Browsing by Author "Kilper, Dennis J."

Now showing 1 - 20 of 49
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    359
    Tolbert, Glen D. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1989)
    A small factory
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    An allegorical park
    Brittain, William Delaplaine (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1990)
    node monument edge genius loci
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    Aperture
    Tenace, Stephen M. (Virginia Tech, 1991-01-01)
    In the beginning God created the world. Waste and void, waste and void. And darkness was upon the face of the deep. And when there were men, in their various ways, they struggled in torment towards God. Blindly and vainly, for man is a vain thing, and man without God is a seed upon the wind: driven this way and that, and finding no place of lodgement and germination. They followed the light and the shadow, and the light led them forward to light and the shadow led them to darkness, Worshipping snakes or trees, worshipping devils rather than nothing: crying for life beyond life, for ecstasy not of the flesh. Waste and void. Waste and void. And darkness on the face of the deep. Choruses from "The Rock" T.S. Eliot
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    Architecture Exists Between Man and Time
    Aitani, Koichiro (Virginia Tech, 1997-10-13)
    The light is the giver of presence. Nature is eternal in time. Man's life is transitory. Architecture is the joint between man and light, man and nature.
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    An architecture of interlocking order
    Vaghari, Khosrow D. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1991)
    Ludwing Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969) was by consensus one of the twentieth century’s most illustrious architects. He stated, “Things by themselves create no order. Order as the definition of meaning and measure of being is missing today; it must be worked toward, anew”. Order is a visual effect of a cumulative sequence of views. Viewing a presence of order in a building is cause for good feeling and it is the speaker of existence and reason for being. The repetition of walls in a composition creates patterns, and patterns effect order in creation of space. Changing the presence of order in a relative fashion is the dance of the walls, pleasure of a great sense of interest, motive of thought and ambiguity. Going from a broad expansion to a narrow slot, coming from a dark place to a bright place, moving from lower level to higher platform, going from inside to outside, using steps for positioning of better views of nature and stepping down to touching cold clear spring water, all are reasons for our being, sense of pleasure and great feelings. Any building which can give us a good feeling and sense of pleasure close to that of nature is Architecture. This study is about interlocking order among architectural elements in the design of an architecture. For this study, the building which is designed to emulate an architecture of interlocking order is an Institute for Scholarly Studies. This building is designed for the thinker to come and be educated, to learn from, to teach others and to relax and enjoy the essence of a beautiful place. It is to be a place of meditation and a place of conversation for two people who desire privacy or for more people who wish to engage in conversation. Program requirements dictate to provide facilities to serve the purpose of the organization and to give a sense and meaning that its existence enhance the feeling and sense of pleasure of the viewers and the users. The design of this place is generated from repetition of a wall within a wall which has been gained by constantly reframing the problems and repeatedly searching for solutions. The problems occurring throughout the design have been resolved by learning, experiencing, and journeying in search of discovery through visual inspection and sensing through imagination of physical models and drawings which are made interactively. The sense of experiencing a place, what we see, hear, smell, and feel, is very important in design of architecture. These factors were carried along and incorporated into design in order to improve the quality of the building. Also, it was very important to locate and determine where and what the center of focus of the building should be. These were the subject matter and the motives of design. Some of these were captured in the preliminary sketches and have remained dominant themes throughout the design.
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    The beginning
    Garstang, Stephen R. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1989)
    On the most simple level the projects presented here are intended to fulfill the requirements of a kindergarten. At the next level they represent an investigation into the roles of order in design. In these projects I have chosen to deal with four orders inherent to architecture. The most basic is the order of material, fundamental and inescapable. Linked to this is the order of geometry, which must be sympathetic to the order of material, but goes further in establishing an overall pattern. Giving additional meaning to the overall pattern is the hierarchical order of the spaces. Finally, the social order animates the hierarchy with the abstract notions of the individual and collective. The core of this thesis lies in the integration of these orders into a coherent system, a deep structure adaptable to a variety of conditions. This deep structure gathers the orders, allowing for the necessary freedom while giving the equally indispensable restraint. The system provides a vehicle, an operational method from which one may approach each new circumstance. The following pages present the physical manifestations of this deep structure at several scales. From the realm of the site to the geometry of small objects the single overriding structure gives order, bringing together disparate elements into comprehensible wholes, intensifying the experience and ultimately infusing the whole with a spirit, architecture.
