Contextus - Modern Interventions in the Urban Fabric by Richard Gallagher

CONTEXTUS:

A MODERN INTERVENTION IN THE URBAN FABRIC

BY RICHARD GALLAGHER

Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture in the Department of Architecture.

Defended on 27 July 2007 at the Washington Alexandria Architecture Center, Alexandria, VA

Susan Piedmont-Palladino

Committee Chair

Paul Emmons

Committee Member

Jonathan Foote

Committee Member

Jaan Holt

Committee Member

Keywords:

All drawing and writing herein is the work of the author, unless otherwise noted. CIVIC

public

architecture, space, Shaw

context, public library, Neighborhood, Washing-

CONTEXTUS:

A MODERN INTERVENTION IN THE URBAN FABRIC BY RICHARD GALLAGHER

ABSTRACT

The word "context" originates in "contextus", which is Latin for weaving. An architectural question arises as to how a building can so integrate itself with a community that is it truly woven into the urban fabric. The Shaw Neighborhood branch of the District of Columbia Public Library system closed in 2004. The building at the intersection of 7th Street and Rhode Island Avenue could no longer serve the needs of the community. and shall be replaced by a new facility on the same site. What are the needs of the community that should be addressed. and by what methods? As a civic building. what role will the new library play beyond that of a place to find books? What are the contexts that the new architecture will confront. and how does this building transcend the contexts of the present to endure as something equally valuable in the future?

This work would not have been possible without the help of many hands. Special thanks is due to the following: To my colleagues at the Washington Alexandria Architecture Center. for their inspiration and criticism. especially Bill. Erin, Hodges. James. John, Kate. Marissa. and Patrick. To Ellen, Marcia, and Sebastian, for their interest and ideas. To Brandon. for giving me an appreciation for public space. To

Mom, Dad, and Caitlin, for their unwavering support through six years of architectural education.

To Megan, for pushing me when I needed to be pushed, and for pulling me back when I didn't. Most importantly. to my committee. Susan. Paul. Jon. and Jaan. who have been mentors and friends, and whose patience and empathy have given me the courage to succeed. Thank you!

iii

contents

abstract

contextus

context of th e neighborhood

context of th e site

context of culture

context of a library

context of building

context of time

context of process

bibliography

vita

1. Onions, C.T., G.W.S. Friedrichsen, and R.W. Burchfield. The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1966. p. 209.

01 I 02

contextus

context construction, composition XV; connected structure of a composition or passage, parts immediately before and after a given passage XVI. -L. contextus, f. context-, pp. stem of contextere weave together, f. com CON- + texere weave. [see also textile, textual, texture]1

contextu8 initially approached this journey with the goal in mind of creating a modern interpretation of an historic vernacular in a particular urban neighborhood. I had always been fascinated by the study of history until quite recently when I realized. through the preparation of this thesis. that the true product of studying history is not a gained acquaintance with the past. but rather a greater understanding of the present. One's current situation is made clearer when considered within the context of all the circumstances that led to it. Thus it is history as the context for the modern world that interests me. more than history itself. Frampton wrote that "historicism can only result in consumerist iconography masquerading as culture."2 The idea here is that a building that attempts to achieve an antique aesthetic simply for the sake of fitting in will create an environment more akin to a theme park than an actual. working city. This does not. however, advocate architecture that is oblivious to its surroundings, but rather an architecture that is sensitive to the

2. Frampton, Kenneth. "Prospects for a Critical Regionalism", Perspecta. no. 20. 1983, pp. 147-162. Frampton argues here that, essentially. architecture should come from the culture of a place, not create it.

03 I 04

contextus

physical. social, and environmental conditions surrounding it. The relationship between a building and a city goes far deeper than the fayade. The word "context" originates in "contextus", which is Latin for "weaving." An architectural question arises as to how a building can so integrate itself with a community that is it truly woven into the urban fabric. The Shaw Neighborhood branch of the District of Columbia Public Library system closed in 2004. The building at the intersection of 7th Street and Rhode Island Avenue could no longer serve the needs of the community, and shall be replaced by a new facility on the same site. What are the needs of the community that should be addressed, and by what methods? As a civic building, what role will the new library play beyond that of a place to find books? What are the contexts that the new architecture will confront, and how does this building transcend the contexts of the present to endure as something equally valuable in the future?

