Landscape and form : observation and transformation of farm form

Abstract

This thesis is an exploration of the collective, that of farm form. The form of a collective organization is of a multiplicity of relationships, rich in information and understandable. It is an interactive coming together of elements, creating something shared by the individual and the whole, a unity made up by a diversity. The exploration puts forth principles which explain the formal and spatial characteristics of the farms. I contend that it is possible to introduce new architecture which respects formal and spatial continuities but allows for a departure in design. In order to make these continuities, and in order for there to be any understanding of the reference used, the observer must be able to look beyond the image and be able to identify the underlying spatial and formal characteristics and principles inherent in the reference. By understanding these underlying principles it is possible to reinforce, in new architecture, the same positive associations found in the form of farms. This thesis exploration has four parts: Part I: A Description of Form. This is a discussion about form and how the formal references will be described. Part II: Cordoba: An Illustration. A street in Cordoba, Spain is used as an illustration of how the observation studies will be documented and diagrammed. Part III: Observation Studies. Five farms are documented and their formal structure analyzed. Part IV: Design Exploration. Windom, Minnesota is the site selected to explore the principles of formal structure found in the observations studies, using a Research and Educational complex as the vehicle for exploration.