This project has been created with the collaboration of Taylor Ristevski, and has been supervised by Patrick Macasaet.

AFTER TYPE IV PRESENTS:

BEING & NOTHING

Being & Nothing is the philosophical soul behind the procedural. The project symbolizes the capacity of Temples as an architectural typology that can construct a critical reflection of humankind’s future. The project states that there is a necessity to shift contemporary civilization’s mindset and ways to interact with the environment in order to embrace a positive impact on issues like climate change and inequality.

Being & Nothing invites to reflect upon the individual’s mind. It questions the real meaning of life, finds true purpose and heals unresolved conflicts. The architecture places the user on a constant duality of thought, because the immersive experience of reflective materials and light shows create unreal scenes where the mind gets lost between illusion and reality. In essence, this proposition is dedicated to the human spirit, it is a civic infrastructure that celebrates human emotion and pluralism of choice.

The proposition is based on existential philosophical postulates by Jean Paul Sartre. His theories speculate on the reason of life and existence, and highly criticises religious doctrines as valid theories of life and meaning. “Existence precedes essence” Sartre states that the human spirit is defined first by the recognition of existence. Postumus to the conscious awareness of once reality, the individual defines its purpose and life paths through the acceptance of their actions. The value of life is then addressed by the individual’s capacity of choice, because their actions find value within their option of deciding between one or another. In this order of ideas, Being & Nothing is an architectural representation of such philosophy of life. Instead of reassuring the religious connotation of the temple as architecture typology, it utilizes its built qualities to offer a space of reflection where the person can finally visualize the value of their actions by revealing what the inner spirit desires.

Only by addressing this philosophical question of existence, individuals will find their will to transform their own reality. In a context of rapid climate change and unknown advancement of technology, humankind will need to address the foundational interrogate of life’s meaning. Without it, human civilization would be doomed to lose the fight against the issues that are condemning its own existence in this world.