Teens: Let's Give Them Some Space

Alternative Title

Avoiding Tragedy: Creating a Space for Teenagers

Author

• Haley Holzwarth

Files

Date of Award

2020

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

https://hdl.handle.net/10365/31617

Publisher

North Dakota State University

Rights

NDSU policy 190.6.2

URI

https://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/policy/190.pdf

Abstract

At a time when we can find numerous divisions between ourselves and the next person, there is one thing that every adult has in common: we were once a teenager. Like any experience, being a teenager comes with moments of both good and bad. However, many adults would agree that when recalling their time of adolescence, they cringe as negative memories flood their mind first. Teenagers experience tragedies on a regular basis. Some are minor moments of discomfort and some are major moments of grief. What is important to remember, as adults removed from that stage of life by years of life experience, is that as a teenager, many negative experiences, albeit sometimes small, create a sense of tragedy. The goal of this thesis research is to empathize with a demographic that we can all relate to, and so easily dismiss. Many of us don’t enjoy thinking about the years of braces, prom photos, and puberty. Actually, a lot of us figure “If I got through it, you can too!” without acknowledging that we have the ability to do more than causally cheer teenagers on through what we view is bound to be a series of unfortunate events. This thesis research offers a suggestion for how to prevent tragedies in the lives of teenagers in the form of a carefully curated program and intentionally designed environment. The concept is simple: Teenagers need some space.

Recommended Citation

Holzwarth, Haley, "Teens: Let's Give Them Some Space" (2020). Architecture Theses. 725.
https://digitalcommons.ndsu.edu/architecture-theses/725