Narrating Death - Architecture For The Dying_Design Dissertation_2021-22

NARRATING DEATH : ARCHITECTURE FOR THE DYING By Harshvardhan Aditya Hemangi Jhaveri GUIDED BY Ar. SULAKSHANA BHANUSHALI

A Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment Of the requirements for SEM-IX The Degree

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE MUMBAI UNIVERSITY MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA.

5TH YEAR, SEM-IX, BARD 911, OCT’2021

Conducted at: RACHANA SANSAD’S ACADEMY OF ARCHITECTURE, UN-AIDED COURSE RACHANA SANSAD, 278, SHANKAR GHANEKAR MARG, PRABHADEVI, MUMBAI 400025.

APPROVAL

CERTIFICATE

The following Under-Grad Design Dissertation Study is hereby approved as satisfactory work on the approved subject carried out and presented in a manner sufficiently satisfactory to warrant its acceptance as a pre-requisite and partial fulfillment of requirement to the 5th Year Sem IX of Bachelor Of Architecture Degree for which it has been submitted.

This is to certify that this student Harshvardhan Aditya Hemangi Jhaveri is a bonafide Final Year student of our institute and has completed this Design Dissertation under the guidance of the Guide as undersigned, adhering to the norms of the Mumbai University & our Institute Thesis Committee.

It is understood that by this approval and certification the Institute and the Thesis Guide do not necessarily endorse or approve any statement made, opinion expressed or conclusions drawn therein; but approves the study only for the purpose for which it has been submitted and satisfied the requirements laid down by our Thesis Committee.

Name of the Student: Date: Tuesday 26th Oct’ 2021

Approved By

Principal

Ar. Prof. Rohit Shinkre College Seal

Certified By Thesis Guide Ar. Prof. Certified Seal

Examined By

External Examiner-1

External Examiner-2

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DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this written submission entitled “ NARRATING DEATH : ARCHITECTURE FOR THE DYING” represents my ideas in my own words and has not been taken from the work of others (as from books, articles, essays, dissertations, other media and online); and where others’ ideas or words have been included, I have adequately cited and referenced the original sources. Direct quotations from books, journal articles, internet sources, other texts, or any other source whatsoever are acknowledged and the source cited are identified in the dissertation references.

No material other than that cited and listed has been used.

I have read and know the meaning of plagiarism* and I understand that plagiarism, collusion, and copying are grave and serious offences in the university and accept the consequences should I engage in plagiarism, collusion or copying.

I also declare that I have adhered to all principles of academic honesty and integrity and have not misrepresented or fabricated or falsified any idea/data/fact source in my submission.

This work, or any part of it, has not been previously submitted by me or any other person for assessment on this or any other course of study.

Signature of the Student

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To my Thesis guide, Ar.Prof. Sulakshana Bhanushali for her constant belief and support in my topic from the beginning. I thank you for your support in academics over five years as well as beyond academics, your constant guidance allowed me to complete my cathartic experience through my Thesis. To Ar.Prof.

Amey Ghosalkar, whose guidance always helped me stay on track and not forget the importance of interlinking my theory to practical applications.

Additionally I would like to thank all my faculty, and support staff for their warmth and throughout my five years, their support enhanced my experience at college.

To my parents, brother and grandparents, without you, nothing would have been possible. Thank you for being the source of my happiness and inspiration, and thank you for believing in me and my dreams I would like to thank all my friends in college who supported me throughout this journey, especially Jayesh, Shruti and Paddy. To Aishwarya, thank you for always supporting me and motivating me throughout these five years, your belief allowed me to walk through my fears and reach where I am today. Thank you to Sid, for his unwavering belief and guidance. Lastly I would like to thank Hrushit, Jash, Nivedita, Shanaya, and Simi for always being there for me since school and believing in me.

Above all, I would like to thank my grandfather, for helping me understand the power and influence of death. Thank you for being my inspiration.

Thank you.

