Thesis

Celebrating Service and Honoring Sacrifice

Celebrating Service and Honoring Sacrifice This Project is presented to

The Faculty of the School of Architecture

by

Justin Thornton

In Partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Bachelor of Architecture

Southern Polytechnic State University

Marietta, Georgia

Spring Semester 2013

Department of Architecture

School of Architecture and Construction Management Southern Polytechnic State University

Student Full Name: Justin Thornton

Thesis Project Title: Celebrating Service and Honoring Sacrifice Thesis Summary: We have been welcoming home our troops from Afghanistan since 2002. Every year, they return home to their

celebrating family, loved ones, and friends. Often, these celebrations take place in simple gyms or warehouses. These buildings do not give the soldiers the respect and honor that they deserve after risking their lives for our country. Architecture has the power to create

the ceremonial spaces that would properly honor these soldiers, their families, and the sacrifices that they have made. This thesis proposes to combine the celebration of soldiers returning home, and the honoring of those who have sacrificed themselves, together

into a single piece of architecture.

Student Signature ____________________________ Date ___________

Approved By: Internal Advisor 1 ________________________________ Date ________ (Primary Advisor) Professor Robert Tango

Internal Advisor 2 _______________________________________ Date ___________

Professor Kemp Mooney

Thesis Coordinator 1 _____________________________ Date ________ Professor Michael Carroll

Thesis Coordinator 2 _____________________________ Date ________ Professor Robert Tango

This project is dedicated to the men and women of the United States

military for their service and sacrifices for this nation.

I would like to thank my family and my fiancé for their continued support

through this project.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Design Theorem

1.1 Design Hypothesis

1.2 Relevance of the Design Hypothesis in Literature

1.3 Proposed Project Nature, Context and Rationale

1.4 Underlying Principles of the Design Hypothesis to the Proposed Project

1.5 Relevance of the Precedent Analysis to the Proposed Project:

Chapter 2 Design Analysis

2.1 Site

2.1.1 Site Selection and its Significance to the Proposed Project

2.1.2 Documentation of Existing Site Conditions

2.1.3 Topological Survey and Applicable Zoning of the Existing Site

2.1.4 Geographical, Natural and Historical Patterns

2.1.5 Physical and Socio-spatial Patterns

2.1.6 Pedestrian and Vehicular Patterns and Connections

2.1.7 Site Potentials and Constraints to the Proposed Project

2.2 Site Analysis

2.2.1 Site Plan: Physical Character Studies

2.2.2 Contextual Analysis

2.2.3 Figure Ground Relationship and Usage Patterns

2.2.4 Boundaries, Connections, Relations and Emerging Patterns

2.3 Program and Spatial Exploration

2.3.1 Spatial Program Organization

2.3.2 Spatial Adjacencies, Connections, Constraints, and Juxtaposition

2.3.3 Spatial Patterns Relative to Site and its Context

2.3.4 Spatial Explorations and 3-D Consequences

Chapter 3 Design Process

3.1 Site Contextuality

3.2 Program Space

3.3 Sustainable Strategies

3.4 Environmental Systems

3.5 Systems Integration

3.6 Comprehensive Design

Chapter 4 Design Synthesis

4.1 Preliminary Documentation

4.2 Final Documentation

Chapter 5 Critical Response to Design Theorem

5.1 Reflections by Author

5.2 Summary

Design Hypothesis

1.1

We have been welcoming home our troops from Afghanistan since 2002. Every year, they return home to their

celebrating family, loved ones, and friends. Often, these celebrations take place in simple gyms or warehouses.

These buildings do not give the soldiers the respect and honor that they deserve after risking their lives for our

country. Architecture has the power to create the ceremonial spaces that would properly honor these soldiers,

their families, and the sacrifices that they have made. This thesis proposes to combine the celebration of soldiers

returning home, and the honoring of those who have sacrificed themselves, together into a single piece of

architecture.

Proposed Project Nature and Rationale

1.3

This project seeks to provide an experience for the soldiers returning home to Ft. Benning and their families through the

adaptation of a building , memorial and processional path. All this in the context of the Ft. Benning military base in Georgia

on the Lawson Army Airfield.

Underlying Principles of Design

1.4

This project seeks to bring emotion back into a place of celebration . A sense of ceremony and procession and a place to

remember those that have fought and died for this country, but also as a true thank you to those that return.

Design Precedents

1.5

Plaza Seville

Architect: Aníbal González

Built: 1929

Location: Seville, Spain

This project was chosen for its long processional

route from the roundabout on the river through the

park to the main plaza in front of the building.

Along the wall bordering the plaza there are many

alcoves each representing a different province of

Spain.

(10)

(10)

Design Precedents

1.5

St. Peter’s Square

Architect: Gian Lorenzo Bernini

Built: 1656-1667

Location: Vatican City, Italy

This project also has a long procession from St.

