Dana Al Sader
101115685
COMS 4315A: Coms and the Built Environment
Part 1: Thomas Gieryn on TruthSpots
Thomas Gieryn describes truth-spots as a relationship between truth and the environment
it is a part of. Specifically, truth spots are a space that facilitates the process in which reality
emerges and is often subjective. In order of rank, the University Seminar would be first followed
by the House of Commons, a Town Hall meeting, and a Trump Rally.
The university seminar is ranked above the House of Commons due to its various tools
available for the students and staff to be objective and impartial to topics on politics and ethics.
Universities are institutions of intelligence, creativity, and innovations and thus is a deep pool of
information. Furthermore, a University Seminar often utilizes the Socratic method to encourage
students to speak freely in a safe space. To compare, the House of Commons is more specific to
the Canadian legal system and politics and has a more subjective idea of what constitutes truth.
Additionally, town hall meetings are based on the citizens' opinions and notions on town hall
goals and are based on their emotions rather than facts. As expected, Trump rallies are partial to
Trump's plans and would not be an excellent environment for various truths.
Part 2: The transformation of the NAC
The original design of the National Arts Center in Downtown Ottawa can be described as
unfriendly, mysterious, impersonal and slightly uncreative. The architecture design behind an
arts center is usually assumed to be artistic, creative, and unique to represent the art performed
within the building accurately. Its original design was mysterious in that it was a huge, dark
block of cement that would usually be associated with a government building. However, after
half a century of the same building, architect Donald Schmitt was hired to rejuvenate the NAC
by renovating the exterior of the building while maintaining its original structure and
transforming the interior to be more modern.
The new design of the NAC is much different due to its tall ceilings, floor-to-ceiling glass
panes, and bright coloured themes. In contrast to the original building, the new NAC can be
described as alluring, elegant, uplifting, and grand. However, it can be seen as slightly
intimidating and thus uninviting to some people. Architect Donald Schmitt mentioned
showcasing the Ottawa community through the new transformation by adding layers of
foundation onto the building, such as the diversity of the city's population. The NAC's
holographic effect to showcase the performances on the exterior windows to be seen by the
public adds to its representation as a public institute. The holographic effect transformed a
mysterious and unfriendly building into a bright and inviting space.
Ottawa's citizens may feel pride in the new building. Ottawa is constantly growing;
however, some of the public portray it as a "retirement city" and a government state, thus
unlikely to capture the interest of younger citizens. The change made to the building will attract
more people to the downtown area and will also allure them to the building itself.