Jimenez, Carlos2009-06-042009-06-041999Howard, Eliza. "Immersion." (1999) Master’s Thesis, Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/17272">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/17272</a>.https://hdl.handle.net/1911/17272This thesis evolved from the discovery of a specific building type called a mikvah, a Hebrew word, for which the primary translation is pool or gathering of water. Generally used for spiritual cleansing and purification, the mikvah is an immersion pool, that dates as far back as the Torah where the basis for its design and construction is first articulated. My interpretation and re-contextualization of the mikvah has spawned a building with an agenda and that differs from that of the traditional institution. Ultimately, my proposal attempts to reconsider this age old ritual and simultaneously incite thought about the potential for architecture to graft itself into an environment by engaging a context on a different set of terms; from this, a new level of meaning and relevance might emerge. A larger goal is to integrate the form, the experience, the function and the site to the point where the existence of one depends on the presence of the others.78 ppapplication/pdfengCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.Cultural anthropologyArchitectureThesisRICE2468reformatted digitalTHESIS ARCH. 1999 HOWARD