The Metamorphosis of Coal Waste Into A Material for Change and a New Architectural Style for Appalachia

Abstract

The Appalachian Mountains have long been an important area of the United States whether being a rugged barrier to expansion or fueling the nation's industrial growth. While being important, this region is often forgotten while its neighbor of the East Coast receives a majority of the attention. This has lead to the region being neglected and starving for a resurgence. This thesis explores the possibility of developing masonry building products to help clean up the environmental damage done to the region with using the waste product of the mineral that once made this area prosper, coal. These coal-based building products also provide the opportunity to explore the possibility of developing a new vernacular style of architecture for the Coal Regions of the Appalachian Mountains. The masonry products observed in this thesis are that of the common brick and ceramic cladding tiles. Several qualitative tests were conducted on the materials to prove their viability. In order to explore the architectural qualities of these products, a train station was designed in Scranton, Pennsylvania to highlight the deep ties to the people and land this material has in a place needs to be celebrated.