Dylan Polachi

Dylan Polachi

I sketched the spaces of the square that have played an important role in my experience here at Harvard. Several things stand out to me after reviewing my final sketch. First, I underestimated the size of Dunster House relative to neighboring houses. This was a pattern I noticed over the several sketches that I attempted for my final. Additionally, I inflated the size of the buildings north of the yard. I don’t take many classes there, and the unfamiliarity is likely the reason that the buildings are so large relative to the spaces I know well. I also inflated the size of the green off of Massachusetts Avenue, probably due to this strangeness as well. This exercise is important for understanding how individuals interact with cities. It suggests that we should explore areas of urban environments with which we are unfamiliar. Detailed investigations of these environments would help us create a more accurate mental map of spaces, and help us better understand the communities that we inhabit. Personally, I feel I could better understand Harvard Square and the areas previously unknown to me by simply walking through them and interacting with the people that inhabit them.