ENGINEERED PARADISES

 

Can architecture produce spaces that are compelling enough to allow for the emotional release of its users? The thesis proposes that in proving shared spaces whose programs are dedicated to the safe expression of universal emotions [such as; mourning, fatigue, love, embarrassment, solitude] between dissonant factions in conflict areas, users will be forced to confront the humanity of the ostracized other in hopes of catalyzing enough empathy for acceptance and eventual hopeful reconciliation.

 

A Nation Above Two Nations...

 

The city of Hebron in the Occupied West Bank/Israel is shared by the nations of Palestine and Israel due to their respective claims of ownership over religious sites and territories. Hebron suffers from a unique condition of complex segregations through invisible and visible dimensions that greatly harm the quality of life of its citizens - an apartheid that creates great tension and distrust among them. Through the deployment of nationless ‘engineered paradises’ at the urban scale, the thesis aims to create a respite from the complex spacial formalities of life in the West Bank, constructing safe spaces connected through a network of elevated walkways that delineate a new nation of shared identity.

 

Special Thanks to:

 

Breaking the Silence, Hebron Rehabilitation Committee, Antinea Noguera, Carmel Avidani, Yair Hogri, Oliver Carlsen, Juan Coronado, Alexa Mougin, Sebastien Vandermulen, Zoe Grosshandler, Tomris Ahmad, Gaby Mioton, Brad Kremer, Derek Bednarski, Kbhi Kumar, Brent Patterson, Charles Williams, Graham Owen.

​

M.Arch architectural thesis. Completed at Tulane University, Spring 2015. Under the supervision of Graham Owen.