Blog Post 7: 2/28/11

In Alain be Botton's article he talks about architecture and the happiness it invokes.  He talks about the happy memories a house can hold and how different colors can cause certain moods.  We have also been talking, in class this past week, about the idea of rules in building architecture and spaces.  

I think that having architecture of happiness means having a space that holds memories and is a place where you can enjoy the simple things in life like soaking up the sunshine, reading a book, or socializing with friends

The idea of "rules" when it comes to happiness in architecture are more of guidelines to create architecture that make people happy and that are places that people will enjoy being.

There are some places and spaces around campus that I think of to invoke happiness but the space that stands out the most to me is the fountain behind the EUC.  I would classify this area as a space because of how the walls of the back of the EUC and the stone tile that surrounds the fountain for an implied space with their boarders.  I think that this area is a space that fits the idea of happiness because this is a place on campus where people come for all different reason.  People come to this spot to study, read, relax, eat, socialize with friends, or to just hang out.  When it comes to the "rules" of architecture for the eastern and western world this space also follows the rules of emphasizing the surface through materiality such as in the bricks and stone and the rule about the use of groves and stacks.  The stacks being the windows up the side of one wall of the EUC and the columns on the other side of the EUC.

One place on campus that I think fits this idea of happiness is the grassy area between the library and the EUC where the swings are.  I think that this place fits with the idea of happiness because people come here to relax after a long day or they go on the swings just to relax after a stressful day.  I think that the rule that could be applies to this place would be to revive the past using classical language.  As little kids we all played on the swings at the playground and now they put some on a college campus because reminders of our childhood and home are a comfort to us humans.