Georgia Tech Personal Environment Response

Photo by user “Kevrez” taken April 24th, 2017

Georgia Tech, Atlanta’s leading research university, hosts one of the most brilliantly designed urban University campus’ across the nation. Hidden between the sky scrapers of the city lies an emerald of green space and wandering concrete paths that intertwine into one another seamlessly, guiding you through the university environment as if it was natural.

Whilst letting myself get lost within the ever winding foot paths of the campus I often found myself among class room buildings and student centers; spaced nicely and individually from one another commonly, and almost always in a color of white which evoked emotions of prestige, modernism, and unearthed knowledge. The most prominent feature of the campus landscape however, is how astoundingly spread out the university allows itself to be by establishing vast areas of green space rivaling that of small parks throughout the campus. Long, red brick walkways adorned with Victorian lamp posts cutting through the center of these fields not only connects the student body within the space, but attracts them to utilize and engross themselves within the calming environment. By creating an enclosed, attractive outlet space which only hosts other like minded student peers, Georgia Tech has created a perfect counter weight to the stress seen common in University students.

Walking through Georgia Tech’s pedestrian focused veins through campus evoked a feeling of wonder into me as the school further entangled me in it’s illusion; letting me forget that just over the tree tops on the horizon were the ever looming buildings that create Atlanta’s skyline. Tech’s illusive built environment is nothing short of a magic trick; the space seems to exist outside the standard rules and bustle of the city, situating itself silently and with tact precision among the centennial, west midtown districts.

Dotted across the campus, some seemingly randomly and others at popular foot path intersections, are various art installations ranging from modern steel sculptures to artistic interpretations of an enlarged Einstein sitting across stair steps. These pieces, odd and various, can only be interpreted personally when looking at the ideas they invoke together:

curiosity.

Vibrant, winding, and spiraling shapes evoke ideas of creativity and innovation, while also enriching the homeliness of the campus environment. Memorable land markers such as these art installations not only assist a students sense of direction, but also allow them to internalize the details that adorn the universities green spaces and walkways and give way to a greater sense of community and secure living space.

Photo by Joshua Garrick taken on June 21, 2013

Georgia Tech manages to establish a university living space and learning environment which challenges students to constantly push their boundaries through a culture supported by the prestige of the campus architecture. Beyond challenging their student body however, Georgia Tech has also established itself as a home for invigorating and relaxing students along their academic climb.