Enhancing the spatial experience -Interweaving textile, human and architecture

This thesis explores the potential of textiles in architectural space. By examining the relationship between textile, human and architecture, this thesis aims to provide information and to propose new ideas for designing enhanced spaces. The process consists of research through literature reviews and expert interviews, analyses, and several concept proposals in response. The first chapter introduces the background and current relevance of the thesis. The research began with an interest in an architectural approach towards textile design. Textiles are no longer mere decorative elements; some architects, designers and artists have functionally integrated textiles with architecture. Although there are promising developments in the overlap between textile and architecture, no general overview exists. In order to maximize the potential of textiles to further improve our living environment, a broad understanding of textile design in relation to its users and surroundings is essential. The second and third chapter form the research section of the thesis. First, historical relationships between the three elements of textile, human and architecture are examined. In fact, textiles have existed in architecture since antiquity. For the fundamental need to survive, humans wrapped themselves and surrounding spaces with textiles. However, the relationship and differing emphases of the three elements changed dramatically over time. At times, textile design has been less connected to humans and architecture. By addressing the transition of the relationship between the three elements, the potential of spatial textiles is rediscovered. In the third chapter, the current roles of textiles in architectural space are explored. Textiles have developed to meet various needs that are functional, aesthetic and atmospheric. The examples in this chapter illustrate the numerous effects only textile material can achieve. Taking the above research into account, the fourth chapter summarizes the evolution of textiles in architectural space. Furthermore, a future prospect of spatial textiles is discussed in relation to the evolving needs of our complex society. Finally, three textile concepts are proposed in the fifth chapter. Each concept answers the urgent needs discussed in the fourth chapter by selecting and integrating the suitable functions. When textiles are designed in relation to the site and its users, the resulting spaces become comfortable, efficient and revitalizing. As a result, textiles enhance the spatial experience. In conclusion, the overall process and proposals are reviewed in the sixth chapter

Five forms of emotion : Kazuo Shinohara and the house as a work of art

This research presents the work of the Japanese architect Kazuo Shinohara (1925-2006) and studies five of his residential designs as epitome of his oeuvre. lts development is understood as a continuous quest to reconcile two key elements, the house and the city, in order to put emotional the heart of domestic space. These two elements were present in his preoccupations from the beginning of his career but he only managed to merge them in his last designs. lt is based on the assumption that this is one of the first in-depth research studies developed beyond the conventional segmentation and explanation of his work. lt thus considers it more important to open new perspectives on Shinohara's oeuvre than to foc us exclusively on one of them, a task that might be pursued later on. Analyzing sorne of Shinohara's first writings and using as a starting point his simultaneous design of two very different houses, House in White and House of Earth (1964-1966), this thesis delineates a connecting line among three more choice projects's panning 20 years of practice, thus shedding a new light on Shinohara's design methods and helping explain their unity behind their apparent dissimilarities: Tanikawa House (1972-1974), House in Uehara (1975-1976) and House in Yokohama (1982-1984). After a general description of Shinohara's relevance and main ideas on tradition, domesticity and the city, it continues with the argumentation of why a certain group of projects has been left out of this research and analyzes the five projects of this evolution, pointing out their common traits and their consistency with the general exploration about the house as a work of art started by Shinohara in 1964. Further original contributions of this thesis to the field of Shinohara's studies consist in the translation for the first time into English of a founding article, "The House is Art" (1961), and an abridged version of "Subjectivity of Residential Design" (1964), and the reproduction of a previously unpublished text by Shinohara, "A Discourse On Tokyo; From Tokyo, Via Kazuo Shinohara: An Objective" (1998). In a separate volume this thesis incorporates the original construction designs for the five houses, with English captions.Aquesta investigació presenta l’obra de l’arquitecte japonès Kazuo Shinohara (1925-2006) i n’estudia cinc dels seus dissenys residencials com epítom del seu treball. El seu desenvolupament s’entén com una recerca contínua que mira de conciliar dos elements clau, la casa i la ciutat, per tal de posar l’emoció al cor de l’espai domèstic. Aquests dos elements ja eren presents en les seves preocupacions des de l’inici de la seva carrera, però només va aconseguir fusionar-los en els seus últims dissenys. Es basa en la constatació que aquest és un dels primers estudis d’investigació en profunditat desenvolupats més enllà de la segmentació i explicació convencionals del seu treball. Per tant, considera que ara és més important obrir noves perspectives sobre l’obra de Shinohara que centrar-se exclusivament en un dels seus aspectes, una tasca que pot ser desenvolupada en el futur. Analitzant alguns dels primers escrits de Shinohara i utilitzant com a punt de partida el disseny simultani de dues cases molt diferents, la Casa en Blanc i la Casa de la Terra (1964-1966), aquesta tesi traça una línia de connexió entre tres altres projectes signifi cats, abarcant vint anys de pràctica, per tal de llançar una nova llum sobre els mètodes de disseny de Shinohara i ajudar a explicar la seva unitat darrere de les seves aparents diferències: la Casa Tanikawa (1972-1974), la Casa a Uehara (1975-1976) i la Casa a Yokohama (1982-1984). Després d’una descripció general de la rellevància de Shinohara i de les seves idees principals sobre la tradició, la domesticitat i la ciutat, continua amb l’argumentació de per què un determinat grup de projectes s’ha quedat fora d’aquesta investigació i l’anàlisi dels cinc projectes d’aquesta evolució, assenyalant els trets comuns i la seva coherència amb l’exploració general, iniciada per Shinohara el 1964, de la casa com una obra d’art. Altres contribucions originals d’aquesta tesi en el camp dels estudis de Shinohara consisteixen en la traducció per primera vegada en anglès d’un article fundacional, “La casa és art” (1961), i una versió abreujada de “Subjectivitat del disseny residencial” (1964), i la reproducció d’un text inèdit de Shinohara, “Un discurs sobre Tòquio; des de Tòquio, via Kazuo Shinohara: Un objectiu“ (1998). En un volum a part s’inclouen els projectes executius originals per a les cinc cases, amb traduccions en anglès de les principals llegendes

