Restoration in Slowing Down

As public community colleges like Kennesaw State University, Marietta Campus, see an increase in admissions due to the rise in higher education enrollment, the social, emotional, and creative well-being of first-year and first-generation students can be at risk. Public community colleges often become overwhelmed with other programs, leading to the neglect or underfunding of resources that genuinely support students. These students often face unique challenges in adapting to academic pressures, new social environments, and balancing personal and cultural expectations. This thesis proposes the development of a design framework for restorative, neutral third places on public community college campuses. These spaces aim to foster social, emotional, and creative well-being—particularly for first-year, first-generation, and foreign exchange students. ‘NestPoint’ serves as a precedent for this framework, offering a model that can be adapted and repeated across similar campus environments, such as Kennesaw State University.