The Symbiosis of Culture, Nature, and Architecture

Item Type text; Electronic Thesis

Authors Survis, Emma Rose

Citation Survis, Emma Rose. (2013). The Symbiosis of Culture, Nature, and
Architecture (Bachelor's thesis, University of Arizona, Tucson,
USA).

Publisher The University of Arizona.

Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material

is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona.
Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as
public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited
except with permission of the author.

Download date 09/11/2024 17:33:24

Item License http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/297768

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Abstract

My thesis is that culture and nature are the first to be ignored by the broad arm of globalization,
and we cannot afford to recklessly abandon the cultures and ecosystems that define our world.
Architecture cannot become yet another by-product of globalization but must reflect on, respond, and
belong to the specific natural and cultural environment in which they exist. Given a site in Marfa, Texas
and a program of an Institute of Contemporary Art, I studied extensively the culture and history of West
Texas in order to understand what a building there should be. In my research, I discovered that living in
West Texas boiled down to two very simple things: weather and survival. With this in mind, I studied the
dog-trot house and the wrap-around porch house extensively and adapted my design off the precedent
of these two styles. Thus, I designed a building that had an equality of indoor and outdoor and space,
used the venturi effect to passively cool the spaces, and used natural stone walls and other vernacular
materials that work effectively in the climate and create a building that will stand the test of time. This
building exemplifies the identity of Marfa.
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Table of Contents

I. Abstract
II. Precedent
a. Dog-Trot House
b. Wrap-around Porch House
III. Site
a. Wind Direction
b. Yearly Temperatures
c. Site Plan
IV. Programming
V. Space and Mass
a. Dog-trot house
b. Adaptation of precedent
VI. Floor Plans
a. Roof Plan
b. Second Floor Plan
c. First Floor Plan
d. Basement Plan
VII. Systems
a. Passive Cooling
b. Passive Heating
VIII. Structure
IX. Materials
X. Sections
a. Details
XI. Experience of Place
XII. Models
a. 1.4” = 1’-0” Model
XIII. Conclusion
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Marfa, Texas is an extremely

eclectic little town with a history of
survival. The first image shows the
dog-trot house that influenced and
inspired the design of my building.
The following images are of Marfa
itself. The El Cosmico is a famous
campground in Marfa that allows
you to rent out refurbished
airstream trailers for the weekend.
The old mill in the bottom picture
influenced some of the material
decisions as it was important to
incorporate not just historic
vernacular materials but more
contemporary materials that still
2
belonged to Marfa.

1
Heimsath, Clovis. Geometry in Architecture. 1968
2
http://www.creatingreallyawesomefreethings.com/creating-really-awesome-free-trips-marfa-tx-part-2/
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Historic precedent of buildings in West Texas

indicates the types of materials and forms that
work effectively in the environment. As these
buildings were designed before central heating or
air-conditioning were invented they had to be
designed in a way that they could be fairly
comfortable at all temperatures. This includes the
type of material which was generally thermal mass
to capture heat in the winter and hold in cool air in
the summer. Furthermore the forms indicate large
roofs to shade the building as well as large porches
to create comfortable shaded outdoor space.
Finally, though vegetation isn’t common in West
Texas all these buildings were built near vegetation
to provide some of the cooling effects provided by
natural landscape. 3

3
Heimsath, Clovis. Geometry in Architecture. 1968
4
Sasser, Elizabeth. Dugout to Deco. 1993
5
Heimsath, Clovis. Geometry in Architecture. 1968
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Extensively studying the site was important in developing a building design that truly fit the specific site.
The first diagram looks at the different wind directions and the time of year in which they are prevalent
making it clear in which way to orient the building to utilize these cooling breezes as passive cooling. The
second diagram looks in detail at the temperature data of Marfa indicating its temperate climate and the
ability to create a passive building.
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The site plan indicates the relationship of my building to the street that relates to the relationship of the
other buildings to the street. Highland Street is the main street and thus the façade on that street
becomes incredibly important. Furthermore, this aerial view shows the equality of indoor and outdoor
space in the building. Finally, the openness of the Food Shark pavilion across the street allows the
summer breezes to move straight through the courtyards in the building from East to West.
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Furthermore, in programming these spaces, it was my intent to encourage primary circulation using the
wrap-around porch but also providing interior circulation. The exhibition spaces are the main focus of
the building so they oriented around the smaller courtyard to re-focus the viewer on place and invited
local vegetation and natural sunlight into the experience of the artwork. Furthermore, by breaking up
the building into smaller pieces, creating a density, each space becomes more intimate hopefully making
programmatic spaces like the café or the library more locally inviting.
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I studied the building types, specifically that of the dog-trot house and the wrap-around porch house
which were used primarily for their ability to use cooling breezes to their best advantage in the barren
West Texas landscape and to shade the building from the sun. Using these two housing types, I
developed a massing system that creates a density on the site with three small masses of building
that are separated by courtyards. This allows the breezes to pass through the courtyards, cooling
further as the cross over the vegetation, and the three masses means each mass a small intimate
space with a small cross-section, allowing effective cross ventilation.
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The roof plan of the building shows the sloping of the roof that directs all the water to the courtyards so
no extra water besides rain water needs to be used to keep the green alive in the courtyards. Thin steel
folded to make the undulating roof is recyclable which contributes to the sustainability of the overall
project. The stone chimneys penetrate through the steel roof creating a cohesion of the two systems.
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The second floor plan shows the main circulation path as the wrap-around porch indicating the
importance of nature and the relationship of the people in the buildings to the natural environment
outside the building. The apartments on the second floor also have a courtyard linked to them. Finally
the balcony overhanging the large courtyard links to the balcony on the first floor so that people
constantly can interact with each other on every level of the building.
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The first floor of has a strong flow between inside an outside. The exhibition spaces exist around the
small couryard space and requie the viewer to move through the outside when going from one exhibit
to the next. The café and lobby space is raised above the other spaces to indicate its importance as the
entrance.
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As indicated in the basement plan, the large courtyard is sunken underground to allow natural light and
fresh air into the lower spaces. The walls are clearly thicker on the basement level due to the tapering of
the wallls as they go down. The library is the only space on this floor with a fireplace and the theater is
designed without any heat source as theaters once were.

