Inhabitable Ruins: Embracing the Imprints of Time and Labor

Taylor Gladfelter //Advisor: Deb Ruben

Inhabitable Ruins: Embracing the Imprints of Time and Labor

The dominant approach in contemporary design emphasizes standardization and efficiency. Sadly, this often overshadows or destroys the unique character and history of buildings. In contrast, this thesis proposes a design ethos that embraces the patina of wear and the feeling of material authenticity. Rather than erase imperfections or overwrite the past, it engages the tactile evidence of time: layers of paint, repairs and alterations made over time, strange patches and conjunctions of materials, and traces of age and use.  Intervention is not seen as a disruption, but as a continuation: a gesture in response to existing conditions. In particular, handmade materials carry the presence of their maker and enter into dialogue with the building’s embodied history, deepening the sense of place and presence. Tool marks, joints, brushstrokes - these become signs of life, not flaws to be corrected. By honoring these imprints—of both time and human labor—this thesis work resists the notion of a finished or perfected space. Instead, it celebrates the building as a living surface, continually shaped by time, use, and care.