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DFT Modelling of MXene Edges for Hydrogen Catalysis
No full textThe transition to renewable energy has increased demand for low-cost green hydrogen. Seawater electrolysis is promising, but costs remain high due to expensive platinum catalysts. MXenes, a new family of 2D transition metal carbides, could provide a cheaper and equally effective alternative, through highly active edge sites. Using density functional theory, this project computationally evaluated MXenes with varying compositions and terminations, computing ΔG for the adsorption of hydrogen, d-band centers, work functions, and Bader charges, identifying promising catalysts such as Ti₃C₂O₂ with ΔG ≈ 0, and showcasing trends across metals, layers, terminations, and adsorption sites
Examining Venetian Altars and their Ecclesiastical History
No full textOur Sponsor, the Venice Project Center, aimed to close the gap in public knowledge on the churches and altars within Venice and the Lagoon. We documented many churches and altars within Venice, and created a comprehensive repository of all the collected information. We visited 135 churches and recorded 518 altars throughout the city. We used ArcGIS and its Survey123 application to record data, including geolocation, patronage, iconography, and altar damage. We discovered that a majority of altars were dedicated to a saint. Many other altars also had damage. We found that while a small percentage had documented patronage, most patronage information is missing. We also found a severe lack of security within these churches, despite many churches being in possession of priceless artifacts
Qualifications & Proposal for PDB Airport Expansion
No full textThis Major Qualifying Project documents the participation of a five-person student team in the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) Student Competition. Challenged with a fictitious airport expansion, the team assumed a professional joint venture identity and utilized multidisciplinary collaboration to develop design solutions, cost estimates, schedules, and management plans in line with DBIA best practices. This experience strengthened the team’s technical, organizational, and communications skills by highlighting their ability to work as an interdisciplinary team and deliver cohesive, all-encompassing proposals
Webhooks-as-a-Service
No full textThis project focuses on the continued development of 7Factor's Webhooks-as-a-Service (WaaS) platform, an internal tool for enabling automation and real-time communication between client applications. After reviewing the codebase, we identified significant issues, including disorganization, outdated documentation, and critical bugs. We made a strategic decision to re-architect and rewrite the application to ensure a robust, future-proof solution. This approach emphasizes a streamlined, object-oriented design simplifying the technology stack, while preserving the existing business logic, API design, and core AWS components with architectural changes. The resulting platform will allow 7Factor to support its clients more efficiently and accelerate the implementation of new features
Kikuhama: A Neighborhood in Transition
No full textTourism is a major economic player in Kyoto, with rapid growth driving noticeable changes throughout the city. Our project focuses on the neighborhood of Kikuhama, where we examined how tourism shapes the neighborhood through shifts in the housing market, architecture, businesses, and cultural identity. To do this, we built a detailed map of the neighborhood using ArcGIS software and labeled several fields for each building (lot type, building type, business type, etc.). This allowed us to assess the Kikuhama’s current condition, and we compared our findings to prior student's research from the neighborhood. This revealed that while Kikuhama continues to serve its residents, there is a slow, but notable shift towards a more tourist facing neighborhoo
Upper-Story Adaptive Reuse for Housing in Downtown Nantucket
No full textThe Nantucket Housing Department (NHD) seeks to address the island’s affordable housing crisis. The goal of this project was to identify underutilized upper-story commercial space in downtown Nantucket and explore opportunities for conversion into affordable year-round housing. We created an inventory and maps of current upper-story use, interviewed stakeholders, and identified opportunities and barriers to conversion. We found most second-story spaces are fully utilized and that many stakeholders were concerned about the costs and lost revenue from conversion. We recommend that the NHD seek ways to alleviate financial impacts, explore the conversion of downtown short-term rentals into year-round housing, and focus future research on third stories downtown and other areas of the island
Enhancing Communication in Interior Design Delivery
No full textThe project goal is to develop a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for internal communication within JOOY Design and external communication with clients. Inconsistent communication practices between the company and its clients lead to misaligned project expectations and inefficient handoffs. This SOP aims to reduce misunderstandings and help employees throughout the client journey. It includes protocols for inquiry intake, documentation, client follow-up, and other information for new hires to integrate into the firm. Our methodology includes analysis of existing SOPs and workflows, sponsor and expert interviews, and company operations. Our deliverables include a detailed SOP for design and client communication, and a visual workflow diagram to portray the SOPs in a comprehensive format
Parents and Friends Newsletter, C-term 2024-25
No full textEmail newsletter showcasing research at WP