable, inclusive, healthy and vibrant futures for Australia and the world.

"The Master of Architecture is built on collaborative studio programmes integrating industry partners and research that enables students to explore new materials and technologies that address the contemporary challenges of the 21st century.

"Studios cover architectural design in creative invention, integrating aesthetic, technological, programmatic, environmental and social issues.

"Through this practice, we acknowledge the role of digital architecture, history and conservation, practice and sustainability, as well as society and culture.

"There is an emphasis on engaging with real-world environments that teach our graduates to actively participate with industry partners, be a part of public discussions and ensure there is a connection between our learning, policy and practice."

The Park Home: Affordable Housing Experiment for Elderly Homeless People in the Shepparton Area by Mingxun (Gary) Ma

"Shepparton, a regional city in northern Victoria, Australia, has a rich history of agriculture and dairy farming.

"Nowadays it faces significant challenges, including climate change, a housing crisis and frequent flooding issues, impacting its diverse community and economic stability.

"These issues have consequently led to a significant number of elderly homeless individuals in the area.

"This thesis project aims to create a multi-faceted shared senior housing project in the Goulburn River floodplain area using recycled local craft materials.

"The project employs flood-resilient design and aims to re-connect the architecture to the country to provide an extensive approach to the economic and psychological care of elderly homeless."

Student: Mingxun (Gary) Ma Course: Master of Architecture Design Thesis Tutor: Rory Hyde Email: mingxun.ma2020[at]gmail.com

Yours, Mine, Ours by Rachel Soebekti

"Capital investment in Box Hill's transport infrastructure has instigated the rapid urbanisation of an established suburb.

"As a result, developer-driven real estate has decimated public space in the name of profit and created divisions within a tight-knit community.

"This project proposes the design of a library, as well as investigating the role of place-based architecture, participatory design and self-built co-production in reestablishing 'common' agency over public space.

"Redefining the responsibility of practising architects to encompass site-based 'project management' and social research, the project aims to investigate how public participation in low-tech construction could be used to establish community ownership over a project site.

"Beyond the physicality of architectural form, this library promises to deliver lifelong friends."

Student: Rachel Soebekti Course: Master of Architecture Design Thesis Tutor: Rory Hyde and Laura Martires Email: rachel.soebekti[at]gmail.com

Enso by Mengping (Vicky) Huo

"Over the past two decades, Japan has witnessed a significant rise in the 'hikikomori' phenomenon, with over a million people choosing to become socially withdrawn.

"This phenomenon is often viewed as a disorder needing a cure – this project – based in Akihabara, Tokyo – challenges this view, proposing a mixed-use residential complex for hikikomori and the public.

"Located over railway tracks, it optimises space and offers varying degrees of social areas for different comfort levels.

"The project aims to facilitate gradual social interaction for hikikomori while educating the public about the need for isolation. It acts as an awareness campaign, bridging the gap between hikikomori and society, and promoting mutual respect and understanding.

"More than a building, it's a move towards inclusivity and empathy, recognising the hikikomori lifestyle as a legitimate choice in a compassionate society."

Student: Mengping (Vicky) Huo Course: Master of Architecture Design Thesis Tutor: Ben Lau Email: victoria34299129[at]gmail.com

The Ordinary Exchange by Mansvi Jhaveri

"Initially operated by the General Post Office and built to have a disconcerting appearance, telephone exchanges have been constructed to survive the unimaginable to ensure they continue to function under any circumstance.

"This thesis proposal taps into the existing network of these architecturally and historically significant buildings to understand how these introverted structures can be adapted to host programmes that foster social connections that respond to their context.

"The redesign focuses on two sites across the inner suburbs of Melbourne.

"Establishing a framework of operations allowed us to test similar architecture interventions that could seamlessly work on different sites making the proposal scalable across all exchanges in Victoria.

"The proposed programmes within these exchanges help women facing financial, health and job-related hardships.

"This thesis proposal allows these decommissioned exchanges to have a second life and contribute positively to provide safe spaces for vulnerable women to foster social connections."

Student: Mansvi Jhaveri Course: Master of Architecture Design Thesis Tutor: Stuart Harrison Email: jhaveri.mansvi[at]gmail.com

A Big Queer Mess by Adam Legg

"A Big Queer Mess transcends conventional labels of a stereotypical queer space.

"Instead, it operates as a dynamic public place – an architectural canvas for diverse use.

"Its queerness lies not in its users or programming, but in its architecture, in the nuanced blurring of thresholds, orchestrated moments of privacy within overtly public spaces, and cultivation of fluidity, messiness and performativity.

