Scratches, stains, bite marks, and fur—do these hinder you from having quality time with your furkids on your sofa? Don’t let your obsessive cleanliness get in the way. Here are five pet-friendly couches for carefree cuddles with your furbabies. Leather Couches for Clawsome Comfort Leather is your best friend when you own a man’s best […]
“Conversations with Mary” Explores the Relationships Between People and Space
CSB’s Design Exploration class presents a different approach to architectural education. It challenges the conventional notions of the practice in pursuit of the creation of imaginative works from its students. Javi Zagala presents his thesis, “Conversations with Mary”, an architectural project that tackles spatial relationships. He uses the medium of stories to express ideas and concepts in relation to a childhood home and the meanings that it houses.
Interpreting Architecture with a Story
“The story involved is called a thought experiment. It is a form of fiction that makes use of stories that can reinterpret bodies of knowledge, like architecture.”
The thesis uses storytelling as a mode of reinterpreting bodies of knowledge. Conversations with Mary is based on the original thought experiment but with its own twist. It encapsulates a great deal of architecture theory and diagrams it according to a spatial output.
The main premise is in how Mary makes use of her spaces. It relates to the ecological aspect of architecture as a means of action based on the user’s prerogative. A pairing of contrasting behaviors labels the attitudes and gestures towards their spaces.
The Relationship Between People and Space
THESIS STATEMENT: In reinterpreting ergonomics and anthropometrics, one can expand the respective design vocabularies by hermeneutically re-contextualizing existing literature and theories of the human and nonhuman interactions by including morality and object oriented – ontology into ecological, heuristic, and architectural concepts.
Dynamics between human and non-human (objects) entities form and map out each personality. The complexities of connection between human agency and their physical environment are a compelling conversation that covers multiple aspects in architecture. Ergonomics relates to designing the nature of interaction between humans and objects. On the other hand, anthropometrics tackles the scale and movement of the body itself.
“Conversations with Mary” invites us to think and reflect deeply on the purposes and meanings that we assign to each space. It condenses their characteristics into a framework that maps out their spheres of influence on spatial experience. Designers can refer to this kind of thinking when planning spaces towards a certain reaction from its users.
From there, a breakdown of habit formation and architecture’s influence on this human condition is established. It serves as the basis that forms the correlation between an object’s characteristics and the user’s reactions. The concepts of equalist, altruism, egoist, and perpetualist serve as the main concepts based on the priorities formed by associations.
Mary’s House of Relationships
A childhood home of the author’s friend was used to translate these concepts into a more tangible form. Each area of the home can be said to have its own personality based on its architectural programming. The residents of the home described the different perspectives and their feelings for each room.
Conversations with Mary deeply explores how built spaces benefit both human and non-human entities by the function and organization that it provides. The thesis utilizes the power of narratives and sequels in contextualizing values and information. These qualities can help one generate architectural concepts by its use of hermeneutical analysis and thought experimentation. In the Youtube Video below, Javi Zagala presents his thesis in his own words.
Read more: Order, nature, and the human spirit—some thoughts on placemaking
Photos and graphics are by Javi Zagala
The bookshelf is an essential piece of furniture for any home. Whether it’s for practical reasons or primarily for design, the bookshelf is ubiquitous in most homes. Its ubiquity, in fact, ensures that we don’t really think too hard about it. “It’s a bookshelf,” they would say, “just get one that can hold all the […]
After over three years in quarantine, it might be time to update your pandemic-era home designs to align with current trends. While it feels like ages since the start of the pandemic, your home might still reflect a quarantine mindset. You likely still maintain a dedicated place for remote work and studying. But as we transition […]
Artistry has evolved beyond sculptures and canvas paintings as more and more artists find themselves adopting new technology. With that in mind, how are artists adapting to the changing times? This was the prevailing question for artists Stephanie Comilang and Simon Speiser during their talk at Silverlens Gallery on April 27. Moderated by artist and […]
Gender and Creative Practice is a recent ArtSpeak discussion arranged by the Ateneo Art Gallery and the Ateneo Library of Women’s Writing (ALIWW). The exhibit was planned to be a way to complement the Matrix II exhibit which BluPrint covered in March. The talk involves four artists whose work was featured in the Matrix II […]
Asian Zen is an interior design style characterized by oriental aesthetics mixed in with modern sensibilities. This results in a serene and calming home environment. It’s a style that reflects a certain approach towards spirituality and achieving a state that nurtures the soul. A Philosophy of Mindfulness The origins of this style can be traced […]
