Undergraduate Thesis

SPATIAL SEQUENCING IN ARCHITECTURE: A Bathhouse

HANNAH VAUGHN MITCHELL Virginia Tech Bachelor of Architecture 2017 College of Architecture and Urban Studies Advisor | Dave Dugas

I would like to thank my family and friends, in particular Mom, Dad, and Sara for their love and support this year and the past four years.

Thanks also to my professors for their advice throughout my time at Virginia Tech.

It has been one of the best experiences of my life.

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CONTENTS

SPATIAL SEQUENCING Chronology in Architecture 8 Barcelona Pavilion 10 Sequencing

STUDIES Thesis Inquiries 14 Pathways 16 Transitional Spaces 18 Light and Views

CONCEPT REPRESENTATION A Bathhouse 26 Roman Baths 28 Program 34 Material 36 Site

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SPATIAL SEQUENCING Chronology in Architecture

Architectural space is created by the connections between empty space and objects and among objects and our understanding of these connections. Sequencing of architectural spaces have often taken the form of linear progressions. However, there was a shift in the understanding of space at the start of the twentieth century where it was seen that there was potential for nonlinear progressions in architecture. For example, two organizations, clustered and axial, started to appear. A clustered organization is a group of rooms related by approach and adjacency, whereas axial organization is a building organized in a path, along an axis that people may follow phisically or visually as they progress through a building. These organizations place an emphasis on the sequencing of spaces.

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In Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Pavilion, "there is one sequence of direct vision and one for the experience of the body."1 The idea of conflict or disconnect between body and vision gives way to an organizational method of structure. A series of carefully placed elements play a role in the integral theme of spatial sequencing.

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BARCELONA PAVILION

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The understanding of spatial sequencing and progression is a crucial, although often overlooked, component of meaningful design.

Architecture can heavily influence while not exclusively limit the user.

For example, both an immediate and a less direct path can be present, giving the user two distinct yet equally intriguing options. This concept is studied through use of guiding walls and carefully directed natural light.

10 SEQUENCING

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STUDIES Thesis Inquiries

Architectural sequences do not only apply to the reality of physical buildings, but also to the symbolic reality of something merely conceptual. A narrative is always present, whether of approach, use or form. Specific physical elements such as walls or ramps guide, while the knowledge of something familiar can guide one through a series of spaces. The route is just as important as any one place along it. Guiding elements, transitional spaces, and the careful application of light and views all contribute to the study of sequencing in architecture.

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By use of 'guiding' elements, organizing directions are introduced. These usually belong simultaneously to two or more obvious components. A 'guiding wall', for instance, may unify two spaces by means of its continuity. Guiding walls are essential to obtain the intended fusion of the spaces. Thus, providing the progression or pathway from one space to another.

Mies van der Rohe's Brick Country House

14 PATHWAYS

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'Transition' is an intermediate state, in architecture defined as the joining space between two confined spaces. Fundamentally, spaces in architecture are incomplete without transitional areas. The designs of these spaces are not only functional circulation routes, but they are essential for aesthetics, health, and comfort. People travel from space to space so frequently that they are not always aware of the presence of this intermediate area. They are experienced from macro to micro levels - from the urban scale of regional planning to the interior architecture of the home entryway.

16 TRANSITIONAL SPACES

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Natural light seeps through carefully placed apertures in the walls and roof, which shows various expressions throughout the day. The apertures are created in such a way that throughout most of a sunny day, the directed light guides a patron from space to space, whether the light hits a wall, floor, or pool.

Concrete walls frame controlled views of the gently rolling landscape beyond. Some walls have large rectangular openings, framing views toward the distant mountains.

18 LIGHT AND VIEWS

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Study of lighting conditions within pathways.

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Study of lighting conditions within baths.

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CONCEPT REPRESENTATION A Bathhouse

The history of bathing and the bath is extremely rich, diverse, and intricate. While most civilizations developed various ways of creating physical contact with water, they always seemed to have the same elements in common - spiritual, healthful, healing, and social. Bath culture has transformed to a spa culture, a leisurely and passive experience from what used to be an active experience with an emphasis on wellness. Bathing and the bath was once a ritualistic and respected experience. The literal sequence of baths as well as the conceptual sequence of experiencing a bathhouse is something that drove this design.

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Apodyterium Apodyterium was a room just past the entrance where the bather stored his or her clothes. It was comprised of a large changing room with cubicles or shelves.

Notatio An open air swimming pool Palaestrae A series of exercise rooms Laconica and Sudatoria Superheated dry and wet sweating rooms

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Tepidarium Tepidarium was the tepid or intermediate bath. It was a way to acclimate and prepare their bodies before entering the caldarium. There is constant radiant heat which directly affects the human body from the walls and the floor. It received its light through clerestory windows.

Masseur A room for massage and other health treatments

Caldarium Caldarium was a room with a hot plunge bath. This was the hottest room in the regular sequence of bathing rooms.

Frigidarium | Plunge Bath Frigidarium is a large cold pool.

It would be entered after the caldarium and the tepidarium, which were used to open the pores of the skin. The cold water would close the pores and rejuvenate the body.

Outdoor Garden After baths, patrons could stroll in gardens.

Hypocaust Heating system fueled by wood burning furnaces. The fires send warm air under the raised floor.

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Circulation through baths(top) and sauna(lower).

Section through hot bath and pathway.

28 PROGRAM

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Lighting condition within the tepid bath.

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Lighting condition within the pathway between the changing area and sauna.

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Section through cold and tepid baths.

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Section through transitional space.

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Concrete and glass are used as the building materials for an overall minimalistic aesthetic. There are several instances where material interacts with itself. The walls intersect each other at corners, pass through each other, or reach out for each other but stop short, forming a small opening to provide for the passage of light and visual connections.

34 MATERIAL

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PARKING LOT

Located at the peak of Price Mountain in Virginia is the site selected for the bathhouse. The site is mostly flat with some rolling hills.

The journey from the parking lot to the entry of the bathhouse is an important moment. A sequence of reflecting pools and a meandering pathway provide an outdoor area of rest, contemplation, and meditation before or after the experience of the bath.

PARKING LOT

36 SITE

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BIBLIOGRAPHY 1 Tschumi, Bernard. "Sequences." Architecture and Disjunction. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 1996. 199. Print.

Cartwright, Mark. "Roman Baths." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., 02 May 2013. Web. 2 May 2017.

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