{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/137743"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/137743","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Syntax, Juxtaposition, and Non-Hierarchical Space: A Monastery in Hell's Kitchen","abstract":"This thesis follows a desire to understand what makes a successful communal housing project, with the assumption that more and better communal housing can lead to more resilient communities. In this case, a monastery in Manhattan is a dual condition to study and explore how space held in common should express openness while acknowledging the diversity of groups which dwell within. In short, communal architecture should communicate its intent with honesty: coexistence in spite of difference. Duality and juxtaposition both denote multiplicity, and thus are apt qualities for the honest expression of communal architecture. Duality, defined as \"an instance of opposition or contrast between two concepts or two aspects of something\", speaks to an implicit two-ness of contrasting elements. Juxtaposition, defined as \"the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect\", also speaks to two-ness, but implies contrast as an intentional effect as opposed to an implicit quality. The primary design goal of this project is to articulate the implicit duality of the Monastery-Manhattan condition through an architectural juxtaposition, so as to create non-hierearchichal community within the resulting space. Duality is implicit in the site and programmatic conditions. Manhattan is recognizable for its tartan grid, rowhouse volumes, repetition, frontality, and cardinal orientation. The Monastery is recognizable in its axial progression, centrality, iconic primary volume, symbolic forms, and solar orientation. Differentiation of these systems is achieved in the implementation of corresponding syntactic elements, such as the cruciform column and directional beam system. The ground floor market and the upper floor workshops comprise the hybrid communal zone of the complex. In this multi-level zone, the contrasting syntactic languages of the Monastery and Manhattan overlap. This juxtaposition generates non-hierarchy and thus makes space suitable for multiplicity. Instead of one syntactic language regulating space, fluctuating spatial and atmospheric conditions predominate, allowing the Monastery and Manhattan to coexist in an evident experiential mixture. In summary, each member of the community has identifiable, pre-existing characteristics, including geometric order, hierarchical system, formal language, architectural detail, and orientation, which exist as a duality but through juxtaposition create an architecture of multiplicity and mixed-use spaces where a diverse community can co-exist.","abstract_html":"This thesis follows a desire to understand what makes a successful communal housing project, with the assumption that more and better communal housing can lead to more resilient communities. In this case, a monastery in Manhattan is a dual condition to study and explore how space held in common should express openness while acknowledging the diversity of groups which dwell within. In short, communal architecture should communicate its intent with honesty: coexistence in spite of difference. Duality and juxtaposition both denote multiplicity, and thus are apt qualities for the honest expression of communal architecture. Duality, defined as "an instance of opposition or contrast between two concepts or two aspects of something", speaks to an implicit two-ness of contrasting elements. Juxtaposition, defined as "the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect", also speaks to two-ness, but implies contrast as an intentional effect as opposed to an implicit quality. The primary design goal of this project is to articulate the implicit duality of the Monastery-Manhattan condition through an architectural juxtaposition, so as to create non-hierearchichal community within the resulting space. Duality is implicit in the site and programmatic conditions. Manhattan is recognizable for its tartan grid, rowhouse volumes, repetition, frontality, and cardinal orientation. The Monastery is recognizable in its axial progression, centrality, iconic primary volume, symbolic forms, and solar orientation. Differentiation of these systems is achieved in the implementation of corresponding syntactic elements, such as the cruciform column and directional beam system. The ground floor market and the upper floor workshops comprise the hybrid communal zone of the complex. In this multi-level zone, the contrasting syntactic languages of the Monastery and Manhattan overlap. This juxtaposition generates non-hierarchy and thus makes space suitable for multiplicity. Instead of one syntactic language regulating space, fluctuating spatial and atmospheric conditions predominate, allowing the Monastery and Manhattan to coexist in an evident experiential mixture. In summary, each member of the community has identifiable, pre-existing characteristics, including geometric order, hierarchical system, formal language, architectural detail, and orientation, which exist as a duality but through juxtaposition create an architecture of multiplicity and mixed-use spaces where a diverse community can co-exist.