Reflecting back on this semesters work, it is evident that
this class has been one of the most rewarding classes I have taken here at
Wentworth. When designing in studio, we often design in hypotheticals. There is
little exploration as to what happens when our designs are implemented into the
“real world”. With this class, however, we were able to visit a site, identify
a problem, take a position, execute design iterations, and see the actual
effects in person that occurred from our designs. We received real feedback, in
place of our typical hypothetical feedback. As architectural designers, we are
designing for the public; so what better way to execute a project than observing
and talking to the public themselves?
When intervening in a space that people know to be one way
and changing the order or the process of how people move throughout, people
seem to be skeptical or hesitant to interact with the intervention. However,
when the time is taken to explain the intervention and the reason behind the
process, people seem excited and on board with it. It is interesting to observe
people’s behaviors during set up. It seemed that no one really knew that
private conversations were necessary to happen, but once they understood, they
really enjoyed it.
It is also interesting to observe people’s behavior after the
set-up. There were a couple of instances where people’s behaviors were very interesting
and telling. On one occasion, there were two people sitting in one of the
secluded spaces and they were facing each other. It seemed as though they were
comfortable enough within the space that they made it their personal space.
This was not seen when people were sitting on a long bench, as to not “cut the
other people off” or take up more room than necessary. If people are given an
appropriate sense of privacy, it gives them permission to treat the space
differently. It was very interesting to observe people’s body language in this
design specifically. This semesters work took on authentic, real, and meaningful
elements.