--- title: Architect Defends 149 Page 52438 Word Dissertation Without Punctuation description: A University of British Columbia Phd candidate and architect successfully defended a 149-page 5,2438-word dissertation without punctuation canonical: https://time.com/3852886/ubc-architecture-phd-dissertation-no-punctuation/ author: Olivia B. Waxman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-05-09T18:48:22.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:47:37.608Z og:title: Why an Architect Wrote a 52,438-Word Dissertation With No Punctuation og:description: Examiners at the University of British Columbia accepted it unanimously og:url: https://time.com/3852886/ubc-architecture-phd-dissertation-no-punctuation/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why an Architect Wrote a 52,438-Word Dissertation With No Punctuation twitter:description: Examiners at the University of British Columbia accepted it unanimously twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Why an Architect Wrote a 52,438-Word Dissertation With No Punctuation ## Video: High Art's High Price: Museums Can't Afford It [Watch (HLS stream): High Art's High Price: Museums Can't Afford It](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/BR0tUoUi.m3u8) (2:31)  _Published 2013-11-15. The ultra-wealthy are snatching up prized works of art by 20th century masters. Many of these pieces, however, won't be seen again by the general public._  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer May 9, 2015 6:48 PM UTC  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer May 9, 2015 6:48 PM UTC An architect pursuing a doctorate at the University of British Columbia [wrote his 149-page, 52,438-word dissertation without any periods or commas](http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/ubc-student-writes-52438-word-architecture-dissertation-with-no-punctuation-not-everyone-loved-it). Patrick Stewart, 61, who belongs to the Nisga’a, a group of indigenous people in British Columbia, told Canada’s [_National Post_](http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/ubc-student-writes-52438-word-architecture-dissertation-with-no-punctuation-not-everyone-loved-it)that his dissertation, entitled “Indigenous Architecture through Indigenous Knowledge,” was designed to raise awareness about “the blind acceptance of English language conventions in academia” and to make a statement about “aboriginal culture, colonialism.” And he claimed there is “nothing in the (UBC dissertation) rules about formats or punctuation.” When he defended his punctuation-free dissertation, the examiners accepted it unanimously. Read an excerpt from the giant run-on sentence on the [_National Post_‘s website](http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/ubc-student-writes-52438-word-architecture-dissertation-with-no-punctuation-not-everyone-loved-it). ### See Life Inside Facebook's Headquarters  Martin Schoeller For TIME  Martin Schoeller For TIME  Martin Schoeller For TIME  Martin Schoeller For TIME  Martin Schoeller For TIME  Martin Schoeller For TIME  Martin Schoeller For TIME  Martin Schoeller For TIME  Martin Schoeller For TIME  Martin Schoeller For TIME  Martin Schoeller For TIME  Martin Schoeller For TIME ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3852886/ubc-architecture-phd-dissertation-no-punctuation/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3852886/ubc-architecture-phd-dissertation-no-punctuation/"},"headline":"Why an Architect Wrote a 52,438-Word Dissertation With No Punctuation","datePublished":"2015-05-09T18:48:22.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:47:37.608Z","description":"Examiners at the University of British Columbia accepted it unanimously","url":"https://time.com/3852886/ubc-architecture-phd-dissertation-no-punctuation/","keywords":["Newsfeed","society"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Olivia B. 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