Sonja Storey-Fleming
Of
the
thesis
entitled:
Immensity
Abstract:
This thesis is concerned with the moments, places and circumstances in which the great magnitude of the world is felt. I live within the vast space of the spherical earth and the infinite space of the universe, however, it is rare that I consider the immensity of the space in which I live and endeavor to build. This thesis is an examination of the ability of both architecture and landscape to frame immense space and phenomena of the earth, reinforcing our relationship with the larger space that we inhabit.
This
work
is
rooted
in
two
accounts
of
immensity.
The
first
is
a
landscape,
a
beach
on
the
small,
Danish
island
of
Rømø,
where
I
stood
on
a
vast,
flat
plane,
surrounded
by
the
seemingly
limitless
extension
of
space.
The
second
is
an
architectural
space,
Kunsten
Museum
of
Modern
Art
Aalborg
in
Northern
Denmark
by
Finnish
Architect
Alvar
Aalto.
There
I
stood
in
an
interior
that
framed
an
experience
of
immensity
un-noticed
on
the
exterior.
The
beach
was
for
me
a
rare
and
profound
experience
of
immense
space,
and
the
museum
an
architectural
examination
of
immensity
mediated
by
mass
and
interiority.
I
weigh
these
personal
accounts
against
immensity
portrayed
in
art,
architecture,
fiction
and
philosophy.
I
consider
paintings
by
German
Romantic
painter
Caspar
David
Friedrich,
an
Infinity
Environment
installation
by
contemporary
artist
Doug
Wheeler,
and
the
documentation
of
sand-filled
homes
in
Namibia
by
contemporary
photographers
Yû
Ogata
and
Ichirô
Ogata
Ono.
I
examine
the
portrayal
of
immensity
in
Michael
Ondaatje’s
novel
The
English
Patient
and
Karen
Blixen’s
short
story
Babette’s
Feast
and
consider
how
immensity
is
manifest
in
space,
people,
and
architecture
in
the
writing
of
philosophers
and
theorists
Dom
Hans
Van
der
Laan,
Emmanuel
Levinas,
and
Otto
Friedrich
Bollnow.
Lastly,
I
consider
the
role
that
architecture
plays
in
framing
immensity
by
analyzing
Kunsten
Museum
of
Modern
Art
Aalborg
and
Grundtvig
Church
in
Copenhagen
by
Danish
architect
Peder
Vilhelm
Jensen-Klint
alongside
Henry
Plummer’s
writing
on
the
Salk
Institute
and
Kimbell
Art
Museum
by
American
architect
Louis
Kahn.
The
examining
committee
is
as
follows:
Supervisor:
Robert
Jan
Van
Pelt,
University
of
Waterloo
Committee
Members:
Anne
Bordeleau,
University
of
Waterloo
Philip
Beesley,
University
of
Waterloo
External
Reader:
Fred
Thompson,
Professor
Emeritus,
University
of
Waterloo
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Wednesday,
January
8,
2014
11:00AM
Architecture
Room
2026
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.
Susan Varickanickal
Of
the
thesis
entitled:
DEAR
PAUL:
Still
absurd,
after
all
these
years
Abstract:
I
grew
up
in
the
suburbs,
and
I
am
embarrassed
to
admit
it.
But
there
is
no
use
denying
it.
It’s
written
all
over
my
face.
Even
though
I
have
been
away
for
nearly
a
decade,
the
residue
of
that
past
life
still
lingers.
I
am
civilized,
programmed
to
perform
in
a
manner
that
best
suits
society
at
this
present
time.
I
move
in
unison
with
the
other
bodies
around
me,
abiding
by
the
unwritten
suburban
rules
of
conduct
to
avoid
any
confrontation,
as
our
daily
routines
follow
our
individual
agendas.
Suburbia
follows
me
wherever
I
go.
It
is
the
only
kind
of
person
I
know
how
to
be.
For
fear
of
breaking
any
rules
I
retaliate
only
in
my
dreams.
I
hate
this
life.
