Archinect - Student Life at the University at Buffalo's School of Architecture and Planning

Call for Proposals: 2018-19 Peter Reyner Banham Fellow

2018-01-24T14:49:41-05:00

Peter Reyner Banham spent his time in Buffalo engaged in a scholarly project on the imaginary of American industrial architecture that took the form of the historical research, hands-on engagement and seminar instruction, resulting in his landmark work, A Concrete Atlantis.

In celebration of Banham’s legacy of experimental criticism, the fellowship is intended to support the research and creative activity of emerging practicitioners. Candidates are encouraged to propose a research trajectory that will be developed in tandem with a pedagogical agenda. The Banham Fellow will teach a design studio and an elective course each semester for the duration of the one-year fellowship. In addition, the fellow will deliver a public lecture as part of our school wide series and prepare an exhibition that culminates from the research, teaching and/or creative work conducted while in residence at the school.

The application deadline has been extended to March 1, 2018 Digital applications should be...

2017 - 2018 Peter Reyner Banham Fellowship announced!

2017-02-23T09:21:16-05:00

Peter Reyner Banham spent his time in Buffalo engaged in a scholarly project on the imaginary of American industrial architecture that took the form of historical research, hands-on engagement and seminar instruction, resulting in his landmark work, A Concrete Atlantis.
In celebration of Banham’s legacy of experimental criticism, the fellowship is intended to support the research and creative activity of emerging practitioners. Candidates are encouraged to propose a research trajectory that will be developed in tandem with a pedagogical agenda. The Banham Fellow will teach a design studio and an elective course each semester for the duration of the one-year fellowship. In addition, the fellow will deliver a public lecture as part of our school wide series and prepare an exhibition that culminates from the research, teaching and/or creative work conducted while in residence at the school.
Digital applications should be composed of a well-considered proposal for research/creative...

Spring 2017 Public Programs announced at the School of Architecture and Planning at UB

2017-02-23T08:58:48-05:00

Each semester the School of Architecture and Planning at UB brings leading scholars and practitioners to campus to engage public debate on critical issues in architecture and planning. The Spring 2017 lineup features designers and landscape architects take on the topic of 'playspace,' Shohei Shigematsu discusses the Albright-Knox gallery expansion , and Spanish architect Alberto Campo Baeza comes to UB as the 2017 Clarkson Chair in Architecture.

Buffalo School Public Programs - Fall 2014

2014-10-07T10:48:56-04:00

Each semester the Buffalo School brings leading scholars and practitioners to campus to engage public debate on critical issues in architecture and planning.The Buffalo School's fall 2014 public programs lineup features a symposium to reconsider the littoral Great Lakes, a colloquium on advanced architectural ceramics and Emily Talen as our 2014 Clarkson Chair in Planning.

Spring 2014 Public Programs at the Buffalo School

2014-02-01T15:01:04-05:00

The Buffalo School is pleased to announce an exciting lineup of lectures and exhibitions for its spring 2014 series of public events. Bringing leading thinkers and practitioners in architecture, planning and the design professions to Buffalo, the program engages public dialogue on critical issues in the profession today. Learn more at http://ap.buffalo.edu/events/eventsSpring2014.html

Architectural Practice in Small Towns: A Master's Thesis

2014-01-16T10:01:00-05:00

Architectural Practice in Small Towns: A Study of the Architect-Client Relationship in the Western Erie Canal Region

Contributed By: Megan Basnak, M.Arch. Thesis Student

Thesis Committee: Korydon Smith (Chair), Sue Weidemann, and Kenneth MacKay

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The architecture profession is rooted in a long-standing history of locally-based practice. As advancements in technology permitted practice to become more removed from the local focus, the field slowly left behind many settings, including small towns. Despite the fact that there are currently over 11,000 small towns in the United States, the architecture profession has focused relatively little on practice in small towns, and less yet on practice in their main street districts. Unlike most clients in the urban setting, clients in a small town may not have any previous experience working with an architect or the general construction p...