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CONTENTS 1.0 | ABSTRACT

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1.1 | KEYWORDS

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2.0 | INTRODUCTION

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3.0 | HYPOTHESIS

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4.0 | AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

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5.0 | METHODOLOGY

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6.0 | SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

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PART I : the philosophy 7.0 | INTRODUCTION

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8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8

| | | | | | | | |

DEATH About death Different perspectives on death Literature review Death around the world Aspects of death Conversations about death Approaching death Conclusion

16 18 26 29 39 45 53 67

9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5

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PEACE About peace Aspects of peace Conversations about peace Ways to achieve it Conclusion

69 72 76 78 87

10.0 | INFERENCE

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PART II : the setting 11.0 | 11.1 | 11.2 | 11.3 | 11.4 | 11.5 | 11.6 | 11.7 |

ARCHITECTURAL REFERENCES Death and Architecture Architecture catering to death Associative qualities of a space Experiences and Architecture Architectural applications Architectural question Case studies

12.0 | INFERENCES

92 96 102 108 110 126 128 141

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CONTENTS PART III : reflections 13.0 | DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS 13.1 | Design brief 13.2 | Design Program and Area statement

145 151

14.0 | 14.1 | 14.2 | 14.3 | 14.4 |

154 156 174 175

SITE Site selection criteria Site study Comparative Analysis Selected Site

15.0 | End note

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16.0 | Bibliography

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17.0 | Appendix

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III

1.0 | ABSTRACT Death is not an easy concept to understand or, rather, even comprehend. We are all constantly surrounded by death, but we pay little or no attention to this overwhelming and constantly looming aspect of dying. To understand death, one needs to understand dying. They are two very different concepts, and in simple terms, it can be said that one can not understand the destination if one does not understand the journey.

Dying is a process. It can be instantaneous, or it can be long-lasting. However, regardless of the time, facing one’s own mortality is not something that one does on a daily basis, but it is necessary to be able to come to terms with their reality. Despite one’s individual beliefs, what we know of surely is the “right now.” There can be constant debates about the existence of the soul or the sustenance of an afterlife. But if what we are definitively sure of is the existence of one’s body at this moment in space and time, then why do we focus on death rather than dying?

Religions, cultures, and beliefs play a crucial role in how an individual perceives death. In fact, it plays a significant role in how we perceive life too. These cultures have built elaborate rituals to help humans process the grief of losing someone. They very craftily mold this intangible aspect of death into one that is tangible and can be held on to, allowing one to grasp an understanding of their own existence better.

This is where the argument comes into the picture. We focus so much on the latter aspect of death that we forget to cater to the dying. And when dying is considered, so much thought is given to the curing part of it that tending to one’s emotions and actually dealing with the process is pushed to being secondary.

Most people aren’t afraid of death, but they are of dying.

This is not to say that there are no rituals or methods that allow one to understand what it means to die, but it does pose the question of what it is that people really want when they are dying? When a person is faced with a definitive ending and is forced to come to terms with their own mortality, what helps them understand such a complex phenomenon? What is it that one wants before they die, and why do they need it?

The study is an attempt to understand the concept of death and dying, along with what it is that people want or need before they or their close ones die.

It aims to question the importance of peace before dying, why people need it in the first place, and then further understand what will help them attain this peace therewith architecturally providing the means to achieve it.

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1.1 | KEYWORDS Peace, Death, Dying, Narrative, Awareness, Place, Mortality, Familiarity.

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2.0 | INTRODUCTION According to the dictionary, death is the end of life. However, in relation to this study, death is considered to be a more complex process in which the path leading up to death or the act of “dying” is looked at with more importance than the final “event” of death.

How one perceives death depends on their religion, beliefs, and, most importantly, what they associate with death - For instance, when one thinks about it, the first thoughts that present themselves are darkness, sadness, and grief. This is not because death is, per se, a sad process. Many religions welcome it, and it is looked at as the next step for their soul rather than the end of life. However, when thought about, the first thing that presents itself in one’s memories are negative emotions. This can be blamed on what we physically associate with death.

The relational aspect between death and architecture is as old as time. However, today, death is associated with hospitals, crematoriums, burials, and memorials. This enforces the association of death with grief and takes away from long-standing traditions of celebrating death. Hospitals do not allow one to emote, and it can be argued that they are places for curing rather than healing.

When a person is terminally ill, it becomes just as important to tend to the pain within as much as the physical pain. The architecture that caters to death is no longer one that communicates with the user, rather it simply becomes a place that one occupies till they die.