In
Walden,
Henry
David
Thoreau
states,
“The
greater
part
of
what
my
neighbors
call
good
I
believe
in
my
soul
to
be
bad,
and
if
I
repent
of
anything,
it
is
very
likely
to
be
my
good
behavior.
What
demon
possessed
me
that
I
behaved
so
well?”
What
demon
indeed.
The
suburb,
an
invention
of
postwar
culture
that
articulated
a
generation’s
need
for
security,
peace,
and
privacy
after
a
time
of
great
tragedy,
embodied
a
marketable
product
based
on
an
illusion,
the
Dream
Life,
an
artificial
empire
that
has
suppressed
the
imaginative
possibilities
for
human
existence.
As
an
instrument
to
understand
my
own
dissatisfaction
with
the
suburbs,
this
thesis
investigates
the
Psychogeography
of
this
suburban
landscape.
It
is
as
much
a
reflection
of
my
own
struggle
to
cope
with
such
a
lifestyle
as
it
is
an
account
of
how
the
behavior
of
a
suburban
population
can
be
conditioned
to
submit
to
the
authority
of
their
immediate
built
environment.
The
examining
committee
is
as
follows:
Supervisor:
Committee Members:
Donald McKay, University of Waterloo
Eric Haldenby, University of Waterloo
Adrian Blackwell, University of Waterloo
Eric Beck Rubin
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Friday,
January
10,
2014
10:00
AM
Architecture
Room
2026
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.
Melissa Ng
Of
the
thesis
entitled:
On
Making
Abstract:
Grasping
the
wooden
handle
of
a
dozukime
saw
with
both
hands,
I
make
a
rip-cut
into
a
block
of
eastern
white
pine,
leaving
behind
a
1/64-inch
wide
kerf.
I
am
cutting
a
dovetail:
a
wood
joint
developed
over
five-thousand
years
ago
by
the
hands
of
our
ancestors.
Even
now,
a
well-fitted
dovetail
joint
remains
one
of
the
strongest,
most
elegant
ways
to
join
wood.
I knew nothing about traditional woodworking when I first picked up a hand-plane, but I was soon inspired by the richness of the craft: the quality of a hand-planed finish, the spirit of craftsmanship, and the nature of material. I was amazed by the wealth of knowledge embodied in craftwork. The tools and materials I encountered spoke to me; I learned to care for them and for my work. How would the things I make endure through time? How would the things I make affect others? In an era where materialism has come to represent a spiritless relationship to the things around us, traditions of craft can teach us how to imbue the human spirit in our work.
After
making
a
harvest
table,
four
chairs,
ninety-four
earthenware
pots,
and
a
lamp,
I
reflect
on
the
act
of
making
as
a
means
of
discovery.
Making
affects
our
thinking
and
our
approach
to
material
and
environment.
Making
can
help
us
develop
a
craftsman’s
capacity
to
listen,
a
great
respect
for
material,
and
a
desire
to
make
better
objects
for
posterity.
Making
is
learning.
The
examining
committee
is
as
follows:
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Friday,
January
10,
2014
10:00
AM
Architecture
Room
2026
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.
Melissa Ng
Of
the
thesis
entitled:
On
Making
Abstract:
Grasping
the
wooden
handle
of
a
dozukime
saw
with
both
hands,
I
make
a
rip-cut
into
a
block
of
eastern
white
pine,
leaving
behind
a
1/64-inch
wide
kerf.
I
am
cutting
a
dovetail:
a
wood
joint
developed
over
five-thousand
years
ago
by
the
hands
of
our
ancestors.
Even
now,
a
well-fitted
dovetail
joint
remains
one
of
the
strongest,
most
elegant
ways
to
join
wood.
I knew nothing about traditional woodworking when I first picked up a hand-plane, but I was soon inspired by the richness of the craft: the quality of a hand-planed finish, the spirit of craftsmanship, and the nature of material. I was amazed by the wealth of knowledge embodied in craftwork. The tools and materials I encountered spoke to me; I learned to care for them and for my work. How would the things I make endure through time? How would the things I make affect others? In an era where materialism has come to represent a spiritless relationship to the things around us, traditions of craft can teach us how to imbue the human spirit in our work.
