Changing Room by Chad Christie

CHANGING ROOM Chad J. Christie Bachelor of Architecture May 2009

I would like to thank all of those who have been so dedicated to my growth as a designer throughout my time at Cornell; Professors Vince Mulcahy and Alex Mergold for their patience and guidance throughout the development of this thesis, my classmates for their collaboration and support, and my parents for their unwavering faith in my abilities.

Hybrid Landscape Tactical Structure American Landscape Site Sequence Precedents

3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07

Changing Room Building Sequence Plans Sections Axonometrics Renderings Physical Models

Table of Contents

2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05

Intervention

Analysis + Development

Introduction

1.01 Design Abstract 1.02 Context

Introduction

CHANGING ROOM

Design Abstract

B. Analysis

A. Introduction

1. Hybrid Landscape

1. Project Background

Fort Miles and Cape Henlopen exist as a hybrid zone of both past and present, and of both intense militarization and public accessibility. The park presently functions in the public realm as an attraction with facilities for myriad recreational activities, with everything from hiking and biking, to swimming, fishing, and camping. However, the unique thing about this particular site is the everpersistence of the fortifications of the past. It is next to impossible to go for walk, swim, bike ride, or even pass by the outside of the park without stumbling upon some kind of relic from the site’s history. Buried concrete gun batteries dot the Atlantic coast as a kind of protective wall, while post facilities, barracks, and observation towers all still stand on the interior of the landscape. The former trajectories of railway guns trace paths in the pine forest, while broken foundations of former structures scar the landscape.

Growing up in southern Delaware as a child, Cape Henlopen State Park was often a primary summertime destination. Today, however, the memories I have of playing in the sand or fishing off of the pier are not the ones that resonate with me the most. Instead, I most vividly recall a particular curiosity for the abandoned remnants of structures that lay hidden throughout the park, specifically a network of concrete observation towers and buried gun batteries that form a wall along the Atlantic edge. These structures were originally built during the Second World War as part of Fort Miles, one of the most heavily fortified coastal fortifications constructed to defend major oil refineries and factories along the Delaware River and Bay as well as the city of Philadelphia. Yet, Fort Miles never saw any major action, only firing its guns once during the war, and later became obsolete. This “wall” intended to protect the American landscape was left untested and rotting, and my fascination with it would later provoke a visit to the site to explore the remains of its past histories. 2. Site at Present Presently, Fort Miles exists as part of the Cape Henlopen State Park. Many of the original fortifications remain standing, some washed over and buried by the great sand dunes and pine forests, some used as foundations for public facilities, while others exist only as fragments of the original constructions. Nevertheless, there is a relentless persistence of these mysterious structures throughout the park that, despite their changing functions and appearance over time, must be acknowledged.

The site’s multiple layers function simultaneously and are at times interdependent of one another; e.g. a public facility and access to the beach uses a remaining Panama gun mount as its base. One can get a tan while learning about the significance the site played in WWII. The former existence of the site as a major fortification is reiterated by the permanence of the concrete structures amongst the shifting sands. The site can thus be viewed as a composite landscape where existing constructions are overlaid with pre-existing structures, networks, and trajectories of the past. To fully understand it, one must the examine both the site’s tactical structure, and ideas about the edge and the landscape this structure was intended to protect. 2. The Edge As humans, we have always had a particular fascination with the idea of the “edge,” boundary, or limit. As the

