Definitions of dwelling

Home is an elusive concept. In one manner it is highly specific and individual in its definition, and in other aspects it is ubiquitous, present in our every act. In this thesis I explore several possible definitions of dwelling originating from the different relationships between the observer and environmental meaning. The meaning of dwelling is examined in four manners: case studies, interviews, academic research, and a small design project. The relationship of vernacular and formal architectural ideas are compared, and shown in the context of the user. In this way the degree and manner in which architecture influences the nature of dwelling is shown. It is my contention that architecture is but a subset of the manifold influences on dwelling. Architecture can assist dwelling by careful encoding of activity oriented meanings, but it is only through the user's inhabitation that dwelling truly occurs.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

1986

Author dc:creator

• Olgyay, Victor W. (Victor Wayne)

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• John R. Myer.

• 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/1721.1/76401

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/76401