After
making
a
harvest
table,
four
chairs,
ninety-four
earthenware
pots,
and
a
lamp,
I
reflect
on
the
act
of
making
as
a
means
of
discovery.
Making
affects
our
thinking
and
our
approach
to
material
and
environment.
Making
can
help
us
develop
a
craftsman’s
capacity
to
listen,
a
great
respect
for
material,
and
a
desire
to
make
better
objects
for
posterity.
Making
is
learning.
The
examining
committee
is
as
follows:
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Friday,
January
10,
2014
10:00
AM
Architecture
Room
2026
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.
Melissa Ng
Of
the
thesis
entitled:
On
Making
Abstract:
Grasping
the
wooden
handle
of
a
dozukime
saw
with
both
hands,
I
make
a
rip-cut
into
a
block
of
eastern
white
pine,
leaving
behind
a
1/64-inch
wide
kerf.
I
am
cutting
a
dovetail:
a
wood
joint
developed
over
five-thousand
years
ago
by
the
hands
of
our
ancestors.
Even
now,
a
well-fitted
dovetail
joint
remains
one
of
the
strongest,
most
elegant
ways
to
join
wood.
I knew nothing about traditional woodworking when I first picked up a hand-plane, but I was soon inspired by the richness of the craft: the quality of a hand-planed finish, the spirit of craftsmanship, and the nature of material. I was amazed by the wealth of knowledge embodied in craftwork. The tools and materials I encountered spoke to me; I learned to care for them and for my work. How would the things I make endure through time? How would the things I make affect others? In an era where materialism has come to represent a spiritless relationship to the things around us, traditions of craft can teach us how to imbue the human spirit in our work.
After
making
a
harvest
table,
four
chairs,
ninety-four
earthenware
pots,
and
a
lamp,
I
reflect
on
the
act
of
making
as
a
means
of
discovery.
Making
affects
our
thinking
and
our
approach
to
material
and
environment.
Making
can
help
us
develop
a
craftsman’s
capacity
to
listen,
a
great
respect
for
material,
and
a
desire
to
make
better
objects
for
posterity.
Making
is
learning.
The
examining
committee
is
as
follows:
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Friday,
January
10,
2014
10:00
AM
Architecture
Room
2026
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.
Melissa Ng
Of
the
thesis
entitled:
On
Making
Abstract:
Grasping
the
wooden
handle
of
a
dozukime
saw
with
both
hands,
I
make
a
rip-cut
into
a
block
of
eastern
white
pine,
leaving
behind
a
1/64-inch
wide
kerf.
I
am
cutting
a
dovetail:
a
wood
joint
developed
over
five-thousand
years
ago
by
the
hands
of
our
ancestors.
Even
now,
a
well-fitted
dovetail
joint
remains
one
of
the
strongest,
most
elegant
ways
to
join
wood.
I knew nothing about traditional woodworking when I first picked up a hand-plane, but I was soon inspired by the richness of the craft: the quality of a hand-planed finish, the spirit of craftsmanship, and the nature of material. I was amazed by the wealth of knowledge embodied in craftwork. The tools and materials I encountered spoke to me; I learned to care for them and for my work. How would the things I make endure through time? How would the things I make affect others? In an era where materialism has come to represent a spiritless relationship to the things around us, traditions of craft can teach us how to imbue the human spirit in our work.
After
making
a
harvest
table,
four
chairs,
ninety-four
earthenware
pots,
and
a
lamp,
I
reflect
on
the
act
of
making
as
a
means
of
discovery.
Making
affects
our
thinking
and
our
approach
to
material
and
environment.
Making
can
help
us
develop
a
craftsman’s
capacity
to
listen,
a
great
respect
for
material,
and
a
desire
to
make
better
objects
for
posterity.
Making
is
learning.
The
examining
committee
is
as
follows:
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Friday,
January
10,
2014
10:00
AM
Architecture
Room
2026
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.