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Hopkins, Benjamin Foster"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Architecture","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Architecture","degree_department":"Architecture","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Bryon, Hilary"],"committee_members":["Washco, Kristin Nicole","Borunda, Luis"],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-09-11","date_published":"2025-09-11","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:18:44Z","subjects":["Architecture","Juxtaposition","Syntax","Monastery","Manhattan","Non-hierarchical","Mixed-Use"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:44606"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:44606","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10919/137743","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Bryon, Hilary"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Washco, Kristin Nicole","Borunda, Luis"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Architecture"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Hopkins, Benjamin Foster"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-09-12T08:00:49Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-09-12T08:00:49Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-09-11"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Architecture"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Architecture"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Architecture","Juxtaposition","Syntax","Monastery","Manhattan","Non-hierarchical","Mixed-Use"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:44606"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/137743"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis follows a desire to understand what makes a successful communal housing project, with the assumption that more and better communal housing can lead to more resilient communities. In this case, a monastery in Manhattan is a dual condition to study and explore how space held in common should express openness while acknowledging the diversity of groups which dwell within. In short, communal architecture should communicate its intent with honesty: coexistence in spite of difference. Duality and juxtaposition both denote multiplicity, and thus are apt qualities for the honest expression of communal architecture. Duality, defined as \"an instance of opposition or contrast between two concepts or two aspects of something\", speaks to an implicit two-ness of contrasting elements. Juxtaposition, defined as \"the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect\", also speaks to two-ness, but implies contrast as an intentional effect as opposed to an implicit quality. The primary design goal of this project is to articulate the implicit duality of the Monastery-Manhattan condition through an architectural juxtaposition, so as to create non-hierearchichal community within the resulting space. Duality is implicit in the site and programmatic conditions. Manhattan is recognizable for its tartan grid, rowhouse volumes, repetition, frontality, and cardinal orientation. The Monastery is recognizable in its axial progression, centrality, iconic primary volume, symbolic forms, and solar orientation. Differentiation of these systems is achieved in the implementation of corresponding syntactic elements, such as the cruciform column and directional beam system. The ground floor market and the upper floor workshops comprise the hybrid communal zone of the complex. In this multi-level zone, the contrasting syntactic languages of the Monastery and Manhattan overlap. This juxtaposition generates non-hierarchy and thus makes space suitable for multiplicity. Instead of one syntactic language regulating space, fluctuating spatial and atmospheric conditions predominate, allowing the Monastery and Manhattan to coexist in an evident experiential mixture. In summary, each member of the community has identifiable, pre-existing characteristics, including geometric order, hierarchical system, formal language, architectural detail, and orientation, which exist as a duality but through juxtaposition create an architecture of multiplicity and mixed-use spaces where a diverse community can co-exist."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstractgeneral","label":"General Abstract","values":["This thesis explores how architecture can support strong, diverse communities by examining what makes communal housing successful. It focuses on a unique case: a monastery located in the heart of Manhattan. By studying the contrasting qualities of these two settings, one sacred and inward-looking, the other dense, fast-paced, and outward-facing, the project asks how shared spaces can be both open and inclusive, while still respecting the differences among those who use them. At the heart of the research is the idea that good communal architecture should be honest about its intentions. It should express a willingness to support coexistence, even when people come from very different backgrounds. To do this, the project uses the concepts of duality and juxtaposition—pairing things that contrast or oppose each other—to design spaces that welcome many voices without giving preference to one over another. The design merges two very different systems. Manhattan's urban fabric is based on a rigid grid and repeated building forms, while the traditional monastery follows a more symbolic layout centered on spiritual progression. These contrasting systems are woven together through architectural elements like beams and columns, creating spaces where both identities are present. At the core of the design is a communal zone that includes a public market at ground level and workshops above. These spaces are intentionally designed to blend the qualities of the monastery and the city, without preferencing one over the other. In conclusion, this thesis aims to develop an architecture which can foster inclusive, resilient communities by embracing diversity. By exploring the contrasts between a monastery and the urban fabric of Manhattan, the project uses intentional juxtaposition to create shared spaces that are open, flexible, and non-hierarchical. Through a blending of formal systems and design languages, the resulting architecture reflects the complexity of real communal life, where difference is not only accepted, but welcomed. This approach shows that architecture has the power to support coexistence, offering a framework for living together in ways that are honest, equitable, and diverse."