BP7, Kennedy, Blog Post #7, IARC 221

Architecture of Happiness through happy places and happy spaces.  An architecture of happiness is where light, sounds, materiality, air, and living all come together.  Light bright airy spaces make me happy.  I like fresh air too, so air quality is key for me being happy in an architectural space or place.

For my place I chose the glass and mirror sculpture in the sculpture garden at the Weatherspoon museum.  This is my favorite place because it brought out the child in all of us.  We all instantly became uninhibited and had fun.  We did not respect the rules and boundaries set fourth to us.  This garden is a place for inquisitive minds to learn and experience and explore and have fun.  We got in the sculpture, walked around it, took pictures of it.  Our minds were challenged when what we saw was not was not what we thought we were supposed to see. 

My favorite space is the Studio!!  I think that this space and how it is used relates directly to Debotton's article.  Architects created this space for us.  We are lucky enough to utilize this section of it for one year, then we move on to another space.  We have been given all the structure we need to start a new life here.  A group of 50 individuals have been put together and over the course of a few months have become very close to one another, like a big happy family.  We work with each other, help each other, learn from each other, and grow with each other.  Our "Space" allows us to create memories and a life around the space.  The space is light and bright, full of energy and happiness.  We have a great view of downtown and the changing sky around us.  We feel and hear the building as it breathes, providing us with shelter and comfort.  Really late at night the building goes to sleep.  Lights go off, systems shut down.  Then like clockwork the next morning about 7.30 the building reawakens.  Lights come back on and the air conditioning/heat comes back on.  You can hear the building start up and breathe every day. 

The places and spaces we have looked at create a framework from around which create our own version of happiness.  As we move on these spaces and places remain constant.  Opening up for a new group of individuals to create their own version of an architecture of happiness.