The intention of “Assemblage,” my fifth year thesis project, is to create architecture based in discovery, connecting with existing environments and materials. I hope to create a beautiful convolution of stories, histories in material and space—evoking the aura and spirit of a place and inviting thoughtful human interaction. Instead of starting with new, raw material (often energy-intensive to make/transport) I want to pick up on the richness left behind on existing material (maybe discarded, left behind, forgotten). I want to work from existing lines, taking cues from what is already there. There is something special about old, used material. It has a story to tell, and when it is reused, it clues to its previous life as it begins its new life. Our physical surroundings can express the touch they have felt. That is why I want to use the leftovers, the odd-sized remnants, the weathered, warping material—we have plenty of it. I hope my thesis can become one of many ways we can become alchemists, transforming scraps into art, using waste creatively. The site of my thesis project is the Tin House, an abandoned building at the top of the ridge near Mcway Falls in Big Sur. It is a special place, covered in marks of those who have visited before and begging to be re- used. 

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