Connecting People In Motion

Perception of movement within and between designed spaces starts with the uniquely human ability to relate ourselves to our surroundings, followed by a relationship to the sequential experience of our movement throughout. Architecture is simply a building without the life and movement of the people who use the design, yet individuals may experience and relate to the same design differently. Habitual routes and repetitive paths of movement dull our experience of these spaces while moving towards or within a new space can allow our perception to expand as we take in a new environment, creating excitement but also tension within us.

At our center, there is a phenomenological connection between a preceding space and personal orientation with a future space, helping us understand the new space in relation to ourselves, no matter the mode of transportation for arrival. Transportation hubs are intersections of time, connecting people in motion and guiding both habitual and unfamiliar subjects along their continuous journey. Studying the movement within the Washington metropolitan area, the New Carrollton Station in Maryland perforates the Capital Beltway as a gateway to the region. This thesis aims to understand how people interact with path-connected spaces and connect each subject's mode of arrival, goal, and choice of movement between a newly designed station.