VTechWorks Repository :: Browsing by Author "Wang, Joseph C."

Browsing by Author "Wang, Joseph C."

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6 houses for John Travolta and friends
Lo, Bennett C. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1995)
It is impossible to say when man’s mind first conceived the urge to fly, The dream of moving through the air like birds. From Archytas of Taranto’s flying machine to Armstrong’s first step on the moon, flying has progressed from imaginary to an everyday part of life. This thesis is an attempt to establish a new housing type. It is a dialogue between ever changing technology and the timeless ideas of architectural composition. The house is an intersection of timelessness and temporality. Le Corbusier stated “The house of a man, irrespective of differences in time or climate, is a pure, organic organization, and the purer it is, the more it is a type. From hut to palace, this type based on a deeply rational and sensitive foundation and become distinctive in flow of time.” The housing complex, located at an airport near the Appalachian Mountains, consists of six dwellings- each of which accommodate an airplane. Steven Holl stated “The site of a building is more than a mere ingredient in its conception. It is its physical and metaphysical foundation. The resolution of the vistas, sun angles, circulation and access, are the ‘physics’ that demand the ‘metaphysics’ of the architecture. Through a link, an extended motive, a building is more than something merely fashioned for the site.” Architecture is a spatial art; unlike painting or sculpture, it cannot be understood at once. Like music, it is a temporal art that comes into being through movement. Architectural composition should be based on the awareness that architecture is a phenomenon that can only be appreciated with the movement of the observer. Le Corbusier stated “Architecture is judged by the eyes that see, by the head that turns and the legs that walk. Architecture is not a synchronic phenomenon but a successive one, made up of pictures adding themselves one to the other, following each other in time and space, like music.” In a building, the 3-dimensional volume is governed by the interaction of the horizontal (floors) and vertical (walls) planes. Through the articulation of these planes, a rhythmic movement can be achieved. As Gideon suggested in Space, Time and Architecture, time is not just a 4th dimension experienced in concert with action, there is a 5th dimension that has to do with the movement of psychological phenomenon. Time is not strictly sequential, it possesses depth, that is historical in character. It transcends simple sequences, generating connections and triggering psychological phenomena. Architecture is an assemblage of feelings and perceptions in which these five dimensions interact.
Almost Level
Wang, Zhen (Virginia Tech, 2006-06-22)
Taking the shortest possible distance and staying on a leveled surface is an intrinsic part of human nature. The bridge, a powerful invention realizes this human desire. It connects very directly otherwise separate locations and it saves time and energy while crossing the gap between them. Its elevated surface offers us different views to the world. This project proposes a pedestrian bridge as an elevated surface. The bridge allows people to reach their cars and other destinations across topographic variations, while being sheltered from rain and sun. Its scale and location will designate it as a signature element in the campus plan.
The Application of the Expectation-Maximization Algorithm to the Identification of Biological Models
Chen, Shuo (Virginia Tech, 2006-12-11)
With the onset of large-scale gene expression profiling, many researchers have turned their attention toward biological process modeling and system identification. The abundance of data available, while inspiring, is also daunting to interpret. Following the initial work of Rangel et al., we propose a linear model for identifying the biological model behind the data and utilize a modification of the Expectation-Maximization algorithm for training it. With our model, we explore some commonly accepted assumptions concerning sampling, discretization, and state transformations. Also, we illuminate the model complexities and interpretation difficulties caused by unknown state transformations and propose some solutions for resolving these problems. Finally, we elucidate the advantages and limitations of our linear state-space model with simulated data from several nonlinear networks.
Architectural fusion and indigenous ideology in early colonial Mexico: a case study of Teposcolula, Oaxaca, 1535-1580, demonstrating cultural transmission and transformation through negotiation and consent in planning a new urban environment
Kiracofe, James Bartholomay (Virginia Tech, 1996-03-01)
This study demonstrates that by willingly entering a process of peaceful negotiation and consent the indigenous leadership of Teposcolula played a determining role in planning and building their new urbanization on the valley floor, relocating and resettling their community from its pre-Columbian mountain-top redoubt. The effect of changes in the total formal environment on the indigenous mental world is examined using a holistic approach suggested by the interpretation of Focillon and Kubler outlined in the Introduction. Chapter Two provides a highly compressed synthesis of what is known about pre-Columbian Mixtec culture. Chapters Three and Four examine early evangelization in Teposcolula in light of a letter from Domingo de Betanzos, considered here for the first time in English. A mystic tradition in the Dominican Order focused on Passion iconography and emphasizing mental prayer was transmitted into the New World, shaping the nature of the evangelization there. Dominican efforts to implant the practice of distinctly Christian forms of meditation and mental prayer by an architecturally transmitted iconographic program are shown. Architecture was used as a medium for ideological integration, by the friars in the use of the Rosary beads over the arches, and by the indigenous leaders in iconographic elements on the church, fusing and transforming pre-Columbian and Christian meaning. Chapter Five examines of the use of the disk frieze spanning over seven hundred years in pre-Columbian and early colonial architecture. This is the first study ever to explore and interpret the meaning of the disk frieze. The evidence presented supports the case for negotiation and consent in the early colonial period because the continued use of clearly pre-Columbian iconography was permitted. The symbolic use of disk frieze ornament flourished even in conventos built for friars. Chapter Six shows peaceful negotiation and consent in planning and constructing a new urbanization in Teposcolula designed to focus attention and prestige on the new ceremonial center, the capilla de Indios, and on the royal palace directly facing it in a clearly intended ceremonial and symbiotic relationship.
