Investigations of Third Place | Celebrating the Ephemeral by Emily Dawson

INVESTIGATIONS OF THIRD PLACE CELEBRATING THE EPHEMERAL

A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the Architecture Department in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Architecture at Savannah College of Art and Design Emily Dawson Savannah Campus Â©August 2016.

Scott Singeisen, Committee Chair Alice Guess, Committee Member Michael Chaney, Committee Member

DEDICATION Lori Dawson

Thank you for always answering the phone

despite the odd hours, for your boundless

patience, and positive reinforcement.

Neil Dawson

| Thank you for leading me to architecture and

Elizabeth Dawson

You were right, I can do it.

allowing me space to find myself in the field.

| I’m so grateful that you were in Savannah while

I worked on this thesis. I had no idea how

much I needed you here but I’m so glad you

were. Thank you for your rescue at the 9th hour.

I’m lucky to have you as a sister.

Ellie Dawson | Thank you for always being a phone call away

and bringing a smile to my face. And of course,

for bringing me snacks when I was stressed.

Nathan Dawson

| Chipotle.

Natallie Santiago

| Thank you for being such a wonderful friend.

I’m glad we got to share these last two years

together and look forward to many more.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Scott Singeisen

| You believed in me more than I believed in myself some

days. You reminded me that architecture is not just

a building, exactly when I needed to remember. What

I’ve learned this last year goes beyond this thesis and

will continue to impact me for the rest of my career.

How do you begin to thank someone for that?

Alice Guess

Thank you for your time and enthusiasm in this process.

I’m so grateful to have worked with you.

Michael Chaney

Thank you for the positivity and intersting discussions.

You brought a vital energy to the process.

Elizabeth Schminke |

Thank you for your words of encouragement, advice,

and support.

Dawson Architects |

Thank you to all my coworkers. You all have been

so supportive and gave your time to come to my

exhibitions. I’m grateful to have such a great group of

people to work with each day.

TABLE OF CONTENTS L IST O F F I G UR E S

THESIS A BST R AC T 5 I

DE F I N I N G P L AC E

EN V I S I O N I N G P L AC E 19

III

C AS E ST UD I E S 3 4

THI R D P L AC E 40

DE S I G N I N G T H I R D P L ACE 49

V I

EX P E R I E NC I NG T H I R D P L ACE

V II R EF L EC T I NG O N T H I R D P L ACE 83 V III B IBL I O G R A P H Y

LIST OF FIGURES CHAPTER I 10

Figure 1.01 | Dawson, Emily. Diagramming Sense of Place. 2016.

11 Figure 1.02 | Dawson, Emily. Differing Definitions of Place. 2016. 14 Figure 1.03 | Norberg-Schultz, Christian. Genius Loci. 1980 CHAPTER II 21 Figure 2.01 | Pew Research. Graph of Smart phone usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; view of their phones. 2014. http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/us-smartphone-use-in-2015/ 22

Figure 2.02 | Dawson, Emily. Information Overload. 2015.

Figure 2.03 | Dawson, Emily. Boundary of Virtual & Physical Space. 2016.

26 Figure 2.04 | Gaming Channel. Inescapable Draw of Technology. http://www. gamingchannel.nl/de-strijd-om-de-virtual-reality/ 27 Figure 2.05 | Oculus Rift. Man immersed in virtual world of Occulus Rift. 2015. https:// www.oculus.com/en-us/rift/ 28 Figure 2.06 | Google Glass. Google Glass augments the reality of daily life. 2016. http:// www.twincities.com/ci_24581441/google-glass-half-empty-or-half-full 28 Figure 2.07 | Google Glass. Google Glass user is alerted to real time information. 2016. http://www.twincities.com/ci_24581441/google-glass-half-empty-or-half-full 29

Figure 2.08 | Dawson, Emily. Connection to Larger Community. 2016.

Figure 2.09 | Dawson, Emily. Blurred Between Virtual & Physical. 2016.

Figure 2.10 | Dawson, Emily. Mobile Connection. 2016.

31 Figure 2.11 | Marketo. Millennial Statistics. 2014. http://blog.marketo.com/2014/08/meet- generation-z-marketings-next-big-audience-infographic.html 32

Figure 2.12 | Sparks & Honey. Generation Z. 2015. http://www.slideshare.net/

sparksandhoney/generation-z-final-june-17/40-They_are_less_active40This_generation CHAPTER III 35 Figure 3.01 | Cardiff, Janet. Alter Bahnhof Video Walk. 2012. http://www.cardiffmiller. com/artworks/walks/bahnhof.html 37 Figure 3.02 | Matsuda, Keichii. Domestic Robocop. 2010. http://km.cx/projects/ domestic-robocop/ 37 Figure 3.03 | Matsuda, Keichii. Domestic Robocop. 2010. http://km.cx/projects/ domestic-3obocop/

CHAPTER III | CONT. 37 Figure 3.04 | Matsuda, Keichii. Domestic Robocop. 2010. http://km.cx/projects/ domestic-robocop/ 38

Figure 3.05 | Harvey, Claire. When What Was When. 2010. http://claireharvey.net/

Figure 3.06 | Harvey, Claire. When What Was When. 2010. http://claireharvey.net/

Figure 3.07 | Harvey, Claire. When What Was When. 2010. http://claireharvey.net/

CHAPTER IV 41 Figure 4.01| Dawson, Emily. First, Second, & Third Place. 2016. 43

Figure 4.07| Dawson, Emily. Spread of Coffee Culture. 2016.

43 Figure 4.02| Granger. Turkish Coffeehouse | Social Center. 1854. http://fineartamerica. com/featured/1-turkish-coffeehou4e-granger.html 43 Figure 4.05| Lebrecht Music & Arts Photo Library. English Coffee House. 18th Century. http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-18th-century-coffee-house-engraving-83347319. html 43 Figure 4.03| Altwiener, Kaffeehausszene. Viennese Coffeehouse | Democratic Club. 1900. http://www.volfoto.inf.ua/pagesi/istomist/statti/2013rik/dm130926/t131003/ kava/kava.htm 43 Figure 4.04| Huber, Jean. French Cafe | Le Souper des philosophes. 18th Century. http://www.fbls.net/litterature18salon.htm 43 Figure 4.06| American Colonial Tavern. 18th Century. http://www.mountvernon.org/ george-washington/beer/ 44

Figure 4.08 | Oldenburg, Ray. The Great Good Place. 1999.

45 Figure 4.09 | Redlinski, Piotr. Laptop Users at Atlas Cafe in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 2011. http://wordplay.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/28/stars/?_r=0 46

Figure 4.10 | Dawson, Emily. Usage Diagram of the Foundry. 2016.

Figure 4.11 | Dawson, Emily. Sectional Diagram of Mate Factor. 2016.

Figure 4.12 | Dawson, Emily. Usage Digram of Sentient Bean. 2016.

Figure 4.13 | Dawson, Emily. Sectional Diagram Courtyard. 2016.

CHAPTER V 50

Figure 5.01 | Dawson, Emily. Diagram of Third Place. 2016.

51 Figure 5.02 | Serra, Richard. Verb List. 1967. Museum of Modern Art, New York City. www.moma.org

Figure 5.03 | Dawson, Emily. Generative Line Diagram. 2016.

Figure 5.04 | Dawson, Emily. Third Place Spatialization. 2016.

Figure 5.05 | Dawson, Emily. Scaleless Overlay | To Weave. 2016.

CHAPTER V | CONT. 55

Figure 5.06 | Dawson, Emily. Scaleless Overlay | To Join. 2016.

