Under a Willow Tree: Demonstrating the Use of Creative Writing in Understanding Architecture

Abstract

How might our personal state of mind change how space is perceived? At a very emotionally heightened moment, like when someone is dying, how might two people standing in the same room see it differently? This is a thought experiment that questions our assumptions as designers. What could we design and control? What should we design and control? This thesis dives deep into these ideas by directly examining thoughts, emotions, perceptions through creative writing. I wrote a fictional story following two characters. A grandmother as she grows weaker and eventually dies and her granddaughter caring and grieving for her. I hope to demonstrate the potential in using creative writing as a tool for designing architecture.