ABSTRACT

ARCHITECTURAL PHENOMENOLOGY:
TOWARDS A DESIGN METHODOLOGY OF PERSON AND PLACE
by David Thomas VonderBrink
This thesis document investigates the philosophical movement of phenomenology and its
implications in forming an architectural design methodology. The writings of such
existential philosophers and authors as Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and
Christian Norberg-Schulz are discussed. To position the argument within a current
dialectically opposing discourse, the deconstructivist writings of Jacques Derrida and his
influence on the architecture of Bernard Tschumi and Peter Eisenman are explored.
Steven Holls Museum of Contemporary Art and Louis Kahns Salk Institute for
Biological Studies illustrate a phenomenological approach in design through a foundation
in the writings of the aforementioned authors. Through these examinations a design
methodology that seeks to express the interdependent relationship between person and
place is formulated. This methodology is then tested in the design of a large residential
and pedestrian path sited in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Architectural Phenomenology:
Towards a Design Methodology of Person and Place

A Thesis

Submitted to the
Faculty of Miami University
in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of
Master of Architecture
Department of Architecture and Interior Design
by
David Thomas VonderBrink
Miami University
Oxford, Ohio
2007

____________________________
John Reynolds - Advisor
____________________________
Craig Hinrichs - Reader
____________________________
Gerardo Brown-Manrique Reader

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page #
1.

INTRODUCTION

2.

Heidegger

2.

Merleau-Ponty

3.

Norberg-Schulz

4.

Deconstruction

6.

Bernard Tschumi

7.

Peter Eisenman

8.

Steven Holl

11.

Louis I. Kahn

13.

DESIGN METHODOLOGY

14.

ADDENDUM

21.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

25-41.

DESIGN PROJECT IMAGES

ii

INTRODUCTION
The essence of our existence consists

To understand phenomenology in

of concrete phenomena. This includes

order to form a design methodology I

everything from trees and forests, to

will discuss the writings of such

people and animals, to stones and water,

existential philosophers and authors as

to furniture, windows, houses, streets,

Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-

and cities.

It also includes celestial

Ponty, and Christian Norberg-Schulz.

bodies such as the sun, moon, and stars

To position my argument within a

as well as impalpable phenomena such

current dialectically opposing discourse,

as emotion and perception.

will

discuss

the

deconstructivist

Phenomenology, a philosophy of

writings of Jacques Derrida and his

investigation into the things that enable

influence on the architecture of Bernard

us to gather the world, opposes an

Tschumi

abstract method of viewing our world.

Illustrating

Meaning, abstract methods of inquiry

approach in design, I will investigate,

such

through a foundation in the writings of

as

scientific,

diagrammatic,

and

Peter

Eisenman.

phenomenological

geometric, and analytical approaches

the

that arrive at objective knowledge do not

Holls Museum of Contemporary Art in

adequately describe the structure of the

Helsinki and Louis Kahns Salk Institute

concrete world. Phenomenology allows

for Biological Studies in California.

us to express the essence of our

Through these examinations I will

existence through architecture.

formulate a design methodology that

seen

in

its

totality

Thus,
within

seeks

aforementioned

to

express

phenomenology; architecture becomes

interdependent

the concretization of existential space.

person and place.

In other words, approaching the process

of

architectural

design

through

phenomenological lens presents the

possibility

of

bridging

the

interdependent relationship of human

existence and the world.

authors,

or

Steven

reveal

relationship

the

between

context with your world. In reaction to

Heidegger
In the text Being and Time (1962),
the

German

philosopher

the destructive dominance of positivism

Martin

in

the

early

nineteenth

century,

Heidegger (1889-1976) argued that in

Heidegger sought original experience

conventional philosophy and psychology

through ontology, the study of the

the relationship between person and

origins

world has been reduced to either an

architectural

idealist or realist perspective.

In an

interpretation of Bauen, the German

idealist view, the world is a function of a

word for building, as dwelling is

person who acts on the world through

recognized.

consciousness and, therefore, actively

about thinking, it is about feeling and

knows and shapes his or her world. In

that feeling depends on time, place and

contrast, a realist view sees the person as

subject.

a function of the world, meaning, the

experience lead to poetry, narratives, and

world acts on the person and he or she

ultimately

reacts.

demonstrate our existence.

Heidegger claimed that both

of

language.

