Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space by Zachary Gaudet

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding folding Liminal Space Zachary K. Gaudet

“Queer not as being about who you’re having sex with, but queer as being about the self that is at odds with everything around it and has to invent and create and find a place to speak and to thrive and to live.” -bell hooks

Figure 0.1 Unfolded perspective of the entrance to the proposed intervention (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

QUEER TECTONICS

Unfolding Liminal Space

Abstract Queer tectonics explores queerness as a framework for design, embodied with the apparent uncertainty and transitory nature of liminality, continually destructuring limitations and resisting duality. Queerness refers to the self who is at odds with everything around it, and has to invent space unrestricted by the societal duality that marginalizes them. Liberating normative tectonics mandates the reassembly of meaning from the ruined fragments of the past in which architecture can be entirely familiar, yet strangely new. Expanding liminal space, unfolding surfaces, and finding opportunity for healing within the fragments of the past are means to redefine an obsolete framework for design. The limitations to queering architecture are only bound by the repository of obsolete structures in our built environment—of which there is a surplus. This thesis explores the application of queer tectonics on a building situated at the intersection of Huntington Ave. and Parker St. in Boston, MA. The building’s previous life as an Irish Pub frequented by university students since the 1970’s references a historically dominant white cis-gender male social scene. Queer tectonics provides the framework for a more fluid and inclusive social atmosphere where the self who was once at odds with their surroundings can thrive and express their most authentic self.

Acknowledgments To my professors: Anne-Catrin Schultz, Ann Borst, Chala Hadimi. Your guidance and support allowed me to explore and learn more about myself than I could have expected through this work and I will forever be grateful for that. To Malcolm Rio, for advising me on how to unlearn my normative design habits and embrace queerness as a part of architecture. To my family: Mum and Dad, your constant acceptance, love and support has propelled me to create things beyond what I ever thought I would be capable of. It is because of you that I have embraced who I am in the work I do. To Gustavo, who has been by my side throughout this stressful year and inspires me where I least expected it. To the Wentworth faculty who I owe my unyielding passion for architecture to - Antonio Furgiuele and Mark Pasnik - thank you for opening my eyes to the ceaseless potentials of architecture.

Contents Introduction

Thesis Statement / Argument

Author's Bias

Theoretical Framework

Queer Space

In-Between Space

Spatial Metaphor

The Perceptual Whole

Unfolding Space in Photography

Détournement as Queer Inflection

Conclusion

Design Testing

Precedent Analysis

Preliminary Tests

Site Documentation

Primary Tests

Design Outcomes

Queering a Normative Structure

Analytique

Critical Reflection Image Credits

93 101

Introduction

Figure 1.1 Barrio Gaudí. By Ricardo Bofill – Taller de Arquitectura in 1968. Reus, Tarragona, Spain. "The project is composed of spatial cells which facilitate one’s orientation. Orientation presupposes that the individual possesses an understanding of the spatial structure of the surroundings. The spatial organization of the Barrio Gaudí satisfies the demand for order as well as the need for discovery." Image by RBTA.

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Thesis Statement: Queer tectonics explores queerness as a framework for design, embodied with the apparent uncertainty and transitory nature of liminality, continually destructuring limitations and resisting duality. Liberating normative tectonics mandates the reassembly of meaning from the ruined fragments of the past in which architecture can be entirely familiar, yet strangely new. The queering of a normative structure is meant to challenge one's perception about queerness and encourage introspection towards their own identity; specifically, for the purpose of being exposed to a more fluid way of occupying space. The unified theme throughout queer spaces is that they were not conceived to be used by queer people, but were instead appropriated and repurposed spaces. Queer space is the process of occupying a territory and claiming it as your own. It is a way of existing between binary oppositions—to find space on the periphery or the intersection and behave differently. How can space then be constructed or coded to possess such ephemeral qualities recognized only by a select few who identify themselves as "other" or queer? Perhaps the answer lies in the radical reconstruction of the "difficult whole" or an appropriation of spatial metaphors, such as the closet. Regardless of its physical manifestation, its construction should be poetic and underlying meaning: layered. Queer space is a perception, it is a sense—a feeling that can only be felt by those who understand what it means to occupy the margins of normative space—in a constant state of both disclosure and concealment. Queer tectonics attempts to bridge the exclusive environments of stereotypical queer space and its assumed counterpart, normative space. The contrast between these two entities appears to be a dichotomy, yet it is harmful to form such polar oppositions. As people are complex beings, their occupation of space should be equally so, or simply stated: fluid. Queer tectonics attempts to create fluid space, with emphasis on procession composed of interstitial moments of pause, rest, performance and introspection.

Introduction

Thesis Argument: This thesis attempts to utilize the power of interpretation to develop a new way of perceiving and occupying space. How might one rearticulate liminal space to reorient an individual's perception and become more aware of the potential for a fluid occupation of the inbetween (otherwise referred to as queer space)? To begin breaking down this question, it is important to understand where it comes from. My perception has changed significantly over the last decade of my life, as I learned to accept my own queerness in a society that was unsuccessful in providing space for me to feel at ease with myself. Queer space is in a sense a space to explore one's identity where normative space falls short. The discomfort I experienced when coming out during my formative years propels me to explore how architecture can ease tension and remove expectation for queer youth trying to grapple with the reality of their sexual orientation. Due to the intrinsic nature of liminal space, being a space of transition and oftentimes discomfort, it seems a potent opportunity to create a connection with queer identity with much of the same qualities. Liminality refers to a state of being that is literally in-between what the accepted norm in society is—also known as binary opposition (or the identification of things under one of two categories). Liminal space can materialize as physical or mental space. Physical liminal space is a type of in-between space that is often the site of circulation such as a hallway that bridges two dissimilar spaces. Queerness refers to anything that is different, strange or odd. In the case of queer sexual orientation, it refers to anyone who identifies within the LGBTQ+ spectrum. The word itself has a history of varying connotations, each definition with a drastically different user group who defined it. In the terms of this thesis, queerness is used as a perceptual framework to redefine space, instead of current sexuality and gendered connotations. Simply creating the connection between liminality and queerness is not enough, this thesis literally expands liminal space, and thus queer identity, to be more than what it is currently assumed to be. Liminal space can begin to unfold and is injected with interstitial moments that cater to different levels of social interactions. The tectonics of these spaces are layered, seemingly unpredictable, and often independent of each other. Walls, ramps, stalls, and other conventional architectural elements are hijacked and reoriented. While these elements are in a sense queered, they are not to be confused with the assumed definition

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 1.2 Casa Gilardi. by Luis Barragán in 1976. Image by Flavio Coddou Photography. http:// www.flaviocoddou.com/ portfolios/casa-gilardi/

of queerness, that is, sexual orientation. The elements are different from before, serving a different purpose and are releaved of their assumed function. Normative refers to what society assumes to be acceptable. Normative perception is a way to perceive queerness as a space of abjection or otherness. Normative definition produced a negative connotation for the term because it rejected normative principles. In most cases, the normative is a construct developed by an authoritative power, and creating a strict way of living that disapproves of differentiation. The different qualities of the space that is developed in this thesis intends to reorient perception. Perception is the ability to become aware through the senses. Becoming aware of the space one is in helps develop the ability to become introspective and question established norms that one may have been accustomed to.

Introduction

One way in which perception has been used to reorient individuals was through détournement. A term coined by the French Situationists of the 1950’s and 1960’s, referring to the reappropriation of something for the purpose of giving it new meaning. The Situationists often used it to create new ways of looking at maps, removing unnecessary context and projecting it through seemingly random and individual experiences. While discussed in the theoretical framework in the following chapter, détournement is more frequently substituted with queerness in the following chapters due to their similarities. This way of viewing things differently is not something that is taught at the primary or secondary level of education as frequently as it should be. Born and raised in Lowell, Massachusetts, I attended a private

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 1.3 Field of Vision, Modern (Gay) Art Gallery. Image by The Queer Architect, Herbert Bayer and Stephan Quickmann. 1930. Werkbund Exhibition, Paris.

Figure 1.4 Sanctuary. Image by QSpace. 2016. "An investigation on what is safe space in the context of queer homeless youth." http://qspacearch.com/ sanctuary

Greek Orthodox school in the center of the city that espoused religious beliefs I often did not relate to. Furthermore, upon retrospect, my formative years occurred in the safety of this environment, surrounded by a supportive yet highly religious community that assumed its principles should always be complied with. While certainly privileged to have been brought up in this context, individuality was suppressed through strict behavioral expectations, dress code, and religious belief. It was not until I began high school that I began to realize I did not

Introduction

fit into the context I was accustomed to and the spaces provided did not allow me an allowance to explore my own identity. My formative years created walls around my true identity that I had to overcome on my own. It encourages me now to think deeper about the potential for intersection among design and identity. My bias therefore leans towards alternative ways of thinking, and looks for reasons to reject convention within reason. I have attempted within my theoretical framework to open up the topic of queer space to be occupied by more than different gender identities specifically, and expand it into anyone who defines themselves as different in general from what is believed to be a normative way of living. The intended audience refers to two user groups: first are those who identify themselves as queer, or do not prescribe to binary gender

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 1.5 Concept Map establishing connections between the topics discussed in the literature review. Green: Primary, Blue: Secondary, Grey: Tertiary (Zachary Gaudet CC BY).

identities, and second are those who have difficulties understanding that they do not have to be bound by the identity they were assigned by external pressures. The purpose of queer space is to allow for identity to become fluid yet clear, and yet perceived only so in a good-natured manner. It is imperative to address the increasing polarity between those who are comfortable in normative society and those who are not or simply not accounted for. To blur the division that separates our way of being and understanding, would be a step towards a more socially equitable society. The structure of the book is as such: the theoretical framework, design research, outcomes of design research and the critical reflection. The theoretical framework discusses how the above mentioned key terms have accumulated in a historical and conceptual context, as well as how each of them relate to the topic of queer space. Figure 1.5 establishes the connections between each topic that is covered in the following chapter. The most important terms are spatial perception and queer space, with each sub-term terminating within them. Furthermore, the design research conducted over the course of the thesis refers to more specific realms laid out in the structure of the concept map in—those being the difficult whole, inflection, and liminal space. Each of these categories are the more concrete architectural concepts that drive the design of the thesis and are informed by the more conceptual categories such as the different ways of perceiving space. I also explore multidisciplinary perception in the design tests as a method to create an abstracted space through photography or renderings. The design tests culminated into the design outcomes that were tested on a case study located in Boston, MA.

