Talia Cannistra | Assignment 3b

Talia Cannistra

ARCH 926: Thesis Prep I

Fall 2011

Assignment 3b

Re-write Questions |

Human Perception of Architectural Spaces |

How can architecture start to transcend its physical form and become an experience?

New Sources |

Holl, Steven, Alberto Perez Gomez, and Juhani Pallasmaa. “Questions of Perception: Phenomenology of Architecture.” Pub. William Stout (2006). 155pg.

Stickells, Lee. “Conceiving an Architecture of Movement.” ARQ Magazine, vol. 14 no. 1 (2010). p.41-51.

Re-write Questions |

Human Perception of Architectural Spaces |

How can architecture engage human perception?

New Sources |

Alden, Richard S., Ean Duane Harrison, Philip Thiel. “The Perception of Spatial Enclosure as a Function of the Position of Architectural Surfaces.” Environment and Behavior, vol. 18 (1986). p.227-245.

Kirke, Philip James. “The Architecture of Perception.” Pub. Friends Books (2006). 175pg.

Summary |

My thesis questions so far are focusing on the human perception of architectural spaces. The progression from contrast to depth to threshold to perception was a series of steps looking deeper and deeper into what I was truly interested in when it comes to architecture. The movement of people through a space and how they experience that journey is a strong aspect of architecture because the building transforms from simply a built form to an experience. What aspects can create such an experience? How do the moments of transition connect the space in which the person just came from to the space they are about to enter? All of these questions are bundled in my overall thesis question.

Another aspect of the movement through a space that I would like to focus on is the idea of fragmentation. By this I mean how small parts of a bigger picture can be shown to intrigue the visitor. Throughout the movement between the spaces, small hints or suggestions of direction or what is beyond can be revealed and at the end perhaps the entire picture isn’t visible, but the entire experience can be recalled in the visitors mind. Overall, how the person perceives the spaces and how the space can dictate how that perception comes to be is my main focus.