The understanding of place is the primary basis for meaningful architecture. A possible methodology for making architecture begins with a sincere consideration of the complex forces at play on the site. The architect studies the situation and develops a concept as the seed of an architectural thought process. This conceptual thinking is the primary basis for a series of decisions in an unfolding process of invention. A concept grown out of an experience of place proposes a sensitive resolution for the site rather than an architecture of geometric contrivance forced upon it.

This project began in walking the neighborhoods of Berlin and experiencing them as an "auslander" (foreigner). Its premise suggests that meaningful architecture requires a process of discovery anchored by a sincere desire to know the site in some quintessential way. Moving through the neighborhoods of Berlin and responding to the spaces provided the basis for an architectural concept. The intent of this thesis project was to define a process rooted in the experience of the site.

The project began with a photographic study of the neighborhood. A series of models followed focusing on developing a position toward the site, materiality, and program. Three-dimensional computer modeling provided an opportunity to study spatial relationships. Finally, the project was committed to planning. What follows is a documentation of the process.