Thesis book by Katie Dane

INHABITING THE UNINHABITABLE Creating the Interface Between People & Uninhabitable Space

THESIS BY

KATHLEEN DANE

TABLE oF CONTENTS THESIS PROPOSAL

01-05

PRECEDENT STUDY

06-14

DESIGN PROPOSITION

15-32

CONCEPT DESIGN

33-40

FINALIZED DESIGN

41-74

thesis by : kathleen dane

one

Tectonics, Boundaries,

Transition

THESIS PROPOSAL

An UNINHABITABLE space is SOMETIMES the only one worth INHABITING

site out of mind can appear unseen and uninhabited in significant ways. These edges and leftover spaces, where architecture and infrastructure collide are rarely considered worthy of design attention. Ordinary and out of the way, they present difficult existing conditions and thought-provoking realities. This resulting space, the space that intervenes between one thing and another, often is seen as uninhabitable and useless space. How can these marginalized spaces be constructed in a way such that the perception of these spaces become one that embraces the uninhabitable space within an architectural envelope? This thesis focuses on reversing the idea of where this inhabitable space is through designing an interface between people and this uninhabitable space. An interstitial space is the space in-between, underneath, beyond, enveloped, and outside our traditional concepts of space. In his book “House Architecture”, J.J Stevenson begins to investigate what physicality could mean for the imaginative inhabitation of the interior. He talks about the changes in the concept of inhabitation of the space of “the hall” within a house. The hall was originally considered the space of the house itself, and the hearth in its center was the focus. Soon, complexity in planning emerged from divisions and annexations of this space, with corridors and galleries becoming the in-between space. However, despite this connotation of a hallway as leftover space, it also became major architectural features itself. These corridors were not meant to be inhabited, but were necessary to move from one space to the other. This however, does not mean that this space could not be appreciated and become something other than its intended use. 01

In his book “House Architecture”, J.J Stevenson begins to investigate what physicality could mean for the imaginative inhabitation of the interior. He talks about the changes in the concept of inhabitation of the space of “the hall” within a house. The hall was originally considered the space of the house itself, and the hearth in its center was the focus. Soon, complexity in planning emerged from divisions and annexations of this space, with corridors and galleries becoming the in-between space, or a means of communication between rooms. However, despite this connotation of a hallway as leftover space, it also became major architectural features itself. These corridors were not meant to be inhabited, but were necessary to move from one space to the other. This however, does not mean that this space could not be appreciated and become something other than its intended use.

There are spaces within buildings that were not designed to be experienced or viewed up close. The spaces in-between beams, or the corner of a thirty foot curtain wall are spaces that were not designed to be inhabited, but constructing a temporary way of dwelling and experiencing these places up close will allow you to see space in new ways, and construct new ideas of place.

very part of the world can be identified by design and construction methods, developed over decades by its inhabitants in order to suit their place of belonging. These methods, in a sense, are taken as local to that place, culture and community. However, one construction technique remains unchanged and overarching through time and culture, a method common to all human design and building processes spanning throughout the entire world: scaffolding. With its analysis, one can start to understand how the purity of a skeleton built as architectural armature may have defined places, however temporary or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;invisibleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; the structure is. Thinking of scaffolding as a place-maker in architecture for its interaction with permanent buildings and the process of making has an intricate role and a legacy attached to these changes.

These spaces contain such intricate detailing and elements that are imperative to keeping a building standing, yet these parts are never viewed up close or able to be appreciated. Architects and engineers spend hours designing these details so that the can work, and constantly view them in scaled drawings and models, however, they become forgotten once they are installed. The goal of this thesis is to allow people to embrace these details and this in-between space, rather than forget it.

How do you create a permanent space within a permanent structure? In the relationship between temporary and permanent place, the scaffold portrays fluidity, flexibility, and adaptability, while a building depicts heavy, unmoving, and still. The scaffolds greatest legacy is serving the built architecture: leaving the permanent behind and being structured anew somewhere else.

