Stepping Back to Move Forward : A Poem Written in Light and Brick

Louis Kahn, the master of modern architecture, said, "Even a brick wants to be something " the phrase explained how important it is to respect the properties and materials, each material has a structure or form that can be the most beautiful to express its essence.

The reason that he taught the essence of materials by using "brick" as an example among numerous materials the characteristics of bricks are very simple and clear. The essence of the brick lies in 'stacking'. The stone and metal panels which can be found as common as bricks, the surface forms are smooth, but it held by various types of material.

The surface materials require separate devices to overcome gravity instead of forming a large surface at a time. Architecture is the site where human technology overcomes the providence of nature. However, brick is not 'attached' material, its 'stacked' material. A piece of brick is placed and laid on, depending on gravity.

The nature of bricks goes hand in hand with the history of mankind and is loved a lot. "Architecture is a poem written in light and brick," and brick can be a material that makes use of the essence of architecture: practicality and art.

In fact, that the most common building around us is a brick building is evidence that the brick is imprinted with familiar and reliable materials for everyone. Moreover, the bricks are an inexpensive and fast-producing material.

In this thesis, I 'd like to propose the housing for elderly residents on the Robinson North Terminal at the Potomac waterfront in Alexandria Virginia. Also I tried to understand and study the material properties of bricks, and to realize mix-used architecture that can conform to Alexandra's unique order and maximize the potential of only sites