This creative project responds to the lack of information currently available to the laypeople who own terra cotta buildings. Lafayette investors own several grand, white glazed terra cotta buildings downtown. Much of this building stock suffers from poor repairs and patches using inappropriate materials that have worsened the problems.The current condition of these important buildings indicates a lack of appreciation for these historic resources, a misunderstanding of the building envelope and its component failures, a misunderstanding of the terra cotta material, a confusion between the treatment of terra cotta and other types of masonry, the inability to diagnose causes of terra cotta failures, misguidance on restoration methods, financial limitations and confusion about where to even begin with the restoration project.This guide serves as a comprehensive resource for owners of terra cotta buildings. Providing the history of terra cotta, this guide asserts the value of maintaining this precious material. An explanation of the complete building envelope explains why theterra cotta building requires both interior and exterior maintenance. A survey of the terra cotta manufacturing process demonstrates why terra cotta behaves as it does and why it requires specific repair methods and materials. An overview of evaluation methods demonstrates the importance of hiring professionals to work on the project. A list of recommended professionals will get the building owner started on getting quotes for bidding the project out. An overview of potential funding sources and grants may supplement funding the project. An explanation of local requirements clarifies how to comply with local ordinances and finally, a comprehensive glossary provides a reference for terms used in this text and relative to planning, construction, engineering and preservation projects. / Department of Architecture

The author's thesis, Leyden. / "Addenda": leaf inserted. "Table de la littérature et des abbréviations": p. 137-138.

The author's thesis, Leyden. / "Addenda": leaf inserted. "Table de la littérature et des abbréviations": p. 137-138.

This dissertation presents a new history of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Italian glazed terracotta sculpture. Invented by Luca della Robbia in 1430s Florence, the medium even today remains synonymous with the Della Robbia name. Luca founded a prolific family workshop that continued to produce sculpture following his distinctive methods, and in some cases re-using his molds and other visual models. While most scholarship to date has focused on questions of attribution, this project instead investigates the artists’ methods for the codification and transmission of their distinctive technology and style, as well as the attractions that glazed terracotta held for Renaissance viewers. The Della Robbia remained the dominant practitioners of the medium for over a century, but they did not hold a monopoly: the dissertation, therefore, also considers the contemporary Buglioni workshop and other artists who contributed to collaborative projects. Building upon recent work by conservators and materials scientists, the first chapter provides a comprehensive synthesis of the materials and techniques of glazed terracotta, in order to offer new insights into the development of the technology in the hands of Luca and his successors. Chapter 2 uses a variety of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century written sources to explore how early modern Florentines conceived of and responded to sculptures in this new medium and the processes by which they were created. Through a close reading of Luca’s will and related litigation, Chapter 3 demonstrates that the sculptor considered the art in which he instructed his nephew, Andrea, to be a form of intangible property with real financial value. The second half of the chapter examines series of closely related sculptures in order to shed light on the materials and mechanisms that facilitated transmission of knowledge and consistency in design across generations. Chapter 4 explores the appeal of this visual consistency for contemporary viewers by studying a variety of instances where glazed terracotta was used to shape devotional experience and characterize sacred environments and objects. The fifth chapter examines the structure of the Della Robbia shop as it evolved over the last decades of its existence, demonstrating that collaborations were crucial to all stages of artistic production. Instead of attempting to discern each sculptor’s individual contribution to joint projects, my study considers the nature of these partnerships, together with early modern conceptions of authorship. The conclusion draws attention to the longstanding legacy of glazed terracotta sculpture across Europe and outlines possibilities for future research. By locating the history of glazed terracotta within a broader narrative of Renaissance sculpture, one defined not by biographies but rather by technologies, this dissertation aims to highlight the coexistence and reciprocity of the exceptional and the everyday, of processes of invention and repetition, and of the individual artist and the workshop.

There is a general lack of documentation which has been done on terra cotta production. Trends over the last several decades have shown that this industry is declining to the point where it could disappear completely. This project documents, through written descriptions and graphic illustrations, the process of terra cotta production in order to leave a record of what has been and what could be. Should the industry have a substantial resurgence to the extent that it is no longer in danger of extinction, or should general interest in the material develop further, this project will serve the purpose of an educational resource for the architect, preservationist, production industry and general public.It briefly covers the material and how it is formed, and how the way it is formed affects its limitations and durability. The project includes a history of the material from its most likely earliest applications to its current use. The history includes some of the major technological advances which have affected the material's production. A step-by-step guide to the production method involved in current terra cotta manufacture is included along with explanation of various related materials or processes which may not be commonly understood. Also included in this study is a look at the detection and correction of failures within terra cotta which is then outlined in a quick-reference tool for the preservation of terra cotta. The conclusion of the paper covers the outlook for the industry and the material along with ways for advancing both the knowledge of and desired use for terra cotta in new construction. / Department of Architecture

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on March 23, 2009) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Guo li Taiwan da xue, 1979. / Reproduced from typescript; on double leaves. Includes bibliographical references (p. 141-155).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [204]-214). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [204]-214). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.A.)--Guo li Taiwan da xue, 1979. / Reproduced from typescript; on double leaves. Includes bibliographical references (p. 141-155).