Connecting the Disconnected:Designing a Walkway in Arlington, Virginia

Abstract

This thesis is a study of rhythm, generated by a pattern, and how it can be used to address the urban disconnect of 12th Street in Arlington, Virginia. Rhythm is a tool that can be used to connect a space. The repetition and consistency of the pattern throughout the site structures and connects the four blocks. Light and material quality are additional tools that, used consistently, create and emphasize the rhythm that connects the walkway with points, or destinations, to pause. This book is organized as a series of perspectives that walks through the four blocks, from west to east, of 12th Street.

Sited in Arlington, Virginia, 12th Street extends four blocks from the Pentagon City Metro Station to Crystal Drive. Currently the four blocks are comprised of commercial, residential, and green space. The three types of use have been constructed, developed and even left abandoned at various points throughout their histories. As such, this has created a lack of a natural flow for area residents and visitors. The underlying goal of the walkway is to create a connection between the four disconnected blocks of 12th Street, from the Pentagon City Metro Station and Crystal Drive.