“Where we die, plays a key role in how we die” - Alison Killing.

70% of people want to die at home, yet more than 50 % die in hospitals. In a situation where most people’s simple want of dying at home with dignity isn’t aligned with the complex realities of the end of life, architecture should yearn to do more for the dying. The architecture for death should yearn for “Familiarity” in a future that is unsure. So that people have something to grasp on to and experience a sense of calm and warmth instead of being amidst the chaotic cold that is offered by the current architecture.

Death is inevitable, yet it is a concept that is still hard to grasp. Already being a sad phenomenon, the complex emotions that come along with it are often overwhelming, leaving little to no room for actually understanding death or, rather, life. With most people wanting some form or means towards a “peaceful” ending, it begs the question of if architecture facilitates a space to understand what can lead to a peaceful death.

In an age where each religion comes with its own perceptions of mortality, the distinct commonalities of death become the converging point for each interpretation for the end of physical life. For instance, one either believes in the aspect of the soul or does not. But the end of the physical body is a fact that cannot be debated. It is the same for every living thing on the planet. Hence, besides the religious jargon commonly associated with how we die, the commonalities of death lead to there being a commonality in what people want when facing their 4

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own mortality, and given the right atmosphere, the “how” of dying can become associated with peace instead of negative emotions, which in turn becomes directly responsive to the “where” of dying.

The thesis aims to understand what death should or could be associated with in today’s context and, in turn, interpret how “familiar” spaces can allow the dying and their family to cope and emote better while seeking to achieve the intangible aspect of “peace” tangibly.

Hence the study aims at understanding the psychology of dying and peace. The relation between the two, their physical interpretations and associations, and subsequently apply these learnings to explore, by design, the possibilities and limits of architecture to assist in helping people understand the prerequisites of their peace before death to assist in helping people die more peacefully.

3.0 | HYPOTHESIS Built environments can be a means of allowing those dying and their family to better emote and cope with the process of dying by narrating spaces of familiarity and experiences that aid in understanding the prerequisites of ones peace in regards to death.

4.0 | (i) AIMS The aim of the study is to understand the associations of death and their influence on the process of dying; How these associations can be altered to be positive and the spatial implications of achieving it.

4.0 | (ii) OBJECTIVES The objective is to ultimately create a new building typology by rethinking how we look at and approach the process of dying. Through this, the thesis will attempt to look at the potential of builtform to change associations and give people dealing with death an opportunity to first understand what they need to achieve their meaning of peace and then facilitating the means required to achieve this.

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5.0 | METHODOLOGY The study grows from the primary concern of understanding how dying is approached in todays context and the role that the current architecture for death plays in the way people percieve and approach the end of life.

The approach began by first understanding “death” and the various perspectives of it across different religions and the world. This led to understanding the different architecture that caters to both, the dead as well as the dying which furthered the research into what can be accounted as a “good death”. Different elements and points that can assist the dying were then noted to act as a framework for further analysis.

The method of exploration is divided into three parts: 1. The philosophy 2. The setting 3. The reflections I. The philosophy •

Understanding the exisiting concerns and arguments through secondary literary material • Understanding different perspectives through primary data through questionnaires.

• Formulating quantitative and qualitative data through the primary research • Forming opinions through various arguments and discussions.

II. The setting

Design inferences

Research inferences

• • •

Study of different architecture catering to death, to understand the qualities and nature of those spaces Understanding the asscoiative qualities of spaces. This is done to understand why the current architecture is not conducive for dying Exploring various methods and approaches to dying, including those which can induce peace.

III. The reflections • •

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Learnings from the previous two parts, field studiesand the scope of design forms the basis of the site under study.

Potential sites along with the design intent and programs helps develop an architectural brief.

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6.0 | SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

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The concern is primarily related to the approach of dying and not to curing illness, hence how to treat the various diseases was not looked into. Thus the study dives into understanding the current approach to dying and how spaces can affect and better to process.

•

The thesis considers users suffering from Non-Communicable diseases hence, dealing with communicable diseases is out of the scope of this thesis.

•

The detailed operations and methodologies of the therapies were not delved into but rather only the perceivable spatial requirements were understood.

