The Free State Arts Studios (Svomas) was an initiative for arts and design education in Russia during the years after the revolutions of 1917. The revolutionary government closed long standing schools, temporarily, then renewed them with Svomas—a program with free tuition, open admissions, and a philosophy of freedom. Svomas only lasted for two years but was a vast effort, with one branch in Petrograd, two in Moscow, one in Vitebsk, and elsewhere in regional cities. The program was among the first to teach new modern art movements on a large scale, and to integrate them withdesign and architecture. While painting courses were the most numerous, architecture was taught, and many artists had important architectural ideas that would influence developments in international architecture of the 20th century. The dissertation covers the historical progression of Svomas. It gives an idea of how the school system was created, what it was, then what happened after it ended. Five main sections show something of what the avant-garde was doing during Svomas, they highlight: two faculty led studios, a research group, and two student groups. These sections conclude with teaching philosophies derived from analyzing written statements and the work. There are appended documents to show the thinking of the school, as well as appended imagery to show what they were doing and making.

The aim of this research study is to develop a passive architectural design morphology, tuned to the Sonoran Desert, which redefines Desert Modernism and integrates: (a) mitigation of heat transfer through the exterior envelope, and (b) use of daylight to inform appropriate architectural massing. The research investigation was delimited to mid-nineteenth century European modernist examples, and ends with mid-twentieth century modern architecture in the southwestern United States as viewed through the lens of environmental design. The specific focus was on Desert Modernism, a quasi-architectural movement, which purportedly had its beginnings in 1923 with the Coachella Valley, Popinoe Desert Cabin.

A mixed-method research strategy comprised of interpretive-historical research, virtual simulation/modeling analysis and logical argumentation is used. Succinct discussions on desert vernacular design, Modernism’s global propagation, and the International Style reinterpretations were illustrated to introduce the possibility of a relationship between Modernism and the vernacular. A directed examination of climatic responses included within examples of California Modernism, the Case Study Houses and Desert Modernism follows. Three case studies: a) the Frey House II, b) the Triad Apartments, and c) the Analemma House were assessed using virtual simulation and mathematical calculations, to provide conclusive results on the relevance of regionally tuned exterior envelope design and planning tactics for the Phoenix, Arizona area. Together, these findings suggest a correlation between environmental design principles, vernacular architecture, and Modernism.