Talia Cannistra | Prospectus

Title | Sensorial Space / engaging human perception to choreograph an architectural journey

Hypothesis | Transforming a piece of architecture from just a shelter from the elements to an experience by providing emphasis on elements such as light, materials, scale, and periodic reveals of the spaces beyond will slow people down, instill the reevaluation of the quality of space in the users' minds, and evoke awareness of the environment they are experiencing. By doing so, the reevaluated space can then be appreciated and understood as a part of the city, rather than as simply a means of transition.

Precis | Architecture transforms from simply a built form to an experience in reaction to the users’ progression through a building. Transitional spaces simultaneously separate and connect the spaces that follow helping to develop and reveal what is beyond, making every step crucial to the experience. However, the experience isn’t solely based off of the physical progression through a building. It is also based on how a person consciously and subconsciously reevaluates the quality of space while being influenced by certain elements, such as light, materials, scale, a sense of volumes, or periodic reveals. Phenomenological aspects of designing must be considered while creating a space in which a person can explore. “In order to design buildings with a sensuous connection to life, one must think in a way that goes far beyond form and construction.”¹ This thesis seeks to prove that the aforementioned aspects of transitional moments inside spaces influence human perception and create a sense of mystery and discovery that promotes the journey of experiencing a piece of architecture.

Talia Cannistra | Potential Thesis Titles

Creating a Journey of Investigation and Discovery through Architectural Spaces

Mystery and Discovery: Creating an Architectural Journey

Manipulating Human Perception to Choreograph an Architectural Journey

Talia Cannistra | Assignment 6+7

Talia Cannistra

ARCH 926: Thesis Prep I

Fall 2011

Precis 3

Thesis Precis |

Within architecture, interstitial spaces are used for transition, movement, and creating a sense of the unknown. These ‘spaces between’ simultaneously separate and connect the spaces that follow helping to develop and reveal what is beyond and making each step crucial to the experience. The building then becomes more than just an internal experience. The transitional spaces start to lead the user to the outer edge where the theoretical line of the building skin can be permeated. The blur of interior and exterior creates brief moments along the users’ journey through the architectural elements where the focus is directed outwards. Glimpses of exterior conditions are revealed to them, drawing them from the captivation of the spaces within. Architecture transforms from simply a built form to an experience or a journey in reaction to the users’ progression. However, the experience isn’t solely based off of the physical progression through a building. It is also based on how a person consciously and subconsciously reevaluates the quality of space while being influenced by certain elements, such as light, temperature, sound, scale, or periodic reveals. A quote by Peter Zumthor states: “In order to design buildings with a sensuous connection to life, one must think in a way that goes far beyond form and construction.” Through the use of simple sophistication and careful choreography, this thesis seeks to find what aspects of transitional moments inside spaces influence human perception and create a sense of mystery and discovery within the journey of experiencing a piece of architecture.

Annotated Bibliography:

Exploring the Elements of an Architectural Journey

The following bibliography contains books and articles from various authors that provide information pertaining to the idea of architectural procession and human perception. There are works about different elements such as light, materials, volumes, movement, and atmospheres and about how all of these come together to create an experience. These works explain how architecture is not simply a built form, but something much more. Zumthor, Pawson, Mattens, Kirke, Holl, Burte, and Abercrombie are some authors that explain the concepts of perception and the feelings that architecture can provide. They put into words what a building puts into the mind. Stickells, Macdonald, Hardy, and Abu-Obeid are authors that describe how movement within a piece of architecture can be a powerful element of the experience. Movement can reveal moments to the user and help in the understanding of the building as a whole. The authors elucidate to how it can also change a person’s perception of the spaces that they are moving through. Lastly, Kristal, Harries, Blau, Demirkan, and Manolopoulou express the idea of materiality and transparency and how the variation between the two opposing ideas affect the spaces in which the user is progressing through. When all of these aspects come together in one work of architecture, they create a journey for the users to experience.

Talia Cannistra | Assignment 5b

Talia Cannistra

ARCH 926: Thesis Prep I

Fall 2011

Assignment 5b

Keywords |

| interstitial spaces | transition | movement | reveal | discovery |

| journey | experience | progression | mystery |

Thesis Precis |

There is a great difference between a generic building and a piece of architecture. The experience, or impact that the piece has, is an important part of what helps the building transcend beyond being merely a shelter from the elements. Using simple sophistication a building can provide an emotional environment, create opportunities for discovery, and offer a memorable experience that has a lasting effect on the user. Great architecture does not need to be an ornate, intricate, collaboration of tectonic details to create a journey. It simply needs to allow for the user to discover and comprehend the moments that are provided. This thesis seeks to find what moments are necessary, and how they can be created in a minimalistic way, to offer a stimulating and extraordinary experience.

New Sources |

Abercrombie, Stanley. “Architecture as Art: an Esthetic Analysis.” Van Nostrand Reinhold. New York, 1984. 176pg.

Kristal, Marc. “Immaterial World: Transparency in Architecture.” Pub. Monacelli Press. New York, 2011. 214pg.

Macdonald, Christopher. “Eloquent Resistence.” The Canadian Architect. v.42 1997. p16-23.

Pawson, John. “Minimum.” Pub. Phaidon Press Limited. London, 1996. 258pg.

Pawson, John. “Themes and Projects.” Pub. Phaidon Press Limited. London, 2002. 120pg.

Vesely, Dalibor. “Surrealism and the Latent World of Creativity.” Art (Prague). v.59 no.3 (2011). p267-73.

Annotated Bibliography |

Pawson, John. “Minimum.” Pub. Phaidon Press Limited. London, 1996. 258pg.

This book explores the idea of 'minimum' as applied to architecture, art and design. It is about the quality that a building or object possesses when everything about it is reduced to its most basic form, fundamentally focusing on simplicity. This book is helpful in order to understand the ideas of minimalism and how to use it successfully within a design. There are examples given that illustrate exactly what simplicity means.

Blau, Eve. “Transparency and the Irreconcilable Contradictions of Modernity,” Praxis 9

This article asserts that transparency in architecture can be understood literally, through the use of particular materials, and phenomenally, by an ambiguous quality of spatial organization. This article is helpful to grasp the difference between the two types of transparency and to learn how to utilize the differences in designing. The author puts the information into terms that a student can understand.

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

This book contains three separate essays from each authors’ point of view, that are thematically linked, and each one explains the role that human perception and phenomenological experience play in architecture. This is helpful to understand how perception is different in every aspect of life, including about the concept of perception itself. It allows the reader to get to know the minds of the authors and learn how their ideas can be further developed by these understandings.