6 Boards - graphite, colored pencil on mat board

III

'~ ;

..•.......

context of th e neighborhood The Shaw neighborhood in Northwest Washington, DC is an area of both rich cultural heritage and dynamic change. The boundaries of Shaw are generally accepted to be Massachusetts Avenue and New York Avenue to the South, North Capitol Street to the East, Florida Avenue and U Street to the North, and 13th Street to the West. The neighborhood was home to Duke Ellington, and its U Street corridor is still at the center of Washington's jazz and performing arts culture. The neighborhood saw almost no new development for 40 years following race riots of the 1960's, until construction of a new convention center in Shaw in 1997 led to a surge in development. As with any urban development boom, gentrification is now the norm, quickly changing the demographics of this predominantly African American, predominantly working class neighborhood. 3 Neighborhood Plan

3. Padro, Alex. Personal Interview. 29 August 2006. Alex Padro is a community activist in Shaw, and serves as Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for a 16 block area of Shaw.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Massachusetts Ave. New York Ave. N. Capitol St. Florida Ave. U St. 13th St. 7th St. & Rhode Island Ave.

B. 9. 10. 11. 12.

5 St. & Wiltberger St. Bth St .. 1600 Block 9th St .. 2000 Block 7th St .. 1600 Block 7th St .. 1300 Block

13. Thurgood Marshall Center 14. D St. Market 15. Ashbury Dwellings 16. 7th St. Savings Bank 17. The Grimke School 1B. Phyllis Wheatly YMCA 19. African American Civil War Memorial 20. Convention Center

05 I 06

neighborhood

Historically, commercial avenues in Shaw are lined with three to four story, mixed-use buildings that leave a minimal setback and are entered from the street level. In contrast. the majority of the neighborhood is made up of residential streets consisting of two to three story row houses whose main living levels are one-half story above the street. and are fronted by small yards. Alleys behind both commercial and residential buildings are utilized for deliveries and trash removal. In this long-established model, building heights remain consistent throughout the neighborhood. and buildings share a clear, purposeful relationship with the street. However. new development has introduced residential high-rises and single story businesses. Here. alleys give way to parking lots. blurring the intentions of a more traditional approach to urban design and adding a wide variety of scales to the experience of Shaw. Sections cut through various streets illustrate the multitude of scales at play in the neighborhood.

Wiltberger St. 8th St., 1600 Block 9th St., 2000 Block 7th St., 1600 Block 7th St., 1300 Block

07 I 08

neighborhood

The tradition of elevating the living floor of a residence above the street level, leaving space for an 'English basement' below, originates in the palazzi of the Italian Renaissance. The main level of these palaces, the piano nobile, consist of tall, grand reception spaces, with shallower living spaces above, and storage and servant spaces below. 4 This trend of elevating the building's main floor is also prevalent in much of Shaw's civic architecture [see the Thurgood Marshall Center, a 1908 interpretation of an Italian palazzo). In a place where buildings meet the street through such deliberate means, meeting an intersection presents a particularly special opportunity. Many buildings in Shaw that address intersections do so in the form of a tower, or some other shape that is sensitive to the corner's angle.

4. Fleming, John. Hugh Honour and Nikolaus Pevsner The Penguin Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, 5th ed. New York: Penguin Group, 1999. p. 436. Though the elevated characteristic of the Piano Nobile originally came about to separate the nobility from angry mobs outside. use in a civic context suggests a connotation of 'rising to a higher purpose.'

09 I 10

neighborhood

The Thurgood Marshall Center - 12th St .. 1200 Block

[Left]

St. Market. 7th St. & 0 St.

Ashbury Dwellings, 7th St. & Rhode Island Ave.

Texture and color in the facades of Shaw's buildings bring an animated life to the neighborhood's streets, which reflects the equally animated life of the neighborhood's residents. Load-bearing brick and stone buildings carry a tactile assortment of wood, glass, steel, and masonry upward where they meet the sky with a beautifully articulated cornice. In the case of Shaw's many row houses a comfortable rhythm is felt in the consistent scale of undulating volumes, while vibrant colors serve as protection from the monotony that such a rhythm could produce.