Melissa Ng
Of
the
thesis
entitled:
On
Making
Abstract:
Grasping
the
wooden
handle
of
a
dozukime
saw
with
both
hands,
I
make
a
rip-cut
into
a
block
of
eastern
white
pine,
leaving
behind
a
1/64-inch
wide
kerf.
I
am
cutting
a
dovetail:
a
wood
joint
developed
over
five-thousand
years
ago
by
the
hands
of
our
ancestors.
Even
now,
a
well-fitted
dovetail
joint
remains
one
of
the
strongest,
most
elegant
ways
to
join
wood.
I knew nothing about traditional woodworking when I first picked up a hand-plane, but I was soon inspired by the richness of the craft: the quality of a hand-planed finish, the spirit of craftsmanship, and the nature of material. I was amazed by the wealth of knowledge embodied in craftwork. The tools and materials I encountered spoke to me; I learned to care for them and for my work. How would the things I make endure through time? How would the things I make affect others? In an era where materialism has come to represent a spiritless relationship to the things around us, traditions of craft can teach us how to imbue the human spirit in our work.
After
making
a
harvest
table,
four
chairs,
ninety-four
earthenware
pots,
and
a
lamp,
I
reflect
on
the
act
of
making
as
a
means
of
discovery.
Making
affects
our
thinking
and
our
approach
to
material
and
environment.
Making
can
help
us
develop
a
craftsman’s
capacity
to
listen,
a
great
respect
for
material,
and
a
desire
to
make
better
objects
for
posterity.
Making
is
learning.
The
examining
committee
is
as
follows:
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Friday,
January
10,
2014
10:00
AM
Architecture
Room
2026
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.
Melissa Ng
Of
the
thesis
entitled:
On
Making
Abstract:
Grasping
the
wooden
handle
of
a
dozukime
saw
with
both
hands,
I
make
a
rip-cut
into
a
block
of
eastern
white
pine,
leaving
behind
a
1/64-inch
wide
kerf.
I
am
cutting
a
dovetail:
a
wood
joint
developed
over
five-thousand
years
ago
by
the
hands
of
our
ancestors.
Even
now,
a
well-fitted
dovetail
joint
remains
one
of
the
strongest,
most
elegant
ways
to
join
wood.
I knew nothing about traditional woodworking when I first picked up a hand-plane, but I was soon inspired by the richness of the craft: the quality of a hand-planed finish, the spirit of craftsmanship, and the nature of material. I was amazed by the wealth of knowledge embodied in craftwork. The tools and materials I encountered spoke to me; I learned to care for them and for my work. How would the things I make endure through time? How would the things I make affect others? In an era where materialism has come to represent a spiritless relationship to the things around us, traditions of craft can teach us how to imbue the human spirit in our work.
After
making
a
harvest
table,
four
chairs,
ninety-four
earthenware
pots,
and
a
lamp,
I
reflect
on
the
act
of
making
as
a
means
of
discovery.
Making
affects
our
thinking
and
our
approach
to
material
and
environment.
Making
can
help
us
develop
a
craftsman’s
capacity
to
listen,
a
great
respect
for
material,
and
a
desire
to
make
better
objects
for
posterity.
Making
is
learning.
The
examining
committee
is
as
follows:
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Friday,
January
10,
2014
10:00
AM
Architecture
Room
2026
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.
Melissa Ng
Of
the
thesis
entitled:
On
Making
Abstract:
Grasping
the
wooden
handle
of
a
dozukime
saw
with
both
hands,
I
make
a
rip-cut
into
a
block
of
eastern
white
pine,
leaving
behind
a
1/64-inch
wide
kerf.
I
am
cutting
a
dovetail:
a
wood
joint
developed
over
five-thousand
years
ago
by
the
hands
of
our
ancestors.
Even
now,
a
well-fitted
dovetail
joint
remains
one
of
the
strongest,
most
elegant
ways
to
join
wood.
I knew nothing about traditional woodworking when I first picked up a hand-plane, but I was soon inspired by the richness of the craft: the quality of a hand-planed finish, the spirit of craftsmanship, and the nature of material. I was amazed by the wealth of knowledge embodied in craftwork. The tools and materials I encountered spoke to me; I learned to care for them and for my work. How would the things I make endure through time? How would the things I make affect others? In an era where materialism has come to represent a spiritless relationship to the things around us, traditions of craft can teach us how to imbue the human spirit in our work.
