Material and structure, being indivisible, provide the basis for this thesis exploration. The material of choice was concrete, inspired by the use of cast objects made in the studio. Through the act of form making and casting tectonic material integration developed. Intrinsic structural qualities of the material were affirmed with repeated drawing, form making and casting, while exploring the phenomenon of the transferred surface. An open urban site in Washington, DC was chosen before a building type was determined. Neighborhood and site analysis identified the potential need for a Firehouse. This building type allowed the opportunity to explore the use of concrete for vehicles as well as people. Can concrete, maligned for being cold and harsh, hold a building and its uses in comfort and beauty? / Master of Architecture / I struggled to find a direction for my Master of Architecture Thesis, like most, but knew materiality and tectonics would be the focus. After being enthralled with the annual WAAC Concrete competition, and the rampant use of ROCKITE in the Old Town studio I settled on formed concrete as a driver. An urban site was a given, an empty lot at 14th Street and V Street NW that seemed a managable size was perfect. Neigborhood and site analysis revealed the potential need for a Firehouse, in the pull-through style popularized by suburban stations.(1) This building type allowed many opportunities to explore concrete structural tectonics, for the human user and the automobile. Ideas of how concrete holds different materials, and how those relationships create a comfortable and useful space were examined in drawing and model.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/116030 |
| Date | 11 August 2023 |
| Creators | Cooke, James Long |
| Contributors | Architecture, Holt, Jaan, Emmons, Paul F., Piedmont-Palladino, Susan C., Wheeler, Joseph H. |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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