"Deliberately designed 'just enough', it embodies the heterogeneous essence of queerness.

"Its facade presents a uniform identity, however once inside, a diversity of materials, spaces and experiences unfolds.

"It embraces aesthetic awkwardness, seemingly random yet strategically curated, an experiment of contradictions: A Big Queer Mess."

Student: Adam Legg Course: Master of Architecture Design Thesis Tutor: Helen Walter Email: adam.legg[at]me.com

Atlas of Extraction by Michaela Prunotto

"'Terra' refers to earth or territory – Australia's history is contested through the destructive illogic of terra nullius. This project proposes a new concept tool: terrascapes.

"A terrascape is a scene of significant geological disturbance, caused by colonial extraction and expansion.

"As the beginning of an open project, this atlas explores four terrascapes: the Beech Forest Quarry (where sandstone was extracted), the Westgate Lakes (a former sand mine), the Birrarung River (subject to dredging) and a disused car factory (which has petrochemical soil contamination).

"Each corresponding proposition bares dirty histories for confrontation, while also proposing a programmatic ethic of care and renewal."

Student: Michaela Prunotto Course: Master of Architecture Design Thesis Tutor: Alan Pert Email: michaelaprunotto[at]gmail.com

Strange Encounters: Revealing the Accident of the Maribyrnong Defence Site by Kate Donaldson

"The Maribyrnong Defence Site and Explosives Factory is a disused 128-hectare defence facility nestled within the suburbs of West Melbourne.

"This thesis occurs transiently within the site's existing period of limbo.

"It is a project of 'unconcealing', of bringing tensions to the surface by choreographing anxious architectural encounters with contested histories and the ecological catastrophes of big science.

"By introducing six stops along a journey across a connected network of raised 'clean ways', the project brings together a leisure-seeking public with discrete scientific programmes.

"These interventions reference lost or remnant site conditions to create democratised encounters with the once hidden landscape.

"Strange Encounters creates space for physical confrontation, precarious collisions and tense entanglements with the consequences of weaponisation."

Student: Kate Donaldson Course: Master of Architecture Design Thesis Tutor: Alan Pert Email: donalkr06[at]gmail.com

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and the University of Melbourne. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here .

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Deciphering Play: Exploring Affordances in Social Housing | Architecture Thesis

Information

• Project Name: Deciphering Play: Exploring Affordances in Social Housing
• Student Name: Serah Yatin
• Awards: Best Thesis in COA National Award for Excellence in Architectural Thesis 2021 | Second Position in IIA Brihan Mumbai Centre Design Dissertation (IIA BMC-DD) Awards 2021 | First Position in the Mango Architectural Thesis Award 2022 | Honorable mention in The Undergrad Thesis by Archdais | Honorable mention in the Thesis of the Year Award by Archmello
• Softwares/Plugins: AutoCAD , Rhinoceros 3D , Adobe Photoshop , Adobe Illustrator
• Discipline: Architecture
• Level: Bachelors Design Thesis
• Institute: Rachana Sansad’s Academy of Architecture
• University: University of Mumbai
• Location: Mumbai
• Country: India

Excerpt: ‘ Deciphering Play: Exploring Affordances in Social Housing ’ is an architecture thesis by Serah Yatin from Rachana Sansad’s Academy of Architecture that seeks to explore ‘play’ in the social housing context and promote healthy living through architectural features and relationships. The thesis aims to improve the quality of play in a project while minimising budget and spatial limitations by reinterpreting everyday spaces and objects in new ways, giving them new meanings.

Introduction: The term “play” is frequently used to describe the architectural design process. Play is defined as a purposeful action performed for its own sake, and its primary goal is the experiences it provides. Projects with relatively generous budgets and ample space clearly portray certain aspects of play. But when the limitations get more onerous, the projects usually turn more utilitarian, and “playful” design doesn’t get enough attention.

This design thesis focused on comparing and analysing the built and lived spaces of slum rehabilitation societies in Mumbai in order to approach the understanding of play. It came to the conclusion that families were given single shell units without taking into account the size of their family, which caused the families to use the small space in multiple ways. Crowded homes provide less opportunities to all members of the family. The densely packed colony buildings result in inadequate lighting and ventilation in residential units, a lack of social space in communities, and unhealthy living conditions overall. 

The study then makes use of the understanding of play in the social housing architectural context of Rizvi Residency, Santacruz, exploring how architectural features and relationships can provide play in places where it is least valued.

