Abstract:
This thesis is an inquiry into what architecture should be in the evolving age of information. In a society which is becoming increasingly more technical, it is an investigation into the needs of people, not the needs of technology. Change, which is inevitable, is occurring faster today than any time in history. The thesis is an attempt to understand how the architectural environment can establish a sense of stability in a changing society.I believe architecture can do a much better job of fulfilling the needs of the people it serves. The first step toward a better solution is the recognition of the new needs and problems facing the people of today's society. The solution begins with a rebirth in awareness of the perceptual capabilities of man.The purpose of the thesis is a search for a possible direction that my work as an architect could take in the future. It is also a search into the values and convictions that I personally have in thefield of architecture.The project used to demonstrate the thesis is a socially cohesive community center for a development of 700 residents. As the project came together, it combined many diverse elements to create a new type of living environment. The project began based on a kibbutz settlement in Israel. It was then adapted to a completely new context and culture in the United States. The project accepts and welcomes the informational society and in turn responds to it. The community provides an alternative lifestyle for its residents. It is an attempt at an architectural solution which better serves and stimulates the people who use it. The community is hypethetically located west of Raliegh, North Carolina approximately 10 miles south of Research Triangle Park.If the thesis were to be measured simply by what the author has learned about himself during the investigation, its success would be invaluable.
