ARCHITECTURAL THESIS

ARCHITECTURAL THESIS

ARCHITECTURAL THESIS
AASTU
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
ARCHITECTURAL THESIS RESEARCH
ARCHITECTURAL THESIS

ABEL GETACHEW
ETS OO27/13
SECTION - A
ACADEMIC YEAR - 2024/25 G.C
SEMESTER - I
COURSE INSTRUCTOR - AR. MESFIN ALEMU
NOV /24- ADDIS ABABA
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENTS PAGE NUMBER

1. BACKGROUND 1
2. PROBLEM STATEMENT 2
3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS 2
4. OBJECTIVES 2
5. THE RESEARCH METHODS 3
6. SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE 3
RESEARCH
7. RELEVANCE OF THE RESEARCH 3
/SIGNIFICANCE
8. ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS 4
REPORT
9. BUDGET AND TIME PLAN 4
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BACKGROUND

Afincho Ber to Semen Hotel Street refers to the sub avenue running for approximately 800 meters,
joining the Republic of Botswana to the street of Senegal. It cuts across the boundary between the
old districts of Afincho Ber and Semen Hotel.

Afincho Ber is named after the sixth gate in the old royal palace, now Addis Ababa University Sidist
Kilo Campus. The naming of this gate by then Emperor Haile Selassie came for a royal guard with a
relatively short nose. The gate is used mainly by palace staffs and has been out of function since the
conversion of the palace into a university.

Anchoring the other end of the street stands Semen Hotel, one of the oldest hotels in town. It
passes through many key landmarks to this hotel, including the Afincho Ber Park, Ethio-Korean Me-
morial Park, Afincho Ber Sport Center, and Afincho Ber Health Center.

Grown as I have been around this street, its character is not new to me. Though it gives a shortcut
to Addis Gebeya and connects Mercato from Sidist Kilo, it is grossly underutilized.

Curiously, much of the street front is lined with towering retaining walls, as high as eight meters in
some places. Added to the absolute waste of space provided by the currently dormant Ethio-Kore-
an Memorial Park, the street has all the signs of a forgotten place. Other than a couple of streetside
shops and offices in a limited stretch from the main park entrance, the zoning on this street is highly
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irregular, with residential and commercial properties standing next to each other.

This street is roughly 800 meters in length, with roughly half showing literally no activity whatsoever.
Sanitation and hygiene are at a minimum, sewage lines bursting above the ground, and homeless
shelters lining this street. It is rather disconcerting knowing this street lies parallel to much of the
major business districts and so much potential it has.

This is a very unsafe street, especially during late hours of the day, because of its inactivity. But with
the slew of redevelopment tasks moving on in neighboring streets such as Ras Mekonnen Deldey,
this avenue has tremendous potential to become an active hotbed of activity.

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Afincho Ber-Semen Hotel Street is one of the main secondary streets in Addis
STATEMENT OF
Ababa city, bearing all the complex urban challenges and problems that keep it
THE PROBLEM

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from turning into a dynamic, inclusive public place. The condition of the street,
basically marked by spatial disorganization, infrastructure decay, and social
neglect, needs comprehensive urban design and architectural intervention. Tall
retaining walls add to the sight of the street, alongside the presence of inactive
public areas and disorganized zoning. Moreover, the overall lack of simple sanitary
and light fixtures raises many questions about safety-for both the residents and
the tourists. While proximity to large business areas and historical landmarks
dictates the opportunity for rehabilitation, it is in need of a strategic approach in
order to get the roots and unlock the full potential.

Spatial Organization and Urban Form

RESEARCH
QUESTION ▪ How might the street's current spatial organization be redesigned to bestow

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on it an intensified degree of coherence and legibility in urban form?
▪ What is the potential for improving street links to adjacent neighborhoods and
major destinations through interventions in urban design?
Infrastructure and Public Realm
▪ What kind of provisions will there be for improved infrastructure, which should
at least include footpaths, street lighting, and drainage?
▪ How do the public open spaces within the precinct of Ethio-Korean Memorial
Park revive the street with character and attractiveness?
Social and Economic Revitalization
▪ How could this sort of targeted intervention, involving local business support and attracting new
investment, unlock the economic potential of this street?
▪ What are some of the ways through which social problems such as homelessness and crime
could be reduced to improve the standard of living for the citizens?
Historical and Cultural Heritage
▪ How does this street provide safeguards and celebrate its historical and cultural value through
architectural and urban design interventions?
▪ The potential contribution of heritage conservation to tourist attraction and economic stimulation

Main Aim
OBJECTIVE Develop an integrated urban streetside design and architectural intervention plan for

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Afincho Ber to Semen Hotel Street, which shall develop a vision for the rehabilitation
of the urban fabric of this street, upgrading the public realm to contribute to the good
life quality of its residents and visitors.
Specific Objectives
Assess the current situation
▪ Describe in detail physical, social, and economic conditions at this street.
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▪ Identify key areas of concern and development.