Contemporary Practices in Stairway Design: A Master's Thesis

2013-11-17T18:17:42-05:00

Contemporary Practices in Stairway Design: Behavior of Stair Users in Public Buildings

Contributed By: Karen Kim, M.Arch. Thesis Student

Thesis Committee: Dr. Edward Steinfeld and Dr. Sue Weidemann

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Safety is a top priority for building users and should be a primary goal for architects when designing public buildings. Stairway falls continue to be one of the main causes of injuries in buildings, and while research has shown that these incidents are often related to the architectural design of stairways, stair safety remains difficult in practice. This is because knowledge of stairway design and the effectiveness of stair safety standards has been limited or within the profession of architecture. As a result, architects are experimenting with innovative designs that may increase the risk of tripping, slipping and falling on stairs. Steps to closing this knowledge gap and improving stair saf...

Life, Limb, and the Pursuit of Architecture: A Master's Thesis

2013-11-10T17:59:00-05:00

This is the first in a series of posts highlighting directed research and thesis projects that are being completed by University at Buffalo Master of Architecture students.

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Life, Limb, and the Pursuit of Architecture: Using product design to positively influence post-disaster transitional housing among impoverished or displaced populations

Contributed By: Brijhette Farmer, M.Arch. Thesis Student

Thesis Committee: Korydon Smith and Edward Steinfeld

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The provision of adequate shelter is one of the most pivotal challenges after a natural disaster. Shelter designs incorporating rigor in aesthetic, economic, and functional capabilities aid users in experiencing a more holistic post-disaster recovery. While appropriate shelter ...

Behind the Award-Winning Design: The Lotus Resort Hotel

2013-10-27T10:29:30-04:00

Described by Mark Twain as “the fairest picture the whole earth affords,” Lake Tahoe served as the setting for B/a students Wei Dai and Minku Jeon’s award-winning design The Lotus Resort Hotel. Earlier this month, the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture named the Lotus Resort Hotel design the second place winner in their annual Fabric in Architecture competition. The competition asked participants to investigate the integration of fabric structures into a resort hotel while incorporating into their designs original ideas related to scope, scale, and responses to environmental conditions such as location, climate, and culture.

Inspired by nature and water’s identification as “the very essence of life,” Dai and Jeon’s design sought to connect people with the natural environment through not only the visual experience, but through a sensual connection with the body as well. Using the structure of the lily-pad as the foundation for their design, Dai and Jeon propo...

Public "Archiculture" Screening Coming to B/a+p

2013-09-19T15:25:00-04:00

What is it about the university design studio that makes both professors and students alike keep coming back for more? How can one environment elicit so much joy, frustration, and emotion from its occupants, all at the same time? B/a Graduate Student Association is proud to sponsor the screening of the all-telling documentary Archiculture. Archiculture offers an unprecedented look into the world of studio-based design education through the eyes of a group of students finishing their final design projects. Architecture and Art Magazine says Archiculture is "Architecture 101 for the general public," while Architect Magazine states, "Two designers-turned directors put the spotlight on architectural education."

The public is invited to join B/a+p students and faculty in the screening of Archiculture on Wednesday October 2, 2013 at 5:30pm in 148 Diefendorf Hall on the University at Buffalo South Campus. Admission is free and refreshments will be provided. For more information about ...

B/a Alumni Leave Mark on Inside2013 Competition

2013-09-04T20:34:51-04:00

Elevator B: An Urban Bee Habitat Image Courtesy of Inside2013

On August 20, several B/a alumni made headlines when they were announced as winners in the Inside2013 Competition organized by the creators of The Morpholio Project. B/a alumni and Elevator B team members Courtney Creenan, Kyle Mastalinski, Daniel Nead, Scott Selin, and Lisa Stern were named as the Jury Winners in the Emerging Talent: Young Professionals Category for their project Elevator B: An Urban Bee Habitat. Alumna Danielle Krug was announced as a Jury Honor Award winner in the same category for her project titled Seed Library + Ascending Urban Garden. In addition to these winners, in early August, several other alumni were named finalists in the competition including Ariel Resnick as a Future Voices Finalist for her design Material World, Kim Dai as an Emerging Talent Finalist for her design Vacuums, and Kathryn Hobert also as a Future Voice Finalist for her desi...

