Diplomprosjekt
Høst 2024
Institutt for arkitektur
Since the beginning of human thought, the ever-elusive concept of time has been a constant source of curiosity and contemplation. We’ve written about it, pondered its nature, studied it through philosophy, questioned it in theology, depicted it in art and measured it with science - yet it’s true meaning remains unclear. Despite this uncertainty, time governs much of our lives. In fact, our obsession with time is so strong that, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, “time” is the most frequently used noun in the English language. This highlights how ambiguous the concept is, how quickly our interpretations change, and the importance it has on our understanding of the world in which we live.
This diploma explores how we experience time in architecture. The first part of the semester I engaged in an architectural investigation involving reading, writing, photography, sketching, and model-making, centered on light, shadow, material, space, nature, construction, and time. This foundational research sought to establish an architectural language capable of addressing the sensory and temporal qualities in our built environment. Stone emerged as a central material, bridging the investigation and the final project due to its profound connection to time, both through its geological history, human alterations, exposure to the elements and its interaction with light. After visiting Tveidalen quarry in southern Norway and observing the vast amount of rejected Larvikite stone, I chose it as my main building material. This choice also anchored the project within the context of the quarry, where five distinct architectural structures where created, each exploring a unique spatial and constructive condition.
By studying the interaction of stone and light I have, in this diploma, tried to answer the initial research question; how do we experience time in architecture? Time reveals itself in material textures and the shape of a space. It is present in the enduring connections of a structure’s elements, the sequence of rooms, and the path they invite us to take. Yet, it is the ephemeral moments within our built environment - the fleeting interactions of light, shadow and movement - that most sensuously shape how we experience time in architecture. You can’t hold onto the morning mist as it fades with the sunrise, nor will the shadow from a tree on your wall ever appear the same.
Frøy Haaland Bjørnø / Froy.haaland.bjorno@stud.aho.no
