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Of the thesis entitled:ÌýMapping the City: Narrative of Memory andÌýPlace

Abstract:

HowÌýdo we discover a new place and begin to get acquainted with it? In CanadianÌýcities, the sense of place can be difficult to grasp. The relative youth of theÌýbuilt form of our cities and a constant influx of new people from other cities,Ìýprovinces, and countries continuouslyÌýre-calibrate what place means. InÌýCalgary, the sense of place includes relationships to its surroundings and theÌýstories that are tied to the city. Ideas surrounding place are essential forÌýarchitects who want to design while considering context. The question thisÌýthesisÌýexamines is: How can we learn about place, describe it, and share it,Ìýwhile respecting a multiplicity of experiences and histories of the city?

TheÌýact of mapping is one of the ways in which designers can begin to understandÌýand express a sense of place. This thesis explores the connections betweenÌýplace, memory, and narrative and how mapping can share these aspects ofÌýexperience. Through mapping, fourÌýstories of the city of Calgary emerge from aÌýmixture of personal experience, historical maps, and research. These maps beginÌýto express place through describing official and unofficial histories,Ìýexperimenting with material and scale, and presenting narratives of the cityÌýthat come through lived experience in a place.