DESIGN Research |Field Research | Space and Place
Gathering Spaces
/pahalū/
Gathering Spaces
/pahalū/
When one calls a site or a space to be a place, then what are the implications of our words with respect to the existence of that site? It is a place where it is lively; it is lively with people around it.
The whole notion of a place complimenting a person and a person explains the integrity of their identity. Every individual carries a bit of their identity of the place they are from, in terms of their way of behaviour existing in themselves but with the moving time and space: How does one define where they are from?
With the interpretation of a place from the outside, there is an aspect that can be unravelled by being with it to feel its essence and fragrance. This project is about unravelling the other aspect of Pete with it, I being myself in it.
Har chiz ka alag-alag pahlu hote hai
When one calls a site or a space to be a place, then what are the implications of our words with respect to the existence of that site? It is a place where it is lively; it is lively with people around it.
The whole notion of a place complimenting a person and a person explains the integrity of their identity. Every individual carries a bit of their identity of the place they are from, in terms of their way of behaviour existing in themselves but with the moving time and space: How does one define where they are from?
With the interpretation of a place from the outside, there is an aspect that can be unravelled by being with it to feel its essence and fragrance. This project is about unravelling the other aspect of Pete with it, I being myself in it.
Har chiz ka alag-alag pahlu hote hai
Beyond the design that prioritizes the needs of humans are the numerous, extensive, and untold histories of non-human locations, artefacts, and systems. What we refer to as “gathering spaces”— areas where human and non-human agents interact to create a space and make it function—are particularly significant.
Chickpete is a local marketplace filled with co-existing diversity. It has history, architecture, community, diversity, stories, memories, sorrow, pain, and happiness, like any other public market space.
Then how is this a different space, or is any space different from the others? What does make a space different?
Beyond the design that prioritizes the needs of humans are the numerous, extensive, and untold histories of non-human locations, artefacts, and systems. What we refer to as “gathering spaces”— areas where human and non-human agents interact to create a space and make it function—are particularly significant.
Chickpete is a local marketplace filled with co-existing diversity. It has history, architecture, community, diversity, stories, memories, sorrow, pain, and happiness, like any other public market space.
Then how is this a different space, or is any space different from the others? What does make a space different?
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When we call a site or a space to be a place, then what are the implications of our words with respect to the existence of that site? It is a place where it is lively; it is lively with people around it.
The whole notion of a place complimenting a person and a person complimenting the space is amusing to observe. Every individual carries a bit of land in their identity in terms of their way of behaviour existing in themselves, but with the moving time and space: How does one define where they are from?
We understand a space or a place with pre-existing binaries, that is, geographic landscape and architectural settings. However, the identity of a place is visible with the overlapping intersection of human experiences and physical environment with their social relationships. The intra-person and place relation makes any space different from the other. Places and the human self weave together elements of nature, cognition, and social interaction; it can also be observed that through this, a place gains its identity.
JOURNEY
Positioning
We create our own processes and approaches for understanding a context. That is called our design practice. As a design practitioner, one should understand and be aware of the process’s trajectory in the design realm. Before starting, we need to answer the project’s WHAT, WHY and HOW for ourselves.
When we call a site or a space to be a place, then what are the implications of our words with respect to the existence of that site? It is a place where it is lively; it is lively with people around it.
The whole notion of a place complimenting a person and a person complimenting the space is amusing to observe. Every individual carries a bit of land in their identity in terms of their way of behaviour existing in themselves, but with the moving time and space: How does one define where they are from?
We understand a space or a place with pre-existing binaries, that is, geographic landscape and architectural settings. However, the identity of a place is visible with the overlapping intersection of human experiences and physical environment with their social relationships. The intra-person and place relation makes any space different from the other. Places and the human self weave together elements of nature, cognition, and social interaction; it can also be observed that through this, a place gains its identity.
JOURNEY
Positioning
We create our own processes and approaches for understanding a context. That is called our design practice. As a design practitioner, one should understand and be aware of the process’s trajectory in the design realm. Before starting, we need to answer the project’s WHAT, WHY and HOW for ourselves.
Manufacturing technologies have enormous potential to change the manufacturing landscape for small and large manufacturers alike. There is lack of decision making tools that cater the gap of communication and integration associated these technologies benefitting the stakeholders with cost, labour and efficiency.
