Category Archives: Reading Summaries

Reading Summary Four

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“Recognizing Campus Landscapes as Learning Spaces”

In the article Recognizing Campus Landscapes as Learning Spaces, authors Kathleen Scholl and Gowri Gulwadi address a huge problem ailing our higher educational institutions in the United States. With an increase in need for spaces to further education, technological changes, and growth in enrollment; the traditional set up and structure of college campuses are called into question. Scholl and Gulwadi propose that in order to maintain the attention of students, a natural landscape within the university campus may be the best way. Due to the complexity of the college experience in today’s time, learning is not limited to a four year time segment, but rather it is lifelong. A strong influence on students’ ability to learn and maintaining a sense of belonging can be attributed to indoor and open spaces on campuses that are connected. This fact is typically overlooked, but Scholl and Gulwadi bring this to their audiences’ attention.

The article begins by providing readers with background information on the history of the American college campus. At first they were secluded and located in rural areas to promote complete and utter attention on academic and collegiate studies and activities. At one point in time there was a greater focus placed on creating open spaces of land and promoting student learning through farms, forests, greenhouses, and gardens. Landscape designer, Fredrick Law Olmstead is accredited with working alongside to create early college campuses. Physical landscapes were studied and believed to have a direct impact on shaping human behavior. With the devastating emergence of the Depression, an increase in enrollment created an increase in the need for facilities to educate students. The sudden need for facilities and also the popularity of the automobile (which occupied more spaces for parking lots) created environments that did not adhere to “campus open space”. Flashing forward to today’s college experience; campuses are now evolving in response to research suggesting that older campus plans were more effective learning spaces than newer ones.

As the article continues, authors clarify the meanings of the words “nature” and “landscape” utilized within the text. Defining nature is subjective, but authors choose to define nature in the realm of “physical features and processes of nonhuman origin that people ordinarily can perceive” (2015). Landscape is defined as the spatial, holistic, and mental dynamic entity associated in the emersion of campus environments. The relationship between landscape and nature and it’s ability to meet the overall cognitive benefits of students is being explained throughout the entirety of the article.

The authors also introduce the term “attention fatigue” to describe exactly why these holistic and nature centered campuses are so desperately needed. Several demanding and strenuous day to day activities and life responsibilities can be attributed to the “attentional fatigue” state of students. Also the increased availability of technology (phones, computers, and televisions) and the constant usage are reasons why students are so attentionally drained. A suggested cure or solution for the attentionally fatigue student is holistic learning environments.  Nature based learning environments capture the “direct attention” of students and connect them to the learning spaces in which they are within. Overall student-nature campuses and breaks/pauses in learning aid in creating productive learning spaces for students.

 

SCHOLL, Kathleen G; GULWADI, Gowri Betrabet. Recognizing Campus Landscapes as Learning Spaces. Journal of Learning Spaces, [S.l.], v. 4, n. 1, jul. 2015. ISSN 21586195. Available at: <http://libjournal.uncg.edu/jls/article/view/972/824>. Date accessed: 21 Mar. 2016.

Reading Summary One

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Tapestry of Space: Domestic Architecture and Underground Communities in Margaret Morton’s Photography of a Forgotten New York. By: NERSESSOVA, IRINA, disClosure, 10556133, 2014, Issue 23

 

In the article, Tapestry of Space: Domestic Architecture and Underground Communities in Margaret Morton’s Photography of a Forgotten New York, Irina Nersessova introduces the concepts and works of Margaret Morton. The Tunnel: The Underground Homeless of New York City and Fragile Dwellings are examples of the books of photographs created by Morton that forces viewers to reinterpret and question this idea of “home”. Nersessova interprets Morton’s photography of New York’s homeless in the article and utilizes Morton’s work to visually describe the actual “fragility” of home itself. Through the use of the Situationist International theory and the underlying goal of Morton’s photography, Nersessova aims to help eliminate the binary between “us” (those that have homes) and “them” (people who are homeless). She forces readers to ask themselves “Am I any different from a homeless person?”

