This project explores the juxtaposition of classical and contemporary architectural forms as they coexist within Richmond City’s urban fabric. It is an assessment and understanding of how the built environment can reinforce transitions between old and new in ways that both integrate architectural differences and embrace historical identity.
Richmond, and a large part of Virginia in general, has been shaped by the historical events of its existence. The sights of the city reveal a clash of the old and new. It is a city where newer developments and traditional elements have been trying to co-mingle.
The design incorporates a contemporary architectural language that joins with the building’s historical surroundings without breaking the balance of the composition

Moss, Jane Ellen T

VCU Scholars Compass

Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVCU Scholars CompassTheses and Dissertations Graduate School2014OLD TO NEW AND NEW TO OLD: ASTUDY OF DEMATERIALIZINGTRANSITIONS BETWEEN OLD AND NEWARCHITECTUREJane Ellen T. Mossjane.ellen.moss@gmail.comFollow this and additional works at: http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etdPart of the Interior Architecture Commons© The AuthorThis Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Thesesand Dissertations by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contact libcompass@vcu.edu.Downloaded fromhttp://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/3658old to new and new to old:A STUDY OF DEMATERIALIZING TRANSITIONS BETWEEN OLD AND NEW ARCHITECTURE JANE MOSSDematerialize: to make transitions invisible. AN INVESTIGATION OF THE VCU BRANDCENTERRICHMOND, VIRGINIAVirginia Commonwealth University     Richmond, Virginia     December, 2014A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree ofMaster of Fine Arts at Virginia Commonwealth UniversityJANE ELLEN MOSSB.A. Anthropology, Sewanee; The University of the South, 2007Post-Baccalaureate Minor, Savannah College of Art and Design, 2012M.F.A. Interior Environments, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2014Camden Whitehead, Advisor, Associate Professor Department of Interior Design, School of the ArtsEmily Smith, Reader, Professor Department of Interior Design, School of the Arts“I believe a profound design process eventually makes the patron, the architect and every occasional visitor in the building a slightly better human being.”JUHANI PALLASMAA (1936 -)I BELIEVE BELIEVING IS KNOWING.MANIFESTOI believe in creative imagination.I believe in experimenting with form, materials, and ornament. I believe in integrating interior spaces with architectural identity.I believe in creating new aesthetic expressions, styles, and vocabulary. I believe in achieving visual harmony between a building and its surroundings.I believe that nature can provide inspiration. I believe in the simplicity and minimalism of design. I believe in uniqueness in the spirit of time. I believe in energy conservation and resource management. I believe in creating a connection between past and present forms.I believe in bright colors and bold textures.  I believe in the beauty of an empty space.I believe in restoration and preservation.I believe that two heads are better then one. I believe in taking a stand, knowing the rules, and breaking them.I believe in serving the public good.I believe in lime green, the color gray, and that orange is a neutral.  I believe in personal authenticity. I believe in confrontations and challenging opinions. I believe in honesty and integrity.I believe in raising the bar and fighting for a cure.This project explores the juxtaposition of classical and contemporary architectural forms as they coexist within Richmond City’s urban fabric. It is an assessment and understanding of how the built environment can reinforce transitions between old and new in ways that both integrate architectural differences and embrace historical identity. Richmond, and a large part of Virginia in general, has been shaped by the historical events of its existence. The sights of the city reveal a clash of the old and new. It is a city where newer developments and traditional elements have been trying to co-mingle.The design incorporates a contemporary architectural language that joins with the building’s historical surroundings without breaking the balance of the composition.ABSTRACT: PERFORMING AN ALCHEMY OF DESIGNCOEXISTThe VCU Brandcenter in Monroe Park, Richmond, Virginia, Northwest FacadeABSTRACT        CONTEXT                   ANALYSIS PRECEDENTSPROGRAM                     CONCEPTS            SPACE PLANNING   EXPLORATION              MANIFESTATION                MODELS         BOARDSSHOW                 07172737455367778799109115As the body of a post-professional athlete transforms, the tools once used for playing and competing become tools necessary for living. How can the built environment reinforce this transition? THESIS STATEMENT:11The goal of the project is to design a full-service Sports Medicine Rehabilitation Center for post-professional athletes. In 32,000 square feet of space, the scope of services will include: Entry/Lobby, Administration, Consultation Rooms, Locker Rooms, Training Facility/Weight Room, Evaluation/Testing Rooms, Physical Therapy Suite including Treatment Rooms, Nutrition/Health Cafe, Recovery/Retreat Zone, Green Roof, Office Space, and Building Support Systems. A detailed design exploration will occur in the 12,000 square foot service space addition. PROJECT STATEMENT:13To create transitions that disappearTo find harmony in the joint between old and newTo design spaces that meet the lifestyle needs of a post-professional athlete To assemble a unique set of services that supports the rehabilitation of the user To design with an environmentally and culturally conscious approachPROJECT GOALS:15CONTEXTBound by West Cary, West Canal, and South Adams Streets, the Brandcenter building sits on the edge of South Jefferson Street. As the only building resting in an open block, the surrounding landscape is filled with parking spaces and overlooks the Canal Street Parking Deck, The historic Jefferson Hotel, and the Downtown Expressway.  103 SOUTH JEFFERSON STREET, RICHMOND, VIRGINIALOCATIONBefore the building morphed into a space used for VCU’s graduate studies in advertising, the structure existed as a historic three-story carriage house built in 1890. The carriage house served as an outbuilding to horse-drawn carriages traveling to the adjacent and historic Jefferson Hotel. Over time, the 20,000 square foot space remains unaltered with original brick structure intact. In 2008, the 12,000 square foot addition to the three-story building created what is now the VCU Brandcenter. Referred to as the new “service structure,” the space provides modern facilities and additional building space.  FROM HOUSE TO UNIVERSITYEVOLUTIONBUILDING CODE OVERLAYOCCUPANCYType of Construction Use and OccupancyArea and Height LimitationFire Suppression SystemsStructural Fire RatingOccupancy LoadType IA Construction. Assembly Group A-3. Unlimited. Automatic sprinkler systems, portable fire extinguishers & fire alarm and detection systems.640 occupants @ 50 sq. ft per occupant in a 32,000 sq. ft. space.Unknown.Means of Egress Accessibility RequirementsBathrooms & Fixtures Elevator, Lift & Ramp TypesTwo restrooms, one male, one female, per floor (6 total). Two water fountains on Level Zero, one water fountain on Level One and Two. One central elevator.One exterior stairway with exit access and handrail, one interior stairway with exit access and handrail, three building exits with egress lighting, one non-egress stairway, and one non-egress elevator. Accessible parking, accessible building entrance from sidewalks, accessible routes to each portion of the building, and one accessible route connecting each level. 23The contemporary addition provides additional space across several levels of the building, including “seismic bracing” of the historic structure. The bracing, or the joint between the old and the new structure, serves as the primary vertical circulation throughout the space. LINKING CLASSICAL AND CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURETHE JOINTANALYSISThe building footprint of the new addition reveals a planar structure which is used to create a variety of support units that suggest movement and develop composition. In the same way structure dictates the organization of the exterior, the building composition is used to define space and articulate circulation on the interior. The parti composition represents the perception of the building in its totality. In both plan and section, the 3-dimensional configuration of the building is directly related - two volumes with a joint in between - and strengthens the structural concept in unit to whole. PERCEPTUALLY DOMINANT COLLECTIONS OF THE WHOLESTRUCTURE & MASSINGEXISTING / OLDADDITION / NEWBUILDING FOOTPRINTBUILDING SECTION29The simple, closed shapes of the rectangle and square occur again and again in the building composition. These geometries disperse an overall volume that subtly balances the rhythm of the architectural configuration. They are the forms that bind together the parts of the spatial composition. Grids are developed from the repetition of these basic geometries through combinations and subdivisions of the building plan and sections, while systems of proportion reveal relationship comparisons between each geometry. LANGUAGES IN THE BUILT FORMGEOMETRY & PROPORTIONLEVEL 0 PLANLEVEL 1 PLANLEVEL 2 PLANBUILDING SECTIONSCirculation and use spaces represent the significant dynamic and static components of the building. The “objects” are seen as static components while horizontal and vertical circulation denote movement within the space. The end result is a pattern created by the relationship between the major use spaces. ENGAGING MOVEMENT & STABILITYCIRCULATIONLEVEL 0 PLANLEVEL 1 PLANLEVEL 2 PLAN33To allow for operation on the joint of the building and thoroughly explore the juxtaposition of the historic building and its contemporary addition, the area of interest must be directly adjacent to the bracing of the two structures. The space across three levels spans 12,000 square feet. SPACES TO OPERATE ONAREA OF INTERESTLEVEL 0 PLAN LEVEL 1 PLAN LEVEL 2 PLAN35PRECEDENTSUnderstanding programming considerations for a comparable training facility assists in clarifying the user needs and spatial allocations for the Brandcenter exploration. BON SECOURS WASHINGTON REDSKINS TRAINING CENTERPROGRAM3NORTHRICHMOND, VA201339Assessing different ways to categorize and accommodate programming information to support a smaller context.PHYSIOTHERAPY & REHABILITATION CENTERSPACESCHNEIDER & LENGUAERFRIESTADT, AUSTRIA201241The structure is a hybrid between a sports facility, an educational environment, and a social meeting point. In the same way this building represent a density of spaces, the Brandcenter represents a multi-faceted community for post-professional athletes.MULTI-PURPOSE SPORTS FACILITY BUILDINGHYBRIDMOEDERSCHEIM MOONENHOUTEN, NETHERLANDS2011LEVEL 1 PLAN LEVEL 2 PLAN43PROGRAMTARGET DEMOGRAPHIC: POST-PROFESSIONAL ATHLETEConsidering three elements of rehabilitation, mind, body, and spirit, the program addresses the user needs in three phases:PHASE I: Awareness / Motivational PHASE II: Personal Care / Treatment PHASE III: Spirituality / CleanseSPORTS MEDICINE REHABILITATION CENTERSERVICE PROGRAM OBJECTIVESPHASE I: entry / lobby, administration space, consultation rooms, locker rooms,                   training facility / weight roomPHASE II: evaluation / testing rooms, physical therapy, treatment roomsPHASE III: nutrition / health bar, recovery / retreat space, green roof47PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTSCONDITIONSPUBLIC: entry / lobby, training / weight room, physical therapy,    nutrition / health barPRIVATE: locker rooms, evaluation / testing rooms, treatment rooms,              building roomsSEMI-PRIVATE: consultation space, recovery / retreat space, office spaceNATURAL LIGHT: entry / lobby, training / weight room, physical therapy,              nutrition / health bar, retreat / recovery49SPATIAL ALLOCATIONSQUARE FEETOVERALL: 12,000 Square FeetPhase One: 40% of overall building space = 4,800 square feetPhase Two: 30% of overall building space = 3,600 square feetPhase Three: 20% of overall building space = 1,200 square feetShared: 10% of overall building space = 1,200 square feetPHASE ONE: 4,800 Square FeetEntry / Lobby: 5% of space = 600 square feetConsultation Rooms: 3% of space = 360 square feetLocker Rooms: 15% of space = 1,800 square feetTraining Room / Weight Room: 22% of space = 2,640 square feetPHASE TWO: 3,600 Square FeetEvaluation / Testing Rooms: 3% of space = 360 square feetPhysical Therapy: 15% of space = 1,800 square feetTreatment Rooms: 12% of space = 1,440 square feetPHASE THREE: 2,400 Square FeetNutrition / Health Bar: 7% of space = 840 square feetRecovery / Retreat Space: 7% of space = 840 square feetGreen Roof: 8% of space = 960 square feet51CONCEPTMAKING TRANSITIONS DISAPPEARCONCEPTAs the body of a post-professional athlete transforms, the tools once used for playing and competing become tools necessary for living. How can the built environment support this transition by making it as smooth and easy as possible for the user?  How can the design create transitions that disappear?5759CHARCOAL STUDIES How does the building form become more then only three parts: two halves and a joint in between?6163GEOMETRY + HIERARCHY Dissecting hierarchy within the charcoal studies to understand how new parts are created.65SPACE PLANNINGEXPLORING CIRCULATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF PROGRAMLAYERSHow can the location of each phase within the program be distributed across all three floors of the space and still meet the appropriate adjacency needs? While the primary circulation is vertical and sits within the joint of the building, how does the placement of the secondary circulation become equally as functional and valuable? 69ADJACENCIES & SCOPE Level One71ADJACENCIES & SCOPE Level Two73ADJACENCIES & SCOPE Level Three75EXPLORATIONCHARCOAL STUDIES, PHASE 2: Discovering transitions within SITE...and transitions within BUILDING...and transitions within PROGRAM...and transitions within PLANMANIFESTATION8991939597MODELSSITE MODELBUILDING MODEL103DETAIL MODEL105FURNITURE MODEL107BOARDS111113SHOW814 WEST BROAD STREET, RICHMOND, VA 23284THE DEPOTAPRIL 25, 2014119121123“Sometimes he was most attentive to the whole image of the building, other times he established a dialectic between his intervention and what already existed; in other instances the old was subsumed by his work and, although not entirely obliterated, remained as a fragment of the past that emerges here and there but it never restored.”MARIA ANTONIETTA CRIPPA on CARLO SCARPAhttp://www.bdonline.co.uk/paul-williams-inspiration-castelvecchio-museum-verona-by-carlo-scarpa/5049482.articlehttp://modernpreservation.blogspot.com/2009/08/authenticity-scarpas-castelvecchio.htmlCarlo Scarpa, The Complete Works by Francesco Dal Co and  Giuseppe Mazzariol, pg. 159Carlo Scarpa: Theory Design Projects by Maria Antonietta Crippahttp://openarchive.icomos.org/361/https://risd.digication.com/jtanadi/Theme_02IMAGE CREDITSPg. 19: https://www.google.com/maps/place/102+S+Jefferson+St,+Richmond,+VA+23220Pg. 24: http://www.archdaily.com/182215/vcu-adcenter-brandcenter-clive-wilkinson-architects/Pg. 38: http://www.3north.com/portfolio/civic-cultural/recreation-public-spaces/bon-secours-redskins-training-centerPg. 40: http://www.archdaily.com/265641/physiotherapy-and-rehabilitation-centre-pur-schneider-lengauer/Pg. 42: http://www.archdaily.com/191063/multi-purpose-sports-facility-building-moederscheimmoonen-architects/Pgs. 16, 26, 36, 44, 52, 66, 76: http://www.guivillar.com/index.php?/projects/quadradius-/CITATIONS127

OLD TO NEW AND NEW TO OLD: A STUDY OF DEMATERIALIZING TRANSITIONS BETWEEN OLD AND NEW ARCHITECTURE

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OLD TO NEW AND NEW TO OLD: A STUDY OF DEMATERIALIZING TRANSITIONS BETWEEN OLD AND NEW ARCHITECTURE

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