Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-1999

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Architecture

Major

Architecture

Major Professor

Jon Coddington

Committee Members

Stroud Watson, Stan Rabun

Abstract

Today, the world is in a rapid continuum of advancement and change, where universalization, deterioration of the environment, and a breakup of cultural and individual differences have become the norm. Within this environment local cultures have all but disappeared, and the context of one place looks much like everywhere else. This has brought about a loss of meaning, a separation from our past, and a lack of quality and importance in the way we view our regions. The built environment has suffered greatly within this continuum and has yielded to this loss of meaning and quality into a state of increased monotony and boredom. Architecture should be respectful of place, regional quality, the needs of society, technological advancement, and the economic necessity of becoming part of this global culture, without giving into it in an uncritical manner. This graduate thesis project will examine issues of place and regionalism as it relates to ones sense of identity and meaning within our current culture. Architectural issues of technology, time, scale, materiality, regionalism, position, and catalyst will each be analyzed within this framework to divulge the importance of architecture in creating regional quality and identity. The project chosen to explore these issues is a regional airport in West Virginia. West Virginia, the mountain state, a state with a rich sense of place and meaning, is an excellent setting to explore such issues as technology and regionalism. West Virginia has an abundance of rich natural beauty, it is truly a state formed by lakes, rivers, and mountains. West Virginia, while taking a strong hold on advancing technologies and education, continues to struggle with high levels of poverty and a poor standard of living, in comparison to neighboring states. This is catastrophic due to the potential of the people and the abundance of resources found through out and the state. This airport would allow the state to compete within the global marketplace, attracting new business, broadening the tourism industry, while simultaneously providing a boost to the local economy, an increased standard of living, and a heightened sense of regional identity on a global scale. The thesis project takes an in depth analysis into the works of notable regional architects, comparative building types, and terminal program elements to develop the foundation to create this airport project that speaks to the region while maintaining an openness to universal ideas and technologies.

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