Close

Not a member yet? Register now and get started.

lock and key

Sign in to your account.

Account Login

Forgot your password?

Fostering Asian Ethnicity: A Place For Asian Immigrants (Lexington, Kentucky)

Fostering Asian Ethnicity: A Place For Asian Immigrants (Lexington, Kentucky)

In the Fall of 2004 until the Spring of 2005, I conceived and prepared the following project as my Master’s Thesis project at the University of Kentucky.

The generating architectural idea beind this master’s project is to provide flexibility, spontaneity and freedom of choice which will in turnpresent multiple paths in life. Thisreflects the multifacted identities of Asian immigrants, caught betweentwo cultures – American and that oftheir homeland, and the momentaryaspects presented by this duality.As a response to this need for progression in time to accommodatethe incessant changes that occur, thearchitectural strategies being employed in this cultural center are:opportunities for various paths to reach specific desinations; possibilities of rearranging the spacesfor expansion or compression of theenclosure according to the functionof the place by the use of movableparitions that slide or pivot, and finally dissolving the barrier that isseparating the inside from the outside.The uniqueness of sliding partitions isthat they act simultaneously as confinement and unification becauseof their impermanence. These strategies complement the idea of spontaneity, in which the space is notfixed so that people have options. This will provide a place for their dailynecessities and can also transform tosuit special occasions and holiday celebrations.