Abstract:
We experience architecture through what we come in contact with; the cool breeze in the air, the smooth, polished handrail on the stair, the hard solidity of the concrete floor beneath your feet. What we touch is of immediate impact to us, giving us an immediate grounding in a place. These instances of touch engage us in the built work, causing us to interact with it. These momentary acts of engagement are what forms our experience of a place. Through their materials, buildings exhibit traces of use, the signs of inhabitants and weather; which offer a physical narrative of its use over time. This observation of use is vital in the understanding of a place. A built work should draw from the patterns and traces of use of its site and allow for visible traces to be left by its inhabitants.How a design process can be informed by these factors is the focus of this thesis exploration.
