Architecture and the Transitory Experience

This thesis is a study of the act of traveling in its pure form: as a journey between two points; it is an act that requires both a point of origin and a point of destination. Yet, this study is not concerned with the logistics of either. Rather, it depends only upon the existence of these two locations as limits of both space and time between which exists a transient environment. Complimentary to the constant movement embodied in the act of travel, the act of pausing and resting is fundamental to fulfilling a biological need that arises from the exhaustion that accompanies continuous movement. The modern highway rest area was selected as this thesis project because of its nature as neither a permanent origin nor destination of transit. It currently exists as an oft forgotten building type in architectural design, despite its significant role in the commonplace activity of transit. This project seeks to provide the programmatic functions that satisfy these fundamental needs while engaging the nature of the building typology as a threshold through which the traveler passes. The architectural and structural expression and detailing are based upon the inherently rhythmic nature of the act of vehicular travel and are intended to reflect the changes in rates of movement that aid in the transition from moving to pausing. Thus, the average rates of movement embodied in various modes of mobility throughout the building inform the architectural decisions that aid in the choreographed movement into, through, and out of the design.

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

2006

Author dc:creator

• Penndorf, Christopher

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Feuerstein, Marcia F.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Foote, Jonathan
• Emmons, Paul F.

• Rhythm
• Transit
• Movement
• Resting
• Structure

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

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

Dc Identifier Other

etd-08182006-201901

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/34617