Figure 5.07 | Dawson, Emily. Scaleless Overlay | To Split. 2016.

Figure 5.08 | Dawson, Emily. Scaleless Overlay | To Expand. 2016.

Figure 5.09 | Dawson, Emily. Scaleless Overlay | To Layer. 2016.

Figure 5.10 | Dawson, Emily. Scaleless Overlay | To Weave. 2016.

Figure 5.11 | Dawson, Emily. Collaged Interactions | Ellis Square. 2016.

Figure 5.12 | Dawson, Emily. Imagined Third Space | Ellis Square. 2016.

61 Figure 5.13 | Dawson, Emily. Collaged Interactions | Forsyth Park. 2016. 61 Figure 5.14 | Dawson, Emily. Imagined Third Space | Forsyth Park. 2016. 62

Figure 5.15 | Dawson, Emily. Collaged Interactions | Kroger. 2016.

Figure 5.16 | Dawson, Emily. Imagined Third Space | Kroger. 2016.

Figure 5.17 | Dawson, Emily. Collaged Interactions | Oglethorpe Mall. 2016.

Figure 5.18 | Dawson, Emily. Imagined Third Space | Oglethorpe Mall. 2016.

Figure 5.19 | Dawson, Emily. Collaged Interactions | Collins Quarter. 2016.

Figure 5.20 | Dawson, Emily. Imagined Third Space | Collins Quarter. 2016.

Figure 5.21 | Dawson, Emily. Collaged Interactions | Zunzis. 2016.

Figure 5.22 | Dawson, Emily. Imagined Third Space | Zunzis. 2016.

CHAPTER VI 68

Figure 6.01 | Dawson, Emily. Laser-cutting Perspective Slides. 2016.

Figure 6.02 | Dawson, Emily. Testing Observational Videos over Perspective Lines. 2016.

Figure 6.03 | Dawson, Emily. Testing the overhead projector. 2016.

Figure 6.05 | Dawson, Emily. Site | Basement Before. 2016.

Figure 6.04 | Dawson, Emily. Hanging the Screens. 2016.

Figure 6.06 | Dawson, Emily. Initial Exhibition | Layers of Observation & Imagined Space over Real life Interaction. 2016.

71 Figure 6.07 | Dawson, Emily. Initial Exhibition | Utilizing Depth of Space as focus of conversation. 2016. 72 Figure 6.08 | Dawson, Emily. Lebbeus Woods Quote with Statement of Thesis Intent. 2016. 73

Figure 6.09 | Dawson, Emily. Initial Exhibition | Playing with Different Light temperatures & Static vs. Dynamic Media. 2016.

CHAPTER VI | CONT. 74 Figure 6.10 | Dawson, Emily. Final Exhibition | Site Plan of Projection Coverage . 2016. 75

Figure 6.11 | Dawson, Emily. Final Exhibition | Creating an Imagined Spatial Field where Real Third Place Interaction takes place. 2016.

Figure 6.12 | Dawson, Emily. Final Exhibition | Forming6of Social Groups taking place at locations of Implied Enclosure. 2016.

77 Figure 6.13 | Dawson, Emily. Final Exhibition | Installation becomes the backdrop for siteless conversation. 2016. 78

Figure 6.14 | Dawson, Emily. Final Exhibition | Panoramic View. 2016.

Figure 6.15 | Dawson, Emily. Final Exhibition | Explorations into Color. 2016.

Figure 6.16 | Dawson, Emily. Final Exhibition | Vibrant Site, Empty Stool. 2016.

CHAPTER VII

Figure 7.01 | Instagram. Social Media | #celebrate3rdplace. 2016.

Figure 7.02 | Dawson, Emily. Final Exhibition Boards. 2016.

THESIS ABSTRACT

INVESTIGATIONS OF THIRD PLACE CELEBRATING THE EPHEMERAL Emily Dawson ÂŠAugust 2016.

This thesis utilizes process and theory in order to study the rapidly changing definition of Third Place in a world that has been forever changed by technology. This thesis defines Third Place not only as a physical location, but as a moment in time as well. This expansion of the previous definition, as outlined by Ray Oldenberg, allows for an interesting cross pollination between full scale ephemeral design and the experience of Third Place.

keywords: third place, phenomenology, full scale, projections, ephemeral, exhibition

DEFINING PLACE PHYSICAL PAST

This thesis began with a simple question:

have historically constituted place.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;How

the

Place is a curious combination of the

way people interact with and within

tangible and intangible. An idea that is

architecture?â&#x20AC;?

This line of questioning

so complex the effort to understand it

stemmed from observations of both the

has created a wonderful cross-pollination

benefits and pitfalls of modern technology,

of disciplines.

specifically the global connection the

and psychology create a tension with

Internet provides through the handheld

architecture that puts into question the

device.

Sites of incredible architecture

belief that all space is a place. Defining

and carefully designed spaces are now

place is crucial to understanding not only

occupied by those who would experience

the role of the built-environment but also

the space through a device or others who

the way in which people interact.

use the device as an escape. Arguments

definition of place is not a singular concrete

have been made both for and against

idea but rather a loose understanding that

these radical changes, however there is

has been developed over the centuries,

not enough discussion of the current state.

contingent on humanityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s progress which

Rather than wasting energy on whether

leaves an exciting possibility for what it

the rampant use of technology is good or

could mean next.

bad, which are loosely and ever-changing

At every moment of being, we are

definitions anyway, this thesis seeks to

in a place.

understand how it has changed people.

unnecessarily

The simple question starts to subdivide

explaining an inherently known fact, but it

into more complex questions.

Has

is important to recognize how elementary

technology shifted the modern definition

and inescapable place is to the way we

of place? The first step is to look back

experience the world. Aristotle believed

and absorb all there is to know about the

that place is one of the most important

wonderful, multifaceted concepts that

and crucial principles of our existence. In

has

technology

changed

Philosophy, geography,

The

This might seem like an complicated

way

Physics, Aristotle stated simply “The power

to time’s ‘when’ and space’s ‘what’.3 Place

of place will be remarkable.” Aristotle saw

is more than just the backdrop of our lives,

time and space as voids or vastness in

it can be different from person to person,

which we are contained, but place as the

culture to culture, and even planet to

marker tethering us to a specific time and

planet.

space. It is important to understand that

Place exists at many scales at once, as

time and space are more than units of

does time and space. As humans, we try

measure. The Oxford Dictionary attempts

to quantify these principles.

to define space as “n. A continuous area

them easier to digest. Time is measured

or expanse that is free, available, or

in relation to the earth’s rotation around

unoccupied, v. position of two or more

the Sun. Even with placing this measuring

objects at a distance from one another,

device on time, it still is understood to

and n. An interval of time.”1 Interestingly,

pass at different scales. We count decades,

space at its understood definition cannot

years, months, days, hours, minutes, and

be considered separate from time. The

even down to the second. We obsessively

definitions of time are even more muddled,

try to capture time and put it into terms we

with the Oxford Dictionary including

can fathom. Space is no different, though

36 definitions. Each definition cannot

the measures of space are more related to

describe time without using the word itself

how much of something exists within the

in the definition. The broadest and most

void. Quantification of space also includes

applicable to this discussion is “indefinite

distance, how far is one thing from another.

continued progress of existence and events

All of these quantifications of time and

in the past, present, and future regarded

space attribute to the development of

as a whole.”2 The combination of these

places. Quantifiers like seconds and

relative concepts creates an axis in which

minutes to measure time and miles and

place can be understood. It is the ‘where’

meters to measure space will not work to

It makes

decipher place. Place is distinguished by 1 “Space: Definition of Space in Oxford Dictionary (American English) (US).” 2 “Time: Definition of Time in Oxford Dictionary (American English) (US).”