B/a Students, Alumni, and Faculty Featured in Morpholio Galleries

2013-08-22T14:12:20-04:00

B/a alumnus and Morpholio Design Curator Joseph Swerdlin recently curated two galleries within the PinUp section of the Morpholio app featuring the work of B/a students, alumni, and faculty. The first gallery, titled “Constructed Compositions,” features architectural photographs taken by B/a students John Brennan, Bryan Lee, and alumni Kathryn Hobert, Adam Feldman, Ariel Resnick, Vincent Ribeiro, Danielle Krug, and Kim Dai. “University at Buffalo: Recent Works,” the second gallery curated by Swerdlin, features works by B/a faculty Joyce Hwang, Michael Rogers, Georg Rafailidis+Stephanie Davidson, Nick Bruscia+Chris Romano, and B/a alumni Courtney Creenan, Kyle Mastalinski, Daniel Nead, Scott Selin, and Lisa Stern (aka the Elevator B team). The two galleries are available to view by the entire Morpholio Community through the Morpholio app.

Morpholio, designed by the New York City based startup The Morpholio Project, is an application-based, multi-disciplinary design community that...

Professor Beth Tauke Gives "TED Talk"

2013-05-14T13:00:07-04:00

Enjoy Beth Tauke, associate professor of architecture and associate dean for academic affairs in the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning, “TED Talk” from TEDxUniversityatBuffalo. Professor Tauke, winner of the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, introduces a paradigm with the human body as the most important site for design in the 21st century. Tauke discusses innovations both external and internal to the body, including medical technology, communication, and entertainment.

UB School of Architecture and Planning's 43rd Commencement

2013-05-08T09:25:09-04:00

The community is invited to the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning’s 43rd commencement on Friday, May 10, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. in the Center for the Arts Mainstage Theatre. The Commencement address and ceremony is open to the public. No tickets are required to attend.

Bill McKibben, author, educator and environmentalist, will address graduates and receive the Dean's Medal. McKibben is the author of a dozen books about the environment, beginning with The End of Nature in 1989, which is regarded as the first book for a general audience on climate change. He is a founder of the grassroots climate campaign 350.org, which has coordinated 15,000 rallies in 189 countries since 2009. Time Magazine called him 'the planet's best green journalist' and the Boston Globe said in 2010 that he was 'probably the country's most important environmentalist.' Schumann Distinguished Scholar at Middlebury College, he holds honorary degrees from a dozen colleges, including the Unive...

Master's Thesis - [INTER]ACT: Embodied Interaction in Post-Architectural Space

2013-04-17T20:59:00-04:00

[INTER]ACT: Embodied Interaction in Post-Architectural Space
Kathy Yuen
M.Arch/MFA Thesis
University at Buffalo
School of Architecture and Planning
Committee: Mark Shepard, Nick Bruscia, and Dave Pape

How can concrete, embodied interaction with digitally augmented artifacts be used to reveal the data-scape that we occupy and influence the configuration of virtual and physical space?

Today, we have grown increasingly virtually connected to each other through the expansion of internet accessibility and proliferation of social media. As a result, we—and by extension—our spaces have become increasingly digitally augmented as we constantly maintain our virtual presence, in parallel to our relationships in physical space. The interactions that take place by means of the conventional interface of the screen, keyboard, and mouse can often limit and isolate the user from the physical environment occupied as they enter cyberspace. At the same time, each interaction generates new da...

Master's Thesis - Making a Mark: Personal Customization in Suburban Housing

2013-04-10T13:29:58-04:00

Making a Mark: Personal Customization in Suburban Housing
Monica Groele
M. Arch. Thesis
University at Buffalo
School of Architecture and Planning
Committee: Dr. Korydon Smith and Dr. E. Sue Weidemann

Since the end of the Second World War, the dominant form of housing in the United States has been the single-family detached dwelling in the suburbs. Such communities have been barraged by criticism for being aesthetically homogeneous and reinforcing of “traditional” family roles, behaviors, and values. Despite outside criticism, however, many residents describe positive experiences of living in these communities. Previous studies have found that the homogeneity and simplicity of the houses allows the residents to make improvements and customizations that address their own living styles, needs, and preferences.

Building upon Jungian psychology and American studies theories, and using qualitative and quantitative methods, this thesis examines two Buffalo-area neighborh...

