Brandeis Design and Innovation

Modeling Shade Structures in Waltham

FA 23B Architectural Drawing and Digital Design collaborated with BDI in Fall 2025.

Students proposed models and locations for shade structures in Waltham.

Professor Katie Colford describes the project:

We worked with the Digital Scholarship Lab and the MakerLab in service of a project called “Shaping Shade” to design shade structures for City of Waltham. Shade structures are an important design solution for mitigating climate-driven heat in cities, serving those who are most affected by extreme heat. With the Digital Scholarship Lab, Dr. Natalie Susmann guided the students through a suitability study using GIS to first identify ideal sites for shade structures with an eye toward environmental justice. Upon selecting three such sites, students worked in groups to create 3D-models of the topography and buildings on their site using the software Rhinoceros to understand the surrounding context. Greg Buckland (Head of the MakerLab) supported each group to 3D-print their site model to scale. The students’ individual shade structure design models slotted into the scale site models for their final presentation to the city’s Planning Department, illustrating their research and design work in a tangible, compelling format and inspiring future real-world projects of this kind. 

Brandeis community members can explore the suitability model here. 

Greg Buckland (Head of the MakerLab) teaches students about the production process in the MakerLab. Working with Greg, students learned how to 3D topography and various avenues for producing their shade structure models.

Dr. Natalie Susmann (Head of the Digital Scholarship Lab) worked with Katie Colford to create a list of factors dictating where ideal shade structures should be placed. They considered scenarios like commuter distance, rented vs owned housing, number of cars owned by residents, etc. These factors were weighted using ArcGIS Pro, and the resultant suitability model helped students choose locations to build shade structures.

Greg Buckland (Head of the MakerLab) tested the production process using topographic data near the Waltham Commuter Rail stop, and some theoretical buildings.

Greg Buckland (Head of the MakerLab) tested the production process using topographic data near the Waltham Commuter Rail stop, and some theoretical buildings.

Students' final projects displayed their shade structure on an actual location in Waltham, showing topography. Shared with Katie Colford's permission.