The “how” have three vertices from where one can start and execute their intent with what they have understood. These three vertices are:
-Theoretical Concept
-Technology and Material
-Context of use of design
The “how” have three vertices from where one can start and execute their intent with what they have understood. These three vertices are:
-Theoretical Concept
-Technology and Material
-Context of use of design
The “how” have three vertices from where one can start and execute their intent with what they have understood. These three vertices are:
-Theoretical Concept
-Technology and Material
-Context of use of design
The “how” have three vertices from where one can start and execute their intent with what they have understood. These three vertices are:
-Theoretical Concept
-Technology and Material
-Context of use of design
The “how” have three vertices from where one can start and execute their intent with what they have understood. These three vertices are:
-Theoretical Concept
-Technology and Material
-Context of use of design
Positioning Statement
In the context of seeing, being, and doing brief, I started with the vertex of the context of design as the start to understand the design brief. The context of the brief offered choices of gathering spaces and community networks. While one was settled in Pete and the other was in Channapatna, both of these briefs had a common understanding of existence, which was a community of people settled in the place and how they acted as a part of the brief.
Through the context of design in the place, the next part for my positioning is to identify my position or act in that context, which would give clarity on focusing the intent and gave clarity on the motive to understand different perceptions existing in the place, and with it highlight or understand the form of the perception of understanding.
It helped me start with the community and to narrow my position to the context of gathering spaces as I had the opportunity to explore and experiment with my area of interest through Pete.
Connecting Dots with First Visit Pete
After my initial visit to the site, or I may say the place, Pete, it was too overwhelming for me. A lot was happening around, and there was no space to breathe (metaphorically). That space lacks rest in general.
In the past, I have seen such a place with the same amount of drama, but with everything the same, there was also something different. From a microscopic lens, I noticed that every person in that place out there is himself a character, they have a unique identity associated with the place that they may not say, but one can observe the diversity of things happening in the same frame of sight.
Looking at things associated with binaries and boundaries helps and does not help at the same time. But most elements come with a pre-existing association, and when one observes it in a different scenario, they try to connect and form relations. With that, it was my first observation. Personally, whatever I saw, I tried to connect it to something I already knew in terms of diversity, and because of my pre-existing association with such a same marketplace, I could connect my observation differently in terms of diversity existing there, which I did not expect to exist in this site.
Positioning Statement
In the context of seeing, being, and doing brief, I started with the vertex of the context of design as the start to understand the design brief. The context of the brief offered choices of gathering spaces and community networks. While one was settled in Pete and the other was in Channapatna, both of these briefs had a common understanding of existence, which was a community of people settled in the place and how they acted as a part of the brief.
Through the context of design in the place, the next part for my positioning is to identify my position or act in that context, which would give clarity on focusing the intent and gave clarity on the motive to understand different perceptions existing in the place, and with it highlight or understand the form of the perception of understanding.
It helped me start with the community and to narrow my position to the context of gathering spaces as I had the opportunity to explore and experiment with my area of interest through Pete.
Connecting Dots with First Visit Pete
After my initial visit to the site, or I may say the place, Pete, it was too overwhelming for me. A lot was happening around, and there was no space to breathe (metaphorically). That space lacks rest in general.
In the past, I have seen such a place with the same amount of drama, but with everything the same, there was also something different. From a microscopic lens, I noticed that every person in that place out there is himself a character, they have a unique identity associated with the place that they may not say, but one can observe the diversity of things happening in the same frame of sight.
Looking at things associated with binaries and boundaries helps and does not help at the same time. But most elements come with a pre-existing association, and when one observes it in a different scenario, they try to connect and form relations. With that, it was my first observation. Personally, whatever I saw, I tried to connect it to something I already knew in terms of diversity, and because of my pre-existing association with such a same marketplace, I could connect my observation differently in terms of diversity existing there, which I did not expect to exist in this site.
I am bad with navigation, whether manual or digital, but it was amusing to come across real ironical realities according to my observations which took place because of my bad navigation. That place has a huge building filled with temporary stalls and a market that looks temporary to the outsider’s eye, but it is a permanent space for people to practice their work and earn through it; on the contrary, there is a crowded lane with permanent small shops thin buildings technically owned by the outsiders to earn a living in a different land. In both spaces, the common part is that they both want to earn a living, but the difference is how and why?
