Date of Submission
Spring 5-9-2023
Degree Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Architecture
Department
Architecture
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Arief Setiawan
Abstract
Marc Augé defined non-place as the typical area in the urban space that has lost its identity and thus has fallen into the banal. Some of these typical nonplaces include airports, hotel rooms, convenience stores, and shopping malls. Augé argues that our urban space is ridden with these infrastructural inserts that lack of uniqueness and are homogeneous in nature. This lack of uniqueness has evolved into a mass exodus of urban interaction resulting in the identity of a city becoming lost. Auge’s nonplace are evident in our urban and suburban environments. On the other hand, Kevin Lynch defines the city as an interactive space that is composed of five categories. These five categories include paths, nodes, districts, landmarks, and edges. Lynch’s research states that elements such as the urban node are most impacted by the interaction, or junction, of people within the urban space. In the urban and suburban environments, the nodes have transformed into nonplace. This thesis is interested in exploring nonplace as a contemporary urban node and argues that with the introduction of interactive elements into generic nonplace, any urban space can be activated.
Howeler + Yoon argue that the public space is now characterized by that of copresence, and less by traditional communicational and person to person interactions. Copresence is the phenomena that introduces interacting by simply being in the same vicinity with another person. Howeler + Yoon’s public space design entices individuals to interact with specific elements without requiring interaction with another person.
This thesis purposes that the introduction of interactive, adaptive, and mobile elements can activate the generic, nonplace of the urban and suburban. Interactive and adaptive elements allow for individuals to interact with nonplace rather than interacting with other people if they so wish. While communication is not eliminated, these elements simply provide relief and oasis from those who look to retreat from everyday life.
In addition, the urban node indicates that of intersections and connections. Therefor, this thesis also aims to explore possible systems for which a network of nodes can be created across the urban fabric.