Augmented Virtual Reality: Playing Architect

This thesis sits at the intersection of identity and technology by considering what it means to assume the role of architect as the young black male. The public image of the architect is represented instead, by the white male figure and distributed in a narrative of individualist and ego. However, a critique of the ego through introspection and auto-biographical context gives alternative understanding to the social, cultural, racial and political discourse for the minority seeking autonomy. Framed in modern blackness, design in research becomes a process of appropriation where the architect can be challenged by notions of new softwares where platforms are built instead of foundations. Research that began largely about architecture and virtual reality - instead concludes with urgent questions involving the architect and the tools he interfaces - opening avenues for critical discourse on identity, autonomy, anonymity, and devices.