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Virginia Tech

An Experiential Approach to Architecture: Design of an Architecture School and Student Housing

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

"The architectural experience silences all external noise, it focusses attention on one's very existence." - An architecture of the Seven Senses: Juhani Pallasma As I sat down thinking about this quote images of the courtyard of the Salk institute, the central reading area of the Library of Congress, Tadao Ando's Church on Water and light, the step wells of Adalaj in India, Peter Zumthor's Therme Vals came to my mind. I feel that the scale and being part of something larger than what man could create such as the sky, the ocean and an experience that appeals to the senses, one that is a perfect orchestration of the color of light, the pattern of shadows, the materiality of the wall, the feeling of warmth, the sound of waves, the reflection of the waters creates a sense of calm within. Drawing from my personal experiences, the thesis shall explore the above idea in a school of architecture with a public interface located along the waterfront. "Buildings should be monumental and spiritually inspiring." - Louis Kahn

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
2016

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Balasubramanian Ms, Kiruthika
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Holt, Jaan
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Emmons, Paul F.
  • Piedmont-Palladino, Susan C.

Subjects

dc:subject × 4

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
vt_gsexam:8322
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/71654

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

Balasubramanian Ms, Kiruthika. An Experiential Approach to Architecture: Design of an Architecture School and Student Housing. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/71654