Introduction

Theotetical Theoretical Framework

Figure 2.1 View of a nightclub in Moscow. Image by Alexander Popov. 2021. https://unsplash.com/photos/exboerLBhxc

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Queer Space: It is at the intersection of binary oppositions such as gay or straight, that one finds themselves in queer space, whether it is mentally by attempting to assert one’s identity by “coming out of the closet,” or literally, through rainbow adorned rooms, co-opted in the late 70’s as a symbol of gay pride.1 After being in spaces informed by their occupation of queer people—I have always been curious, if not concerned when confronted with my own identity in light of another's who is aligned opposite mine within the binary structure of heteronormative society. I find myself wanting to understand the implications of being gay beyond one’s sexual preference—such as if queer perception can be used to inform the construction of space in order to create a perceptual entity to the binary who often disassociated from it. Queer space is the process of occupying normative territory and claiming it as your own.2 It is a way of existing between binary oppositions, finding space on the periphery or the intersection and behaving differently. It is few and far between where spatiality is able to evoke queerness on its own—in the sense that it does not rely on queerness to activate it. And even then it is a subjective perception grounded in an individual’s mental space. Creators of these spaces are more so—and most often unknowingly— creators of a particular sensation, capable of constructing an inclusive space acceptable and valued not only by queer users but by the binary as well. Over the last decade or so, society has seen a shift in support for the opposition of binary and heteronormative positions. Whether or not the physical manifestation of an inherently queer space is possible, its evocation is the result of a composition of architectural elements that either lend themselves to user appropriation or trigger an awareness of oneself within a space. In this regard, spaces known for their layered meaning—such as the Querini Stampalia in Venice by Carlo Scarpa—suggest a determinant factor in the ability to encourage spatial awareness.

Jacob Shamsian, “How the rainbow became the symbol of LGBT pride,” Insider, 2018, https://www.insider.com/why-rainbow-lgbt-gay-pride-2017-6

Evan Pavka, “What Do We Mean By Queer Space?,” in Azure Magazine, 2020, https://www.azuremagazine.com/article/what-do-we-mean-by-queer-space/

Theoretical Framework

A queer perception is to apprehend space differently, as in “The Art of Détournement” which Guy Debord, a key Situationist of the 1950’s, uses as a term to “reroute, hijack, or deflect” within the arts and the making of political propaganda.3 “It is thus necessary to envisage a parodic-serious stage where the accumulation of détourned elements will express our indifference toward a meaningless and forgotten original, and concern itself with rendering a certain sublimity.” The difficult task for the reader is to unburden yourself of previous misconceptions that queerness’ abject history has led you to and embrace a new way of reading space. Queer space is a perception, a sense, a feeling that can only be experienced by those who understand what it means to occupy the margins of normative space—in a constant state of both disclosure and concealment. A certain ambiguity should be included in the construction of these spaces to allow for this variation of perceptions.

Existing publications on queer space examine the assumed areas of interest including spatial metaphors such as the closet (inextricably 3

Guy Debord, "The Society of the Spectacle," (Detroit, Michigan: Black & Red, 1967), 180-211.

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 2.2 View of the porch in the Querini Stampalia restored by Carlo Scarpa in 1963. Image by Foundazione Querini Stampalia.

linked to gay identity) and the water closet (with transsexual identity). In this essay, I will ally queer studies with more general spatial practices and ideas of inflection in architecture, as per Robert Venturi’s seminal text, Complexity and Contradiction. However, even inflection is unable to be an objective element within an architecture, as it becomes visible in the photographic collaging of space in the work of photographers David Hilliard and David Hockney. Interpretive perception is inherently multidisciplinary, calling forth inspirational aid from not only architects, but from the arts and humanities. It is due to the lack of explicitly queer tactics within the architecture profession, that other disciplines are more aptly justifiable to express this new form of architectural reading.

In-Between Space To distill and redefine the existence of queer space, one must first understand what it means to exist within the margins of society in the realm known as the In-Between. Elizabeth Grosz, an Australian philosopher and feminist theorist, writes about the in-between space, stating that it “lacks fundamental identity, form, givenness, and nature, yet facilitates and allows into being, all identities and substance.”4 The in-between is not a literal space, although it can exist in that way through the form of a threshold between two dissimilar spaces—such as a corridor. Grosz instead describes a space that people may find themselves in when they are not able to neatly fit within the confines of a heteronormative binary. An example of this are non-conforming gender identities—those who do not ascribe to the predefined male or female. The instant people veer off the path of the acceptable norm; they are projected into this in-between space. Although it seems separate, the in-between is quite fluid, and the occupation of this space is equally so. Identity is not a fixed construct and can eb and flow based on a variety of outside forces, propelling you outside of existing binaries and into less-definable spaces and vice-versa. Unity is dismissed in light of social, cultural, and natural transformations in the space around identity, between identity—where openness and futurity can be achieved.5 As one breaks down and reconstructs identity, they move from an ambiguous state into a 4

Elizabeth Grosz, "Architecture from the Outside," (Cambridge: The MIT Press,

Elizabeth Grosz, "Architecture from the Outside," 91

2001), 91.

Theoretical Framework

Gender essentialism

Binary view of gender

Gender Stereotype Gender

Prejudice against

Identification

non-binary people

Figure 2.3 Indirect effect

more definable space of being. A wide variety of gender identities are available to those previously unresolved. They have thus formed their own associated groups around identity; placement is more suited to a spectrum or range, rather than previously restrictive binary models of being. This formation of shared identity is the purpose of the inbetween: it is the area where the undefined becomes defined, and

of gender identification on prejudice against nonbinary people. Diagram adapted from Defending the Sex/Gender Binary: The

where differences are embraced.

Role of Gender Identification

Before one creates an identity in opposition to normativity, it must first be found within a space of supposed uncertainty. The common place misconception about queer people is that they exist in a state of uncertainty until they do not (until they come out of the closet). While you would be right about this to some extent, queer people are subject to a perpetual state of uncertainty, in a constant state of disclosure and concealment, since gay identity is neither hidden or displayed.6 With a growing acceptance of homosexuality in Western culture, it is less clear if the space of uncertainty will remain a prerequisite to the space of being or the space of identity creation. An unlikely scenario could be the emancipation of uncertainty all together, and a welcoming of fluid identity transformations and a shared comfort in existing outside of a heteronormative binary.

by Morgenroth, Thekla,

and Need for Closure. Image

Existing in a space of uncertainty includes far more than one's sexual preference or gender identity, encompassing ideas of race, ethnicity, politics, etc. Although this research remains anchored in queer and gender theory, it can be applied more broadly and then narrowed into a

Henry Urbach, “Closets, Clothes, & disClosure,” in assemblage no. 30, (Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1996), 63.

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Sendén, M. Gustafsson and Lindqvist, A. Sage Journals. 2020.

specific preferential topic area such as the ones mentioned above. It is interesting—and I would argue productive—to consider how spaces of uncertainty, whether they are relegated to queerness or not, are created, and by whom. Societal binary structures are the product of authoritative figures and assigned to those deemed subservient or incapable of establishing rule. Even within a democratic system of governance, binary rule remains a constant standard of being within Western societies.7 In this sense, in-between space exist in a constant state of normative definition cast down by the authoritative power. The space where the strict rule of binaries defines one's state of being can be referred to as normative space. In Western society, normativity is a homogeneous standard of being, especially behavioral. It is increasingly being put into question by groups whose differences are structurally unspoken for. The greatest example of this is the well-established norm of male over female dominance, whose dualism also reduces those existing in the inbetween to “other.” In this definition, man is used to define what is, while woman is recognized only as a term to define what is not.8 In this case perception is constructed around a male dominant sphere whose overtly expressive masculinity informs the existence of women and, less obviously, the “other.” In a very primal manner, men are accustomed to creating binary oppositions to which society ascribes to in accordance with a gendered and ethnocentric power dynamic.

The 1970’s to the 1990’s saw an increase in resistance to this restrictive normative model through feminist critique pioneered by architects, artists and historians like Jennifer Bloomer, Liz Diller, Barbara Kruger, Karen Burns, Lori Brown and others.9 In challenging convention, feminism driven by interdisciplinary practice extended critical theories—or forms of knowledge which are reflective and speculative rather than objective in the design process—to their work 7

Thekla Morgenroth, “Defending the Sex/Gender Binary: The Role of Gender Identification and Need for Closure,” in Social Psychological and Personal Science, 2020, 735.

Elizabeth Grosz, "Architecture from the Outside," 94

Jane Rendell, “Only resist: a feminist to critical spatial practice,” in The Architectural Review, 2018.

Theoretical Framework

as a way to discover new ways of thinking about space.10

Figure 2.4 Idleness

Self-reflectivity and criticality in design aim to transform the existing rather than simply describe the often unnoticed discontinuity around equity between architecture and other disciplines. Jane Rendell describes how feminist modes of critical spatial practice are predominantly informed by specific modes of operation listed as: collectivity, subjectivity, alterity, performativity and materiality—each of which equally pertain to the overall narrative of constructing a queer spatial perception.

Labouritory is a performance-based research initiative founded by Julieanna Preston and Mick Douglas. 2015. Image by Julieanna Preston.

