MS in Sustainable Design

Course: Living Buildings: Net-Zero Building Studio

Description: The studio designed The AeroNest Resort, an ecological boutique resort located in Philadelphia, PA. The students are tasked with designing a net-zero resort and enhancing the local community and providing resilience in the face of flooding.

Course: Living Buildings: Net-Zero Building Studio

Description: The studio designed The AeroNest Resort, an ecological boutique resort located in Philadelphia, PA. The students are tasked with designing a net-zero resort and enhancing the local community and providing resilience in the face of flooding.

Course: Living Buildings: Net-Zero Building Studio

Description: The studio designed The AeroNest Resort, an ecological boutique resort located in Philadelphia, PA. The students are tasked with designing a net-zero resort and enhancing the local community and providing resilience in the face of flooding.

Course: Resilient Communities & Cities Studio

Description: The studio designed a new campus for a Pre-K – 6 grade school with a curriculum that is closely tied to play, nature, creativity, and compassion. The site is located in Philadelphia, PA. The students are tasked with connecting the school with the local community and to provide resilience in the face of flooding.

Course: Masters Thesis

Thesis Title: Safari Savvy: A Sustainable Proposal for a Zoological Awareness and Education Center in San Diego, CA

This thesis investigated the relationship between animals and visitors in a traditional zoo to reimagine what a zoo could be. The research and the design proposal lead to a new campus design for both visitors and researchers at the existing Conservation Institute to challenge the traditional zoo, and instead raise awareness regarding endangered species and engagement for the visitors and community and the design of a campus that is net-zero and enhances the local ecosystem.

Course: Masters Thesis

Thesis Title: The Design of a Holistic Community Chemotherapy Infusion Center in Philadelphia, PA

This thesis explored how a building’s design could impact how people heal. The conventional chemotherapy unit was reimagined to incorporate high levels of air quality while increasing the connection with nature, in contrast to existing design typology. The result is a high performance treatment center that incorporates interior biophilic elements to transform the treatment experience, and to visually connect the patients and caregivers with a natural site that incorporates healing gardens, food gardens, and green infrastructure.

Course: Masters Thesis

Thesis Title: A Vision for a Sustainable Hijazi Mixed-use Community in Makkah, KSA

This thesis investigated the potential of vernacular architecture to provide high performance design. The project incorporated traditional elements for community engagement, solar control, natural daylighting performance, and cross ventilation in combination with state of the art high performance design and materials across the urban, site, building, and interior scales to propose a project that is beyond net-zero.