Katie McGuigan

Twitter account for COMS 324. Previously for EDUC 307. they/them

[Katie McGuigan @mcguik]

#coms324 An interesting article on the cultural hierarchies of "place" and tourism. https://t.co/4KK4FEqP5z

[Katie McGuigan @mcguik]

Another side of "immaterial" technology and the illusion of progress. E-waste dumping is creating hazardous built environments, dangerous for ecology and people, while also providing a livelihood to people who may not otherwise make a living. https://t.co/zDcU6iSfeK #coms324

[Katie McGuigan @mcguik]

@zoecoms324 This is super cool! I love when artists use their work like this to make the "invisible" visible again. It's so easy to forget about the materiality of networked urbanism. A dangerous thing to forget too, considering the very material consequences of technology. #coms324

[Katie McGuigan @mcguik]

An article about the housing crisis, tiny homes and the privilege of individualism. Design based solutions are not enough alone, changing policies and stronger community building is needed to address the housing crisis long-term and equitably. #coms324 https://t.co/62PQtLa0SN

[Katie McGuigan @mcguik]

This is an animated video showing (some) of the mapping of the world's undersea cables. The built environment is sometimes unseen. It extends beneath our feet, underwater and in the suspended in the air (ie. wires, satellites, pipes, etc). #coms324 https://t.co/0kQlFIT1cs

[Katie McGuigan @mcguik]

The built environment in relation to digital spaces are two fold: (1) they create online spaces people can inhabit differently, and (2) they take up material space with the infrastrucutre that allow them to function. #coms324

[Katie McGuigan @mcguik]

In the context of COVID19 we can reorient the work we have been doing in #coms324 about how physical spaces shape our everyday, to virtual spaces (ie. Twitter achitecture). The reading about photography last week was the tip of the iceberg into "immaterial" built environments.

[Katie McGuigan @mcguik]

@LaraK_coms324 The pandemic SHOULD change the built environment. Not everyone lives in a city with hospitals or clinics nearby, some people live in overcrowded housing or don't have safe drinking water. I hope this tragedy forces the gov't hand to act on its promises to address these. #coms324

[Katie McGuigan @mcguik]

@LaraK_coms324 The virus isn't just going to vanish with a vaccine, it will need to be made accessible to everyone (including more remote communities). Architecture has been changing, even if temporary, but long term solutions may be necessary for some. Bandaid solutions aren't enough. #coms324

[Katie McGuigan @mcguik]

The Ottawa Health video presented in class last class mentioned Indigenous land as if it were just a "check box" reminder. As the capital of Canada it should have spent more time, as there is nation-wide inadequacy of healthcare services among Indigenous populations. #coms324

[Katie McGuigan @mcguik]

@IsabelleCA324 Inexpensive alternatives to prisons that treat people like people, healing rather than punishing sounds so easy if the gov't would cooperate. And mobile "pop-up" resources brought to at marginalized communities is brilliant, what a great TEDtalk, thanks for sharing! #coms324

[Katie McGuigan @mcguik]

This was something really interested I noticed in this project assignment a couple years ago: different promotional material for this project had visibly disabled users, but other versions of the same digitally produced environments did not. #coms324

[Katie McGuigan @mcguik]

These are pictures from Snowdon (a few years ago), where the button to open the automatic doors were either near invisible (left) or poorly maintained (right). Unless people knew the button was there, they often did not see it until someone else helped. #coms324

[Katie McGuigan @mcguik]

Pictures from the last farmers market of the year, chalk markings for social distancing. Lots of people don't follow these guidelines; some don't care, but I think others don't/can't see them. Any ideas about what kind of pop-up designs could have been more effective? #coms324

[Katie McGuigan @mcguik]

I want to recommend https://t.co/g1cztbYF5a for #coms324. It is a really interesting podcast that considers the real effects of the built environment in spite of its ubiquity and "invisibility". There are a ton of excellent episodes that could be drawn on for this class.

[Katie McGuigan @mcguik]

@AlexCOMS324 In mine we have elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school within walking distance. Nearby is a hospital, a doctors office, a civic center, and a ton of local restaurants/shops. A short walk away is a metro station. Location-wise we are insanely privileged. #coms324

[Katie McGuigan @mcguik]

We also sent a bunch of Google maps screenshots because location was really important for all of us. I believe we were interested in somewhere NDG, close to the bike path, and a walkable distance to the metro and Loyola.

[Katie McGuigan @mcguik]

I went through a group chat with my roommates from our first apartment hunting and I came across a ton of images we took while visiting. I think it's interesting to look at what are now abstract pictures that at the time were important to our search. #coms324

[Katie McGuigan @mcguik]

@RobertSpadidak1 That could take shape as more innovative vertical living. Models may move away from landlords renting out to tenants, towards some combination co-op and social housing models. 'Homes' would feel less temporary/precarious for people and I think that would visually show #coms324

[Katie McGuigan @mcguik]

Tiny libraries are a small part of the built environment but they are supposed to increase accessibility to books, but they're often found in middle class neighbourhoods already near public libraries. These four are a block or two apart. #coms324