The Architecture of Water Consciousness: Revealing Water, Culture, and Dwelling in Phoenix, Arizona

Author

• Luke Wendel

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

In the desert, water has always shaped how people dwell, build, gather, and survive. In Phoenix, Arizona, this relationship has become increasingly hidden behind canals, infrastructure, policy, and control. The river that once supported settlement is now often dry, and water is understood more as a managed resource than a visible presence in daily life. A reimagining is needed, as the future of desert cities depends not only on conserving water, but on changing how people experience and value it. Can architecture reveal water as something seen, felt, remembered, and shared? Located along the Rio Salado, this thesis proposes a sequence of spaces where water is collected, compressed, staged, and returned to the landscape. Through caustic light, monsoon atmosphere, civic gathering, and material memory, the project seeks to create a deeper consciousness of dwelling in the desert.

Recommended Citation

Wendel, Luke, "The Architecture of Water Consciousness: Revealing Water, Culture, and Dwelling in Phoenix, Arizona" (2026). Architecture Theses. 113.
https://digitalcommons.ndsu.edu/architecture-theses/113