The process of building is not permanent, but encompasses changes far beyond the initial construction. The Moore Theatre, at the corner of Second Avenue and Virginia Street in Seattle, is much more than the innovative 1907 combination of steel, brick and plaster conceived by architect E.W. Houghton and owner James A. Moore. It has evolved over the course of the past century, serving as a testament to the individuals who have owned and occupied the building, and to the changing Seattle society since it first established the city’s national cultural prominence. Many buildings as old as the Moore had their lives cut short by management that was slow to react to changing cultural tides. The Moore, in stark contrast, has continued living due to the efforts of a few individuals who were brave enough to intervene – particularly women. My research examines the architectural and programmatic changes during the reigns of the “Moore women,” Cecilia Schultz and Ida Cole, and determines the extent of their influence on continuing and shaping the life of the Moore Theatre, and, as an extension, the history of Seattle. I will investigate this by taking apart historical, first-person accounts of the women’s involvement in the form of interviews and newspaper articles, analyzing architectural documentation in the form of original and altered plans, sections, elevations, and detail drawings, and currently accessing and analyzing the building physically. I hope to discover the extent of these women’s influences on the Moore, and to draw larger conclusions about women’s roles in Seattle history and the history of historic preservation and architectural history nationwide. These results could implicate the different genders’ roles in architecture and the performing arts and how these have shaped their current ability to gain meaningful leadership in these areas.

Working in small groups, our studio collectively studied various residential projects, focusing on conceptual design, human scale, programmatic relationships, and the buildings' relationship to the site. Our group was assigned the Floodplain House designed by Paul Hirzel Architects. In order to gain a better understanding of the project, our group created 1/4" = 1' basswood section model. The Floodplain House was built to provide a live/work space for the client’s 70 acre winery. The live and work areas are housed in the main body, while a bedroom rests within a grove of cottonwood trees as its own private wing that flanks the main structure. The house sits on the edge of Potlach River to maximize the land for the vineyard, as well as provide an immersive experience for its owner and their guests. At 184 feet in length, a steel Howe truss rests on four thick concrete piers, allowing the house to cantilever above the river similar to a bridge. The structure is elevated at a height above the ‘500 year flood plane’ and to prevent rattlesnake infestations. Building on such a challenging site, the exoskeletal structure doubled as scaffolding during the construction to keep initial costs low. The external structural system allows the walls to be placed and angled freely in order to frame views and suggest movement. Paul Hirzel Architects' Floodplain House effectively incorporates the clients' needs and is responsive to the existing site conditions.

The model is a project from our architectural design studio. In this project, groups of students were assigned an existing building and tasked to build a scale model of it while making a section cut that helped give a better understanding of the building as a whole. Each was built primarily of basswood at 1/4" - 1' 0" scale. In doing so, we were able to compare and contrast the different forms and structures effectively. The building we had been assigned to was the Palmyra House in Maharashtra, India by Studio Mumbai, which was completed in 2007. Studying the house and its model gave us a better understanding of its relationship to its environment. Local craftsmen who had knowledge of traditional construction methods like interlocking joinery were employed for the House’s construction. Focusing on building by hand avoided the need for heavy machinery, which would have damaged part of the existing coconut plantation it is located in. The louvers help bring in air from the Arabian Sea or the plantation, cooling the interior spaces. They also prevent direct sunlight from reaching these rooms while still keeping them well lit with natural light. These characteristics let the Palmyra House naturally fit its site and also leave it undisturbed.

Precedent Model Study (Fall 2015): the primary objective of the 2-week long project is to foster the ability to see and create architectural spaces that are sensitive to human needs and requirements in terms of materiality, scale, and use. Students work in teams to investigate a building, which is selected for its particular architectural language and relationship with its site. Students research, analyze and then create a 1/2" = 1'-0" section model of their building precedent. Then,they develop an evocative section perspective that communicates qualities of the building uncovered during their research, analysis, and model construction. Our group researched Glenn Murcutt's Marika-Alderton House, which was selected by our mentor for its particular architectural language and relationship with its site. Glenn Murcutt’s Marika-Alderton House stands as an attempt to apply modernism and bring about peace in the midst of the tense cultural and uniquely volatile natural landscape of far Northern Australia. His structure was created as a home for Aboriginal artist Banduk Marika and her family, drawing upon both the inspiration of the native people of Australia in their curved-bark long houses, and the inspiration of the European settlers, with their raised corrugated metal woolsheds. It is most essentially the interpretation of structure as elevated, shaded platform. The house “floats” on the air, raised on stilts with a permeable membrane of open windows, allowing the tropical winds to permeate the walls and floor and sweep upward through holes in the roof. The corrugated metal roof with deep eaves protects the house from the sun and heavy monsoon rains. It is intrinsically local, made of natural timber with a steel frame and built using unskilled labor. Glenn Murcutt’s Marika-Alderton House is an example of a structure dictated by the complex cultural and natural web into which it is placed.

Rome, Italy, is a city of constant revision. Grand monuments erected for short-lived leaders, hasty demolitions in the name of historic preservation - these traces of history were left behind then scrubbed away throughout the course of Rome’s extensive history. Countless hints of the past are scattered around the city, yet many people pass them by with little thought to their significance. The Tiber River showcases the nature of Rome as a palimpsest of revision throughout history, home to “ghost” bridges, ports, and shorelines, as well as lost communities that once congregated there. This architectural design proposal aims to illuminate the rich history of revisions that have taken place along the Tiber – especially flooding, reconstruction, and embankments – and revive its previous activity and community life. The northern bend in the Tiber, between Ponte Vittorio Emanuelle II and Ponte Principe Amadeo, would become home to the Museum of the Tiber. The project would overlook the ruins of the “ghost bridge,” the Pons Neronianus, reflecting on the river’s history and connecting the Via Giulia (a historic artery of the city) to the renewed activity along the Tiber. The aim of the project is to draw people back to the community life that once took place along the river’s banks, while encouraging thoughtful reflection on the river’s evolution in Rome.