farthest point which one can traverse, the edge is often times seen as a spectacle and therefore becomes a destination. It is not uncommon for little to actually happen at the edge. Unless the most extreme of actions takes place, which would be jumping off, the edge becomes a place for contemplation and fantasy. The edge is typically seen as a place of transition from one contrasting circumstance to another. For example, in John Frederick Kensett’s “Coast Scene with Figures” the characters in the scene have emerged from a lush green landscape and observe the violent ocean beyond. In Asher Brown Durand’s “Kindred Spirits” two men have emerged from what seems to be a darker, almost evil wilderness, perhaps a more European interpretation of the forest. At the edge of a cliff, they stare down into a heavenly lit valley which appears to be the safer of the two conditions. The Hudson River School paintings of the 19th century often reflected these ideas about the edge and the American landscape, specifically the themes of discovery, exploration, and settlement. The paintings depict the American landscape as a pastoral setting, where human beings and nature coexist peacefully. Highly realistic and detailed, these paintings sometimes provided an idealized portrayal of nature along with the juxtaposition of colonialism and wilderness. An offspring of impressionism, these representations of the American landscape often conveyed the qualities of atmospheric light, stemming from Transcendentalist philosophies of sublime nature and contemplation bringing one closer to a spiritual truth. Fort Miles is much like these idealized juxtapositions of man and nature; structures once imposed upon the landscape by man, in efforts to control and protect the American landscape, have become absorbed by the natural world and exist in a careful balance. The edge is accentuated by the persistent rhythm of fortifications along the coast. It is the boundary between the safe American landscape behind it and the unfamiliar realm of the “other” that lies beyond in the ocean.

2. Architectural Design

The structural composition of the building is critical to further enhancing the overall experience of moving through it. Bow string trusses were chosen to construct the walls because of their relative lightness as well as their affiliation with yacht technology. Being on the ocean, this linkage to the nautical industry made sense. The attachment of a translucent membrane between the trusses not only allowed for shelter, but also for visual transparency and a great deal of natural light. Canvas sails are attached to the exterior to act as shading devices, and can be selectively omitted in some places to further manipulate the amount of light and transparency within the space.

C. Intervention 1. Design Concept The culmination of this sequence of thresholds moving from the familiar interior landscape of America, out to the frightening realm of the “other,” would inspire the site for my intervention. This particular location at the edge of the site is a void in the otherwise persistent rhythm of coastal fortifications (see page 25). By completing this defensive wall, this intervention functions as a means to interpret the native mechanisms of the site and to transcend its inherent boundaries. This project is about a place of transition—an infrastructure that facilitates movement from the forests edge out to ocean while registering change and movement through time, topography, and place. Changing Room aligns itself with the decaying military fortifications along the coast as part of a wall left untested during World War II. Instead of following suit as a boundary, Changing Room facilitates access to the beach from within the depths of the American landscape. As a sensory experience, Changing Room recalls and participates in a sequence of change through time and place.

1.01 Design Abstract

3. Site Sequence

This configuration facilitated the development of individual modules (as seen to the left), that created entirely different functions and experiences. For example, the first half of the structure that anchors itself in the dunes is clad with metal panels rather than the translucent membrane in order to hold the surrounding sand from falling in. This creates a darker space, and along with the concrete base, reinforces the weight and anchoring of the structure in the realm of the dunes that is necessary to allow the long cantilever. As the structure breaks free of the dunes and hangs out over the beach and ocean, the panels, membranes, and shading sails begin to decompose to allow for a lighter load and for maximized views. The south facade’s bow string trusses are taller than the northern side to allow for the winds blowing across them to the north to create sand drifts. With a transparent roof, this creates dynamic lighting effects and patterns from above as the sand swirls around and the shadows dance on the interior.

2. Building Sequence The sequence through the building is a microcosm of sectional experiences which recall the spatial situations along the sequence through the site.

The lightweight and temporal quality of these chosen structure and enclosure systems will allow for Changing Room’s own decomposition and decay over time, taking on new programmatic roles within the site.

The former Fort Miles Military Reservation, consisting of 2,011.25 acres, is located on Cape Henlopen, just east of the Town of Lewes, in Sussex County, Delaware. At approximately Latitude 38°47’30” and Longitude 75°05’08” the site can be accessed via US Route 9. The primary current use of the property is as a state-owned and operated public park, the Cape Henlopen State Park. The U.S. Navy continues to operate a reserve center on approximately 16 acres, and the University of Delaware and City of Lewis each control certain tracts. The lands are readily accessible by the public.

1.02 Context

Site Context

Nearby, development activity is limited. New commercial development activity in the area is mainly concentrated along Highway 1, several miles to the west of Fort Miles and the City of Lewes. Within the City of Lewes, no new development is occurring except for scattered development of residential buildings. The site is located on the Atlantic Coastal Plain, consisting of flat, low land with many marshes. The Atlantic Ocean borders the northern and eastern boundaries. The Delaware Bay is on the western boundary. Marshes border the site on the remaining boundary. High tides, caused by strong winds, can result in flooding of the lowlands. Storm water from the area drains through ditches and storm sewers.

