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ETD Abstract Container

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Avoiding Imposition through Methods of Making

Roush, Emily A.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1307105947

Abstract Details

2011, MARCH, University of Cincinnati, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture.
In the years since the disappearance of the “master builder”, architects and their design processes have become increasingly estranged from the physical act of building. This detachment from the tangible realization of design disallows architects an understanding of the implications of their design decisions: availability of materials, complexity of connections, and financial feasibility. Consequently, this separation creates a second rift between contemporary architects and humanitarian design projects, as the priorities of the design process, non-profit organizations, and the underserved poor rarely intersect nor are readily understood by these disparate constituents. Though the trend toward socially responsible building continues to gain momentum, architects are at risk of being excluded from the financial and social benefits of this market sector based on their detachment from the real consequences of design decisions and inability to offer cost effective and culturally relevant solutions. This thesis proposes that evaluating and restructuring the design process to respond specifically to the needs of humanitarian projects in a globalized setting could reposition architects to be considered essential contributors to this growing field. More specifically, it is proposed that by beginning the design process with a study of local culture, particularly methods of making, the culture of dwelling, and community aspirations, the architect becomes equipped to produce designs that reestablish the link between design and physical realization, are culturally responsible and rich, and are suited to the needs of non-profit sponsors. Based on research and a recently completed project management experience in rural Tanzania, this project will result in a proposed framework for a design process tailored to the needs of architects working with unfamiliar communities. Simultaneously, implementing, evaluating, and informing this framework, an Entrepreneurial Center will be designed for the village of Roche, Tanzania. Local skills, existing technologies, and cultural norms will be analyzed to develop a building that provides examples and inspiration for the advancement of quality of construction, and life in general (through proliferation into areas such as cooking and transportation), applying the expertise of design thinking to achieve results that are tangential to existing cultural trajectories, rather than imposing the architect’s own cultural values.
George Bible, MCiv.Eng (Committee Chair)
Aarati Kanekar, PhD (Committee Chair)
149 p.
Architecture
appropriate; technology; humanitarian; tanzania; process; microfinance

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Roush, E. A. (2011). Avoiding Imposition through Methods of Making [Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1307105947

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Roush, Emily. Avoiding Imposition through Methods of Making. 2011. University of Cincinnati, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1307105947.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Roush, Emily. "Avoiding Imposition through Methods of Making." Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1307105947

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1307105947
629
© 2011, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License Avoiding Imposition through Methods of Making by Emily A. Roush is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.