ABSTRACT
Socially engaged architecture in the northern hemisphere has historically been motivated by a model of activism based on Western metaphysical dualism or the philosophical distinction between matter and spiritualism that dominates the history of modern European thought. This model has asserted that without property in the self, there can be no political agency. Engaged Buddhism suggests another approach to activism in which liberal conceptions of the "self" are in fact an obstacle to social liberation. The distinction in engaged Buddhist discourses between daily practice and contemporary social issues is paralleled in the distinction between "conventional" and "Dhammic" or doctrinal language. The building is composed of a large rectangular mass that sits on a smaller rectangular base. The lower rectangle forms a gallery while the upper is punctuated by bold geometric protrusions, recessed grid panels, a large mosaic mural, and round decorative bas-relief friezes on the upper band.
