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A HYBRID TYPOLOGY VIRGINIA TECH COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN STUDIES SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS DOCUMENT A L E C Y U Z H B A B E N K O
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS SEIDUTS NABRU DNA ERUTCETIHCRA FO EGELLOC HCET AINIGRIV NGISED + ERUTCETIHCRA FO LOOHCS TNEMUCOD SISEHT ETAUDARGREDNU O K N E B A B H Z U Y C E L A
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ELBAT -NOC FO STNET Many individuals have contributed their time and efforts during the course of this thesis within the School of Architecture + Design and outside of it in the professional realm. First, I would like to thank my thesis advisor, Patrick Doan, for the constant support of my ideas, the belief in my work and the “swing for the fence� encouragement that he gave during my search.
I would like to thank my family and colleagues for their support and critique that continued to push my thesis further along the way. Furthermore, thank you to all of the following advisors, faculty and professionals who have assisted this thesis with all of their suggestions and enthusiasm: Henri T. de Hahn, SIA Director, School of Architecture + Design Paul Battaglia, AIA Architectural Department Head of Clark Nexsen
Drew Raneiri, AIA Associate Principal at Solomon Cordwell Buenz
Dennis B. Jones Associate Professor Emeritus Hilary Bryon, Ph.D. Associate Professor
Andrew Balster Instructor
Heinrich Schnoedt Chair, Advanced Professional Program
Donna Dunay, FAIA G.T. Ward Professor of Architecture Gene Egger Nancy and Patrick Lathrop Professor Emeritus
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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THESITEPROPOSAL 2 ANALYSIS 37 THE SEARCH
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PREFACE
In “Strange Details”, Michael Cadwell writes that Carlo Scarpa was born on water, matured on water, and built and designed on water. I begin to relate to that because I was born and raised in Ukraine on the coast of the Black Sea. Nine years later I moved to the Gulf Coast of Mobile, Alabama; and ever since then, I have resided on the coast of the Atlantic in Virginia Beach, Virginia. So as you can see, water has been a part of me all of my life which has led me to develop a certain sensibility. In regards to that sensibility, Cadwell continues his passage and says, “not land unlike his terrestrial contemporaries, Scarpa developed an Aquatic Sensibility… because of this, he was able to blend his work in its context. In reference to that statement Cadwell later goes on to say, “Where is ground level after all, where is Terra Firma? Hard to tell. Instead there is a strange sensation of hovering in a zone of water and sky as the Earth drifts somewhere in the mix.” I interpret that as the Architecture drifts somewhere in the mix.
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OBSERVATION
Virginia Beach, Virginia is an interesting place because it is a hybrid of sorts. The city is a mixture of rural areas, suburban neighborhoods, and a weak attempt at urban density. Roads separate places and activities and each place is engaged at different times of the day. The Oceanfront is one of the most disconnected of those places. With most of the development being hotels and souvenir shops, the Oceanfront is a seasonal amenity that is a ghost town in the off-season. Being organized in an orthogonal grid and its proximity to the ocean, the Beach District has a lot of potential to grow as an urban place.
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HYPO[THESIS]
The Buell Hypothesis, at its most basic, argues as follows: Change the dream and you change the city. The private house and the city or suburb in which it is situated share a common destiny. Hence, if you change the narratives guiding suburban housing (such as that of the American Dream) and the priorities they imply—including spatial arrangements, ownership patterns, the balance between public and private interests, and the mixtures of activities and services that any town or city entails—then you begin the process of redirecting suburban sprawl.
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ROOM + GARDEN + POOL I
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This thesis explores the brackish boundaries between the natural and the man-made. It investigates architecture’s role in the fundamental idea of place within the city. When the static elements of the city fabric collide with the ethereal boundary of an ocean, an undulating landscape emerges. This formation is the architecture suspended between two worlds, balancing through harmonious acts of contrast and fluidity. A surf complex in Virginia Beach investigates the architectural relationship between water and place. The new body of water is conceived as an oasis within the site; sheltered by the architecture that weaves together water, ground and sky as it defines boundary and the lack there of. By creating an architecture that fuses various functions [live, work, play] through the development of form and section, the boundary helps to define and open this part of the city to become a catalyst for the neighborhood. The permeable ground floor, a central recreation area and a stadium typology facilitate a connection to the rest of the city, its culture and community.