OPPOSITE:

Aerial Photograph of Cape Henlopen State Park next to Lewes, Delaware

Originally known as Cape Henlopen Military Reservation, Fort Miles was part of the Harbor Defenses of Delaware Bay during WWI and WWII that protected the ports of Philadelphia and Wilmington from Nazi U-Boats. While a 6-inch gun emplacement was located on Cape Henlopen Point during WWI, WWII demanded the installation of numerous gun emplacements (8”, 12”, 16”) scattered about the reservation, housed in concrete batteries tucked away in the sand dunes. In the early 1940s, the Navy set up a Harbor Entrance Control Post and mines were laid across the channel in Delaware Bay. Post facilities were built and a small arms firing range was established. Fire control towers were set up as baselines to triangulate the position of suspicious ships or submarines. Although Fort Miles was only ever forced to fire its guns once during the war, it did, however, capture the Nazi’s U-858, the first German vessel to surrender to the Allies in WWII.

OPPOSITE: LEFT:

1.02 Context

World War II

A K-type airship orbits overhead as surrendering U-858 crewmen are captured and transferred to USS Pillsbury via motor whale boat off Cape May Fire control tower #7 in Cape Henlopen State Park 11

At its peak, Fort Miles was home to over 2200 soldiers. Although declared surplus in 1948, it remained largely intact and unchanged since its use in WWII. Fort Miles continued as an army post after WWII and was quite active as a training post during the Korean War in 1950. It was then used to support anti-aircraft gun firing units and for reserve component training. In 1958, the Army decided to close Fort Miles. The Army officially transferred 614 acres to the Department of the Navy for a Naval Oceanographic Research Station on February 13, 1961. The Navy resurveyed the property and determined it contained 593.47 acres. The Army retained 190 acres of land for the establishment of the First Recreation Area (FARA) for veterans, while the Navy retained 13.77 acres for a Naval Oceanographic Research Station.

1.02 Context

Site in Transition

Presently, the fort exists as part of the Cape Henlopen State Park. Many of the original fortifications remain standing, some washed over and buried by the great sand dunes and pine forests, some used as foundations for public facilities, while others exist only as fragments of the original constructions. Nevertheless, there is a relentless persistence of these mysterious structures throughout the park that, despite their changing functions and appearance over time, must be acknowledged.

OPPOSITE: LEFT:

Decaying Battery Herring with fire control towers near Rehoboth Beach in background Buried incinerator stack protruding from dunes 13

Analysis + Development

Fort Miles and Cape Henlopen exist as a hybrid zone of both past and present, and of both intense militarization and public accessibility. The park presently functions in the public realm as an attraction with facilities for myriad recreational activities, with everything from hiking and biking, to swimming, fishing, and camping. However, the unique thing about this particular site is the ever-persistence of the fortifications of the past. It is next to impossible to go for walk, swim, bike ride, or even pass by the outside of the park without stumbling upon some kind of relic from the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past. Buried concrete gun batteries dot the Atlantic coast as a kind of protective wall, while post facilities, barracks, and observation towers all still stand on the interior of the landscape. The former trajectories of railway guns traced paths in the pine forest, while broken foundations of former structures scar the landscape.

2.01 Hybrid Landscape

Hybrid Landscape

The siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s multiple layers function simultaneously and are at times interdependent of one another; e.g. a public facility and access to the beach uses a remaining Panama gun mount as its base. One can get a tan while learning about the significance the site played in WWII. The former existence of the site as a major fortification is reiterated by the permanence of the concrete structures amongst the shifting sands. The site can thus be viewed as a composite landscape where existing constructions are overlaid with pre-existing structures, networks, and trajectories of the past. To fully understand it, one must the examine both the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tactical structure, and ideas about the edge and the landscape this structure was intended to protect.

