A Deep Breath of Art

In a busy city like Washington D.C., where people tend to work for long hours, and remain in constant fight with deadlines as they try to complete their daily tasks, such lifestyle can be very exhausting. Artists are no exception to that. A preoccupied lifestyle can keep them distant from their inner creativity and would make them lose their inspiration for art. What they really need is to take a step away from this fast society and find a place that offers them the space, time and environment to recharge and reconnect with their art.

This thesis explores the role of architecture in creating moving artistic experiences that ignite the artists' inner creativity and feeds their imagination. By using design concepts that encourage their interaction with their surroundings, we can raise their curiosity to explore and observe to help them unleash their creativity. Because ,we, humans are mostly influenced by the spaces we inhabit and spend most of our time in.

A proposed artist retreat in the U.S. National Arboretum, creates an architecture that enhances the way artists experience art through the use of proportions, forms, materials, light and shadow. The project consists mainly of two parts, the first part is a place that respects the artists' need for solitude, to be able to self-reflect on their inner self and art. The second part is a place for the artist community, where they socialize and exchange their knowledge and experiences. Moreover, the buildings design aims to breaks the barrier between the inside and outside worlds to help create an intimate experience between the artists and nature. On the other side, there is the relationship between the buildings and the site, where the buildings design, materials and construction respects the landscape of the site and are adaptive to the beauty of the site's seasonal changes. This is how my thesis will explore art through the lens of architecture and give these artists a deep breath of art.