Typically, buildings are meant to be experienced and inhabited from the inside, however a window washer who scales the side of a skyscraper, experiences the building from the exterior, therefore creating an entirely new and unique experience. An example of this way of thinking can be seen in the Pompdou Centre in Paris,France. Architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers proposed that the drawing feature of the building be the fact that all of the elements of a building that are normally hidden away are exposed on the outside of the building, creating a new type of facade. Through this process, people are able to view and appreciate these systems that are typically hidden away, but that remain an important part of the building and allow it to function the way it does. Similarly, this idea of revealing and exposing the unseen relates to this thesis. The scaffold allows you to rise up, and in a similar fashion, reveals the parts of a building that are not normally viewed up close.

Scaffolding can be explored as metaphor between permanent and temporary design. A temporary visibility speaks to a permanent imprint, in seemingly opposition there is a correlation between them embedded in the method of scaffolding.Â We can begin to look at scaffolding as an impermanent means of viewing something permanent in a new way. It can be used as a basis for creating something that allows people to see places that are not normally seen within a space, or allow people to inhabit these places that were never designed to be inhabited.

thesis by : kathleen dane

two

Copy Transform,

Combine

PRECEDENT STUDY

asters of Architecture students from Clemson university traveled to South Carolina to remove an iconic building local to the area that ceased to serve any practical purpose .The approach to the project was guided by the belief that the site had more of a presence in the community than simply the material. The goal was to reveal the character of the building as well as learn through disassembly, rather than demolition. Through the disassembly process, cuts were selectively made through the building, allowing the study and revealing of space and construction. This is comparable to taking away in order to create new temporary spatial compositions. This thesis strives to do the opposite of this; inserting a new structure in order to create new temporary spatial compositions While taking the building apart, there was an opportunity to learn the history of the space and also revealing space and construction. An entire section of the building was cut out to reveal a real life building section of the cafĂŠ, auction room and their relationship to the site. This is revealing something that someone could never see in the making of a building but was possible in the unmaking The nighttime lighting of the building allowed the spaces created and disassembled to be exposed through the process of revealing things that were not meant to be seen we can begin to use these spaces as a learning tool.

The process of disassembly, as theory, practice, and strategy, allowed the studio to operate on an existing structure to reveal hidden relationships, form new space, and re-activate an abandoned site. It allowed the instigation of a historic site and gave the ability to learn about the politics and community that created it as well as the architectural implications of such a project. This intervention created a ripple effect within the community. The work that was being done was noticed by the community and brought people out to tell stories and recollect about what the building once was. Even though the site was being taken down,It sparked a revitalization of this old abandoned building. Because of this rejuvenation of the memories associated with this site, when the new park was put in its place, it provided a reason for the people to want to go and spend time there. This proposed installation has an opportunity to provide the same effect. With the installation of this apparatus into abandoned buildings, there is possibility to spark the memories of people and draw them to want to restore and revitalize these old spaces.

n 2008 historic preservationist Jorge Otero Pailos was invited to create a work of conservation and art for the European Biennial of Contemporary Art in Bolzano, Italy.

Through this thesis, buildings will be viewed in a new way such that we can begin to look the parts of a building we typically cast aside as un-designed and unfamiliar, and view them as something exceptional.

He painted the wall of the exhibit hall with special latex that has a chemical dissolved in it to loosen the pollution. As the latex dries the pollution gets transferred onto the latex and the dry latex is then peeled off the wall. What remains is just the pollution on a thin sheet of latex, in the same pattern as it settled on the wall but now separate from the original surface. Light from the factory windows shone through the pollution that had been transferred to the latex and created a work of art.

By allowing people to reach and inhabit places of a building that were never designed to be inhabited, we can allow the building itself to tell a story. Often, because of unreachable locations, important details of a building that are significant to place and culture become lost. Through the use of this scaffold installation, we can begin to let the building tell a story.