Nersessova begins her article by establishing the similarities between aboveground and underground homes. Aboveground homes are defined as the living spaces that are socially acceptable and deemed appropriate. Underground homes are defined as the living spaces of the homeless that are not viewed as actual places of living. She states that both home spaces are “designed by taking material fragments and lining up the pieces in a cohesive manner” (2014). Even the actual constructions of these homes are similar. For example, homeless people gather scraps of discarded materials to build their homes. Aboveground homes are made with scraps of metal and materials. The author implies that although society views aboveground and underground homes as if they are on completely different spectrum’s, they are really not that different at all. The author also introduces this concept of the “fragility of home”. Both aboveground and underground homes are subject to a lack of stability. Natural disasters, financial problems, and floods are examples of circumstances that could occur and affect the stability of both above and underground homes. Nersessova attempts to blur the lines between homelessness and having a home.

The article continues and the reader begins to ask the question “why do we correlate homelessness with the lack of materials or personal belongings?” The author answers this question by discussing the images within society and how they dictate our desires. This theory on the consumption through image promotion was created by a group called the Situationist International (SI). Nersessova correlates their 20th century Marxists ideas to Morton’s photography. Margaret Morton’s photography defies the capitalist mentality of society by promoting the beauty in not having an abundance of materials. Capitalism maintains the society it has created through promotion that makes people feel they need materials. The author wants readers to understand that in a way homeless people have more than those that have homes.

In conclusion, Nersessova eliminates the binary between “us” (none homeless people) and “them” (the homeless) by utilizing Margaret Morton’s photography of the homeless in New York, establishing the similarities between aboveground and underground homes, and discussing how images dictate desires. Ultimately the author opens the eyes of her readers and helps them to realize that there is no difference between “us” or “them”.

Margaret Morton Photography

Margaret Morton Photography

Reading Summary Two

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SCHINDLER, SARAH. “Architectural Exclusion: Discrimination And Segregation Through Physical Design Of The Built Environment.” Yale Law Journal 124.6 (2015): 1934-2024. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Nov. 2015.

In Sarah Schindler’s article Architectural Exclusion: Discrimination And Segregation Through Physical Design Of The Built Environment, Schindler addresses the role in which built environment plays in our everyday lives and how it can be utilized as a tool to regulate people’s behavior, livelihood, and accessibility. The author also draws attention to the legal aspect of this architectural exclusion and states that “these less obvious exclusionary urban design tactics”(2015) do not receive the much needed attention and action that they deserve. Schindler’s overall goal within her writing is to raise awareness on the issue of architectural exclusion and help individuals understand architecture’s “regulatory power” and the harms that are associated with them.

Schindler begins the article by giving examples of architectural exclusion in action. In New York low hanging overpasses were purposefully built to prevent buses from traveling to Jones Beach.  Buses weren’t able to travel past low hanging overpasses and as a result people that utilized public transportation (poor and people of color) were not able to visit the beach. Another example of architectural exclusion given in the text was the subway system in Atlanta, Georgia (MARTA). Marta was built and intentionally doesn’t have any rail lines that lead to Northern Atlanta to prevent undesired individuals (poor and people of color) access. The inability to access this area of Atlanta affects job opportunities and the livelihood of the people that utilize public transportation at large.

After readers have a visual understanding of what architectural exclusion looks like, the author goes in depth and explains this form of segregation/ discrimination. In short, architecture is used to exclude.  Architectural exclusion is the physical barriers and varied methods to exclude undesirable individuals. People barely pay attention to their physical environments and something as simple as a bench with three seats in the park can be interpreted to something much more complex. When people begin to view their built environments through “regulatory lens[es]” (2015) then they will be able to understand that a park bench doesn’t just have three seats, but it’s a tool to regulate the homeless from sleeping on them.

The author continues the article by addressing the legal aspect associated with the issue of architectural exclusion. She implies that the fault in the United States’ legal system when it comes to the physical acts of exclusion prevalent within society is the inability of individuals to even recognize urban design, architecture, and buildings as a form of regulation. If more attention is given to the less obvious exclusion tactics more legal actions could be taken to prevent and eliminate them.

In conclusion, Sarah Schindler wants readers to view the built world around us through a “regulatory lens”. She also wants to raise awareness and start discussions about how architecture can be used to control behavior and implicitly exclude groups of people. The first step in eliminating this form of segregation and discrimination is to acknowledge it. Step two is to bring awareness to the issue and then the Courts, lawmakers, and legal system as a whole can take action to eliminate and control architectural exclusion.

MARTA system map