Casey, The Fate of Place., ix

meaningful interaction

tim

place

Figure 1.01 | Dawson, Emily. Diagramming Sense of Place. 2016.

LOCATION

LOCALE GENIUS LOCI

its qualifiers.

happening there. The last component is

Place is widely

sense of place and this is much harder

understood

to qualify.

through the lens

emotional response.

of three major

and the locale play into one’s sense

quantifiers:

of place, but it is something that can

location, locale,

acquired without physically going to the

and

location or experienced the locale first-

Location

hand. Perceived notions of a place can

is the “absolute

be garnered through any combination

point in space.”

of direct experiences, mediation, and/or

representation.4 Mediation is the second-

and

hand way that we experience the place. It

coordinates,

can be through film, literature, media, or

large

scale

even conversations with someone else.

However, sense of place that is based

Locale

on first-hand memories will live in ones

sense

place.

tied

geography

quantifiers Figure 1.02 |

Dawson, Emily. Differing Definitions of Place. 2016.

space.

The sense of place is an

is the physical

psyche

essence

memories. When these memories are tied

The built-environment falls into

to emotions, it evokes a strong sense of

this category. Locale is experiential, one

place that will override previous mediated

is able to touch, see, and hear within the

notions. Place takes on a different meaning

place. The locale is not only buildings

when it is experienced personally.

and man-made infrastructure, it can also

For example, Paris is a famous place.

include completely natural surroundings.

It has been established as a city of art

Essentially, it is the elements that exist

and culture throughout history.

even when there is not human interaction

located in France and at the geographic

place.

differently

Both the location

than

second-hand

It is

Cresswell, Place.

coordinates of 48.8567° N, 2.3508° E.5 This

the point where skeptics might believe it

knowledge of its location does not indicate

could not be as magnificent as it has been

anything about the place itself. In fact

portrayed. When one experiences the city

the coordinates are arbitrary unless one

for themselves, their perception is bound

has accepted longitude and latitude as

to change. The act of being in a place and

the universal units to map the Earth. It is

making memories there will layer over the

much more likely that an individual will be

preconceived to create a new perspective.

able to determine the location by a series

That is not to say that the new perspective

of relative places in relation to oneself. In

will inherently be positive nor that the

the United States, one might know that

preconceived notions will be lost. Rather

France is across the Atlantic Ocean. The

the city will become a palimpsest of

knowledge that is used to relate is less

memories and meaning that will give a

about geographic distance and more

rich sense of place. The beauty in this

associative. Paris has a very widely known

realization is that each individual has

and mediated locale. It is used as the

unique senses of place and which makes

romantic and intellectual backdrop of

the built environment much less rigid and

many novels and films. The Eiffel Tower

unchanging.

is a ubiquitous symbol of Paris, the City of

Space

Lights, and its contributions to the Age of

experienced.

Enlightenment.6 It has been studied for its

the relationship of the three variant

architecture, culture, politics, and art. All

definitions (location, locale, and sense

of these sources add to ones sense of Paris

of place), one must understand what

as a place. The mention of the name Paris

all three have in common.

typically evokes images of the Eiffel Tower,

of scale, all places have materiality,

boulevards, little cafés, and champagne.

meaning, and practice.7 This is really just

The sense of place is distorted by overly

an expounded explanation. Materiality

romanticized stories and descriptions, to

is the physical, inhabitable space which

5 “Paris, France Map Lat Long Coordinates.” 6 “Paris | National Capital, France | Britannica.com.”

becomes

place

when

To further expand on

Cresswell, Place.

Regardless

files under the locale.

Meaning is the

a person can dream, fill with memory, and

personal experiences and memories tied

then revisit later in their mind. So much

to a space which attribute the sense of

so, that a house can be lost to the physical

place.

Practice, however, is an outlier.

world but still exist as a place one visits.

Practice is the action in the spaces, the act

He also emphasizes the intimacy of a

of being utilized, so that in use there is an

house, that it will shelter and guard you.

opportunity for meaning to be embedded.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;A house that has been inhabited is not

It goes back to the reality that space is only

an inert box. Inhabited space transcends

place when it is experienced. This allows

geometrical space.â&#x20AC;?8

for the idea that one can know of a place,

The question that begun this study still

but it only is a space to them until they

remains, what is place? It is no easier to

experience it. There is a need for a third

define than space or time, however it is

word to describe this phenomenon, a word

clear that space, time, and place are all

that would describe the post-experienced

fundamentally related to people. A place

place with a possessive attachment: my

can be tangible, materiality understood

place vs. a place vs. a space.

through experience, however it can also be

One of the most widely recognized places

intangible memory of a place. It has been

that evokes a strong sense of place is the

shown that historically, place has been tied

home.

Gaston Bachelard studies the

to its physical incarnations and that it has

home extensively in Poetics of Space. In

been applied to all spaces. However, times

this book, Bachelard describes the home

have changed dramatically since Aristotle.

as a safe space and shelter. He sees it

Virtual worlds are now something that

as the place that holds ones memories

you can experience and interact with, not

and dreams.

just those imagined in literature or film.

It is the first place that

any person can remember.

Bachelard

In this day and age, it is possible that a

describes a home as a house, with a cellar,

child could consider parts of the Internet

attic, and many rooms. It is a place where

a place where they feel safer than their 8 Bachelard and Jolas, The Poetics of Space.

is a science of the non-scientific, it

“Man dwells when he can

attempts to measure and study the world

orientate himself within

in relation to the one experiencing it.

and identify himself with an environment, or, in short, when he experiences the environment as meaningful.

”

Philosophy has sought to understand the incomprehensible since its conception, particularly in the study of universal topics such as time, space, and place.

These

topics, frustratingly split in their duality of

PERSON + INTERACTION = PLACE Figure 1.03 | Norberg-Schultz, Christian.

quantitative and qualitative measurability, became clearer when studied in relation to

Genius Loci. 1980

the human experience and being. It is in the

houses. If place is just space until it is

subset of philosophy that phenomenology

experienced, then isn’t it possible that

was conceived and thrives. The movement

the spaces inhabited by digital interaction

of phenomenology is relatively young,

can become a place? Now that a basis of

the idea planted as early as Immanuel

place has been defined, explorations of

Kant, fathered by Edmund Husserl in the

into the study of this phenomenon can be

late 1800s and then continued through

conducted.

philosophers such as Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sarte, and Maurice Merleau-

Phenomenology

and

place

are

two

nouns that are intrinsically connected. They overlap in their innateness and pervasiveness, place being consistently experienced to the point of settling comfortably in the backdrop of everyday life and phenomenology being the study of these interactions.

Phenomenology

Ponty.1 The study of phenomena (objects, experience, events) naturally overlaps with place and raises many questions about what place is as well as what it could be. A question that is still as relevant today as it ever was. Architectural theorists of the mid-20th century adopted phenomenology and continued its study in relation to the 1

Solomon, “Phenomenology.”

built environment.

Christian Norberg-

Put simply, place is where things happen.