OPPOSITE: LEFT:

Site plan showing the site as a composite landscape where existing constructions are overlaid with pre-existing structures, communication networks, and trajectories of the past Model showing fragments of past histories and functions of the site embedded in the existing landscape (white) 17

2.01 Hybrid Landscape OPPOSITE: ABOVE LEFT: ABOVE RIGHT:

Conceptual collage of hybrid landscape Decaying Battery Herring Battery Smith now being used for storage 19

Principal Armament SpeciďŹ cations Principal Armament Gun Type

Carriage/Mount

Battery Herring (221) Battery Smith (118) Battery 519 Battery Hunter (222) AMTB 5 AMTB 5A AMTB 5B Battery 223 AMTB 7 Mines Railway Battery A Railway Battery B Battery 22 Battery 26

Barbette Carriage M1 Barbette Carriage M4 Barbette Carriage M1917 Barbette Carriage M1 Barbette Carriage M1903 Mount AMTB M3 Mount AMTB M3 Barbette Carriage M1 Mount AMTB M3 -Railway Carriage M1 Railway Carriage M1 Panama Mount Panama Mount

6 Inch Gun M1903A2 16 Inch Gun MKII-M1 12 Inch Gun M1895M1A2 6 Inch Gun M1903A2 3-Inch Gun M1903 90MM AMTB Gun M1 90MM AMTB Gun M1 6 Inch Gun M1903A2 90MM AMTB Gun M1 M-4 Mines 8 Inch Gun MK6 MOD3A2 LR 8 Inch Gun MK6 MOD3A2 LR 155MM M1918 GPF 155MM M1918 GPF

Quantity Range (yds) Elevation (degs) Traverse (degs) Location 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 2 4 35 gps 4 4 4 4

27100 45150 29300 27100 11000 19500 19500 27100 19500 -35200 35200 17700 17700

-5 to +47.5 -3 to +47 -5 to +45 -5 to +47.5 -5 to +85 -8 to +80 -8 to +80 -5 to +47.5 -8 to +80 --5 to +45 -5 to +45 0 to +35 0 to +35

360 145 145 360 360 360 360 360 360 -360 360 180 180

Miles Miles Miles Miles Miles Miles Miles Cape May Cape May Miles Miles Miles Miles Cape May

2.02 Tactical Structure

Protective Range

Tactical Organization

#1 Battery Herring (221)

Battery Smith (118) Battery 519 Battery Hunter (222) AMTB 5 AMTB 5A AMTB 5B Battery 223 AMTB 7 Mines Railway Battery A Railway Battery B Battery 22 Battery 26

Fire Control Towers #7 #8 #9 #12 #13 #23 #24 #25 #26 Smith

Plotting Rooms 519 Mines In Battery

2.02 Tactical Structure

Armament Tactical Communication

The Atlantic Wall

Gap in System

2.02 Tactical Structure

Defensive Wall in Context

As humans, we have always had a particular fascination with the idea of the “edge,” boundary, or limit. As the farthest point which one can traverse, the edge is often times seen as a spectacle and therefore becomes a destination. It is not uncommon for little to actually happen at the edge. Unless the most extreme of actions takes place, which would be jumping off, the edge becomes a place for contemplation and fantasy. The edge is typically seen as a place of transition from one contrasting circumstance to another. For example, in John Frederick Kensett’s “Coast Scene with Figures” the characters in the scene have emerged from a lush green landscape and observe the violent ocean beyond. In Asher Brown Durand’s “Kindred Spirits” two men have emerged from what seems to be a darker, almost evil wilderness, perhaps a more European interpretation of the forest. At the edge of a cliff, they stare down into a heavenly lit valley which appears to be the safer of the two conditions.

2.03 American Landscape

The Edge

The Hudson River School paintings of the 19th century often reflected these ideas about the edge and the American landscape, specifically the themes of discovery, exploration, and settlement. The paintings depict the American landscape as a pastoral setting, where human beings and nature coexist peacefully. Highly realistic and detailed, these paintings sometimes provided an idealized portrayal of nature along with the juxtaposition of colonialism and wilderness. An offspring of impressionism, these representations of the American landscape often conveyed the qualities of atmospheric light, stemming from Transcendentalist philosophies of sublime nature and contemplation bringing one closer to a spiritual truth. Fort Miles is much like these idealized juxtapositions of man and nature; structures once imposed upon the landscape by man, in efforts to control and protect the American landscape, have become absorbed by the natural world and exist in a careful balance. The edge is accentuated by the persistent rhythm of fortifications along the coast. It is the boundary between the safe American landscape behind it and the unfamiliar realm of the “other” that lies beyond in the ocean.