Master's Thesis: Drawing a _(blank)_

2013-04-08T12:15:00-04:00

Drawing a (blank)
Scott Archambault
M. Arch. Thesis
University at Buffalo
School of Architecture and Planning
Committee: Annette LeCuyer, Nicholas Bruscia, and Gregory Delaney

How can architectural representation be re-imagined to allow for ambiguity and multiple possible outcomes from a single drawing?

Architectural representation is often concerned with eliminating difference and producing a single built outcome. This eliminates the possibility of an unintended result, making the built result specific only to the drawing. If the performative nature of drawing is instead concerned with providing ambiguity to allow for productive difference, the drawing may become a generator of multiple possible outcomes. Each outcome, then, becomes more situationally specific to the builder, author, context, and drawing while creating a new understanding of authorship within architectural discourse.

...

Master's Thesis: Visual Perception through the Diffusion of Light

2013-04-01T20:44:30-04:00

This is the first in a series of posts highlighting thesis projects that are being completed by University at Buffalo Master of Architecture students.

Visual Perception through the Diffusion of Light
Timothy Ung
M. Arch. Thesis
University at Buffalo
School of Architecture and Planning
Committee: Kenneth MacKay, Beth Tauke, and Jean Lamarche

Human perception of the visual world is limited through the homogeneity of design
and the standardization of materials. After constructing a lighting apparatus made of
steel and thousands of transparent thread, a small amount of light will be directed
onto the apparatus and reflected and refracted multiple times, spreading light over
a large area. However, visual perception of the light reflecting and refracting through
the apparatus will change according to an observer’s location in relation to the
apparatus. Ultimately, the goal of this thesis is to engage one’s perception of the
visual world using properties of transparent ...

University at Buffalo Spring 2013 Public Program Series

2013-01-16T17:37:00-05:00

The University at Buffalo's School of Architecture and Planning recently announced its public program series for spring 2013. Be sure to check out all of the lectures and exhibitions that the school has planned. All events are scheduled to be held at 5:30pm in 301 Crosby Hall unless otherwise noted.

For more information and updates, please visit www.ap.buffalo.edu.

Fall 2012 Public Program Series

2012-10-31T11:04:09-04:00

Be sure to check out the remaining lectures and exhibitions in the Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning's public program series for fall 2012.

For more information, please visit www.ap.buffalo.edu

Dare to Dodge

2012-10-25T21:39:16-04:00

Don't miss out on what promises to be the competition of the year:

UB ArchGSA's Second Annual Architecture and Planning Dodgeball Tournament

Highlights from last year's "friendly" competition can be viewed at:

http://archinect.com/blog/article/40487156/dodgeball-the-sport-where-there-is-no-fourth-wall

Do You Dare to Dodge?

Elevator B: A "Buzz-Worthy" New Home for Some of Buffalo's Smallest Citizens

2012-08-02T14:01:00-04:00

On Saturday June 23, 2012, Buffalo's SiloCity was the destination for lovers of architecture and bees alike. The official opening of “Elevator B” culminated months of planning, designing, and construction for a small group of Master of Architecture students from the University at Buffalo. The hard work of design team members Courtney Creenan, Kyle Mastalinski, Daniel Nead, Scott Selin, and Lisa Stern can clearly be seen in the details of the 22 foot tall honey-comb steel structure that now calls Buffalo’s SiloCity home.

Designed in response to a design competition sponsored by Rick Smith and Rigidized Metals and curated by the University at Buffalo’s Department of Architecture’s Ecological Practices Research Group, Elevator B is an architectural response to a need to relocate a group of bees that were residing in a building in the SiloCity complex. The free-standing, 22 foot tall steel structure is constructed of standard steel angle and tube sections in a honeycomb design...

Survivalist Architecture: Dwelling on Waste (Part II)

2012-07-05T15:32:00-04:00

M. Arch Thesis - Matthieu Bain + Andrew Perkins

(Part I: http://archinect.com/blog/article/39333739/survivalist-architecture-dwelling-on-waste)

It’s said that “all good architecture leaks,” which makes the home we bought and moved into in October 2011 (for $800) something of a masterpiece.

