On Mental Health, Hostile Architecture and the Great Outdoors
IIT Madras as a Campus doesn’t exactly click with a decent number of students when it comes to Policy and Administrative attitudes towards mental health and privacy. There are a variety of different factors which come into play in making a student not quite feel at ease here, which I’m sure the average student would be able to rattle off in one straight breath, off of the top of their heads, any given tie.
In this article, I’d like to focus on just one simple aspect: the utilisation of the outdoors, specifically outdoor benching.
For there is a certain sense of unwelcome that operates in space and architecture that bears a direct consequence on mental well-being and student satisfaction.
It cannot be denied that there is a general distaste for spaces constructed with no particularly immediate “productive” function in mind here at IIT Madras. Messes, restaurants, cafes and foodcourts are for eating; the gymkhana and the grounds are for exercise; SAC exists for a variety of clearly delineated purposes; the library and workspaces around campus are for studying, and classrooms are strictly locked at 6. Even though there is a certain amount of flexibility in some of these spaces, they are also highly regulated in terms of executing a particular function at very particular times. They are locked firmly within a ceiling and four walls, and on the whole prevent natural socialising and the blending of different social groups from taking place.
There is definitely a loneliness epidemic on the Campus – generation after generation of anxious, deracinated, depressed and continually on-edge students pass out every year. This travesty continues almost as an honoured tradition in an Institute that cannot go a single Introductory Address without boasting about its greenery, wildlife and acreage, having tapped into probably a hundredth of a fraction of its potential in making it all amenable to student welfare and mental health.
Suffocation and claustrophobia is the result for many.
“How can a student feel suffocated and claustrophobic in such a large, green lush Campus?”, will probably be the derisive question from the cynic, or the irate Administrative Official.
Through bad planning, that’s how.
Many have spoken about the inadequacy of hostels as zones of community in themselves – additional restrictions were recently enforced, in addition to ongoing invasions of privacy. The downright depressing architecture of the tower hostels in particular, and the mental health spirals it has actively led to, is also common talk. Sangam Ground had a set of convenient benches for students to sit on, slow down and relax – one of the only places on campus to have this amenity. These were dismantled. A few tightly-clustered benches came up after on the Himalaya Lawns. A few more came up after a while right in front of a couple of bus stops as well – tied yet again to a particularised function. Considering the immense size of the campus, outdoor benching in IIT Madras is severely inadequate, and the strict policing of admissible space is very puzzling, unnecessary and downright harmful.
The Administration has proved to be borderline hostile to gatherings of students in various forms, especially in the context of open rooftops and the policing of Bonn and Delhi avenue, thus effectively fencing students to the Hostel Zone, and a few select parts of the Academic zone as much as possible. Students from other Institutes, like IISc, and the other IITs, find this very puzzling. It would be interesting to map out the paths that the average student here takes between class, the mess, their hostel room, and the one other space they are afforded, over a month. How much of this huge, lush, green campus would be covered in this mapping? And how well has the active disincentivisation of moving beyond these set routes worked? It is an unfortunate state of affairs, especially considering the huge improvements even a few simple additions could offer.
With all the fetishisation that is done of the Ivy Leagues and Universities abroad at IIT Madras, and the continual commitments to emulating their excellence in several ways, why aren’t actual policies, Administrative attitudes and student freedoms also noted down and borrowed from there?
Well-planned Universities abroad place a lot of emphasis on outdoor benching and workspaces beyond traditional workspaces. They tend to recognise that places of higher education are more than just conveyor belts that bolt on academic learning and churn out graduates – they are communities. Outdoor benches and tables play a crucial role in opening up environments – making them friendlier and less claustrophobic. Students of Urban Planning and Architecture will immediately notice the bizarre configurations at play here, and the massively untapped potential of this Campus – and yes – in spite of the various Wildlife constraints.
Outdoor benches and tables serve as informal gathering spaces which students, faculty and staff can utilise as a third space to wind down and indulge in whatever activity they wish to without being hounded by a particular labelled function or timing for a space. People can rest. Take a breather while out on a stroll. Study Groups amongst students can be held comfortably. Discussions, Office Hours and even small classes can be held outside – as some Faculty once regularly did.
Studies have been churned out over and over again over decades, extolling the physiological benefits of fresh air and natural surroundings, and how they have been shown to improve cognitive function and creativity. Isn’t that precisely what this Campus prides itself on?
The Campus is indeed a stunner, providing just such a refreshing and stimulating environment for these benefits to be reaped! Students who spend time outdoors, according to multiple studies, will also experience a significant reduction in stress, anxiety and depression. Stepping outside, taking calming breaks in third spaces, chatting with friends and reconnecting with nature can do wonders for overall mental well-being. The pressures of hectic academic life need not bite so deep – this is a huge but simple step for a Campus locked in a very scary struggle with mental health issues!
Worry not, saving money can come along too. Electricity bills will go down, reducing the requirements for artificial lighting, fans and the air conditioning of indoor spaces. This overall step towards sustainability can also be in lockstep with an encouragement of more walking around to get to these spaces, not to mention that well-designed outdoor seating can also enhance the aesthetic appeal of the Campus, creating distinctive areas where fond memories and experiences can be forged. Well-designed seating areas with interesting artistic or culturally significant elements can contribute aesthetic value and pave the way to a more solid campus identity.
Outdoor benching also, very importantly, increases disabled accessibility to space and areas, and can be utilised as rest stops.
None of this is new information by any stretch of the imagination, and should be considered obvious steps to take in the face of a continuing mental health crisis. They are simple, cost-effective and student-friendly. Implemented well and at scale, this could change a significant aspect of Campus life here. Instead, intensive efforts seem to be expended on initiatives that once again, through dedicated studies, have been empirically shown to worsen student mental health and anxiety – like the invasions of privacy the Administration insists upon. Concern for the average student seems to have dipped over time, as decisions and policies are taken more impersonally than ever before. If these same invasions of privacy are to go on while increasing in frequency, and the administration is determined to take the “disciplinarian” way out against all logic – at least provide comfortable, alternate spaces for students where they can relax in the outdoors, and need not be anxious about a stranger rifling through their rooms at all times of the day.
It is sort of the bare minimum, no?
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