After
making
a
harvest
table,
four
chairs,
ninety-four
earthenware
pots,
and
a
lamp,
I
reflect
on
the
act
of
making
as
a
means
of
discovery.
Making
affects
our
thinking
and
our
approach
to
material
and
environment.
Making
can
help
us
develop
a
craftsman’s
capacity
to
listen,
a
great
respect
for
material,
and
a
desire
to
make
better
objects
for
posterity.
Making
is
learning.
The
examining
committee
is
as
follows:
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Friday,
January
10,
2014
10:00
AM
Architecture
Room
2026
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.
Melissa Ng
Of
the
thesis
entitled:
On
Making
Abstract:
Grasping
the
wooden
handle
of
a
dozukime
saw
with
both
hands,
I
make
a
rip-cut
into
a
block
of
eastern
white
pine,
leaving
behind
a
1/64-inch
wide
kerf.
I
am
cutting
a
dovetail:
a
wood
joint
developed
over
five-thousand
years
ago
by
the
hands
of
our
ancestors.
Even
now,
a
well-fitted
dovetail
joint
remains
one
of
the
strongest,
most
elegant
ways
to
join
wood.
I knew nothing about traditional woodworking when I first picked up a hand-plane, but I was soon inspired by the richness of the craft: the quality of a hand-planed finish, the spirit of craftsmanship, and the nature of material. I was amazed by the wealth of knowledge embodied in craftwork. The tools and materials I encountered spoke to me; I learned to care for them and for my work. How would the things I make endure through time? How would the things I make affect others? In an era where materialism has come to represent a spiritless relationship to the things around us, traditions of craft can teach us how to imbue the human spirit in our work.
After
making
a
harvest
table,
four
chairs,
ninety-four
earthenware
pots,
and
a
lamp,
I
reflect
on
the
act
of
making
as
a
means
of
discovery.
Making
affects
our
thinking
and
our
approach
to
material
and
environment.
Making
can
help
us
develop
a
craftsman’s
capacity
to
listen,
a
great
respect
for
material,
and
a
desire
to
make
better
objects
for
posterity.
Making
is
learning.
The
examining
committee
is
as
follows:
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Friday,
January
10,
2014
10:00
AM
Architecture
Room
2026
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.
Melissa Ng
Of
the
thesis
entitled:
On
Making
Abstract:
Grasping
the
wooden
handle
of
a
dozukime
saw
with
both
hands,
I
make
a
rip-cut
into
a
block
of
eastern
white
pine,
leaving
behind
a
1/64-inch
wide
kerf.
I
am
cutting
a
dovetail:
a
wood
joint
developed
over
five-thousand
years
ago
by
the
hands
of
our
ancestors.
Even
now,
a
well-fitted
dovetail
joint
remains
one
of
the
strongest,
most
elegant
ways
to
join
wood.
I knew nothing about traditional woodworking when I first picked up a hand-plane, but I was soon inspired by the richness of the craft: the quality of a hand-planed finish, the spirit of craftsmanship, and the nature of material. I was amazed by the wealth of knowledge embodied in craftwork. The tools and materials I encountered spoke to me; I learned to care for them and for my work. How would the things I make endure through time? How would the things I make affect others? In an era where materialism has come to represent a spiritless relationship to the things around us, traditions of craft can teach us how to imbue the human spirit in our work.
After
making
a
harvest
table,
four
chairs,
ninety-four
earthenware
pots,
and
a
lamp,
I
reflect
on
the
act
of
making
as
a
means
of
discovery.
Making
affects
our
thinking
and
our
approach
to
material
and
environment.
Making
can
help
us
develop
a
craftsman’s
capacity
to
listen,
a
great
respect
for
material,
and
a
desire
to
make
better
objects
for
posterity.
Making
is
learning.
The
examining
committee
is
as
follows: