Few would deny the importance of preserving our natural landscapes. However, the man-made landscape is just as worthy of preservation/reuse. Buildings represent a language from their past, portraying the builder's concerns and values. Buildings express their characteristics in time, space, and social context. Their presence and conversely, their absence, have a direct impact on their surroundings. Architecture has been continually enriched through change and dialogue, such as additions, interventions, and renovations of existing buildings. Many buildings exist today that have been poorly maintained, abandoned or the building has been demolished. This has led to the slow deterioration of the basic urban fabric and its framework, causing the overall quality and character of the building and/or its surroundings to become depressing and unattractive. By rejuvenating/preserving the total environment, as well as, implementing the current design trends, life and history is restored. The challenge and goal of my thesis is to illustrate the positive effect this transformation cycle has on an urban space. I propose to renovate the historic Norfolk and Western Passenger Train Station located in downtown Roanoke, Virginia, and design an addition onto the building. The train station will serve as a cultural center for the city of Roanoke. By researching and analyzing the history and formal implications of the passenger train station, a sense of harmony, balance, and unity is achieved with the new function of the old space, and therefore, the quality of the existing building is enhanced. / Master of Architecture

Washington D.C., along with similar historically significant cities, boasts architectural treasures. Understanding how our above-ground archeology, which represents the passage of time and suggests urban development, will continue to influence our architecture today, is the essential core of this thesis. 14th Street is one of the crucial entrance corridors of the city, existing as a vertical way-finder for modern day travelers coming in and out of the District. Brick rowhouses line this valuable street, providing multi-use functions that have evolved over the past century. Unfortunately, most of these urban gems have lost their place to the City's superblock high rises. The program of this thesis serves the Corcoran School of Art + Design with a new central campus location in D.C. while reusing an existing block of parti walls, excavated from rowhouses of the past. The modern need of maximizing space is thoughtfully merged with the intentional reuse of historic structures. / Master of Architecture

This thesis is an analysis of methods by which modern interventions uphold the existing architectural fabric of a historic place, thereby establishing a connection and legitimacy that should endure for the life of both the building and the setting. / Master of Architecture / Although there are several approaches architects may take when designing new structures in historic settings, this thesis studies two particular methods that offer the most promise of success and chance of survival for subsequent generations.

To place a building within an existing urban fabric without considering the components of that fabric is to deny the interactive nature of the built environment. Components such as scale, materials, regulating lines and geometric framework must be examined in order to decide what is to be transformed, what is to be translated, what is to be ignored. They are the means of creating the thread of continuity between what was, what is and what will be. This thread of continuity continues the harmony of the urban neighbor-hood by unifying the variety of the built environment. Any attempt to deny the interactivity of buildings runs the risk of creating not architecture but rather the cacophonous assemblage of materials. This thesis looks at discovering the unifying elements of an existing neighborhood and using them to create a building that draws from the existing to reflect its own times, yet also continues the thread of the urban fabric. / Master of Architecture

Washington, D.C. is a city that is designed to serve an entire nation; yet, as a result of this, its own history and people can seem to be lost in the shadow of the federal city. With an abundance of museums throughout the city, the museum that is needed, but no longer exists, is one for the District itself. This omissionleaves a tremendous gap in historical knowledge and no representation focused on the character of the city itself. How can we fulfill this need in a way that is unique to this specific city and would provide more than an exhibit by allowing people to be surrounded by and contribute to the accumulated evolution of their history? Adaptive reuse encourages the gradual unearthing of historical inspiration, which allows representation of existing and past local populations. For my thesis, I sought to fulfill this need by turning to the existing fabric of the city, learning from it, and eventually employing adaptive reuse techniques to unify the existing framework with the new program. / Master of Architecture / In a city such as Washington, D.C., which is filled with history and which focuses on historical knowledge and representation, the history and fabric of the city itself can seem to be overshadowed. By looking at the existing character of D.C. and its architecture as the foundation and using adaptive reuse techniques, the neighborhoods could be brought to the forefront and the true backbone of D.C. could shine. This would better represent a city that has been much more than a tourist attraction, but a home, and thus represent the people who have created this rich history. The people within the District need an outlet to regain ownership of their history, create a place to learn about their city, and share what makes the larger District so unique. For my thesis, I sought to explore this history and provide this outlet by repurposing an existing building within the city.