Schulz was an architect and theorists who

It is comprised of tangible things that have

was among the first to forge the bridge

“materiality, substance, shape, texture,

between architecture, particularly modern

and colour” as well as the character or

architecture, and phenomenology.

essence.2

In his essay The Phenomenon of Place,

Genius loci is a Roman principle that

Norberg-Schulz lays groundwork for this

means the “spirit of place.” Genius is the

connection. As stated, phenomenology is

“guardian spirit” that every person or

the study of phenomena. Norberg-Schulz

place possesses, simply what it is or wants

further defines phenomena as the objects

to be. All places have character, but place

of our daily life. If you can come into contact

itself can be broken down into natural and

with it through any of the five senses than

man-made.

it is a phenomena, however there is a sixth

essential that man have a deep connection

sense that is not of the tangible world.

and understanding of the natural essence

Feelings, emotions, and reactions are still

of a place (genius loci).

a vital part of the day to day phenomena.

the environment one lived in, its ebbs

These phenomena can be broken down

and flows, dangers and protections, was

into smaller components, a house is made

paramount to survival. This understanding

of rooms and a country comprised of

allowed man to dwell. Today, we dwell

cities and landscape. Norberg-Schulz is

under

careful to make the distinction between

understanding

these compounding elements and other

Technological advancement has seemingly

quantifiers that are unrelated to the daily

rendered connection to the land obsolete

experience, such as molecular make up or

so place-making happens without regard

“data.” The composite phenomena result

for the genius loci. The consequences of

in environments for other phenomena to

such mentality are proving to be more

exist and thus leads us to the idea of place.

threatening to the modern man’s way of life

In ancient cultures, it was

the

Knowledge of

previously of

our

established ancestors.

2 Nesbitt, Theorizing a New Agenda for Architecture. P 414

than ever before because that connection

physical space is a three dimensional

and understanding has been dulled. It

geometry defined by its core parameters:

is just as essential that man understand

outside and inside. Architecture is said to

the genius loci of the man-made place. To

be the point at which the outside and inside

dwell is to be human. But in order to dwell

converge, it creates a boundary. 5 Outside

fully, man must be able to place himself

is the landscape, the extension reaching

in his environment through orientation

out into space, only understood when

and identification. In addition to knowing

assessed against inside. Inside is settled,

where he is, he must connect with the

it is enclosed with boundaries against the

place through emotional connection and

verticality and horizontality of the space

memories. There are visible markers of

beyond. Walls, floor, and ceiling are the

the where, objects in space identified

enclosures of the inside and the boundary

through

their

one

between is called architecture. Openings

another.

But the identification comes

in the enclosure play an important role in

through invisible tethers to said objects.

connecting to the expansion, linking man

Architecture is the physical incarnation of

that is inside to the genius loci of outside.

genius loci, the tactile interface that every

To summarize, place is the coexistence

person encounters. It is carved out of both

of space and character. Norberg-Schulz

existential space and physical space thus

used the way in which our language

creating a place.

attempts to capture these three vital

Existential

relationships

space

the

connection

notions to reinforce his postulations.

between man and genius loci, place. The

Places are nouns, spaces are prepositions

space is the relationship itself and can

creating systematic relationships, and

exists even when the two components

character is described through adjectives.

are not in the same locale. It is the basis

To take this one step further, there must

for the sense of place3 and the house of

be some action or verb to catalyst this

memories.4 It is the perceptual field. The

relationship.

3 Casey, The Fate of Place. 4 Bachelard and Jolas, The Poetics of Space.

The adjectives used to

Norberg-Schulz, Architecture.

term a place are subjective and change

Humans long for a sense of place, in order

drastically depending on the actions

to belong one must have a place to do so.

within a place. For architecture to take the

This is why the idea of the mobile life is

step beyond merely separating the outside

alarming and exciting.

from inside, it must evoke the actions that

In Norberg-Schulzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time (1926-2000), he

allow a space to be defined by its character

certainly saw the ways in which mobility

and thus result in a place. Arguably the

changed us. Urban living is said to be a great

most important action is interaction, how

paradox of being constantly surrounded

people interact with each other and other

by people but feeling alone. The isolation

objects in a space greatly determines the

of impermanence is even greater now

character of the place.

that people are able to retreat to a place

Norberg-Schulz discusses a trend away

removed from the physical world.

from stable places to a more mobile

place one goes when engaged with devices

life. Mobility has been achieved through

has not yet been fully explored. This is not

technological advancement, the same

only a place to which our mind escapes.

kind that created a discord between man

In this space, virtual enclosures are

and natural genius loci. Though there are

created. The mind is channeled through

many negatives, this is still seen as an

the connections to the limitless expanse

achievement because it has allowed man

of information and outside is anywhere

to find a sense of being and to dwell on

not connected through this digital funnel.

a larger scale than before. The feeling of

The walls, ceilings, and floors that once

â&#x20AC;&#x153;at homeâ&#x20AC;? is where existential space and

denoted the boundary of architecture are

immediate space coexist, and arguably

being delineated, but the sense of place

this is feeling is happening in more places

prevails. This raises questions of how a

than the literal home. So far, place has

better understanding of these subversive

been discussed in an effort to define it, but

places can lead to greater architectural

it is important to explore why it matters.

success.

The

ENVISIONING PLACE HYBRID PRESENT TO VIRTUAL FUTURE

Innovation

and

invention

are

the

a technological boom that is unparalleled

keys to advancement as a species.

in its widespread new world order. Some

However, with all great technological

call it the Information Age, spurred by the

advancement, there are side effects that

Digital Revolution.1 The inventions of this

send shockwaves through every level

era, specifically the Internet and smart

of society. These effects are not always

phones, have affected human behavior at

immediately apparent and adjustments

global, local, and individual scales.

to accommodate the new way of life are

The flagship invention of this era is the

often far behind the curve. Historically

Internet. The ‘simple idea’ of connecting

significant technological advancement is

all the worlds’ computers and data

defined by changing the way people live at

has created a monster of information

a global scale. Prehistoric examples of this

inundation.

include the discovery of fire and the wheel,

had spatial and temporal elements. It

two inventions that we take for granted but

is temporal in its timelessness, there

are the foundation for society as we know

is a non-linear structure not only to its

it. In the last two centuries alone, there

assemblage but also to the way in which

have been significant innovations that

it is used.

change how people dwell and work such as

describe it acknowledges that it is space,

the train, automobile, and airplane. These

though not taking up much of our physical

transportation leaps have challenged

space. It is called the World Wide Web,

notions of time (duration) and space

the information highway, and at one point,

(distance), as well as changing mankind’s

some might have even said “surfing the

sense of place. Place has morphed over

web.” Web has such a strong imagery to the

time in correlation with these technological

connectivity and tethers that associated

shockwaves. It must. For man to be, he must

with the Internet. The Internet and devices

know his orientation and identity within

borrow many architectural notions to help

his place. In present times, there has been

users more comfortably navigate this new

The Internet has always

The terminology used to

1 Castells and Castells, The Rise of the Network Society.

frontier. Every website has a homepage, it

could not live without it. However, the rest

is a simple compound word that tells users

of the survey shows that a vast majority of

that this is the center. Homes are seen as

users have more positive feelings towards

the first place, the starting point of one’s

their phones. They see it as a freedom

life as well as a safe place. By going to a

more than a leash and more connecting

homepage, one will be able to navigate to

than distracting. This is very interesting

anywhere else and always return if they

because it would imply that the majority

feel lost. More than just being a space,

would see the smart phone as a necessity

the language of going there reinforces the

over a commodity. Perhaps over the next

notion that the Internet is a place.

decade this will not even be a question

Norberg-Schulz

describes

comprised

space

place

and smart devices will be an extension of

and

character.2 By this definition, the Internet qualifies.

The

Internet’s

gave

connectivity

new life to the mobile phone when they combined to become the smartphones that 64% of Americans now carry as a lifeline.3

Smart phones have

connected us in a way that even laptops could not.