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TYPOLOGY
PRECEDENTS
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Western office tower
European courtyard block
clear separation between public and private
residential public space sheltered from city public
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Corbusier’s residential tower
city public space allowed to flow under private
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H Y B R I D TYPOLOGY
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U R B A N CONTEXT
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[36.8506째 N, 75.9779째 W] VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA
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U R B A N CONCEPT
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rural lanscape
urban fabric
urban landscape
The lived experience of nature brought to a city. This brings a deeper sense of community and closenes to the Earth. This is not meant to make nature an inmate in the city, but to make nature work better in cities. An interaction betwen the urban, the rural and the wild.
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The stadium typology is a A collection of urban roo
dscape
enes to the Earth. This is tion betwen the urban,
The stadium typology is an adaptation of the traditional courtyard residential block, but more porous on the ground floor. A collection of urban rooms and gardens that aggregate into a centrally focused community, a neighborhood.
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A mixed use of spatial arran mixtures of activities and se
rous on the ground floor. neighborhood.
A mixed use of spatial arrangements, ownership patterns, the balance between public and private interests, and the mixtures of activities and services creates a 24 hour atmosphere that engages the place at all times.
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S I T E CONCEPT
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Site spans two city blocks at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront
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Urban Grid separated back to the original blocks to follow city order
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Surf Park ground level dug down creating an over-pass out of the existing road
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Neighborhood Park gradual topography descent towards the center creating recreation areas + sidewalk pulled back to facilitate outdoor seating for ground-floor retail + bike lanes and a pedestrian street incorporated into building set back
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Stadium Typology exterior follows order of the city, while the interior terraces creating jogging paths + residential complex elevated above a mixed use first floor with permeability to the center
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FIVE POINTS OF ARCHITECTURE REINTERPRETED
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rural lanscape
urban fabric
urban landscape
The lived experience of nature brought to a city. This brings a deeper sense of community and closenes to the Earth. This is not meant to make nature an inmate in the city, but to make nature work better in cities. An interaction betwen the urban, the rural and the wild.
1. Pilotis or first story columns that raise the structure above the ground.
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2. Free Plan achieved by the separation of load-bearing columns.
The stadium A collection
The lived experience of nature brought to a city. This brings a deeper sense of community and closenes to the Earth. This is not meant to make nature an inmate in the city, but to make nature work better in cities. An interaction betwen the urban, the rural and the wild.
1. Pilotis or first story columns that raise the structure above the ground.
2. Free Plan achieved by the separation of load-bearing columns.
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The stadium typology is an adaptation of the traditional courtyard residential block, but mor A collection of urban rooms and gardens that aggregate into a centrally focused community
3. Free Facade external walls are no longer load-bearing allowing for intermediate atrium spaces that buffer exterior forces.
sense of community and closenes to the Earth. This is ork better in cities. An interaction betwen the urban,
2. Free Plan achieved by the separation of load-bearing columns.
The stadium typology is an adaptation of the traditional courtyard residential block, but more porous on the ground floor. A collection of urban rooms and gardens that aggregate into a centrally focused community, a neighborhood.
3. Free Facade external walls are no longer load-bearing allowing for intermediate atrium spaces that buffer exterior forces.
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A mixed use of spatial arrang mixtures of activities and ser
4. Strip Windows horizontal lengths fenestration as uninterrupted bands of glazing.
m typology is an adaptation of the traditional courtyard residential block, but more porous on the ground floor. n of urban rooms and gardens that aggregate into a centrally focused community, a neighborhood.
3. Free Facade external walls are no longer load-bearing allowing for intermediate atrium spaces that buffer exterior forces.
A mixed use of spatial arrangements, ownership patterns, the balance between public and private interests, and the mixtures of activities and services creates a 24 hour atmosphere that engages the place at all times.
4. Strip Windows horizontal lengths fenestration as uninterrupted bands of glazing.
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5. Terraced Gardens to be constructed with sand covered by thick concrete slabs laid with staggered joints, seeded with grass and succulents.
e ground floor. od.
A mixed use of spatial arrangements, ownership patterns, the balance between public and private interests, and the mixtures of activities and services creates a 24 hour atmosphere that engages the place at all times.
4. Strip Windows horizontal lengths fenestration as uninterrupted bands of glazing.
5. Terraced Gardens to be constructed with sand covered by thick concrete slabs laid with staggered joints, seeded with grass and succulents.