After my visit connecting the dots with my observation, I realized that Chickpete was what I was seeing from the outside but is Pete if you see it from the inside. My observations led to these questions:
I am bad with navigation, whether manual or digital, but it was amusing to come across real ironical realities according to my observations which took place because of my bad navigation. That place has a huge building filled with temporary stalls and a market that looks temporary to the outsider’s eye, but it is a permanent space for people to practice their work and earn through it; on the contrary, there is a crowded lane with permanent small shops thin buildings technically owned by the outsiders to earn a living in a different land. In both spaces, the common part is that they both want to earn a living, but the difference is how and why?
After my visit connecting the dots with my observation, I realized that Chickpete was what I was seeing from the outside but is Pete if you see it from the inside. My observations led to these questions:
Visual Abstract
The positioning statement gave me a starting point to look through the lens of context in the site Chickpete. I knew Pete as Chickpete because that’s how it was for me from the outside. After my first visit and observation, there were few dots connecting between my observations and the place. Being a local market area spaced out with natives of Karnataka, it was cherished with diversity.
In the context of Pete, my area of interest and observation moved towards migration, looking at the aspect of the diversity of the place. It was interesting to notice how in the same space, different communities exist that define the same terms in a different manner, according to their understanding.
I was interested to know the overlapping of the persona of every character that how they co-exist in that diversified space. How do they connect and communicate with the place, and how does that affect the place in general?
The positioning statement gave me a starting point to look through the lens of context in the site Chickpete. I knew Pete as Chickpete because that’s how it was for me from the outside. After my first visit and observation, there were few dots connecting between my observations and the place. Being a local market area spaced out with natives of Karnataka, it was cherished with diversity.
In the context of Pete, my area of interest and observation moved towards migration, looking at the aspect of the diversity of the place. It was interesting to notice how in the same space, different communities exist that define the same terms in a different manner, according to their understanding.
I was interested to know the overlapping of the persona of every character that how they co-exist in that diversified space. How do they connect and communicate with the place, and how does that affect the place in general?
Place Based Approach
The Place-Based approach concentrates on comprehending various elements of the selected site to a greater extent by using the location as the major context. The procedure entails gathering experiences by interacting with the human and non-human agents of the place. It focuses on developing observations by engaging with and dissecting the identity of space and related narratives, comprehending historical settings, and investigating change. That can be collated through artefacts, information systems, and other forms of media that draw inspiration from, are derived from, or interact with the particular place and setting.
Place Based Approach
The Place-Based approach concentrates on comprehending various elements of the selected site to a greater extent by using the location as the major context. The procedure entails gathering experiences by interacting with the human and non-human agents of the place. It focuses on developing observations by engaging with and dissecting the identity of space and related narratives, comprehending historical settings, and investigating change. That can be collated through artefacts, information systems, and other forms of media that draw inspiration from, are derived from, or interact with the particular place and setting.
During the initial site visits, I gained attention towards Architecture, Patterns - Visual and Inherent, Narratives, Interactions, and Systems. of the place. Which changed the perspective to re-look diverse marketplace, its origins and the underlying significance of the components that make Pete what it is.
With our following insights:
Resilient Endurance
Intersection of past, present and future
Co-existing Diversity
Balance between preventing history and development
Movement of learning
During the initial site visits, I gained attention towards Architecture, Patterns - Visual and Inherent, Narratives, Interactions, and Systems. of the place. Which changed the perspective to re-look diverse marketplace, its origins and the underlying significance of the components that make Pete what it is.
With our following insights:
Resilient Endurance
Intersection of past, present and future
Co-existing Diversity
Balance between preventing history and development
Movement of learning
SITE/ SPACE/ PLACE
With people and place, we understand their relations and interactions through positivistic and phenomenological approaches. The sense of a place is intrinsic to the physical setting but resides in human interpretation of the setting. A place is a meaning-based concept, and the meanings just not inherited from the nature of the things but are derived from the experience with the things or physical environment.
The intra-person and place relation makes every space from the other. Pete is a place which provides an opportunity for coexistence, diversity, expression, and collaboration and expresses your essence and identity in the space. That explains the uniqueness of human culture and variations in experiences and makes it possible for a single place to encompass multiple places, as every river is a part of a single river, and every land is part of a single land.