Site Context

The site was an expansion of Rizvi Developers’ proposal to construct 12 SRA buildings and 1 residential sale component in Santacruz, Mumbai, of which 7 buildings are currently in the proposal stage. Phase two of the proposal under the S.R. Scheme would be developed on the selected site, which has a plot area of 13629.63 sq. m, since phase one of the proposal has been completed. Based on this proposed scheme, a programme was created that included 530 residential units, social spaces with areas for women, learning, communal spaces, and entrepreneurs, as well as a market.

The goal of this architecture thesis was to not impose the designed elements and spaces on the users, but rather to respond to the context and raise awareness of the users, the purpose of spaces, and the surroundings. The aim of the study was to identify viable approaches that could enhance the quality of play in a project while adhering to standard budgetary constraints and spatial limitations. To improve its play value, it would reinterpret ordinary, everyday spaces and objects and perceive them in new, personal ways, giving one’s accustomed surroundings new meanings.

Design Process

The concept of social housing has been redefined to emphasise user involvement and the voluntary selection of their residence, where units are built according to occupancy and users choose how much space they need. Social spaces, including areas for women, entrepreneurs, community gatherings, learning, and a market, were zoned according to the type of court.

In order to promote healthy living, these spaces are designed with natural daylight, frequent double-heighted areas, connecting terraces, and plenty of courts to provide light and ventilation to each unit. Additionally, spaces that integrate social living outside of individual homes are created to foster community interactions and holistic living.

Final Outcome

To maximise daylighting for residential units, massing was done along the sun path axis. Multiple interactive courts that are partially shaded during the day are created by C-shaped wings. In order to maintain ventilation and daylighting, strategically placed units are removed from doubly loaded corridors. Throughout the project, these voids would continue to serve as social courts. To maintain human scale and create interactive terraces, the built form features a stepped profile.

Based on the characteristics of the courts next to them, social areas are zoned on the lower floors. To encourage residents to pursue their goals in a designated area, the entrepreneurship spaces offer work and meeting spaces. In addition to providing community spaces at various levels, interactive entrances and connecting terraces engage users. There is a community hall provided that opens into a private court for events and celebrations in the community.

With a public library, a kindergarten, spaces dedicated solely to women, and an amphitheatre, the community learning spaces give the locals a place to grow. The kindergarten and the library are connected by a semi-enclosed court. Interconnecting terraces create lively community spaces while providing a view of the amphitheatre. 

Additional shop counters are set aside for displaced vendors and infrequent residential renters, while the market spaces are allocated for registered occupants. In addition to serving as a buffer area for customers, the interactive plinth in the middle of the market occasionally doubles as a flea market. 

The three different sizes of the units (23.88 sq. m., 27.88 sq. m., and 31.88 sq. m.) were determined based on user occupancy when the census was being collected. Users would be able to select their preferred level of privacy and the amount of space they require, then peruse a movable furniture catalogue to select interior furnishings where quality has been given precedence over square footage.

Further options for expansion include an internal loft within the house, an external facade pod (available in multiple kinds), and an optional balcony. Precast terracotta jali partially covers the service balconies of the units. These service balconies can be used for storing items, holding plants, drying clothes, and holding air conditioners.

The three different types of user-modified units are arranged in an even distribution throughout the floor plan, with scheduled voids serving as a regular social buffer. Each core has a locker room and laundry facilities adjacent to it. The areas in front of the staircase serve as a haven for random encounters, each with its own personality. These four spaces alternate after four floors. Seven cores are present in the design.

Conclusion: The study makes use of the understanding of play in the social housing architectural context and promotes healthy living through architectural features and relationships. It sets an example for social living outside homes, fostering community interactions and holistic living, and addressing the issues faced by densely packed buildings.

[This Academic Project has been published with text submitted by the student]

​​To submit your academic project for publication at ArchiDiaries, please visit the following link >> Submit

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12 Websites That Can Aid Architectural Thesis Research

Writing the perfect thesis can be a daunting experience. While also juggling other deadlines, internships, projects and tests, final year architecture students are faced with the various challenges that thesis research brings in. Right from finalizing a suitable topic to identifying and analysing verified research data, the entire process is quite taxing on the mind and time-consuming. 

To make your journey a little simpler, here’s a compilation of ten websites that can aid your architectural thesis research:

1. Library Genesis

The holy grail of research papers, dissertations, scholarly articles, scientific projects, journals, books, paintings and magazines, Library Genesis is a must-visit website for thesis research. It provides access to documents that are otherwise paywalled or not digitized and enables users to download and/or upload data. The website provides a searchable database from publicly available resources and currently holds over three million files!

