Saba Almutairi

Traditional architecture often treats the ground as a passive foundation rather than an active design element, limiting its role in shaping spatial experiences. This thesis investigates how architecture can integrate the ground as a dynamic and interactive medium, redefining spatial hierarchies, movement, and user engagement. By exploring the concept of the "blurred ground"—where the boundary between building and terrain is fluid—this study examines how spatial relationships can be reconfigured to create more immersive and adaptable environments.

Drawing from Claude Parent and Paul Virilio’s Function of the Oblique, this research investigates explicitly how sloped and oblique surfaces can transform architectural design by challenging conventional distinctions between structure and terrain. As Virilio states, “The artificial ground of the dwelling would become a LIVING GROUND enclosing all the various articles that are required for domestic life,” reinforcing the idea that ground conditions should be integral to spatial organization rather than treated as separate from built form.

This thesis explores three key strategies for engaging the ground as an active design element, first, redefining spatial hierarchies through oblique surfaces; second, adapting movement by incorporating inclines; and lastly, dissolving traditional separations to create multiple, diverse spatial experiences within a single project. By applying these methods, this research aims to expand architectural discourse on the relationship between buildings and terrain, demonstrating how spaces can be conceived, experienced, and inhabited through a more dynamic integration of ground and architecture.