With people and place, we understand their relations and interactions through positivistic and phenomenological approaches. The sense of a place is intrinsic to the physical setting but resides in human interpretation of the setting. A place is a meaning-based concept, and the meanings just not inherited from the nature of the things but are derived from the experience with the things or physical environment.
The intra-person and place relation makes every space from the other. Pete is a place which provides an opportunity for coexistence, diversity, expression, and collaboration and expresses your essence and identity in the space. That explains the uniqueness of human culture and variations in experiences and makes it possible for a single place to encompass multiple places, as every river is a part of a single river, and every land is part of a single land.
METHODS AND METHODOLOGIES
Methodologies explain how one explicit or implicit assumptions are at work in the selection of research focus, problem, and approach.
From the perspective of social science, the positivistic approaches used are inclined towards the theoretical aspect of the land. It formulates abstract from the universal laws with the existing boundaries that explain the physical environment ofa space. While to understand the transition of a space to place, positivistic approaches and phenomenological approaches are combined with the geographical aspect. Anthropological, sociological and design thinking are combined to understand ‘what do people make of place’.
“What do people make of places? The question is as old as people and places themselves, as old as human attachments to portions of the earth.”
-Keith Basso, Wisdom Sits in Places
METHODS AND METHODOLOGIES
Methodologies explain how one explicit or implicit assumptions are at work in the selection of research focus, problem, and approach.
From the perspective of social science, the positivistic approaches used are inclined towards the theoretical aspect of the land. It formulates abstract from the universal laws with the existing boundaries that explain the physical environment ofa space. While to understand the transition of a space to place, positivistic approaches and phenomenological approaches are combined with the geographical aspect. Anthropological, sociological and design thinking are combined to understand ‘what do people make of place’.
“What do people make of places? The question is as old as people and places themselves, as old as human attachments to portions of the earth.”
-Keith Basso, Wisdom Sits in Places
FIELD RESEARCH
Connecting my intent and understanding of the with secondary research. I had to build strategies to build trust with the people place to understand. The activities that I used from the narrative enquiry, phenomenology, qualitative observations, participatory research, qualitative surveys, art-based research and experiential research are:
Explorative Research
With the place for my initial visits, I walked around and explored the place to understand its spatial spread and the nature of human and non-human elements existing in the place. I used digital maps and applications to trace my movement and annotation for observation.
With my observation of explorative research, I narrowed down my interest which aligned with my initial question in the space. I chose the chaotic places and figured three positions in the place and observed the space for 15 minutes with different mediums and then after 15 min change the position and repeated the process. This made me realise the existence of drama in the place and highlighted the important stakeholders of the place.
With the place for my initial visits, I walked around and explored the place to understand its spatial spread and the nature of human and non-human elements existing in the place. I used digital maps and applications to trace my movement and annotation for observation.
With my observation of explorative research, I narrowed down my interest which aligned with my initial question in the space. I chose the chaotic places and figured three positions in the place and observed the space for 15 minutes with different mediums and then after 15 min change the position and repeated the process. This made me realise the existence of drama in the place and highlighted the important stakeholders of the place.
Stakeholder Mapping
Qualitative Interview
To perform a qualitative interview with people, I had to gain their trust so that they would give some time from their daily life. For that, I figured to do my site visits over the weekend, Friday to Saturday and planned interviews in parts as they used to see me. Consequently three days, they had trust and familiarity, and they opened up easily about their experiences in the space.
Language existed as a barrier in KR Market, and for that, I initially tried to translate my questionnaire into Tamil and Kannada but did not see it working. So I asked the help of my friend Sundari who can speak Tamil, which made me complete my interview.
Experiential Mapping
To understand my perfect sense of a place in Pete, I annotated the map with my finding and feelings in with poetries to reflect and create narration combining my secondary and primary research.
INSIGHT BUILDING
These activities helped to narrow down my thought from understanding the space to realising the existence of a sense of a place and how every individual perceives it differently. I narrowed down and chose different parts of Pete and did the same Field exercise to understand the similarity and difference and relevance of the existing boundaries.
These observations created an understanding that there exists a narration of the place by the people and partly their struggle of life in the palace for existence which makes it similar and different at the same point of time.