Identify the design vision
▪ With this in mind, provide a vision for the future of the street that would make it a vibrant, inclusive
public space.
▪ Explain appropriate guides and principles of design to enable informed design.
Propose Urban Design Interventions:
▪ Propose strategies for improving the street's spatial organization, connectivity, and pedestrian
experience.
▪ Provide public space interventions to increase the quality of parks, plazas, and street furniture.
Architectural Design Proposals Development

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Quantitative Methods
RESEARCH
Field Studies
METHOD

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▪ Purpose: To gather primary data from the street in terms of building height,
width of the street, and condition of the sidewalks.
▪ Procedure: To be carried out through systematic observation and measurement
using surveying equipment and data collection sheets.

Traffic count and analysis

▪ Purpose: To gauge existing traffic flow and identify congestion bottlenecks.
▪ Methodology: These are counts of flow relating to types of vehicle, volumes,
and peak flow hours recorded at key intersections.
Qualitative Approaches
Document Analysis
▪ This shall be done in appreciation of the street's historical value and setting, along with reviewing
the available planning documents and legislation.
▪ Approach: The base of this work is the critical analysis of historical maps, photographs, and archival
documents; relevant urban planning documents.

Scope
SCOPE AND
It will cover the street and areas within a 50 meters radius of the neighborhood as
LIMITATIONS

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such. It focuses on the best developing of the streetside environment through the
use of the improvement of space in zoning, providing access to public toilets.

Limitations
There maybe some limitations by the fact that other neighboring homesteads are
being demolished and some of the informants may be reluctant to give out infor-
mation on the basis that this may reach their homesteads. Bureaucratic processes
of getting this data from authorities and other stakeholders may also pose a chal-
lenge.

RELEVANCE OF
Revitalization of Afincho Ber to Semen Hotel Street is one of the most critical urban

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THE RESEARCH
developments of Addis Ababa. Today, the important secondary street has fallen
victim to neglect, disintegration of space, and decaying infrastructure. The pre-
sented work showcases a comprehensive approach toward urban design and
architectural intervention that might reshape this street into an active, inclusive,
sustainable public open space.
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Key objectives include the improvement of street spatial organization, amenities of the public realm,
and community interaction. In the light of the above, the design should focus on pedestrian-first,
greening, and sustainable infrastructure strategies that improve livability and equity in the urban
habitat. This study calls for innovative modes of conservation that could allow the street to handle the
contemporary needs of the city with no loss of historical and cultural identity. This could someday be
the yardstick for urban regeneration in Addis Ababa, if it is so hoped, triggering similar works
throughout the city in the journey to a more sustainable and resilient future.

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Introduction
ORGANIZATION Background: The following section explores the historical and urban insight of

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OF THE REPORT
Afincho Ber to Semen Hotel Street.
Literature Review
▪ Theoretical Underpinning: Discussion of relevant theories and concepts on
Street design, public space, and heritage conservation.
▪ Case Studies: Similar urban revitalization projects have been examined, includ-
ing their resulting characteristics.
▪ Conceptual Framework: The theoretical and empirical findings are then synthe-
sized into a conceptual framework, wherein guidance may be sought for the
research.
Methodology
▪ Research Design: A description of the general research design; the research methods chosen to
be applied.
▪ Data collection instrumentations: The different instruments to be adopted in data collection will
be explained, including questionnaires, interviews, observation, and document analysis.
▪ Data Analysis Methods: Explanation of the methods that have been followed for the data analysis:
statistical analysis, thematic analysis, and GIS analysis.
Results and Findings
▪ Prevailing condition analysis: Presentation of the findings obtained by analyzing the prevailing
physical, social, and economic conditions of the street.
▪ Identification of Major Issues and Opportunities: Discussion of major challenges with possible
solutions.
▪ Design Proposals: Critical presentation of the proposed urban design and architectural interven-
tion.
▪ Design Evaluation: Assess the viability of the proposed designs through issues of sustainability
and their social impact.
Discussion and Conclusion
▪ Interpretation of Results: Discuss what the results of the research mean.
▪ Conclusion: Summary of the key findings and restating the contributions of the research.
References
▪ A complete list of sources used.
Appendices
▪ Supplementary material. Include any maps, diagrams, photographs, and raw data.

Task Duration (Days)Budget Allocation (ETB)

BUDGET AND Phase 1: Literature Review

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TIME-PLAN * Identify relevant literature 3 0
* Critically analyze literature 5 0
Phase 2: Research Design
* Develop research questions and hypotheses 5 0
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* Design research methodology 3 0

Phase 3: Data Collection
* Conduct field surveys 4 800
* Collect secondary data 4 800
Phase 4: Data Analysis
* Data cleaning and organization 2 0
* Data analysis and interpretation 6 0
Phase 5: Report Writing
* Draft the report 4 0
* Edit and revise the report 4 0
Phase 6: Thesis Submission and Defense
* Finalize the thesis 2 0
* Submit the thesis 1 0
43 1600

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