Being and architecture: an historical study
Doherty, James Michael (Virginia Tech, 1988-02-15)
The establishment of a comprehensive world-view enables a person to orient himself both physically and metaphysically within his context. Since, the time of Plato, the development of these world-views has been increasingly determined by the physical sciences and their accompanying modes of thought. What have some of the major tenents of these world-views been and how have they been developed? How have they influenced the concept of being and how is that concept of being expressed in Architecture?
China's Comprehensive Planning Practice, its Evolution, and Prospects
Guo, Yong Hong (Virginia Tech, 1999-05-12)
This paper describes the evolution of Chinese comprehensive planning and proposes a number of recommendations related to the country's economic development and political reform, based on analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the current approaches to comprehensive planning. Chinese urban planning has a long history. Its origin can be traced back to 5,000 years ago. The urban planning approaches advanced along with the development of Chinese cities. During the long history, Chinese people formulated a unique way of urban planning. The different urban planning approaches have specifically identifiable features in different historic periods. Particularly, with the establishment of the socialist regime in China in 1949, complete and systematic urban planning approaches were created. Today, when the country is proceeding with economic and political reforms, the reform of comprehensive planning approaches has also been undertaken in a significant way. The author poses a number of viewpoints for the potential transformation of the approaches in China, with particular emphasis on the change of planning mechanism (including planning process and implementation) and citizen participation.
China's Urban Housing Reform---With Specific Emphasis on Property Ownership
Yu, Zhou (Virginia Tech, 1998-01-22)
This research paper examines China's urban housing reform with a historical perspective, which provides an insight into current housing policy. In the past two decades, urban housing in China has been under a drastic transformation. As a critical component of the economy, the housing sector has played a very active role in restructuring China's economic system. The housing reform has encountered significant resistance. This research focuses on the property rights issue, which is a major concern in housing reform. With a comparative approach, the study addresses the basic research question, what are the fundamental barriers in urban housing reform. The research also involves a comprehensive review of the concept of the property rights and related issues in Western countries to establish a theoretical framework for furthering China's housing reform in term of property rights. The research also involves an inspection of housing reform in selected post-socialist countries to explore alternative transformation policies. Further housing reform policy is also articulated.
A Chinese Community Center
Wu, Jiang (Virginia Tech, 2005-06-06)
Emerging more than 3000 years ago - an era of hermit culture in China - private gardens played an important role in the development of Chinese culture. In this thesis, the essence of Chinese private gardens, especially the principles of their spatial organization, is used to direct the design. In a Chinese garden, the aim of spatial design was to create an experience of variety and change in a highly limited space. Gardens normally were made up of a series of spatial units, each with its own function and distinguishing characteristics through skilled manipulation of spaces, materials and plants. This Chinese Community Center was designed for the Association of Chinese Students and Scholars, the largest international organization on the campus of Virginia Tech. As the joining of the eastern and western culture, the building was designed by syncretizing the spatial organization of Chinese gardens and the form and material of western modern architecture. In my design, three units were introduced into the building. As to the spatial layout of the building, the garden was an open space; the exhibition area was enclosed; and the entrance corridor unit was partly open and partly enclosed as a transition. Three units organized the inter-penetrative spaces, integrating spatial units of different types and forms, and achieving diversity, contrast and harmony. Perforated aluminum panels with Chinese patterns were introduced into the entrance area to create a semi-open space, which gave the impression of Chinese architecture and culture identity. The method of the borrowing of scenery was also introduced in this unit. From the framed gate at the entrance, the balcony at the end of the building was connected visually with the beginning. At this point, the perforated panels contrasted with the solid concrete wall, symbolizing the contrast between tradition and modernity in time and space. Also, following the principle of Chinese gardens, two choices of touring the building were provided to visitors at the entrance: by entering the hall of the building or by going down to the garden directly by way of the wood stairs. The enclosed concrete unit served as the exhibition area, introducing Chinese culture and architecture to visitors. An interior bamboo garden was arranged in the middle of the unit, connecting the lower and upper levels. The color and the fragrance of bamboo were borrowed from the nature, being the focus of the whole unit. The two-story high tea area faced the trianglar bamboo garden outside, conveying a quiet feeling. Staying in the modern space with traditional Chinese culture and plants will be a great feeling for visitors, touching the spirits of antiquity and today at the same time. The open garden space in the center connected and separated the enclosed unit and semi-open unit. Because water in a garden was the artistic simulation of natural lakes in the basic concepts of Chinese gardens, a shallow water pond was arranged in the garden close to the main hall of the building, occupying one corner in the garden. A trianglar bamboo garden occupied another corner, leaving the central part for activities. Looking at the design as a whole, the paradox is that the three units were spatial divisions on the one hand, and at the same time spatial linkages on the other. Out of this complexity, the visitors will be delighted by the changing views as they stroll from one part of the building to another.