Substantial water damage. Layers of moldy carpet atop layers of rotting wood atop mammoth-sized slugs. We sought a house that was deteriorated far beyond usual standards of comfort: one whose very deficiencies foster creative solutions. From the chaos we separate cotton from plastic, metal from paper, and glass from polyester and vinyl.

We liberate waste objects – those materials which seem to have no other destiny than decay or landfill. Abandoned houses, curbside trash mounds, vacant lots where storefronts once sat, and construction dumpsters provide an endless supply of building material. From this, we attempt to not only achieve a space that can sustain us, but one which ...

HIVE CITY Update: And the Winner Is...

2012-05-30T15:18:00-04:00

Prior to the completion of the spring semester, members of the Ecological Practices Research Group faculty at the University at Buffalo in conjunction with competition sponsor Rick Smith and Rigidized Metals announced the winning proposal for their HIVE CITY bee habitat design competition. Out of two finalist teams, a group of 3-1/2 year Master of Architecture students and their proposal entitled Bee Tower won the right to have their design fabricated and constructed on a predetermined site in Buffalo's SiloCity, which is an emerging development led by Smith that includes a vast area of land that contains three formerly-abandoned grain elevators, as well as several other historic structures. Members of the winning project team include:

Courtney Creenan, M. Arch + MUP, 2012

Kyle Mastalinski, M. Arch + MUP, 2013

Danie...

SPACE: 2012 Freshman Studio

2012-04-16T21:40:00-04:00

Contributed By: Ana Misenas, Freshman Architecture Student

During the fall semester, we (the freshman studio) developed our projects conceptually. We created space based on the relationship between the occupier and the tectonics of the structure. This (spring) semester, we worked methodically and developed/recreated a space. At first, we investigated the complexity of an architectural space and continued by generating potential designs through numerous techniques. One technique was to target a feeling that we obtained while inside the space in order to understand how particular features emit a specific feeling.

Photo By Ana Misenas

“LURID - [While] exploring, it seemed that the more grotesque and broken it got, it simultaneously became more beautiful and intriguing.”

We then created the interior space as a solid (as if it were filled with concrete) - Inspired by Rachel Whiteread.

So...

HIVE CITY: A Habitat Design Competition

2012-03-25T09:53:00-04:00

Contributed By: Megan Basnak, M.Arch Student

“The bee is more honored than other animals, not because she labors, but because she labors for others.” This quotation, stated by Saint John Chrysostom during the first century reflects the timeless appreciation that has long been held for nature’s worker species, the bee. It is this same respect and appreciation that has encouraged the Ecological Practices Research Group faculty at the University at Buffalo to organize a design competition dedicated to the design of a new home for a thriving bee colony that needs to be relocated.

The competition, sponsored by Rick Smith and Rigidized Metals asked students to design a new habitat for a bee colony that is currently located in a building in Buffalo’s SiloCity, an emerging development led by Smith, located on a vast area of land containing three formerly-abandoned grain elevators, among other historic structures. Students were asked to propose designs sited in this up-and-coming a...

Capturing Photorealism in Architectural Renders – Lighting Conditions

2012-03-09T13:11:00-05:00

Contributed By: Timothy Ung, M.Arch Student

While helping architect Kenneth S. Mackay digitize his hand-drawn project, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Buffalo, New York, I was intrigued by the proposal for a cone-shaped window to flood the space with even amounts of light. During various times of the day, light would enter from the exterior and reflect off of the rounded surface of the cone and into the space, spreading even amounts of light to the other side of the church.

With the help of a junior in the school of architecture at SUNY at Buffalo, Aaron Taube, the hand-drawn project was modeled in Rhinoceros. To analyze the lighting levels across the floor of the church, I brought the digital model into Ecotect and analyzed the daylight levels. The average daylight level in the room was 5 at approximately 30 inches off of the ground.

Ecotect Analysis showing the Daylight Factor 30 inches off of the ground

Next, I rendered the project in V-Ray without having s...

