At the root of all living beings is our breath -- without it, we are not alive.

Eastern practices such as yoga and meditation are conveyed through the awareness of our breath and the encouragement to be present in what our physical bodies are telling us. This awareness is a huge influence in architectural design. Building well and thinking well are in turn living well, and this architectural thesis served as a journey in discovering how human health can manifest itself in a physical building.

The architectural project is an Institute for Being and is located in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, DC. The program of this project consists of spaces to encourage people to seek their own path in spiritual grounding within the otherwise hectic urban context.