Rather than functioning as an icon, Involuted Matter dissolves into the background of commercial construction, conceals difference at the envelope, and orchestrates a succession of alternate environments. Accepting the unifying neutrality of a larger framework this project articulates difference at the individual site. But unlike iconic projects, the real force of this thesis unfolds through the interior. Identity is formed not at the level of district, but is centered on the individual occupation of a specific place.

The program for this project is a jimjilbang or Korean Bath House. The jimjilbang has the potential to become a new form of collective space not typical of the American metropolis. The bath house is simultaneously an intimate and egalitarian public venue and a private center for personal well being. Immersed in the same waters and ambient environments, clothed in matching jimjilbang attire, a plurality of classes, age groups, and social values congregate around a common program.