Wonder Bread Building - SSt. & Wiltberger St. Seventh Street Savings Bank 7th St. & N St. Row Houses - 9th St., 2000 Block

11 I 12

neighborhood

The fac;:ade of a building is more than simply a thin layer of skin. In traditional load-bearing architecture the texture felt on the face is actually a direct result of the physical structure of the building. These visual clues lead to a greater understanding of the spatial arrangement within. and of the building as a whole.

The Grimke School - Vermont Ave .. 1900 Block The Thurgood Marshall Center 12th St .. 1800 Block The Phyllis Wheatly YMCA

13 I 14

neighborhood

For all its architectural tradition, Shaw lacks one very important urban entity: public space. Many spaces are isolated, making them ineffective as places to gather. Others are designed as spaces to move through rather than be in. Often parking lots and. more often. alleys are the open spaces where Shaw residents choose to congregate. These are never the safest or most constructive environments.

African American Civil War Memorial - U St. & Vermont Ave. Metro Station Entrance - Convention Center Station Wiltberger St.

15 I 16

neighborhood

~I -

.~(

context

of the

sit e

The Shaw Neighborhood Library resides at a prominent site in the middle of the neighborhood. 7th Street is the main commercial corridor in the area and Rhode Island Avenue is a major thruway connecting Shaw to other parts of Washington, DC. making their intersection one of the busiest in the neighborhood. The other streets bounding the site. R Street and 8th Street, are quiet residential roads. but still host enough traffic to make the long wedge. in essence, a large traffic island. A Metro station entrance is directly across R Street and there are two bus stops serving the library. Though the surrounding buildings are primarily residential, wide streets and adjacent parking lots leave the site open and lacking the density relished in other parts of the neighborhood.

Site Plan

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. B.

17 118

site

Existing Library 7th St. Rhode Island Ave. R St. Bth St. Metro Entrance Shaw/Howard U. Station Bus stop Ashbury Dwellings

The site's angled geometry creates a challenge of arranging spaces in an economical manner. The East Wing of the National Gallery of Art, designed by I.M. Pei, is planned on a 70-degree angle 5 , making it similar to the 66 degrees of the library site and thus an appropriate precedent within the city for dealing with such a distinctive geometry. The building's library and Central Court present especially articulate examples of spaces arranged using the geometry of the site.

5. Kwederis, Donna. Building Tour. 2 March 2007. Donna Kwederis is an architect with the National Gallery of Art's design department.

[Left] National Gallery of Art, East Wing - Library & Study Center

The precise angle of the East Wing's plan is 70.5425 degrees.

National Gallery of Art, East Wing - Central Court National Gallery of Art, East Wing - Concourse Level

19120

site

A great deal of the library's patrons will arrive by Metro. Because of its close proximity to the library, the station entrance demands the building's attention. Rather than orient itself toward the main intersection, as most buildings along 7th Street do, the main entrance of the building is oriented toward the plaza across R Street. This plaza is in fact considered a part of the site, and the entrance of the building gestures towards it. The volume of the building and its position relative to the street are derived from precedents set by the traditional architecture of the neighborhood. The building stands at a height of 50 feet, roughly equivalent to the height of the Ashbury Dwellings across 7th Street. This is also roughly the average height of all buildings adjacent to the site, which range from 15 to BO feet tall. The building engages the surrounding streets in a bold way, leaving minimal setbacks to eliminate any physical disconnect from the urban environment, thus announcing itself as a vital institution on a prominent site.

In an effort to maximize the available space on the site, the utility spaces for the building [including offices, rest rooms, mechanical and storage spaces, etc.] are arranged along the perimeter, housed within steel-framed, metal-clad walls that act as book ends on the East and West sides of the library. Concrete terminating elements support the utility walls as visual and spatial braces. These concrete elements also carry the vertical shafts for the building's infrastructure. As a direct result of this arrangement, the remaining space is naturally divided into two large zones. The Eastern of these two zones contains the library's stacks and reading spaces, while the remaining zone consists of an indoor public gathering space. 21 122

site

Footprint diagram Space Diagram â&#x20AC;˘

Utility Spaces

â&#x20AC;˘

Terminating Elements 1.

