A Secluded, Distinct Domain

This domain, located in one of the remodeled rooms of STAMPS, presents an unusually cozy nook in the cold, utilitarian halls of the Art & Architecture Building. The room itself is a very fresh take on a classroom, with easily moveable desks and chairs making it endlessly customizable for classes. However, this couch nook, located in the back, came as a surprise to me when I first saw it. Why would a classroom need two couches and a coffee table? 

Though I’ve never had a class in this domain, I’ve used this room to work on projects many times. The space allows a person to retire to the back of the room and lie down to rest after working hard. Gray screens provide a subtle feeling of shelter from others’ eyes in the room. You can lie on the couch and stare up at the warm round lamp, or use the nearby television to watch something. It creates a homely space for personal relaxation, a rare sight in the concrete-filled STAMPS. Being surrounded by both hard materials and hard forms causes a space like this to be especially appealing. 

Interestingly enough, the remodeled rooms have large windows on the walls, allowing people in the hallway to look into the room (this is how I took this photo in the first place). This causes the room to not feel as private, keeping people inside organized and focused and less prone to goofing off. This causes the domain’s visual space to open up and spill into the hallway, and strangers are able to enter this domain much as LaVine’s neighbors enter the domain of the private front yard when they pass near it. Thankfully, the windows are equipped with large blackout curtains that allow the domain to be closed off, wrapping the room in a blanket of darkness and privacy. All in all, this is a highly customizable domain, able to be shaped to suit the needs of many different people.