WAAC students merge creative concepts of dance and space to design dance studio in Arlington

Elements of dance and dance theatre, including movement and exercise, flowing costumes, and expressive lighting inspired students in the Architecture Master's design studio at the Washington Alexandria Architecture Center (WAAC) to imagine innovative ways of merging public and private space for a dance studio in nearby Arlington. 

Last year Terry Holzheimer, director, Arlington Economic Development (AED), and Jim Bohland, vice president and executive director, Virginia Tech National Capital Region Operations, initially discussed the idea of students designing the dance studio. “In Arlington, as in many cities and counties across the United States, performing arts facilities often pose both design and financial difficulties,” said Holzheimer. “Our arts organizations – and especially the performing arts – are always looking for suitable places to rehearse and perform.

“By working with Virginia Tech we hoped to elicit some big ideas for available sites that could help solve some of the dilemmas we face in Arlington,” he said.

WAAC director Jaan Holt readily embraced the idea of the students working with Arlington. “Designing for real spaces is very important for our students and we are grateful to Arlington for providing us with such a significant opportunity,” he said.

AED provided students with two sites. One in Ballston was assigned to students in the fall. Spring semester students worked on the other site in Clarendon. Both sites are currently undeveloped or underdeveloped; both are real-world locations that could accommodate the dance studio.

Henry Hollander, coordinator for Outreach & Alumni Relations, WAAC, and George Parr, commercial development specialist, AED, coordinated the effort to implement the design studio for the project at WAAC. Beth Barrett, graduate teaching assistant in the Master of Architecture program, organized the student designs.

Eight students presented their designs and accompanying models to Holzheimer, Parr, and other members of AED following a recent reception at WAAC. They are:

Fall 2008 Studio: Ballston Site

Danny Cao – Urban Village

Eric Hawkins -- The Garden and The Street

Noel-Jerome Harris -- The Synergy of Body and Building

Lauren Mitchell - The Inbetween

(Cao is a consortium student from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Hawkins, Harris, and Mitchell are Master of Architecture students at Virginia Tech.)

The Fall studio faculty were Marcia Feuerstein, Virginia Tech, and Carolin Kodisch, Bauhaus, Weimar.

Spring 2009 Studio: Clarendon Site

Fekade S Amare – Imprints

Susan Movassagh - Dancing with Architecture

Jessica Turrin – Community and Dance Center

Mary Grace Verges - A Dance on the Site

(Verges is a consortium student from Louisiana State University; Amare is a Commonwealth student at Virginia Tech; Movassagh and Turrin are Master of Architecture students at Virginia Tech.)

The Spring studio faculty were Jaan Holt and Carolina Dayer, Virginia Tech, and Robert Gurney, adjunct faculty, Virginia Tech.

Following the eight presentations, Holzheimer said, “We asked Virginia Tech students to come up with some big ideas – and they delivered. We are extremely pleased with the creativity, research, and thought that each student put into his or her design solution. It’s exciting to see such creative possibilities for Arlington.”

Posted May 28, 2009