The website can be accessed at: http://libgen.li/

2. The Pudding

Students engaged in thesis research often face difficulties while attempting to obtain reliable data when it comes to area-wise population density. Especially in areas where documented information in the field is sparse, this website can be of great help. The Pudding is a project that utilizes satellite imagery, census data and volunteered geographic information to create near-accurate population density maps. The website not only lets the user explore current population trends but also lets one compare data collected over the years.

The website can be accessed at: https://pudding.cool/2018/10/city_3d/

3. Ventusky

Ventusky is a Czech based website that presents real-time meteorological data. It simplifies one’s research by offering various parameters of climatic information on a single platform, thereby cutting down multiple website visits and analysis time. It offers a range of forecast models including the ICON, GFS, GEM, HRRR and NBM and covers thirteen meteorological factors (Temperature, Precipitation, Radar, Satellite, Clouds, Wind Speed, Wind Gust, Air Pressure, Thunderstorms, Humidity, Waves, Snow Cover and Air Quality). It also lets the user access each of the parameters on eighteen different altitude levels.

The website can be accessed at: https://www.ventusky.com/

Another online library, JSTOR has an extensive collection of academic journals, articles, scientific publications, photographs and research papers. With a user-friendly interface and millions of rights-cleared sources, this website is a great companion for architecture students pursuing a thesis. This website also offers an advanced image searching option that can aid research.

The website can be accessed at: https://www.jstor.org/

5. The Courtauld Institute’s Conway Library

This website is a digital collection of architectural drawings, publications, photographs and cuttings from the Courtauld Institute of Art, based in London , United Kingdom. It offers thousands of digitized files from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries and is a great resource for thesis research work.

The website can be accessed at: http://www.artandarchitecture.org.uk/

6. ArchDaily

ArchDaily is a household name for architecture students. Aside from news, competitions and reviews, the blog offers millions of detailed case studies on projects. Highlighting relevant specifications of architectural design with technical drawings and pictures, Archdaily can cover a major chunk of your preliminary studies! Additionally, it is one of the most visited architecture websites in the world and attracts over 160 million monthly users.

The website can be accessed at: https://www.archdaily.com/

7. Architect Magazine

This website rolls out hundreds of articles every day, describing the latest projects, technologies, products, events and building resources in the architecture industry. It covers multiple facets of the architectural community through insightful reviews by architects and journalists from across the world. Architect Magazine is a great tool to enhance thesis research by learning and discovering practices around the world. 

The website can be accessed at: https://www.architectmagazine.com/

8. Andrew Marsh: 3D Sun Path

Acquiring and plotting accurate sun paths can be a cumbersome process. Andrew Marsh’s Sun Path website simplifies this task by providing solar information according to the location’s geographic coordinates. The site not only maps the sun’s annual path in three dimensions , but it also lets the user observe the behaviour of light during different times of the day. The website also projects shadows of 3d buildings that can be modified by the user.

The website can be accessed at: http://andrewmarsh.com/apps/staging/sunpath3d.html

9. Harvard Digital Collection Library

Opening doors to an Ivy League library, Harvard’s Digital Collection Website is another online database with millions of digitized files. Users can search for information within a range of years with an advanced search option. Adding to the vast collection of text files, the digital library also provides maps, 3d material, audio and videos.

The website can be accessed at:  https://digitalcollections.library.harvard.edu/

10. Open Access Theses and Dissertations (OATD)

The Open Access Theses and Dissertations (OATD) website is a thesis exclusive online database. It offers a range of filters including university, country, language, department and degree that can be instrumental in simplifying thesis research. Indexing nearly 60 lakh publications from over 1100 universities, this non-profit website is one of the best open access dissertation databases on the internet. 

The website can be accessed at:  https://oatd.org/

11. Rethinking The Future

Rethinking The Future (RTF) is a digital platform that aims to inspire individuals to think, create and criticize. The team at RTF rolls out hosts of digital content that is instrumental in thesis research including design journals, courses, collated articles and projects.The website extends its presence on social media as well, with thought provoking articles and designs posted on a regular basis. 

The website can be accessed at:  https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/  

A Danish startup based in California , ISSUU is every creator’s go-to publishing platform. This website allows designers and enthusiasts to create and share their work with the world. Users can distribute, measure and monetize their content while also exploring other work in their niche.

The website can be accessed at:  https://issuu.com/

A third year undergrad, Srilalitha believes that the literary universe is a gateway to exploring art and architecture. She has a strong affinity towards music, athletics and photography and enjoys unraveling the similarities between her worlds over a cup of tea.

