Blog Post 7 - Built Environment as Arguement

 

Ever walk into a building and feel instantly stressed or very relaxed? Ever wonder what that reasoning is? Was it tied to some sort of personal experience, or does just the tone and set up of the building make you feel that way? I know this is true for me. There are buildings on campus that make me feel welcomed, whereas there are areas that I avoid due to terrible memories or the way its built and just makes me uncomfortable.

 

What do you think whenever you see this building? I see a bland structure that smells of mold. I would love to see the day when this building is imploded. I'm glad that I have enjoyed all the classes that I have taken in this building, or I would dread it even more. Whenever people hear of Blocker, they normally groan in agony. I wonder what their hate of this building is sparked from? What was the architect trying to accomplish when creating this building.

 

Now, what do you think of when you see this area? I think of days of hammocking with friends, playing fetch with my puppy when I first got her, the days of soaking up the sun while working on my homework, as well as the ideal of the Aggie Family and a bond that only this university has. I am so relaxed here and whenever I pass through here I feel at ease and just happy. Its hard to say, but it is just so picturesque.

When analyzing campus, to be honest, we really don't have a very pretty or inspiring campus. We do have various areas that are lovely and inspiring, but other than that we live in a concrete jungle per say. We have very few luscious green areas or marbled buildings of lovely sculpture and brick. But, though far and in between, there are areas on campus that allow our imagination to run and inspire us to be more creative or invoke great thinking. For me, this is academic plaza. It beautiful. I love the tradition involved with that area of campus but also, every which way you look there is an amazing sight. To the north, the century tree, the south is Rudder Plaza, the east is the Academic Building and to the west is the clock tower. It is gorgeous and should be the poster of A&M. It truly is the most beautiful area on campus and in ten years I hope future Aggies get the chance to enjoy this area and the tradition involved. Its such a relaxing area that so many Aggies utilize in their own way. When thinking about this campus, though there isn't much beauty to it, it is very efficient and everything has its place. It is a place of learning, it is made for academics rather than the arts. This is very reflective of the majors we have at A&M, we are a STEM focused school rather than the arts. It would argue that academics are at the forefront and that efficiency is more important than looks. It also has a focus on bringing in donors and branding itself as we can see with its focus on Kyle Field and the seal change, its quite ironic how we spend so much time branding our image when our campus is far from that typical image. Our campus is unique and has its own voice and this is how I interpret its structure.