I am applying for a Fulbright Fellowship to study in Italy upon graduation, and the focus of my study at this point is: capturing the spirit of a place. My desire is to go to some of the most celebrated pieces of architecture and attempt to capture through sketches, hand renderings, and writings, that spirit...I understand that "spirit of place" is very arbitrary and hard to pinpoint, and also that "spirit of place" or genius loci meant something a bit different to the Romans who coined the phrase, so as of now my plan for thesis is: research a scale/method of identifying the soul of a place, and then for Fulbright: implementing that method and recording my findings.

I am just getting a little overwhelmed by all this research, (a prelude to thesis I'm sure.) After much research, I have a good grasp on genius loci and phenomenology, and have almost completed Genius Loci: Towards a Phenomenology of Architecture by Christian Norberg-Schulz and then will read Juhani Pallasmaa's The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses.

Do you have any more books or architects I should possibly look at? I found some architectural research closely related to what I wish to do, the work of Violich, who examined the contrasting qualities of place for Dalmation towns and Polkinghorne's four qualities of measurement (vividness, accuracy, richness, and elegance.) I am looking more into their work to possibly use them as a frame of reference for creating a system of identifying spirit filled places, but as of now I am attempting to consolidate my grant proposal, and so don't want to drown too much in the details.

My main question is, do you believe this is a feasible topic of study. The non tangible nature of the study sometimes leaves me grasping, but I do feel there is an important soulfulness of architecture that is often left out in the frenzy of modernity, and even though it is at times hard to wrap my mind around the wisp of such an idea, I think it's worth attempting to capture it.

Thank you for any help you can provide to my search.