Public space is a window to perceive the soul of the place through understanding the relationship between people and the place in different aspects. Chickpete is a local marketplace filled with co-existing diversity. It has history, architecture, community, diversity, stories, memories, sorrow, pain, and happiness, like any other existing public market space.
Then how is this a different space, or is any space different from the others? What makes a space different?
A place is a meaning-based concept. Meanings are just not inherited by nature of things but are derived from experiences with physical environment.
The Uniqueness of human culture and variations makes it possible that a single place can encompass ‘multiple places’, corresponding to the human experiences and physical environment creating social relationships.
My primary and secondary research has tried to look at the Pete Area with these lenses to understand the sense of the place.
INSIGHT BUILDING
These activities helped to narrow down my thought from understanding the space to realising the existence of a sense of a place and how every individual perceives it differently. I narrowed down and chose different parts of Pete and did the same Field exercise to understand the similarity and difference and relevance of the existing boundaries.
These observations created an understanding that there exists a narration of the place by the people and partly their struggle of life in the palace for existence which makes it similar and different at the same point of time.
Public space is a window to perceive the soul of the place through understanding the relationship between people and the place in different aspects. Chickpete is a local marketplace filled with co-existing diversity. It has history, architecture, community, diversity, stories, memories, sorrow, pain, and happiness, like any other existing public market space.
Then how is this a different space, or is any space different from the others? What makes a space different?
A place is a meaning-based concept. Meanings are just not inherited by nature of things but are derived from experiences with physical environment.
The Uniqueness of human culture and variations makes it possible that a single place can encompass ‘multiple places’, corresponding to the human experiences and physical environment creating social relationships.
My primary and secondary research has tried to look at the Pete Area with these lenses to understand the sense of the place.
LEARNINGS
I intend to express my understanding of the sense of a place through pete. Sense of place for me is defined with how a person interacts in a spatial setting gives meaning to the place and adds value to the place, and those values affect both of their identities to be different for every individual.
I started by connecting my primary and secondary research with my self-reflection of understanding in the form of abstract sketches that reveal the intrigues of the place.
LEARNINGS
I intend to express my understanding of the sense of a place through pete. Sense of place for me is defined with how a person interacts in a spatial setting gives meaning to the place and adds value to the place, and those values affect both of their identities to be different for every individual.
I started by connecting my primary and secondary research with my self-reflection of understanding in the form of abstract sketches that reveal the intrigues of the place.
NARRATIVE OF THE ARETFACT
Each frame of the installation has a connection to each other in the form of expression that showcases a narrative and journey.
ARETFACT
The formation of boundaries is an expression of the thought that lines do not affect the identity of the place as there are similar happenings across the lines. With the connection of boundaries with thread explains how they are connected, and yet not as the threads are coloured in different colours indicating the diversity, but by the end, it is white, explaining that every land is the same, and it depends on what colour one chooses to interact for a sense of the place.
SCOOPE
From Chickpete to Pete, this place and the project made me have a different realisation at different points. By the end of this, I feel more than to Place Based Cluster. I belonged to Autoethnography as my methods were placed based, but the intent came from the self-reflection of the observation and experience that I felt in that place.
It may be the end of this project, but it is the start of something new for me. Every place has different aspects related to it. At the end of the day, they all are the same, but with the change in time, people make it different. In future, I may extend the same project in a different space with the same methods and figure and form a bond that may be different or the same one I have with Pete.
This whole project can be used as a toolkit to understand the different aspects and perspectives of a place and how I, as an art practitioner, convey those intangible experiences in tangible from.
From Chickpete to Pete, this place and the project made me have a different realisation at different points. By the end of this, I feel more than to Place Based Cluster. I belonged to Autoethnography as my methods were placed based, but the intent came from the self-reflection of the observation and experience that I felt in that place.
It may be the end of this project, but it is the start of something new for me. Every place has different aspects related to it. At the end of the day, they all are the same, but with the change in time, people make it different. In future, I may extend the same project in a different space with the same methods and figure and form a bond that may be different or the same one I have with Pete.
This whole project can be used as a toolkit to understand the different aspects and perspectives of a place and how I, as an art practitioner, convey those intangible experiences in tangible from.
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