Angelo’s Castle on the river to the entrance to the

square before the basilica. This procession is

flanked by buildings instead of trees however

once one enters the square the same sense of

awe is there inspired by the sheer size of the

surrounding colonnades.

(16) (15)

Design Precedents

1.5

North Christian Church

Architect: Eero Saarinen

Built: 1964

Location: Columbus, IN

The North Christian Church is a change of scale.

This is on a more human scale rather than the

grand monumental architecture in Seville and

Rome. Here the architect gets personal. The

processions is a short walk on the path going

through the center of the parking lot and up the

steps to the church. The architect also wanted the

building to speak about what it is. It was raised on

a small hill to denote its importance among the

parking and the houses surrounding and the

interior shows equality and serenity focusing on

the religion rather than a grand sanctuary.

(11)

(11) (11)

Design Precedents

1.5

Dulles International Airport

Architect: Eero Saarinen

Built: 1963

Location: Washington D.C.

The original main terminal for the Dulles

International Airport is different in that instead of

approaching it on center for the entire trip, you

actually are pushed around to the right and

brought parallel to the building. The expansive

interior with natural lighting soaring up into the air

is inspiring as well.

(9)

(9) (9)

(9)

Design Precedents

1.5

Mémorial des Martyrs de la Déportation

Architect: Georges-Henri Pingusson

Built: 1962

Location: Paris, France

The Deportation Memorial as it has come to be

called is a study in minimal but extremely

emotional architecture. As you go down the stairs

and experience that horrible and scary pointy

sculpture you turn around and the claustrophobic

tunnel is in front of you. You get compressed and

saddened as you walk through to the long hallway

in which there are 200,000 lights representing the

people taken away by the Nazis.

(18) (17)

(17)

Design Precedents

1.5

Vietnam Memorial

Architect: Maya Lin

Built: 1982

Location: Washington D.C.

A simple and large yet personal memorial, Maya

Lin designed the wall to show the cost of the

Vietnam War. The names shown are in

chronological order by date of death starting and

ending at the center of the two sections of the

wall. To find a relative or loved one on the wall is a

powerful feeling to see the sacrifice written out

among the nearly 60,000 other soldiers who gave

their lives in the war. Lin made the wall tall but not

overbearingly so on purpose as to not feel

oppressed.

(5) (6)

(7)

(8)

Design Precedents

1.5

Air Force Academy Chapel

Architect: Walter Netsch (SOM)

Built: 1962

Location: Colorado Springs, CO

The Air Force Chapel was chosen as a precedent

for structural purposes. It has a unique shape to

its structure that also affects the interior of the

worship space inside. Its use of underground

space to put nonessential rooms and providing 3

separate worship areas in a very narrow building

space was also helpful to study.

(12) (12)

(14)

(13)

Design Precedents

1.5

Spaceport America

Architect: Foster and Partners

Built: 2011

Location: New Mexico

Spaceport America was used as a study on how

to integrate the ground into the building. The long

straight road leading to the spaceport led to ideas

about a processional path for the project and how

to hide certain aspects of the building

underground when not needed.

(3) (3)

(3)

Design Precedents

1.5

La Hémisphérique

Architect: Santiago Calatrava

Built: 2005

Location: Valencia, Spain

La Hemispheric provided inspiration for possible

entrance designs. Its unique and large opening

doors provide a grand entrance without resorting

to a set of double doors inside. This could be

carried into the project in some way.

(2)

(2)

(2) (2)

Design Precedents

1.5

Freedom Hall

Architect: McKnight Construction

Built: 2004

Location: Ft. Benning, GA

The Passenger Processing Facility or Freedom

Hall as it is called on base is roughly a 75,000sq ft

facility that deals with the logistics of sending and

receiving troops to and from Ft. Benning. It is built

to function and functions well based on interviews

with the staff there. However that is all it does is

function. The large assembly area provides an

open space for dinners and welcoming home

ceremonies and other pleasantries but there is no

feeling put into the building. It simply serves a

purpose and does nothing more.

Site Selection and Relevance to Project

2.1.1

Ft. Benning, GA

This site was chosen because of the student’s knowledge of the area and

accessibility to physically visit the site. Ft. Benning primarily serves as

the armor and infantry school for the US Army but stations several active

duty combat and non combat units at the base. This project is focused on

those active duty units.

Other reasons include it’s size allows greater flexibility with building and

memorial form. It is relatively flat and doesn’t require the tearing down of

existing buildings on the base. The site also allows views of the taxiway

and runway as the plane taxis up to the site.

Existing Site Conditions

2.1.2

Ft. Benning, GA

• Panorama of site along

eastern border road

• View across tarmac

towards runway

• View down road into the

site

Topological Survey

2.1.3

Ft. Benning, GA

• The topographical lines are in 10ft intervals

• The site is at the base of a hill on the flat area

inside the loop road of the airfield

(1)

(1)

Historical Building Patterns

2.1.4

Ft. Benning, GA

• On the right is a

map of Ft.