Dodgeball: The Sport Where There is No Fourth Wall

2012-03-06T15:43:23-05:00

Contributed By: Courtney Creenan, M.Arch Student

Being in architecture school is all about slaving away at your desk all day and
throughout the night, right? Although this might be the norm, the University
at Buffalo Architecture Graduate Student Association organized and hosted a
school-wide, interdepartmental dodgeball tournament February 18, 2012. The very
idea of dodgeball and being able to vent some energy generated so much
interest, some teams had to be turned away. The tournament was a series of games
between 20 teams comprised of undergraduate and graduate level architecture and urban planning students, staff, and faculty.

The tournament sought to foster more interconnectivity between classes and
programs, spur team building, and yes, get students away from their computers
to exercise for an afternoon.

Due to the great success of the event, the GSA sees this as an event
to keep in their regular line-up of activities that occur throughout the semester...

Building Matters: An Investigation into the Use of Permanent Formwork

2012-02-27T19:08:00-05:00

Contributed By: Allison Adderley, M.Arch Student

In conjunction with Faculty Members Christopher Romano and Jean LaMarche

Formwork has often been defined as a temporary building element, typically neglected and rarely interpreted by architects as anything more than a byproduct of construction. However, by reconceptualizing its role as a permanent building component, its construction performance now can be evaluated in parallel with its architectural function. This research reinterprets standard casting conventions as a means of rethinking design parameters, one that considers form and formwork during and after construction as equals in terms of architectural significance.

The separation of the act of construction from the way in which we experience architecture has resulted in a detachment from the fundamental connection to the human act of making. At some point, a division was created, one that drew a line between architect as “thinker” and the builder as “maker.” Se...

Survivalist Architecture: Dwelling on Waste

2012-02-25T15:48:00-05:00

Contributed By: Matthieu Bain and Andrew Perkins

Master of Architecture Thesis

How can the remains of a declining city be harvested and utilized to resuscitate space and sustain life?

In October, we purchased a house from the Buffalo Foreclosure auction for $800 and moved in almost immediately amongst the clutter and without running water, electricity, or heat. The project since has been about how to survive on the remains of this declining city, hence the appropriate title: Dwelling on Waste. We’ve had to address a number of basic concerns: heat, water, security, cooking...only using the discards and forgotten items of the people around us. As the weather warms and as we nail down main structural/leakage/comfort problems, these scavenged materials will begin to lend themselves to more generous spaces and applications. The following covers the events that led up to this, the beginning of our story...

How can the remains of a declining city be harvested and util...

Archinect - Student Life at the University at Buffalo's School of Architecture and Planning

Call for Proposals: 2018-19 Peter Reyner Banham Fellow

2017 - 2018 Peter Reyner Banham Fellowship announced!

Spring 2017 Public Programs announced at the School of Architecture and Planning at UB

Buffalo School Public Programs - Fall 2014

Spring 2014 Public Programs at the Buffalo School

Architectural Practice in Small Towns: A Master's Thesis

Contemporary Practices in Stairway Design: A Master's Thesis

Life, Limb, and the Pursuit of Architecture: A Master's Thesis

Behind the Award-Winning Design: The Lotus Resort Hotel

Public "Archiculture" Screening Coming to B/a+p

B/a Alumni Leave Mark on Inside2013 Competition

B/a Students, Alumni, and Faculty Featured in Morpholio Galleries

Professor Beth Tauke Gives "TED Talk"

UB School of Architecture and Planning's 43rd Commencement

Master's Thesis - [INTER]ACT: Embodied Interaction in Post-Architectural Space

Master's Thesis - Making a Mark: Personal Customization in Suburban Housing

Master's Thesis: Drawing a ___(blank)___

Master's Thesis: Visual Perception through the Diffusion of Light

University at Buffalo Spring 2013 Public Program Series

Fall 2012 Public Program Series

Dare to Dodge

Elevator B: A "Buzz-Worthy" New Home for Some of Buffalo's Smallest Citizens

Survivalist Architecture: Dwelling on Waste (Part II)

HIVE CITY Update: And the Winner Is...

SPACE: 2012 Freshman Studio

HIVE CITY: A Habitat Design Competition

Capturing Photorealism in Architectural Renders – Lighting Conditions

Dodgeball: The Sport Where There is No Fourth Wall

Building Matters: An Investigation into the Use of Permanent Formwork

Survivalist Architecture: Dwelling on Waste

Master's Thesis: Drawing a _(blank)_