Browsing by Author "Huard, Dallas Christopher"

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City & nature : sensory experiences
(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2007) Huard, Dallas Christopher; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Ralph Johnson; Christopher Livingston (co-chair)
Images come to mind when I take the time to think about what architecture means to me. These images, from my childhood, from exposure to my surroundings, from my experiences and training, even though this part of my life is still limited show me how simple architecture can be. I am always surprised that since I began studying the many aspects of architecture it has become so much more important to me. There are moments that I am able to recall the way the wind surged through a space or the way clouds would come alive and dance in a store window. It is these aspects of architecture that have began to shape and influence my life on an emotional and sensory level. I appreciate the simplicity of architecture when I think about summer visits to my grandparents farm. I am reminded of the sound of straw and leaves breaking under my feet, the creaking of a rusty hinge on the pasture gate, and the chill of the cold breeze from windows that were years beyond repair. These experiences are much more important to me than the visual images that come to mind because it takes more personal emotion for me to recall them; this makes for a much more powerful memory, one that last much longer than when I rely on the image alone. I remember a time when life was so much simpler and architecture was something to experience, not simply view. It is these simple experiences that hold the most personal meaning for me in my life. As I reflect upon my childhood, I realize that I rarely desire simplicity in my life as I once did years ago.