Benning in 1955

(1)


2.1.4

Ft. Benning, GA

• Ft. Benning again in

1993 where the blue

buildings show newly

built buildings on the

base

(1)


2.1.4

Ft. Benning, GA

• Ft. Benning in present

day showing all

existing buildings and

the airfield.

Geographical Patterns

2.1.4

Ft. Benning, GA

• Avg. Temperature

• Avg. Rainfall

• Avg. Cloudy Days

• Sunlight Hours

• Sunpath Diagram

(4)

Physical and Social Patterns

2.1.5

Ft. Benning, GA

Population : 11,091

Males: 66%

Females: 34%

Avg. Age: 22.5 yrs.

Est. Household Income: $49,000

(4)

(4)

(4)

Site Potentials and Constraints

2.1.7

Ft. Benning, GA

The blue outline is the potential site. It

extends out to give the option of

redesigning of the road leading to the

site. The site extends over the taxi

ramp and closed runway to allow

potentially involving the way the plane

carrying the soldiers interacts with the

building.

Vehicular Patterns and Connections

2.1.6

Ft. Benning, GA

To the right is the vehicular

patterns for the site. There are

no roads going through the

middle and only a small two

lane road going around the

perimeter of the site and

another two lane road leading

away from the site to the main

base.

Vehicular Patterns and Connections

2.1.6

Ft. Benning, GA

Here are the taxi paths and

the runway used by the

aircraft that use the base. Not

all the paths were

highlighted, only the ones

used to get to the site.

Contextual Analysis

2.2.2

Site Analysis

• The site is surrounded by the Ft.

Benning Military Reservation

(green)

• Across the river is Alabama (red)

• To the North the city of Columbus is

only 11 miles

• The National Infantry Museum is 2

miles to the North

Figure Ground

2.2.3

Site Analysis

A figure ground showing most of

the southeastern portion of the

main base, the site and many of

the buildings belonging to the

airfield

Boundaries and Connections

2.2.4

Site Analysis

The site boundary runs along the

perimeter road that circles the

airfield. Further expansion to the

north and west is blocked by the

Chattahoochee River and

expansion to the east is up a hill

before it runs into existing

buildings.

The southern border is bounded

by the existing airfield structures

and the taxiway.

Spatial Program Exploration

2.3.1

Program Exploration

These two sketches show initial ideas about how to enter and

leave the site as well as building positioning on the site. The

blue being the site outline, the yellow the roads, the green

the building, and the red the path of the plane to and from the

site


2.3.1

Program Exploration

A second iteration of initial ideas with a slightly further

developed entrance and exit strategy for the soldiers .

Position of building and other program to change and be

added in.


2.3.1

Program Exploration

Another initial sketch on possible procession entrances for both the

soldiers exiting the plane and entering the building and the families

entering from the other side and going to the seating. This design

was not much changed from the original building that they currently

use. However, the knowledge gained from these few sketches

allowed further exploration of the building design using set

parameters.


2.3.1

Program Exploration

The first iteration of the program organization begins with this

sketch. It does not include the site yet but uses different

colors to identify each group that would use the building and

how they flow in and out of the site. Yellow for the families,

green for the soldiers and blue for any employees working

the building.


2.3.1

Program Exploration

This diagram is one of the first iterations of the

program organization on the site. The main hall

where the ceremony takes place is in the center

with the secondary program aligned along the

axis. The airplane containing the soldiers would

follow along the taxiway and stop in front of the

building to off load them.


2.3.1

Program Exploration

A more refined version of the previous diagram. The

parking and memorial are placed along the entrance

axis for the families. The blue line indicates family

circulation path and the green represents the soldiers.

Here they are both forced to interact with the memorial

rather than have the ability to bypass it completely on

their way to the main hall.


2.3.1

Program Exploration

Here the four main pieces of program are

organized onto the site to scale based on

their square footages.

This shows how they come together in

relation to each other and the site.


2.3.1

Program Exploration

Here the lines are the possible

main procession lines for the two

sets of participants. The circles are

the main elements of the program

organized along these lines of

procession. The Main Hall being at

the crossing . The parking and

memorial leading from right to left

along the horizontal line into the

Main Hall .

3D Consequences

2.3.5

Spatial Exploration

These sketches are some of the first depicting a

3D idea of the building and the memorial

together. These first sketches are there to see

how the program could interact with the site.

Context and Contextuality

3.1

Site

In order to give the right experience to the people

entering the building there had to be a procession of

some kind. Initial thoughts were to have the

procession lead straight from road, to parking,

through the memorial, and into the celebratory space.