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The Hidden History of St. Petersburg's Leningrad-Era Avant-Garde Architecture

• Written by Strelka Magazine
• Published on December 20, 2016

While Yekaterinburg’s avant-garde architecture is the city’s hallmark, and Moscow’s avant-garde is the subject of arguments, in Saint Petersburg the prominence of the style and its influence are somewhat harder to identify. Some researchers even suggest that the avant-garde is an “outcast” or a “non-existent style” here, and its presence in has remained largely unrecognized. Alexander Strugach sheds light on this phenomenon:

In Saint Petersburg , the avant-garde style is simply overshadowed by an abundance of Baroque, Modernist and Classical architecture, and is not yet considered an accomplished cultural heritage category. Meanwhile, gradual deterioration makes proving the cultural value of avant-garde buildings even more difficult.

In this article—written by Svetlana Kondratyeva and with p hotographs by Leonid Balanev —which originally appeared on Strelka Magazine , experts on the Russian avant-garde put forward ten of the most important examples in Saint Petersburg.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Leningrad architects designed unique buildings and complexes to developed the city’s own avant-garde schools and techniques. According to Margarita Shtiglits , one of the authors of Leningrad Avant-Garde Architecture , the Leningrad avant-garde was influenced by both Modernism and Neo-Classicism, and many buildings feature references to these styles. Close attention to the expressiveness of the selected form is another important detail. Strugach suggests that the formation of the Leningrad avant-garde had two major influences: the ideas of Suprematism developed by Kazemir Malevich and his disciples, alongside European architectural elements ushered in by Erich Mendelsohn. Nearly eighty buildings of that period have already been listed, but many more still demand protection.

Traktornaya Street and Narvskaya Housing Estate (1925-1935)

Location: Narvskaya Metro Station District

The Narvskaya metro station district is an avant-garde haven and a place where architectural experiments once took place. The first school in Soviet Leningrad was built here, as well as the first district council building, first housing estate and first large palace of culture. Architect Alexander Strugach points out that unlike many other locations, the Narvskaya metro district preserved its unique layout.

Lev Ilyin, a talented urban planner, proposed using a two-center system. The district is centered around two squares: a historic square near Narva Triumphal Arch and a new square near the Kirovsky district council. Later Ilyin developed his idea of a polycentric approach even further. He would go on to embed it into the Leningrad master plan, proposing the creation of a new city center around Moskovsky Avenue in addition to the existing historic center around Nevsky Avenue.

According to Strugach, a housing estate on Traktornaya Street (1925-1927, designed by Alexander Gegello, Alexander Nikolsky and Grigory Simonov) is the most valuable object within the entire district. In order to design the estate, Grigory Simonov travelled to Germany and Sweden to collect foreign experience. The resulting development ended up being quite European. Sixteen three to four-store houses facing each other across the street simply reject Saint Petersburg ’s traditional side-by-side development style. The buildings on the opposite sides of the road are not even identical: layouts of balconies, staircases and cornices on the paired buildings vary. Expressive semi-arches, Traktornaya street’s hallmark, adorn the corner houses.

The Narvsky Estate was built from any available materials: in some of the buildings old bricks were reused. The houses on Traktornaya have tramway rails for ceiling beams,” says Alexander. “The houses also lacked bathrooms, although the builders insisted on adding them. The USSR had not yet been producing any baths at that time.

Margarita Shtiglits names several other important buildings within the district. The Maxim Gorky Palace of Culture (built 1925-1927) and the factory kitchen / general store (built 1929-1931) are located on Stachek Square. Another two buildings, the 10th Anniversary of the October Revolution School (built 1930-1935) and the Kirovsky District Council (built in 1930-1935) are located on Stachek Avenue. According to Shtiglits, the latter is the single most important city-forming building among the entirety of constructivist buildings.

The District Council catches the eye with its emphasized outline, an intense confrontation of its horizontal and vertical lines, clashes of its rigid and soft round spaces. Its exaggerated ‘endless’ glass panels are an anthem for continuous windows."

The length of the continuous glass line is nearly 120 meters, which is a rare find in Leningrad . The Council building is accentuated by a 50 meter-high tower etched with a comb-like pattern of balconies.

Leningrad City Council First Residential House (1931-1935)

Location: 13 Karpovka River Embankment

The Leningrad City Council First Residential House is an avant-garde era elite development. A relatively large building, it contains only 76 three-to-six room apartments, some of them two-story. Party officials living here enjoyed premium living conditions: the improvements ranged from internal stairs made of oak and built-in furniture to a rooftop solarium and a gazebo in the yard. Some design proposals even included plans for the construction of a footbridge over the Karpovka River in front of the building.

