Sacred spaces of gathering

I am applying for the SOM travel fellowship -- the winner receives 50,000 dollars for travel. Below is my research proposal. A good question for discussion-- are you surprised that I am an atheist?

"Sacred spaces of gathering"

The nature of man is revealed through his artifacts. In architecture, the unique forces of time and place, tradition and culture, social order, and climate all bear on the form. But I believe there are also universal patterns, which can reveal how we experience space and how we socially organize ourselves.

A glimpse of these patterns can be seen in the formal commonalities between architectures of different regions. But more interesting are the experiential patterns (the dark approach, the framed view, the descent into the earth, the luminous sphere, etc) as well as thematic patterns (the foreboding gateway, the place of purification, the sacred mount, etc). These seem to say something important about human psychology. Joseph Campbell, in his study of world mythology, found commonalities of structure and meaning that led him to posit a universal prototype for human myth-- a unicultural artifact of mankind. I seek these unicultural artifacts in built space.

For much of the past, the building projects that received the most care and resources were sacred spaces of gathering such as temples and public squares, which allow people to unite in mutual appreciation of their community, faith, and leaders. These projects have been of particular importance to me; an emerging pattern in my work is the Great Room, a center space that facilitates social interaction and dynamic interrelationships between elements of the program. This has led me to study historical monuments, many of which exhibit a clear central space for gathering. What is startling is that these spaces have changed little since the emergence of the first cities 5,000 years ago, and have a remarkable relevance for the architecture of today.

The 20th century witnessed a struggle between regionalism and internationalism; between expressing the distinctiveness of the place, and expressing ever-more globalized building techniques and lifestyles. But in many ways the International Style is an emptying of the coffers of cultural distinctiveness, not a celebration of the universal elements of space-making discerned from the study of different places. Many architects sought meaning by designing modern buildings aided by their knowledge of ancient and premodern precedents. This is also my goal. But some meaning is derived from the nature of the place, and some meaning is derived from the nature of man. Concerning the latter, there is no reason why an ancient Polynesian earth mound and a Tibetan monastery cannot influence an American town square.

I propose to study sacred spaces of gathering from around the world, both buildings and public squares, selecting a cross-section of major human cultural traditions and eras. My areas of focus will be 1) functional organization; 2) relationship to context; and 3) spatial experience & meaning. I will document my work primarily though sketchbooks, containing perspectives and analysis drawings. I can think of no better preparation for a meaningful career than such a pilgrimage.