An Exploration of Visual Sensations: The Use of Depth Perception to Create Pre-Architectural Forms

This exploration is one artist's view of visual reasoning through the study of depth perception. The experiment searched for pre-architectural forms through an investigation of geometric rectangular shapes and planar figures in anticipation of finding architectural volumes, that is, three-dimensional objects. I used three parameters to observe: the expected or planned, the anticipated, and the unforeseen. The pre-architectural sketching style used the disciplines of painting, sculpture, graphic arts, color theory, optics, and photography to formulate an architectural language. First, as artist (painter), I selected the medium of light as the brushstroke, color as the pigment, and photographic film plane as the canvas to capture image abstractions. Second, I used one-point perspective as the viewer's line of sight. Finally, I employed a series of shape abstractions to form a succession of transparent sections that composed the subject matter. This experiment sought to analyze visual perception by capturing the spatial depth of images, that is, a reproduction of something sculptural in likeness. The challenge was to reintegrate the abstracted Rectangular Shapes and Planar Figures. In order to achieve this physical abstraction, I created a modified camera obscura. This exploration produced clearly defined images-as-products that were interpreted as pre-architectural forms, which allowed me to translate color abstractions into architectural form studies, or models-as-products. Thus, the experiment created architectural volumes using light and color in order to draw points, lines, planes, and spatial depth.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Architecture

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Architecture

Department dc:contributor.department

Architecture

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

1998

Author dc:creator

• Rushton, Nan Michelle

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Thompson, Steven R.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Holt, Rengin
• Heflin, James R.
• Sarpaneva, Pia

• Light Drawing
• Holographic Stereogram
• Depth Perception
• Linear Perspective
• Perspective
• Visualization
• Color Theory
• Conceptual
• Schematic Design
• Pre-Design
• Visual World
• Three-Dimensional Sketching
• Visual Field
• Pinhole Camera

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-11142005-193955

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/35699