The strides made in feminist spatial studies are in effect attempting to disassociate from the binary oppositions of gendered space and mobilize Derridean deconstruction philosophy in architecture to allow for more accepting spaces. Such a philosophical approach contributed to, by French philosopher Jacques Derrida, works to understand the multitude of presuppositions and prejudices in Western culture and question fundamental conceptual distinctions, or oppositions through language and logic.11 He argues that the whole philosophical tradition rests on arbitrary dichotomous categories. The other, as categorized in normative space, therefore has no obligation to maintain any sort of hierarchical relationship with its presupposed counterpart or oppressor. 10

Jane Rendell, “Only resist: a feminist to critical spatial practice”

Leonard Lawlor, “Jacques Derrida,” in The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, (New York: Metaphysical Research Lab, Stanford University, 2021).

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Much like the closet in queer studies, the interior and the domestic has been the most thoroughly explored spaces subordinate to the public sphere within feminist critique. One such example is the work of Julieanna Preston, whose work as an architect-artist engages with the interior through sculptural work. Feminist modes of critical spatial practice as explained by Rendell are instrumental to the foundation and development of constructing queer space. Although architecture is already influenced by the psychoanalysis of how people occupy space, feminists in design work to uncover the degree to which understandings of subjectivity informs the position such an analysis is constructed in. The “other” as defined in normative space, is burdened with a history of abjection. A trend with queerness is that its meaning is subject to multiple interpretations. However, being synonymous to spaces of being and fluid exploration, queer space is a subjective interpretation in itself. Not only does its meaning fluctuate dramatically depending on who is granted authorship of the word, but its history reveals a deeply layered and conflicted past. Being different in any regard has historically been met with contention and often rejection, making it difficult to exist in a society that favors homogeneity. Normative spaces have long been the site of violence and erasure towards communities that exist outside of the norm, leaving them in a state of oppression. To overcome these hardships, queer space was created as an act of liberation to live freely and push the boundaries of what is considered acceptable. These spaces took the form of nightlife architecture—be it nightclubs or cruising bars. Although, as much as these places provided room for marginalized communities, they were still fraught with their own anti-Black, and anti-trans politics during much of the 1960’s to 1990’s.12 As spaces disregarded by normative society, the narratives behind them have gone unpreserved and lost to time; thus leading to “their architects, communities, contexts, and contributions to the built environment to be withdrawn from histories of architecture.”13 Literal queer space is therefore less capable of being defined beyond spaces reappropriated for queer occupation.

Evan Pavka, “What Do We Mean By Queer Space?”

Theoretical Framework

Spatial Metaphor In addition to the literal, queerness must concern itself with the metaphorical in order to be understood and translated as a series of spatial tactics. As mentioned earlier, “coming out of the closet” is the transition from a space of uncertainty into a space of being. The association of the closet with gay identity is no coincidence, as its practical use aligns with many aspects of queerness. The closet occupies the curiously defined area of a room in which it is neither separate, nor connected, creating a moment of interior exclusion. Such a space is used to conceal clothes, clutter, and other items unfit to be seen in the room it is adjacent to since a closet offers no function on its own. Similar to gay identity, the closet conceals what is deemed to be messy, but it can never hide and it rarely displays itself. As described by Henry Urbach, the closet is able to fold and unfold overtime, constantly revealing and concealing itself. A closet, whose use lies in its ability to be visible and invisible simultaneously, is similar to queerness which is expressed or repressed depending on the situation. Urbach states that: “The sustenance of gay identity (where straight identity is presumed) depends on continuous acts of deceleration… the closet helps heterosexuality to present itself with authority. Holding things at the edge of the room, at once concealing and revealing its interior the closet becomes a carrier of abjection… thus homosexual identity becomes linked to promiscuity and degeneracy while heterosexuality identifies with procreation, fidelity, and true love.”14 Unlike literal queer space whose volatile nature as per normative standards is defined based on its predisposition of queer occupation, metaphorical queer space is created based on association for the purpose of censorship of queer identity. These two definitions of queer space restricted how one operates within society, creating social tension and in many cases dangerous situations for queer people. As stated earlier, queerness is a perception and lends itself to both positive and, in this case, negative interpretations. Overtime, even metaphors can be repositioned with a more positive connotation. Redefining queer metaphors has the potential to add richness to 14

Henry Urbach, “Closets, Clothes, & disClosure,” 65

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

previously abject spaces of concealment into spaces of emancipation. One can reinterpret these spaces after critically analyzing the Potentials of the In-Between. derogatory meaning embedded in them and allowing those meanings Mackenzie Victoria Mclean. to evolve. One such example is the ante-closet, or the space just before the closet, often denoted in plan by a dashed-line representing a 2021. Inspired by Henry door swing, as the space of changing.15 The space literally changes as Urbach’s text, ‘Closets, you open and close the closet, but it also offers a moment of transition Clothes, Disclosure,’ defining between the clothes we wear to express our identities. “It is the moment the space before the closet; where self and other become entangled in a state of making and a space for changing - an unmaking of identity and space.”16 The ante-closet asserts itself against effect of reappropriations the violence of fixed identities by allowing spaces to be in a constant and resignifications without state of transition—folding, unfolding, and folding again. Figure 2.5 “The Ante-

Closet,” Queer(ing) Space:

end.

In addition to metaphorical and literal spaces of abjection, gay people have learned to re-articulate homophobic rhetoric discarding it of its once offensive meaning. This re-articulation can be perceived as a third way of apprehending queer space, although it requires a specific criticality. This third method is détournement, which translated from French means deflection, distortion, or hijacking.17 Détournement in the case of the ante-closet transforms the space between the closet and the room, as an opportunity for intervention and layered meaning. The source of complexity within such an intervention lies in the quality of inflected elements whose meaning composes what Robert Venturi called “The Difficult Whole.” 15

Henry Urbach, “Closets, Clothes, & disClosure,” 72

Henry Urbach, “Closets, Clothes, & disClosure,” 71

Guy Debord and Gil Wolman. "A User’s Guide to Détournement," in the Bureau of Public Secrets, 1956.

Theoretical Framework

The Perceptual Whole

Figure 2.6 View of the

The difficult whole challenges the extent to which someone can interpret a space based on the degree of inflection between compositional elements. Venturi defines inflection as a directional element which distinguishes diverse parts while implying continuity.18 These parts can exist as fragments—or wholes in themselves— although when conversed with one another, begin to inform a perceptual whole. Importantly, inflection can happen between different scales adding to the complexity they provide to the whole. The reason Venturi’s notion of inflection in architecture is pertinent to defining what makes a queer space perceptible is the nature in which one perceives inflected parts. Venturi writes about the difficult whole with the intent to observe and define specific elements of architecture that compose objective spatial qualities; the complexity his definition presents, offers multiple subjective interpretations. One such interpretation can be observed at Casa Barragán in Mexico City through Aaron Betsky, whose own experiences lead him to read the space design by Luis Barragán as presenting a “profound queerness” despite its lack of queer occupation

Robert Venturi, “The Difficult Whole,” in Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture, (New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1966), 88.

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

workshop in Casa Barragán. The wood ceiling slates upwards towards the eastern facing window which illuminates the space in a white light. The view frames the neighboring treetops rather than the street scape at eye-level. Figure 2.7 View of the vestibule. The double height space is accentuated by a pink wall to the right and a long horizontal window which creates a visual connection with the terraza.

or intent to be perceived as so.19 Betsky interpreted spatial elements that Venturi would simply call inflection, as moments of sensuality through the interplay of light and shadow and color and depth. In addition, Betsky is correct in referring to Casa Barragán as a difficult whole, considering its lack of a dominant grid or axis tying it together (what Venturi would refer to as the dominant binder), and focus on interior moments rather than grand gestures or exterior treatments. What the building lacks in outward appearance, monumentality, and interest within plan, it makes up for when analyzed at the scale of its individual parts—room by room—which act as anchors within Betsky’s experience of the space. We ourselves are complex individuals, sensuous and confused, yet real and share our experiences in a world that is equally difficult.20 We use architecture as a mechanism to construct our identities. Betsky’s reading of Casa Barragán was subject to his own experience, of which alludes to Barragán’s use of inflection as queer, but could also suggest a level of provocation to Barragán’s design intent. Space can be understood as a dialogue between emotion engendered by experience and a reflective practice around both.21 Spatial meaning is realized when one is conscious of the space they are in; it is informed by our experiences as individuals, each with a unique spatial history. The objective of composing queer space is to challenge one’s consciousness when confronted with a familiar or unfamiliar space. The degree of unfamiliarity one senses is an opportunity to reorient or readjust their understanding of space, and in effect, blur the boundaries that exist in normative space in order to contribute to a more fluid and inclusive occupation of the in-between.

Unfolding Space in Photography

Blurring or reconstituting these boundaries has been tested through photographing and collaging spaces by photographer David Hillard and artist David Hockney. Hillard in particular allows his work to be more easily perceived as queer due to the provocative nature of his 19

Aaron Betsky, “No architect today is capable of buildings like Luis Barragán’s,” in

Aaron Betsky, “No architect today is capable of buildings like Luis Barragán’s”

Leon van Schaik, "Spatial Intelligence: New Futures for Architecture," in

dezeen, 2018.

Assemblage, no. 15. (New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2008), 41.

Theoretical Framework

photography. Focusing on the deeply personal, the familiar and the mundane, Hilliard strikes a balance between autobiographical narrative with a touch of fictional romance. His construction of panoramic photographs—be it triptych or diptychs—composed of various single images, acts as a visual language. Focal planes shift, panel by panel, directing the eye of the viewer in a way that could not be achieved through a single image.22 Hilliard captures moments in space and slightly alters the viewer’s perception through methods of inflection that distort the space without modifying it. In addition, Hilliard is able to capitalize on the subjects of his photographs, often portrayed in a state of vulnerability or contemplation, to act as a source of directional inflection onto spatial elements. The benefit of the subject is to show a particular way of occupying the space being portrayed. The subject operates similarly in queer space when they identify as queer themselves. When the subject is removed, the degree to which one can interpret a space increases. This is seen exceptionally well in the composite photographs of David Hockney, who by using a cubist method to reconstruct photographs is able to shift vantage points offering new ways to perceive space. “Hockney depicted reality in a new sharpened way, heightening our perception of the surrounding world.”23 He takes photos sequentially and pastes them together calling them ‘joiners.’ Instead of simply 22

David Hilliard, “about"

Magda Michalska, “David Hockney and The Camera: A Composite Polaroid Reality," in Daily Art Magazine, 2018.

