New developments often lack regional identity and distinctiveness of place. Before the industrial revolution, landscapes were the result of social, cultural and environmental constraints. Currently, a strong sense of place is lacking in many American cities. Santa Fe, New Mexico, as an example, faces the challenge of integrating new development with existing historic areas. While the downtown central core of Santa Fe has a distinctive and unique character, the outlying fringes of Santa Fe County are being developed in ways that undermine the sense of place that is valued by its residents and visitors. Current county development patterns do not meld with the intimate, small-scale character of the older neighborhoods in the downtown central core areas of the city.
To address this issue, this thesis uses theory related to sense of place to identify distinctive characteristics that can be adapted for projects outside Santa Fe's central core. The study uses a mixed method approach, including a literature review and field study methods to assess Santa Fe's distinctive physical characteristics. The results are a set of contemporary community design guidelines for the Santa Fe, New Mexico region that address sense of place in the following categories: (a) Spatial Planning and Architecture: street design characteristics and their physical relationship to architecture; (b) Environmentally Responsive Architecture: architecture design characteristics that respond to the regional environment and Santa Fe Style; (c) Decorative Architectural Details: architectural detail design characteristics that respond to the regional vernacular and the Santa Fe Style; (d) Integration of Architecture and Landscape: open space design the physical relationship between the local landscape and architecture; and, (e) Landscape and Cultural Character: regional landscape and art design characteristics that respond to Santa Fe's environment and culture. The resulting design principles are expressed as guidelines to support sense of place and their application to new development in Santa Fe County. / Master of Landscape Architecture / Many 21st century communities in the United States are being planned to look alike. Before the industrial revolution and the advances in railroad, freight transport and increased mechanization; landscapes were built with local materials and governed by regionally limited social, cultural, environmental and physical characteristics. Currently, a meaningful and distinctive physical appearance of a place (termed “sense of place”) is lacking in many American cities. <i>Santa Fe, New Mexico</i>, as an example, faces the challenge of designing current suburban communities to meld with the existing historic character of older downtown centers. While the historic downtown of <i>Santa Fe</i> has a distinctive personal scale and unique architectural style; the outlying suburban settlements of <i>Santa Fe County</i> are being developed in ways that promote a sameness and monotony that is uncharacteristic of the city’s core and not valued by its residents and visitors. Current county development codes and plans do not match the intimate, small-scale character of older neighborhoods in the downtown central core areas of the city.
To address this issue, this thesis researches and studies the concept of sense of place; to identify distinctive characteristics that can be adapted to design new communities incorporating these characteristics in Santa Fe County. The study uses a <b>literature review;</b> research of the history of Santa Fe and sense of place and a <b>field survey;</b> photographs, sketches and a recording of Santa Fe’s physical qualities - to analyze <i>Santa Fe's</i> distinctive physical characteristics. The results are a set of current community design guidelines for the <i>Santa Fe, New Mexico</i> region that address sense of place by noting the following: <b>overall planning, architecture, street design, architectural details, open space design and Santa Fe’s native environment and culture.</b> This thesis adds to the body of knowledge in the field of landscape architecture by establishing a method to design for sense of place, through guidelines, that can be applied to new community development in <i>Santa Fe County</i>.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/73691 |
| Date | 13 December 2016 |
| Creators | Senes Jr, Raymond Nicholas |
| Contributors | Architecture, Jacobson, Wendy R., Bork, Dean R., Miller, Patrick A. |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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