VALLE SCHOLARSHIP

Whenever we reach for something, in a professional or academic sense, the process often proves to be valuable in unexpected ways. It seems that whatever the outcome, whether or not we grasp what it is we are after, there is often some reward.

This past week, that reward was a measure of clarity. The Valle Scholarship at the University of Washington, where I am in the final year of the Master of Architecture degree, funds students in various disciplines related to the fields of architecture and construction. The scholarship is generously funded by the trust of Henrik and Ellen Stray Valle with the mission to promote cultural exchange between Nordic countries and University of Washington students. Many of the architecture students who apply for the scholarship use the award to fund some aspect of research related to their thesis. The application process helped me coalesce a number of my thoughts and areas of investigation related to my thesis proposal; a Zeppelin hangar and passenger terminal.

Possibly the most valuable outcome of applying for the Valle Scholarship was solidifying a methodology with which to apply to my precedent studies. In Tragsysteme, by Heino Engel he delineates a classification of load bearing structural systems, which may be classified in terms of bulk-active, vector-active, form-active, and surface active systems. Where two or more of these systems are combined, they may be described as hybrid structural systems. Structurally and architecturally this hybrid technique may facilitate greater expression and can achieve greater spans, material efficiency, and a reduction member depth. My precedent research will focus on determining the effective use of these systems.

The proposal I submitted details a series of precedent building and bridge studies to be carried out in and around the Danish City of Copenhagen. Copenhagen is blessed with a remarkable number of exceptional bridge, transit, and long span building projects that exhibit aesthetically graceful and structurally efficient solutions. My approach is to learn through studying these structures closely, interviewing their designers, learning about their process, and compiling my own sketches, photographs and measured drawings. The body of material and experience will be a fantastic addition to my process of thesis investigation and will undoubtedly inform the design of the Zeppelin hangar.

The word on the street is that the review process of the applications has just begun and it is likely to be some time before I will know the true value of my proposal. Till then I am content with the clarity I have gained and my new portfolio, assembled for the application. -KD