Drawing from the Past: The Role of Architecture and Art in Embodying the Everyday Lives of People and Places

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the analysis and interpretation of realist painter, Alex Colville and the relation of techniques used in architecture and art for representing and emobodying the everyday lives of people and places. The thesis puts forth the idea that the notion of composition paired with situational thinking can provide a set of creative principles which articulate the architectural edges and contents of moments and settings while establishing the orientation of the design process. The architectural site to test this theory is the currently underutilized and unorganized site of the Halifax VIA Rail Station located along the waterfront of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The thesis will propose the adaptive re-use of the existing train station and various interventions to the surrounding site to re-configure and organize an architectural response to context which allows for the everyday lives of people to thrive within and without.