E
Dreamscape
Architecture Thesis | 2022 | University of Oregon
Dreamscape is a visionary proposal for Portland’s first trans-centered bathhouse, designed to celebrate community joy, radical rest, and embodied wellness. Set within an industrial urban context, the project transforms a harsh, utilitarian backdrop into a restorative, ethereal landscape that invites reflection, connection, and respite. Water, a universal symbol of healing and renewal across cultures, serves as the organizing element, shaping spaces that encourage both safety and vulnerability.
The design echoes the site’s previous life by evoking a motion downward toward the water dissolving from a larger mass like gravel falling into the river. Light wells protrude from the roof like cathedral spires distorting the scale and weaving a metaphorical thread through the project. The architecture guides movement and interaction, while intimate and open areas balance communal gathering with personal retreat. Through careful site analysis, architectural interventions respond to existing environmental conditions and urban fabric, creating a harmonious dialogue between nature, infrastructure, and human experience. Dreamscape envisions architecture as a vehicle for inclusivity, cultural expression, and the reimagining of everyday rituals.