Putting the pieces together: the parts and the whole of student housing, Lexington, Virginia

One of the most daunting challenges an architect faces in the design process is making harmony of the myriad parts that make up a building. A small student apartment and stable building for an equestrian center was the subject of an investigation into the extent of the architect's mastery of a project. The parts and assemblies of the structure were studied in detail. This investigation showed that a building's beauty must run more than just "skin deep," and that an architect, in order to have a successful project, must consider even the most minute parts of the building, exercising as much design control as possible.