When I return to my sit spot, I imagine closing my eyes and feeling my feet grow roots deep into the ground beneath Spelman’s campus. My roots would encounter manmade materials and the layered systems that power both the college and the wider Metro Atlanta area—water lines, electrical conduits, and infrastructure optimized to stay contained at depth rather than spread out. If my roots were embedded in the earth, I imagine it would feel uncomfortable at first, as I’d have to find a safe and stable path through these complex underground resource networks.

The forces beneath us shape the life of this spot in unseen ways. They allow us to focus on the beauty and calm of campus life, while beneath the surface, entire systems sustain it. The decision to keep these mechanics out of view is both aesthetic and practical—it preserves the experience of being surrounded by nature while ensuring that the campus functions efficiently and sustainably.

After some online research, I learned that the tap water on Spelman’s campus comes from the Chattahoochee River, which serves as the main water source for the entire Metro Atlanta area. The water is purified at Atlanta’s Hemphill and Chattahoochee Water Treatment Plants, which use coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, and chlorination to meet EPA Safe Drinking Water Act standards.

Interestingly, my sit spot is located in proximity to/directly above one of Spelman’s underground cisterns, which store and slowly release stormwater—each holding between 380,000 and 512,000 gallons. These systems are part of Spelman’s Green Infrastructure (GI) Plan, designed to make campus water management more sustainable by reducing strain on the city’s infrastructure and promoting the reuse of stormwater.

Just as roots draw nourishment from the soil, our lives here depend on the unseen water and energy systems beneath us. These sustainable networks allow the campus—and the community around it—to thrive, quietly shaping the balance between the natural and built environments.