Founders residents have a strong sense of building unity shaped by intentional decisions and the architecture of the space they inhabit.
Starting with the structure of the building, Founders only has two permissible entrances–the entrance on the bridge which leads into Third Lobby and the entrance down by the First Floor study rooms and the RD’s apartment. The limited entryways tend to funnel all traffic through Third Lobby, the primary entrance, creating an area that people walk through more than sit down in.
To get to the second floor, a resident must walk through Third Lobby before arriving at Second Lobby, which is defined by a sociable atmosphere of games and vending machines.
Residents and non-residents alike study and socialize in Founders, but people often gravitate to one lobby or the other. Within the building, there seems to be an unspoken yet understood sentiment that Third and Second have distinct atmospheres.
Brett Borland, the RD of Founders, curated a space for residents to sit down and talk but also to have fun together. “I wanted to try to use the space better,” Borland said.
In Second, this meant sectioning off different areas: louder activities such as games and the piano on one side, and the tables and seating on the other. The First Floor originally was a bike rack. Last year, Borland used some of the First Floor for the Grower’s Club and then spiffed up the remainder with high tables and a sofa.
Even the Third Lobby’s layout is carefully considered. The couches, tables and coffee tables around the lobby are designed to be simple. It’s versatile; it makes event programming easier. Student leaders such as RAs and Student Senate can easily shift furniture around the lobby for building events, such as Falala Founders.
The lobbies reflect their location through their transience and sedentary nature created by the construction of the building and the furniture’s arrangement.
“Everyone comes through those doors. So I see everyone! I just like being able to say hi to people, and people will walk over, and we may not have a super long conversation, but we have a conversation, and I really like that,” said Sacha Florian, a Third Lobby enthusiast.
Borland’s spatial decisions are felt by the students. Ralphael Thomas Lee Graulich III from Second Lobby said that Third is an intersection point and Second is characterized by long-term socializing: people look for people to hangout with in Second. Through a laugh, Graulich said people who are looking for vending machine snacks are deeply confused by the Second Lobby’s antics: “What happens in Second Lobby stays in Second Lobby,” he said.
Both Third and Second Lobby culture seem to define themselves by the deliberate usage of time. “Intentionality is big for Third. I’m not saying it’s not for Second,” Florian said. “We definitely have the intentionality of, ‘This is an open space.’”
Florian also mentioned the ease of getting connected in Founders: residents can walk about 100 feet and find people. Third Lobby tends to draw from Jungle, Catacombs and Ekklesia as well as residents from other floors—and even other buildings.
Similarly, Second Lobby folks consider Second more of a hangout space, especially for the residents on First Belz and Jubilee, the two halls that feed into the lobby. When asked about his specific reasons for spending time in Second, Graulich quickly declared his love for the people on his sister hall.
Graulich further distinguished Second and Third Lobby culture by saying, “People who hangout in Second Lobby want to be in Second Lobby; they want to spend time with their friends.”
Graulich noted a shift in Third Lobby culture through a throwaway comment about First “Lobby”–which historically has not been considered a lobby by upperclassmen. Previously a dead space, First Floor is now tidied up with lamps and a studious atmosphere.
Graulich found people are actually using the study rooms. Upon further inspection, he explained that people are “just looking around the lobby checking who’s in a certain place.” While people have sought people out in the two traditional lobbies, Graulich said people now look for others on the First Floor; albeit, it’s more of a friend group rather than a specific culture.
Although the culture of Third and Second Lobby have different ‘vibes,’ (in the residents’ words) both spaces are conducive to a hub for community. Perhaps, First Floor will begin to cultivate an equally intentional culture alongside Third and Second.