Jorge Oter-Pailos believed that dust and dirt had value, and when deposited on buildings, became essential to their history.Â He is letting the dirt tell a story. It is not an intentional aesthetic because nobody decided the way the dirt and dust would arrange itself on the wall, however that does not mean that it could not be considered beautiful. These pieces of latex were hung together to create a thin replica of the wall created purely out of the dust and dirt of the original wall. Light from the windows of the building shone through the pollution that had been transferred to the latex and created a work of art. When viewed in a new way, the things we may see as unconventional can become beautiful and appreciated for what they are.

he Pompidou Centre is located in Paris, and was designed in the 1970’s by the architects Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers, and Norman Foster. It serves as a multi-use Cultural Center and Museum. The design of the Pompidou expresses the belief that buildings should be able to change to allow people the freedom to adjust their environment as they need . The architects proposed a flexible building, where all interior spaces could be rearranged at will and exterior elements could be clipped on and off over the life span of the building. The center was to act as an ever-changing framework where the whole façade was capable of changing in plan, section and elevation, Their concept was portraying the museum itself as movement. The other concept in their design, and perhaps the most obvious, was exposing the entire infrastructure of the building. The skeleton itself engulfs the building from its exterior, showing all of the different mechanical and structure systems not only so that they could be understood but also to maximize the interior space without interruptions. Movement was to be celebrated throughout the building, and is expressed in the great diagonal stair running up the outside of the building. Escalators, lifts, and stairs are all clipped onto the facade in a vertical continuation of the activities in the square below so that visitors can use it as a place to appreciate the view, even if they do not visit the galleries. Building access is provided by lifts and escalators which, like the services, are placed outside the

building envelope. This allows a unique opportunity to view the building structure up close as you move up the façade of the building. The building combines several kinds of “kits-of-parts.” The large primary structure is sculpted to contrast with the small details such as the handrails and mesh that the visitors touch. The defining feature of the building is the fact that all of the elements of a building that are normally hidden away are exposed on the outside of the building, creating a new type of façade. Through this process, people are able to view and appreciate these systems that are typically not seen but that remain an important part of the building and allow it to function the way it does. Similarly this idea of revealing and exposing the unseen relates to this thesis. The scaffold is used in a similar fashion to reveal the parts of a building that are not normally viewed up close.

thesis by : kathleen dane

three

Integrate, Assimilate,

Adapt

DESIGN PROPOSITION

Scaffolding is the NEGATIVE space of the building.

he scaffolding, can be used an example of place-maker in architecture for its close interaction with both the building that is permanent and the process of creation, which is temporary. The scaffolding method becomes a prime way to explore the visibility of construction and assemblage in architecture. If we change the notion that the scaffold is merely a tool to construct and remove, and instead present it as a visible architecture, it can begin to change the way inhabitants perceive space and it can being to construct a relationship between building and inhabitant. Scaffolding has been a staple in the construction process for centuries. Sockets in the walls around the paleolithic cave paintings at Lascaux,France, suggest that a scaffold system was used for painting the ceiling over 17,000 years ago. The Berlin Foundry Cup, a drinking cup from the early 5th century, depicts scaffolding being used in ancient Greece. Egyptians are cited with using scaffolding approximately 15,000 years ago. A hieroglyphic depicts light-pole scaffolding surrounding a statue in the tomb of Rekhmira. The scaffolding consists of light poles, tied together by knots of rope. This primitive but efficient method was also used in medieval cathedral building. During Victorian times scaffolding was erected by Individual companies and had a wide range of standards and sizes.

Scaffolding was eventually rationalized by the British Patent Rapid company in 1906. With the help of Daniel Palmer Jones, the company evolved into Scaffolding Great Britain (SGB). Scaffolding was revolutionized by Palmer Jones with the invention of the “Scaffixer”, a coupling device that was much more sturdy than the rope that had previously been used to fix scaffolding. The Scaffixer gained popularity when the company was commissioned to carry out construction work on Buckingham Palace in 1913 and was followed by the “Universal Coupler” in 1919 which remains the industry standard to this day. In 1922 Scaffolding Great Britain introduced tubular steel water pipes to replace the timber poles that had previously been used in scaffolding. This enabled standardized dimensions which allowed industrial changeability of parts and improved the structural stability of scaffold. The introduction of diagonal bracing brought even more stability, especially on taller buildings. Today, working scaffolding is covered by European Standard BS EN 12811-1 which specifies the performance requirements and the methods of structural and general design. The main purpose of working scaffold is to provide workers with a safe place to work with safe access that is suitable for the work being undertaken. The basic components of scaffolding are couplers, tubes and boards.