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 2.8 Andreu. 1997. Image by David Hilliard. http://www.davidhilliard. com/1993–2000.html

Figure 2.9 Sunday Morning, Mayflower Hotel, New York, November 28, 1982. Photographic Collage made by David Hockney. https://www.hockney.com/ index.php/works/photos/ photographic-collages

documenting the spaces he photographed, Hockney depicts depth in an attempt to overcome the limits of eye-vision. By showing multiple perspectives of the same focal point that are proportionally equal, Hockney allows the viewer to play a more active role in where they identify moments of intrigue within the collages. Both Hilliard and Hockney’s work provide insight into potentially new methods of constructing and perceiving space.

Détournement as Queer Inflection

When considering new ways of perceiving space, Henry Urbach’s attachment of the prefix “ante-” to the word closet comes to mind. Ante, being short for anterior, meaning in front of, adds a new layer of meaning to a space long removed as a subject in discourse. Is there a way to apply Urbach’s articulation of the ante-closet as a type of re-appropriation and re-signification to other spaces, despite not being binded to a narrative such as queer identity? Perhaps anything can be given new or additional meaning, growing richer through a layering of information, justified as an act of détournement. As stated earlier, détournement is an act of deflecting, distorting, or hijacking an object, phrase, or space. It was historically used as a tactic for political propaganda developed in the 1950s in the art world and adopted by the Situationists thereafter.24 In “A User’s Guide to Détournement,” Guy Debord and Gil Wolman define two categories of détourned elements: 24

Ian Buchanan, “Détournement,” in A Dictionary of Critical Theory, (Oxford Reference, Oxford University Press, 2010).

Theoretical Framework

minor and deceptive détournements. Minor détournements are defined as “the détournement of an element which has no importance in itself and which thus draws all its meaning from the new context in which it has been placed.”25 Similar to inflected elements, minor détourned elements relate to something outside themselves. However, in addition to possessing inflection, détournement redefines what is existing, instead of simply informing, directing, or connecting to existing elements. Having inflection and détournement in concert with each other is the primary condition that needs to be met in order to begin constructing queer space. Second is deceptive détournements, defined as “the détournement of an intrinsically significant element, which derives a different scope from the new context.”26 This category of détournement can be used to describe Scarpa’s adaptive intervention at the Querini Stampalia in Italy. Scarpa created his own method of renovating the building through layering new meaning onto the existing structure with elements that could be read as wholes in themselves while still maintaining cohesion between each component. Debord and Wolman express that “the

Guy Debord and Gil Wolman, "A User’s Guide to Détournement"

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 2.10 The theatre company Punch Drunk unveils their new immersive show, “The Burnt City”. 2021. Image by Julian Abrams. https://www.punchdrunk. com

mutual interference of two worlds of feeling, or the juxtaposition of two independent expressions, supersedes the original elements and produces a synthetic organization of greater efficacy,” in an attempt to motivate the combination of fragmentation which then alter the meaning of those fragments in an appropriate way.27 Deconstructive methods such as détournement are often observed in contemporary expression as unconscious decisions. What Debord and Wolman examine in their writing is not of their own invention, but interpreted through a situationist lens and translated into a systematized definition with categories and laws to be used in the re-articulation of future interventions.

Conclusion Queer space, in theory, cannot be a simple construct as it is burdened by a history steeped in violent connotations that must be spoken for and elaborated on. The take away from this essay is that spatial perception can be used as an informant to constructing literal spaces. In the case for queer space, their are a multitude of interpretations, allowing the potential for a richer meaning derived through the consideration of each one. These meanings range from stigmatized, metaphorical, and literal interpretations—all of which present the possibility of a new way to apprehending queer space called détournement. While not a new concept in itself, the theory of détournement is literally the act of re-appropriating something for the sake of creating additional meaning. Queerness can be used as the perceptual framework for re-appropriating normative space in the same way Urbach redefined the closet as the ante-closet. The strength of creating interpretive space is that it does not have a clearly definable programmatic quality, lending itself to multiple uses. Immersive theatre is an example of how multiple interpretations can be perceived from a singular space. In this sense, queerness is the sum of all the sensations and emotions that are engendered from the composition of architectural elements. Next in my research I plan to explore the urban conditions in which interpretive spaces are most suited within the city of Boston, MA. I would also like to further explore how immersive theatre can be used as a program to reshape existing spaces. 27

Guy Debord and Gil Wolman, "A User’s Guide to Détournement"

Theoretical Framework

Design Testing

Design Criteria The design tests in this chapter are based on the below stated set of criteria. 1) The delamination and delimitation of the existing structure. Separating and intervening between the layers of the facade to produce a new reading of the building and occupation of the site. 2) Freeing the existing structure from its assumed historic value; revoking normative preservation strategies for the purpose of free manipulation. 3) Possessing latent perceptual irregularities, be it structural, aesthetic or spatial deviations that are not apparent upon initial inspection. 4) Ambiguous programming: the use of space is open-ended and unrestricted by an assumed function.

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Intended Outcome of Precedent Analysis I selected precedents to analyze based on the inflection that is apparent between the highly layered spatial elements present within each one. Further, I was interested in manipulating normative spatial perception through scale or unconventional programmatic adjacencies. Lastly, the response to the site conditions, or the lack thereof was also a factor. I intended to take away a new understanding of unprogrammed space and how that can play an integral role in design testing.

Design Testing

Building:

Date:

Architect:

Location:

Casa Barragán Luis Barragán

1948 Mexico City, Mexico

Casa Barragán employs several spatial tactics that engage with our senses to create feelings of belonging and transition. Upon entry into the Hall, we encounter a double height space accented by a bold pink wall—a motif common in Barragán's architecture. A single table—anchored to the wall and therefore an architectural element— establishes the room as a space for one despite its openness. The raw volcanic stone floor extends from the entry into the hall and up the stairs creating a paradoxical sensation of exteriority within the center of the house. A long horizontal window creates a visual connection between the second level terraza and the hall while casting direct light onto the chair. The gold-leaf art piece is an abstraction of an altarpiece meant to enhance the spirituality of the space as you ascend the stairs and doubles as a reflection mechanism for the adjacent window. How can space be capable of evoking both feelings of exclusion as well as belonging through various spatial tactics, materiality, light, and reflection?

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 3.1 Casa Barragán, Cuerámaro, Mexico. By Luis Barragán. Adapted from “AD Classic: Casa Barragan,” (Zachary Gaudet CC BY) accessed 16 November 2021, https://www.archdaily.com/102599/ad-classics-casa-barragan-luisbarragan/5037f5e928ba0d599b0006a2-ad-classics-casa-barragan-luis-barragan-photo?nextproject=no

Design Testing

Building:

Date:

Architect:

Location:

Palazzo Querini Stampalia Carlo Scarpa

1963 Venice, Italy

Scarpa’s attention to detail and authorial style which breaks from classic Venetian yet remains true to Venetian artisan craft allows detailed elements to reflect a whole of total coherency. Each space within the ground floor acts as a verse within the narrative that blurs the distinction between existing and contemporary through the juxtaposition and layering of elements. The floor removes itself from the wall and becomes a bridge, allowing for the water to collect and flow freely below. Scarpa elucidates the fragments of existing buildings by constructing cast concrete walls between the old brick and resituates the old pilaster arches within them. The existing heating unit is housed within an intricately carved istrian stone block. Raised from the ground, it is given sculptural qualities in glass and bronze— blending the historicity of the interventions with the existing building. Scarpa’s craft integrates traditional and modern methods to blend the existing and his own interventions without mimicry. He is not afraid to carve out or remove, and instead adds his own layer to the spaces he creates. If Scarpa’s method behind his layering of elements stems from a functional purpose, is the deeper meaning behind his architecture something that was derived from tectonic relationships?

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 3.2 Palazzo Querini Stampalia. Venice, Italy. By Carlo Scarpa. Adapted from “Fondazione Querini Stampalia,” (Zachary Gaudet CC BY) accessed 16 November 2021, http://www.querinistampalia.org/eng/contemporary/architecture/carloscarpa.php

Design Testing

Building:

Date:

Architect:

Location:

Peninsula House Sean Godsell

2002 Victoria, Australia

The peninsula house establishes its own rhymes and programmatic adjacencies, unafraid to challenge the mundanity of conventional spatial practices. The house is a layering of distinct exo and endo structures, both of which evoke their own spatial qualities, composed of various volumes and qualities of light. The bathroom embeds itself into the endo structure while disclosing its privacy to the light-flooded courtyard adjacent to it. The typically concealed program creates an unapologetic connection with the public courtyard with an operable glass wall, allowing for a constant state of association between the separate spaces. The light that filters through the timber screen ceiling maps the course of the day and the time of the year in the shape and extent of the shadows that are cast. Sean Godsell redefines the spatial qualities of space through visualizing the rituals and behaviors that they will induce.

