Tyler Duty

Architecture Renewal in the Mountains

//Revitalization of Neglected Surface Mines and Coal Communities

Tyler Duty M. Arch // Thesis

t. 304.881.4010 e. tylernduty@gmai.com

DAAP Works

DAAP Works // Renewal in the Mountains

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Hobet 21 Coal Mine Boone County // West Virginia Mountaintop removal has decimated 352,000 acres and 135 mountain ranges in the state of West Virginia alone

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DAAP Works // Renewal in the Mountains

Table Contents Thesis +0 Introduction // Abstract 6

+1 Regional // Appalachia 8

+2 Local // Southern West Virginia Coalfields

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+3 Site // Hill Fork Surface Mine & Madison, WV

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+4

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-01 Hiking // Biking Trails

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-02 Botanical Garden

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-03 Observation Deck // Wind Turbine

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-04 Coal Memorial

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-05 Campsite // Shelter

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-06 Amphitheatre

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Monuments of the Coalfields

Additional Work +5 Resume 58

+6 Portfolio // Complete Thesis Document

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ˉ0 +Summary

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Through natural resource extraction, West Virginia has fueled the nation’s energy demands since the early 20th century. As renewable energy production becomes more prominent, former surface mines and coal communities search for new methods of economic revitalization.

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The natural beauty and the environment of the Appalachian mountains have been decimated by contemporary methods of coal extraction known as surface mining or mountaintop removal. In order to preserve the natural environment moving forward, architectural integration must raise awareness surrounding the issue by revealing the surface mining process to the public.

At the heart of the rich coal-filled Appalachian Mountains lies Madison, West Virginia. Madison is nestled at the basin of the Little Coal River valley, where coal was discovered in 1742. Over the years, the picturesque landscape and the rich history has been diminished by the socioeconomic disparity of the coal industry. Madison, like many other coal towns throughout Appalachia, will serve as the primary case study for this analysis.

The number of coal mining operations decrease each year as clean fossil fuels and renewable energy alternatives are developed. Today in the United States, only 30% of our energy is derived from coal. As this percentage continues to decrease, abandoned surface mines are becoming more prominent throughout southern West Virginia. Surface mines are the most common form of coal extraction; however, this controversial method has generated social, economic, political, and environmental problems.

Due to the devastating environmental and economic impact of an abandoned surface mine, the Department of Environmental Protection provides incentives for future economic development. The beautiful Appalachian landscape surrounding the reclaimed surface mines promote architectural interventions that support eco-tourism, community engagement, coal heritage, and renewable energy production. Each design component will address an issue surrounding the mountaintop removal process, while challenging the public’s perception of renewable energy alternatives.

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Regional Appalachia

2012 // Chesapeake & Ohio Ra West Virginia Jason Bostic

2016 // New River Gorge Bridge West Virginia

Regional VII Planning and Development Council

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ailroad

1973 // John Amos Power Plant // EPA Documerica Project West Virginia Harry Schaefer

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+Appalachia

The Appalachian Mountains have fueled energy consumption necessities throughout North America since the early 19th century.1 The coal trade fueled rapid industrialization efforts, and secluded valleys became centers for commerce and infrastructure to facilitate the growing coal industry. Today, Appalachia’s abundant natural resources have been exploited, but the welfare of local communities has been neglected. The region is currently struggling with high unemployment and poverty rates due to the singular based coal economy, and the startling corporate land ownership rates.

1 Burns, Shirley Stewart. Bringing down the Mountains: The Impact of Mountaintop Removal Surface Coal Mining on Southern West Virginia Communities. 1970-2004. Morgantown, W. Va.: West Virginia Univ. Press, 2007.

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Data From West Virginia University

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Local

Southern West Virginia Coalfields

2010 // Elk Run Coal Processin West Virginia Arianna Skyes

2016 // Active Mountaintop Removal Operation West Virginia David Stephenson

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ng Plant

2018 // Coal River Pedestrian Suspension Bridge West Virginia Kurt Travis

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+West Virginia Coalfields

This thesis will focus strictly on surface mining and seek to develop an architectural response to the political, economic, environmental and social issues surrounding this controversial extraction method. Surface mining has decimated 352,000 acres of land and 135 mountains in the state of West Virginia alone.1 In most cases, reclamation efforts can be avoided through incentives that suggest abandoned surface mines may be used for economic development in the future. The harsh reality is that only three percent of abandoned surface mines are ever developed.2 As coal communities throughout southern West Virginia search for new methods of employment and economic revitalization, abandoned surface mines provide flattened land for eco-tourism and renewable energy optimization.