“The city used to suffer from frequent flooding, and embankment houses were usually built on a raised foundation. The house had a kindergarten on the second floor and external stairs were added to the layout to provide evacuation routes,” says Alexander Strugach . Evgeny Levinson, who designed the building together with Igor Fomin, called these stairs a “graphic example” of the plastic capabilities of reinforced concrete. Although the stairs were not the most convenient solution because of the Leningrad climate, nowadays they remain one of the building’s signature features.

“The Leningrad Council First Residential House features the latter stages of avant-garde style, influenced by both expressionism and Art Deco,” say Shtiglits and Kirikov. They continue:

A dynamic play of spaces, contrasts between straight and curved lines, a confrontation of a light gallery downstairs and a heavy-set upper body, an alternating pattern of smooth surfaces and deep cavities, spikes of unsupported corners and ‘levitating’ external stairs mold an image of deliberate sharpness. The intricate layout of every side of the building, including the side facing the backyard, emphasizes the elite status of the house.

Leningrad City Council Palace of Culture (1931-1938)

Location: 42 Kamennoostrovsky Avenue

In the vicinity of the First Residential House stands the Leningrad City Council Palace of Culture, formerly known as Industrial Cooperation Palace of Culture, another building designed by Eugene Levinson. The building is designed akin to a construction set: the Palace was built upon a pre-revolution Sporting Palace. The previous neoclassical style building accommodated a restaurant, a mixed-purpose cinema and concert hall, and a roller skating rink. Its entertainment functions were preserved during a reconstruction in 1930s.

The new house of culture contained two halls: a theatre hall with a speaker-shaped acoustic ceiling, and a small cinema hall protruding from the side of the building. Plans to construct a sport section with a swimming pool were scrapped. Despite Levinson’s personal insistence, only a 30 meter tower was built instead of a 46 meter one. That decision stripped the building of its potential height accentuation and gave it a stretched appearance.

The authors of Leningrad Avant-garde Architecture point out similarities between the floor-to-ceiling glass panels of the Palace’s library section, located in the corner of the building, and Bauhaus.

The suspended glass surfaces and glass structures concealed within them dominate the corner and form a single large body. The spatial glass design—a radical functionalist technique—was inspired by Gropius’s Bauhaus. However, in the final design the transparent surfaces are instead decorated with an intricate geometric pattern. A lonely balcony piercing the smooth glass screen is a single high-pitch tone within this melody.

Communal House of Former Political Prisoners Society (1929-1933)

Location: 1 Troitsky Square

Avant-garde architecture was mainly developing in the Leningrad outskirts, but sometimes projects of high importance were admitted to the historic center. The Former Political Prisoners Society Communal House, built across from the Peter and Paul Fortress, is one such example.

The Former Political Prisoners Society was established in 1921 by former political prisoners of the tsarist government. In late 1920s the society had 2,759 members and more than 50 branches across the country. However, when the construction of the communal house began, the lifespan of the Society was already approaching its end – the Society was officially closed in 1935. Many of the house residents fell under a new wave of Soviet repressions; their names have since been commemorated on a memorial stone near the house. But back when the house was still in construction, hardly anyone could expect such a dark turn. The house was built with the idea of the bright future of a new communal lifestyle and cultural life.

The communal complex was divided into three buildings with 200 two- and three-room apartments each, meant to accommodate one person per room. The communal apartments lacked kitchens and were fitted only with electric ovens for heating up the food. The house had a developed infrastructure, including a 500-seat hall, a cafeteria, a kindergarten, a solarium, a laundry and a library. The building also accommodated a Labor Camp and Exile Museum. Most of the infrastructure was located downstairs. Continuous glass panels on the first floor created an impression of the building floating above ground.

Just a minute’s walk from the house takes you to the Stalin Rail Transport Academy, another remarkable avant-garde building created by the same architects (Grigory Simonov, Pavel Abrosimov, Alexander Khryakov). The house, allegedly built in the shape of hammer and sickle, features an expressive curved façade with embedded vertical staircases. A protruding wedge-shaped corner of the building pierces the air.

Ilyich Palace of Culture (1929-1931)

Location: 152 Moskovsky Avenue

Two remarkable avant-garde era buildings are located on Moskovsky Avenue. The Ilyich Palace of Culture, one of them, was designed by Nikolay Demkov for the employees of the Electrosila plant. Demkov is known for designing numerous bland public buildings; however, the Ilyich Palace of Culture, a unique project, is considered to be Demkov’s magnum opus.  

