The Four Thresholds

Abstract

This thesis investigates the architecture of thresholds as a poetic medium for shaping the transitional experience within the built environment. Through the careful orchestration of light, materiality, and spatial progression, the project seeks to cultivate a deliberate slowing of movement, inviting users to engage more deeply with each moment of passage. Drawing inspiration from the contemplative rhythms of Japanese living, where the act of transition is as meaningful as the destination itself, and contrasting them with the often hurried patterns of American habitation and relaxation, this study proposes a bath house nestled into the terraced landscape of Great Falls, Virginia. The architecture unfolds alongside the descending waterfront hillside, where spaces are carved, layered, and revealed gradually, blurring the boundaries between interior and exterior. Here, the architecture acts not merely as a vessel for activity but as an active participant in a ritual of slowing down, reconnecting body, mind, and environment through the measured unfolding of space.