For my unit 2 site visit I chose the student center at Georgia Tech. I conducted my hour long observation while walking around the interior and exterior of the building, focusing specifically on the design of infrastructure. The design of the sidewalks made it apparent where it was and was not alright to walk, marked by elevated curbs or strips of grass. The trees on the side of the walkway provided excellent shade from the mid afternoon sun, and people seemed to be drawn to the shade. The atmosphere was very peaceful and calm, you could hear the birds chirping and the leaves rustling, despite being in the middle of downtown Atlanta. The campus felt very alive, both with the students walking around as well as the vibrant shades of green covering the campus.

The Student Center on Georgia Tech campus is located at 350 Ferst Dr NW, and is a major hub for social and academic interaction on the campus. The student center itself is several floors tall, with a food court and seating areas on the second floor. The floor of the student center is primarily tiled patterns, but the seating area is carpeted. Outside the student center there is a beautiful fountain area with a large fountain, wide paths shaded by trees planted along the side, and many tables and chairs set up along the side.

Sitting areas at GT Student Center

The tables are made of metal and are small and square. The chairs are the same color metal and appear to be from a set with the table. There is a railing on one side of the table, facing the fountain. On either side of the table, in line with the railing, there are shrubs that are well trimmed and maintained. Students are sitting at these tables either eating lunch, socializing, or working on their laptops or other devices. The buildings in the surrounding area are made almost entirely of brick.

Fountain at Georgia Tech

The fountain is a wide circle with a large metal sculpture jutting out from the center. The fountain is filled with water, with small jets arcing from a central point, and slits for the water to flow down a small waterfall to a lowered area with terraced stone on the edge. Where the terrace reaches ground level, there is an arrangement of plants completing a larger circle. Outside of that circle there is a large brick tiled path going around the fountain and merging back into the main concrete trail, which is heavily traveled by students walking from class to class. On one side of the main path there is a fence erected, enclosing a large grass area with several trees. The fountain path is bordered by a small curb that clearly marks the edge.

Terraced seating area

On the side of the fountain opposite the
path, there is a semicircular terraced
seating area partially shaded by trees planted intermittently. The main path is surrounded by strips of grass on both sides that are not walked on.

The sculpture in the fountain is a several stories tall, composed of thin square metal plates stacked on top of each other but slightly spaced apart from each other, each plate rotated slightly counterclockwise from the one below it. At the very top there is a large spire, surrounded by four smaller spires. The plates glint in the afternoon sun.