Tubes are usually made of either aluminum or steel and come in a variety of lengths in a standard diameter of 1.9 inch. Tubes are usually bought in lengths of 20 ft and then cut to the size needed by the company using them. The scaffolding may be enclosed with canvas or plastic sheeting for protection against the weather. In many parts of the world, bamboo is still in general use for scaffolding with few safety restraints. Nylon straps are tied into knots to act as couplers. In India, bamboo or other wooden scaffolding is used and the poles are lashed together using ropes fabricated from coconut fibers.

his thesis will begin to re-adapt the fundamental idea of scaffolding-to rise up and reach places that cannot normally be reached-and turn it into an installation that engages with its environment and becomes experiential, rather than practical. Sculpture is object-form that is uninhabitable, while architecture is object-form that is inhabitable. The merging of these two concepts will allow the creation of an architectural installation. Sculpture that is able to become inhabited and provide an experience through engagement with people. This installation will become spatial art adaptable to multiply building types and seek to offer people different ways to perceive and experience the built environment, through the engagement of people with each other as well as the environment around them.

he Scranton State School for the Deaf was a residential school for the deaf established by Reverend Jacob M. Koehler in 1880. It is located on the corner of North Washington Avenue and Electric Street in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It originally was known as the Pennsylvania Oral School for Deaf Mutes but was change to The Scranton State School for the Deaf in the 1970â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. It began in a church basement in downtown Scranton and resided there until construction of the first building of the school began in 1882. The school was moved to its permanent location in 1884. Subsequently, eight more buildings were added onto the school including dormitories, classrooms, a gym, and an infirmary. All of the buildings except for one were constructed using stone local to Lackawanna County from the East Mountain. The school thrived throughout its lifetime, however it was closed in 2009 due to lack of funding and was moved to a new smaller location in Clarks Summit, PA. The Scranton location was then bought by Marywood University in 2011. The site sits in a location such that half of the school lies in the Borough of Dunmore and half of the school lies in the city of Scranton. Therefore it serves as a threshold between these two towns. As an individual come down Electric Street, the first thing they see as they enter Scranton is the campus of the School. The campus is shielded by an envelope of trees which provides seclusion and privacy from the houses around it. When in use, the school drew in many people and families from outside of the Scranton Area. The Scranton School was part of an expanding network of specialized institutions created to assist young children with disabilities to acquire the education and skills needed to live productive lives. This school served as one of two institutions in Pennsylvania that catered to deaf students; therefore it drew in many students as well as their families from around Pennsylvania as well as the lower parts of New York.

This institute provided a unique opportunity for the surrounding community to adapt and respond to the needs of the deaf students. The growth and expansion of the St. Joseph Center from an orphanage and shelter for homeless children into a care facility for physically and mentally disabled children serves as an example of the Influence that the Deaf School has had on the neighborhood. When choosing the site for this installation, it was imperative that the site be something that has a strong sense of permanency about it, in order to contrast the impermanent intervention that will take place within it. This site of the Scranton State School for the Deaf was chosen because it is considered landmark within the city of Scranton with such a deep rooted history within the city. A second condition for choosing the site was that it needed to be an old building, ideally over one hundred year old. This means that this exploration of space can reveal things that have more than likely never been revealed before and could give the opportunity to learn from old construction practices. The Scranton State School for the Deaf is over 130 years old and constructed entirely out of local stone. The longevity of the buildings life combined with the heaviness of the stone gives the site a strong sense of permanency.The site is located in an area that is primarily residential and institutional, with Marywood University as well as several other elementary schools all in walking distance. This can allow the intervention to be utilized as an educational tool as well. This exploration of space can reveal things that have more than likely never been revealed before and could give the opportunity to learn from old construction practices. While the program of the school itself may no longer be a drawing feature that brings people into the city, this new intervention could provide a new reason for people to visit and bring new life, however temporary, to this once thriving campus.

