The City: A Place of Places Examining the Role of Place and Architecture Inside the Urban Fabric

Abstract

The city is a composition of individuals. Every resident in a city builds their own place and is built by those places that surround them. It is this interaction of places that make the city unique; transforming the city into a place of places. The interaction of places transcends the cities physical constructs, such as shelter and safety, and instead creates a spiritual dwelling for the cities residences, and giving rise to community. This spirituality is not one of pure religious thought, but rather of the indicative nature of the humanity contained within every resident of the city. It is this humanity that is then reflected in the architecture of the city’s residents, and shapes not only the individual places of the residents, but the overall urban structure of the city as well. This project focuses on the understanding and exploring the link between place, architecture and humanity within an urban context by examining the act of place making, both in terms of physical construction (i.e. architecture) and metaphysical reasoning (why we build) for both individuals and communities. To accomplish this, four (4) case studies of urban areas, with a focus on both specific places as well as overall urban structure, will be examined looking at detailing the link of architecture, humanity and place.