Through our Poemas: Connecting People, Place and Identity

Abstract

Architecture has naturally become a part of our human consciousness. It appears in our stories. It is fundamental to the way we perceive ourselves. It is what makes up our identities. Storytelling allows us to see things differently from what we are used to, thus opening our eyes and our minds to new worlds. It is a communication of our cultures and our identities. The most important thing about incorporating storytelling in our architecture is the willingness and ability to see the things we are used to in a different way. We need to learn to see things not as what they are, but what things could be. My thesis speaks of an architecture that allows stories to be created and housed. The architecture will allow for a variety of interpretation and will work with the user in a fashion that allows maximum participation and a variety of ideas. The architecture will provide a stage and setting that are directly connected to people. It will become a realm where people stories, or poemas, connect. The narrative community center will remind people of creativity and imagination and let it free them, if only for a moment.