Dwelling : a figural exploration of domesticity

Abstract

This thesis seeks to re-establish the necessity for specialized, figured spaces. Through the lens of the domestic sphere, the rooms become chambers of reflection, contemplation, and intimacy. The architecture is inspired by spatial hierarchies of carving, that is to say, labyrinthine undergrounds that are highly articulated through figure, and represent a sacred procession, a ritual, a journey. Historically, this introduces the spatial organizations of the Danteum, and of Peter Eisenman's house studies. The architecture is always reflective of an enfilade of discrete elements, highly idiosyncratic and articulated to show what lies within. The architecture is localized and intimate. The spatial reading of the space is to be recognized as being within a family of discrete figures, each one serving their inhabitants differently. This thesis is a counterargument to flexibility, as it stands rigidly within a grid, carved from the immaterial, an object in itself. Yet to preserve the sacred thresholds of each room, there are hints of animation, placements of objects that seemingly are derived from the will of the character. It is in this way that architecture informs space typologies, how life can be situated within figures as a microcosm, seemingly localized.