Within

discipline,

an

Heideggers

Architecture is not just

The feelings invoked by this

built

form

in

order to

perspectives are out of touch with the

Heidegger states that things gather,

nature of human life because they

or are the intermediary between human

assume a separation and directional

existence and the world. In other words,

relationship between person and world

built

that does not exist in actual lived

ontological events. These events where

experience.

sense,

the gathering of the four dimensions of

phenomenology supersedes the idealist

the world earth, heavens, mortals, and

and realist division between individual

the divine takes place are where

and world with a conception in which

humans dwell.

In

this

objects

create

place

for

the two are indivisiblea person-world

whole that is one rather than two.

Merleau-Ponty

This is Heideggers phenomenology,

The French philosopher Maurice

one of experiencing Dasein or being

Merleau-Ponty (1908-1961) considers

there. You are being in context, rather

phenomenology

an

than Sosein or being thus, out of

philosophy

Heidegger,

like

existential
but

concentrates on the importance of the

for our conceptual understanding of the

body

experience.

things around us with the action of the

Merleau-Ponty begins to place one being

body as the ultimate root of knowledge

in the world, or his or her self-

of the world. The body, in a sense, acts

awareness, as an objective engagement

as an interface between our mind and the

with the world, where the body is the

world. Our physical engagement with

objective intermediary between what

the things that surround us provides both

Heidegger speaks of as the person-world

the source and the limits of our

relationship.

understanding of those things. Hence, as

and

perceptual

The mind's access to the outside

the body provides knowledge of the

world must inevitably arise from the

world, the external world presents

body's movement in it, which also

knowledge

necessarily involves a movement of it:

Heideggers notion of

"Visible and mobile, my body is a thing

world).

among things; it is caught in the fabric of

hammer and swinging it to build or

the world, and its cohesion is that of a

destroy speaks to our relationship to the

thing.

Merleau-Pontys most famous

world and things, the object of a hammer

example is that of the blind person

tells us about the composition, scale, and

navigating with the aid of a stick, where

proportion of the human hand.

of

the

body

(recalling

being-in-the-

For example, as grasping a

the stick, like a carpenters tool,

gradually becomes an extension of the

Norberg-Schulz

arm that holds it.

Merleau-Ponty,

The contemporary author, Christian

along

with

the

Norberg-Schulz applies the philosophy

French author Henri Bergson (1859-

of phenomenology within architectural

1941), specifically in the text Matter and

discourse to arrive at an existential

Memory (1892) suggest that: "the objects

emphasis on space. Rather than placing

which surround my body reflect its

importance on abstract space, such as

possible action upon them".

Their

Modernist, universal space, Norberg-

argument places an importance on a

Schulz calls for a return to figurative,

priori structures of perception. Bergson

qualitative

architecture.

and Merleau-Ponty propose a framework

investigation

into

how

This
one

dwells

establishes a meaningful relationship

might offer a solution to the current

between humans and the environment.

problem of individual connection to our

The existential purpose of building is to

world.

create place from a site, that is, to reveal

the potential meanings given within a

Deconstruction

situation. Humans dwell when we are

Within

able to concretize the world in built

framework

form, where concretization is the result

methodology, the writings of the French

of art rather than science or the abstract.

philosopher Jacques Derrida (1930-)

Architecture concretizes, or gathers the

provide an opposing argument on the

entanglements of our everyday life-

philosophical spectrum, a movement

world, where gathering refers to the

within

primary aspects of humans being-in-

known

the-world.

through

movement challenges the formulations

identification and orientation, gathers the

of certain basic precepts of Western

world or environment into building.

metaphysics such as presence, truth, the

Dwelling,

Norberg-Schulz asks, what is the

a
and

philosophy
as

phenomenological
an

and

architectural

architecture

deconstruction.

This

position of the subject, and the nature of

task of architecture? It is to "make a site

identity.

become a 'place', that is, to uncover the

Derridas process materialized out of

meanings potentially present in the given

an opposition to structuralism and a

environment".

desire to expose the ambiguity of

what

the

Thus it becomes clear

German

poet

language.

