Highway fusion

Abstract

The objective of this thesis Is to Investigate a design methodology that utilizes both visual perception and movement as determinants to design. We perceive and understand architecture and Its context by moving around it and walking through it. therefore our experience of architecture Is contingent on a sequence of visual and spatial events over a given time frame. Yet when we design. we seem to be primarily concerned with the relationship of static things and places to each other. with little consideration as to how we will perceive those relationships through movement. The context with which I have chosen to work is the highway. where speed and time play important roles. and where movement as a basis for design thinking would be most appropriate. This thesis looks at the highway as movement through space and as an experience Involving an enigmatic relationship among things and places as the driver moves through them. What Is sought Is a sequential visual experience consisting of landscape areas. scenic views. orientational land marks and visual events all of which work together to present us with a full and meaningful Image and experience of the context we are traversing. The three primary elements of the design are the perception of spatial organization. the sequencing of events. and a scale based on time. The project Is a welcoming center to Florida that acts as a "gateway· and an Initiating procession into the Sunshine State. This "gateway· is an Intense experiential journey that lasts Just over three minutes. Its form derives from an exploration of landscape as an Imagery for highway architecture.and of the relationships between landscape and the road. It is my attempt to incorporate the highway Into the landscape. rather than Imposing the highway on the landscape. This highway project Is Intended as a metaphor or model for further exploration into visual perception and movement that may be applied In other architectural designs. I am presently also working on computer animation. to simulate the driving experience through the design. Please check with my advisor for a copy of the video.