1.3.9.

1. The limits of representation have translated into the limits in architecture.


3. The visual has firmly established itself as the primary sense in the process and experience of architecture since the creation of the profession.  The image of architecture has overpowered the human element of architecture.  As a result, the holistic, phenomenological, and personal experience of built space has become a novelty.


9. Representation is crucial to the architectural process as it aids in conceptualization, development, and communication.  Therefore, if there is a problem with how architecture is experienced today, then this problem may be traced back to how we as architects “see” our own projects. 

By considering the various levels of experience in architecture, new modes of representation must be devised to capture what cannot be seen.   The traditional and simplified act of printing a pristine, glossy 4’ x 8’ board to represent a project must be challenged.  The convergence of new digital technologies with old methods of representation holds the promise of creating a new language by which the architect may conceive space.

The intent of this investigation is not to deny the use of vision in architecture, but rather to build upon its virtues by layering additional information into the design process and the ultimate architectural product.   The architectural drawing or model can never escape its physical 2D or 3D constraints.  But the consideration and inclusion of phenomenological and sensory design in the representational process promises to transform our drawings, models, and buildings by adding a hidden, intuitive dimension that conveys experience.   It is the calculated consideration of the tangible, physical components of architecture in connection with the intangible experiential quality of space that allows architecture to reach its maximum potential. 

 Therefore, this thesis proposal is not solely about a given site, program, and architectural outcome, but rather packages theory, process, and product into one component in an effort to understand how architecture can play a more active and perhaps challenging role in the experience of the occupant.