| As humans, culture, tradition and collective memory are preserved in our built environment. This thesis investigates themes of identity and place in Japan - a nation in which themes of destruction, renewal and impermanence are ingrained in the national psyche. Finding precedence in modern regionalist and phenomenological theory, the proposed building encourages the continuity of traditional aesthetics and emphasizes their importance in our sense of self and belonging.;Set against the backdrop of coastal Tohoku, the eastern coast of Japan decimated by the 2011 tsunami, the Minamisanriku Community Pavilion offers a place for citizens to play, learn and interact. Its classrooms, studios and traditional tatami rooms support social demands and further personal enrichment. The design recognizes the community's long history of craftsmanship, manifesting itself in multiple design drivers. Exemplified by spiritual aesthetics of transience, decay and natural simplicity, the material palette includes bamboo, hardwood and thatch. Joinery evoking traditional construction alludes to local handiwork; a bamboo mesh references the local fishing industry for example, while open spatial organization reflects the distinctly Japanese concept of emptiness as object. Reuse of desiccated trees from the town temple imbues the structure with a sense of memorial and remembrance.;The Minamisanriku Community Pavilion strives to underscore the cultural legacy of a rural town decimated by natural disaster. Ultimately, it encourages local efforts to preserve sentimental remnants vital to individual and collective identities. |
