The Anxiety of Architecture: Design Uncertainty in a Subjective World

In the Post-Modern era of divisive critical discourse where theory is no longer willing to pursue the goal of absolute truth, architecture is uncertain. Without the certainty of absolute knowledge, the hope for any objective understanding of architecture is gone. In its place lies a turbulent realm of subjective experience.This thesis undertakes an exploration of that uncertainty in architecture. Through a reading of Graham Harman’s Object Oriented Ontology, this thesis considers how the philosophy of realism can inform the architect on understanding and working within the bounds of a world where subjective experience rules. This understanding is then challenged through a reflection on the task of designing a contemporary building sympathetic the character of the Centretown Heritage Conservation District of Ottawa, Ontario. Out of the exploration of that task the thesis’s project of a mixed-use infill development is arrived at.