Friedrich

In other words, Derrida

Hlderlin means by saying "poetically,

deconstructed, or dissected the works of

dwells man upon this earth". This belief

previous scholars in order to prove that

makes it clear that architecture facilitates

language is constantly shifting. Using

a way of dwelling in a Heideggerian

linguistics, he argued against traditional

notion: "The way in which you are and I

assumptions that text possesses an

am, the way in which we humans are on

unchanging, unified meaning.

the earth, is dwelling." If we dwell in

linguistic model he presents differs

that sense "it is through dwelling itself

greatly from Merleau-Pontys notion of

that we let the earth be as earth" and this

the

subject-object

relationship

The

and

especially

Heideggers

language

reveals

structures.
creation

basic

Derrida
and

belief

that

existential

redefines

operation

metaphysical

of

assumptions

of

text,

deconstructivist architects focused on a

the

series of theoretical projects and sought

textual

to de-center the concept of classical

meaning such that there is no movement

order and space.

from the marks on the page to mental

attempting to uncover the meanings

concepts. He aims to show the inherent

potentially

tension between the principles of clarity

environment, deconstructivist architects

that rule philosophy and the inescapable

such as Bernard Tschumi and Peter

shortcomings that are associated with its

Eisenman created a method of critiquing

construction.

architecture that ignores experiential

Derrida believed that no theory could

concerns

Thus, rather than

present

and

in

matters

of

given

human

pretend to be absolutely consistent,

perception.

logical, or present itself as a self-

formation of built form and space purely

contained system. If it did, it could only

for the sake of theoretical architecture.

do so by hiding or repressing something

The critique became the

Whereas

architectural

that did not fit its view of things. This

phenomenology attempts to alter the

ideology in turn led to a loss of meaning

paradigm of form follows function to

in all levels of social interaction. Thus,

form follows experience, deconstruction

it is evident that deconstructive inquiry,

mirrors Modernism in numerous ways

unlike

by implying function is coincidental to

phenomenological

or

perceptually based approach, seeks to

form.

blur the lines of meaning in the world

accompanying built work is elitist and

rather than attempt to arrive at a greater

detached

understanding of our relationship as

sensibilities.

humans in the world.

tendency is to discount the given conflict

Deconstruction within architecture

Thus,
from

the
any
The

writing

and

experiential
deconstructivist

between poetics and pragmatics faced by

provides a method of critiquing the

architects.

supposedly

relationship of being-in-the-world, is

unifying

and

idealistic,

movement of Modernism. As Derrida

sought

to

dissect

traditional,

simply

or

Individual connection, our

disregarded.

The follies took the form of a

Bernard Tschumi
A major constructed manifestation of
this

method

emerged

of

steel

pavilions

that

Bernard

ultimately create events within the mesh

Tschumis Parc de la Villette in Paris

of layers that question meaning. This

(1983). His anti-modernist approach

resulted in a match and mismatch of

deconstructed the traditional doctrine of

forms aspiring to an anti-Classical

form follows function, and focused on

architecture

contemporary

configurations.

society's

in

collection

disjunction

of
The

unexpected
process

and

between use, form, and social values.

arbitrary result attempted to ignore the

Tschumi believed these systems were

basic tenets of architecture throughout

completely unrelated. He superimposed

history - composition, hierarchy and

three

order.

ordering

systems:

points

(or

follies), lines (or paths), and surfaces (or

programmatic spaces) where violent
collisions were encouraged.

Fig.2

The grid of red follies create

reference points that are non-contextual
in their form and color in order to
dissolve a priori meaning.
Fig. 1

However,

Tschumi alleges the follies lack any

6

historical precedent in order to create

way that Derrida disrupts texts to force

non-meaning, but there exists a definite

the reader to approach the content in a

influence of Russian Constructivism in

more critical way, Eisenman disrupts

the formal characteristics and use of

order and convention in built form. For

structure; easily seen in this painting by

example, Eisenman attempts to destroy

constructivist artist, Iakov Chernikov.

the predominance of the right angle the

Modernist sign of rationalist order and of
the predetermined. Thus, form, in the
sense of a representation of things,
reflects

the

infinite

plurality

instability of experience.

and

As seen in

Eisenmans Aronoff Center for Design

and Art in Cincinnati (1996), this often
Fig. 3

Thus,

meaning

is

meant dissolution of visual order.

inherently

Eisenman deconstructed the forms of

attributed to or can be extracted from the

Modern

work. The desire to create built form

creating

spaces, and volumes, breaking open the

meaningless architecture, is seen here to

form of the building to expose the

be limited and ultimately a hollow

complex and contradictory nature of the

reconfiguration of conventional form

act of building itself. For Eisenman, the

and order.

form of the building expresses the

infinite possibilities and solutions for the

Peter Eisenman
American

architect

specific site, situation, program, and

Peter

context.

