As part of the Intervention lecture Antre set up, we had to create our intervention on the CSAD. I am not a very confident person when it comes to performances or things which would draw attention to me; therefore, this pushed me out of comfort zone hugely. I found it incredibly hard to think of something which would create an intervention. After coming up with a variety of different ideas I decided to sit down in different locations outside of the CSAD building and observe what people do within those specific areas. I used a linen cloth I found in the interior design studio and sat on it, at first I felt very uncomfortable and out of place; however, as time went on I realised that not many people took notice of me and didn’t find it strange that I was sat on the floor on a wet day watching everyone. What I found out from this intervention was that I was able to feel more comfortable and at peace when I was facing the greenery and woodland behind the university building. This space allowed me to concentrate on my thoughts and emotions and enabled me to take in the beauty of the environment that surrounded me. Unlike this tranquil and peaceful experience sitting on the concrete floor surrounded by large brick buildings made me lose focus and concentration of my thoughts as I was preoccupied on watching what other people were doing and what they were talking about. One thing I noticed was the number of people who were smoking, they used it as an area to socialise with other smokers. Although this showed me an element of cohesion within the student community it also showed me how little respect students have on the surrounding environment. Many of the smokers dropped their cigarettes on the floor or on top of bins which destroyed the natural aesthetic of the space. Observing from different angles of the space made me realise how natural and constructed spaces can make you feel different emotions and make you behave differently. I found that those who were surrounded by the woodland were more focused on their work and therefore is a place to reflect, compose thoughts and observe the natural environment. However, those who were in the constructed space socialised more had more things to distract them and rarely had the opportunity to compose their thoughts.
I found this intervention a great way to understand how people behave in certain environments and also allowed me to realise how I respond to being in different spaces both natural and industrial.
Charlotte's blog 