1 Appalachian Voices. “Mountaintop Removal 101 > Appalachian Voices.�

Accessed October 4, 2019. http://appvoices.org/end-mountaintop-removal/ mtr101 2 Ibid.

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Site

Hobet 21 Coal Mine // Madison, West Virginia

2019 // Hill Fork Surface Mine West Virginia Tyler Duty

1967 // Main Street // Madison, WV West Virginia

City of Madison

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2018 // Coal Rail Yard // Danville & Madison, WV West Virginia Tyler Duty

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+Madison, West Virginia

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Site

The scope of this thesis will focus on the analysis of Madison, West Virginia and its relationship to the surrounding coal mines. Madison emerged as a model company town in the late 19th century, which instigated hostility between the community and the distant coal corporation authorities. Coal companies developed their own utilitarian ideas for currencies, homes, businesses, and politics to maintain supremacy over the coal miners and their families. Like many other Appalachian company towns, Madison was once a vibrant community with a diverse society of people from all over the world. Due to the high demand for coal, company towns such as Madison were economically dependent on coal production. This in turn lead to the gradual demise of the City of Madison.

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+Hill Fork Surface Mine

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Site

The current condition of the Hill Fork Surface Mine stands as a scar atop one of the tallest and most prominent mountains in the area. The reclamation process is currently about 95% complete and the 424 acres have been deemed suitable for future economic development due to the now flattened nature of the mine. Hill Fork Surface Mine has been a controversial site for development due to the picturesque landscape surrounding the site in every direction. In order to respect, but also enhance the natural beauty of the surrounding environment, architectural interventions will advocate for biophilic design principals that bridge the gap between nature and built components. Through these various design components and typologies, the sensorial extremities of the natural environment will be enhanced rather than diminished.

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Monuments of the Coalfields Six Architectural Components

Architectural design components will be introduced on Hill Fork Surface Mine in order to revitalize the desolate landscape. Each component will be used to inform visitors of the industrial past; while also demonstrating a visual catalogue of monuments that define the Appalachian region.

02 - Botanical Garden

Due to the vast scale of the Hill Fork Surface Mine, various architectural components will be linked via hiking and biking trails to generate a physical connection across the site. The primary design component is the observation deck and wind turbine. This monument will be repeated across the site in order to maximize wind energy production.

03 - Observation Deck // Wind Turbine

04 - Coal Memorial

05 - Campsite // Shelter

06 - Amphitheatre

The following six sections describe the concept, theory, and design intent behind each architectural expressions.

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Design Components

01 - Hiking // Biking Trails

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Hiking // Biking Trails Circulation

Summary

Design Concept

Direct circulation to architectural interventions Prevent vehicular traffic Bike // pedestrian lanes

Overview Due to the shear size of Hill Fork Surface Mine, various design components will be linked via bike and foot path. These trails will follow the perimeter of the mine boundary in order to create a physical monument between the old and the new. Spanning across the 1.5 mile site, and connecting 424 acres of land; converging paths will dictate circulation between each monument.

Hiawatha Bike Trail Idaho

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Botanical Garden Sanctuary

Summary

Design Concept Preserve once existing landscape

Encompass the regions biodiversity Biophilic design principles

Overview This internal sanctuary will demonstrate the biodiverse plant species that dominate the Appalachian region. Through architectural design strategies the botanical garden will serve as a form of architectural propaganda that creates a stark contrast between the encapsulated forest and the desolate mine. Visual representation methods will make a case for preservation of such pristine land in the future.

The Eden Project England

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Monuments of the Coalfields

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Observation Deck // Wind Turbine Renewable Energy

Summary

Design Concept

Interpret scale & scope of the surface mine Demonstrate wind turbine energy production Physical landmark // beacon

Overview Due to the horizontal scale of the Hill Fork Surface Mine, vertical design integration will serve as visual landmarks to delineate the mine from the contextual surroundings.

The primary function of these vertical components is wind energy production and the secondary function is observation platforms. Such beacons will be repeated across the site in order to harvest wind as the primary renewable energy component.