Eisenman also openly exploits Derridas

valuable in and of itself.

distortion of volumes and recombining

principles

materials,

express that no particular form is

buildings display an affinity for the

to

diverse

axes, and disconnected volumes must

utilizes formal fragmentation, where

according

The

unrelated construction methods, multiple

methods to ground his work. Eisenman

them

by

apparently illogical clashes of grids,

that points in all directions, and thus

The

Architecture

By the

supposedly incomplete form of the

of

building, Eisenman attempts to state that

disruption and dislocation. In the same

7

Part

other options and forms are possible and

of

the

deconstructivist

in fact, there is no ultimate truth or order

philosophy was therefore to detach

that can be expressed in any single

architecture from function and to allow a

building.

free play of design, free from practical

constraints.

Indeed

deconstruction

would deny any direct relationship

between the form and the function of a

Fig.4

building. This relationship is a matter of

coincidence.

Here architectural form

becomes a self-propelling thing in itself

and while the program and client may
offer a necessary starting point, the
resulting

form

unpredictable

and

is

inevitably

results

in

mere

architectural dynamics and a work of

continual

Fig. 5

self-analysis

void

of

experiential meaning. In this approach,

then, the concept of the person-world
relationship is completely lost.
Steven Holl
Avoiding

the

deconstructivist,

analytical method, architect Steven Holl

approaches architectural design through
a phenomenological lens.

Similar to

Merleau-Pontys existential belief that

ones self-awareness and body exist as
object engagements with the world, Holl
focuses on human perception as one
moves through space.
Fig. 6

Rather than

approaching the project from the exterior

into the interior, Holl first attempts to

qualities of the space will be.

understand the experiential relationship

of the human body to light and interior
space. Working conceptually from the
inside out, incorporating various scales
and levels, and utilizing two themes he
labels as anchoring and intertwining,
Holl creates sculptural spaces rich in
light that form perceptual and sensual
experiences.

The

Museum

of

Contemporary Art in Helsinki, Finland

(1998), or Kiasma, exemplifies Holls
empirical and tactile design approach; an

Fig.7

Holls use of metaphor also serves as

approach that begins with the suspension

of pragmatism leading to discovery and

a starting point.

playfulness that ultimately directs his

"anchors" a project to the site in a

design process. He implements a mind-

physical and metaphysical sense in order

body experience of architecture through

to not just rest on a site but also begin to

reflection of light off internal surfaces

explain it. Thus, the metaphor goes on to

and overlapping perspectives created

provide a conceptual frame through

through movement.

which to understand the project. This

Heideggerian

To achieve this experiential concept

The metaphor first

notion

of

anchoring

that drives the design, Holl sketches with

gathers the meaning of the situation; it

watercolor. With his intuition in control,

connects the phenomenal properties

the watercolor allows him to explore in a

given within the site to the conceptual

playfully vague manner, resulting in a

strategies.

process

that

is

In

simultaneously

Helsinki,

Holl

creates

two

conceptual and sensible. The medium

metaphors, a line of culture and a line of

allows him to capture qualities of light,

nature. Kiasma, a Greek word borrowed

reflection, and movement as he attempts

from

to understand what the experiential

intertwining,

Merleau-Ponty
occurs

that
where

means
the

intersection of these metaphors take

Due to Helsinkis high latitude and

place. The building's mass intertwines

horizontal rays of the sun, the design

with the geometry of the city and

curves in both plan and section to

landscape. The curvilinear slice through

capture the distinctive natural light

the building implies a cultural line

creating variations in light quality that

linking the building to Finlandia Hall, a

invigorate the visitor with subtle but

leading concert and congress hall in

phenomenally experiential differences.

Helsinki.

The natural line of the

building connects it to Tl Bay, the

topographic heart of Helsinki.

Here,

within this intertwining, lie folded

planes, natural light, and silent spaces
for displaying works of art.
The

folded

planes

that

create

overlapping perspectives in the interior

are anchored in the geometry of the city
and surrounding landscape.

However,

the resulting form and quality of these

Fig.8

planes is derived directly from Holls

Silent space, as Holl and colleague

desire to express the movement of the

body through the space.