•

Although the approach to the thesis requires theoretical knowledge on the subject, it only forms the foundations for the inferences and implementations of these theories into architectural practice.

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PART I THE PHILOSOPHY

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7.0 | INTRODUCTION Death is one of the worlds most ambiguous concepts. It is unfamiliar, yet familiar. We are surrounded by it, but we don’t know what follows it. It is a phenomenon most people tend to hush behind the cloak of not caring about, yet one that governs majority of ones lifes decisions. One can say that we fear death but at the same time are enamoured by its mystery or as Dr. Sherwin Nuland puts it “To most people, death remains a hidden secret, as eroticized as it is feared. We are irresistible attracted by the very anxieties we find most terrifying.”

-Reference from Sherwin Nulands “How we die”

It is maybe this ambiguity that leads to people craving a “good death.” If all was known, the type of death one could have would be premptive and could possibly be manipulated to ones liking. However, before understanding what accounts for a good death, it is important to first study the different parts of this process of dying.

Death isn’t a topic that can be looked at with a singular approach. Over centuries the different interpretations and viewpoints on death have evolved, and these have a very direct impact on how we percieve and approach dying. Hence, to architecturally cater to the dying, it is important to first understand death, its different meanings, how different people look at it, and how its idea has evolved over time. This would then form the framework of what the design caters to and for who.

To understand what constitutes a good death, it is necessary to recognize what people want as they approach their end. If all these paths and end goals lead to “peace” then what exactly is peace? And can being at peace before death be warranted as the common factor across race, religions, and culturesv for a “good death?” This makes understanding the philosphy of death and dying an important part in the approach to designing for the dying.

Fig.01 | Ars Moriendi - The art of dying | source : Wikipedia and Author

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8.0 | DEATH

transition from a physical lifeform to something intangible and everpresent.

The above definition, can be said to be a fairly simplified explanation of what death is. However, when thought about, it is first important to question, if death infact is an event, as mentioned above, or is it a process?

Over years, people have been obsessed with finding “better ways to die” some of the noted factors in the step towards the attempt to “die better” are:1 1. Understannding what one wants 2. Understanding his/her families needs 3. Understanding what is dying, and what is death.

4. Understanding this through religious, cultural sense.

5. Counselling to understand what it is that the person want 6. Understanding that it is inevitable 7. Actively thinking and talking about death 8. Understanfing how it is a process. This is because most people are scared of the process rather than the finality of death.

9. Understanding that there are no rules for how a person grieves.

Death is the action of dying. Hence, it can be stated that death is a process, at the end of which, ones physical life ceases to exist or ones consciousness nolonger exists. This then can be deduced or confirmed by the irreversible cessation of vital functions.

The understanding of ones religious view on death and the different considerations brings up the gravity that a different lens has on how one approaches dying. Hence, comprehending the different perspectives on death becomes the next step in understanding the approach to dying.

8.1 | About Death What is death?

The irreversible cessation of all vital functions especially as indicated by the permanent stoppage of heart, respiration and brain activity.

Source: merriam-webster

The process The process of dying can then be further explained based on the lens one looks at it from.

Scientifically, a person who is approaching the final stage of their death, experiences a loss in their appetite, a greater sense of fatigue, sometimes the loss of control over their bladder, and many more such symptoms.

From a religious standpoint, each religion brings about their own perceptions of the process. In hinduism for example, it is believed that it can take upto 14 days for a person to be considered as being dead, hence the rituals are often spread over 14 days. Hinduism, like many other religions believe in the concept of a soul, hence “dying” is percieved as the end of only the physical life, rather than all life forms. This viewpoint has the potential of altering peoples viewpoints on the entire concept of approaching death.

In hinduism, the process of dying is divided into 5 stages, 1. Pranavayu - where the breath and thought process cease.

2. Samanavayu - Generation of heat is stopped 3. Apanavayu - The sensory aspects of the human body start to die 4. Udhanavayu - Buoyancy of the person reduces 5. Vyaana - The ability of controlling and prevention the rot of body is gone.

Scientifically, for a person to be considered to dead, the person is unreceptive and unresponsive to external stimulation. This means that there is an absence of movement, an absence of reflexes and an EEG test confirms that brain is dead.