Stacks & Reading Spaces

Gathering Space

[Left]

Study Model

context of culture

Public space plays a vital role in the life of cities, the importance of which has been well documented throughout the centuries. Giorgio Martini's 15th Century Man as the Prototype for Urban Farm, for example, depicts the public plaza as the umbilicus of the city. Cities rely on the existence of society, which in turn relies on the gathering of people. However, gathering space is not limited to outdoor plazas; a fact clearly understood by Giambattista Nolli who surveyed Rome in the mid-18th Century. In his famous plan, Nolli shows the interior spaces of Rome's churches and other public buildings in the same fashion as the plazas and streets that surround them. When weighed against the solid masses of the other private buildings of Rome, these interior public spaces clearly have a direct and fundamental connection to their exterior plazas.

6. KostoL Spiro. The City Shaped: Urban Patterns and Meanings Through History New York: Bulfinch Press, 1991. p.52.

[Left]

7. Steiner, Erik and Jim Tice. "The Nolli Map of Rome [1748]." The Interactive Nolli Map of Rome Website. 2005. University of Oregon. 27 November 2006 <http://nolli.uoregon.eduj>.

[Right) The Nolli Map of Rome (174B)'. a portion of Plate 6. showing the Pantheon [837].

23 I 24

culture

Man as the Prototype for Urban Form, by Francesco di Giorgio Martini. late 15th century"

The library's Piano Nobile is an indoor extension of the outdoor plaza and is akin to the indoor public spaces depicted in the Nolli Plan of Rome. Giambattista Nolli's strategy of separating the built environment from open space [including streets] is not quite so effective when translated to the neighborhood plan of Shaw. due to the lack of urban density of this particular area. However, if the both the building and vehicular [including streets and parking lots] realms are separated from the pedestrian zones, a much more revealing story is told.

The "Nelli" Plan ef Shaw â&#x20AC;˘

Buildings

Vehicular Space

25 I 26

culture

Pedestrian/Gathering Space

The plaza is where many visitors begin their library experience and it is designed to facilitate this experience as well as the multitude of other purposes the community may find for it. In a bold gesture toward weaving the library into the neighborhood. the rough textured granite floor of the plaza crosses R Street at the sidewalk level, forcing vehicular traffic to climb a six-inch slope. This gives drivers a heightened awareness of their momentary presence in the pedestrian realm. Overall traffic on R Street is reduced by dedicating one lane for busses and one lane for short-term parking. An existing driveway connecting R Street to several parking lots north of the plaza has been eliminated and a new access lane north of the plaza enters from 7th Street and exit to 8th Street. The Metro station entrance has been moved to the eastern half of the plaza. allowing the Metro a clear relationship to the library entrance. Consequentially a below-grade tunnel connecting the escalators to the station platform is shortened by approximately 50 feet. A grove of trees is introduced to the site and with it spaces to sit. read. and interact with other members of the community.

[Inset] 1. 2. 3.

Demolition Plan

Existing Library Existing Metro entrance Existing Driveway

Site Plan 4. 5. 6. 7. B. 9.

27 I 28

culture

Granite Floor New Metro Entrance New Access Lane Bus/Bike Lane 10 Minute Parking Zone Reading Grove

'------.,....,-_/ 6

Upon crossing the plaza. visitors to the library approach the building's entrance by ascending a four-feet tall ramp or an associated set of stairs. The ascent is the transition from the plaza to the library, bringing the visitor to the level of the Piano Nobile.

Site Section. view to the East Site Plan

29 I 30

culture

Plaza

Entrance Ramp

"N"J"""o-rT\ 16U

048

At the main entrance, visitors to the library pass through a massive threshold that is both inviting and uplifting.

[Opposite) [This Page)

31 132

culture

Entrance Elevation Working Model

SHAW DRHDDD NEIGHB BRA~_CH

...............

