PLACES OF PULSE

This thesis is about building an experience – to use architecture within the organic environment as a deliberate vessel to bring people closer to nature, and as a result, begin to view the human relationship to the organic world and the built world in a new, more interactive and integrative way. The project uses the presence of the river on the Mulholland Wildflower Preserve trail on Six Mile Creek here in Ithaca. The river is a central element and connective thread along the entire path. I have applied it as a specific device to engage people with nature, and using architecture that highlights the water’s distinct properties, to spur inner discovery and curate a subjective emotional experience. I find an issue with the well-beaten path. It’s restrictive in that it dissuades one from straying and guarantees a consistent vantage point. Especially in Ithaca, with its distinct geology, I want to get closer and look at the rock formations, cross the stream without fear of being washed away, feel the current pull against my legs (though the warning signs say “no”) and look down at the fish in calm water without scaring them away. These interventions create an opportunity to do things and go to previously unseen spaces that exist before our eyes.