SITE

MAJOR ROADS TO SITE

MINOR ROADS TO SITE

SITE

MAJOR ROADS TO SITE

MINOR ROADS TO SITE

GREEN SPACE

MINOR ROADS TO SITE

GREEN SPACE

RESIDENTIAL AREAS

COMMERCIAL AREAS

RESIDENTIAL AREAS

COMMERCIAL AREAS

INSTUTUTIONAL AREAS

SITE

ROADS TO SITE

R ROADS TO SITE

REEN SPACE

ERCIAL AREAS

MINOR ROADS TO SITE

GREEN SPACE

RESIDENTIAL AREAS

COMMERCIAL AREAS

RESIDENTIAL AREAS

COMMERCIAL AREAS

INSTUTUTIONAL AREAS

Level 1 Plan 25

Basement Plan 26

n relation to the chosen site, it was necessary to choose the the best place for this installation to be inserted. The ability for this apparatus to be placed on the interior or exterior of a building meant that an interior and exterior location had to be chosen. This selection began by dividing the interior of the building based on which spaces were the largest, tallest, and which had the most desirable area to inhabit. There were four main spaces within the buidling- the gymnasium, hallways, classrooms, and infirmary. The large trusses, expansive vaulted ceiling, and large windows with expansive natural light were all determining factors in deciding to place the installation in the gymnasium. This would provide an interesting opportunity to configure the apparatus to intersect the trusses as well as conform to the shape of the vaulted ceiling.

Summer

Fall/ Spring

GYMNASIUM

HALLWAYS

DIV

In order to dete

Summer

Fall/ Spring

GYMNASIUM

HALLWAYS

CLASSROOMS

DIVISON OF SPACE & HIERARCHY In order to determine best place for interior installation

Summer

Fall/ Spring

GYMNASIUM

HALLWAYS

CLASSROOMS

DIVISON OF SPACE & HIERARCHY In order to determine best place for interior installation

Winter

GYMNASIUM

HALLWAYS

CLASSROOMS

DIVISON OF SPACE & HIERARCHY In order to determine best place for interior installation

INFIRMARY

n relation to the exterior of the building, the sun paths were considered in order to place the installation in a location where the most natural light would be entering the interior space of the installation. Due to the angle of the building, the north facade was found to receive the most natural light through all seasons and therefor it was decided the installation would be placed here. This facade of the building also the tallest and longest and therefore will allow this installation to be configured into multiple sizes along the facade.

GYMNASIUM

Summer

GYMNASIUM

Summer

Fall/ Spring

HALLWAYS

CLASSROOMS

Winter DIVISON OF SPACE & HIERARCHY

Fall/ Spring

In order to determine best place for interior

Fall/ Spring

HALLWAYS

CLASSROOMS

Winter

DIVISON OF SPACE & HIERARCHY In order to determine best place for interior installation

INFIRMARY

thesis by : kathleen dane

four

Move, Adapt,

Configure

CONCEPT DESIGN

ithin these two spaces, it was then necessary to begin to think about the path this apparatus might take. Diagrams show begining thoughts about the path it might take along the north facade as well as within the gymnasium space. The ability to have a singular path, or one with paths that branch off can start to direct where and how people will move through this installation and how they will experience these new spaces. Due to the fact that this installation will be able to be placed on the exterior, as well as the interior of the building, this means that the design of this apparatus must begin to factor in the changes in topography. The ability for this thing to adjust and adapt to each different site it will be utilized in will become a design factor later on in this design process.

PATH DIAGRAMING

he decision to take the skeletal frame of traditional scaffolding and re-adapt it began the design of a skin that wraps around the frame and becomes manipulative and adaptable to individual situtations. Geometric shapes were looked at and how they could be assembled in order to create a uique and adaptatble skin that began to integrate factors such as framed views and solid vs. void. These conceptual geometry studies begin to show different geometric patterns in relation to the scale of a person as well as how certain areas could be closed off or open relative to the skeleton of the scaffold. The ability for certain areas to be closed off, while others remain open begins the dialogue of how this can be utilized in order to allow this apparatus to be manipulated in order to adapt to each individual site.