"You shouldn't be library. It should which says, 'what --Louis Kahn.

forced to put people through the be just something in its structure a wonderful place to go ...路 on the Phillips Exeter LibraryB

B. Rommer, Heinz and Sharad Jhaveri. Louis I. Kahn: Complete Work 1935 - 1974 Boston: Birkhauser. 19B7. p.295.

[Right) Sketch of Piano Noblie from main entrance [Left]

33 I 34

culture

Working Model

Despite the odd geometry of the plan, the Piano Nobile space is oriented along an axis perpendicular to that of the main entrance. Upon entering the building massive columns turn the visitors' attention to the left, toward the grand stair to the second floor, the circulation area. and ultimately the books. Computer terminals in this space allow quick reference of the library's catalogue. A secondary entrance off of 8th Street is opposite the main entry and a stair down to the assembly level is at the northern end of the space.

Piano Nobile Plan 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

7. 8.

35 I 36

culture

Entry Piano Nobile 2nd Floor Stair Computer Terminals Circulation Elevator Secondary Entrance Assembly Level Stair

O路 2-;-.~

The floor-to-ceiling Nobile space is 42 feet.

height

the

Section through Piano Nobile. View to the West

Piano

[Opposite)

Section through Piano Nobile. View to the South

[This Page]

'~~I

1:1

-\~

~~nJ>DI~~~I---~

\elD

,r-~~-----;;i----r..l..-...{i If,\ I I ,; I I

I--

i i

I .:

I II

•

37 I 38

culture

L • '"

I I , .<

... 0"

I .

Sketch of Piano Nobile. from base of Grand Stair Working Model

39 I 40

culture

"Traveling up through a building should be an adventure in climbing." --Jaan HoltS

The path of ascent through the Piano Nobile weaves in and out of the building offering visitors several moments of reconnection with the surrounding city. At the second floor this path exits the building through the utility wall, and a glassenclosed stair carries visitors up to the third floor. While on this stair visitors are closer to the outdoor environment of Shaw than the interior of the library.

Holt. Jaan.

Comments at a student review.

9 February 2007.

[Left] [Right)

41 I 42

culture

West Elevation 2nd Floor Plan

I I

I I f-~

I I I

\.--

---~,~ o

As visitors re-enter the building through the utility wall at the third floor, the stair to the fourth floor is immediately to the left. The landing for this switchback stair pokes through the exterior wall for a brief glimpse at the neighborhood before turning visitors around, sending them back into the library. The path ends on the fourth floor with a small, glass enclosed platform, allowing visitors to read and reflect while surrounded by the sky.

43 I 44

culture

[Left]

3rd Floor Plan

[Right)

4th Floor Plan

-C)

o ~.-4 8 16

The Piano Nobile and its ascending path act as one contiguous space, winding through and around itself, weaving the library in and out of the surrounding city.

Piano Nobile Axonometric

45 I 46

culture

Sketch of Piano Nobile. from 4th Floor walkway Working Model

47 I 48

culture

context

of a

library

The library spaces themselves are arranged in four floors in the long zone to the east of the Piano Nobile. The ground floor of the library is accessed from the Piano Nobile by descending down to the plaza level. In this space are the main computer lab. reference materials, periodicals, and a small cafe. which opens up to the plaza to allow for outdoor seating. In the Piano Nobile are the circulation area. with areas for re-shelving and inter-library loan, as well as storage space and a small loading dock.

Piano Nobile/Ground Floor Plan 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

49 I 50

library

Computer Lab Reference Materials Periodicals Cafe Outdoor Seating Re-shelving Circulation Desk Inter-Library Loan Storage Loading Dock

I__

~/t ./'

....-.--

The library's relationship to the street is played out at the ground floor. Along the north faQade. the glass curtain wall finishes flush with the floor and the entry ramp continues inside the building producing strong visual connections between the interior space and the plaza. The south faQade steps back from the street and up from the sidewalk. to create a long bench and alcove, which act as a human-scale invitation for pedestrians to participate in the library experience. Off of 7th Street, a secondary entrance into the cafe allows the business to operate when the library is closed. In the tradition of commercial architecture in Shaw, this entrance happens at the sidewalk level, with the sidewalk itself seeping into the building to create another sheltering alcove.

51 152

library

[Left] Section through Library. view to the East [Right) 1. 2. 3.