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 3.3 Peninsula House. Victoria, Australia. By Sean Godsell Architects. Adapted from “Divisare,” (Zachary Gaudet CC BY) accessed 16 November 2021, https://divisare.com/ projects/236084-sean-godsell-architects-earl-carter-peninsula-house

Design Testing

Building:

Date:

Architect:

Location:

The Therme Vals Peter Zumthor

1996 Vals, Switzerland

The Therme Vals are a complete sensory experience for bathers to follow streams of linear light to different pools of water encouraged by the informal layout of the internal space. Several rooms on the upper level and larger adjoining corridors peak into the main circulation space evoking a sense of discovery around every corner. A distant wall washed in light creates suspense as bathers traverse through light and shade, and open and enclosed spaces. The building is a striking alternation between solid and void, composed of multiple fragmented volumes accentuated by a sliver of natural light which penetrates through the seams. Each slightly spaced apart structure and linear array of light make up the whole of both architecture and experience. “The meander is a designed negative space between the blocks, a space that connects everything as it flows throughout the entire building, creating a peacefully pulsating rhythm. Moving around this space means making discoveries. You are walking as if in the woods. Everyone there is looking for a path of their own.”

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 3.4 Therme Vals. Vals, Switzerland. By Peter Zumthor. Adapted from “Peter Zumthor’s Therme Vals Through the Lens of Fernando Guerra,” (Zachary Gaudet CC BY) accessed 16 November 2021, https://www.archdaily.com/798360/peter-zumthors-thermevals-through-the-lens-of-fernando-guerra

Design Testing

Liminal Models These models challenge how one perceives space in accordance with the idea that queerness is a method which contradicts normative perception. Figure 3.6 offers a different way of understanding what is beyond a space through various aperture placements. It does not reflect an intentional exteriority or interiority, and is composed of idiosyncratic moments that offer strange ways of interacting with space. Figure 3.7 offers multiple levels of transparency, of which explore the degree to which one wants to be revealed or concealed. The varied levels of visibility makes certain spaces more desirable than others, depending on the preferred level of privacy. Figure 3.8 not only reflects, but bends space to suggest what is beyond while distorting perception. It intends to draw one in through curiosity.

Liminal Sketches

How might one rearticulate liminal space to reorient an individual's perception and awareness of the potential for fluid and dynamic occupation? These sketches are an analysis of different transitory spaces representing different levels of sustained occupation.

Figure 3.5 A series of suggestive sketches illustrating various types of experiential conditions (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Starting from top left: Figure 3.6, 3.7, and 3.8 Study models exploring different spatial conditions (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Design Testing

Figure 3.9 Study model exploring the scale of Madame Isabelle, emphasizing the contrasting qualities that were experienced in each space (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Queering Perception Figure 3.9-3.14 are a series of studies conducted on Madame Isabelle's Hostel located in the Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans. It is a shared living space amongst the volunteers and visitors, with each individual experiencing different perceptions of the house. The placement of each photo correlates to the actual building, while maintaining an abstract language. Through employing methods of collage at the scale of the figures, or actors, (shown in Figure 3.10) one can reappropriate and apply new meaning to the existing. Such authorial manipulation of space is a way to apply queer theory to spatial practice—by reconstructing an existing perception into a conceptual framework that supports new ways of perceiving and occupying space. The reconstruction of a space necessitates an obligation to both emphasize and reject existing qualities. The qualities that are most apparent—such as the first floor bedrooms, which feel cramped, versus the second floor dining room, which feels spacious yet narrow—are emphasized through the modeling technique employed in Figure 3.10.

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 3.10 Figure collage photographic series of the hostel (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Figure 3.11 A series of collaged images delimiting the boundaries of the hostel (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Design Testing

Figure 3.12 Process Sketch of Layered Model (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Layering the Occupation of Space Layers of acrylic are used to combine the shared experience of each individual that occupied the hostel. Each space expands and contracts based on its level of occupation—be it private or public or in terms of how long one lingers in a space. Figure 3.14, represents a sense of movement between spaces of transition and occupation that are inferred based on the scale and amount of people on a given panel.

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 3.13 Sectional Analysis of the Hostel (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Figure 3.14 Study of the layered occupation within the Hostel (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Design Testing

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Hijacking Normative Space The site of interest is an existing building in the Fenway neighborhood in Boston, MA (of which is expanded upon on page 50). At the corner of a busy intersection and confronted by a variety of contextual conditions such as several academic institutions and the Museum of Fine Arts, the site offers a distinct existing language to begin a dialogue with. The conceptual design of the space supports the direct interaction of passer-byers through a series of thresholds and apertures meant to distort or reorient ones perception of the space. The language of the previous study models from the New Orleans case study was adapted to the site to emphasis the new interactions among people.

Figure 3.15 Artifact model studying

Figure 3.16 Abstract Axonometric of

layered occupation of space (Zachary

the Proposed Site (Zachary Gaudet

Gaudet CC BY)

CC BY)

Design Testing

Figure 3.17 An analysis of the inflection in Hilliard's photography. Through diptychs and triptychs, Hilliard is able to compose unfolded perspectives of space (Zachary Gaudet CC BY) adapted from David Hilliard, accessed January, 2022. (Top left down: Kevin, No More Tears, Tale is True, Ivory) (Top right down: Bluebird, Dad, Aftertaste of Ritual, Mary Remembering, Three). (Bottom row: implementing Hilliard's technique on the proposed site).

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Design Testing

Figure 3.18 Site plan showing the intersection of the Fenway, Mission Hill, and Roxbury neighborhoods (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

The proposed site is located at the intersection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Northeastern University, Wentworth Institute of Technology and the greater Fenway neighborhood. The highly active intersection reinforces the transitory nature of the area, as the proposed site is underutilized while being in a prime location. Only the skin or the surface of the obsolete structure is considered in the reinvention of the site for the sake of remaining familiar and preserving the murals adorning the facade, albeit in an unconventional manner. Figure 3.20 refers to the proposed site as in-between, while highlighting the two streets that pinch it at the corner of Huntington Ave and Parker St. The difficult site constrains were a constant consideration in the design testing and design outcome.

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 3.19 Site plan illustrating the transitory and high traffic nature of the proposed site: 450 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Figure 3.20 Site section illustrating the proposed site as a juncture in-between a busy intersection and major Boston institutions (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Design Testing

Figure 3.21 Existing Parker Street and Huntington Ave elevation, Mural "Woman: Untitled", by Daniel Anguilu, Commissioned by Northeastern University's art initiative in 2017 (Zachary Gaudet CC BY) adapted from 2022 Google, Map Data, accessed January 2022.

Figure 3.22 Collaged image of the Parker Street and Huntington Ave elevation (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Design Testing

Figure 3.23 Surface collage studies on the Parker Street and Huntington Ave elevations. Through destructuring the facade conventional architectural elements gain additional meaning or take on an all together new meaning (Zachary Gaudet CC BY).

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Design Testing

Figure 3.24 Spatial collage study on the former Punter's Pub plan. Through destructuring the existing space conventional architectural elements are rearranged or displaced in order to provide a new way of occupying a familiar space (Zachary Gaudet CC BY).

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Destructuring Elevation and Plan Inspired by the design tests of "Post Gay: On Archive, Exhibition and Ghosts," an inclusive design studio taught by Adam Thibodeaux at the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning, the approach consisted of a three phased plan: archival, queering, and appropriation. The intimate analysis of the existing structure and reassembly of its previous form allows one to decipher the fragments that may remain in the queering phase. Queering refers to a series of modifications to the facade and plan that encourages failure in the process which ultimately leads to the destructuring. Destructuring, or appropriation, turns typical readings of buildings on its head to provide a strangely new yet familiar architecture.

Design Testing

Figure 3.25 A series of unfolded sections exploring the reconstructed nature of the existing space and a theoretical hijacking of the space into a stereotypical queer bar (Zachary Gaudet CC BY).

The reconstruction of the former Punter’s Pub emphasizes a male dominant sphere through their adornment of photos of the Northeastern Men’s Hockey Team, neon-beer signs, and other common bar aesthetic. "The occupation of space by cis-gender, straight, white men in the presence of other men often incur displays of masculinity as the performative, social connection between maleness and power"—as per Jack Halberstam’s definition of toxic masculinity. While the straight bar puts emphasis on the bar to watch sports, spatial occupation shifts to the performance space or dance floor in a stereotypical queer bar. The bottom image reappropriates the space, adorning the walls with rainbow drapes and posters of queer icons while the game room is converted into a space for sexual acts to be performed. These two conflicting narratives create a binary relationship with one another despite being depicted in the same space. The relationship between how straight people and queer people occupy the same space within a strict binary fails to address the gray area that exists in-between. In this sense, space can never be binary nor can you simply blur these two narratives together to find common ground.

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Unfolding the Section Inspired by David Hilliard's photographs in Figure 3.17, the proposed site is unfolded along several lines of inflection to describe distinct narratives. Figure 3.25 illustrates how different spatial projection can change the perception of the space. Northeastern attempts to project a message of inclusion and diversity throughout their campus with a series of murals commissioned through an arts initiative. However, the inclusion the institution projects through art is opposite to the interior of the pub it adorns.

Design Testing

Figure 3.26 Top image by David Gissen. Adapted from “An Archaeology of Disability,” from the 2021 Biennale Architettura exploring the intersection between historic preservation and accessibility (Zachary Gaudet CC BY) accessed 12 February 2022, https:// peoplingthepast.com/2021/06/25/ blog-post-30-producing-the-shortfilm-semata-signs-for-the-curatedexhibition-an-archaeology-ofdisability/ Figure 3.27 Image to left, Spolia study inspired by David Gissen's 2021 Biennale Architettura (Zachary Gaudet CC BY). Figure 3.28 Bottom Image, Interiorizing the Facade (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Intervening the Existing Structure The surplus of obsolete structures in the world has inspired countless innovative solutions through adaptive reuse and giving a building new life. To the left, Figure 3.27 and Figure 2.28 deems every part of the existing structure as "usable" in the reconstruction process. Whether that is through spolia (recontextualized architectural fragments) or the interiorizing of the Parker St. mural to emphasize its new function. Below are collage studies that also reconsider the function of the skin as occupiable or the frame as the only necessary element to remain to support a new building function.