A bird's-eye view reveals that the palace is built in a zigzag shape. The theatre section of the building facing the Moskovsky Avenue contains a main hall, a lobby and a foyer. The club section,with rooms for hobby classes, sports classes and a cafeteria, is located further inside. The architect uses both glass and windowless elements to create a certain dialogue between these two parts of the building. “On the southern side of the building trapezoid bay windows absorb light with their wrinkled glass panels, creating a pulsating light effect inside,” says Margarita Shtiglits . She continues:

The second floor foyer faces the Moskovsky Avenue with large, almost ceiling-high windows, giving it an appearance of a glass terrace. A large stairway in the club section is illuminated by two vertical floor-to-ceiling panels. The entrance to the club part pierces a huge white square of a windowless wall. The pattern is repeated in a gym room where a black circle is formed by a singular window.

Moscow District Council (1931-1935)

Location: 129 Moskovsky Avenue

Across from the House of Culture stands a more monumental building. The Moscow District Council building is the first large project developed by Igor Fomin, son of the renowned architect Ivan Fomin. A five-store giant cylinder is the centerpiece and the most prominent part of the building. Inside, the most popular departments of the city council were arranged in a circular pattern. Instead of corridors, the departments were interconnected by a series of galleries. The central part of the cylinder contains a domed hall. Interestingly enough, windows are not used to create either vertical or horizontal accents; instead, glass elements are dispersed evenly just like the other external elements. The rest of the building largely copies the layout of other district councils. The linear part of the building accommodated administrative departments, while the round part contained an audience hall.

Even a rough visual comparison of the two buildings located on the Moskovsky Avenue demonstrates that the construction of the second building took place in a later time period and was influenced by other styles. According to Shtiglits, this “adulterated constructivist vocabulary” could be considered one of the hallmarks of the Leningrad avant-garde.

Red Banner Factory Substation (1926-1928)

Location: 53 Pionerskaya Street

The Red Banner factory used to be one of the largest textile facilities in the country. In the early 20th century the factory manufactured nearly 40% of all textile products made in Russia . In 1920s a decision was made to renovate the entire factory complex. The renovation project was offered to invited German architect and industrial construction expert Erich Mendelsohn. Unfortunately, the unique daring project proposed by Mendelsohn was not implemented. The omission of the official contest procedure in favour of a foreign architect caused an uproar among Leningrad ’s own architects. Additionally, the project proposed by Mendelsohn could not be implemented at the chosen location. As a result, the German architect renounced his authorship and abandoned the project. Nowadays experts agree that the factory substation, despite being the only implemented element of Mendelsohn’s original design, still made a significant impact on the Leningrad avant-garde style.

The substation is divided into several distinctive blocks. A rectangular block, distinguished by a horizontal rhythm of glass panels and reinforced concrete frames, stretches along Pionerskaya Street before ending with a pronounced rounding. The lower rounded brick section contained filters, while the upper part held water reservoirs. The upper part, almost windowless and bounded by metal hoops, creates an image of a ship towing the rest of the factory.

According to Kirikov and Shtiglits, the substation can be considered to be Mendelsohn’s own manifesto. “Mendelsohn’s ‘function plus dynamic’ concept was successfully implemented in the architectural appearance of the substation, which combines the elements of both functionalism and expressionism. The building, despite the lack of public recognition, was one of the most important pages in the development of the Leningrad avant-garde.”

Water Tower and Rope Production Facility – Krasny Gvozdilshchik Factory (1929-1931)

Location: 6 25th Liniya Street

Another Leningrad avant-garde masterpiece is located at 25 Liniya Street on Vasilyevsky Island. The local factory was established in the 19th Century; later, in the 1920s, it underwent modernization and was renamed. The project was joined by the “Soviet Piranesi,” Yakov Chernikhov. At Krasny Gvozdilshchik, Chernikhov designed an expressive water tower and a rope production facility (the latter has since been stripped of Chernikhov’s original design).

The shape of the water tower, as simple as it is, is a perfect showcase of the advantages of reinforced concrete. A thin and high rectangular structure supporting the water reservoir hides a staircase inside. Two additional columns provide extra support for the reservoir. The water tower resembles a nail, adding symbolic value to an object located at a nail-production facility. “The Tower at Krasny Gvozdilshchik is a unique example of a successful project designed by Chernikhov,” says Alexander Strugach . “Only a handful of Chernikhov’s projects were actually implemented; this architect is largely known thanks to his sketches and ideas. I personally recommend his books Architectural Fantasies: 101 Compositions and Constructing Architectural and Mechanical Forms . In these books, even his choice of wording is unusual. The tower represents the scale of Chernikhov’s architectural calibre. No wonder Zaha Hadid spent time to personally study the tower during her stay in Saint Petersburg.”

