Description of Three Spaces Essay

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Spaces

The first space is the space where I live. This is an apartment, relatively small but well-designed. The space where I sleep is adjacent to the main living area. It is notable for its small size. The depth of the room is the length of the bed, such that the ends of the bed abut the walls. One may exit the bed on either side, however. Most of the remaining wall space is taken up by nightstands, shelves along the back wall, a door to the walk-in closet and a door to the office. There are sliding doors to access either side of the bed.

This space recognizes that the sleeping area is mainly used for just that, sleep. One could, in theory, hang a television screen on the wall for watching TV while in bed, but I have chosen not to do that. The minimization of the sleeping space reflects a need for economy in the usage of the limited square footage available for this abode. The sleeping area is unlikely to be used for anything other than sleeping, which is why there is no space for anything other than a bed, nightstands and some storage. The walk-in closet is probably the same size, by square footage, or slightly smaller. This reflects the need for ample storage space for all of the clothes one might have, and the fact that there is not a lot of other storage space in this apartment. There are no windows in the closet. The bedroom is separated from the office by a glass door and wall.

The office is small, but contains enough space for a small desk. In the age of laptops, this is probably more space than one might reasonably need for a workspace. There is a floor-to-ceiling window here, which provides ample natural light. This light could flow through to the bedroom, but I have blocked that off with blinds to help with sleeping. The brightness of the office is necessary so that I may be able to work with natural light. Natural light is essential for feeling good, and it helps keep the spirits high when working. This space is large enough that I also use it for meditation, and for practicing guitar. This is a critical space as well because it has the best views, which are over an urban environment, and water, as well as the sunset.

The kitchen is small but open to the main living room. There is a bar area for dining adjacent to the kitchen, something that serves as a substitute for a traditional dining area, and can double as an entertainment space. In such a space apartment, it is necessary that areas are designed with a certain amount of flexibility in how they are used. The kitchen is fairly well-equipped, but the openness is the most desirable aspect, in that it allows someone to be in the kitchen but connected with the other people in the apartment. The kitchen has a fairly central location, which allows cooking aromas to flow through the entire apartment. This is good and bad for the experience -- the coffee grinder wakes up everybody, but the coffee smells fill the air. Cooking dinner is an especially sensory experience since everybody will experience those aromas.

More functional areas are at the interior, away from the windows, and are mostly designed with functionality in mind (the bathroom, the coat closet and the laundry closet). The main living space is fronted with a glass sliding door, again to invite light, and allow people in the living space to partake of the views. There is a small deck accessed via a sliding door here. This provides access to fresh air, better looks at the views, and access to fresh air during the right times of year.

Many of the features seem to be designed specifically to compensate for the small space. Storage is built into any space it can be. The kitchen is open to the main room. The use of glass allows natural light into all but the most mundane functional areas of the suite. Care has been taken to ensure that this suite, which faces west, has access (albeit at an angle) to the views that are primarily to the north. For well-being, it is a good space, because of the natural light, the views, and the ability to keep clutter stored away. The downside is minimal opportunity for privacy -- there are no spaces where one can carve out space for oneself because the glass makes the entire apartment visible from most of the key living areas.

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The second space is the seawall on which I run. This is a public space, ostensibly built for the functional purpose of controlling the sea and tides, to promote building closer to the water. The seawall was then designed as a recreational space, connecting a series of parks and neighborhoods. As an open-air recreational area, it is exceptional, open for runners, walkers, cyclists, dogs, skateboarders and more to enjoy. Its length makes it highly functional in this regard. With sea air, fantastic city views and enough width for everybody to share the space, it is ideal for recreation. It can also serve as a transportation corridor -- not the most efficient but certainly the most pleasurable. It meanders along the water's edge, which promotes a leisurely approach to moving along it -- this is not a means to get anywhere quickly unless you are a runner.

The seawall was also designed to connect a number of parks, tourist sites, neighborhoods, transit stations and other urban features. This makes it a versatile space, used by many people for many things, not just as a running track. There are restaurants, coffee shops, markets and bars along its length, in addition to parks and beaches. This makes it a community asset, linking people from different parts of town, and encouraging public life. People want to go on the seawall, and it has become an essential part of relaxing in the city, one of the biggest open spaces available to people who generally lack for such things. A different design, one that emphasized the functional and ignored the potential of the water-accessible open space, would have been poor design that failed to capture an opportunity to improve quality of life. Urban architecture should encourage open, multi-use spaces that connect different neighborhoods, as this brings people more together, encourages outdoor activity, and provides access to both water and parkland. In terms of quality of life, there is little downside to this feature, as it combines the essential elements of any piece of recreational architecture by being inclusive, accessible, multi-use, and integrated into the community in many ways.

The third space is a local microbrewery taproom. This space is warm, made with natural and reclaimed materials. There is emphasis on reclaimed wood in particular. The space is set back from the front window, so there is limited natural light, and artificial light is always required. The floor is concrete, and ceiling unfinished. The seating is primarily in the form of long tables that are to be shared. The room is long and narrow, with the bar area at the front. There is one small table in the back that is hidden behind a wall. Washrooms are in back, down a hall. The brewery is on either side of this main room, but is hidden behind the wooden walls, with just a few narrow slit windows to view the brewery staff at work. However, the brewing smells will often permeate the room, especially in the afternoon.

The space is intended for a couple of purposes. The first is to get people to relax and socialize -- as with any drinking establishment the point is for people to unwind, and have a comfortable space to meet others, converse and release some of the stresses of the day. In that sense, the use of natural materials and the wood especially are effective, as such materials create warmth in what is otherwise an industrial space. It is not as warm and comfortable as a classic English pub, but it is pretty comfortable for building that was formerly a furniture shop. The long, narrow space was best suited for similar tables, and such tables encourage people to talk to each other, including strangers, something that is essential to creating the right atmosphere.

The lack of natural light could be seen as a detriment, but the brewery fronts onto a busy street, with a dive motel across the road -- there is no need to emphasis the views here, for there are none. But the ceilings are high, which helps to create an airy vibe which is also casual.

An unfortunate part of the design is that the brewery is segregated, disconnected the customer from the process that is actually quite integral to the experience. Glass walls would have been much less warm, however, so there was a trade-off here, and the….....

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