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    Between thought and object
    Wallace, Stuart (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1988)
    A place at a boundary A struggle from reason to poetry A dialogue between thought and object
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    Birkett log house and addition
    Williams, Warren L. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1991)
    The thrust of this project is twofold. The first is to create an addition to a reconstructed two-story log house. The second is to locate this structure upon the site in such a manner as to enhance the experience of its presence during approach. The first goal is addressed by connecting two appendage structures to the rear facade of the log house by means of a narrow transitional space. The intent is to maintain this transitional space as an architectural connection between the greater masses without allowing it to become a dominant element. The arrangement of the addition massing respects the prominence of the original log structure and compliments its dog-trot configuration. The shapes of the addition masses, freestanding studio/utilities building, deck area and pool also respond to the vehicular path which culminates in a circle. The second goal, the positioning of this structure within the boundaries of the selected site, was greatly facilitated by the site's numerous attributes. These range from the historical precedent of a previous log dwelling built upon the grassy knoll of choice to the natural enclosure of the site. A U-shaped, deciduously forested valley of dramatic slope along the three enclosing sides, the site provides a seasonally changing backdrop within which the entire structure can be experienced. Further enclosing this valley along the fourth side is a small, treelined river whose woody screen is permeated only in one small spot by a ford, which had been the site's previous access.
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    The book of stone: a library for Blacksburg, Virginia
    Stewart, James Bennett (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1991)
    “For it is ultimately the function of art, in imposing a credible order upon ordinary reality, and thereby eliciting some perception of an order in reality, to bring us to a condition of serenity, stillness and reconciliation; then leave us as Virgil left Dante, to proceed toward a region where that guide can avail us no farther." T.S. Eliot This thesis is a search for an imposed credible order in a town library. As such it is simply a vehicle developing a process to produce architecture which is stable, whole and meaningful.
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    Bryn Myrrdin: a temple in time
    Ogburn, Scott A. (Virginia Tech, 1991)
    From the stars we are born, and to the stars we return. The heavens hold our heritage and our destiny. Throughout Man’s history, marking the positions of the moon and stars has been essential to knowing one’s place in the cosmos, to defining the cycle of seasons and Time itself. To connect Man between Heaven and Earth. In Architecture, it is fitting to celebrate the stars. To celebrate Light and the spaces contained within. Torevere silence in the space created by star light. In this Thesis, a central premise is Architecture to mark the rising and setting of the Sun, Moon, and stars. An Architecture of exploration where the forms are generated from astronomical markers, alignments from the stars. To capture a moment in time. As stars are beacons for Man’s hopes and dreams, the Temple complex I propose is a beacon for Man coming together to share his visions with one another in harmony. A world center is eventually to be built where philosophers, artists, writers, scientists, politicians, and musicians can come together to exchange their ideas and aspirations in lectures, workshops, concerts, theater, dance, and art. A place for gathering to include studios and living areas, as well as a library. A space for solitude, meditation and the pursuit of one's own dreams. A place for the Vision quest, for contemplation and spiritual renewal. Architecturally, the crystallization of sacred geometry to create a sacred space.
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    A building system: an alternative to the urban sprawl in contemporary metropolitan San Juan
    Santiago, Carlos A. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1991)
    The intent of this thesis is to develop a concept for a structural and enclosure building system that will be applicable to the typical existing housing units in San Juan, P. R. The system will respond to criteria based on environmental, socio-cultural and architectural concerns.
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    Building with organic light
    Cromer, A. E. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1996)
    The experience of daylight directly connects all human life to the universe of nature. Light is the empowering natural engine which anchors all human understanding of physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual discovery. “Building With Organic Light” is a search, through architecture, for the critical values of daylight and movement, in the environments designed for human health, disability, and recovery. This thesis document presents four specific design projects which focus on the value of environmental design specifically crafted to motivate the development of a child living with cerebral palsy. The work is grounded in the thesis that an architectural environment directly integrated with the energy of daylight and nature, is within itself a therapeutic vessel for human health.
