St. John’s College, Oxford, UK

By Benét Burton, Class of 2021

A sign of good design is its ability to be reinterpreted. Whether conceptually, theoretically, or physically, a space that can be redefined is an indication of its longevity. In historic spaces such as Oxford University, good design is easy to find and easy to reinterpret. With Dr. William Whyte as our tour guide, our cohort explored the inner spaces of Oxford, the quadrangles of the institution that created the academic quarters that past and future scholars inhabit.

However, while these areas of academia were rightfully interesting, what caught my eye were not the well-articulated scholarly spaces but instead the ones just outside of its proximity.