Contemplative Retreat: Examining the Fundamentals of Spiritual Orientation through Architecture

With over 4,200 faith practices documented all over the world and 84% of the world\u27s population identifying with one of them, the studies of the Pew Research Institute clearly show that there is a need for spiritual spaces worldwide. Throughout history, these places were held as sacred and the land and building of these structures were treated as such. They offered a connection with the energy of the earth and orientation of the soul. All religions have their own defined religious rites that aid in the continuation of your practice of the faith. These involve rites of passage, affliction, fasting, and several others. By simply providing an item such as a rug or a specific relic, you could make a religious space but this thesis searches for the elements that go beyond the creation of religious space. This thesis goes beyond that of religion and questions how to make spiritual space in general