OPPOSITE: LEFT:

John Frederick Kensett’s “Coast Scene with Figures (Beverly Shore)”, 1869 Asher Brown Durand’s “Kindred Spirits”, 1849 27

Swaths Across America

Through Maryland + Delaware

Through Fort Miles

2.03 American Landscape

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 30

Fire Control Tower #12 Harbor Defense Control Post Battery 519 Plotting Room Lewes Sand Company Railway Railway Battery 20 Pitch Pine Forest Forest Clearing Forest Edge

Analyzing the existing site alongside the tactical organization of WWII constructions provoked a visit to the site to examine the physical relationship between elements of present and fragments of the past. This would prove to be the beginning of a sequence of discoveryâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the uncovering of alien objects once imposed upon the landscape by man in efforts to control and protect it. Southern Delaware is almost completely flat, yet upon entering the park I spotted a mysterious swell of earth just past the first wall of pine. I was immediately drawn to the curious landforms within the forest, only to discover fragments of concrete emerging from the pine needle-covered earth (3). The remains of railroad cross-ties laid scattered across the forest floor, evidence a previous route through the woods (4). These fragments directed me to discover a family of four horseshoe-shaped embankments that rose out from the earth to create secondary spaces within the forest. As remnants of something unnatural imposed upon the landscape, the time-hardened sand bags revealed themselves beneath the earth (5). Climbing over the embankments, the irregular rhythm of tree trunks touching down made the terrain disorienting and difficult to navigate. It was untouched and wild (6). Occasional clearings in the forest allowed the sunlight to pour down on the earth and brought the ocean winds, scattering the blanket of pine needles and revealing the sand beneath. It was here that the intrusion of the sand dunes as well as the distant sound of crashing waves made my proximity to the coast evident (7). I was able to follow these clues out of the grasp of the thick forest to its edge (8).

OPPOSITE: LEFT:

2.04 Site Sequence

Site Sequence

Numbered sequence through site Sandbags reveal themselves beneath embankments 31

Site Sequence

1 - Fire Control Tower #12

2 - Harbor Defense Control Post

5 - Railway Battery 20

6 - Pitch Pine Forest

4 - Lewes Sand Company Railway

7 - Forest Clearing

8 - Forest Edge

2.04 Site Sequence

3 - Battery 519 Plotting Room

Type IXC/40 U-Boat

2.05 Precedents OPPOSITE: ABOVE LEFT: ABOVE RIGHT:

Conceptual study model of U-Boat in site Cross-section through submarine Sketches of U-Boat in context of site 35

Skeleton Coast

2.05 Precedents LOCATION:

Skeleton Coast, Namibia 37

Maryhill Overlook

2.05 Precedents ARCHITECT: LOCATION:

Allied Works Architecture Maryhill, Washington 39

Museum Liaunig

2.05 Precedents ARCHITECT: LOCATION:

Querkraft Neuhaus, Carinthia, Austria 41

Petter Dass Museum

2.05 Precedents ARCHITECT: LOCATION:

Snøhetta Alstahaug, Norway 43

KarmĂ¸y Fishing Museum

2.05 Precedents ARCHITECT: LOCATION:

Snøhetta Karmøj, Norway 45

Intervention

When I came to the forests edge during the visit to the site, trees turned to brush, and brush turned to sand. The winds howled and threw sand in my eyes. I followed a sandy foot-beaten path towards the ocean where the horizon began to peek out from behind the dunes. It was at the highest point on the dune that I was forced to evaluate my surroundings. Behind me, I acknowledged the deep forest from which I had emerged. Down the beach to my left, a public beach pavilion sat on top of some former concrete gun mounts. To my right, the profile of a casemated gun battery emerged out from the towering dune. I seemed to exist as part of this linear system of fortification that stretched along the coast. The chilly ocean crashed up on shore with no sign of life to be seen in any direction. I had reached the edge, the point of no return.

