The Extended Frame

Abstract

This thesis explores the construction and architectural qualities of historic bank barns found in Chester county Pennsylvania. Analyzing the timber joints and adapting their characteristics for modern programmatic needs. It aims to extend the role of the heavy timber frame and reintroduce the methods of construction found in these historic handcrafted structures. Using the programmatic lens of a public library to isolate the distinct qualities of a barn including heavy and light, cellular and open, and the bent. The site of this Library is Kennett Square Pennsylvania, a rapidly expanding town in Chester county. While the town has made efforts to preserve the historic structures that surround it, the new construction has turned its back to these historic methods. Located in the center of downtown, this proposal would replace the existing inadequate public library. The program of a library offers the opportunity to educate the public and revitalize interest in timber structures.