Kentland Cultural Center.

Spring 2021, Third Year Studio Project_ Individual Professor Edward Becker

Location: 5250 Whitethorne Rd, Blacksburg, VA 24060

Program: First floor for Kentland historic gallery space with the small stair libraries, Second floor for temporary agricultural-tech nology related exhibitions with the small farm-to-table cafe.

Requirements: Must take an advantage of the 360 degree panoramic view of the whole landscape of Kentland farm, deeply consider the intriguing sources for visitors to come, and value the historic background of the Kentland farm.

James Randal Kent acquired the farm in the early 1800s and produced corn, wheat, wool, and butter, plus horses, cattle, sheep, and swine, and owned 123 slaves. Kentland Farms, a 2,000-acre property owned by Virginia Tech in 1986, currently houses the university’s cutting-edge drone facility and supports its College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

An archeological survey confirmed that there is at least one extensive Late Woodland Period prehistoric Indian village located on the farm. The investigation resulted in the recovery of hundreds of artifacts including weapons, stone tools, lithic debris from tool manufacture, fragments of aboriginal clay pottery, and other pieces. In consideration of abundant historic values and resources, we were tasked to build a history museum and cultural center for the sake of expansion of agricultural facilities.

Kentland family and the colonial American South were largely attributed to the skill of enslaved African plantation workers and builders, yet it remains largely unacknowledged. The historic gallery on the first floor tells the overall background of colonial America, which includes the history of Kentland farms and celebrated manor houses, African history, and the whitewashing of our modern education system.

In addition, to utilize and support the extended use of drone facilities, Virginia Tech life sciences research, and new agricultural technologies, the second floor of Kentland Cultural Center contains removable tables and walls for the temporary exhibition. Small cafes, meeting and presentation rooms, and lounges on the second floor allow for a momentary break and constant dialog between people.

CONCEPT DIAGRAM. _ (1) Open for panoramic views of Kentland Farms

(2) Connection with the Historic Mannor

Details : Programmatic, Conceptual, Structural

Built with traditional rammed earth construction techniques as a material-concentrated metaphor in means of black history commemoration in Kentland Farms, the historic gallery consists of a rough-texturized interior finish and warm atmospheric lighting that help visitors immerse more into a spatial dialogue leading them to the historic journey.

STRUCTURE DIAGRAM. _ (1) Rammed Earth Wall Detail

(2) Glue-Lam Structure Detail

“Can the materiality be the source for reminiscence and commemoration?”

In contrast to the first-floor gallery, where more enclosed and serene, the cultural & exhibition center on the second floor was built with rigid glulam ceiling structure load-bearing supports framed with an aluminum curtain glass wall system in all directions to take advantage of a 360-degree panoramic view of Kentland Farms.