The Third Place

Ray Oldenburg describes a "Third Place" as a place away from home and from the workplace. The main emphasis inside of this Third Place is friendliness and conversation, since the stress from work and home are not apparent. The participants are allowed to come into the room and not be judged or worried that they are to be punished. There needs to be a real sense of comfort and support. The most common Third Places around campus would be Dino's or Biggby's, where students can just sit and chat over coffee. These places are important to well-being of college students, because they have a place to vent and have a good time if needed. Also, it is inexpensive in terms of equipment since the people entertain themselves. It serves as a place to gain information, share views, and not have to worry about being a guest or host.

The design elements that contribute to a successful Third Place would be a lot of space in terms of how big the room is. Also, the room needs to have dim lighting and sofas, which allows people to feel comfortable in the setting. This is successful in coffee shops, since the environment is casual and inviting others to talk. The place has to be somewhat secluding, so there is no worry of judgments being made or everyone listening into the conversation. The place has to have a homely feel, giving the secure feeling.

One place that has the Third Place on campus is, as previously mentioned, Biggby's Coffee Shop in the Library. Coffee is usually associated with staying up due to the caffeine, and students like to study and cramp with others in the library. If not to study, they can just sit down and talk. One thing that I would change about Biggby's would be the bright light that they have outside of the store. I would not usually talk to people over there, since my third place would be my room.