Date of Submission

Spring 5-4-2017

Degree Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Architecture

Department

Architecture

Committee Chair/First Advisor

Ermal Shpuza

Secondary Advisor

Pegah Zamani

Abstract

The objective of this thesis is to come up with a design which will celebrate the experience during and after the Post-Election violence that rocked Kenya through the design of the Museum of Hope in Uhuru Park, in Nairobi, Kenya. The museum is intended to create an experiential journey that allows visitors to explore sentiments of the climate of the country during this political time, while also evoking optimism in design. The recent history of Kenya is marred by struggle, violence, terror, hope, joy and peace. The site of Uhuru Park has witnessed this unending cycle, making it a politically charged zone that has brought people together during times of protest and of peace. The thesis proposes that the manipulation of space in design affects the perception of the mind and body of the user, thus helping make the understanding and appreciation of past history a vehicle for national pride and progress, while at the same time, bringing the future of the country into focus.

Architecture beyond the building should strive to enhance the human condition and promote emotional well-being through the manipulation of space, forms, tectonics, light, air and ventilation. It should impact the mind and body. According to Danze and Sonnenberg, an architect and a psychoanalyst respectively, “buildings are inert objects, but our experience of them transcends the physical realm and extends into our deepest consciousness.” Architecture today should have a significance to the surrounding culture and people it is being designed for. Introspection upon emotional consciousness concludes that there are two outstanding characteristics within responsiveness. Emotions can have affective elements; meaning they can be classified as pleasant or unpleasant, and they also have distinctive qualities which differentiate them from their affective aspects. Once exposed to certain emotions, only then can this experience trigger the imaginative mind of the individual, creating an even richer experience to what they are exposed to. Emotions simply involve evaluations.

The intention of the thesis is to enhance the exposure of the user, through a variety of experiences when navigating a space, while also celebrating human nature through these changes. The thesis develops and proposes design methods and tools for translating key emotions of horror, fear, hope and joy into spatial design.

Comments

This book is dedicated to my family, for their continued support and encouragement throughout these five years of study.

Included in

Architecture Commons

Share

COinS