Figure 2.01, the graph shows an

Figure 2.01 | Pew Research. Graph of Smart phone

users’ view of their phones. 2014. http://www.pewinternet. org/2015/04/01/us-smartphone-use-in-2015/

interesting paradox of smart phone owners

ourselves, like clothing. Even now, the smart

being relatively split on the necessity of

phone is always with us and constantly

the device. 54% of users feel that it is

connecting to everyone, everywhere. That

not always needed and 46% say that they

connectivity has compounded to result in

2 Nesbitt, Theorizing a New Agenda for Architecture. 3 Smith, “U.S. Smart phone Use in 2015.”

Figure 2.02 | Dawson, Emily. Information Overload. 2015.

an unprecedented globalization.

Impacts of the Internet and modern

Globalization is defined by Antony Giddens

technology

as â&#x20AC;&#x153;the intensification of world-wide social

processed, analyzed, and updated.

relations which link distant localities in

with all things new, there is a resistance to

such a way that local happenings are

change and nostalgia for a time that has

shaped by events occurring many miles

passed and perceived to be simpler. One

away and vice versa.â&#x20AC;?4 He sees the social

undeniable advantage of the Internet is

connections between these localities as

greater communication between localities,

a web that transcends time and space.

which as interconnected entities form the

Giddens

definition

globalized network. Information is being

in 1990, on the cusp of the Internet

transferred at a higher rate than ever

privatization and ultimate widespread

imagined, and for the most part freely.

adoption.

So with the addition of the

Throughout history, those that controlled

instantaneous limitless connectivity of the

knowledge ruled. Churches and religions

Internet, the idea that the world is ours

limited their congregations contact with

and not just a part of it became much

other religions that would cause doubt.

more powerful. Globalization has many

Kings

positives which include an education and

regulate how much their subjects/citizens

visibility for many cultures and countries,

knew about the on goings of politics and

especially those that would otherwise be

government. Television and news media

overlooked. On the contrary viewpoint,

took back some of that power, but many

globalization and interconnectivity can

times were still censored to meet the bias

lead to a loss of localization and ultimately

of the one paying. The Internet opened the

loss of place.

flood gates for anyone anywhere to both

constructed

this

and

are

continuously

presidents

being

attempted

report on what was happening in their area and read about others. Small groups who previously couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find a voice suddenly 4

Waters, Globalization.

have a platform speaking to people around

the US, and Michael Willmott from Britain)

the world, simultaneously and within the

shows that socialization and community

same place. The interconnected tissue is

are thriving in a digitally networked world,

taking the power away from politicians and

simply look different than what we are

media, giving the narrative power to the

used to seeing.

spectators. As the localized communities

One cannot deny that there are noticeably

move toward a global village, the individual

negative

moves away from the community mindset

networking/ digital culture. Initially, people

as well. The shift from ‘we’ to ‘me’ allows

feared isolation but in reality the most

one to transplant themselves into many

detrimental effect of constant connectivity

networks and cultures that have been

is the stress of being tethered. Moments of

united through these global linkages.

escape are few and far between. Everything

The term individuation has been used

is different when carrying a smart phone.

to describe the rise of autonomous

Traveling to foreign countries used to be

individuals

increasingly

a great feat of fortitude and the need to

focused on their own interests, values,

be hyper-aware of ones surroundings gave

and projects.

way to memorable experiences.

whom

are

They build communities

side

effects

the

social

With

based around what they are interested in,

the smart phone as a companion, one

rather than simply who is geographically

does not have to look up to know where

accessible.

Some fear individualism

to go and there is never a point where

and its consequences, speculating that

one is disconnected from home. Besides

it will result in isolation, alienation,

experiencing life through the screen of the

and withdrawal from the immediate

smart phone, there is also the demand to

community. Research from a myriad of

be available at all times of day both for

scholars (such as Manuel Castells, the

work and socialization. This leads to stress

author of many digital technology books

and sleepless nights for a lot of people,

from Catalonia, Rainie and Wellman from

specifically those that check their devices

when they wake up and when they go to

one cannot help but speculate that this

sleep.

Socialization across the Internet

is the new normal. If the multi-tasking,

and social media is subsidizing human to

split focus culture is here to stay then how

human interaction. There is an expectation

can architecture support and/or react? Is

that in the digital age, one should be able

there a way for the spaces housed within

to juggle as much as their devices are

architecture to delineate from a “plugged

capable of.

in” state to “unplugged?”

Multi-tasking is becoming

commonplace, despite studies showing that multiple tasks lead to decreased efficiency in all as opposed to focusing on one. However in today’s age, it is nearly impossible to only focus on one task. The smart phone has become an extension of the body, an extra limb or perhaps sensory organ. It is used to accentuate hearing, seeing, and experience, but more than that it has become essential to the processes of the mind. It computes, stores memories, and recalls information. In theory it should be freeing up more space in the mind, but instead humanity has become inundated with information. Though the individual may not feel the isolation, those around the phone user certainly do feel it. It is a commonplace phenomenon to be the only one in a space not on a device, and feel totally invisible.1 At the same time, 1

Modern advancements in technology have changed the world. In the last 30 years, there have been leaps and bounds made in the effort to connect and share data. The Internet is a familiar place, somewhere to turn to when information is needed or to converse with friends. It is an endless field in which one can easily get lost and thus lose touch with the physical world. It is a human instinct to fear change, and there is an intense fear of what technology and the Internet is doing to humanity. Have attention spans been so reduced that focus is no longer possible? Are people so engrossed with their virtual lives that they lose touch with reality? These are just a few of the questions racing through people’s minds as the effects of digital

Turkle, Alone Together.

discipline to tackle the rising issue of augmented reality. Norberg-Schulz

stated

that

architecture is the boundary between the outside and inside, similarly the virtual and physical worlds have a boundary.

the boundary is architecture, then the mobile devices are the thresholds (Figure 2.03).

Figure 2.03 | Dawson, Emily. Boundary of Virtual & Physical Space. 2016.

Augmented reality is older than the Internet, first explored in

culture are being revealed. Others take a more optimistic outlook. They embrace this virtual world as a place to connect

1962 when Morton Heilig built Sensorama, a

device

that

created

cinematic

more, do more, and learn. As with anything new, people attempt to frame this foreign concept in terms of good or bad. This is the wrong question. Is it good? Is it bad? It does not matter because it is. The new world order is upon us and the only logical approach is to adapt and evolve. There is an opportunity here to see the world in a new way through this overlap of physical

Figure 2.04 | Gaming Channel. Inescapable

Draw of Technology. http://www.gamingchannel. nl/de-strijd-om-de-virtual-reality/

space and virtual place. In 2006, Manovich wrote an article called ‘The Poetics of Augmented Space.1 This article identified architecture as the

1 Manovich, “The Poetics of Augmented Space.”

experience that combined all five senses with imagery and movement.2 Essentially augmented reality is the enhancement of 2

Boulton, “No.69 Augmented Reality.”

technology that allows users to experience augmented reality. It does not overtake the senses, but allows the mind to see additional related data in conjunction with the real world. Figure 2.07 shows someone Figure 2.05 | Oculus Rift. Man immersed in

virtual world of Occulus Rift. 2015. https://www. oculus.com/en-us/rift/

the tangible with the virtual. It layers data over space to give a more comprehensive experience.

