Gareth Freathy

Thesis title

Augmented Reality and the Lived Experience of Liminal Space 

Abstract

Research Aims: 

The aim of my research is to explore emerging manifestations of liminal space, made possible by the increased prevalence of immersive technologies.  Using augmented reality (AR) as part of a practice research methodology, the project focuses on my phenomenological experience of domestic space and the transformative potential of thresholds to reveal new ways of being and knowing.  In so doing, the research acknowledges the potential impact of AR on everyday life, explores complex interconnections, and evaluates AR as an embodied form of knowledge creation and communication.   

Research Question: 

In what ways can AR be used to explore the lived experience of liminal space, and what insights are revealed by this embodied creative practice? 

Research Context: 

As the experience of domestic space becomes increasingly mediated through technology, the home has become a complex and contested site, simultaneously shared and solitary, productive and restful, stable and fluid.  By blending physical and digital space within the home, AR becomes a tool for exploring the lived experience of liminal space as it permeates intimate spatiotemporal existence and disrupts everyday behaviours.  Not only could this create a new state of being for the user but potentially reveal new ways of knowing and embodying space. 

Methodology: 

The project follows a practice research methodology, incorporating creative practice alongside critical reflection and conceptual frameworks.  Using a mixed methods approach the digital augmentations are recorded and analysed using practice logs, mappings, reflective journals and critical writing.  These sources then inform subsequent iterations to create an evolving, embodied creative practice that allows key insights and themes to emerge.  This hybrid methodology uses AR as both a critical spatial practice and autoethnographic tool to explore how immersive digital interventions can be used to disrupt, reinforce or transform habitual perceptions of space.

Professional engagements

• ARB registered Architect 

Qualifications