Figure 3.29 Fragments from the Storefront for Art and Architecture collaged with the proposed site for intervention (Zachary Gaudet CC BY). Figure 3.30 Adding an additional structural frame to the proposed site and collaging the Docks of Paris to it allowing for it to appear new yet familiar (Zachary Gaudet CC BY).

Design Testing

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 3.31 A series of paper sketch models exploring different ways to fold the skin of the building in and around itself to delimitate new site boundaries (Zachary Gaudet CC BY). Figure 3.32 A series of sketches illustrating the delamination of the existing structure and extension of the facade as hierarchical design component (Zachary Gaudet CC BY).

Delaminating Layers Furthering the idea that "the facade is everywhere" allowing the facade to be an integral aspect of the design as its wraps upwards, downwards, and even inside of itself. In this sense the facade is any surface that one would come into contact with. The transformation occurs after the delamination of the existing structure, eliminating fragments and intervening the pieces that remain. The second paper and chipboard model highlights the newly established connection between the existing (chipboard) and the introduced fold (paper). The process of delaminating is pushed further through the process of delimitating the boundaries of the structure, peeling open at the edges if the site and fracturing at nonuniform intervals.

Design Testing

Figure 3.33 A second iteration of sketches illustrating the delamination of the existing skin as it reshapes the site (Zachary Gaudet CC BY). Figure 3.34 Sketches refining the intersection of existing skin with the introduced fold and the path it carves into the ground to resituate itself (Zachary Gaudet CC BY).

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 3.35 Perspective view of the delaminated structure intersected by the new fold reaching upwards and downwards to create new space (Zachary Gaudet CC BY).

Design Testing

Design Outcomes

Queering a Normative Structure Queering refers mostly to the reappropriation of the existing structure. However, it is refereed to as queering in this thesis to set it apart from a typical adaptive intervention, in that it adheres to a newly set of established criteria as layout out at the beginning of the design testing chapter. The existing structure is located on a tight corner site. By unfolding the skin, the site is liberated from its boundaries and made easier to intervene. The operation commences first by determining the fragments that are to remain and which will be removed, shifted, and fractured.

Figure 4.1 Diagram illustrating the phased transformation undergone to the existing structure: 1. Existing Conditions 2. Unfold 3. Delaminate

4. Delimitate 5. Occupy & Refold 6. Resultant Condition (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Design Outcomes

Next in the transformation, the new fold is introduced to both delimitate new site boundaries and inform the spatial layout of the intervention. The fold peels up on the right corner of the site next to the adjacent building to allow for slippage between the buildings. The fold also solidifies the positioning of the fractured architectural elements from the existing structure. Next the floors and ramps are introduced, directed by the fold, yet the fold remains an independent entity. Lastly, the building refolds upon itself to create a layered spatial experience composed of unconventional programmatic adjacencies.

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Design Outcomes

Figure 4.2 Section through the entrance facing Parker Street (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Figure 4.3 Perspective of the negative column detailing joined to the existing pilasters and entablature (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 4.4 Plan highlighting the portion of the building shown in the section to the left (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Queering the Facade Queering the facade in a liberation of the facade from only being an exterior architectural element. The facade is everywhere, meaning all surfaces can be seen as facade, made apparent by the fold which weaves in and out of the intervention. The fold intersects the existing fragments to produce a sense of reappropriation, as the architectural elements no longer serve there previous function. This is also made apparent by the column detailing on the Huntington St elevation in Figure 4.3. The existing entablature and pilasters, formerly aesthetic and symbolic of the classical style of architecture are resituated onto new concrete columns and beams, delineated by negative detailing. This gives them a new structural function while remaining visually familiar.

Design Outcomes

Figure 4.5 Section through the entrance facing Parker Street (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Figure 4.6 Section through the tip of the building at the intersection of Huntington Ave and Parker St. The existing structure is fractured to allow for one to slip inside (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 4.7 Plan highlighting the portion of the building shown in the section to the left (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Queering the Entrance The entrance is situated at the pinch point of the intervention at the corner of Huntington Ave. and Parker St. The existing fragments were fractured to create a slip into the building at an inconspicuous juncture, adjacent to the walk light signal at the corner of the sidewalk. As the ramp, and thus the occupant begin to descend into the building, a horizontal fissure on the Huntington St. elevation reveals this action to the outsider without giving them a sense of where they are going. Alternatively, the Parker St. elevation is more transparent, revealing this entire sequence to the outsider, creating a contrast between outsider perceptions.

Design Outcomes

Figure 4.8 Section through the ramp leading down to the bottom first floor (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Queering the Ramp The entire building is intended to be experienced as a procession on the ramp. Along the procession are moments of pause or interaction that culminate in a moment of expansion at the lowest level. The fold informs the direction and path of the ramps, yet acts independently from them. The fold intersects, fractures, joins, and opens up along the procession creating a layered experience. In Figure 4.10, the ramp is divided into two portions of circulation that join at certain points to create space for one to explore and decide their own path or to simply linger in place.

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 4.9 Plan highlighting the portion of the building shown in the section to the left (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Figure 4.10 Section through the ground floor and ramp leading down to the bottom first floor. The fold acts separately from the ramp as they intersect to create a unique circulatory experience (Zachary Gaudet CC BY).

Design Outcomes

Figure 4.11 Section through the ramp showing the vertical circulation stack tucked behind the primary fold (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Queering Fragments The mural that was previously adorning the exterior wall on the Parker St. elevation is resituated into the interior of the building to emphasis the disassociation from previously assumed value. Not to say that the mural should not possess value at all, but that its use can go beyond the purpose of surface treatment, and begin to inform the experience of the occupant while traversing the procession. The new placement of the mural encourages one to think deeply about the potential of art and how it can be used to direct people. In Figure 4.11 the wall is punctured by a small eye level aperture to provide a moment of visual connection in the hopes of producing intimate visual encounters between wondering eyes.

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 4.12 Plan highlighting the portion of the building shown in the section to the left (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Figure 4.13 Section through ramp showing the mural fragment embedded into the fold (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Design Outcomes

Figure 4.14 Section through the ramp showing the interstices created by the fold carving out space (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Queering the Poshe The poshe in this sense is most visible in Figure 4.15, where the fold penetrates the earth encasing it and carves out space for more secluded interactions along the procession. The carve is intimate and provides a moment of concealment along a highly visible portion of the procession. In this sense the fold not only acts independently from the floor and the ramp, but also from the earth in which it is situated in.

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 4.15 Plan highlighting the portion of the building shown in the section to the left (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Figure 4.16 Section showing the fold carve out space in the ground to produce interstitial moments along the path (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Design Outcomes

Figure 4.17 Section through the ramp showing the interstices created by the fold carving out space (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Interstices Along the Procession As the fold emerges from the earth, a pocket of space is created in the corner of the intervention which provides room for gathering of small groups to perform and socialize. Perform, because of the window in the right corner in Figure 4.17 and socialize as seen in Figure 4.19. While on the first lower level of the intervention, the space is double hight yet provides a sense of seclusion before reaching the lowest level with more opportunity for interaction.

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 4.18 Plan highlighting the portion of the building shown in the section to the left (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Figure 4.19 Section through the ramp showing a pocket of space along the procession (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Design Outcomes

Figure 4.20 Section through the end of the procession and entrance to the rear hall (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Queering the Wall Once entering the bottom floor at the end of the procession, a short ramp directs one into an alcove-like space that was carved to promote moments of gathering along the path towards the inclusive restroom. The wall is indented to provide support for people to lean against. Like much of the rest of the intervention, interactions are promoted along the perimeter. The tightness of the site allows for most of the building to be based on this type of interaction, further emphasizing the parallel between liminal space and queer identity.

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 4.21 Plan highlighting the portion of the building shown in the section to the left (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Figure 4.22 Section through the rear hall with divots in the wall for leaning support (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Design Outcomes

Figure 4.23 Section through the rear hall showing a series of private and semi-private stalls blurring the division between restroom and social space (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Queering the Restroom At the end of the procession is the restroom, a unisex public space that deviates from the typical restroom typology. The stalls begging to materialize before you actually enter the restroom and promote more intimate gatherings that would not be possible in the central space in Figure 4.26. The hollowed out space moves in a linear path with moments of pause between the parallel walls that eventually enclose into restroom stalls. Further, the shared sink basin may also promote social interaction as individuals groom themselves before existing up the staircase to the central space or back towards the semi-private stalls along the procession.

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 4.24 Plan highlighting the portion of the building shown in the section to the left (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Figure 4.25 Section through the rear hall with semi-private stalls for people to occupy (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Design Outcomes

Figure 4.26 Perspective view of the bottom second floor at the end of the procession

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Design Outcomes

Figure 4.27 Analytique

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Design Outcomes

Critical Reflection April 19, 2021

Thesis Defense: Chala Hadimi Professor, Wentworth Institute of Technology Michael Wolfson Professor, Wentworth Institute of Technology Principal, Meander Studio collaborative design Penn Rudermann Principlal, OPRCH Nondita Mehrotra Principal, RMA Architects Yasaman Esmaili Principal, Studio Chahar Simon Williamson Dean of Industrial Design, Wentworth Institute of Technology

This final chapter response to the speculation and criticism of the thesis received at the Thesis Defense on April 19, 2022, and makes optimistic plans for future research. I believe that the thesis landed in a spot that I am proud of for the efforts I directed towards it throughout this last year. It is satisfying to step back and observe the trajectory the thesis took, where it could have gone, and where it can go in the future if I had another year to work on it. I am grateful to have been able to present in front of a group of critics who challenged me to question the true intent of queer tectonics and if I achieved the goals I set out for at the start of this process. As for the depth of the design itself, I believe it can be made more queer through the further reappropriation of typical structural elements such as the column, along with the entourage in the renders. While David Hilliard's work was highly influential for the way space is depicted, the provocative and intimate relationships between the people photographed and their relationship to spaces they occupied was also influential. It is exciting to think about the prospect of queering other buildings beyond the chosen case study and all of the questions that would arise from such an endeavor. Critique 01: What makes the intervention perceptibly queer? The idea and creation of the building itself is very metaphorical. Yes, it is based on queerness, but how does the outside world see the building? How will the public know that it is a queer structure or queer place? What made it queer internally and programmatically. The proposal may initially be meant to provide an inclusive place, yet remain predominantly white/straight. Response: I know that it will attract LGBTQ+ people because it is a nightclub scene. At night the way one occupies the space is inherently queer, because the layered spatial experience deviates from a typical nightclub plan layout. During the day it can be a place for people to display their art or for a place where other communities can gather to