Plan of Cafe

Entry Ramp Rhode Island Ave. alcove 7th St. Entrance

Section through Library, view to the North

[Opposite)

_L ~

A glass-enclosed stair tower terminates the library at 7th Street. taking command of the intersection. An imposing form by day and a lantern by night. the tower acts as a signal to the neighborhood.

[Opposite) [This Page)

53 I 54

library

East Elevation Working Model

"I felt the reading room would be where a person is alone near a window. and I felt that would be a private carrel, a kind of discovered place in the folds of construction." --Louis Kahn. on the Phillips Exeter Lib rary 10

The Second and Third Floors each are home to rows of stacks in the center of the room, with circulation along either side. Flanking rows of massive columns produce a multitude of small, individual reading spaces along floor-to-ceiling glass curtain walls. Voids in the floors permit visual and audio connections across different levels of the building and allow northern daylight to penetrate deeper into the spaces.

10. Rommer. Heinz and Sharad Jhaveri. Louis I. Kahn: Complete Work 1935 - 1974 Boston: Birkhauser. 1987. p.301. Kahn described his library as two concentric "donuts"; the outer of well-lit reading spaces, and the inner "where the books are stored away from the light."

2nd Floor Plan 1. 2. 3.

Accessioning Book Repair Staff Lounge/Kitchen

3rd Floor Plan

55 I 56

library

Staff Offices

Staff Conference Room

6. 7.

Computer Lab/Classroom Public Conference Room

-------.. C)

Sketch of 2nd floor reading spaces, North side

[Right)

[Left]

57 I 58

library

Working Model

The Children's Library on the fourth floor features maze-like stacks that lead young visitors to the storybook room, whose stepped floor pokes out over the sidewalk below. More reading spaces, for both children and parents, surround the columns. The office wing will accommodate space for classrooms and homework help programs.

4th Floor Plan 1. 2. 3. 4.

59 I 60

library

Storybook Room Staff Office Homework Help/Classroom Parent Lounge

"""'

"".-

•

~ .. :..-

.-<

. .:..._ fT\ \

\ \

-rsV

Sketch of Children's Library. from West

[Right)

[Left]

61 162

library

Working Model

A saw-toothed roof covers the Children's Library, while clerestory windows in the concrete beams bring daylight into the room. One of the great challenges of the site is that, as a large "traffic island", the building cannot turn its back to any of its four sides. The saw-toothed roof helps bring variety to the Library's longest far;:ade along Rhode Island Avenue. Additionally, a large "urban window" allows views into the office wing, while the loading dock below is recessed and partially hidden from view.

/ Long Section, view to the North South Elevation

63 I 64

library

\&.J:~

I t

., "\

--I

1 .

I __ I-.

-~.

--... ::

---"-fi- -.

- I-

A final component important to a public library is a place for community members to assemble. At the assembly level. the Neighborhood Meeting Room is situated just below the Piano Nobile. with the remainder of this level available for storage and mechanical equipment.

Assembly Level Plan 1. 2. 3.

65 I 66

library

Neighborhood Meeting Room Coat Room Mechanical/Storage Space

if\ 16U

W".r-048

context

building

The relationship of the library to the neighborhood will only be as strong as the relationship of the building to the library. As such, the building must be designed as both a systematic process and a working machine, rather than simply a static result. The concept of pre-cast concrete presents many fascinating possibilities for an urban setting where time and space for construction are limited. The columns and terminating elements will be cast at a remote location, as ten-feet tall drums, whose joints will correspond to the floor joints illustrated around the building. Other concrete elements. such as foundation walls and floor slabs will be cast at the site. in preparation for the arrival of the pre-cast structure. Shipped to the site over-night. and erected in a matter of days. this massive skeleton will seem to appear while the rest of the building grows. piece by piece, around it.

Precast Concrete Exploded Axonometric Capital Detail

67 I 68

building

The utility walls book-ending the building consist of an independent steel structure, clad with metal panels that are attached from within the utility space. Exterior panels are Core-10 steel, the color and texture of which relate well to the brick facades elsewhere in the neighborhood, while interior panels are a brushed stainless steel. Joints of the panels are articulated in the form of reveals that also become the panels' attachment points. The panels are arranged in a way that illustrates the floor joints and the cornice of the building. bringing texture and rhythm to the facades.

