Weaving Architecture: An Exploration of Old and New Materials and Construction Methods in Washington, D.C.

This is an architectural thesis on weaving. The city is a massive textile, a patchwork of buildings, infrastructure and people. We alter the urban environment within the confines established by lot lines, streets and zoning similar to the weft on a loom, conforming to the rules of the warp. The proposed design aims to incorporate the demands of a globalized world while retaining the identity and scale of the traditional Washington building type - the rowhouse. The architectural project, located near Fourteenth and U Streets, Northwest, in Washington, DC is a hybrid of programs - a textile school, a gallery and bar for the Textile Museum, artist studios, a restaurant, leaseable space for offices and residences as well as a public garden. This complex design reflects the evolving nature of cities and a building's ability to adapt to new demands and technology; similar to the ancient art of weaving's ability to transcend centuries of evolution while retaining its inherent qualities.

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

2009

Author dc:creator

• Housdan, Joshua James Keith

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Emmons, Paul F.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Holt, Jaan
• Piedmont-Palladino, Susan C.

• palimpsest
• local materials
• weaving
• masonry construction

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-01152010-122829

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/30953