Full course description: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RpKmkJLQp6Qx_DvSq6phj3yyjEFlEttAdF3o9fe6pdA/edit?usp=drivesdk

Some cultures see urban spaces as their shared living rooms. Sometimes, there are seating arrangements they can use, or they make their own spontaneously. Does that behaviour rely on the weather, mentality or design?

In Dessau and Berlin, finding an urban corner where you can sit down with a friend and spend time is difficult. And if you find a spot like that, its comfort might be debatable. There is no shelter, and the seats are cold, rigid, or wet. The most comfortable benches have a strange deficit: they don’t face each other. People using such benches sit there and stare into the park (which might be nice) but often into a store window, concrete wall or nothingness. 

 In this workshop, we want to explore how designers can make seating more social. It is a matter of composition, how we place the benches in relation to other users and the city. It is also a matter of shelter so the space feels cozy. Finally, such social places should ideally be visually appealing and offer comfort. Public social spaces are a complex and important topic.