The Architecture of Happiness
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Abstract
According to Architect John Lautner, the purpose of architecture is to “improve human life. Create timeless, free, joyous spaces for all activities in life” (Lautner, n.d.). His goal for this statement was to push architecture into a more timeless frame, architecture that had no beginning or end; however, I feel it can also be used to describe the importance of feeling within a space. Much of what we do as Architects is based around the wants and needs of people, this normally falls into the category of square-footage, bathroom space, circulation, how we can move a person from one space to another; basically, the program requirements of space, we tend to be less focused on atmosphere. But what if we consider interior architectural spaces in a different way, make them a journey of their own and put emphasis back on the atmosphere of the space—make the experience the main attraction and not just an added benefit. From considering the definition given to Experiential Space, I have found that a lot of people have varying opinions about what it means. One source says it’s how people interact with space to gain the knowledge of what an organizations brand is all about (Office, 2016). Another article describes Experiential architecture as a “achieving a strong sense of place with a particular atmosphere” (Morello & Piga, 2015). To me, Experiential architecture is a set of conditions within an interior space that build upon one another to create an emotional experience, this falls in line with the architectural theory of phenomenology (something we will discuss at length later in this thesis project); using lighting, material and space as tools to emphasize emotional phenomena in space, I will be designing a Nursing Home, a typology I feel could gain a lot from this study.