• Rammed Earth: A Viable Solution for the Development of Affordable and Sustainable Housing
As housing costs across the U.S continue to rise, many older adults lack access to adequate and affordable housing. In response to this federal crisis, The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) seeks to expand subsidized housing in the Section 202 and Section 811 programs for low-income older adults. HUD should invest in structurally safe, economically, and environmentally beneficial construction materials to address the intensifying housing shortage. This paper analyzes rammed earth as a safe, cost-effective, and sustainable construction material that could address the intensifying housing shortage while reducing environmental impact.
Through interviews with construction managers, green building policymakers, and academic experts, this research evaluates rammed earth’s thermal efficiency, long-term cost benefits, and ecological advantages compared to conventional materials like concrete. Findings suggest that HUD should invest in prototypal rammed earth houses to determine optimal geographic regions for implementation while addressing gaps in safety regulations and construction protocols.
Accompanying this paper is a conceptual floorpan for a two-story housing development constructed from rammed earth, designed specifically for older adults in rural or suburban setting. Based on survey responses from older Americans collected through Shepherd's Centers of America, a non-profit organization supporting aging populations across 18 states, the design integrated accessibility features such as wide hallways, wheelchair accommodations, grab bars for safety, adequate lighting, garden spaces, and opportunities for social interaction.
Presented to EPA leads, HUD representatives, faculty members, and peers at my high school, this paper demonstrates my ability to combine academic research with actionable solutions that address pressing societal challenges while promoting sustainability.
Individual Study, The Chapin School
Year
2021-2022
Brazil's mining industry--a legacy of colonization--is responsible for approximately 5 percent of the national GDP and provides over 180,000 jobs for the country’s developing economy. The mining industry poses significant socio-environmental harms, however, and is extremely dangerous in terms of mining-induced disasters. This research examines systemic failures in natural resource management at the river basin level, focusing on two catastrophic tailings dam collapses: Mariana (2015) and Brumadinho (2019), which collectively claimed nearly 300 lives and destroyed entire communities.
Through an interdisciplinary analysis of neoliberal policies, corporate privatization, and environmental governance, this paper analyzes the Brazilian government’s failures to effectively manage natural resource extractions at the river basin level, which was ultimately exacerbated by state actors committed to deregulating neoliberal policy. The analysis will further provide insight into how transnational corporations have established corporate hegemony in Brazil through the exploitation of weak governmental jurisdiction.
The findings underscore an urgent need for social actors to mobilize counter-hegemonic efforts aimed at achieving environmental and social justice in the aftermath of the Mariana and Brumadinho catastrophes. By analyzing these systemic barriers, the research contributes to ongoing discussions about sustainable resource management and equitable development in Brazil. In affiliation with the Geotechnical and Environmental Research Group, I had the opportunity to analyze tailings dam particles from Brazil and Portugal to assist in the investigation of stability risks for environmental hazard mitigation strategy.
• Analyzing Neoliberal Policies in Brazil's Mining Sector
Pembroke College Summer Programme, University of Cambridge
Year
Summer, 2024
• Circular Economy Principles for Urban Regeneration"
This paper explores the feasibility of adopting circular economy (CE) principles as a transformative framework for urban regeneration, focusing on integrating sustainable waste management systems into mixed-use neighborhoods. By addressing systemic challenges such as urban waste, environmental injustice, and community exclusion, this research proposes planning strategies to create safer, more resilient, and greener cities.
Through case studies of global CE initiatives—including Amsterdam’s circularity goals and Stockholm’s climate-positive strategies—this paper evaluates how innovative policies can reduce waste, promote resource efficiency, and foster inclusive urban development. It also critiques potential risks such as gentrification and greenwashing while advocating for bottom-up approaches that prioritize marginalized communities most affected by climate change. By bridging theory with actionable solutions, the findings contribute to ongoing discussions about how cities can transition toward regenerative economies in response to intensifying climate challenges.
Pembroke College Summer Programme, University of Cambridge
Year
Summer, 2024
• Analyzing Low Engagement in Solar Subsidy Campaigns in Pacoima, Los Angeles
This research investigates low engagement in subsidized solar installation campaigns in Pacoima, Los Angeles—a working-class Latinx community disproportionately impacted by climate injustice. Through data analysis and qualitative interviews, I examined systemic barriers such as income inequality, housing displacement concerns, and government distrust that hinder solar adoption. These findings illuminate how structural inequities perpetuate environmental and energy disparities in historically marginalized communities.
In collaboration with GRID LA and local stakeholders, I analyzed household-level data to identify key obstacles to solar participation, including poor roof conditions, language barriers, and apprehensions about government scrutiny due to unpermitted housing units. My work highlights the intersection of environmental justice and policy reform, offering data-driven recommendations to make renewable energy programs more inclusive and effective. By uncovering the root causes of solar inaccessibility in Pacoima, I aim to contribute to a future where sustainable energy is accessible to all, regardless of socioeconomic status. The final project was presented at the 2024 UCLA Undergraduate Research & Creativity showcase: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeCqZU9DEYU
Undergraduate Research Scholar (URSP and Sustainable LA Grand Challenge)
Year
2023-2024
• Biophilic Strategies in UCLA Courtside Housing
Biophilic attributes have become increasingly integrated in design approaches to architecture, embodying the "urge to affiliate with other forms of life” with hopes of increasing human productivity, physiological, and psychological health through contact with nature. At UCLA, Courtside houses hundreds of mostly freshmen and sophomores–and it was where I lived during my freshman year. This residential complex, dubbed the 'retirement home' by UCLA students, is located on the very periphery of The Hill in Sunset Village, and is known for being very quiet.
By reimagining Courtside through biophilic design principles, UCLA has the opportunity to transform a space that previously undermined student well-being into an environment that nurtures creativity, fosters community, and supports the holistic development of its diverse student body. The proposed changes in this paper - from integrating more natural elements and improving lighting to redesigning communal spaces - have the potential to significantly enhance student experiences, mental health, and academic performance in manners both feasible and cost-effective.
Introduction to Sustainable Architecture and Community Planning Course (CM 153) @ UCLA
Year
2025
• Maus Visual Studies Paper: Postmemory and Cultural Identity
Maus Books I and II are a duology, graphic memoir series written and illustrated by American cartoonist Art Spielgman that memorializes his father Vladek’s experiences as a Polish Jew during the Holocaust. The story shifts between Art interviewing his father in 1972 about his experiences as a Polish Jew, and his imaginative visual interpretation of Vladek’s life throughout the Holocaust. Literary critic Marianne Hirsch’s concept of “postmemory”—the relationship of the second generation to traumatic events that occurred before their birth but are deeply transmitted to them—frames the analysis. In Maus, Vladek’s identity is shaped and displaced by the trauma of the Holocaust and the loss of his “worlds” before and during the war. This paper investigates how Spiegelman’s blending of allegory and realism explores the transmission of trauma, showing how postmemory can fuel cycles of identity erasure and complicate generational relationships, particularly between father and son.
Political Violence in the Modern World: Cases, and Consequences (Cluster 48) @ UCLA
Year
2023