ifferent variations of assembly and disassembly were examined in order to determine what the best way to design the frame for this apparatus would be. Things such as compression and expansion through twisting, the snaping of pieces together, as well as folding were considered. After further examination it was determined that the skeletal frame of a typical scaffold, acting as a kit-of-parts, would be used as a base for the rest of the design.

thesis by : kathleen dane

f ive

Changing

Local

FINALIZED DESIGN

he use of a triangular skin than can change by compression or expansion will transform this skeletal frame into an installation that can adapt in response to different situtations. In order to become more manipulative and cutomizable to different sites, each triangle has a panel that can be inserted or removed to change the shape from closed to open, therefore creating unlimited varriations in the way this apparatus looks in elevation. The angles of the triangles that form the skin can be and changed as well. This, along with the ability to insert and remove pannels, can allow this apparatus to be manipulated to frame or hide certain views, as well as direct how natural light will enter the space.

n order to allow this design to become even more manipulative, each triangle has a panel that can be inserted and removed in order to change each triangle from closed to open, creating unlimited variations in the way this skin looks in elevation. This will allow the curator of this installation to decide which parts of this will be open and which will be closed, allowing them to be the one who decides what people will see and what will be hidden. This can allow the experience while the user is inside the installation to change. One example is that the panels may be all inserted at the bottom of the apparatus, hiding the views from the ground level. The ground plane is what people are accustomed to seeing. This is the typical way we inhabit space, however if the panels begin to be removed the higher up they ascend, this allows these hidden elements of the space to be revealed as you move upwards. The hidden is revealed the higher you ascend because these are the things that are not typically seen. The angles of each pannel as well as which are closed and which are open will also begin to dictate how light enters the space. Light can begin to be blocked off in certain areas, while directed into the space in others.

VARRIATIONS IN ELEVATION

VARRIATIONS IN ELEVATION VARRIATIONS IN ELEVATION VARRIATIONS IN ELEVATION VARRIATIONS IN ELEVATION

VARRIATIONS IN ELEVATION

he use of the skeletal framework of scaffolding allows this apparatus to be re-configured and re-adapted depending on the needs of each individual space it exists in. This allows the person installing it to curate how they want the users to move through the space and allows it to change in width, as well as in height. It can create a singular experience of simply moving up and through, or it can begin to take on a more longlasting experience of existing within the installation for longer periods of time by expanding the interior space. This space can start to become a gathering space, where people can congregate and spend time in. The triangular pannels can then be inserted on the interior of this apparatus and begin to direct the interior paths and directions that the users of this installation take as seen in example b.

c. 42

his design can also begin to dictate space through the negative space that is created through its assembly. In example d, a courtyard condition is created through the assembly of this apparatus in a square shape. The area coming off the square creates a corridor that leads people in and then expands into a large gathering area. This condition could also be reversed. The open courtyard space could become the space that the installation fills and people could start to gather inside the apparatus itself. There are infinite ways this design can be adapted to different situations and site conditions that allow it to constantly be creating new space. This design also has the ability to insert and remove floor panels at will. This allows certain areas of this installation to become double or triple height space or even more. This helps this apparatus become more adaptable to different building types.

f. 44

he connection details of how this apparatus is assembbled was an important factor to consider due to the fact that this system is designed to move to and from different locations. The goal was for this apparatus to be able to be assembled and disassembled by a minimum number of people and without the use of heavy machinery or power tools. The skeletal frame of scaffolding has already achieved this, therefore the challange was to adapt the skin to work in a similar fashion. Each aluminum pole has a hole in the top and bottom within the constraits of each level. A piece of vulcanized rubber that is folded into an angle is then inserted into a 3â&#x20AC;? aluminum block with a hole parallel to the one in the pole. These elements are then screwed together through the aluminum pole and tightened with a nut and bolt. Once installed, holes at the ends of the vulcanized rubber stretch and fit into pegs that protrude from all sides of each triangle piece. This allows the triangle pieces to hang off of the framework. More strips of rubber are then used to connect each triangle piece to one another by stretcing across the pegs on each side of the triangles. All pieces can be assembled and taken down by a single person without the use of any tools other than man-power.