Juhani Pallasmaa refer to it, is created

The folded

within the museum by eliminating the

planes create multiple vanishing points,

intermediate scale of the building, thus

opening a condition of spatial parallax

allowing the work itself to fill that void.

meaning, an ever-changing space based

For example, columns, moldings, and

on the bodys relation to the things

window openings are not articulated in

around it and the constant flux of light

gathered by those things.

favor of neutral wall masses.

Thus Holl

The

architecture is expressed through details

draws from Merleau-Pontys belief that

such as the twist of a door handle, the

the body acts as an interface to the world

edge of a stair, and the exposed

as well as Heideggers notion that things

thickness of a slab of glass, allowing the

gather the world.

body and its direct connection to its

10

surroundings

become

primary

poetically states, Silence to light,

importance.

Hence, within Holls

meaning the desire to express and

phenomenological

of

approach,

the

explain

through

building

brings

function of the space is tailored to the

possibilities into presence. The simple,

experience of being in that space.

relatively

Again, it is evident here that Holl draws

flanking laboratories allows such things

from Merleau-Pontys and Bergsons

as human activity and interaction to

belief that the action of the body is the

speak within the space.

framework for conceptual understanding

Heideggers notion of gathering, the

of the things around us.

vertical building masses, horizontal floor

unadorned

mass

of

the

Recalling

plane, and sky above frame ones

connection to the landscape beyond.

Louis I. Kahn
The architecture of Louis Kahn

This connection is taken a step further in

(1901-1974) also seeks to explore the

Holls reading of the space; There is a

interrelationship of person and world

time of day when the sun, reflecting on

specifically in how one engages building

the ocean, merges with light reflecting

and how a building engages site. The

on the rivulet of water Ocean and

Salk Institute for Biological Studies in

courtyard

La Jolla, California exemplifies Kahns

phenomenon Architecture and nature

architecture of phenomenology.

are joined in a metaphysics of place.

Kahn

are

fused

by

[this]

would ask himself, What does the

building want to be. Thus, although he
did

not

speak

directly

of

phenomenology, it is evident that he

thought within the framework of an
experiential method, one of connection
between site, building, and body.
When one first approaches the

Fig. 9

interior courtyard, what Kahn refers to

As one moves through the plaza

as silence in architecture, a term applied

toward the horizon, the plaza extends

similarly by Holl, becomes present. He

downward through a series of steps and

11

water falls to physically connect to the

Kahn believed in revealing how a

landscape. The gathering of the world,

building and its materials were formed.

through the building, into being is

This concept reflects Merleau-Pontys

evident.

and

In the same way, Kahn brings light

Bergsons

belief

interconnected

in

the

relationship

of

into the courtyard and interstitial spaces

knowledge between the body and the

between the offices and laboratories to

world.

gather the world, to reveal the form and

Heideggers thoughts on language and

materiality in natural light so that one

poetry seep into Kahns method, even if

can begin to directly connect to the

not explicitly. Through reading Kahns

world. Through shadow, the process of

poetry and narratives, one can see the

creating the form is revealed as well.

influence of language on his designs and

For example, the pattern created by the

the connection to Heideggers notion of

formwork of the concrete is accentuated

being-there rather than being-thus. The

and the ties are left in place to speak of

emergence of essence is apparent in such

the method through which it was

writings as this:

It

is

also

evident

that

constructed.
Silence to Light
Light to Silence
The threshold of their crossing
is the Singularity
is Inspiration
(Where the desire to express meets
the possible)
is the Sanctuary of Art
is the Treasury of the Shadows
(Material casts shadows shadows
belong to light)

Fig. 10

12

DESIGN METHODOLOGY
In order for humans to dwell, and
therefore

experience

As

Holl

accomplished

in

his

concrete

watercolor sketches and metaphoric

phenomena and place, architecture must

anchoring and Kahn in his poetic

allow the body to experience and engage

readings and study of material, one must

the thingness of the built form that

arrive at the essence of the site and

surrounds it. In this sense, the building

program to create a concept. Metaphor

must engage the site in order to make the

and language become necessary tools for

site present to the body; it must

finding this essence. Thus, the essence

physically and metaphysically explain

of a work of architecture is an organic

and reflect the concept of site.

link between concept and form.

The

building must gather the meaning of a

The ontological narrative or poem

specific situation.
To

begin

then becomes a jumping off point from

a

phenomenological

which

to

discover

underlying

approach, one must put into language

commonalities that mark the essential

what he or she gathers from the world.

core of the phenomenon.