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.
Crystal Spring Park: a garden for South Roanoke
Liu, Men-Chou (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1991)
Every few square miles in the rural area of Taiwan, there is a tiny little building similar to this that houses the God of Earth and his wife. In most cases, an old tree will stand right beside the shrine like guarding the surrounding area. It is visited very often by the neighborhood residents not only for saluting the god but also for enjoying the sheltering of the tree.
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.
Developing a dialogue between old and new: North Carolina University Center for Art and Architecture
Yue, Sam Sing Bai (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1991)
In the preservation of a small historic church, a state-wide education center for the arts is proposed due to the similarity of their inherent and adaptive nature in function. A similar sized, new building mass with a contemporary design style is added to the old church; it will also utilize a competitive contrast to the old church in its design. The integration of the old and the new buildings will find new meanings within historic preservation.
Drawing an Education: Influence and Evidence
Smith, Brenda Forrester (Virginia Tech, 2000-09-18)
This thesis is concerned with the art and act of sketching existing architecture. "Drawing an Education" refers to both educating the line by the practice and habit of drawing and to allowing the line to be the educator by drawing from buildings and places, disclosing relationships, structure and meaning. "Influence and evidence" refers to the influences that affect the process and the evidence as exhibited in a finely tuned intuition. This thesis is arranged as a three-part inquiry: • Drawing: how sketching facilitates an intimate connection between the architect and the place, the effect on the collective reality and cultural transmission, and sketching in relation to the photograph, both as a device and as a source; • Influences: how six major influences impact the drawing process, each investigated individually and in relationship to one another, both in an historical as well as a poetic context - eye and perception; interpretation; representation; hand and discipline; media and format; and the line itself; • Implications: how an architect's drawing an education through sketching the built environment is evidenced as a developed intuition and imagination. It is intended that the reader will have a greater awareness of the process of architectural sketching and be encouraged to draw more, perceive more, and understand more as he sketches along the way, as well as when he embarks on his own Grand Tour.
Folded Intersection: a performing arts center
Guo, Ying Ping (Virginia Tech, 2003-07-10)
This project proposes a performing arts center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, a 170-year old industrial city. As part of the city revitalization, the design seeks to build up a "stage", and create a piece of edge at the city's northern boundary. Two folded bands, one made of skeletal steel and surfaced with copper connecting the river and the mountainous landscape beyond with the city, the other made of reinforced concrete folded to form a spatial intersection housing a series of activities: performing, spectating, and exhibiting. A curved metal screened circulation wall opens at the bottom to allow the copper band to pass as an entrance into the lobby to develop its folded intersection. Through it, an industrial stack in the middle of the site is isolated from busy city, and anchored with the building as a monument. Along the west side, an additional element characterized as the education box hovers over the ground, with unobstructed views of the river and the old steel bridge on one end, and the green hill on the other.
Folding & Flowing: A Museum of Paper Art in Suzhou, China
Lin, Qiuda (Virginia Tech, 2005-05-11)
In a culture that was credited with the invention of paper in the 1st century, Chinese paper art have existed since that time with products ranging from paper fans, lanterns to decorative designs and structures accomplished by folding, rolling and cutting. The thesis is about the inception and design of a museum dedicated to the paper art in China as well as its counterparts in the rest of the world. To be located in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, the museum will curate its exhibitions primarily on local traditional folk arts using paper. It will be a museum with a comprehensive mission of displaying, preserving, education and research on paper arts.