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

exchange goods. For example, it can be a place for minority and queer artists to sell their art or do spoken word. Obviously the people that will be presenting will highlight that it is a place for queer people and that also answers the question of how the public can know its a queer place. This also goes with the principle of ambiguity because you never really know who will be there doing business. This also goes with the idea that people don’t know what to expect before going inside the space. If every day or week you have different artists/sellers during the day it will keep the experience random and different. Lastly, queer tectonics and queering normative building does not necessarily lead to queer space (that is space solely for queer people). Instead, it leads to a sense of liberation from rigid binary logic and promotes inclusivity through the way space is used rather than strictly who uses the space. Critique 02: Resituating the Mural Why did you move the mural that was previously exterior to the interior of the building? Response: The mural that was previously adorning the exterior wall on the Parker St. elevation was reoriented to the interior of the building to emphasis the disassociation from assumed value. It is meant to serve as a gesture against the typical adaptive intervention method of hollowing out the interior and preserving the exterior skin where it is. Yes, the mural could have easily remained situated where it was originally, but resituating it allows for more provocative relationships between new and existing elements. Critique 03: Potential of Rendering Style The renders did not display what functions the building has to their fullest potential. The people on the ramp do not seem to be dancing as

Critical Reflection

previously conveyed in the explanation of the space rather they seem only to be walking and standing. Response: The type of performance one performs does not need to be a festive dance display. Rather the performance is more metaphorical; that the people are performing simply by being there and being seen. To improve the renders, I think a more provocative relationship between individuals would have related back to David Hilliard's work better. Specifically the way in which people use and act in space can be an indicator of program without having to indicate it otherwise. Critique 04: How can this case study apply to other buildings? How do you see the design criteria you created apply to other case studies? Response: The principles developed through the thesis could extend to other buildings and perhaps need to be rephrased per individual

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 5.1 Final presentation boards as presented at the Final Thesis Defense on April 19, 2021 at Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston, MA (Zachary Gaudet CC BY).

site strategy. I think the principles should be focused on moving forward because they are what ultimately makes the place “queer” and distinguishes from other normative preservation strategies. For example, a principle of inclusivity as seen with how the bathrooms become inclusive, etc. Critique 05: Physical Model of the Final Design I agree that a final physical model would have helped to show how the intervention situated itself within the site in regards to being below grade. However, the thesis was much more dedicated to representation as seen in the unfolded section, triptychs and diagrams. Early in the design process I often referred to this as queering of representation— or another conventional element that can be manipulated to better express the intent of the thesis. Perhaps as the plans act as the normative antithesis, the model could do the same.

Critical Reflection

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Figure 5.2 (copyright Devlin Kenny) Critical Reflection

BIBLIOGRAPHY Aureli, Pier Vittorio. ”The Difficult Whole”. L og, no. 9. New York: Anyone Corporation, 2007. Beatriz Colomina. Sexuality & Space, Princeton Papers on Architecture. New Jersey: Princeton Architectural Press, 1992. Betsky, Aaron. “No architect today is capable of buildings like Luis Barragán’s”. dezeen. 2018. Accessed September 2021. Buchanan, Ian. “Détournement”, A Dictionary of Critical Theory. Oxford Reference, Oxford University Press. 2010. https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095713704. Cadwell, Michael. Strange Details: Swimming at the Querini Stampalia Foundation. Writing Architecture series. Cambridge: The MIT Press, 2007. Debord, Guy and Wolman, Gil. “A User’s Guide to Détournement”. Bureau of Public Secrets. 1956. Accessed November 2021. http://www.bopsecrets.org/SI/detourn.htm Debord, Guy. The Society of the Spectacle: 180-211. Detroit, Michigan: Black & Red, 1967. Grosz, Elizabeth. Architecture from the Outside: Essays on Virtual and Real Space: 91-105. Writing Architecture Series. Cambridge: The MIT Press, 2001. Hilliard, David. “about”. David Hilliard. 2019. Accessed September 2021. http://www.davidhilliard.com/info-pages/ about.html Holder, Andrew. "Five Points Towards a Queer Architecture; Or Notes on “Mario Banana No. 1”. Log, no. 41: 155-160. Edited by Davidson, Cynthia. New York: Anyone Corporation, 2017. Lawlor, Leonard. “Jacques Derrida”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. New York: Metaphysical Research Lab, Stanford University, 2021. Accessed December 2021. https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2021/ entries/derrida/. Michalska, Magda. “David Hockney and The Camera: A Composite Polaroid Reality”. Daily Art Magazine. 2018. Accessed November 2021. https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/david-hockney-photographs/ Morgenroth, Thekla. “Defending the Sex/Gender Binary: The Role of Gender Identification and Need for Closure.” Social Psychological and Personal Science, vol. 12, issue 5: 731-740. Edited by Monteith, Margo. Sage Journals. 2020 Pavka, Evan. “What Do We Mean By Queer Space?”. Azure. 2020. Accessed September 2021. https://www. azuremagazine.com/article/what-do-we-mean-by-queer-space/ Rendell, Jane. “Only resist: a feminist to critical spatial practice”. The Architectural Review. 2018. Accessed November

101

2021. https://www.architectural-review.com/essays/only-resist-a-feminist-approach-to-critical- spatial-practice Sanders, Joel. "From Stud to Stalled! Architecture In Transition". Log, no. 41: 145-154. Edited by Davidson, Cynthia. New York: Anyone Corporation, 2017. Schaik, Leon. "Spatial Intelligence: New Futures for Architecture". Assemblage, no. 15. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2008. Schultz, Anne-Catrin. Carlo Scarpa: Layers. Germany: Edition Axel Menges, 2007. Shamsian, Jacob. “How the rainbow became the symbol of LGBT pride”. Insider. 2018. Accessed October 2021. https:// www.insider.com/why-rainbow-lgbt-gay-pride-2017-6 Sontag, Susan. N otes on ‘Camp’. Camp: Queer Aesthetic and the Performing Subject: A Reader, edited by Fabio Cleto. Scotland: Edinburgh University Press, 1999. Urbach, Henry. “Closets, Clothes, & disClosure,” assemblage no. 30: 62-73. Edited by Hays, K. Michael, Ingraham, Catherine, and Kennedy, Alicia. Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1996 Venturi, Robert. “The Difficult Whole,” Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture: 88-104. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1966.

102

IMAGE CREDITS: vii

Figure 0.1 Gaudet, Zachary. " Unfolded perspective

people, Diagram adapted from Defending the Sex/

of the entrance to the proposed intervention." April

Gender Binary: The Role of Gender Identification

18, 2022.

and Need for Closure 2020. Sage Journals.

Figure 1.1 Ricardo Bofill – Taller de Arquitectura.

Accessed November 10, 2021. https://journals.

Barrio Gaudí, 1968. Reus, Tarragona, Spain. Accessed December 1, 2021. https://ricardobofill. com/projects/gaudi-district/ 5

www.flaviocoddou.com/portfolios/casa-gilardi/

julieannapreston.space 21

In-Between, 2021. Carleton University Research

and Stephan Quickmann. Field of Vision, Modern

Virtual Environment. Accessed September 20, 2021.

(Gay) Art Gallery, 1930. Werkbund Exhibition,

https://www.koozarch.com/interviews/queering-

Paris. Accessed October 12, 2021. https://www. closet/60b68fef253d4e01653e1eb0-architecture-

space-potentials-of-the-in-between/ 22

Barragán. Accessed September 19, 2021. http://

Figure 1.4 QSpace. Sanctuary, 2016. Accessed October 12, 2021. http://qspacearch.com/sanctuary Figure 1.5 Gaudet, Zachary. " Concept Map

www.casaluisbarragan.org/eng/en-taller.html 22

Barragán. Accessed September 19, 2021. http://

discussed in the literature review." April 18, 2022. Figure 2.1 Popov, Alexander. View of a nightclub in Moscow, 2021. Moscow, Russia. Accessed

www.casaluisbarragan.org/eng/en-taller.html 24

Figure 2.8 Hilliard, David. Andreu. 1997 Accessed

November 8, 2021. https://unsplash.com/photos/

September 29, 2021. http://www.davidhilliard.

exboerLBhxc

com/1993–2000.html

Figure 2.2 Foundazione Querini Stampalia. View of

Figure 2.9 Hockney, David. Sunday Morning,

the porch in the Querini Stampalia restored by Carlo

Mayflower Hotel, New York. 1982 Accessed

Scarpa, 1963. Venice, Italy. Accessed September

September 30, 2021. https://www.hockney.com/

25, 2021. https://www.querinistampalia.org/eng/

index.php/works/photos/photographic-collages

contemporary/architecture/carlo-scarpa/carlo-

scarpa-gallery.php 16

Figure 2.7 Fundación de Arquitectura Tapatía Luis Barragán A. C. View of the vestibule in Casa

establishing connections between the topics 12

Figure 2.6 Fundación de Arquitectura Tapatía Luis Barragán A. C. View of the workshop in Casa

out-of-the-closet-image 7

Figure 2.5 Mclean, Mackenzie Victoria. “The Ante-Closet,” Queer(ing) Space: Potentials of the

Figure 1.3 The Queer Architect, Herbert Bayer

archdaily.com/963117/architecture-out-of-the-

Figure 2.4 Preston, Julieanna. Idleness Labouritory, 2015. Accessed November 11, 2021. http://www.