Meaning, the essence of the concrete

words, the phenomenologist perceives

phenomena

and

specific instances of the phenomenon

penetrates us must be deciphered. One

that is site with the hope that these

puts into language this gathering by

instances, in time, will point toward

relying

more

on

that

surrounds

perception,

our

us

bodys

general

qualities

In other

and

engagement and knowledge of the things

characteristics that accurately describe

that are presented to us, and past

the essential nature of the place and our

experience or memory. As exemplified

relationship to it; meaning, its presence

in Kahns process, by asking ones self:

and significance in the concrete lives and

what does the site tell me about what is

experiences of humans.

there or what was there, what does the

From this point, language must begin

building want to be, how do I want the

to inform the experience of each space

body to experience and engage the

within the program of the building and

space; language will begin to present

context of the site. That is to say that the

itself.

experiential quality of each space that is

13

to be, and the implementation of the

meaning.

concept into sketches, models, paintings,

architecture will be about experience and

etc. must grow out of ones perception of

will enable humans to dwell in places

his or her relationship to the site.

that comprise existential space, space

Through this methodology,

For example, the exploration of

that quenches our desire for orientation

materials within modeling and other

and identification, and built form that

methods representing what is imagined

expresses our being-in-the-world.

as well as materials that would actually

be used should help explain or gather the
intended experiential quality of the
space. Color, texture, scale, etc. should
be considered as a means of expressing
or fulfilling the desired experience.
This

methodology

denies

abstract

methods

seemingly

such
of

investigation or formal influence as

geometry

as

applied

within

deconstruction. However, that is not to

say that geometry, for example, cannot
be used as a method of inquiry all
together. Rather, geometric approaches
may be the result of such inquiries into
historic or cultural influences that may
lead to experiential phenomena with a
goal of metaphysically explaining a site.
A

phenomenological

methodology

grounded

design
within

Heideggers ideal of an interrelated

person-world relationship and MerleauPontys notion of body establishes the
possibility of creating architecture of

14

ADDENDUM
As I began thinking about which site

Ohio River.

Mt. Adams consists of

I should choose to explore this idea or

steep, winding streets, quaint boutiques,

method

art stores, restaurants, bars, market-rate

phenomenological lens, the criteria I

housing, and high-priced single-family

discovered to be necessary was actually

homes, row houses, and condominiums.

quite limited. In other words, any site

The Cincinnati neighborhood is a very

that I chose inherently had meaning,

popular local attraction and destination

history, and an essence that could be

for shopping and nightlife. Mt. Adams

explored and ultimately discovered.

is also a hot spot due to its adjacency to

Therefore, I found it important to choose

Eden Park, a well-used public space

a site that first and foremost could be

home to the Playhouse in the Park, the

easily accessible on a daily and nightly

Cincinnati Art Museum, and the Krohn

basis; a site that was relatively bare in

Conservatory.

of

designing

through

the sense of pre-existing structures so as

The

Ohio

River,

Cincinnati

not to have my intentions misdirected

centerpiece of commercial transportation

toward a discussion of renovation or re-

and public recreation, runs along the

habitation; and finally a site that seemed

south of the site. Between the southwest

to be lacking something, even if I didnt

corner of my site and the shore of the

know what that was when I first began

Ohio River lies Sawyer Point, a mile-

my investigation.

long linear park that features award

The site that I chose for the purpose

of

exploring

winning landscaping, a performance

architectural

pavilion, many outdoor activities such as

phenomenology and the person-place

relationship is situated between Eastern

volleyball, an ice rink in the winter

Avenue and Columbia Parkway in

months, and a Cincinnati landmark

Cincinnati, Ohio.

restaurant,

The site is often

childrens

the

playground,

Montgomery

tennis,

Inn

referred to as Adams Landing because of

Boathouse. (See Fig. 11 Existing Site

its location at the base of Mt. Adams; an

Plan)

affluent neighborhood overlooking the

The area known as Adams Landing,

Central Business District (CBD) and the

a 28-acre stretch of land along Eastern

15

Ave., 7.5 acres of which encompass my

condominiums and apartments, small

chosen site, has experienced many

commercial and retail spaces, supporting

design iterations for multifamily housing

parking, and interwoven plaza/green

dating back to the late 1980s.

space.

