OCAD House

This past year two approaches to contemporary architecture have really interested me. Phenomenology in architecture and Critical Regionalism.

Phenomenology in architecture is discussed in Juhani Pallasmaa’s “The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses”. He talks about it as architecture that one must see in person, touch, and walk around to get the full experience. Pallasmaa also talks about the focused vision and the peripheral vision, which unfolds the subject in the space. Peripheral vision integrates us with space, while focused vision pushes us out of the space, making us spectators.

The second topic is Critical Regionalism. Kenneth Frampton discusses it as Architecture of place. He lays out four features of it – Site, Climate, Materiality, Contextualism. The site remains unaltered; the architecture works with the existing features. Architecture should work with the Climate. The Materials should ground the architecture to its place and tie it into the culture. Finally cultural and social aspects of a place are informed through material and experience.

These two approaches to architecture play a role in my project, OCAD HOUSE. I have build a 23 foot tall outline of a house. I feel that to fully experience the structure one must walk around it, see it from different angles. Its size helps it to be experienced not only in focused vision but also in ones peripheral vision.

The material I use is generally found in most house construction in Toronto. Standard 2x4 lumber. Its shape comments on the traditional and common style of architecture that is infamous to Toronto. The structure is further incorporated in the site by being built around one of the OCAD paintbrush columns, creating a dialogue between the house and the site.