Files
Date of Award
5-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Architecture
College
Arts and Sciences
Department
Architecture
Faculty Advisor
Stephen Wischer
Studio Coordinator
Stephen Wischer
Faculty Chair
Susan Kliman
Publisher
North Dakota State University
Rights
NDSU policy 190.6.2
URI
https://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/policy/190.pdf
Abstract
This thesis investigates how architectural practice can shift from top-down, modernist planning paradigms toward an observational methodology grounded in lived experience. Engaging with the legacy of Le Corbusier’s Radiant City, it critiques the pursuit of universal order and efficiency that often suppresses the nuances of everyday life. Drawing from Georges Perec’s attentive documentation of mundane urban moments, the project develops a process of “moment mapping,” where spatial understanding emerges through observation rather than imposed form. These collected moments are then abstracted into architectural elevations and spatial constructs, translating temporal, sensory experiences into built form. The thesis is situated within a suburban Minneapolis context, where the tension between infrastructure, domesticity, and landscape becomes a site for testing this methodology. The resulting work proposes an alternative design approach that prioritizes perception, accumulation, and translation of everyday events as the foundation for architectural expression and spatial narrative and production of architectural spatial understanding.
Recommended Citation
Doe, Christen Zeetu, "From Radiance to Resonance: A Human-Centered City Between Geometry and Humanity: Reconciling Modernist Ideals With Human-Centered Design" (2026). Architecture Theses. 105.
https://digitalcommons.ndsu.edu/architecture-theses/105
ThesisPresentation_Doe.pdf (17227 kB)
ThesisSupplement_Doe.pdf (1761 kB)