Once

These elements became the

slated to bring over 1,000 units to the

framework in which to create this

area, it is currently designed to house

pedestrian connection as well as the

about 600 apartments, condos, and town

metaphysical connection or gathering of

homes throughout the entire site.

the environment into building.

The major flaw I recognized within

The environment that began to show

all of the previous master plans was the

itself through my site investigations was

perpetuation of the proverbial brick wall

one of seemingly opposing elements. It

between Mt. Adams and the river that

possessed an active, energetic sensibility

already exists due to the major vehicular

but also a feeling that demanded a place

arteries of Columbia Parkway and

for calm reflection. The site spoke as

Eastern Avenue. Rather than using the

both an intermediary place as well as a

building program to not only create a

destination; a place in motion as well as

place for persons to dwell but also to

a place that could stand still. What I felt

create a pedestrian connection between

the site wanted to be, as I discovered

two wonderful amenities within the city

more and more about the environment I

of Cincinnati, the previous designs

found myself in, was a place for living, a

called for a building plan that isolated

place for gathering ones day through

the proposed units within the site and

Heideggers notion of dwelling.

further secluded Mt. Adams from the

The sites elevation change of nearly

river. This was the thing that I felt could

100 vertical feet from Eastern Avenue to

not be ignored.

Columbia

Parkway

could

not

be

Through extensive site investigation

overlooked, both pragmatically as well

it became apparent that this connection

as metaphysically. To address this, the

was to be the focal point of the program

residential buildings step back on the

and the design. The remaining program

southern faade to mimic the slope of

elements

the

include

relatively

dense

clusters of one, two, and three bedroom

earth

below.

The

necessary

supporting parking decks below the

16

buildings also step with the existing

that can be found winding through and

contours to allow for minimal cut and

between each building.

fill on the site. This in turn affords a

walkways and exaggerated stair landings

gradual stepping through the open plazas

create elevated, semi-public gathering

between each building, whether it be a

spaces for the residents and visitors

built-in hardscape with green roofs,

alike. (See Fig. 26 Wall Section, and

shallow pools, and tree planters, or

Fig. 30 Plaza)

mounded earth and grass above the

garage below.

Cantilevered

As one navigates from Mt. Adams

Thus, framed by each

through the plaza and down to Sawyer

residents private dwelling, public space

Point and the River, the experience and

is created for movement and interaction.

connection between these three places

(See Fig. 21 Site Section, and Fig. 23-

and ones body reveals itself.

25 Mass Model Photos)

currently exists a concrete stair that

There

Throughout the eight multi-terraced

begins at a small park on Hill St., runs

buildings Ive proposed for the site,

down the steep grade of the hillside, and

there are a total of 237 units (80) one-

awkwardly

bedroom, (121) two-bedroom, and (36)

pedestrian bridge that spans Columbia

three-bedroom dwellings - a total far less

Parkway. It is at this intersection where

than the most recent master plan, which

I began my redesign of this much needed

called for nearly 400 on this seven acre

connection. I have redesigned the bridge

plus parcel, allowing for open green

to intersect the stair in a more direct

space and roof terraces. This mixture of

way, eliminating the almost turnstile

units is carried throughout each floor and

existing condition. Ive widened it and

from front to back to afford each type of

gave it a gentle slope to carry visitors

unit many different views of the river,

into my site.

Mt. Adams, the interstitial plazas and

greeting with an extended landing and an

green spaces, and the city skyline. (See

opportunity to take in the view of the

Fig. 14-20 Floor Plans) The buildings

river and the Kentucky hills in the

are mainly single-loaded to afford

distance framed by two of the residential

maximum visual connection between

buildings, the main plaza, and the sky.

units, residents, and the public spaces

intersects

narrow

Once arriving, one is

At this point, a gently sloping path

17

that is carved into the existing grade

units,

begins. The path is situated in the side

walkways of the units above, enter

of the hill so as to allow the grade to

directly off of these stepped plazas,

meet the path and be an extension of it at

again creating a very tangible connection

certain locations. From the arrival point

between semi-public and public space.

at the base of the bridge, a re-circulating

From

water feature cantilevers over the path,

walkways the river is always framed and

drops into a shallow pool that one can

always in site. (See Fig. 32 Plaza and

easily touch, and slides down a large

River from Walkway)

retaining wall that doubles as the back of

a concrete bench.

framed

these

by

plazas

the

and

cantilevered

pedestrian

The level below the residential units

This seating area

houses small commercial space.

