Hot Springs Abbey

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Hot Springs Abbey

Monastery
North Carolina
Winter 2012

BEHAVIOR IS THE MIRROR IN WHICH EVERYONE SHOWS THEIR IMAGE.
-wolfgang von goethe

The design of the monastery was based on the concept that spaces can shape human behavior. Therefore in the process of designing it, three ideas were kept in mind. First, how the organization of spaces can influence and help develop the routine of a monks daily life. Second, how compression and release of spaces can create a sense of place, and create difference between the most private to the least private spaces. Third, how the use of light and the placement of windows can also help achieve a sense of privacy, importance and can let the monks focus and grasp the space the are in.

The monastery is located in North Carolina. To be able to understand the principles of being a monk we visited a monastery and got ourselves immersed in their way of life. We understood the importance of following a schedule, and the relationship and position of each building, and the reason that they are placed in a usual manner.