Virtual reality is the full

immersion into a non-tangible world. Immersion is achieved by overriding visual and auditory functions to be focused solely on the virtual world. Devices like Oculus Rift, shown in Figure 2.05, provide the user with a totally virtual experience where the only tangible contact is with the controllers. The idea of an immersive

being alerted to a subway closure through the interconnected device.4 Google Glass was met with opposition. It became the face of what many feared: a future where technology becomes increasingly a part of the human body. Google Glass was only sold for a short time before Google pulled the plug, so to speak. But it got an important conversation into the public light: What will the future look like and how will humans interact with it? Manovich has identified that with an augmented reality comes a new type of

experience became more attainable with the invention of the smart phone. However, augmented reality differs from virtual. The goal of augmented reality is enhance the experience by adding digital, visual, and auditory layers over the physical world to better experience it. Google Glass, shown in Figure 2.06, is an example of wearable 3

“Oculus Rift | Oculus.”

architectural space. A space that is layered with information, data, imagery as well as the physical attributes. He calls this ‘Augmented Space.’ He uses examples of Hong Kong and Tokyo to show that these multimedia flooded spaces already exist. The buildings are skinned with screens that project information, mostly advertising, onto the general public. 4 “Google Glass -- Half Empty or Half Full? TwinCities.com.”

offers new potential to take that layering a step further to by relating it to the individual.5 To design an augmented space, one must understand the spatial properties of both real-world architecture and information Figure 2.06 | Google Glass. Google Glass

augments the reality of daily life. 2016. http:// www.twincities.com/ci_24581441/google-glasshalf-empty-or-half-full

architecture, the structures created by data relationships. Manovich identified three technological applications that can affect the concept of augmented space as surveillance, cellspace, and electronic displays. Surveillance has a rather negative connotation in our society, it implies a lack of privacy. Its denotation is less invasive, simply meaning the gathering of

Figure 2.07 | Google Glass. Google Glass

user is alerted to real time information. 2016. http://www.twincities.com/ci_24581441/googleglass-half-empty-or-half-full

intelligence or data. There are many ways to survey such as video, photography, and audio recordings. These methodologies all require a human ‘line of sight’, however

These urban spaces show media layered

when newer technologies are layered over

space at a larger scale, but augmented

these there is a very rich field of data.

space begins to happen every time one

For example, charting GPS location and

haphazardly checks their phone. There

timestamping

has almost always been some layering of

creates a greater depth of understanding

information over the built environment,

how the individual experienced that space.

usually through signage, ornamentation,

Cellspace is a new word used to describe

and images. However, digital technology

the big data created through mobile 5 Space.”

alongside

photographs

Manovich, “The Poetics of Augmented

interaction.

It is spatial in a web like

form that connects to a greater network, cellular provider, to further connect many nodes. This captures intentionally sent data such as e-mails or social media. The last augmented spatial opportunity is electronic display. This is much easier to fathom as we see it implemented already. Screens mediate information to us at many scales from the sides of buildings to the 5 inch screens in our hands. There is a potential for future screens to be projected onto any surface. This creates an opportunity to further explore the digital

architecture normally achieves. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They make physical space into a dataspace: extracting data from it (surveillance) or augmenting it with data (cellspace, computer displays).â&#x20AC;?

A dataspace is

an untapped potential for architecture. Imagine if the physical world could reflect this data in a visually interactive way. It may help us to better cope with the cognitive strain of processing all the information that is now available to us. Augmented space is an opportunity to not only react to the changing world, but to embrace these new spatial logic fields.

skin, which is more alive and reactive than

Figure 2.08 | Dawson, Emily. Connection to Larger Community. 2016.

Figure 2.09 | Dawson, Emily. Blurred Between Virtual & Physical. 2016.

Figure 2.10 | Dawson, Emily. Mobile Connection. 2016.

MILLENNIALS b. 1980-1999

24.5%

OF THE U.S. POPULATION

65%

90%

PLATFORM SWITCHES PER HOUR

USE SOME FORM OF SOCIAL MEDIA

EMPHASIS ON 20% PLACE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

SOURCES OF NEWS 59% 24%

TELEVISION

INTERNET

NEWSPAPER

18% RADIO

Figure 2.11 | Marketo. Millennial Statistics. 2014. http://blog.marketo.com/2014/08/meet-generation-zmarketings-next-big-audience-infographic.html

In conclusion, architecture must utilize

across a larger area. This could allow for a

its vast history of design and theory with

translation of relative facts or news based

the understanding of phenomenology to

on experience. It would encourage an age

design augmented architecture.

Place

of exploration, where the intrepid explorer

making is essential for survival but also for

can experience previously known places

manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to thrive in his environment.

with a new virtual overlay perspective. The

The new digital frontier is causing

principles of design will be as important as

tensions and complications as mankind

ever in designing augmented architecture.

rapidly adapts to this new way and rate

Both natural light and artificial light will

of information hunting and gathering.

continue to play important roles, but their

Architecture can mitigate the effects of this

interplay and function has the potential to

data boom by creating spaces that utilize

be more. Form and function will not have

the whole body and senses to distribute

the same direct relationship.

the communication of this information

space will become a blank canvas that

Physical

81%

GEN Z b. 2000 - present

25.9%

OF THE U.S. POPULATION 85%

USE SOME FORM OF SOCIAL MEDIA

EMPHASIS ON 28% PLACE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

SECOND ATTENTION SPAN

SEEK KNOWLEDGE 33%

32% 20%

RESEARCHED ONLINE

WATCHED LESSON ONLINE

WORKED W/ CLASSMATES ONLINE

READ A TEXTBOOK ON TABLET

Figure 2.12 | Sparks & Honey. Generation Z. 2015. http://www.slideshare.net/sparksandhoney/ generation-z-final-june-17/40-They_are_less_active40This_generation

is augmented to create program that is

The data could be a skin that enhances

tailored to the individual. The tangible

and informs about the physical world,

and intangible materials will interchange

or the physical world could become the

to create dynamic and reactive places. The

parameters in which new virtual spaces

opportunity for design will be limited only

are carved.

by the imagination.

Augmented reality

be to utilize architecture to resolve the

has been developed into augmented

tension between the physical and virtual

space, but augmented architecture is

worlds and move towards a more balanced

yet to be fully realized. The next steps

augmented future.

of exploration will study the components of phenomenologically informed design against virtual design principles. The most significant overlap between the virtual and physical world is the sense of place.

The overarching goal must

III

CASE STUDIES EXPANDED DEFINITIONS

Two prime examples of explorations into

sound effects, and direction.

augmented space are the works of Janet

audio walks, the user wears headphones

Cardiff and Keichii Matsuda. Cardiff and

and follows Cardiffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s voice through a

Matsuda have taken different approaches

physical environment. These pieces have

to augmented reality, with Cardiff creating

a narrative that dictates how one moves

and

through a space, whether that space is a

Matsuda speculating what the future

room or a city. This augmented experience

might look like. Both utilize technology as a

creates new connections between physical

window to reveal these augmented spaces.

space and memory. The experience of the

Janet Cardiff, a Canadian artist, created

space now combined with the knowledge

a series of audio and video walks that

that her recordings are of the past adds a

allow her voice and memories to augment

timelessness that is not easily achieved.

a space.

Keichii Matsuda, a British

Additionally, there is a new sense of place.

architecture graduate and filmmaker,

The walker is seeing the space through

shows the new augmented space in the

Cardiffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

first person perspective, using technology

gives a window into her sense of place. At

which has not yet been invented. Though

the same time, the walker is giving that

differing, these projects are united in their

space meaning and now their sense of

experiential

environments

memories,

which

For the

inherently

use of audio-visual stimuli to make spaces for imagination and inhabitation. Janet Cardiff, in collaboration with

her

husband

George

Bures Miller, has created a series of audio and video walks that describe a path and embed it with narrative,

Figure 3.01 | Cardiff, Janet. Alter Bahnhof Video Walk. 2012. http://www.cardiffmiller.com/artworks/walks/bahnhof.html

this place is intertwined. It is a beautiful

music changes to reflect the emotions in

example of how augmented space is not

a way that words cannot: sad for the loss,

so individualistic that it leaves no room for

angry that it happened, and reverent of

community.

the magnitude. The video changes to show

Cardiff and Miller have begun exploration

images of those who were lost and this

into video walks, a natural next step

layering physical presence with music and

from their audio walks.

