TT6, about more.

I am trying to formulate what I want to look at beyond the scope of the program I have chosen. Here is my first draft in this attempt:

Our buildings disconnect us from reality.

Yes, the most basic functions of a dwelling is supposed to be shelter from the elements but “shelter from” does not imply “total disconnect”. Furthermore, the way in which our shelters perform their functions is hidden so that the disconnect is not only with the outside but also with the buildings themselves. We exist in magic boxes that somehow always maintain a supposedly perfect temperature and level of light, somehow always provides water and electricity and somehow disposes of our waste down a drain or a garbage chute. It’s processes are hidden and we take them for granted.

 

In our quest for comfort we have developed a way of life that robs us from the pleasures of variations and is harmful to us; we have biological needs for these variations. During the last century, the needs of efficiency conveniently teamed up with our desires for comfort to generate and propagate endless air-conditioned, brightly lit, deep-plan structures to disconnect us from the outside world and eventually ourselves. We sit in front of computers, we drive, we shop, we work out, we live in a series of such spaces and if we are cold or hot we push a button rather than put on or take off a sweater. If we want more light, we also push a button instead of moving towards a window or going to sleep because it’s the middle of the night.

 

Addiction can be seen as nothing more than a need for comfort gone too far. In the grips of addiction a person is so far removed from reality that not only can they no longer function within it, they have lost all ability to derive pleasure from living in it. They are further in the comfort bubble than the rest of us, and it now is more painful than comfortable.

I propose the design of a center for recovery from addiction as a case study to explore ways to create spaces and systems that bring its occupants closer to the cycles and patterns of human existence. The individual’s interaction with the building and the building’s interaction with it’s environment can create a chain that will be beneficial and sustainable for all involved.

This thesis is about reconnecting with our environment (and ultimately ourselves) through our shelters….