The Nature of Building A Public Arts Complex in Washington, DC

Abstract

"Construction is the art of making a meaningful whole out of many parts. Buildings are witnesses to the human ability to construct concrete things. I believe that the real core of all architectural work lies in the art of construction. At the point in time when concrete materials are assembled and erected, the architecture we have been looking for becomes part of the real world." -Peter Zumthor

The human experience of construction is the subject of this thesis. Through study of the materials, methods and tools of constructing, this work aims to reveal the nature of building through form, materials and detail.