by Sally Gales
My thesis explored the importance of “play” spaces within graduate buildings. I argued that the studio space allotted to graduate students strongly determines the level of intellectual and personal connection between departments. Shared spaces for “play” should be introduced to graduate buildings in order to promote inter-departmental collaboration. By creating opportunities for play, students will have the chance to meet new peers, be exposed to different works and ideas, and develop a larger sense of community.
More specifically, my thesis looked at a current graduate space within RISD: the CIT and Fletcher buildings. The adjacent buildings are separated by only a party wall, yet the design students in CIT and the fine arts students in Fletcher rarely cross-mingle and are kept spatially isolated by the layout of the buildings. I explored the potential of the dividing party wall as a place to introduce ‘play.’ The greatest challenge I faced in this project was defining for myself what is play. Instinctually I was able to engage in the act of play but every time I tried to grasp its essence and apply it to my site I met a wall. It wasn’t until nearly the end of the semester that I finally came to my answer: play is freedom. I had spent the majority of the semester trying to fit play into the existing building; I tried to make the wall hold play. When I came to my realization, however, I was able to see the party wall as the originator of play from which play could spread and stitch the two buildings together.
In collaboration with Ben Cornelius (Structural Engineer), I was able to use a support system of two beams sandwiched around proposed cutouts in the wall to develop a system of play. The network extends play’s reach into both buildings and allows play spaces to occupy their own level in between existing “work” levels. In the end, the beams not only serve as structural support, they became a wayfinding network – leading students to weave through the buildings, discover new “play” spaces, and meet each other.
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