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PROPOSAL FOR AN URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD
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The retail shops and restaurants that surround the wave pool on the ground floor allow for the public to spectate the surfers while the city goes about its day. This porous retail floor invites people into the block and gives a sneak peak for someone that is passing by on the sidewalk or street. A series of jogging paths on the residential levels circle down and touch the public floor giving the residents multiple ways of coming down and engaging the city. The landscape folds up and infuses nature into the built environment.
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The idea of a central green space within traditional European courtyard buildings is split up, lifted and distributed across the residential roof terraces. These sky gardens provide green spaces for the residents to enjoy or even interact with by growing some edible vegetation. These community spaces serve as public areas for the “neighborhood� in contrast to the private yards that each resident has at their unit. These spaces facilitate a closer interaction between the residents and nature even though the building is located in an urban environment.
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This building tries to address the fundamental question of cities: How does architecture set up an environment where the street is engaged around the clock and throughout the year? The retail shops and restaurants combined with a residential program, allow for a lively environment within the block and with the rest of the city. As night falls, the perforated screen becomes more transparent as the residential units light up from within. As a result, the uniform facade breaks down into pixels of light.
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Virginia Beach has a rich coastal culture based around the sport of surfing. Unfortunately, the conditions of the location do not provide the consistent waves to support the vast demand for the sport. Every year, Virginia Beach is home to one of the biggest surfing events called the East Coast Surfing Championship. Most of the time, there are no waves when events like these takes place. The surf complex on the ground floor provides a consistency of waves for the local surfers and could serve as a venue for various surfing events during the year. The terraced floors of the residential jogging paths that surround the pool will transform into spectating stands during these high volume events. The 19th street bridge that cuts through the middle of the complex also becomes a place for passing pedestrians to watch people surf below.
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SITE ANALYSIS “Art is a form of self-expression with absolutely no responsibility to anyone or anything. Architecture can be a piece of art, but it must be responsible to people and its context.� -Dessen Hillman
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B O U N D A R I E S
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[36.8506째 N, 75.9779째 W] The project site to investigate this thesis is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. the population was estimated to be 448,479. it is the most populous city in Virginia as well as the 39th most populous in the United States. Virginia Beach is a resort city with miles of beaches and hundreds of hotels, motels, and restaurants along its oceanfront. every year the city hosts the East Coast Surfing Championships.
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The Dome Site is an 8.6-acre development between 18th and 20th streets and is bordered by Pacific and Arctic Avenues. For more than 35 years, the Dome was the entertainment venue in Virginia Beach. Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones and Ray Charles all played there. Named for its golf ball-like appearance, the Dome existed on this site until 1994. It was demolished to make way for a bigger and better entertainment complex.
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Today, the site sits empty. These two city blocks serve as surface parking lots for the surrounding area. An HRT bus stop lies on the Eastern edge of the Northern block. Michael Jenkins, a Texas businessman, wants to build a 2,500-seat Broadway-style theater, an ice rink, a “moving� theater, children’s amusement rides, a 185-foot-tall Ferris wheel with dining gondolas and more. I decided to propose my own intervention on this site that is a little less generic and more culturally responsive.
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left. a site study of history and context through the extraction and interpretation of past architectural elements center. selected natural characteristics manipulated and organized in a way to interact with the built environment right. conceptual form massing and structure of architecture on water
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THE SEARCH An atypical analysis of water. The following pages include an investigation of the various characteristics of water and its influence on space through quick sketches, drawings and watercolors.
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THE PROCESS Testing of the ideas discovered through The Search with a project. This section outlines the conceptual and schematic development of a proposal for a new urban typology. What happens when the undgulating landscape of an ocean comes in contact with the static fabric of the built environment?
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Conceptual photoshop painting of architecture creating an oasis; a courtyard of sorts that contains the same body of water that is found on the exterior, but in a different state. Architecture is the medium.
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site model built at 1:80 scale out of chip board and plexi glass The initial concept was that the building would be a ring weaving itself over and under the grid of the city while preserving the existing roadway.
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facade study model
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A preliminary idea that the building would rise up from beneath the ground like a submarine in the act of breaking through the surface of the water. This posed some structural questions as well as some spatial questions within this tilted form.
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manipulation of the form to accommodate programmatic desires
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a section perspective drawing illustrating a spatial interaction of scales within the part of the building that spans over the roadway
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iteration of the facade and concrete span over roadway
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