Public defence in Architecture, Landscape and Urbanism, Architect Helmi Kajaste

Title of the thesis: You see a lock anywhere? Elusive architectural boundaries of home detected through cinematic frames

Thesis defender: Helmi Kajaste
Opponent: Professor Hannu Salmi, University of Turku
Custos: Professor Panu Savolainen,Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture

Creating boundaries is one of the main functions of architecture. Discussion about boundaries, however, is often limited to a superficial level, noting only the boundaries between inside and outside or private and public. Lines in an architectural drawing may influence social situations, but their different implications may stay hidden if they are not commonly discussed. 

The study delves into the functioning and meanings of architectural boundaries in human relationships. The focus is on the boundaries of the home during the period of post-World War II modernism, when widespread societal changes made it possible to rearrange people’s way of life. 

By analysing films, the study investigates why boundaries of home are needed, what situations follow from unreliable boundaries, and how boundaries can both provide stability and be open to change. 

The characters of the widow and the widower emerge from the film analyses. The study views the situation of the widow or widower as a moment in time when one way of life has ended, and the rearranging of life and home lies ahead after the demise of the nuclear family narrative. The situation also demonstrates the way architectural boundaries function as a measure of success in human lives. Housing design still often assumes the family lifestyle, although a misfit would be free to arrange their lives in a different way. 

The case films also show that architectural boundaries both produce and reflect spatialized longing. Without the fence, the grass could not be greener on the other side. Boundaries entail comparison and longing, but also the awareness of the possibility of change. 

The study argues that architectural boundaries are far more complex than they are often presented as. Architecture can create expectations for the future which are based on the assumptions of the past. Boundaries create stability but can also act as tools for change. Films from the past can show how change has been reacted to and how it has been built previously. 

The study develops new tools for reconsidering and discussing architectural conventions. Although the starting point is to deepen the understanding of boundaries in architectural theory, the research also opens doors toward film studies.

Keywords: architectural boundaries, boundaries of home, architecture and film, elusive boundary

Thesis available for public display 10 days prior to the defence at Aaltodoc. 

Contact information: 

helmi.kajaste@gmail.com 
www.helmikajaste.fi