Happiness in Architecture

Inside the Tree, Near the Trunk

Entrance into tree

     On Friday, February 25th, groups in my History of Design class wandered around the campus of UNCG looking for places and spaces that make us feel happy.  Our group first chose to go to the tree with the tire swing inside, located near the Faust building and Spring Garden St..  The tree is very large, and upon walking up to it you will notice an opening in the branches (pictured left).  As you walk into the area the branches create, you almost immediately notice the amount of sound the leaves and branches around you absorb, because it is noticeably quiet in the space.  We could all easily gather inside the tree area, where everyone was busy looking up and all around through the branches.  The branches and leaves create a secluded area, away from the hustle and bustle of College Ave.  Though it is not the place on campus that makes me most happy, the ambiance and feeling of the tree absorbing you with it's branches is very soothing and would make a great reading spot on a sunny day.

Observing the Pond Area

     From the tree we moved on to the circle pond area behind the EUC.  The pond is a nice area, very relaxing with the constant sound of the water, and a great place for an on campus lunch with outdoor seating sprinkled around the area.  The area is a generally pleasing area on campus, but by far not my favorite, even among outdoor areas.

Above Entrance of McIver

Eerie Whitewash Hallways in McIver

     From the pond area we moved back towards the Faust building and walked straight towards one of the more unappealing buildings on campus, the McIver building. It may look interesting from the outside with the assortment of different sized rectangles decorating the front entrance, but upon walking into the building, you are hit with bright fluorescent lighting and the odd lingering smell of old hospital.  The eerie quite and stillness in the building is no help, which let our group to about face almost as quickly as entering the building.  The experience
      actually made me more greatful for having a more aesthically pleasing building to work in than McIver.
     We next went into the Faust Building, probably because more of had not been inside than had, and most of us were just curious of what was inside.  From the outside the building is a beautiful red brick with small attentions to detail, all coming together to create an old Victorian-stylesque-castle-house.  The house turned office is very interesting, and makes one think about all of the old staircases in the house leading up.  In the entrance way of the house is a conservatively decorated foyer, with a detailed molding around the floor and the ceiling.  When you walk around the room you notice the creaking and vibrations under your feet, and realize that under the generic wholesale carpet lie beautiful old hardwood floors.  Though the Faust building is very interesting and often makes me wonder how many memories and bits of history the building holds, it is still not the place on campus that makes me the most happy.  From the Faust building we led our "tour de campus" back to the artsy-fartsy area we iArc students love and know so well (Weatherspoon Art Museum and Gatewood area).

Space under dome area

Dome area from below

      As we entered the Weatherspoon Art Museum, the silence absorbed the sound of the group's entrance, and the stillness of the museum grabbed everyone's attention.  We had finally arrived to the place that makes me the most happy on campus.  The group stood in the entryway of the building, many people slowly floating towards the open space under the dome area.  The area grabs each person who walks through the building door's attention, forcing them to look up.  The skylights create a starry night feeling ceiling, that I find very calming and curious.  Until walking around campus, I could not decide which place on campus made me the happiest.  It is funny that it took the experience, before I could finally make up my mind but it makes sense; it is not the actual space that makes me feel happy, it is the feeling the space evokes that makes me the most happy.  I enjoy the Weatherspoon as a whole, not only because of the space inside, but because of what it is, an ever changing sharing of ideas and stream of consciousness from creative people old and young put into form or onto paper.  When I first transferred to UNCG the Weatherspoon was a place where I would spend my time between classes, just walking around, taking in all of the art.
     Happiness ties to architecture in the way that that particular space or room or area makes the observer feel.  Whether it be a dimly lit table top or a bright, sunny patio, every space is different for ever person that observes the space.  Individual's personal experiences and memories help them determine what kind of space and places make them happy or sad.  For me, it would make sense that an art museum with open spaces and things to look at from the ceiling to the floor would be a place that makes me the happiest because I enjoy spaces, light, and art.  For another, art may be boring and he might light darker places that make him happy.    Happiness can be found in architecture, as can sadness, and many other emotions, which is why architects and artists alike create; to make us think; to make us react.