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    Carving mass: to frame the center
    Stewart-Tambe, Joyce (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1993)
    Architecture frames life. By framing I mean that it gives individual awareness perimeters which shape the habits of the mind while the material frame supports the life of the body. We live in the center of our awareness. Some of Wallace Stevens’ poetry explores the habits and the shape of consciousness. Consider these lines: I measure myself / Against a tall tree / I find that I am much taller / For I reach right up to the sun / With my eye / And I reach to the shore of the sea / With my ear. (1) A building is a physical entity which gives us rooms and spaces. A dualism lies in thing and void because it necessarily constricts movement as well as shaping the consciousness as one moves to and fro and as one gazes into the distance. One’s desire to do these things may be frustrated by a poor building, while a well-formed building might encourage a choreography of consciousness, a mental dance. More than any other art, architecture presses upon daily life. It reminds us of the duality of mind and body. When we can enjoy the dual nature of architecture, we become more aware of our wonderful creatureness. A pleasant opposition forms between a sensed object-building and a sensing, willing, walking, inquiring creature. Tactility and other physical qualities which are sensed contribute to vital awareness. I define architecture as the art of building that serves vital feeling over time. Exterior conditions also frame life. Literal enclosure is not required. For example, a field may form a realm, that is, an ordered place under the sky. We know where we are in a realm. In a city, the parts belong together when most of them are ordered by common elements such as a street or a market square. In the United States, most familiar cities and towns are formed by the street. Often the buildings and the street make a canyon-like room for movement and activity. The life that flows through the street creates a city and nourishes it. Commerce, symbolic activities like parades and social activities like teen-age cruising maintain street life in even the smallest and most ordinary towns. The thesis project proposes a multiuse building to pull people into a downtown center. Pulaski, Virginia is the chosen town which I will describe in the next section. I begin the design with mass conceptually carved out to frame experience. The building I designed gives Pulaski a stronger downtown edge. This makes a boundary and a turning point to reinforce its identity as a place people feel proud to call home, and to renew the firm pattern of density to guide future builders and planners. This is necessary to forestall the common disintegration of the urban edge into a straggly commercial strip with disconcerting gaps and irregularity. Consider now the specific details of one small town.
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    Collegiate Legacy: Emeritus Faculty Exhibition
    (Virginia Tech. Moss Arts Center, 2014)
    Exhibition of work by College of Architecture and Urban Studies faculty celebrating CAUS' 50th year.
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    A community of individuality-- or the individuality of a community: an artists' housing for Mission Hill
    Galletta, Luciano N. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1989)
    A community of individuality allows each person an opportunity to grow and to see himself in his environment, both physically and spiritually. The individuality of a community is realized in a collective identity, shared qualities and physical boundaries which.
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    A computer program for the tentative selection of structural members
    Rightmier, Lonnie J. (Virginia Tech, 1987-05-15)
    The subject of this project is the development of a computer program that assists in the preliminary selection of wooden beams for residential scale buildings. It is a useful project because the program is intended to assist the architectural designer; it does not provide comprehensive engineering. With this purpose in mind, the intention is to simplify the process of sizing wooden members, to generate graphic visualization, and to make clear the analytic and decision making process incorporated in the program's construction. The user is presumed to be a designer or architectural student. Efforts towards the design of the program have been aimed at making the software effective for designers and students. This project deals with such issues as logical sequence or flow, decision points, and conceptual organization of display screens for the purpose of focusing the users attention on vital information.
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    Crow
    Price, William T. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1994)
    [no abstract provided by author]
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    A decision-support framework for design of natural ventilation in non-residential buildings
    Zhao, Ying (Virginia Tech, 2007-04-09)
    This study develops a decision-support framework assisting the design of non-residential buildings with natural ventilation. The framework is composed of decision modules with input, analysis algorithms and output of natural ventilation design. The framework covers ventilation with natural driving force and mechanical-assisted ventilation. The framework has two major assessment levels: feasibility assessment and comparison of alternative natural ventilation approaches. The feasibility assessment modules assess the potential of the site with the design proposition for natural ventilation in terms of wind, temperature, humidity, noise and pollution conditions. All of the possible natural ventilation approaches and system designs are assessed by first applying constraints functions to each of the alternatives. Then the comparison of alternative approaches to natural ventilation continues by assessing the critical performance mandates that include energy savings, thermal comfort, acoustic control, indoor air quality and cost. Approaches are finally ranked based on their performance.
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    Decoding Chinese Classical Architecture for Contemporary Architectural Design - With Special Reference to Modern Architectural Development in Taiwan
    Sung, Li-wen (Virginia Tech, 2006-10-11)
    This research began with an exploration of the phenomenon of cultural conflict and fusion in the process of architectural modernization in Taiwan. It will examine the impact of modern and contemporary theories on the practice of architecture of the island. It will then seek out the essence of Chinese classical architecture in order to develop an approach for the development of the future Chinese/Taiwanese architecture. In addition, the findings of the study could serve as a reference for scholars who would pursue historical and theoretical studies of in the subject, or for architects who are seeking design concepts to enhance their projects. The study utilizes an interpretive-historical methodology. It emphasizes that researchers should investigate social phenomena within broader and more complex contexts of what to uncover the underlying cultural factors. To highlight their significance, the author will pursue a hypothetic project to examine and demonstrate the meaningfulness and applicability of the concepts learned from the research. Efforts were made to discover ways in which Taiwanese and Chinese architectural culture can deal with foreign influences, such that it will be able to enjoy the benefits of modernization while maintaining its unique character and identity. Moreover, it will attempt to uncover ways in which Chinese architecture can in fact influence the global contemporary architectural culture. Finally, it is hoped that this work will produce a useful reference for students, scholars and architects who wish to develop design projects that reflect and celebrate regional cultures.