Um Lugar à Sombra: Exploração Fenomenológica do Habitar

Abstract

This dissertation departs from the relationship between body, space, and sensory perception, with a particular focus on the fundamental role of light in shaping the experience of dwelling. At its origin lies a design exercise − "The Home of Shadows"− adopted as a basis to investigate the phenomenological experience of space, yet intended to expand into a broader reflection. Drawing from phenomenology, the research develops the hypothesis that architecture transcends materiality, constituting itself as a medium of interaction between the individual and the world, where the human body, perception, and the meaning of inhabited space converge in an intrinsic and interdependent relationship. The concept of the "phenomenological house", formulated by Iñaki Ábalos, is taken as a conceptual reference, functioning as a sensory and emotional filter that articulates materiality, luminosity, and individual perception. From this premise, a project is developed that seeks to think through and experiment with these themes, considering architectural practice as a field of critical reflection. In this context, light is not merely a physical element but a mediator between the material world and the intangible experiences it evokes. Light and shadow, understood as structuring elements of architecture, are explored as phenomena that shape atmospheres and intensify the subjective experience of space. As Jun'ichir" Tanizaki emphasizes in In Praise of Shadows, shadow is not simply the absence of light; as its counterpart, it adds layers of complexity and depth to sensory and spatial experience. In summary, this dissertation reflects on the importance of light (and shadow) in architectural practice. Not only as physical phenomena, but as fundamental contributors to the sensory experience of space − elements that both shape architecture and constitute the architectural space itself.