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Architecture"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Syntax, Juxtaposition, and Non-Hierarchical Space: A Monastery in Hell's Kitchen"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Bryon, Hilary"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Washco, Kristin Nicole","Borunda, Luis"],"dc:contributor.department":["Architecture"],"dc:creator":["Hopkins, Benjamin Foster"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-09-12T08:00:49Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-09-12T08:00:49Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-09-11"],"dc:description.abstract":["This thesis follows a desire to understand what makes a successful communal housing project, with the assumption that more and better communal housing can lead to more resilient communities. In this case, a monastery in Manhattan is a dual condition to study and explore how space held in common should express openness while acknowledging the diversity of groups which dwell within. In short, communal architecture should communicate its intent with honesty: coexistence in spite of difference. Duality and juxtaposition both denote multiplicity, and thus are apt qualities for the honest expression of communal architecture. Duality, defined as \"an instance of opposition or contrast between two concepts or two aspects of something\", speaks to an implicit two-ness of contrasting elements. Juxtaposition, defined as \"the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect\", also speaks to two-ness, but implies contrast as an intentional effect as opposed to an implicit quality. The primary design goal of this project is to articulate the implicit duality of the Monastery-Manhattan condition through an architectural juxtaposition, so as to create non-hierearchichal community within the resulting space. Duality is implicit in the site and programmatic conditions. Manhattan is recognizable for its tartan grid, rowhouse volumes, repetition, frontality, and cardinal orientation. The Monastery is recognizable in its axial progression, centrality, iconic primary volume, symbolic forms, and solar orientation. Differentiation of these systems is achieved in the implementation of corresponding syntactic elements, such as the cruciform column and directional beam system. The ground floor market and the upper floor workshops comprise the hybrid communal zone of the complex. In this multi-level zone, the contrasting syntactic languages of the Monastery and Manhattan overlap. This juxtaposition generates non-hierarchy and thus makes space suitable for multiplicity. Instead of one syntactic language regulating space, fluctuating spatial and atmospheric conditions predominate, allowing the Monastery and Manhattan to coexist in an evident experiential mixture. In summary, each member of the community has identifiable, pre-existing characteristics, including geometric order, hierarchical system, formal language, architectural detail, and orientation, which exist as a duality but through juxtaposition create an architecture of multiplicity and mixed-use spaces where a diverse community can co-exist."],"dc:description.abstractgeneral":["This thesis explores how architecture can support strong, diverse communities by examining what makes communal housing successful. It focuses on a unique case: a monastery located in the heart of Manhattan. By studying the contrasting qualities of these two settings, one sacred and inward-looking, the other dense, fast-paced, and outward-facing, the project asks how shared spaces can be both open and inclusive, while still respecting the differences among those who use them. At the heart of the research is the idea that good communal architecture should be honest about its intentions. It should express a willingness to support coexistence, even when people come from very different backgrounds. To do this, the project uses the concepts of duality and juxtaposition—pairing things that contrast or oppose each other—to design spaces that welcome many voices without giving preference to one over another. The design merges two very different systems. Manhattan's urban fabric is based on a rigid grid and repeated building forms, while the traditional monastery follows a more symbolic layout centered on spiritual progression. These contrasting systems are woven together through architectural elements like beams and columns, creating spaces where both identities are present. At the core of the design is a communal zone that includes a public market at ground level and workshops above. These spaces are intentionally designed to blend the qualities of the monastery and the city, without preferencing one over the other. In conclusion, this thesis aims to develop an architecture which can foster inclusive, resilient communities by embracing diversity. By exploring the contrasts between a monastery and the urban fabric of Manhattan, the project uses intentional juxtaposition to create shared spaces that are open, flexible, and non-hierarchical. Through a blending of formal systems and design languages, the resulting architecture reflects the complexity of real communal life, where difference is not only accepted, but welcomed. This approach shows that architecture has the power to support coexistence, offering a framework for living together in ways that are honest, equitable, and diverse."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Architecture"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:44606"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/137743"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Architecture","Juxtaposition","Syntax","Monastery","Manhattan","Non-hierarchical","Mixed-Use"],"dc:title":["Syntax, Juxtaposition, and Non-Hierarchical Space: A Monastery in Hell's Kitchen"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Architecture"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Architecture"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:18:44Z"}