FOTO PLANO

INTERVENIDO

From the collective map to the cultural map:

a semiotic analysis of place awareness
Copyright 2015 (Ximena Tobi).

MAPPING WORKSHOPS
CCom FSoc - UBA

A methodology for collecting first hand material to analyse the cultural codes that
determine place awareness and valuation.

Copyright 2015 (Ximena Tobi).

HYPOTHESIS
CCom FSoc - UBA

Cultural codes

Place
awareness
& valuation

Sense of
community

Change of
habits
(Waste
separation)

Copyright 2015 (Ximena Tobi).

THE TERRITORY
CCom FSoc - UBA

Copyright 2015
(Ximena Tobi).

THE SUBJECT OF STUDY

CCom FSoc - UBA

13 faculties
One of these 13:

5 undergraduate studies
Sociology / Political Sciences / Social Work
Communication Sciences / Human Resources

25.000 students
2.000 lecturers
@unfernandezmas

300 employees

Copyright 2015 (Ximena Tobi).

4,66 KM SEPARATES THE TWO BUILDINGS

CCom FSoc - UBA

Copyright 2013 (Ximena Tobi).

DURING STUDENTS OCCUPATION OF THE BUILDING (2010)

CCom FSoc - UBA

Twenty years. Nothing to celebrate

Word game: Edificando edificio edificante =

Building up an uplifting building

Copyright 2015 (Ximena Tobi).

THE MAIN DEMAND: A SINGLE BUILDING = UN EDIFICIO NICO

CCom FSoc - UBA

Copyright 2015 (Ximena Tobi).

MAPPING ICONOGRAPHY

Icons associated with space

More
More action
Places to
issues
frequented
spaces

places

improve. What
to do there?

Staying
places

Quiet places

Places promoting
community
integration

Favourite
places

Good
surprising
places/things

Emblematic
places

Meeting
points

Bad
surprising
places/things

Institutional

Potential
conflicts

Place
associated
memories/anecd
otes

Missing/lack
of things

Explicit
conflicts

Relevant
actions or

(emotional)

containment/supp
ort

Copyright 2015 (Ximena Tobi).

THE SINGLE BUILDING: EDIFICIO NICO

Santiago
del
Estero
wing

FOTO PLANO
San Jos
INTERVENIDO
wing

Humberto
Primo
wing

Copyright 2015 (Ximena Tobi).

PATHWAY 1: POTENCIAL CONFLICT

Hallways and
emergency exit
occupied by
students
political groups
stands

Copyright 2015 (Ximena Tobi).

PATHWAY 2: NEGATIVE SURPRISING THINGS

g
Co nfusin
m
clas sroo in t he
g
n
i
r
e
b
m
u
n
e
h
t
f
o
s
n ew pa rt It is
.
bu ilding
t
u
b
l
a
i
t
en
not sequ
e
h
t
n
i
d
repea te

Copyright 2015 (Ximena Tobi).

PATHWAY 3: PLACES TO IMPROVE

a
Entrance open are
(conversdromo =
uld
talking-drome) co
t
be a meeting poin
o
for the Faculty t
its
h
t
i
w
h
c
u
o
t
n
i
t
ge
surrounding

Copyright 2015 (Ximena Tobi).

PATHWAY 4: MISSING/LACK OF THINGS

l
a
n
o
i
t
u
t
i
The in st
s
k
c
a
l
g
n
pl anni
wer
s
n
a
o
t
vis ion
y
t
i
n
u
m
m
o
to th e c
needs.

Example:
students
study or
Finally,
or in an
the next

meeting points for

to work in groups,
just stay.
they sit on the floor
empty classroom until
lecture
begins.
Copyright
2015 (Ximena Tobi).

PATHWAY 5: ACTION VS QUIET PLACES

ge
n
a
h
c
g
n
stro
a
on
s
i
i
t
i
e
s
r
n
e
a
h
r
T
a t
:
s
g
n
i
w
ally
u
s
i
v
between
d
n
isy a
o
n
e
h
t
del
o
g
a
from
i
t
n
a
ed S
t
a
n
and
i
m
m
a
l
t
a
c
con
e
o th
t
g
n
i
w
ing
s
a
Estero
e
l
p
y
uall
s
i
v
t
e
i
and
qu

s
o
J
n
Sa
wings of
Primo.

Copyright 2015 (Ximena Tobi).

CODE: POWER STRUGGLE IN SPACE

CCom FSoc - UBA

Occupying places shows preeminence (hallways and halls full of signs

of political activity groups). It is a concrete and permanent power
manifestation in opposition to the volatility of words.
The classroom numbers repetition in the new building wings shows the
institutional will to separate instead of unify the space, trying to keep the
visual contamination only in the old wing.

Copyright 2015 (Ximena Tobi).

CODE: INSTITUTIONAL
ABSENCE. THE DOOR IS OPEN
BUT THERE IS NO HOST

CCom FSoc - UBA

The Faculty is under-communicated; it is not visible beyond the

structure (classrooms), except when brought to life by lecturers and
students during classes.
Teaching is the basic Faculty purpose, even though there are many
other institutional activities that remain in the dark for most of the public.
The building lacks symbolic and physical space to communicate them.

Copyright 2015 (Ximena Tobi).

PRELIMINARY CONCLUSION
CCom FSoc - UBA

Cultural codes

Place
awareness
& valuation

Power struggle in
space

The building as a
space of dispute.

Institutional
absence: the door is
open but there is no
host

Positive valuation
arise only in
comparison with
previous buildings.

Sense of
community

Belonging
(emotional) ties are
stablished among
groups of interest.
The institution is just
a provider.

Change of
habits
(Waste
separation)
Challenge.
Each actors
significant
interlocutors should
communicate them
the institutional
awareness
messages.

Copyright 2015 (Ximena Tobi).

TAKE AWAYS
CCom FSoc - UBA

Collective mapping as a user centric methodology to

collect voices and viewpoints.

The way that individuals interact with places and objects
is determined by their symbolic dimensions.
This methodology could be applied to study user
interaction in shopping malls, hospitals,
neighborhoods
Semiotics complements qualitative research to reveal
layers of meaning, working below patterns of action
and attitudes.

Copyright 2015 (Ximena Tobi).

Thank you!
Ximena Tobi

Acknowledgments / Special
thanks to:

Daniela Bruno - Communication

Sciences Academic Secretary FSoc UBA 2012-2013.
@ximetobi
Alejandro Rascovn
ximena@semioticastudio.c
Mara Elena Bitonte
Christian Dodaro
om
Pablo Hernndez & Gustavo
Quintana
Diego Dufau
Victoria Tatcheva.
at
Ximena Diaz Alarcn & Ramiro
Fernndez
Florencia Rossi, Karla Gngora
Sebastin Carenzo
Copyright 2015 (Ximena Tobi).
Marcelo Loto Licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution
Mauro
OliverNon-commercial No Derivatives (by-nc-nd)