A Beautiful View, but Not a Beautiful Place

An Informal yet Formal Proposal

Poonam Raina
English 101

A sense of place identity derives from the multiple ways in which place
functions to provide a sense of belonging, construct meaning, foster
attachments, and mediate change.
-The People, Place, and Space Reader (Section 3, p.2)
Act I: The Catalyst of Reinvention
A Short Story of Moral Luck
Youre tired and stressed. For the first time, you walk over to the courtyard everyone passes
through daily. Its bright and with the wind blowing softly, its as if this place is inviting you to
stay a bit longer. An invitation you gladly accept. Near the barrier of greenery, the flowers come
in all sorts and shout in vibrant colors. They gather and huddle together in celebration of you
arriving at the scene. Serving as thorough guides, your eyes move toward the direction of the
view up ahead - the bay. A magnificent and shining bay at that. The weight on your shoulders
gradually disappear and you find yourself lost in your thoughts. For some strange reason, you
dont feel so tired and stressed anymore. You feel new.
And yes, this was actually all about me. However, I do know for sure that youve gone through
something similar. If youre lucky, that is.
A New World Makes a New You
In my case, I was. Similar to Paul Heilkers idea of entering a new world through language, I
entered a new world through relief and happiness. The unfamiliar could be an umbrella of
categories details that create the bigger picture, details that help create something better, and
that something is you. To put this in scholarly terms and in the big mans words himself, this
new form of invention, structure, and style, this discourse and its constituent genres, saves my
life by fundamentally altering how I am in the world (23, p.2). Its true. To be simple about it,
with the right (and relevant-to-you) combination of the unfamiliar, it can all have the power to
change your very presence in the world. It changes your behavior, your actions your way of
being. My place, The Viewyard, made me who I am today.
Im afraid that genres may, in fact, be ways of being in the world.
Act II: Assessment and Development
Glorification is Blind
Now, I know Ive been really hyping up this place with intricate concepts and passionate ideals,
but its about to get painfully honest in here. Trust me, it really does take a humble and wellaware person to admit their most favorite place in the worlds flaws.

However significant this place is to me and how grateful I am for its existence, its still one of the
most useless and ugliest places I have ever seen in my life. Take a look for yourself:

The Details (Most of these take place outside of the summer season)
The sky and the bay being one of the few breathtaking sights this place even has, are
quite the opposite for most of the year. I blame the bad weather paired with constant rain.
Intense winds smack the place like your mother steam-breathing on your face after failing
Pre-Algebra.
Rain.
Prepare for the ultimate banana peel - this deathtrap in the winter season. The ground is
so smooth that it has no consideration for others. Ice and rain who?
Everyone likes flowers, who doesnt? Theyre all so beautiful except for these
cabbages that are the only things that manage to stay alive and well when its not
summer.

Wheres all of the variety? Oh yeah, thats right. The pansies and all that are withered or dead.

Rain.
The lack of people in this place is ridiculous. You either loiter for a maximum of an hour
or use it like a bridge and pass through the place.
The benches are basically stone slabs with no back support and seem like theyre there
just to take up space. I use em to put my foot up on and tie my shoe.
And did I mention rain?

The Umbrella
Great bullet points, right? I totally agree. As you probably noticed, I might have mentioned rain
one or two times previously. While there are many detailed problems, all of them can fall under
one large issue. Story time.
Jinkies, I forgot my umbrella again and Im late for class! I shouldve listened to Sarah when she
said to invest in a raincoat I am too stubborn for my own good. Alright think fast, how will I
get to class the quickest way possible? Ah! Thats right. If I pass through the Viewyard, Ill be
able to make it just in time.
Showing up to class soaking wet, I sit down and look at my ruined outfit. Feeling so upset that
Im close to tears, I start thinking. Where did I go wrong? Why did I take the shortcut through
that place? Why was the ground so slippery? Why did the wind have to make the rain even
stronger on impact? If only if only there was a roof to protect someone fragile like me.
A Glass Palace
The main issue at hand is the fact that The Viewyard doesnt have a roof. But what if it did? How
would we make a roof that doesnt hide the beauty of this place, but enhances it, develops it,
evolves it? This place has done so much for me and probably for others as well, but what can we
do for it?
It says right there in the title; we could make a glass palace. Okay, not an actual glass palace,
something a lot more reasonable and humble. Im thinking about the square in Fairhaven below
Village Books.

Instead of a lavish glass house like one would first picture in their minds, we could instead use pillars of wood with
glass in designated areas, just like this place!

