Designing building skins

Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1992.

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Desai, Arjun
Other Authors: Fernando Domeyko.
Format: Thesis
Language:eng
Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2011
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/65679
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author Desai, Arjun
author2 Fernando Domeyko.
author_facet Fernando Domeyko.
Desai, Arjun
author_sort Desai, Arjun
collection MIT
description Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1992.
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spelling mit-1721.1/656792019-04-10T07:21:39Z Designing building skins Desai, Arjun Fernando Domeyko. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. Architecture. Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1992. Includes bibliographical references (p. 55). This thesis involves framing criteria and discerning issues to be considered in the design of building skins in an urban environment. The 'information age' has paradoxically seen the demise of the facade as an important signifier of cultural meaning. Homogeneous and minimally articulated skins have become silent and passive masks, creating anonymous and unresponsive urban environments. In contrast, the decorated facades of post-modem architecture have failed to address questions of meaning and representation in a serious and satisfactory way. Perhaps the problem is not solely one of economic constraints and misguided construction practices, but a lack of understanding and evaluation of the role of the skin, both as an architectural element, and as a social and cultural phenomenon. This thesis will use the ethnographic theories of Gottfried Semper as a basis for establishing themes that have persisted in the understanding and construction of closure elements since the earliest shelters of man. The issue of transparency and spatial depth will then be addressed as a modem social and architectural dilemma, inseparable from the problem of designing building facades. Thirdly, this thesis will be concerned with skins that have a high degree of operability, allowing them to adapt to a dynamic and ever changing environment. The vehicle for exploring the problem of building skins will be the design of a market building in the Haymarket area of Boston. by Arjun Desai. M.Arch. 2011-09-13T17:36:25Z 2011-09-13T17:36:25Z 1992 1992 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/65679 26680823 eng M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 55 p. application/pdf n-us-ma Massachusetts Institute of Technology
spellingShingle Architecture.
Desai, Arjun
Designing building skins
title Designing building skins
title_full Designing building skins
title_fullStr Designing building skins
title_full_unstemmed Designing building skins
title_short Designing building skins
title_sort designing building skins
topic Architecture.
url http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/65679
work_keys_str_mv AT desaiarjun designingbuildingskins