The analogy of skin in architecture revisited

• Main Author: Croteau, Rene
• Format: Others
• Published: FIU Digital Commons 2005
• Subjects: Architectural Engineering
• Online Access: http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/2647; http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3856&context=etd

This thesis re-examines the implications of skin as an architectural analogy. The metaphor of skin has a long history o f usage in architecture, particularly regarding the building enclosure system. This thesis focuses on the role o f the built skin as a place of interaction between the inside and outside, rather than a simple physical barrier. Through an examination of the structure and functions of human skin and building enclosures I investigated issues o f permeability in the design of a center for cartographic research in Miami Beach. I explored layering and interdigitation as strategies for controlling the passage of air, light and views across boundaries at different scales.