Back to search

Virginia Tech

Architectural Mutualism: A Marriage of Old and New

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The dialogue between old and new architecture is a conversation brought to the forefront of the conservationist movement and city planning efforts as cities expand to their physical limits and eco-friendly reuse options become mainstream. As designers try and achieve a mutual respect between existing buildings and modern interventions, we are often faced with the dilemma of not only deciding which architectural artifacts should remain but also how to compose the different historic and modern layers in a way that formulates a new and more dynamic whole as a result of the interaction. The following thesis is an adaptive reuse project of a historically and architecturally significant, turn of the century firehouse located in northwest Washington, DC. This architectural endeavor seeks to find a mutually respectful balance between old and new architecture while highlighting the clear differences in building materials, design aesthetic, and construction methods.

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
2010

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • McBride, Megara Anne
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Emmons, Paul F.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Feuerstein, Marcia F.
  • Piedmont-Palladino, Susan C.

Subjects

dc:subject × 4

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-08252010-133617
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/34768

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

McBride, Megara Anne. Architectural Mutualism: A Marriage of Old and New. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/34768