Fashion and Postcolonial Critique

Fashion and Postcolonial Critique outlines a critical global fashion theory from a postcolonial perspective. It investigates contemporary articulations of postcolonial fashion critique, and analyzes fashion as a cultural, historical, social, and political phenomenon involved in and affected by histories of colonial domination, anti-colonial resistance, and processes of decolonization and globalization. Stemming from a range of different disciplines, such as art history, textile studies, anthropology, history, literary studies, cultural studies, sociology, fashion media, and fashion theory, the contributions in this book reflect the multidisciplinary and diverse nature of postcolonial fashion research today

Architectural Lessons of Carlo Lodoli (1690-1761): Indole of Material and of Self

Carlo Lodoli (1690-1761) exists as a footnote in most major history books of modern architecture. He is typically noted for either his influence on the Venetian Neoclassical tradition or as an early prophet to some sort of functionalism. Though I would not argue his influence, I doubt his role in the development of a structurally determined functionalism. The issue of influence is always present as very little of his writings have survived and his built work amounts to a few windowsills. He did, however, teach architecture. I propose to explore the pedagogic potential of Lodoli’s lessons of architecture. Lodoli’s teaching approach was not necessarily professional in that he did not instruct his students in the methods of drawing or construction techniques. Rather, his approach was dialogical. The topics were sweeping, often ethical, and ranged from the nature of truth to the nature of materials. Existing scholarship pertaining to Lodoli most often focuses upon his students’ production of texts, projects, and projections. Andrea Memmo’s Elementi dell’Architettura Lodoliana (1786, 1833) and Francesco Algarotti’s Saggio sopra l’architettura (1756) are both specifically named by the respective authors as advancing Lodoli’s architectural theories. Often overlooked are the apologues, or fables, used by Lodoli in lessons to his students. The main source for these fables is the Apologhi Immaginati (1787). Others were included in Memmo’s Elementi. Apologues from both sources have been translated for the first time into English and can be found in Appendix I of the dissertation. I look specifically to these stories to understand and illustrate Lodoli’s approach to making, teaching and thinking. This is understood through Lodoli’s characterisation of the identity of materials and of the self. Within this dissertation I intend to flesh out the textual and architectural fabric surrounding the pedagogic activities of the Venetian Friar known as the Socrates of Architecture, Carlo Lodoli