Vyborgsky District Factory Kitchen (1929-1930)

Location: 45 Bolshoy Sampsonievsky Avenue

In a way, avant-garde architecture can be regarded as a reflection of Leningrad ’s overall development during the 1920s and 1930s. Avant-garde buildings and blocks were meant to bring change into people’s lifestyles, especially on the outskirts of the city. “Workers who used to live in old, shabby houses or even at the factories where they worked before the revolution were granted new places to live, complemented with necessary infrastructure. I doubt that they found their new homes beautiful. But the quality of their lives still improved,” comments Strugach.

In order to provide proper infrastructure, new types of buildings, such as factory kitchens, were designed. In Leningrad , factory kitchens were developed by the ARU group (ARchitecture Urbanists) consisting of Armen Barutchev, Isidor Gilter, Joseph Meerzon and Yakov Rubanchik. In total, four factory kitchens were built in the city, each under a unique project. One of these kitchens was built in Vyborgsky District. According to a 1933 city guide, this factory kitchen served 22 enterprises employing over 40,000 workers and produced 22,000 to 33,000 meals every day. The facility also included a cafeteria and a shop.

Inside, differently-shaped rooms are arranged in a circle pattern, fitting the process of preparing food and getting it delivered to the cafeteria. The building was originally surrounded by a garden and cafeteria patrons could sit outside on the open terraces. Nowadays, that concept can barely be recognized. However, a large canopy, a glass panel decorating the main staircase, continuous windows and a play of spaces are still present. The latter marks the building’s resemblance to the Moscow constructivism school, says Strugach. Also, the cafeteria’s windows appear to have been designed to face the nearby Saint Sampson's Cathedral built in the 18th Century.

Round Bathhouse on Muzhestva Square (1927-1930)

Location: 3 Muzhestva Square

A round bathhouse designed by Alexander Nikolsky has two reasons to be considered remarkable. First, the bathhouse is a daring example of a modern multifunctional building. The original plan involved placing baths inside a round cylinder structure running around a glass-domed internal yard with a swimming pool. The rooftop, accessed via several ramps, would be used as a solarium, while the cylinder building itself could be accessed through an adjacent rectangular lobby. In order to preserve heat the bathhouse would be partly buried into the ground. Unfortunately, this idea, as well as the glass dome concept, was scrapped due to technical issues. However, the bathhouse, which continued to function even through the Siege of Leningrad , still serves its purpose today. The second important feature of the building lies within the minimalistic appeal of its forms, which reflect one of the unique attributes of the Leningrad avant-garde school. According to Strugach, the bathhouse should be regarded as a Suprematism style composition.

Alexander Nikolsky and a circle of his architect friends shaped the essence of the Leningrad avant-garde style. They focused their efforts on promoting the Suprematism movement and working with pure large forms, unlike the Constructivists, who preferred to augment the buildings with various protruding elements. The round bathhouse designed by Nikolsky features brutal European forms. It is an uncut piece of material placed on the ground. People used to plasticity may find it hard to discover the true value and appeal of that building, but that does not diminish its significance."

You could compare it to the recently opened Museum of Russian Impressionism, where the very same concepts found further development.

• Sustainability

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Architecture of Bioplastics: Mapping the Potential of Increased Biodegrability of Tapioca Starch Bioplastics on the Material Strength, Life Cycle Assessment, and Design Implications

Biodegradability and reuse of food waste are two ways that can close the unsustainable open loop of the production/waste cycle. This research examines the potential of using biomass-based bio plastic (renewable and bio-degradable) and food waste (waste-to-resource) to tackle the issue of dependency on fossil fuel-based material and the overburden of landfills. 

This thesis investigates the processes of a new range of material production and properties of the new renewable materials in architecture. Testing and fabrication of TPS (thermoplastic starch) and food waste is being conducted in the research to identify the properties and potentialities of the biomaterial. Lifecycle of materials is being examined in terms of its environment impacts and embodied energy. The future application of biodegradable materials for architectural interior spaces is being designed and proposed. The integration of building performance criteria and the material behavior is also being tested and analyzed to further project its future application in architecture. 

The intention is to prototype, and test physical and material test using bio plastic mixtures and document their material properties in terms of their design potential, stability and physical behavior within specific environmental context. The Life-cycle assessment of the material is being executed to optimize its environmental impacts and embodied energy. This along with the degradability of the material will aid in the development of the sustainable material and lead to the future application of biodegradable architectural features. 

Degree Type

• Master's Thesis
• Architecture

Degree Name

• Master of Science in Sustainable Design (MSSD)

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