Without demolishing a million dollars of valuable funds, we can use a much smaller amount of
money to make this place where everyone would enjoy being in. The pillars of glass could be set
up in major areas: where the view takes place with the barrier of flowers, where the benches are
set up, and where people can walk to and from the area. It would basically follow the shape of an

upside down U, leaving the center of the yard empty and open to the skies. Who needs an
umbrella? Ice and rain who?
Act III: Pieces to the Puzzle
Hurdles
These wooden pillars holding up glass roofs would definitely be worth it in the long-term, but
who would fund it? Who would design it? Who will maintain it regularly? Who will repair it?
What if it breaks and injures people? How many people would even feel that this problem should
be addressed and dealt with?
Time/effort, safety, and cost are all factors that we must consider before placing random glass
over such a large area where many people pass through every day. Since this place is from us, a
design contest could be held. Whoever makes the best design judged by actual architects may be
able to have their work of art come to life. For safety, your average glass will absolutely not be
used at all. We want these roofs to last and we dont want people dying. A self-cleaning glass
would also solve the maintenance problem.
These arent very hard to execute and plan, but the funding is by far the most difficult piece of
the puzzle. To convince you on why funding should be used in this area, we must address the
benefits this place could give if the process of beautification was completed. Not only would
these pillars of glass be a great addition to The Viewyard, but theyd be great for the people that
use or visit the place. Itd also open up to even broader communities of people if you really think
about it. And yes, Im talking money.
The Gate to Opportunity
Before anything else, lets talk about how this place may be as beautiful as its view. Im thinking
green and no, its not money this time. Because this place is outdoors, having a reputation of
beauty already, and is basically a center of nature, we can do even more with it now. The pillars
of glass roofs? Instead of keeping it squeaky clean and modern, we can do it the nature way.
Check this.

Even more plants and greenery; itd be an amazing incorporation of plants into dcor. (photo link)

Not only simple vines may be included, but the benches have the opportunity to up their game as
well. Because they had to be stone-hard to protect themselves from the weather before, they can
4

now be replaced with wooden benches with back support. The roof will protect them now!
People may stay in this place as long as they please to enjoy the vines up top. Even the plants
and flowers at the barrier end of the place may be upgraded due to the fact that we dont have to
use cabbages anymore. Even more flowers may be able to thrive within their protective homes.
Ahem, for those who are a bit on the selfish side and want to know how the pillar-glass additions
will help them, I have the perfect thing.
Ive always heard this place being referenced to as a plaza, and now it really can be a plaza. With
protection, this place has the potential to hold events from far and wide. Conferences,
demonstrations, speeches you name it. Because this beautiful view now has a beautiful place,
people will pay a lot of money to be there or donate/pay a lot of money to support whatevers
already there.
I can hear gardeners singing in delight. Now, I know there are many students out there who have
lots of times on their hands. With lovely volunteers, a club may be established to help maintain
the greenery around there. Maybe there already is one, but the fact of the matter is, the club will
be larger, voluntary, and much more prominent. More greenery and more people. This gives me
butterflies.
Any questions?
Act IV: The Finale
The Deal
Like I mentioned in the very beginning, this place changed me and my way of being. The
flowers, the view - to the very tiles on the ground, I love every single detail of this place. It might
be a little ugly to be in, but it still has the power to make me feel happy. Its where I go to when I
need some relief, you know? Its a place that affects my mind.
And thats something knowledgeable scholars/writers like Lynn Staeheli doesnt mention in her
five conceptualizations of place at all; the concept of someones happy place. Her final definition
of place is, incorporating physical and social locations, as incorporating the sense of identityin-place with a sense of identity-of-place, and as both a context for action and the object of
action that is continually in the process of being made (163, p.3). Shes basically saying that
there are physical places you can be in and mental places that you socialize in, where you may
have expectations of your way of being depending on which, and as both provide history for
action and the reason for action that is continually in the process of being made with no end
result in sight. A thorough definition of place, but she forgot one thing. The concept of ones
mental escape, usually of a person, place, situation, or thing, in which benefits them positively.
In my case, my escape arises in The Viewyard. Specifically, its view.
The Seal
With so much potential to be pleasant year-round, I firmly stand by my concept in creating
wooden pillars with glass roofs protecting the major areas from bad weather and harm. Although
the main setback would be cost-related, with enough support, I know the investment will pay for
itself in the end. This place, once just a yard for passing through quickly, could be a magical
plaza full of opportunity for everyone.

Now, wouldnt it be marvelous if the place itself was as beautiful as I make it out to be?