Spatial diagnosis and media treatments

Contemporary approaches toward the renovation of existing spaces are mainly driven by functional requirements and aesthetic purposes. While this design approach is valid, the purpose of this thesis is to develop a methodology for architects to analyze and evaluate the quality of existing spaces on a periodical basis and improve them with the use of digital media. The first part of this thesis project has a diagnostic purpose where the architect investigates historically and empirically the physical structure as well as the users' perceived imagery of the examined space. The second part uses the diagnosis' findings as a mapping device for the application of specific digital media, deemed appropriate for the task, and the orchestration of time-related events and information flows. The goal of this thesis, which focuses solely on public spaces for the extent of this research, is twofold. On a design level, it seeks to increase the quality of space and its potential to communicate with the users through a synergic, adaptive approach. On a research level, it seeks to bring together three diverse but not distant disciplines, those of architecture, cognitive psychology and information technology, suggesting a multi-disciplinary avenue for a retrospective design inquiry.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2005

Author dc:creator

• Liapi, Marianthi

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Terry Knight.

• Architecture.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/30365

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/30365