Date of Award
Spring 5-22-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Design (MDes) in Interior Studies / Adaptive Reuse
Department
Interior Architecture
First Advisor
Leeland Mcphail
Second Advisor
Sara Ossana
Third Advisor
Markus Berger
Abstract
Cities like Singapore, Mumbai, Karachi, and regions of Ghana experience persistently hot and humid climates. In these regions, humidity in built environments significantly affects both human comfort and the durability of building materials. Yet traditional mechanical dehumidification strategies are energy-intensive, environmentally taxing, and socially uneven in their accessibility. We must challenge the existing systems for thermal comfort, the inefficient role Architecture plays in it, and the socio-economic politics associated with thermal comfort in developing countries.
Karachi, a coastal city in the south of Pakistan, has extremely high relative humidity and high temperatures throughout most of the year. In this region, contemporary architecture does not respond to the climate, instead, it creates suffocating conditions inside built environments. In response, I investigate the use of waste plant fibers along with other materials such as lime, clay and bio-char to make hygroscopic bio-composites for passive dehumidification. Through extensive material experimentation, several bio-composite samples were created and tested for various properties, culminating in a catalogue of architectural and interior applications. These low-energy, hygroscopic bio-composites can be deployed to modulate humidity in built environments and set a precedent for other regions experiencing similar conditions and challenges.
Recommended Citation
Urooj, Nawal and Urooj, Nawal, "Breathing Structures: Hygroscopicity of fibers." (2026). Masters Theses. 1610.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/1610
Creative Commons License
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