Olson Observation // Fire Tower West Virginia

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Monuments of the Coalfields

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Coal Memorial Museum

Summary

Design Concept Tribute to Upper Big Branch Mine disaster

Display artifacts of the Southern West Virginia Coalfields

Demonstrate underground utilitarian methods

Overview The concept behind the coal miner’s memorial is to honor the miners and their families who have dedicated and lost their lives to the coal industry. One of the most deadly mining accidents happened thirty miles south of Hill Fork Surface Mine. An explosion at The Upper Big Branch mine resulted in the deaths of twenty-nine miners. In remembrance, each miner that perished will have a monument at the point of arrival and departure at the underground memorial. Through a series of underground tunnels and nodes, society will understand the extraneous labor and conditions that miners endured to fuel the nation’s demand for electricity.

Allmannajovet Zinc Mine Museum Norway

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Campsite // Shelter Community

Summary

Design Concept Communal space for events and gatherings Overnight camping accommodations Sanitation necessities

Overview In order to maintain the rural qualities of the rustic landscape, it would be short sighted to propose commercial developments on site. This will be circumvented through a series of campsites that allow visitors to stay overnight at Hill Fork Surface Mine. Each campsite will be signified by a shelter that provides communal space for small scale events and gatherings on site.

Greenbrier State Forest Campground West Virginia

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Amphitheatre Activation

Summary

Design Concept Site activation through events and festivals Community engagement

Economic growth and future development

Overview The design approach focuses on orienting the backdrop of the stage towards one of the most scenic vistas in the area. From this vantage, visitors will experience a series of undulating mountain ranges in the peripheral. The colonnade formed at the base of the arches will also serve as an implied barrier to generate a sense of enclosure, while vegetation forms a sound buffer to prevent reverberation throughout the valley.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre Colorado

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TYLER DUTY

SKILLS

ASPIRING ARCHITECT // GRAPHIC DESIGNER

3D Modeling

(304)881-4010 tylernduty@gmail.com issuu.com/tylerduty tylerdutydesigns

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Graphic Production Render & Animation

Revit SketchUp Rhino Autocad Photoshop Bluebeam InDesign Illustrator Revit Render Maxwell Render V-ray Premiere Pro

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EXPERIENCE Herscoe Hajjar Architects

Junior Architect

Summer 2019 Naples, FL www.hharch.com

Project types: Commercial // Residential Phases of work: SD // DD // CD // CA

Populous

Architectural Intern

Fall 2018 Denver, CO www.populous.com

Project types: Expo Halls // Stadiums Phases of work: Interviews // SD // DD

HDR, Inc.

Architectural Intern

Spring 2018 Denver, CO www.hdrinc.com

Project types: Healthcare // Civic Phases of work: DD // CD

ZMM Architects & Engineers

Architectural Intern

Summer 2016 & 2017 Charleston, WV www.zmm.com

Project types: Educational // Religious Phases of work: SD // DD // CD

EDUCATION University of Cincinnati DAAP 2017-Present

University of Kentucky UK/CoD 2013-2017

Master of Architecture Expected 2020 Graduate Assistant for DAAP Publications GPA 3.75 BA in Architecture // Minor in Digital Media GPA 3.78 / 4.00 Rome & Prague: Ancient to Modern Architecture

HONORS & ACTIVITIES Dean’s List University of Kentucky College of Design- Eight Consecutive Semesters AIA West Virginia Scholarship Award Winner University of Kentucky Tau Sigma Delta Architectural Academic Fraternitity VP University of Kentucky Architecture Education Abroad Scholarship American Institute of Architecture Students Member University of Kentucky National Society of Collegiate Scholars Chapter Member Showcased Projects at University of Kentucky College of Design “End of Year Show” University of Cincinnati Graduate Student Governance Association Member

VOLUNTEER WORK Volunteer at Informal Office (Architecture firm in Lexington, KY) Participant in UK Dance Blue 24-hour Marathon (Supports pediatric cancer) University Park Elementary Student Teacher // Mentor (Denver, CO) Make-A-Wish Foundation (Philanthropy event to benefit patients with ALS) Helping Hands- Outreach Program to Help Less Fortunate Families (Winfield, WV)

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Additional Work

Portfolio // Complete Thesis Document

Full Thesis Book (Click Here) https://issuu.com/tylerduty/docs/thesis

Full Portfolio (Click Here) https://issuu.com/tylerduty/docs/tyler_duty_portfolio_resume

Tyler Duty University of Cincinnati Master of Architecture, class 2020

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Tyler Duty M. Arch // Thesis

t. 304.881.4010 e. tylernduty@gmai.com

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