(See

allows for those traversing the winding

Fig. 13 Level 514 Commercial)

path a place to rest and take in the

This allows for street visibility for any

framed view of the river and plaza while

potential commercial users as well as

the cascading water drowns out the

pushes the dwelling units up another

sound of the traffic above. (See Fig. 31

level above the street to give all units a

Hillside from Stair Landing)

view of the river and Kentucky hillside

When one arrives physically within

beyond.

At this level one can either

the buildings frame, the indication of

walk down a gently curving stair to the

the sites slope still exists but in a much

retail floor below (See Fig. Fig. 12

different way. In the existing site, the

Level 500 Retail) or continue across a

slope began to flatten out slightly here.

pedestrian bridge that carries persons

In the proposed structure, a stepped

across Eastern Ave. (See Fig. 23 Mass

parking garage exists below grade. With

Model Photo, and Fig. 21 Site Section)

the necessity of parking to deal with, and

The retail level is meant to house

yet still wanting to mimic the existing

small supporting spaces such as coffee

site conditions, Ive created multi-

shops, dry cleaners, and the like for

leveled, tree-lined terraces that not only

inhabitants of the site as well as those

continue to wind persons through the site

utilizing Eastern Ave. as a vehicular

but also create numerous seating, play,

access into and out of the Central

and meeting spaces. The ground level

Business District. The form of this level

18

has multiple curves in plan and a large

the river. On the western most terrace,

canopy to address the moving street

the city skyline can be seen and the

traffic as well as create multiple sight

evening sunset can be fully experienced.

lines for any potential tenants of the

Given its proximity to the CBD, I felt a

space. The plaza between the retail and

metaphysical

the street is elevated about five feet with

physical connection to Mt. Adams and

a series of retaining walls, trees, steps,

the river, was necessary. Here one can

and ramps for access from pedestrian

wind down ones day with a cup of

traffic and street parking along Eastern

coffee, neighbors, and a spectacular

to create a comfortable buffer from the

view. An open canopy and reflecting

speed of the traffic below. (See Fig. 12

pool frames ones view of the city

Level 500 Retail)

skyline and the ever-changing sky

The
crossing

slender

pedestrian

Eastern

also

bridge

creates

beyond.

connection,

like

the

(See Fig. 27-29 Rooftop

an

Terrace) The opposing terrace, similar

observation deck for the ice rink and ties

in form yet facing east, captures the

into a rooftop terrace and steps that

sunset in a similar way allowing

double as the roof of a small recreation

residents to begin their day with a

center. Here, one arrives at the other

moment of silence and serenity.

anchor of the site Ive chosen the river

After tackling such a large site and

and Sawyer Point. (See Fig. 21 Site

program, I realized that a more intimate

Section)

program would have been better suited

As I previously mentioned, each

to explore the idea of phenomenology

floor of the buildings step back to mimic

within design methodology. I feel that

the

as

having allowed myself the energy to

importantly, this terraced effect also

truly get into each experience of ones

allows the built form to reach a height

typical day, I might have come to a more

necessary to afford the residents two,

concise conclusion or a more specific

almost

community

explanation of how a phenomenological

spaces. These spaces are located on the

lens could assist in designing for the

top-level terrace of the buildings framing

human

the connection between Mt. Adams and

interconnectedness

existing

hillside,

sublime

but

rooftop

just

19

experience
with

and

our

the

world

around and among us. However, I feel

the design decisions I made, both in
program

as

adjacencies,

well

as

begin

to

form

and

exemplify

thought process toward a personal

design

methodology

rooted

concepts of phenomenology.

in

the
The

program and proposed form begin to not

only fulfill the pragmatic requirements
of building upon a site but also speak to
how a site can be interpreted and
understood, ultimately adding another
dimension to a proposed built work; a
dimension

of

person-world

interconnection.
When I visited Louis Kahns Salk
Institute, I was able to explore and begin
to understand what Heidegger meant
when he explained that built objects
create a place for ontological events;
what Steven Holl meant by anchoring
and intertwining; and what Christian
Norberg-Schulz meant when he urged us
to uncover the meanings potentially
present in the given environment. It is
these things that I sought to uncover and
exemplify in my approach, my method,
and my design and hope to explore even
further as I continue through my
architectural career.

20

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24