ARCH450/ARCH460— Architecture Capstone
Marywood University, School of Architecture, Undergraduate Studio (5th year)
This capstone studio challenges students to pursue an architectural project of their own making. Beginning with a topic, condition, or concern that matters to them, students develop a position through phases of site research, narrative construction, and building and system design.
Rather than beginning with a predetermined problem or solution, the studio asks students to identify what is at stake, construct an argument, and use architectural design to explore its possibilities and consequences.
Students develop their projects—largely sited in Chicago as a recommended urban condition—throughout the fall and spring semesters.
The curriculum and schedule was set by coordinator Dr. Miguel Calvo-Salve, and another section was taught by Dr. Liyang Ding.
Fall 2025/Spring 2026 Students:
Angelina Cardin, Collin Dougherty, Emily Festa, Jade Clarke, Liam Housely, Maritza Loja, Michael Cassandra, Nickolas Curtis, Preston Davison, Riley Kennedy, Riley Steinbugl, Rweza Rugabandana
The Stroll
Youth & Community Center
Chicago, IL
Collin Dougherty
Located in Bronzeville, this youth center was designed to create a safe and welcoming space for children, teenagers, and families within the community. More than just a recreational building, the project acts as a community hub where young people can gather, learn, play, and build relationships in an environment connected to the neighborhood around it. The design encourages both structured activities and informal social interaction, supporting a wide range of experiences throughout the day.
A major concept behind the project is the contrast between organized and free movement. Spaces such as the gymnasium and interior program areas support structured activities like sports, tutoring, mentoring, and community events, while the outdoor sunken play area encourages creativity, exploration, and spontaneous play. This relationship between structure and freedom became a key driver in shaping the building and site design.
Outdoor gathering spaces, seating, and landscaping blur the boundary between the sidewalk and the building, strengthening the connection to the public realm. Accessibility and universal design principles were also central to the project, ensuring the building is welcoming and easy to navigate for people of all ages and abilities.
STRATA:
Hub for Health, Beauty and Wellness
Mixed-Use Development
Chicago, IL
Riley Kennedy
The site sits along Chicago’s riverfront, at the edge of a larger public park. The STRATA is conceived as a holistic hub for health, beauty and wellness, designed to serve the highly populated River North community with accessibility and intention. Strata: layers of material formed over time, shaped by accumulation and change; a system of stacked mass and carved space that reveals movement and connection. At the heart of the design is a continuous earth ramp that moves through the core of the building, physically and symbolically connecting people to the land. The ramp mimics the fluid movement of the river, creating a gentle, uninterrupted journey that guides patients and visitors through the space while offering moments of relief–especially meaningful for those extended hours in infusion treatment. The integration of public-facing amenities reinforces a sense of normalcy and dignity.
Reclaim Salon provides hair and self-care services for both the public and patients undergoing chemotherapy, while Nourish offers nourishing meals accessible to the neighborhood as well as those within the infusion suite. Together, these elements transform the building from a purely clinical setting into a connected, restorative environment that supports healing in both physical and emotional ways.
Paws & Claws
Animal Shelter
Chicago, IL
Angelina Cardin
The Paws & Claws animal shelter in Chicago is conceived as a civic anchor that merges community engagement with animal care through a deliberate architectural language of transparency, openness, and circulation. The building keeps the animal housing space along the exterior of the building which keeps a visual connection to the dogs and cats, reinforcing their presence rather than concealing it. Programmatic elements—adoption areas, play room, and volunteer spaces—are interwoven within this space.
The design prioritizes both physical and psychological safety, with acoustically controlled enclosures and daylit, home-like habitats that reduce stress for the animals while maintaining visibility to the public realm. Through its spatial clarity the building operates not only as a shelter, but as an active interface between people and animals, strengthening community bonds while promoting adoption through continuous visual and spatial engagement.