Spatial Experiences

Required reading:
Roth, Leland M. “Space in Architecture” and “Seeing Architecture,” in Understanding Architecture: Its
Elements, History, and Meaning. (New York, NY: Icon Editions, 1993), 44–56, 56–90.
Building List:
For potential buildings in Ottawa that are in accord with the themes discussed in the lectures, see:
Waldron, Andrew M., Harold Kalman, and Peter Coffman. Exploring the Capital: An Architectural Guide to
the Ottawa-Gatineau Region. Berkeley; Vancouver: Figure.1 Publishing, 2017.
The Assignment:
You will write a narrative of the spatial experience of one of the buildings in Ottawa. In order to learn how to
describe the spatial and visual experience of a building, you need to read the assigned reading in
“Understanding Architecture.”
You will narrate how people experience the building and how the building appeals to the senses. You can
use visual materials to capture the “lived experiences” inside or outside the buildings. What makes this
building appealing or not appealing to the visitors? What are the materials, colors, light, texture, and scale
used?
Goals of the Assignment:
You will learn to understand the built environment through lived experiences and materiality. Buildings are
not empty shells, but they provide settings for people’s various experiences. These experiences are
affected by the use and choice of materials, space, light, colors, texture, and location. Buildings are the
product of economic, political, and cultural contexts in specific eras and are a part of a larger built or natural
environment. During the assignment, you will learn to observe architecture in use and narrate the spatial,
aesthetic, and contextual features in urban settings.
Assessment:
•Accuracy, precision and clarity of your narrative (40%)
•Depth of knowledge of the spatial and material features (40%)
•Care and clarity of presentation (20%)