[Left]

Utility Wall Section

West Elevation Steel Detail Plan Detail

69 I 70

buildling

--..::/.=

l t::L ~

;r--'

In the library floors. floor-to-ceiling glazing systems that allow daylight into the reading spaces must also block harsh. direct sunlight. An electronically operated system of frosted glass louvers creates a translucent screen of daylight when necessary. Twelve-inch deep, hollow metal mullions support clamps holding the glass louvers, as well as carry the necessary electrical wiring. Built into the glazing system, thicker members aligned with the column center-lines will carry roof drains down to the ground level.

South Elevation Concrete Detail Plan Detail [Right)

71 172

building

Curtain Wall Section

'0 1 __

. .0:.

".'

.... . . 1

~. ~.

· O .

. .

• • '*

....

In the Piano Nobile, immense steel trusses support a glass roof. With similar details to the library curtain walls. the roof system incorporates frosted glass louvers to diffuse harsh sunlight entering the space.

Truss and Roof Detail Reflected Ceiling Plan. Piano Nobile

[Right)

73 I 74

building

J~uD

As important as meeting the sky. the building must also meet well with the ground. The rows of concrete columns terminate at the Assembly Level, with one long foot, which is essentially an exposed grade beam. Below the slab, the load from this beam will then be transferred into concrete caps and clustered groups of friction piles.

[Middle) [Right)

75 I 76

building

Foundation Detail Wall Section

":0- .rt::.

context

tim e

"Creative destruction is the hallmark of modernism." --Susan Piedmont-Palladino 11

Like architecture. context is not static. It changes with each new development. No matter what circumstances are referenced in the design. the existing context will be destroyed upon com pletion of the new library.

11.

Piedmont-Palladino. Susan.

77 I 78

time

Desk Critique.

19 January 2007

7th St. and Rhode Island Ave. in2010

The existing library lasted approximately 30 years. Assuming the new facility will endure at least as long, what might happen in the neighborhood over the next 30 years. now that this building is the context?

7th St. and Rhode Island Ave. in 2040

79 I 80

time

context of process

A pivotal moment in the formulation of the thesis came through the design of a previously separate project. A concrete luminare cast into a brick wall on the WAAC campus was a powerful tool in understanding both the thesis and its construction. The concrete, with its two cylindrical voids. became analogous to the thesis: the brick wall is to the concrete is to the void as the neighborhood is to the library is to public space. Additionally. a critical detail in the success of the concrete project was a %-inch reveal defining the joint between concrete and brick. This reveal is not only important to the proportional composition of the finished piece. but to the process of making the piece as well. The same form-work that created the reveal also acted as a brace. supporting the weight of the entire piece until it cured. In architecture, the process is at least as important as the product.

Concrete Luminare, the Washington Architecture Center

81 182

process

campus of Alexandria

A crucial tool in the development of the thesis was a working model, in which the library was built and rebuilt over the course of six months. at a scale of 1/8" = 1'-0". This model was a palimpsest; that is, a canvas on which designs were drawn, erased and drawn again. It was built at a size that could facilitate a deep understanding of the building's scale relative to the human. and of the pieces in the building's construction. Built in carefully arranged sections, one piece could be replaced at a time, leaving the rest of the model as the context against which to test. Though the early pieces only survive in photographs, the ideas they represented were present throughout the evolution of the project.

Working Model. 1 st Iteration

83 I 84

process

Working Model. 2nd Iteration

85 I 86

process

Working Model. 3rd Iteration

87 I 88

process

Working Model. 4th Iteration

89 I 90

process

A beautiful characteristic of a palimpsest is that. no matter how thoroughly erased. the original document never fully disappears. The final drawings for the project were begun five months before completion. with portions being redrawn several times as the design was revised. The drawings are contextual. each one speaking directly to the others. to give a greater understanding of the whole. Sections and elevations are more easily drawn and read when constructed off of the plan from which they are generated. Details drawn in concert with their corresponding plans and sections tell a greater story of the building's entirety. There must be an intimate connection between the drawing and the designer in order to truly know the project. If the drawing is analogous to the architecture. the act of drawing is analogous to the architect.

