Thesis Proposal
Plan to complete final senior Thesis by April 5, 2005. Updated December 9, 2005.
DEPTH WORK - Redesign of Signal Hill Professional Center in Concrete
Where height restrictions in nearby Washington dictate that most new office buildings and residences use concrete structural systems to reduce floor section depth, most suburban office buildings in the area are concrete rather than steel. Therefore, through a re-design of the composite steel structure using the flat-plate system common for the area, this should reveal which structural system is most appropriate for the given design condition.
BREADTH WORK 1 - Addition of a Green Roof
Given the population explosion of the metropolitan Washington area, it is important to ensure that building designs are sustainable, with a smaller ecological footprint and more livable areas. Therefore, the implementation of a green roof system on the already flat roof should ease thermal loads, reduce runoff, and add an extra and unique space to building occupants.
BREADTH WORK 2 - Constructability Analysis
By using information provided by local professionals and tabulated cost data, material takeoffs for both the steel and concrete systems will provide an indication of economy of each material and construction duration. By ignoring pressures from local construction practices, this should give a clearer indication of which system is best suited to the given design problem.