by Anthony Catsimatides | Apr 8, 2020 | Publishings
This study was conducted under a grant provided by the Syracuse Center of Excellence in 2014 and primarily researched and put together by a bright young Syracuse University Student by the name of Dominic Lipuma. The premise of this research work was to identify key features of a learning environment that could reflect key elements of the STEM environment that in themselves can serve to promote the benefits of STEM in environmentally sustainable applications.
The results of the study can be viewed in the below publication, Sustainable Measures in the STEM Learning Environment.
The study established a baseline for the study of Higher Education Environments using “Green” technology and sustainable practices in support of STEM learning in order to increase student engagement and retention in STEM fields. It also established sustainable practices that are most appropriate and provide the greatest impact in terms of fostering student participation, interaction, and retention.
by Anthony Catsimatides | Apr 13, 2020 | Publishings
Although our current state of affairs requires terms such as sustainable, green and environmentally conscious design when it comes to just about everything from kitchen sinks to city planning, it’s really all about post industrial concerns that causes us to evoke a need for categorically establishing such overarching themes that address our own faulty behavior in product and consumer development. Architecture follows suite in establishing considerable new programs both on private and public levels to attempt to address and correct these faults of the human condition. I put this presentation together in 2007 while attending Syracuse University School of Architecture Master’s program. A Brief History of Sustainable Building Design Presentation Follows.
by Anthony Catsimatides | Mar 5, 2020 | Publishings
I wrote this article on mass timber technology in December of 2019, explaining what mass timber is and why it matters to us. As a relatively recent trend in the United States, both in new construction and large commercial project expansions, it has captured the attention of sustainable and green movers by storm because of the many touted features of green and sustainable potential of wood.
by Anthony Catsimatides | Apr 16, 2020 | Publishings
As part of our interest in re purposing structures that might have outlived their originally intended usefulness, this research project looked at upgrading an old parking garage to be able to serve multiple purposes, such as garden and garage or garden and retail potential given the nature of the relationship between the original structure and the neighborhood it is located in. The final project took the shape of a reshaping of the structure to enhance the environmental conditions of the immediate surroundings. The results showed that even a bare concrete structure has much potential when greening measures are incorporated into the overall strategy of an existing building. See the results of the research on “Living Wall” here.
by Anthony Catsimatides | Jul 16, 2023 | Blog, Publishings
An Architectural Primer for selecting and architect and designing your Home
This selection of articles was originally from a series I wrote while living in the San Francisco Bay Area around 2002 and subsequently updated. There may still be a few things in there that are dated, however overall, the idea of working with Architects has pretty much been unchanged for some time and should continue to be relevant. The series of articles was written for those who want to understand the process involved in hiring and working with an architect to help them expand, remodel or design a new house. There are many things to think about when considering a residential project. These articles attempt to answer some basic questions and provide a glimpse into the realm of what it means to work with an architect and a a general contractor and provide some tips on a project’s design development process.
Although much of this may seem obvious, not many people know exactly what architects do and what value they can bring to a project. Most people never come into contact with architects and rarely think about where their built environment comes from. The following series of articles will discuss in the simplest terms what architects do and what value they might bring to projects.