6 Boards. Graphite on Mat Board

91 192

process

bibliography Alexander, Christopher. et al. A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings. Construction. New York: Oxford University Press, 1977.

Mean, Melissa and Charlie Tims. People Make Places: Growing the Public Life of Cities. London: Demos, 2005.

Bednar. Michael. L'Enfant's Legacy: Public Open Spaces in Washington, DC. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006.

Onions. C.T .. G.W.S. Friedrichsen, and R.W. Burchfield. The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology Oxford, Oxford, Eng.: Oxford Unversity Press, 1966.

Collins, George R. and Christiane C. Collins. Camillo Sitte: The Birth of Modern City Planning New York: Rizzoli International Publications, 1986.

Rommer. Heinz and Sharad Jhaveri. Louis I. Kahn: Complete Work 1935 - 1974 Boston: Birkhauser, 1987.

Fleming, John. Hugh Honour and Nikolaus Pevsner The Penguin Dictionary of Archi tecture and Landscape Architecture 5th ed. New York: Penguin Group, 1999.

Rosenau, Helen. Boullee and Visionary Archi tecture, Including Boullee's "Architecture, Essay on Art" Crown Publishing Group, 1976.

Frampton, Kenneth, "Prospects for a Critical Regionalism", Perspecta, no. 20. 1983. pp.147-162.

Steiner, Erik and Jim Tice. "The Nolli Map of Rome [1748]." The Interactive Nolli Map of Rome Website. 2005. University of Oregon. 27 November 2006 <http://nolli.uoregon.edu/>.

Frascari, Marco. "The Silent Architect and the Unutterable Nature of Architecture." Spirit and Soul: Essays in Philosophical Psy chology. 2nd ed. Edward S. Casey. Puttnam. Conn.: Spring Publications. 2004. -. "The Tell-the-Tale Detail." Theorizing a New Agenda for Architecture Ed. Kate Nesbitt. Princeton Architectural Press, 1 996. Gehl, Jan. Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. 1987.

"Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Neighborhood Library History." DCLibrary.org. 2002. District of Columbia Public Library. 5 October 2006 <http://dcl ibra ry.org/ b ra n ches/wtd/ history.html> Wilkinson, Michael K. "Once Controversial Project Now a Model for Developer & Neigh borhood Cooperation." The In Towner. Sep tember 2006. Vol. 38, No.3: pp. 1, 10.

Hall, Peter. Cities of Tomorrow 3rd Ed. Malden. MA: Blackwell Publishing. 2002.

Williams, Todd and Billie Tsien. "Slowness." 2G: Revista Internacional de Arquitectura International Architecture Review, Issue No. ยง!.. Ed. Martin Finio. 1999.

Jacobs. Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities New York: Vintage Books, 1992.

Vitruvius. The Ten Books on Architecture Trans. Morris Hicky Morgan. New York: Dover Publications. 1960.

KostoL Spiro. The City Shaped: Urban Patterns and Meanings Through History New York: Bulfinch Press, 1991. bibliography

vi t a richard I. gallagher BORN 1982 - Syracuse, NY

education MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE - VPI&SU. Washington Alexandria Architecture Center Alexandria, VA - 2006 to 2007 BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE - Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg. VA - 2001 to 2006

experience YOUTH EDUCATION ASSISTANT - National Building Museum - Washington. DC - 2007 INTERN ARCHITECT - Lavigne Associates Architects - Alexandria. VA - 2004 to 2007 OFFICE INTERN - Hayes Large Architects - Harrisburg, PA - 2001 to 2004

awards RECIPIENT - WAAC Crystal - award for exemplary thesis work - 2007 FINALIST - Student Design Competition - Virginia Society AlA - 2007 FEATURED ARTIST - The Art of Architectural Drawing. juried exhibition - Northern Virginia AlA - 2005 RECIPIENT - Eugene Atget Photography Award - Washington Alexandria Architecture Center - 2005 FINALIST - Student Design Competition - Virginia Society AlA - 2005

vita