Jerilyn Hale Abstract Thesis Prep 2

Jerilyn Hale

Exercise 2A

Thesis Prep II

Abstract

The application of materials is often considered the detail work of design. These details create the visual and sometimes tactile connections needed to create harmony with the building and its surroundings. Using materials already in the progression of decay it allows for the building to look as it has always been there and belongs to its site. To find materials in a worn and weathered state the best hosts are abandoned buildings. It is here the weathering of the materials gives a more organic texture to create boundless manmade earthworks. They create boundless visual connections to the site. How can natural progression of material decay in abandoned buildings be repurposed and become a source in the design process.

           

The reuse of a building can evoke meaning and a sense of place, and with this, an attachment to the community. The reuse of an abandoned building forces us to think of how we must be respectful of the existing environments and structures. If we can reuse the abandoned building then we are doing the environment a favor of kindness. Not only can we slow the pace of urban sprawl, but also with the reuse of materials from these structures there is less need for the harvesting of trees or the production of materials. With resources being limited it is the responsibility of the architect to think more local and existing.

Precedents of projects that are adaptive reuse can help to comprehend the multiple ways materials can be re-used, and the strategies with which the project was executed. In addition, studying the tactile and the sensory responses of materials can prove to be beneficial to suggest the right use and typology. Researching the ways nature co-exists with its surroundings will be necessary for preserving the already decaying and weathering materials. Case studies looking at the progression of time with weathering materials can be done, gathering commonly found materials and subjecting them to elements of nature for equal durations of time will provide knowledge on the decay process and potential desired textural qualities.