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VKK 757: Archiving UP's Piazza

Jane Question 7

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Poppy The following document discusses the ways in which students at the University of Pretoria experience the University’s Piazza through the different sensory and embodied engagements of each person. Not only does it draw on the five senses (smell, sight, feel, taste and hear) as a way of explaining the experiences that each person may encounter but it also emphasizes the role that memory plays when a person recalls previous memories of this specific environment. It discovers the nature and value of this project through the different ways in which each person experiences and perceives the same environment.

In their 2012 document, Degen & Rose state that the framework of any piece of work “is regarded as a tool” that can make the piece of work “more attractive to more people by changing its ‘feel’” (Degen & Rose, 2012). This statement is what this document is based upon; the idea that the framework of a space or piece of work can influence the way people perceive it to be, whether it is more open and welcoming or rather enclosed and almost claustrophobic. In addition to that, “a new emergent modern consciousness” is emphasized by the “overwhelming sensorial stimulation” and “fast-paced encounters with strangers” (Borer, 2013). This creates the base as to why many students may feel trapped within a space where there are many strangers paired with unfamiliar and almost unwanted smells and sights.

Building off of this statement, the first major trend that was discovered through the discussions by the students was that although many of them utilized the Piazza in their first couple of years as students at the university, they no longer spend as much time here. Bringing in this example of memory and how one recalls fond times spent in this area but it’s not enough to make them want to spend more time here in their present day lives. This area is predominantly used as a thoroughfare for students to get to where they need to be in a shorter period of time or as a one-stop for places like the ATMs or the loans and rentals offices. This is due to the fact that the same amenities that are found in the Piazza, can also be found on other parts of campus that are “much closer to” class venues (Chloe, 2017).

Throughout the discussions and experiences of the Piazza there were multiple accounts from the students in this study that stated how the Piazza inside had an almost claustrophobic feel to it and they “found it to be quite closed off” (Calliope, 2017). This feeling of being trapped within the cafeteria of the Piazza is paired with a “strong stench of a lot of flavors of fast food” (Adeline, 2017) creates a pattern from almost all of the researchers where the smells, which are overwhelming, and the overcrowded and enclosed spaces actually end up chasing students away rather than drawing them in. This idea that the cafeteria within the Piazza being omni-sensorial (invoking all sense at one time) could provide the discovery as to why students feel claustrophobic. The smells of the different foods, paired with the sight of many strangers, along with the feeling of not much natural light and the multiple different sounds (and also possibly the tastes one might have when eating or drinking something in this environment) can overload one individual and make them almost afraid of this space. It’s not only the cafeteria that the students appear to be averse to but also the dark corridors and spaces that surround the area, this makes the space feel ominous and almost overbearing. A way to possibly rectify this would be to change the framework of the building slightly to make it more aerated and allow more natural light to flow into the darker spaces.

In addition to the smells of multiple foods which can create an unwelcoming atmosphere, there are also other smells of smoke (from both cigarettes and hubblys) which are very off-putting for non-smokers and even possibly smokers as well. (Borer, 2013) states that the smell of smoke has been stigmatized in such a way that when people are exposed to it, they become opposed to the area wherein the smell is emerging from. As stated by Simmel (1971, 325) in (Borer, 2013), when a person is placed in a sensory overloading area, the “individuals must protect themselves” (Borer, 2013) which provides the reasoning as to why many students feel averse to this area. The pairing of fast food and smoke creates an environment of a “dirty and grimey” (Chloe, 2017) and “not very clean” (Jane, 2017) area which is not very student friendly. This Piazza was designed as a gathering point for students to socialize and eat during breaks between classes and studies and there is a recurring trend in the discoveries made by the students in this study that they do not particularly enjoy the area and would rather choose to be elsewhere on campus where it is more spacious, open and not so overwhelmed by unwanted smells.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, there are areas outside of the building itself however still encapsulated by the Piazza such as the grass areas and the amphitheater. There is a definite pattern in the discussions where the geometrical design features running from the grounds around the piazza to the concrete raised center is spoken about. This design feature is admired by many and can be described as being the specific focal point where the exact centre of campus appears to be, it almost seems as if these lines connect the entire TUKS main campus up to this one point, creating a sense of unity and making the entire campus feel a lot more connected.

The Piazza as a whole brings out these ideals of “diversity” (Molly, 2017) of the different people on campus and how they are all able to “collaborate” (Louise, 2017) in one space. This “oasis” (Poppy, 2017) houses not only some amenities that students may find themselves needing but also a space for relaxation and detachment from the everyday stresses of achieving the goals set out by society. This space is said to be “very peaceful and very beautiful when there aren’t huge crowds of people” (Molly, 2017) which reiterates how it can be viewed as an oasis for each student who chooses to spend their free time here.

Taking all of the above mentioned into consideration, it can be concluded that although the Piazza does have its positive points which are sensory advantageous to students (in that they can relax and feel detached from studies), it has some very negative places. These can definitely be improved upon by the university to take this space into the next level where students choose to come to this space not only in their off time between classes or studies but just to socialize in general.
Bibliography
Borer, M. I., 2013. Being in the City: The Sociology of Urban Experiences. Sociology Compass, pp. 965-983.

Brunel University London, n.d. Sensory Cities Think-Kit. [Online]
Available at: http://sensorythinktank.com/
[Accessed 1 11 2017].

Degen, M. M. & Rose, G., 2012. The sensory experiencing of urban design: the role of walking and perceptual memory.. Urban Studies, 49(15), pp. 3271-3287.