A gathering of water

Abstract

The act of immersion is a powerful catalyst for the affirmation or transformation of identity. How we place ourselves in water expresses cultural valuations of our bodies, water, and social relations, as well as categories of place and time. This thesis proposes to regenerate the mikvah, or Jewish ritual bath, by tapping into the resonance of its underlying themes, and integrating these into the social and physical landscape of modern life. The resulting design is an exploration of the possibilities inherent in the stages of ritual, in the meeting of body and water, and in the California landscape. The building is also organized by two spatial ideas about water. The spring and the pool organize movement and stillness for both people and water. Upper and lower zones of water instigate the tectonics of the building. Within each space, the particularities of ritual and of site and light inform the orientation and arrangement of the space.