One of their

video creates a very dynamic experience.

most successful examples is “The Alter

This is a great example of augmented

Bahnhof Video Walk.”1

It takes place

space. It is very simple in execution and

in the historic train station in Kassel,

yet very effective. However the video and

Germany.

The participant downloads

audio walks are extremely pointed, they

the video to their smart phone and wears

tell a specific narrative. This methodology

headphones. Cardiff indicates where to

may not transfer to widespread augmented

hold the phone so that the video image

space like those seen in the works of Keichii

overlays the physical setting, as seen

Matsuda.

in Figure 8.

Keichii

The physical setting is now

became

fascinated

augmented with audio-visual data of the

with the writings of Lev Manovich while

past. Cardiff describes the mood of the

studying architecture at the Bartlett

train station on the day of her visit, the

School.2

viewer can see what she is describing and

future implementation of augmented

this allows them to make an assessment

reality into daily life.

for themselves while comparing the past

fascinating and terrifying.

to what they see in real life. The narrative

Robocop, Matsuda uses film as a medium

begins to walk the participant through the

to show a future that is inundated with

train station and it is revealed that this

advertising and consumerism.3 As shown

site was part of the deportation of Jewish

in Figure 9, the home is now a wading

people to concentration camps.

pool of logos and commercials that is

The

1 Cardiff Miller, Alter Bahnhof Video Walk.

Matsuda

Matsuda’s work questions the

The results are In Domestic

2 “Artist Blends Augmented Reality With Real-World Scenarios For Kickstarted Video Series.” 3 “Augmented (hyper)Reality.”

reminiscent of the digitized city plazas of Tokyo or Times Square in New York. Throughout the film, he shows different aspects of how current digital culture could be translated to a living, reactive field. There is a web of Figure 3.02 | Matsuda, Keichii. Domestic Robocop. 2010. http://km.cx/projects/domestic-robocop/

connection to friends and family (Figure 10) as well as bio-meters to collect data on ourselves like next generation Fitbits (Figure 11).

Matsudaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision of the

future is a visual call to action for those that want to live in a world where augmented space is more than just wallpapers of Figure 3.03 | Matsuda, Keichii. Domestic Robocop. 2010. http://km.cx/projects/domestic-robocop/

advertising. According to Manovich, it is up to architecture to seize the potential for augmented space. It is a way to layer information that is relational thus spatial and temporal over the physical environment.

Augmented

architecture may well be the Figure 3.04 | Matsuda, Keichii. Domestic Robocop. 2010. http://km.cx/projects/domestic-robocop/

answer to stopping a digital takeover that leaves the physical

world behind.

Architecture

has the tools to consider this problem both structurally and phenomenologically. There is quite a spectrum between the works of Janet Cardiff and Keichii Matsuda. One such artist is Claire Harvey. Harvey

captures

Figure 3.05 | Harvey, Claire. When What Was When. 2010. http://claireharvey.net/

passing

moments of human life through tiny hand-drawn figures based on photographs & memories. These figures occupy the space of varying materials from a sticky note to a piece of clear tape as seen in Figure 3.06. These miniature figures are

Figure 3.06 | Harvey, Claire. When What Was When. 2010. http://claireharvey.net/

then translated to different scales all with one purpose: to create an infinite landscape. Harvey began translating her work to overhead projectors as a means to create a full scale landscape.

These

fields

moments extend to the viewers for a unique experience.

Figure 3.07 | Harvey, Claire. When What Was When. 2010. http://claireharvey.net/

THIRD PLACE HEART OF THE MATTER

Taking into consideration the shift in place

an equal force of positive globalization that

and opportunity of augmented reality, an

has stemmed from these same changes.

exploration was set into motion that would

These equally matched forces begged the

result in an exhibition of process. In order

question â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Is there a problem here? Initial

to dictate the parameters of the study, the

attempts at forming an arguable position

previous contextual research needed to

assumed that there must be a problem

be broken down into a focused arguable

to argue a solution. This proved to be a

position.

When

considering

fruitless path. Yet, it was clear that beneath

the

the surface of these observations there

was an undeniable catalyst for change.

technologically

So the arguable position became much

FIRST PLACE

affected sense of

simpler: The study of human interaction

Home | Dwelling

place, the way in

within architecture through observation

which technology

and rigorous process will lead to new ways

both

inhibits

of thinking about place and space in the

and

expands

present and future. In order to maximize

interpersonal

the results, the typology of Third Place was

interaction stood

selected.

out.

It became

The concept of Third Place was popularized

undeniable that

by Ray Oldenburg in his book titled The

the rise of the

Great Good Place. Oldenburg postulates

Internet

and

that people have three essential places

devices

and that each of these places play a vital

subjugated

role in personal development. The First

research

SECOND PLACE Work | School

THIRD PLACE

mobile

Informal Public Gathering

has

face

Place is home, Second Place is work/

Figure 4.01| Dawson,

interaction.

school, and the Third Place is an informal

However, there is

social gathering. The home and work are

Emily. First, Second, & Third Place. 2016.

face

both rewarding in their own rights, but

Viennese Coffeehouses to Parisian Cafés.

come with certain sets of responsibility

It became a place of democracy in the

on the individual.

The Third Place is

midst of monarchy. Patrons would engage

often used as a buffer between these

in lively debates about social issues as well

two, providing an escape and a chance to

as appreciate art and literature together.

recharge. Oldenburg says “A place where

In London, the coffeehouse morphed into

one is sheltered against the raindrops of

the corner pub or public house, opting

life’s tedium.”1 His life’s work is bringing

to serve ale over coffee. When this Third

attention to this dying tradition and

Place culture came across the Atlantic to

emphasizing its vital role in community.

the Americas, it transformed again into

Third Places are the lifeblood a thriving

taverns.2

community.

They can be a myriad of

Oldenburg studied these historic entities

typologies but Oldenburg highlights coffee

as a means to establish what makes a Third

shops, cafes, and bars as prime examples.

Place work. He devised eight components,

The name Third Place may have been

Figure 4.02.

popularized in the late 20th century, but

Place must be on neutral ground, no one

the existence of Third Places goes back

is forced to play host and no one is in a

for centuries. The first coffeehouse was

position of power. It is informal meaning

in Damascus, opened in 1530. These early

there is a freedom to come and go. The

establishments spread across the Middle

friendships are warm but with a degree

East quickly, making Persian Coffeehouses

of anonymity. It must also be a leveler

a cultural establishment by the 1600s.

of status. When someone walks through

Men would gather to drink coffee, listen to

the door, they must not be made to feel

storytellers, musicians, and poetry. They

inferior. This transformation when done

would partake in casual conversation

properly can give relief to participants

that would bond their community. The

to not worry about their social status for

coffee culture spread into Europe from

a few hours. While there, conversation

1 Oldenburg, The Great Good Place.

2 Standage, A History of the World in 6 Glasses.

The first is that a Third

Figure 4.03| Altwiener, Kaffeehausszene.