3.01 Changing Room

Changing Room

The culmination of this sequence of thresholds moving from the familiar interior landscape of America, out to the frightening realm of the “other,” would inspire the site for my intervention. This particular location at the edge of the site is a void in the otherwise persistent rhythm of coastal fortifications. By completing this defensive wall, this intervention functions as a means to interpret the native mechanisms of the site and to transcend its inherent boundaries. This project is about a place of change—an infrastructure that facilitates movement from within the cherished American landscape out to the ocean while registering a sequence of change through time, topography, and place.

OPPOSITE: LEFT:

Exterior view of building from near Battery 519 Proposed intervention closes gap in Atlantic Wall 49

9 10

9 10 11 12 13 14

Changing Room Approach Battery 519 View Upper + Lower Routes Beach Access Upper Route Ocean Lookout

The sequence through the building is a microcosm of sectional experiences which recall the various spatial situations along the sequence through the site. The sequence also relates to the transverse sections as shown on page 44. The approach to the building from the edge of the forest reveals a strange concrete mass embedded in the sand dunes, shielding the ocean beyond which was once visible at this point (9). One can either enter the concrete mass through a dark portal to access the changing room, or climb it to ascend to the top of the mound, at which point one is even with the peak of the dunes. At the top, the adjacent Battery 519 is framed to the right and the remains of some concrete gun mounts are bridged over by a public beach facility to the left. Here, one recognizes their alignment with the existing fortification system (10). This acknowledgement of adjacent historical fragments from the top of such a mass recalls the first mysterious mound in the site sequence (3), and corresponds to transverse section A. Climbing down the stairs, the various routes through the structure are revealed (11), with a pair of stairs heading to the upper route framing a central space. This mimics the secondary spaces created by the railroad battery embankments within the forest (5) and corresponds with transverse section B. The beach is accessed by a center stair heading down into the sand (12). On the upper route, which corresponds to transverse section C, one stares down a long central path that stretches like an arm out to the horizon, the same way in which the original footpath at edge of the forest (8) directed one to the beach (13). Moving to the end of the structure, one faces the elements as the protective shelter of the structure decomposes. Here, there are spectacular views out to the ocean and down the shore as one hovers above the waterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edge (14).

OPPOSITE: TOP LEFT: BOTTOM LEFT:

3.02 Building Sequence

Building Sequence

Numbered sequence through building Path from forest edge to ocean Path from forest edge to ocean after intervention 51

Building Sequence

9 - Changing Room Approach

10 - Battery 519 View

12 - Beach Access

13 - Upper Route

3.02 Building Sequence

11 - Upper + Lower Routes

14 - Ocean Lookout

Building Plan

E D

3.03 Plans

E D

S 55

Transverse Sections

Key Plan E

3.04 Sections

Longitudinal Section

3.04 Sections

Module Enclosure

A B C D E F G

Bow String Truss (Wall) Roof Truss Steel Beam Transluscent Membrane Glass Panels Metal Panel Roof Canvas Shading Sails

G E

3.05 Axonometrics

Structure + Enclosure

This configuration facilitated the development of individual modules (as seen to the left), that created entirely different functions and experiences. For example, the first half of the structure that anchors itself in the dunes is clad with metal panels rather than the translucent membrane in order to hold the surrounding sand from falling in. This creates a darker space, and along with the concrete base, reinforces the weight and anchoring of the structure in the realm of the dunes that is necessary to allow the long cantilever. As the structure breaks free of the dunes and hangs out over the beach and ocean, the panels, membranes, and shading sails begin to decompose to allow for a lighter load and for maximized views. The south facadeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bow string trusses are taller than the northern side to allow for the winds blowing across them to the north to create sand drifts. With a transparent roof, this creates dynamic lighting effects and patterns from above as the sand swirls around and the shadows dance on the interior. The lightweight and temporal quality of these chosen structure and enclosure systems will allow for Changing Roomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own decomposition and decay over time, taking on new programmatic roles within the site.

LEFT:

Exploded axonometric of building structure and enclosure systems 61

Sectional Perspective

3.05 Axonometrics