PERSONAL ESSAY

In our daily lives, many of us spend a large amount of our time in non-places. In a non-place, one does not have ownership or an identifying relationship over the pace they are existing in. Many times all a non-space accomplishes is an area for a person to exist for a moment as they pass through their day. These non-places can include elevators, waiting rooms, airport terminals and parking garages. All of these environments are made to be used by many, often for short periods at a time. The person in this environment does not create a relationship with a place like this but rather separates themselves, often on a path to accomplishing a larger task. Adding up all of these short moments in non-places accumulates to a significant portion of our time being spent in spaces we feel detached from. This can greatly impact the way we view ourselves and the world we live in, changing our outlook and the way we relate to each other.

This lack of relationship with our space often goes unnoticed in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Our focus is often on what is next, allowing non-places to exist without the ability of being recognized as such. The stepping stones that these environments give us in our everyday lives are necessary for us to achieve our daily goals. We would surely notice if these non-places were transformed into places through our changed experience and how every experience impacts how a person views the world they live in.

A key to this is to create meaning for individuals rather than focusing solely on functionality of the space for users. Rethinking spaces as a place for people to be informed, to be noticed or even to be cared for could drastically change the human experience. For example, a parking garage is a very functional non-space used by many all over the world. These structures help people accomplish a goal of parking a car but after this is completed, the user leaves the space without a second thought about staying for a moment longer. The garage does not demand the attention of the user nor does it desire to be related to. The individual that left their car parked in the garage will not be positively impacted through the current design of the garage, which could be one of many missed touchpoints this person experiences throughout the day. By altering the garage to allow this individual to customize or make meaning of their experience, we can begin to eliminate some of the time we spend in non-places. Transforming non-places into places for users to relate to, make memories in or identify with can begin to help us as a society to take ownership over the places we go and relate to each other is a very humain way.