Psychiatric dance therapy - Senior Thesis

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Psychiatric Dance Therapy Center Design Thesis by : Andrea Bonilla


For Lucas...

January 16, 1999 - September 11, 2015

“You are not your ILLNESS. You have an individual STORY to tell. You have a NAME, a HISTORY, a PERSONALITY. Staying yourself is part of the BATTLE.” Julian Seifter

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TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION..........................................4-5 PROCESS WORK..................................6-11 SITE+STATISTICS..................................12-13 SECTIONS + SKETCHES......................14-15 DIAGRAMS+ELEVATIONS..................16-20 FLOOR PLANS....................................20-21 MATERIALS..............................................22 MODEL....................................................23 RENDERINGS.....................................24-28 BIBLIOGRAPHY.......................................29 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS........................30

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Dedication

This Psychiatric Dance Therapy Center has been dedicated to the memory of Lucas Guajardo who passed away September 11, 2015 On the entrance of the builiding, there is the sign with his dedication on it. My hope is that through this project, young people will find comfort and support at places like this one where they can truly seek help and therapy and keep that “home� feeling with them wherever they may go. The idea that a person can create something beautiful from something that pains them can get a person through anything. Being someone who has personally suffered through an mental illness and knowing how difficult it is to open up to someone, or to express that through healthy means, a place that could serve as a creative and proactive outlet would be so beneficial. If there is something that a person can take away from therapy and support groups is that there is always HOPE. It is not always easy, but that which is difficult, in surviving, gives strength.

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Concept The concept for this Psychiatric Dance Therapy Center set in New Orleans is derived from the TENSION created in dance that translates into grace. The dances particularly looked at are partner dances, such as TANGO, and SALSA where a partner is needed to make the dance complete. Using the connecting curves made from two people dancing where the arms intersect to provice a structure for the dance, a parti was developed. The curves interact to create a boundary and a structure for beautiful moments to happen. Without discipline or the rigor of practice and tension, elegant and graceful dance moves would not be executed as gracefully or as easily as they see. So it is with mental illness, or any internal medical issue, it is hard to see the work and STRENGTH that is behind the scenes that allow a person to go about their daily routine. In psychiatry, it is hard to do things alone. It also has a stigma attached to it that if translated into something BEAUTIFUL can help to remove the stigmas of mental illnesses. Studies have shown that dance is extremely helpful in therapeutic terms of mental illness. Dance forces a person to be fully PRESENT in the moment, therefore creating a mental safe space for the patient. This dance center has sweeping gestures that create a structure for graceful moments to happen. It is meant to nurture the creativity and health progression of MENTAL ILLNESS patients.

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Why Dance? “Dance/movement therapy can be used with all populations and with individuals, couples, families, or groups. In general, dance therapy promotes self-awareness, self-esteem, and a safe space for the expression of feelings.” GTO Through dance, patients are able to express their emotions in a very safe place. They are asked to translate whatever they are feeling in a simple movement, and then to repeat it. They are asked to share that movement with the group (if it is a group session), and then the whole group helps the specific patient to get through that specific emotion that they needed help getting through. It is a way of working outisde of one’s comfort zone and through doing that, other barriers are slowly broken down. If one can stand to “look silly” for a little bit, with another person, or with even a group, it is so beneficial because it helps for adapting to situations outside of therapy. The physical component that comes through with dance is more obvious, the endorphins released during exercise are inevitably great. A lot of mental illnesses deal with not being able to be in control of certain things in life, and through dance, one is able to control a movement, even for a few seconds, thus creaitng a sense of control in one’s daily life.

