DESIRE+____

The entire practice of architecture follows order and efficiency. The external pressures of civility have caused us to design spaces that emphasize the “good citizen”. Consequentially, by designing efficient spaces we lose the things that make us most human. In our current situation, life becomes a polite performance through architecture, devoid of the transgressive pursuits. Designed space has conditioned us to lose touch with the entropy of life, and all spaces that do not favor civility are considered “other.”

Sex and Desire is one of the most powerful and most present sensations in the human experience, influencing our behavior and decision making. Humans live long and sexual lives, yet historically, we have struggled to contain and control our desires. In a society like ours now experiencing the first symptoms of a sexual revolution, the relationship between sex and buildings matters now more than ever. Especially in the Western context, where liberality towards sex is normalized and accepted.

Thesis ( In Progress ) / 2019 — 2020 / Advisor : David Gersten

“The erotic, if you like, is the ultimate theatre of transcendence. It is not merely that it takes us out of ourselves, nor that it reflects on the boundaries it opens and crosses, but because it performs and explores the investments in each boundary, each limit.”

My thesis seeks to examine the responsibility architecture plays in reviving transgressive eroticism, understanding how some spaces and architecture are repressive, and questioning how a sexually progressive future might manifest itself through the practice of architecture. As architects we hold the responsibility of designing human interaction, whether that is with each other and or with(in) a space. Ultimately, tapping into our desires will allow for open-mindedness, inclusivity, and revolution. Life is more important than architecture, and we cannot continue to hide our desires when our lives are inextricably bound up in our fantasies.