ultiple parts make up the design of this apparatus. The skeletal frame consists of: standards - the vertical poles ledgers - the horizontal poles adjustable base plates - these allow the apparatus to adjust to changes in topography floor plates - lock into ledgers rosette - provide connection between standards and lock in with ledgers

he design of an apparatus that can change and adjust to different configurations was an intergral part of this design. Each triangle acts independently of one-another allowing pieces to be added and removed in order to fit different building types. Within this space, the apparatus tapers as it moves upwards in order to accomidate the shape of the vaulted ceiling as well as mimic the shape of the trusses.

he ability of the apparatus to create paths and change direction gives it the ability to create space separate from the space insisde it. It can enclose and encapsulate existing space and create smaller pockets of space within it. These new annexes of space provide different experiences and perceptions than those that existed as a result of the new insertion and changing facade of the installation. 51

n an instance such as this, the apparatus begins to intersect with the trusses in the space. In the parts where the installation and building intersect, triangle pieces were removed to accomodate the shape of the truss. At night, the installation can be lit from the inside, allowing it to become a beacon of light that can draw people in, as well as illuminate these uninhabitable space and features that it is showcasing.

he use of panels that can be changed from solid to glass allows the user the ability to direct how light will enter the interior of the apparatus. In this example, the apparatus is placed against large windows that bring natural light into the space. Changing which panels are solid and which are glass can allow you to manipulate how the viewer sees the views out the window as well as how the light will enter the apparatus on one side and how it will light the interior of apparatus on one side and how it will light the interior of the space from the other side.

nce inside the installation, the opportunity arises to be able to interact with the parts of a buiding that were never intended to be interacted with. The sole purpose of a truss is to provide support for the buidling, but this installation gives it another purpose. It becomes an exploratory experience. It allows you to fully understanda the scale of a building and makes you realize that the parts of the building we inhabit are mearly a small part of a much larger system. The Scranton State School for the Deaf has been a central part of the Greenridge area of Scranton since the 19th century. It now sits unused, but holds the potential to stimulate and engage the local community. This project is viable within the context proposed. The structure has been well maintained and is adaptable to a range of potential uses, however, for this proposal, the building will be used merely as a shell for intervention. It will not turn into something new, but rather remain in the condition it currently exists in. The age of the building as well as the need for a revitalization make this site an excellent site for this intervention.

hile the main feature being exposed in this space is the large trusses, this only provides one example of the numerous features that can begin to be explored and exposed through the installation of this apparatus in a space. The greatest feature of this design is its ability to go anywhere, whether on a small or large scale, it can constantly be changing and adapting to new environments and exposing the parts of construction and assemblage that are otherwise cast aside and forgotten. The ability for this to fill a space, allowing these features to be exposed, and then removing it may help people to reconsider they way they view this space and may spark new ideas of what these spaces could be. This installation can allow the community to see this old building in a new way, which in turn may stimulate a want for revitalization. One goal for this installation is that it will temporarily engage the local community in hopes that it will make the community want more permanently re-engage this building for the future.

xterior conditions show the adjustment in topography as well as the apparatus assembled at different scales. In the second example the apparatus becomes an experience of ascension. As you move up, the floor plate of each level is removed until you enter underneath the next level. This allows the user to look up and see a short glimpse of the sky before it is obscured by the floor plate of the level above forcing you to want to continue upwards to the final destination at the top.

EXTERIOR CONFIGURATION 1

he Scranton State School for the Deaf has been a central part of the Greenridge area of Scranton since the 19th century. It now sits unused, but holds the potential to stimulate and engage the local community. This project is viable within the context proposed. The structure has been well maintained and is adaptable to a range of potential uses, however, for this proposal, the building will be used merely as a shell for intervention. It into something new, but rather remain in the condition it currently exists in. The age of the building as well as the need for a revitalization make this site an excellent site for this intervention. Because of the excellent condition of the building itself, it would be an easy site to adapt into something new. This may then create a domino effect and provide a reason to re-adapt the other buildings on the campus. This small intervention will be used as a catalyst for a much bigger picture.

Thesis By Kathleen Dane 2015