Figure 4.02| Granger. Turkish

Viennese Coffeehouse | Democratic Club. 1900. http://www.volfoto.inf.ua/pagesi/istomist/ statti/2013rik/dm130926/t131003/kava/kava. htm

Coffeehouse | Social Center. 1854. http:// fineartamerica.com/featured/1-turkishcoffeehouse-granger.html

Figure 4.04| Huber, Jean. French Cafe | Le

Souper des philosophes. 18th Century. http:// www.fbls.net/litterature18salon.htm

Figure 4.05| Lebrecht Music & Arts

Photo Library. English Coffee House. 18th Century. http://www.alamy.com/ stock-photo-18th-century-coffee-houseengraving-83347319.html

Figure 4.06| American Colonial Tavern. 18th

Century. http://www.mountvernon.org/georgewashington/beer/

Figure 4.07| Dawson, Emily. Spread of Coffee Culture. 2016.

is the main activity. There is a vibrant background of chatter that engages and invites. Also essential to the locale of the Third Place are the regulars. The faces that remain constant and provide a stability to

COMPONENTS OF THIRD PLACE ON NEUTRAL GROUND

the loosely formed and changing groups of people gathered. The place itself must

LEVELER

be easily accessible and accommodating, both in geographic location but also in the way they interact with the patrons. Perhaps the most contradictory to the modern thinking is that they must maintain a low profile. The sleek, modern bar may find

CONVERSATION IS KEY THE REGULARS

itself devoid of regulars while a dive bar has the same five stools occupied each day. Over all else, the atmosphere must

ACESSIBLE & ACCOMMODATING

be playful. The banter and low pressure situation is what sets the Third Place apart from the home or work.

LOW PROFILE

However, the

feeling of comfort one feels at home must be translated to some degree. Patrons

M O O D I S P L AY F U L

will continue to come if they feel some ownership and sense of belonging.3 Europeans have perfected the art of easy conversation, while Americans may find themselves stunted due to societal pressure to make the home a place of 3 Oldenburg, The Great Good Place.

H O M E AWAY F RO M HOME Figure 4.08 | Oldenburg, Ray. The Great Good Place. 1999.

retreat. Europeans tend to live in smaller

offers of free WiFi. Even still, todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coffee

housing situations and depend on their

shops are a poor excuse for Third Place.

local establishments to be an extension

There is very little conversation and the

of their home. It becomes a living room

mood is often not playful. It is common

to invite others in or simply relax without

to walk into a coffee shop and see a wall

pressure. For Americans, having the large

of laptops and phones.

home and the white picket fence is said to

alive and well online where there are many

be the American dream. What results are

outlets for informal social gathering to

large empty fortresses with no room left for

take place. However instead of spending

communities to come together. In a broken

hours sitting at the corner pub, people

attempt to recapture a casual gathering

may spend five minutes gathering over

place, a new typology of a community center

a topic on Twitter or six hours playing an

was created. A poor and sterile variant of

online game.

the natural vibrancy of a coffeehouse or

but the components are the same. So the

pub. The state of Third Place in America

question becomes, what is the state of

is dismal. It has been pushed aside and

Third Place and what is next?

Third Place is

The rules have changed,

neglected as a necessity. Throughout the 1950s to 1980s, Americans became more and more secluded from one another across the country. With the invention of the Internet, the need for a public gathering space became

apparent.

There was a revival of coffee shops that was bolstered by

Figure 4.09 | Redlinski, Piotr. Laptop Users at Atlas Cafe in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 2011. http://wordplay.blogs.nytimes. com/2011/10/28/stars/?_r=0

Figure 4.10 | Dawson, Emily. Usage Diagram of the Foundry. 2016.

Figure 4.11 | Dawson, Emily. Sectional Diagram of Mate Factor. 2016.

Figure 4.12 | Dawson, Emily. Usage Digram of Sentient Bean. 2016.

Figure 4.13 | Dawson, Emily. Sectional Diagram Courtyard. 2016.

DESIGNING THIRD PLACE PROGRESS THROUGH PROCESS

The schematic design of phase of this

from words to diagrams. A series of eight

thesis is wholly focused on process. This

generative line drawings, Figure 5.03,

thesis study was set apart by what is

were drafted - one for each component.

traditionally considered a studio process.

The verbs were used as a guiding force

In architecture studios, there is a set of

to dictate the types of spaces and

parameters given to the student: site and

interactions created two-dimensionally.

program, with form and theory left up to

This exercise needed to be completed

the student to implement. For this thesis,

with quick intention as to prime it as the

only the theory and history were in place at

material for the next step.

the beginning of the schematic phase. The

Each of the eight line drawings were divided

working goal then became to creatively

into complementary pairs. This combine

design a process that in itself would reveal the site, program, and form. The first steps focused on taking the components of Third Place and finding

SENSE OF PLACE PHYSICAL

a way to extract their spatial qualities

FIRST

SECOND

THIRD

out of the writing. A set of abstraction

Home

Work | School

Informal Social Gathering

exercises were then designed based on

roots, comfort growth, family

transform. Each of the eight components were dissected into two verbs based on Richard Serraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Verb List, Figure 5.02. This step worked as a lateral movement to move from one set of words to another, however the second poised the study to move in a non-verbal forward motion. The next step was to transform the verbs

challenge, income, learning, skills

Historic

three ommands: copy, combine, and

VIRTUAL

connect, interact

Contemporary

CAFES & COFFEE HOUSES

Components of Third Place

INTERNET

On Neutral Ground

Leveler

III

Conversation is Key

III

Regulars

Accessible & Accomodating

Low Profile

VII

Mood is Playful

VII

VIII

Home away from Home

VIII

CAFES & COFFEE HOUSES

Figure 5.01 | Dawson, Emily. Diagram of Third Place. 2016.

step allowed for the process to become more

The photographs were then used as the

narrow as it moved forward.

The pairs of

site for a new architecture to be designed.

drawings were attached to either side of a

A series of perspectives designed as

single piece of cardboard. This non-precious

overlays, exploring conditions created

material became the starting point for a three

by the modeling of line-work that came

dimenionsal interpretation.

from the verbs translated from the eight

Four models

were constructed taking care to incorporate

components of Third Place.

the paired verbs in the development of the

incredible revelation came at this point.

spatial qualities.

These scaleless, imagined spaces revealed

The models were photographed in a way to

architectural spatial conditions (form)

explore the scaleless possibilities, Figure 5.04.

and the site was this moment in time and

VI to fold

IV to impress

The most

to distribute III of ionization

V to enclose II of equilibrium

VII to split VII of tension II to simplify

V to expand I to weave VI to join IV to bond IV to mark

Figure 5.02 | Serra, Richard. Verb List. 1967. Museum of Modern Art, New York City. www.moma.org

space. At this point, it became clear that this method of study was fruitful but had reached the end of its path. The realization that these moments were fleeting and untethered tracked very closely to the growing understanding of Third Place in modern society. Third Places are no longer a physical location, they can also be intangible connections across global lines

to weave | to distribute axis

to mark | to bond rhythm

to fold | to join simplify

to layer | of ionization nodes

to split | of tension layered

to simplify | to equal symmetry

to gather | to bind anchor

to enclose | expand threshold

The abstraction exercises were then layered over real world observations. However, it was not enough to just observe real world interactions and record them as static moments - for a moment itself is made up of sixty seconds in which time much can happen. The observations were filmed and then broken into single frame images. These images were collaged and used as the site to take the understanding gained by the abstraction exercises and both highlight moments of Third Place interaction and to design spatial fields of possibility around them. A final layer was placed atop to form a final cohesive new spatial field that was indistinguishable as the original location. This primed the thesis to make the next move to full scale.