A Rainy Day on the Bridge

Today, I went to get the rest of my photos for this blog. However, it was raining very hard, and I didn't want to risk getting my camera wet (it's already finicky enough). However, staying outside in the rain for those twenty minutes was very trying. The wind kept threatening to turn my umbrella inside out, and water gushed past my rainboots. The rain did not fall in straight lines, but somehow was able to splash around and get to the most bizzare places, such as on my face. There was nowhere dry to sit, and my feet became very tired. People rushed past me in their hurry to get to class and stay dry; few looked around. The crowds getting on and off of the Tech Trolleys were larger than I had ever noticed, and the bridge lost it's status as a "place" into a mere pathway that forced them to endure the elements. I willed the twenty minutes to pass quickly until I could endure the weather no more. I wished I had a hot tea or something of that nature to warm me. Finally, I left in a hurry, to try to catch a bus I was at the bottom of the hill, grateful to leave the bridge.

Night on the 5th Street Bridge

Yesterday I went to the 5th Street Bridge, at around 11:00 at night. I had my boyfriend accompany because, although it is a well lit and easily visible part of campus, I still don't feel comfortable walking around alone. The area was practically abandoned, with only streetlamps and the skyline to light it. However, it was surprisingly bright for the time of night. I counted about five people walk by during my entire 20-minute period, all in a hurry and walking quickly. The grass was rather prickly when we sat upon it, as though it was too dry. It felt almost like an exposed secret in that area, with a very intimate setting that people and cars kept blundering upon. My boyfriend and I felt the need to almost whisper to maintain the tranquility of the setting. It was very peaceful.

Busy Day on The Bridge / A Look At the Details

My last visit to the bridge happened on another rainy day (since we've had so many of those recently), but there were many more people using it that I had previously noticed. I also took note of bicycle traffic, as there are bike lanes on the bridge along with car lanes. I didn't have a full twenty minutes to spend on the bridge, so I decided to focus more closely on some more detailed aspects of the space. I had a sample "tag" printed on paper with me so I could see what they might look like in the space. I was particularly fond of one small area of the bridge at one of its corners. Growing there was a large yellow butterfly bush that was striking against the green and grey colors prevalent on the rest of the bridge. They only took up a small space, relatively, but their bright color had the most impact, especially on a dreary rainy day. Unlike the first rainy day I spent on the bridge, I realized that I could explore the landscaping more without getting my shoes soaked, as I had previously expected. There are bench-like concrete structures and, with the terraced features, they create a sort of path that moves through the green space and provides access to some "sub-spaces" within the overall space. I took notice of many little nooks that I hadn't known were there before, which would be perfect spaces for placing augmented reality tags.

Details of Bridge Experience

When I went to the space of our choosing, I decided to observe the details that we could use for our project. I noticed that a trashcan looked like a house with a curly roof. Lights that illuminate trees at night look like mini bombs during the day. Rain drainage system looks like a railroad tracks. There are many other small details that could be used in the project to connect people to this specific place.

Tailgating at the 5th Street Bridge

On Saturday, the 5th Street bridge was filled with Georgia Tech fans. All were tailgating for the upcoming football game against Wake Forest. The green space was filled with people walking about, with tents full of familes, of friends relaxing and playing games. Many grills were set up on the bridge, and people were relaxing and eating. Games like cornhole (tossing bean-bags into a hole on a slanted plank of wood) were set up, and everybody seemed to be having a great time. The weather was wonderful, and there seemed to be a joy in absorbing the sun's rays so deep into fall. People had even brought their dogs and were playing frisbee with them. It was a really nice and relaxed atmosphere, full of lively people and happy thoughts.

Rainy Evening on The Bridge

One weekend afternoon I met with my other group members on the bridge to explore the space. It happened to be rainy and fairly miserable during the time we were all able to meet, and having to lug around bags and hold up umbrellas proved challenging. Since the space is outside and open to the sky (that is, there are no real coverings to speak of), it was not possible to set down my bag and really look through the space. Also, since it had been raining all day, the grass on both sides of the bridge was sopping wet, and I didn't want to end up with soaking wet shoes so I stayed on the sidewalk. There was absolutely no one else spending any more time than absolutely necessary on the bridge since the weather was so unfortunate. Instead, people walked by very quickly, and most traffic on the bridge was in fact in the form of cars and buses. Staying on the bridge for more than a few minutes just resulted in frustration, as there was nowhere to sit that wouldn't result in wet pants. One interesting thing I took note of as I looked around and took pictures, though, was the detail built into the construction of the bridge, as well as decorative accents. The sidewalk itself along both side of the bridge is divided into a cement half and a brick tile half, both of which create segmented areas that could easily be used as a framework for some type of installation. Even the lampposts had interesting medallions embedded in them, and there were Buzz figures painted onto the sidewalk all along the bridge. All of these little details were only visible to me when I took the time to stand on the bridge and spend time there, as opposed to just walking over it and treating it as a transition space from campus to Tech Square.

Sunny Afternoon on The Bridge

This afternoon after getting off work, I had some free time to wander around the bridge. It was a very nice day, sunny and cool but comfortable. There weren't a lot of people on the bridge, as most people were just walking over it or driving over it in cars. However, I did notice a few small groups spending time in the green space. One particular group of three people were in the process of taking something akin to engagement photos in a particularly lovely area of the bridge near some trellises laced with vines. Other people were just lounging around in the grass, some reading, some relaxing in the grass. I also took notice of how many architectural and landscaping accents there were in the space. Terraced tree "planting boxes" and plentiful flowering bushes, along with the previously mentioned trellises made the space a very nice break from the surrounding area full of streets, parking garages and fraternity houses.