Making
Place
My undergraduate senior thesis project was centered around combating the loneliness epidemic for young people, specifically college students, by creating temporary dwelling spaces for them to take control of the campus environment and encourage person to person interaction.
College campuses are complex ecosystems that prioritize academic success and student wellbeing. But, according to research, college students are currently on track to surpass the elderly as the loneliest age group in America. Extreme loneliness undermines one’s physical and mental health and can have serious repercussions.
Even schools with large populations can have a social climate that can be described as lackluster. Many experience feelings of disconnection from campus life. While much of this can be attributed to the fact that some schools have a low percent of its student body choosing to live on campus, there are also far too few spaces dedicated to spontaneous social interaction. Ancient civilizations thrived around a central public space, the agora.
Making Place is a family of mobile public seating units that students can use to create social spaces throughout campus, indoors and out. The more opportunities to interact and socialize, especially when these opportunities are student-driven, the more connected students feel; the more connected students feel, the less lonely they are and the greater their chance of social and academic success.