Project Inquiry Capstone Thesis
Published as part of Honors RepositoryThe first semester of the capstone year was a
research phase known as Project Inquiry. As part of the Metaphysics of Light, this phase would be based around explorations of light and site. I began to be fascinated with our eyes’ optics and their role in our perception. I came focus on how we can warp our perceptions to see something more than what is already there, something I began interpreting as seeing the palimpsest of a space. With a series of light-based models, I began to explore and understand how exactly light is interpreted by our eyes. Specifically, I researched and explored binocular confusion and rivalry: how our eyes react and make sense of space when each eye sees through a different medium, seeing different spaces. These explorations led me to the concept of seeing double as an architectural condition, and began a series of drawings and explorations of warping our perspective of the site, Ballard, WA. From these explorations, I began to focus on the history of Ballard and exploring the palimpsest of all the people who have made the site their home, from the earliest indigenous settlers to refugees of historic and modern wars to the typical Seattle suburbanite. From here, the concept of my concept was born: Seeing Double; Understanding Home Place. By seeing double more than just an optical trick, but rather seeing the palimpsest of the site, I began to wonder how we can all create a home for all here in Ballard. That concept would be explored further the next semester, as part of the Capstone Thesis.