Wandering in dwelling

Rebecca L. Wolford

There is much in the architectural literature on the concept of dwelling. This thesis primarily engages with the theories of two key contributors: Christian Norberg-Schulz, and the thinker who most influenced him, Martin Heidegger. It is argued that Norberg-Schulz and Heidegger emphasize dwelling as a stationary reality. While they note dynamic elements within experiences of dwelling, those elements are only implicit, not explicit. This thesis highlights those implicit dynamic elements, and argues that they can be considered under a new term: wandering. By making wandering explicit, this thesis shows that dwelling not only involves "staying at" but also "coming to"; both essential for achieving and sustaining dwelling. Chapter 1 provides critical overviews of Norberg-Schulz and Heidegger's theories. The analysis uncovers a variety of "arrival words" embedded in these extant works. Arrival necessitates pre-arrival conditions, with respect to time and space. Time and space are experienced physically (empirically) and internally (subjectively). Chapter 1 argues that pre-arrival and arrival do not stand in linear relationship. Instead, they oscillate, and in this oscillation humans experience dwelling. Chapter 2 explores further one aspect of dwelling: the process of learning. Bookish learning is merely one type of learning that leads to understanding places to dwell. But all learning takes time and occurs in space. The learning process involves a certain kind of pre-arrival/arrival dynamic common to all humans. It is argued that dwelling comes out of this circulatory process of learning, secondary to the oscillation of wandering and staying. In this dynamic, a space - mental or physical--is transformed into a place to dwell. Chapter 3 argues that technology threatens the achievement of dwelling. This is because technology very quickly exceeds its use as a tool for dwelling and becomes a power that negates. When we can have anything instantly, pre-arrival, arrival, and the experience of dwelling are all negated. Chapter 3 concludes with an overall summary of the argument for wandering, and suggests ways this new addition to the concept of dwelling influences current concerns in design: including the legitimacy of New Urbanism, the phenomenon of instant world cities (e.g., Dubai), and virtual reality.

Wandering in dwelling

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