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Project Name: Stayed Here, Felt There
Team: Amir Lahouti
Instructors: Adam Fure
Year: 2022
Location: Kalamazoo, MI
Category: Studio (Foundation)
This project was my early exploration of form and design, started shortly after I moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan. At the time, I was adjusting to a new space and seeking motivation, so I turned to this project as a way to process my transition.

My new room (148” x 157”) was on the east side of the second floor of a house. It had a closet, an east-facing window, and was accessed through a passage on the same floor. When I arrived, the room contained a bed, a desk, and a drawer—basic furniture that I quickly occupied with my belongings.

The room was in the attic with a maximum height of 86.61”. The lower areas of the ceiling dictated where furniture could be placed, influencing how I arranged my bed and desk near the electrical socket. But more than any other object, my suitcases became the most present part of the room. They had traveled a long distance with me, carrying everything I owned. Now, they and their contents were scattered across the space—moving from place to place, constantly in transition.

This project maps that movement. Using Actor-Network Theory (ANT), I analyzed the circulation of my belongings—how they traveled from my two suitcases into the closet, drawer, and desk, and how the suitcases themselves shifted positions within the room. The organization plan visualizes this network, showing the relationships between these elements and the evolving nature of the space.

In the final composition, the movement patterns are translated into a 3D extrusion of the circulation map. Different types of movement are represented through variations in line thickness and height, creating a layered system. To break uniformity and avoid monolithic forms, the shapes are divided into stacked segments, where each layer retains the characteristics of its circulation type. The result is a juxtaposition of overlapping forms—an abstraction of my room's layout and the shifting presence of my belongings.

This project is both a study of space in flux and a reflection on the personal experience of displacement—how a room, even when occupied, can still feel temporary.