Week 2: Thursday’s Tutorial

Apart from the technical skills that I am slowly beginning to gain as a result of taking this studio, I have also been infused with the philosophical facets that are associated with neighbourhoods and how I engage with them. Particularly in the sense that there is indeed a difference between ‘space’ and ‘place’, where ‘place’ is physical and is often limited to a single building, estate or institution. Contrary to this, ‘space’ embodies a more expansive landscape, not necessarily always physical, but can extend beyond a single architecture. Space is abstract, it is infinite and conceptual, it inspires associations of freedom and infinite extension. It is a personal location replete with meaning and value that only the individual – depending on their experiences and engagement with the space – can ascribe to it. This notion particularly resonates with me as the idea of space is a personal one and can only be defined by myself, my experiences and the value I attach to the subjects within this space. Being an open and subjective concept, I feel that my definition of ‘home’ has expanded since entering this studio. ‘Home’, for me, is no longer limited to physical boundaries or landscapes, rather, ‘home’ extends to wherever or whomever inspires feelings of familiarity, community and acceptance. Feelings of which I can feel within my physical home and also beyond.