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Process Partis + Diagrams

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Process Partis + Diagrams

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Process Partis + Diagrams

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Process Sketches for Ceiling

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Site + Statistics The facility is located in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is located near Lake Pontchartrain, on 40850 Morrison Rd. The idea was to have it near a body of water and to be in an area that has a school nearby and residential neighborhoods for easy Access to the people of New Orleans. Demographically speaking, New Orleans is on the younger side of the spectrum. Research shows that the ages mostly range on the younger side and the population begins to dip after age 50, and the highest numbers are in the teens and young adults. This site was chosen to specifically look at Mental Illness on the scale of the United States. Looking at the SAMHSA page (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) where there is a Statistic (for example) that compares the Percentages of Major Depressive episodes between the United States, Lousiana and New Orleans. The U.S. has a percentage of 6.6%, Louisiana is at 5.9% and New Orleans is higher than both at 7.4%. Those numbers only reflect one aspect of mental illness, but looking at the statistics in GENERAL for mental illness start to look more appalling. Research done from NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), 50% of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14, and 75% by age 24! 50% of students age 14 and older with mental Illnesses drop out of high school. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in ages 10-24. 90% of suicides had underlying mental illness. A final and daunting fact is that 1 in 5 children ages 13-18 have or WILL have a serious mental illness. It is time to remove the stigma of mental illnesses and to START TALKING.

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Lake Pontchartrain

40850 Morrison RD. New Orleans LA, 70121

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Sections + Sketches

LOBBY + RECEPTION SECTION 1/16” = 1’-0”

CURVED LOBBY CONCEPT SKETCH

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Reception and Lobby with seating under dancing curved staircases.


DANCE HALL The dance hall has cascading steps for seating for performances with a raised walkway for viewing.

DANCE HALL SECTION 1/16” = 1’ - 0”

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Human Annotated Diagrams Main Building

1. Direction : Patients need direction and guides when entering a new place. They are entering an unknown territory, and seeking medical help can be a terrifying idea. This is why the main entrance is immediately greeted by the receptionist in the lobby. The lobby is open and under the atrium in order to create an open and welcoming atmosphere.

Two Floors

2. Education An important factor of mental health is being aware of one’s body and being well-informed on what one needs as a patient. For example, if a patient is diagnosed with Panic Disorder, it is helpful for not only them, but also for their loved ones to get educated on how to handle a panic attack. Panic attacks and others like them are hard for a person to go through since they start off in the head but present themselves in a physical manner. It is hard to explain a panic attack and other symptoms like it because of their uniqueness in nature. This is why the classroom element in the facility is a necessity.

Information Center + Guidance

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1.Support: The support wing of the healthcare center acts as a one-stop shop for the patients because of the services that are provided. It houses the psychiatrist offices. This is where the experts reside on the second floor and where the group and solo exercises emerge. Counseling is imperative for someone who is going through treatment for mental illness. In addition to medicine, counseling is a big factor in healing and treatment for a psychiatric patient. 2. (Internal) Physical Help One of the more hidden things about mental health is the lab-work and testing that are done to help the doctors to make a diagnosis. Frequently, the levels of Vitamin D are tested and other blood tests are done in order to see what is happening on the inside. This is why there is a lab area as well as a pharmacy. This is so that if a patient gets prescribed medicine, then they have the option to just go to the in-house pharmacy and just pick their prescription up on their way out.

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Internal Health + Medical Support

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1.Physical This facility has a big focus on dance and being active as means for therapy. Areas like the dance hall, yoga room, practice rooms and workout rooms are all meant to be used to improve physical health. The endorphins and adrenaline produced from physical activity are all beneficial to mental health (as prescribed). Here one is able to get their physical health in quite easily and with guidance from a professional. 2.Natural Interaction Exposure to nature has been proven in many cultures and studies to improve overall happiness and mental stability. There is something calming that can be taken from nature that helps out with mental illnesses. This is why the building’s existing curtain walls were kept and also why there is access to an outdoor area where doctors can take patients out to have group therapy or to have the kids of the patients play for a while on the playground. It is meant to encourage outdoor use and to maintain the concept with the curves. 3.Mental + Spiritual

Physical Health + Dance Therapy 2 1 3

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This area of the facility is meant to cater to the mental health and spiritual aspects of mental illness. It is aimed at healing internally at a more abstract level. There is a yoga room and an area for meditation. Time spent in tranquility is something that everyone needs, and a psychiatric patient is no exception to this. This area is exposed to a lot of natural light because of the need for


Entrance of Center The facade of the building has the logo on the front with the dedication to Lucas Guajardo. I wanted the facade to have a stone, veneer cover to add a visual break to the curtain walls. The advantage of the curtain walls, that I kept from the existing building, is that it brings in that much needed natural light that is so beneficial to mental health. A lot of psychological studies show that Vitamin D, which we can receive from daylight, can help with depression and overall mood.

