Handicraft house: creation through architecture

Abstract

Working with your hands brings with it a certain joy. Using your senses to create something from scratch is no longer a part of our everyday life. The knowledge of making brings with it not only a tactile understanding of materials and tools but it also teaches us about our human history. A house for handicrafts encourages creation, fixing and maintaining by hand. It is a place to inspire an interest in handicrafts. It should be open for all in order to create an atmosphere where even small interventions are possible, to generate a sense of permanence and care to everyday objects made by hand, used by the maker. Four crafts form the function of the building: woodworking, blacksmiths, weaving and ceramics. These crafts are closely linked to many household items used in everyday life. These crafts are also linked to the four elements of architecture described by Gottfried Semper in his 19th century book The four elements of architecture. An important aspect is to, through the building itself, inspire the act of creating. To create something of lasting value requires a lot of care and attention to detail. Many aspects play an important role in the formation of the whole. By incorporating and exposing these crafts in the building the aim is to stimulate individual creation. Infill projects in cities require sensitiveness. Placement, function, appearance and execution all become important aspects in creating a robust addition to an existing context. The task of placing a new building in a historically sensitive and coherent context is one of the main aspects of this thesis. A new addition will become part of the urban context and should suit the needs of many, it should be a public building.