Sentience and Site

A contemporary understanding of site is integral towards the proper implementation of an architectural intervention which reconciles itself amongst the landscape. This thesis is situated at the convergence of technology and nature, investigating a constructive engagement of site in order to inform an architecture embedded into rural Appalachia. An integration of drone avionics, advanced imaging and sensing technologies, and traditional means of site-observation fosters the opportunity for a more holistic understanding of place. The corresponding architectural intervention thus manifests itself as a contemporary rendition of the fire tower, a US Forest Service outpost monitoring changing wildlife populations and behaviors within the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. Dubbed The Aviary, the construct functions as a wilderness drone-port, supporting a large, integrated network of conservation-drone activity over the vast surrounding mountain-scape.

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

2020

Author dc:creator

• Powers, Shane Patrick

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Bassett, James

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Schnoedt, Heinrich
• Dugas, David

• Architecture
• Wilderness
• Drones
• Environment
• Data
• Conservation
• Wildlife

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

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

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:26723

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/99321