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1 st Floor

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1. Lobby + Reception 2. Waiting area 3. Labs/Testing 4. Pharmacy 5. Workout room 6.Practice Rooms (Lockers as well) 7. Yoga + Practice Room 8. Dance Hall 9. Outdoor Therapy + Group Therapy

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2 nd Floor

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1. Second Floor Open Space 2. Waiting Area + Reception 3. Pyschiatrist’s Offices/Therapy Rooms 4. Staff Kitchen 5. Classroom 6.Practice Rooms (Lockers as well) 7. Yoga + Practice Room 8. Dance Hall (first Floor)

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Finishes These finishes were chosen based on their healthcare and hospitality durability. They were also chosen based on their use and their colors. The palatte has very neutral tones with touches of green, blue and teal. The curves and natural paterns are meant to evoke motion in the same manner that the design decisions were meant to evoke. The flooring consists of the wood flooring that is used throughout a majority of the design, carpets in the waiting areas for sound absobption, and ECORE for the workout room for padding. The fabrics were chosen based on their durability, fire resistance and their colors. They were proven to be sustainable, and durable in both Healthcare and Hospitality. The 3Form pattern used in the reception glass and the lab are used for slight privacy in those areas, but able to allow light through the glass panels in order to not disrupt the idea of having extremely well lit areas.

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Section Model of Ceiling

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Reception

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Dance Hall

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Lab

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Yoga Room

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Workout Room

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Bibliography Carpman, Janet Reizenstein, Myron A. Grant, and Deborah A. Simmons. Design That Cares: Planning Health Facilities for Patients and Visitors. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. “Mental and Substance Use Disorders.” Ann.lynsen. N.p., n.d. Web. “Our Mission.” ADTA. N.p., n.d. Web. Purves, Geoffrey, and Geoffrey Purves. Primary Care Centres: A Guide to Health Care Design. Oxford: Elsevier/ Architectural, 2009. Print.

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Acknowledgements A few words of thanks... In every significant book I have read in my life, there have been beautiful words of gratitude and glimpses into the support systems that have gone into helping someone achieve a big goal. I am truly humbled by the love, support and patience that the following people have given me, in particular over the last four years at Virginia Tech. To my parents. Hugo + Carol, and my brother, Hugo for everything. Your unconditional love and support have been incomparable. Thank you for being patient with me and being the best cheer squad a girl could ask for, from book reports, plays, dances, sports, and listening to me talk about thesis. To Antonio Guajardo for showing me true and honest friendship since we were 10 and his wonderful family. All for Lucas. Tia Michelle, for being my mentor and getting me interested in design and in particular being an interior design student at Virginia Tech. Thank you for giving me my first internship and for showing me the ropes. My roommates, London, Taylor, and Katherine for the laughs, honest opinions and for being the sisters I never had. Thanks for letting me show you iterations and iterations of all my work all four years. To my salsa dance team (in particular my partners Wayne Thorne and Alexander Grimm) for providing inspiration and for letting me explore design concepts with you through dance. (Wayne and Alex are the ones pictured in the renderings and concept pictures). To Dr. Lisa Tucker + Matt Wagner, thank you in particular for being patient professors over the last two years. Your guidance and attention to each of your students is inspiring. Thank you for helping me get to this point and for helping this student out when she was sick and needed all the extra understanding she could get. I am lucky to have had you both as professors. To my doctors. Dr. Davis, Dr. Anderson, Dr. Gillis, Dr. Rimicci + Dr. Mendez, for answering each and every question and piecing back together the puzzle pieces. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It is not usual for someone to feel comfortable enough to talk to their doctor about everything and to be at ease to ask questions, from healthcare design to truly health related questions.

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