Biomimetic Design, BCI Finding Functions

Date: 1/29/23

Location: Miners’ Park, Carbondale, Colorado.

Conditions: Grey, cold, yesterday’s snow beginning to melt.

Intent of Session: Finding Functions.

Result of Session: In this next session, I wanted to move to a place that would have a bit more action or life than my backyard, so down the street is a public park. Its not a particularly busy or nice park, but it is near a residential neighborhood, so it is frequented by local people walking by to get from one side of the neighborhood to the other, or those walking their dogs, or parents who need to get their bored children out of the house. Which led me to think about the function of the park, and particularly this park. This local park I find personally interesting, because it does not seem like the kind of park the local people visit for the purpose of, “a day in the park”. It is more of a passing by or though type of park. Which I find interesting because it’s a perfectly good park. It has all the usual amenities, such as a volleyball net, soccer field, picnic tables, and a small playground. I personally enjoy this park because it has nice grass and trees, and is walking distance from my house. During this lifeless grey time of year, I am thinking about humans as an organism using the park as a function of use, and even going as far as creating it as a social phenomenon.

But in thinking about a function in nature, I began to think about why do I not go to this park more often, and why do I not see more people hanging near this park? My mind then thinks about its location as a main factor. In that it seems right in the middle of a residential area, and does not feel very peaceful in that way. Especially since I live in the Rocky Mountains, there are arguably much better places for seclusion and peace. What then is a function of a town park, when we live in such a rural/mountainous/outdoorsy place? Is it as an intended social gathering? A recognizable safe space? What other social creatures create places like this for safety in social gatherings? And what elements are needed to draw others to it?