The Third Place Dilemma

    

    In 2020, with the peak of COVID-19, masses were sent home and the lines between home life and work life were blurred. Work from home became normal and rates for depression and anxiety skyrocketed. In theory, there are three places where a person spends the majority of their time. There are the first and second spaces which are home and work, but it is suggested that you find a third space to frequent as well. A third place is an informal public space where people can gather outside of their homes and workplaces. Examples of a third place would be coffee shops, parks, libraries, and diners. The importance of these places has decreased significantly in the eyes of today's society. During COVID-19, third spaces became deserted. These places, though, are necessary to foster strong communities and a sense of belonging. With the lack of emphasis placed on casual settings in current times, these third places are becoming scarce. Subsequently, a sense of isolation and disconnect from each other has pervaded many communities. In addition, as prices have continually increased, many have found it hard to go out because of the cost. Third places are imperative in alleviating this financial stress as they provide all of the social aspects of going out without the necessity to spend money. This allows for casual meetings with friends and community outside of the stressors of work and home. This helps build strong communities with family-like ties. Today, these places are being replaced by social media. It can be argued that this makes no difference, and that social media is better than in-person third spaces because of convenience, but social media has become an increasing problem. While it may feel like you are connecting with others, these connections are often superficial and has been linked to feelings of loneliness and depression. Third spaces are vital for enriching our lives with interaction, collaboration, and strengthening bonds. As society progresses, we cannot understate the importance of these spaces and the value they bring to our lives.

The Edifice Deficiency

    

    Cold, unforgiving facades adorn buildings all across North America. Most Americans can only admire flowing, ornate architecture within media from places like Europe. While I walk around unadorned expanses of concrete and glass, I wonder what happened to beauty in architecture. The lack of beauty surrounding architecture in the U.S. is often attributed to the fast-growing colonization mentality of the settlers. The focus was to take over as much land as possible, and that left no time for dilly-dallying about the unimportant details of looks. In addition to this, in the past, European royalty and rich spent their money hiring people to create ornate buildings with the purpose of display their wealth. Buildings are boring today because our values as a society have changed. There have been attempts in America and Europe to create acts ensuring you can only build beautiful buildings, but the issue is that beauty is subjective. What one person finds beautiful could seem gaudy or cold to another. Is it possible to return to a society that values grandiosity, is it important? I might be alone in the wish for architecture for people. Through research, tough, it has been found that our surroundings have a great impact on mental health. Studies have shown that people who live in beautiful places are, on average, happier than those who don't. As beauty is subjective, there is unfortunately no sustainable way to ensure the construction of beautiful buildings, but if we want to decrease the increasing mental health issues in America, we should really consider building prettier buildings.