Wet, Wet, Wet.
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Wet, humid, foggy, muggy, soaked, damp, moist, dank... taking these words often problematized in architecture, the thesis questions how our vocabulary around "wetness" can be transformed by adding productive value to these terms. The thesis explores a paradigm shift in architectural design, challenging the conventional treatment of water as a problem to be rejected or mitigated. It emphasizes the need to redefine the building envelope, moving away from sealed containers and rigid boundaries. Instead, the focus is on embracing water as a functional, productive, and sensorial element, transforming our perception of it. The proposed building envelopes advocate for a new environmental way of living, understanding buildings as dynamic entities influenced by weather, atmosphere, and time. By rethinking the relationship between the building and its (wet) environment, architects can create spaces that prioritize spatial variety over function, fostering permeability and hybridization of interior and exterior realms. The proposal suggests a departure from the static and stable conditions that enable uniformity, advocating for a design approach that begins from our bodies' relationship to the building envelope while integrating sensorial qualities and responding to the dynamic nature of architecture.
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Yip, Nicole. Wet, Wet, Wet. (2024). Masters thesis, Rice University. https://hdl.handle.net/1911/116068