As Hans-Ulrich Obrist would say, it's best to begin at the beginning.  So before I launch into a blog seeking to make sense of my final work and thoughts from school, I should provide some background.

I grew up in Coral Springs:

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=coral+springs+fl&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x88d905341976e065:0x8907b0b59129202b,Coral+Springs,+FL&gl=us&ei=y-A3UtzBLs_xiQK134DwBQ&ved=0CKEBELYD

Here is a video which correlates with my angsty teenage 2003-2007 years (minus the getting trashed part, cus I was too on point at school for that bidness...yo):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODsopagnhl4

Located in South Florida and understood as a suburb of Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs brings the Suburb to the Swamp.  Draining, ditching, and building upon what was previously everglades, I knew only sunshine, rain, and sweat.  Also lots of happiness and love from my friends and family.

It's a great place to raise little kids.  

Fairly affluent area.  No one walks on the sidewalk without being held suspect. There are a few gigantic parks and sports fields.  Golf courses. Some schools.  Some religious institutions.  Some hospitals.  And lots, and lots of houses (Mediterranean style only please, prairie homes accepted).

Oh.  And a mall: Coral Square Mall.  And a shopping strip: The Walk.  

In a word: Perfection.

After a certain age, The Walk becomes the place to go and loiter, maybe spend some money, then go back home.  I spent a fair amount of time there with my other middle class companions and it was this particular (or generic) spatial and social context which had followed me all the way into graduate architecture school at Washington University in St. Louis.

Left to decide what to research, speculate upon and sweat (possibly cry) over, my first thoughts centered around creating a space to activate the otherwise restrictively mundane or underutilized.

As I progress through the design research phase of the semester, it will become more clear how my initial impulse became manifested into the work presented.

All for now.

Take care,

Christopher