The Space of Construction: Elemental Prefabrication
| dc.contributor.author | Norris, Blake Alexander | en |
| dc.contributor.committeechair | Weiner, Frank H. | en |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Pittman, Vance H. | en |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Wheeler, Joseph H. | en |
| dc.contributor.department | Architecture | en |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-07-28T08:05:15Z | en |
| dc.date.available | 2023-07-28T08:05:15Z | en |
| dc.date.issued | 2023-07-27 | en |
| dc.description.abstract | Can a house be a product? This thesis sets out to form a set of basic elements for a minimum house in light of this question that is both functional and aesthetic. The goal is to develop an efficient prefabricated system of construction analogous to a chart of chemical elements. The modular system is then applied to the most basic footprint for a house - a 400 square foot Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). Through studying the fundamental parts of a house, a level of understanding emerges, which allows for a projection of the idea as a whole. The ideal of prefabrication posits the possibility of architecture as a system. This idea has attracted architects for decades, despite what appears to be an inherent tension between architecture as a system and the poetic iconicity of the house as a type. A study of the systemic introduced by considerations of prefabrication can offer a deeper understanding of the complex nature of architecture. Finally, can the essence of architecture endure amidst the necessary limitations of factory production and manufacturing in our post-industrial age? | en |
| dc.description.abstractgeneral | This thesis consists of a system-generated 400 square foot prefabricated house, a catalog of the house's elements, an expanded catalog of small houses, and a series of studies conducted while traveling through Europe and upon return. The system utilizes a series of functional pods and frames the 'served' with panelized elemental compounds such as walls, floors, and roofs to meet the programmatic requirements of a house. By applying this limited catalog, the feasibility of production can be explored through an expanded catalog. Ultimately, the whole must be greater than the sum of its parts; through tectonic articulation, functional clarity and an additive approach, this can be achieved while meeting the strict constraints that prefabrication demands. | en |
| dc.description.degree | Master of Architecture | en |
| dc.format.medium | ETD | en |
| dc.identifier.other | vt_gsexam:37992 | en |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10919/115906 | en |
| dc.language.iso | en | en |
| dc.publisher | Virginia Tech | en |
| dc.rights | In Copyright | en |
| dc.rights.uri | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ | en |
| dc.subject | Elemental Architecture | en |
| dc.subject | Prefabricated Housing | en |
| dc.subject | Kit of Parts | en |
| dc.subject | Catalog Housing | en |
| dc.title | The Space of Construction: Elemental Prefabrication | en |
| dc.type | Thesis | en |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Architecture | en |
| thesis.degree.grantor | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | en |
| thesis.degree.level | masters | en |
| thesis.degree.name | Master of Architecture | en |
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