Presentation of a Series: Commuter Rail Station for Round Lake Beach, Illinois

by RAUN, TRUITT GRAMER

This thesis explores the idea of measuring and increasing the quality of experience of the built environment. As inhabited spaces become more generic, the meaning of one space amongst others becomes passive with no depth of content. Several factors have lead to the loss of ownership of ideas about an experience. Thoughts are generated from the discoveries found during an experience. Space has the ability to impose its terms to the subject, but conversely can be exposed through the design by the will of the subject. The design of a commuter rail station for a suburban community will attempt to counteract the effects of the doldrums that are part of many commuters' lifestyles. Injecting a moment of discovery into the commuter's normal routine will generate an awareness of their environment. The architecture will arouse intuitive thought of the design and in turn encourage a discourse about their experience.