Document Type

Thesis, Senior

Degree

B. ARCH

Date

Spring 2019

Keywords

restoration, gaming logic, utopian games, candyland, chute, ladder, las vegas, architecture

Language

English

Disciplines

Architecture

Description/Abstract

"playGround" is a study of the fundamental rules and organizational logics seen in popular board games and an exploration of their potential applications towards the manifestation of utopian ideals of the built. This thesis is interested in the restoration of user freedom in the built environment by reintroducing the concept of "play" as the fundamental principle of design, giving equal agency to all users in utilizing and modifying transitional and extended-use circulation space. Play in this thesis acts as the antithesis to the normative systems of order and regulation from which contemporary architecture is derived.

"playGround" posits that every ground condition holds inherent potential for play and delight in its use, and these qualities, when achieved, lead to a reorganization of social dynamics. Games are seen as tools of projection of architectural possibilities in the built environment. The thesis uses gaming logics, rules, and frameworks to create a design system in which play, fun, delight, and entertainment are prioritized as paramount to formal and spatial development. The intention of "playGround" is the development of a new utopian game world that manifests as a composite of elements of play from multiple games appropriated to the built environment.

Additional Information

Thesis Advisors:

Jonathan Louie

Nicole McIntosh

Greg Corso

Source

Local Input

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

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