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Virginia Tech

Reflections: Light and Structure in Religious Architecture

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Light is the most sacred phenomenon and the presence of it in a place of worship is the greatest manifestation of God himself. Man can manufacture all the building materials needed to errect the greatest of structures, but only God can fill it with the light of the sun and make the materials come alive. Through the interplay of light and structure the building can seem to be alive. Through the proper execution of structure and material the building can sculpt light and define the time of day and season of year. This then became the genesis of the project; to sculpt light through natural materials and structure in order to bring glory to the creator and provide a sacred retreat for the weary, a rich interplay of light and material coming together to create a worshipful experience.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Architecture
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Architecture
Department dc:contributor.department
Architecture
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
1993

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Russell, Paul Floyd
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Hunt, Gregory K.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Piedmont-Palladino, Susan C.
  • Ritter, James W.

Subjects

dc:subject × 3

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-08092005-154623
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/34437

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Russell, Paul Floyd. Reflections: Light and Structure in Religious Architecture. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/34437