A Framework for Site Analysis with Emphasis on Feng Shui and Contemporary Environmental Design Principles
Xu, Jun (Virginia Tech, 2003-09-30)
This research proposes a new site analysis methodology in the form of an integrated framework. The framework separates the site analysis process into different models, incorporates each model, and considers the interaction between them. The most important models are the environmental models (climate, geology, hydrology, topography, and vegetation models), social-cultural models, economic models, and infrastructure models. Each model also contains several important factors. The study identifies and organizes environmental factors within the framework that influence site analysis and design. Based on the applicability of feng shui principles and their interpretations into measurable factors, this research compares and incorporates feng shui and contemporary environmental design theories, and summarizes essential environmental factors. The emphasis on environmental factors from these models may lead to a better understanding of the relationships between humankind and the natural environment. The proposed framework is implemented into a computer simulation program, titled SiteOne, to demonstrate the concepts and ideas, with an emphasis on environmental factors. This research uses the town of Reston in Fairfax County, Virginia, as the study area because of the availability of information. SiteOne analyzes a range of alternatives and then derives solutions from the suggested site conditions in the form of GIS maps. There are various modules that make up the prototype system: namely an analysis module, a database module, and a result generation module. SiteOne helps professionals collect a wide range of information and select corresponding criteria in the early stages of design. It also provides visual analysis based on selected criteria and models. Therefore, it can act as an educational knowledge component for professionals as well as the general public.
Future past: integrated preservation information systems
Kennedy, Charles Barrett (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1989)
“And what we can see and imagine gives us faith for what surpasses the imagination” (Wells, 1902) A rich cultural heritage can serve as a vehicle that enlivens all levels of educational development and promotes an interdisciplinary dialogue concerning preservation goals and objectives. A comprehensive, integrated information base is essential to sustaining the viability of this diverse cultural heritage and to promoting a national preservation agenda. The collective experiences and practices of local preservation efforts, when assembled into a readily accessible knowledge base, can effectively inform efforts to resolve preservation challenges nationwide. As the ideal of historic preservation has come to accommodate a variety of philosophical perspectives, so too must the efforts to adapt new technologies to the tasks of cultural resource management. The development of more effective mechanisms for informing the decision processes will encourage resource administrators to assume greater responsibility for the management of cultural resources. It will enable the preservation community to strengthen its social, economic, and political advocacy for the conservation and celebration of our delicate, yet durable, cultural roots. Through the outreach to public and private constituencies, and through the development of market applications for cost effective preservation products, technologies, and services, the positive socioeconomic benefits of sensible, sensitive cultural resource management will serve to institutionalize the perception of our cultural heritage as an integral part of a healthy, informed society. The goal of this work is to demonstrate through developed prototypes and projected scenarios, alternatives for technology transfer, adaptation, and application that can facilitate better informed decisions about the management of an increasingly threatened cultural heritage. This body of information will contribute to the resolution of the most critical needs of the preservation process, and will enhance the ability of private, state, and federal agencies to meet their legal obligations in the management and protection of our cultural heritage. The work demonstrates that the whole of the preservation process can be enhanced by exploiting the opportunities inherent in emerging information management technologies.
The Historic Canal System in Bangkok, Thailand: Guidelines for Reestablishing Public Space Functions
Chansiri, Noppamas (Virginia Tech, 1999-05-06)
This thesis proposes guidelines for reestablishing the historic canal system on Rattanakosin Island, Bangkok as a public space system and a connector of key public spaces. The study examines the historic value and cultural symbolism of the canals through evolutionary morphological analysis, establishing that the canals are primary structural elements in the city, since they have retained the integrity of their physical form over time, and have come to hold cultural meaning for the Thai people. The canals have also accommodated different functions over time, in response to a changing urban context. There is potential for them to accept new functions as recreational spaces, connectors of key public spaces, and as tourist destinations. Typological analysis of structural characteristics of the canals yields seven canal types that have potential to accommodate public space functions. The study proposes guidelines for the seven canal types that will enhance these potentials and ensure the preservation of the canals' physical form.
In search of housing
Stone, Terry Eugene (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1988)
This thesis explores an architectural housing solution for the middle income sector of the United States. The impetus for this exploration is founded in the conviction that housing must respond to the desires and needs of its occupants. An understanding of these desires and needs was discerned through studying the background of housing. Based on this background and current observations, clustering houses is an appropriate and necessary strategy for the middle-income sector. To investigate this strategy, a design was executed and used as a vehicle to explore the architecture of cluster housing. The success of this strategy and my opinions on issues raised in this design response are discussed. Neither this discussion, nor this thesis, is intended to be a definitive statement on housing.
Interview with Joseph Wang, January 2014, CAUS History
Wang, Joseph C. (Virginia Tech. College of Archiecture and Urban Studies, 2014-01)
Interview with Joseph Wang, Professor Emeritus of Architecture and CAUS's first Chairman of Graduate Studies, on the history of Virginia Tech's College of Architecture and Urban Studies.

Browsing by Author "Wang, Joseph C."

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