On the Placeness That Exists Before Place
Uncovering a Sense of Place through Collective Architectural Practice on the Terp
T.H. Kang (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
M. Tenzon – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
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Abstract
This thesis explores how shared architectural actions and material engagements contribute to the formation of a communal sense of place, using the Frisian terp landscape as a central case study. Drawing from archaeological evidence, historical maps, and theoretical frameworks from architectural phenomenology and anthropology, the research investigates the interplay between collective practices—such as layered earth construction, settlement rituals, and communal maintenance—and the emergence of place-bound identities. The study argues that the physical shaping of the terp, beyond being a response to environmental necessity, constituted a socio-cultural process through which people actively constructed their worldview. The research contributes to a broader understanding of architecture not merely as shelter but as a medium through which communal imagination and identity are cultivated.