Figure 1.2 Coddou, Flavio. Casa Gilardi, 1976. Accessed December 1, 2021. Photography. http://

sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1948550620937188 18

Punch Drunk unveils their new immersive show,

Figure 2.3 Morgenroth, Thekla, Sendén, M.

“The Burnt City”. 2021 Accessed November 29, 2021.

Gustafsson and Lindqvist, A. Indirect effect of gender identification on prejudice against non-binary

Figure 2.10 Abrams, Julian. The theatre company

https://www.punchdrunk.com 33

Figure 3.1 Gaudet, Zachary. "Precedent Analysis:

103

Casa Barragan." November 16, 2021.

studying layered occupation of space." November

Figure 3.2 Gaudet, Zachary. "Precedent Analysis:

28, 2021.

Palazzo Querini Stampalia." November 16, 2021. 37 39 40

Axonometric of the Proposed Site." November 28,

Peninsula House." November 16, 2021.

2021.

Figure 3.4 Gaudet, Zachary. "Precedent Analysis:

inflection in Hilliard's photography." January 10,

Figure 3.5 Gaudet, Zachary. "A series of suggestive

2022. 50

conditions." September 21, 2021.

41 42

the transitory and high traffic nature of the proposed site." January 12, 2022.

Figure 3.8 Gaudet, Zachary. "Study Model: 3."

illustrating the proposed site as a juncture in-

Figure 3.9 Gaudet, Zachary. "Study model exploring

between a busy intersection and major Boston

the scale of Madame Isabelle, emphasizing the

institutions." January 12, 2022. 53

Figure 3.21 2022 Google, Map Data. "450

space." September 29, 2021.

Huntington Ave, Boston, MA." Accessed

Figure 3.10 Gaudet, Zachary. "Figure collage

January 13, 2022. https://www.google.com/

photographic series of the hostel." September 30,

maps/@42.3284511,-71.0860476,14z 53

Figure 3.22 Gaudet, Zachary. "Collaged image of

Figure 3.11 Gaudet, Zachary. "Study model

the Parker Street and Huntington Ave elevation."

composed of a series of collaged images delimiting

January 13, 2022. 54

Figure 3.23 Gaudet, Zachary. "Surface collage

Figure 3.12 Gaudet, Zachary. "Process Sketch of

studies on the Parker Street and Huntington Ave

Layered Model." November 20, 2021.

elevations." January 15, 2022.

Figure 3.13 Gaudet, Zachary. "Sectional Analysis of

the Hostel." November 21, 2021. 45

Figure 3.20 Gaudet, Zachary. "Site section

September 25, 2021.

the boundaries of the hostel." September 31, 2021. 44

Figure 3.19 Gaudet, Zachary. "Site plan illustrating

September 24, 2021.

2021. 43

Roxbury neighborhoods." January 11, 2022. 51

Figure 3.7 Gaudet, Zachary. "Study Model: 2."

contrasting qualities that were experienced in each 43

Figure 3.18 Gaudet, Zachary. "Site plan showing the intersection of the Fenway, Mission Hill, and

Figure 3.6 Gaudet, Zachary. "Study Model: 1." September 24, 2021.

Figure 3.17 Gaudet, Zachary. "Analysis of the

Therme Vals." November 16, 2021. sketches illustrating various types of experiential 41

Figure 3.16 Gaudet, Zachary. "Abstract

Figure 3.3 Gaudet, Zachary. "Precedent Analysis:

Figure 3.14 Gaudet, Zachary. "Study model of the

Figure 3.24 Gaudet, Zachary. "Spatial collage study on the former Punter's Pub plan." January 16, 2022.

Figure 3.25 Gaudet, Zachary. "A series of unfolded

layered occupation within the hostel." November 22,

sections exploring the reconstructed nature of the

2021.

existing space and a theoretical hijacking into a

Figure 3.15 Gaudet, Zachary. "Artifact model

104

stereotypical queer bar." January 21, 2022. 60

Figure 2.26 Gissen, David. “An Archaeology of

the delaminated structure intersected by the new

Disability." 2021. Accessed February 21, 2021.

fold reaching upwards and downwards to create

https://peoplingthepast.com/2021/06/25/blog-

new space." March 29, 2022.

post-30-producing-the-short-film-semata-signs-for-

Figure 3.27 Gaudet, Zachary. "Spolia study inspired by David Gissen's 2021 Biennale Architettura."

existing structure." April 18, 2022. 72

Figure 3.28 Gaudet, Zachary. "Interiorizing the

negative column detailing joined to the existing

Figure 3.29 Gaudet, Zachary. "Fragments from the

pilasters and entablature." April 18, 2022. 73

Figure 3.30 Gaudet, Zachary. "Adding an additional

structural frame to the proposed site and collaging the Docks of Paris to it allowing for it to appear new

entrance facing Parker Street." April 18, 2022. 74

Figure 3.31 Gaudet, Zachary. "A series of paper

Ave and Parker St. The existing structure is

sketch models exploring different ways to fold the

fractured to allow for one to slip inside." April 18,

skin of the building in and around itself to delimitate

2022. 75

Figure 3.32 Gaudet, Zachary. "A series of sketches

Figure 4.7 Gaudet, Zachary. "Plan Diagram: 2." April 18, 2022.

Figure 4.8 Gaudet, Zachary. "Section through the

and extension of the facade as hierarchical design

ramp leading down to the bottom first floor." April

component." March 7, 2022.

18, 2022.

Figure 3.33 Gaudet, Zachary. "A second iteration of

sketches illustrating the delamination of the existing skin as it reshapes the site." March 23, 2022. 64

Figure 4.6 Gaudet, Zachary. "Section through the tip of the building at the intersection of Huntington

illustrating the delamination of the existing structure

Figure 4.5 Gaudet, Zachary. "Section through the

yet familiar." February 19, 2022.

new site boundaries." March 8, 2022. 62

Figure 4.4 Gaudet, Zachary. "Plan Diagram: 1." April 18, 2022.

proposed site for intervention." February 20, 2022.

Figure 4.3 Gaudet, Zachary. "Perspective of the

Facade." February 20 2022. Storefront for Art and Architecture collaged with the 61

Figure 4.2 Gaudet, Zachary. "Section through the entrance facing Parker Street." April 18, 2022.

February 21, 2022. 60

Figure 4.1 Gaudet, Zachary. "Diagram illustrating the phased transformation undergone to the

the-curated-exhibition-an-archaeology-of-disability/ 60

Figure 3.35 Gaudet, Zachary. "Perspective view of

18, 2022. 77

Figure 3.34 Gaudet, Zachary. "Sketches refining the

itself." March 26, 2022.

Figure 4.10 Gaudet, Zachary. "Section through the ground floor and ramp leading down to the bottom

intersection of existing skin with the introduced fold and the path it carves into the ground to resituate

Figure 4.9 Gaudet, Zachary. "Plan Diagram: 3." April

first floor." April 18, 2022. 78

Figure 4.11 Gaudet, Zachary. "Section through the ramp showing the vertical circulation stack tucked

105

behind the primary fold." April 18, 2022. 79

Figure 4.12 Gaudet, Zachary. "Plan Diagram: 4."

and social space." April 18, 2022. 87

April 18, 2022.

April 18, 2022. 79

Figure 4.13 Gaudet, Zachary. "Section through

occupy." April 18, 2022.

the fold." April 18, 2022.

Figure 4.14 Gaudet, Zachary. "Section through the

the bottom second floor at the end of the ramp."

carving out space." April 18, 2022.

April 18, 2022.

Figure 4.15 Gaudet, Zachary. "Plan Diagram: 5." Figure 4.16 Gaudet, Zachary. "Section showing

2022. 96

Figure 5.1 Gaudet, Zachary. "Final presentation boards as presented at the Final Thesis Defense on

interstitial moments along the path." April 18, 2022.

April 19, 2021 at Wentworth Institute of Technology,

Figure 4.17 Gaudet, Zachary. "Section through the

Boston, MA." April 18, 2022. 98

Figure 4.18 Gaudet, Zachary. "Plan Diagram: 6."

Figure 5.2 Kenny, Devlin. "Thesis Defense: Gaudet." April 19, 2022.

carving out space." April 18, 2022.

Figure 4.27 Gaudet, Zachary. "Analytique." April 18,

the fold carve out space in the ground to produce

ramp showing the interstices created by the fold 83

Figure 4.26 Gaudet, Zachary. "Perspective view of

ramp showing the interstices created by the fold

April 18, 2022. 81

Figure 4.25 Gaudet, Zachary. "Section through the rear hall with semi-private stalls for people to

ramp showing the mural fragment embedded into 80

Figure 4.24 Gaudet, Zachary. "Plan Diagram: 8."

109

Figure 5.3 Gaudet, Zachary. "Unfolded Perspective

April 18, 2022.

of an aperture creating a moment of pause and

Figure 4.19 Gaudet, Zachary. "Section through

visual connection along the procession." April 18,

the ramp showing a pocket of space along the

2022.

procession." April 18, 2022. 84

Figure 4.20 Gaudet, Zachary. "Section through the end of the procession and entrance to the rear hall." April 18, 2022.

Figure 4.21 Gaudet, Zachary. "Plan Diagram: 7." April 18, 2022.

Figure 4.22 Gaudet, Zachary. "Section through the rear hall with divots in the wall for leaning support." April 18, 2022.

Figure 4.23 Gaudet, Zachary. "Section through the rear hall showing a series of private and semiprivate stalls blurring the division between restroom

106

107

Figure 5.3 Unfolded Perspective of an aperture creating a moment of pause and visual connection along the procession (Zachary Gaudet CC BY)

Queer Tectonics: Unfolding Liminal Space

Articles inside

Precedent Analysis

Design Tests

In-Between Space

Queer Space

Spatial Metaphor