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College of Architecture and Construction Management 2023-2024 Projects

Click here to return to the main project listings page. Questions: Email our@kennesaw.edu.

  • 2023-2024 First Year Scholars: Dulce Hernandez Pacheco and Jocelon Smith

    • What will cities look like 30 years from now? What is the future of building materials?

      This research project seeks to bridge the gap between material science and construction, looking at sustainable approaches to designing new buildings and infrastructures. It can take decades for a breakthrough in engineering from a lab to a building site. This research embraces the need for innovative architectural forms while building upon structural design principles to create a new generation of smart materials.

      Students working on this research project will investigate the use of sustainable approaches in building materials of the future to:

      1. achieve more economical construction,
      2. improve sustainability and resilience, and
      3. advance architectural forms and forces.

      The goal is to advance our fundamental understanding of cementitious materials and their construction in an effort to marry architectural form and structural design. The last hundred years in architecture and civil engineering have been widely dominated by the use of concrete, which became the second most consumed commodity after water. Although concrete and cementitious materials have a low embodied energy (approximately 0.90 MJ/kg), they are used in vast quantities. In 2019, cement production amounted to approximately 3.2 billion tons, with production and usage accounting for almost 8-9% of total global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.

      This research aims to impact the embodied energy and the carbon emission associated with new concrete constructions by possibly saving up to 30% in concrete volume compared to an equivalent strength prismatic member. This research thus offers exciting opportunities for engineers and architects to move towards a more sustainable construction industry. 

    • By working on this project, students can expect to improve on two separate sets of skills: technical and professional.

      Depending on your background (architecture, construction management, engineering, etc.), you will be challenged with the idea of sustainability and sustainable approaches at different levels.

      To address the research questions, you will be working in a multidisciplinary group that includes students from architecture to engineering, as the project requires expertise in different areas. This approach will provide you with a unique opportunity to work in a dynamic research environment that will foster your understanding of research problems and will help you to build fundamental skills for your future career.

      Specific outcomes include:

      1. Understanding the role of previous research and literature review in the broad context of research (i.e., define the terminology associated with research and theory in advanced cementitious materials; describe past research studies and critically analyze past research in concrete formwork; articulate how the research study makes a contribution to the field).
      2. Learning how to develop a matrix for tests and conduct laboratory experiments (i.e., understand the role of ASTM standard tests in material characterization; design and performing of material characterization test, specifically in compressive and tensile properties; analyze and interpretation of the test data from concrete and steel tests).
      3. Being able to design and build small-scale prototypes (i.e., design of concrete elements using digital tools; design of concrete elements including formwork, materials requirement for cast, and procedures for concrete curing).
      4. Developing skills in communication and public speaking. This learning objective is specifically important as it will teach you how to disseminate and transfer individual knowledge in a work environment.

    • Students will meet with faculty for 1 hour per week and can work remotely otherwise. Some of the tasks include:

      1. Architectural and engineering design.
      2. Drawing and formwork design (Rhino, Photoshop, Illustrator)
      3. Casting concrete (mix design, materials procurement, casting, and cleaning)
      4. Data analysis and presentation.

    • Hybrid

    • Dr. Giovanni Loreto, gloreto@kennesaw.edu

  • 2023-2024 First Year Scholars: Tiffany Chen, Ashley Gentles, Kaden Johnson, and Dominic Nixon

    • What makes a community sustainable, equitable and healthy to serve people of different backgrounds, resources, and abilities? What is the impact of the built environment on human health, safety, and welfare at multiple scales, from buildings to cities?

      This research instills in students a holistic understanding of Sustainable Development Goals and the role of the design process in integrating multiple factors to shape the built environment in different scales. Our projects aim to deepen understanding of diverse factors (such as socio-cultural) that impact the sustainability, equity and health in a community. The projects challenge students to solve complex problems by effective collaboration skills, emerging sustainable systems, and innovative design strategies. Students would be engaged in design research projects advocating the integration of multiple factors in shaping healthy environments — framed by diverse ecological, social, cultural, political, and economic forces.

      • Participating in regular team meeting with faculty [for 1.5 hour per week] — mostly online and working remotely.
      • Assisting in data collection and precedent studies.
      • Organizing data and developing literature review.
      • Creating analytical (architectural) diagrams and design drawings — knowing Rhino/ Photoshop/ Illustrator will be a plus.
      • Synthesizing research key findings and preparing presentations.
      • Research and collect data
      • Analyze the data
      • Present findings

    • Hybrid -- Adjustable to be online based on students' availability  

    • Dr. Pegah Zamani, pzamani@kennesaw.edu 

  • 2023-2024 First Year Scholars: Lily Chappell, Noah Evans, Will Lowery, and Samuel Ryan

    • Virtual Reality (VR) is a state-of-the-art technology that allows immersion in computer generated three dimensional (3D) artificial environments. VR technology enables immersive 3D experience by allowing the user to interact with the environment around them. When effective VR means are used, the observer can get a highly realistic feeling of the architectural environment and experience the actual scale of the space. This is achieved via the placement of the users inside the simulated 3D environments with the use of the VR headset synced with 3D real-time rendering platform.

      VR technology has the potential to improve architectural processes including the ways architects design buildings and transform how clients engage with the proposed spaces. When immersed in simulated environments, the stakeholders can get a highly realistic sense of the proposed space and acquire a more comprehensive understanding of the project. VR technology can also support inquiry-based architectural processes by enabling real-time comparative design analysis. When architects are engaged in iterative design processes, they can adopt design changes while immersed in space and assess the perceptual implications real-time in a highly realistic fashion.

      VR technology offers an innovative approach to visual communication that is critical in the field of architecture. Therefore, there has been an increasing demand for the use of VR environments in the architecture profession. The emerging trends and new demands in the profession influence the learning environment in academia. The integration of profession driven innovative means and methods into the curriculum is crucial to better prepare students for the profession. As a result, the integration of VR into architectural education is an educational imperative.

      The main goal of this research is to make VR technology available to architecture students. To better guide students with the capabilities of VR technology, a pilot study will be conducted with a group of student researchers to investigate its value and challenges. The findings will provide a preliminary understanding of how this advanced technology can be effectively utilized for design learning. 

    • Students working on this research project will explore design solutions with the use of virtual reality mediums, with an emphasis on playtesting to

      1. achieve a more immersive and concise final design
      2. explore new ways to collaborate and critique,
      3. advance architectural design in innovative ways.

      VR can reinforce student learning by providing a highly accurate sense of the architectural spaces. Especially in the studios, the students can get a better feel for spatial experience of the users and develop a more comprehensive understanding of the proposed design spaces while immersed in the simulated space. Also, with the integration of VR in architectural education, the students can effectively gather instantaneous design feedback and initiate iterative design processes. The feedback loop can encourage students to evaluate various design ideas and assess their effectiveness in relation to spatial perception. The students interested in more structured design research can utilize VR technology to enable systematic exploration of spatial configurations. They can effectively vary design variables and assess their impact on perception and experience . This is critical to engage students in inquiry-based design and help them understand the value of informed decision making. 

    • Example weekly duties include:

      1. Architectural design through VR
      2. Drawing and digital design (Rhino, Revit, InDesign)
      3. Collaborative design
      4. Creating physical graphics for presentation 

    • Face-to-Face

    • Dr. Selen Okcu, sokcu@kennesaw.edu 





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