As shown on a previous page. However with the size

of the building and the potential size of the memorial

and parking this was changed and experimented with

several times. Different approaches and a new road

along the river were considered.

In each iteration, the program and procession were

moved around to see about possible new entrances

and viewing possibilities of the program as the

persons approached the building. The idea for the

organization was to create different emotional

transitions with a series of events and controlling

where the visitors and the soldiers would enter the

area.


3.1

Site

The first iterations of exploring how to move into the

site. These sketches show the proposed building at

the very end of the runway with the entrance coming

off the hill to the east and proceeding directly into the

building on one and looping around to the side on the

other.


3.1

Site

Here the procession starts with the making of a new road that

follows along the river and approaches from the North. Here

the building is situated along a taxiway leading to the end of

the runway. One would park and walk the winding path to the

building.


3.1

Site

This set uses the road from the south as the

main approach. The building remains at the end

of the runway. The path which includes the

thought of a memorial inside it works its way

from the road to the “side” of the proposed

building.

Space and Spatiality

3.2

Program

Here models come into play in order to

visualize the building form. Done to scale and

set on the site this form here is only a slight

variation on the existing building and simply

mirrors it in size.


3.2

Program

The second model of the group attempts to show a

clear separation of entrances from both ends. A wide

side and a narrow side begin to distinguish which group

will use what entrance and it begins to build on the idea

of scale changing from one end of the building to the

other.


3.2

Program

This design splits up the program into two separate

spaces. The flow upwards is to help give the feeling

of changing scale from human to monumental.

However, how the program fit into these spaces

was not thought through.


3.2

Program

This iteration starts to take on a more

manageable shape. The program is

regulated to one floor and the main

ceremonial space is put underneath the

wire structure which would span across it.

The less important program would be

pushed to the outside in the slivers outside

the ceremonial structure.


3.2

Program

This iteration , raises the height of the structure to a

staggering 200ft. The structure starts to follow the

shape of the building and starts to return back to the

middle near the soldier entrance. The exterior

program still remains but has shrank in size.


3.2

Program

Here the main structure gets expanded to enclose

the exterior program and attempt to create a more

flowing look. The memorial begins to take shape

along the skinnier side showing the procession

from the road to the building itself. The structure

has taken to leaning forward allowing some

coverage above the plane.


3.2

Program

Here the exterior structure has been removed and the

main structure extended out past the building to

enclose the plane. The structure stops expanding and

goes straight in order for it to work and not be

stretched too far without the need for vertical columns.

Some design sketches of this iteration can be seen on

the next page.


3.2

Program


3.2

Program

Development began on the interior floor plans and

several iterations were produced, each moving

around the entrance and necessaries like stairs and

elevators for ADA and bathrooms.


3.2

Program

The secondary program like the offices and

ready rooms was moved underground from

its original position in the wings outside the

superstructure. Here are a couple iterations

on the lower level design.


3.2

Program

Memorial design was crucial to the procession and the series of events

that the people coming into the building would encounter. Here there are

four nooks created for each of the active duty units on the base. A path

down the middle allows for free movement back and forth without

interrupting people looking at the memorial. This design was changed to

a more uniform look. Units are no longer separate and joined in a long

smooth wall amongst the jagged angles with waterfalls creating a

relaxing and more meditative atmosphere.


3.2

Program


3.2

Program

The site design went from a simple straight path into

the building to a circular path that dipped below grade

to allow the cars to pass through without the

pedestrians having to worry about crosswalks and

could simply cross bridges across the road and go

through the memorial to the building.

Skin and Bones

3.5

System Integration

Comprehensive Integration

3.6

Design Integration

Final Documentation

4.2

Final Design

Final site model with scale plane. Showing the parking

, memorial , the bridges and the main building.

Final Documentation

4.2

Final Design

Final detail model at ¼” scale. Intended to show

the interaction between all the pieces of the

building at a certain point.

Final Documentation

4.2

Final Design

Reflections and Summary

5.1

Critical Response

In reflection this project seemed simple, with its small program and straight forward design intent for the space

inside. However, creating that space that has such importance and that hasn’t been done before is a lot harder than

it seems. This project is important for the soldiers and their families as well as the nation to know that we can do

more to welcome them home. Looking back, the project could have been portrayed more as a movie as suggested,

to get the idea of what was happening inside and during a ceremony. I could have explored more on the dichotomy

of life and death not just with the memorial outside but how the dead return with the living. How they are honored in

the same light as those who made it home. This project doesn’t have to be limited to my site. These types of

buildings can and should be thought of for every major military base in the country. Each reacting to its site, the

base and possibly the city beyond. I was not able to get this project up to the standard with which I was happy with,

the lack of perspectives of the interior and the memorial path did not help to carry across the emotion in the project

and I would have really have liked to get it into a 3D program for those renders and even a walkthrough. I learned a

lot in this project and I hope to continue editing and refining it.

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