The systems used in this building are passive, meaning there is no central air-conditioning system or
heating system, instead natural breezes cool and the sun and wood fireplaces heat the spaces.
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The structural system is a series of stone bearing walls that are capped on either end with glass and
aluminum curtain walls. The bearing walls provide a rhythm for the building, but the windows change
based on the program located within each of the stone boxes. The umbrella roof is thin folded steel that
is supported by a series of columns. The columns relate to the bearing wall system so that the two
systems integrate rather than exist wholly separately. The space with the lobby and café is on a raised
floor system so as to distinguish it from the other buildings and indicate it as the entrance.
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The courtyard spaces of the building are primarily for creating wind tunnels that cool the buildings, but
they are also a natural oasis of natural, local vegetation that continually reminds the user of the site.
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The material palette is a combination of

vernacular materials along with materials
from the industrial revolution. The walls
are stacked ashlar stone that taper as
they go up as you can see in the wall
detail. The wood beams and stone floors
add to the feeling of the vernacular style.
Bringing in a more contemporary feel that
relates to the industrial style of Marfa are
the corrugated metal panels and the
aluminum and class curtain walls that cap
each of the ends of the stone spaces.

As you can see in the sections and

elevations the roof is folded steel that
covers the entire building and the porch.
The undulation is invisible in elevation
and only able to be experienced once
underneath it. Steel screens that cover
the outside fire stairs are perforated to
create dappled light similar to the trees,
enhancing the idea of nature and how it
works to shade the spaces. These screens
also make the fire stairs an experience to
be used to access the porch and enjoy the
outdoor spaces created there. The various
porches are linked back to the vernacular
style and are intended to be used
extensively as a place to stay and
experience the main street of Marfa.
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Casement Window Detail

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Wood Fireplace Detail

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Finally, in its inherent design, this building is sustainable. The stone walls are a material built to last; this
is not a temporary building but one with a 1000 year or more life span. As the majority material, it is a
natural material, found in the earth and that can return to the earth. The large steel roof shades the
building from excessive heat gain and the courtyards use the venturi effect to channel breezes and
passively cool off the spaces. Furthermore the courtyards use local vegetation that is adapted to the
climate and soil of west Texas and the roof directs all the water into these courtyards.
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All together, these renderings exemplify the importance of the natural environment of Marfa. The
courtyards are the most important elements that unite the entire building together, as do the balconies
and porches. The apartment rendering indicates the way in which the perforated metal screens echo the
way in which light would naturally filter though the leaves of a tree creating an even stronger awareness
of how light and air and space are affected by nature. Finally, the ashlar stone walls create a strong
humanistic texture that encourages the relationship between the human and the building due to their
tactile nature.

Finally the wood floors, beams, and window lintels complement the stone walls very well. They add a
warmth to the more cold stone walls. The steel roof over the entire building provides adequate shade
for the building making both the indoor and outdoor spaces an oasis in the summer. However, it allows
in the low southern sun in the winter to warm those spaces naturally.
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In conclusion, this building is designed to belong to Marfa and only Marfa; it is designed specifically for its site,
location, and the cultural and natural identity of West Texas. It embodies the cultural and natural environment of
Marfa and becomes a building that reflects on, responds, and belongs to its location. While many of the
construction techniques used to construct the building are globally understood, they are a material that belongs to
Texas. The overhanging roof and courtyards used to create a venture effect for the wind relate back to the original
style of housing in West Texas. West Texas is truly a place about weather and survival and I believe this building
poetically expresses those ideals. It is passively heated and cooled keeping it much more off the grid than other
buildings and giving it a relationship with the historic buildings as well as making it much more beneficial to the
environment.