What are the design possibilities for the adaptive reuse of an outdated mall into a community centered case study model of pediatric palliative care?This thesis therefore explores the following questions. What solutions are possible in the adaptive reuse of Cloverleaf Mall? As designers what is our responsibility when reusing existing spaces? How and in what ways can design build community? How can design create a place which meets the personal needs of patients with a wide variety of illnesses in various stages of progression? What does the design of a centralized prototype for pediatric palliative care look like?

Mary Wingfield Scott (1895-1983) was a leading figure in the historic preservation movement in Richmond, Virginia. Scott demonstrated a preservation philosophy that transitioned from the sentimental, patriotic focus of early preservation efforts to a modern, academic approach that valued the built environment for its relationship to the city and its history. Scott educated persons on the value of preserving houses that were architecturally significant or connected to the city’s heritage. She documented the antebellum housing of Richmond in two books, founded the William Byrd Branch of the APVA, conducted walking tours throughout the city, wrote a newsletter for the William Byrd Branch, and purchased houses to prevent their demolition. Scott was a strong advocate of adaptive reuse, which she applied to the Greek Revival houses known as Linden Row. Scott’s approach to preservation is mirrored in the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) enacted in 1966 and Richmond’s 2009 Downtown Plan.

Introduction | The building for this thesis project is one with a long history. Originally built as the First Baptist Church, it was converted over the years to fulfill a role completely different from its original intent; a student center! During this process and after a series of renovations, the Broad Street main grand entrance lost its place and the arrival into the building became much less choreographed. Essentially, over time one could say that this building had been flipped around, it has lost its original intent, grandeur and purpose. Hypothesis | I challenge the idea of flipping the building back to its original state to return its historical glory, significance and grand emotional experience. I hypothesize that a reorganization of spatial sequence (i.e. bringing the outside in and extending the inside out) can help flip this building around. Materials and Methods | I introduce an internal three sided staircase that mimics what exits exteriorly in an attempt to bring the outside in. This staircase becomes the center’s focal point as it rises to the third mezzanine level. The staircase is based on the “Golden Section” idea of proportional geometries which has been found inherent in the building. I extend the inside out by turning the “monumental” exterior grand steps into a place people can utilize. Results | Placing such a large structure by the building’s entry points had great impact on drawing people into the building and up the steps into the main lounge consequently re-choreographing the arrival experience. The design solution breathes new life into this building while still respecting and acknowledging all of its crucial and historic elements. Just as the altar was a main focal point when this building served as a church, the new transparent elevator shaft that is tucked in between the spiraling stairs becomes the center’s new focal point. The contemporary facade that was inserted asymmetrically on the west side of the building emphasizes the symmetry and contrasts the existing structure causing tension between the old and new but proving that they can coexist.

Introducing concepts of Craftsman kit construction to the interior, as well as modern technology to lessen the cost of handcrafted details, opens the possibility to new methods of modular design in which interior units are configured around structural skeletons and central base points that provide supply lines to residential units. One example is Dutch design firm Minale-Maeda’s Keystones, a 3D printed connector that holds together any necessary components, like furniture. These keystones can be printed at home and save time and the need to obtain anything but essential components (website). The design firm works to create an “ongoing awareness of the possibilities of both mass-production and skilled craftsmanship” (L’arco Baleno, 2014). Another interesting example is Dutch design brand Fraaiheid’s Minimal Waste Table, which is created from one piece of laminated plywood with a CNC milling machine which makes for extremely minimal waste (Williamson, 2013). These examples of automation require a craftsman’s hand and mind to create the concept but introduce a modern approach to reducing waste, time and cost.

The community of Old Town Manchester lies across from downtown Richmond on the south side of the James River. Annexed in 1910, Manchester was the industrial hub of the city and home to the Chesterfield Railroad, the first railway in Virginia and used to transport coal. These industrial roots are still evident today in the warehouses and manufacturing facilities that continue to operate or have been repurposed. The building of focus is located on the corner of bustling Hull Street and quiet 7th Avenue. Distinctive in its stone masonry exterior, 616 Hull was constructed in the 1920s as a Chevrolet showroom and manufacturing facility. Both the proximity to downtown and the historic character of Manchester made it seem an ideal location for a hotel and restaurant. Considering the hotel as a source of stability for the community because it provides jobs, and the restaurant as an entity within the hotel that simultaneously serves the guests as well as the local residents, the concept of discovery and experience of place emerged. With the belief that locals share a sense of pride in the city in which they live, thus making Richmonders the city’s best advocates, this thesis was an exploration of how design can encourage interaction between two groups of people- visitors and locals.