Adelante con animo

Abstract

A proposition of this thesis is that architecture is capable of conveying a sense of animation, movement and energy. These are elusive properties. Their perception perhaps emerges from the building's form or articulation (referential to life-like forms). It may emerge from correlation with living processes (change, reactivity). At its most elusive, the perception perhaps comes from a capacity for" animo" ... A kind of completeness, intrinsic intent, inherent life. The work of Calder and Calatrava is examined in order to understand how such a perception might arise and to clarify what I mean by "animo". That inquiry is one part in a yet broader sequence of events exploring ways in which buildings are made and reflecting on ways of working. The journey, from percept towards the design of a composting fertilizer factory and rural rest stop in northern Mongolia, is an exploration of these issues. The thesis is a recording of the events.