Studies prove that in many cases, the brain continues to function for atleast 10 minutes after the body is declared dead, and hearing is the last sense to go in the human body.

Religiously, the belief in the soul and the concept of “karma” ties life very close to death, and this leads to people celebrating this process, as it indicates the 16

1 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6330909/

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8.2 | Different perspectives on death The different perspectives on it greatly influence the approach to death; These can vary from philosophical views on it to the cultural perspective on it in any region.

One of the important influences is religion. They pave the path and mold the thinking of a follower to what could lead them to a good death or at least one that is peaceful. As can be assumed, the approach to death in most religions is centered towards their faith to who they believe is God, and hence most of these approaches create guidelines for the best path forward. The following is a study of three religions and how they approach death and what their beliefs consist of.

Christianity The understanding of a Christian death is inseparable from the Christian life. The approach to death in Christianity heavily depends on what they do in their lives and what they do before they die. It is believed that a fulfilled life is one where the natural longings of a human heart for peace, friendship, and happiness are met with faith in Jesus Christ.

The importance of religion in dying for a Christian is shown through their belief that if they had faith, they could pass peacefully and that the only way to pass through heaven is through the belief in Jesus Christ.

They also believe that one who does not believe in God is irrevocably turned away from the possibility of life with God. Which they call “Hell.” It is this hope in heaven that brings joy in a life of “suffering.”

Fig.02 | Catholic look at the art of dying | source : José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro

The approach to death.

Every Christian is said to hope to die in a state of grace, reconciling with God and in a state of peace, Whereafter they meet God and their loved ones in heaven.

In sickness or old age, a person prepares for death through prayers, acts of love, the sacraments of penance, and the anointing of the sick.

The church offers people its support in these times of need. They offer: Spiritual support - People have feelings of helplessness, confusion, anger, regret, or fear when dealing with death. These people can receive spiritual support with the help of the bible. The bible teaches to reach out with compassion and tenderness and offers people forgiveness and healing.

Sacraments are rituals that are meant to help one find peace in their sufferings; The first is the sacrament of penance.2 This is one of the most efficient ways to make peace with God and seek forgiveness. It helps in healing relationships with others and yourself. The second is the anointment of the sick. 2This sacrament is offered explicitly to those dying. It brings forgiveness and prepares them for their final journey towards God. The third one is the holy communion and Vatican2, which states that Jesus said, “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood had eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last days” Christians interpret Bread and Wine and his flesh and blood.

2-https://www.artofdyingwell.org/what-is-dying-well/a-good-catholic-death/support-of-the-church/

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Fig.03 | Samsara - The cycle of death and rebirth | source : Wikipedia

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In the last 40 seconds, the many lifetimes of accumulated Karma plays out in front of the dying. It is believed that if one is aware in these last seconds, they can let go of their Karma of previous years and hence be free; this is called the Bhairavi Yatana.

Jainism Jain philosophy sees death as a welcome gateway to the next birth rather than being a tragic end. All religions teach the art of living, but Jainism teaches “santhara,” which is the art of dying. This philosophy believes that the art of dying is to take dying in your stride.

People do not always get to choose to live in a grand manner, and they have aspirations that arent always fulfilled. However, they would want to die in a great way, without any regrets or with peace. Hinduism suggests that many dying people have unfinished business in this life, which disrupts their karmic shell, preventing their souls from leaving in peace.

Two concepts are used to explain the art of dying. The first is Akama Manana, which describes a person who has attachments to life and does not want to die, and hence dies helplessly and not on their own accord. This person is unsatisfied. The second concept is that of Sakama Manana; this describes another type of person who is not afraid to die, is void of all earthly attachments, and hence dies on their own accord in peace. Sakama Manana gives a person who is dying a sense of control, allowing them to choose their way of dying.

Moksha advocates the importance of detachment and states that acceptance is one of the ultimate tests of detachment. Detachment means to let go of any desires or judgement, and is an integral part of dying in peace, and is one of the ways to come to terms with death. The other way is to work towards a sense of self-awareness and having a clear, undisturbed mind at the time of death. Understanding these is a way of coming to terms with their death.

In Jainism, a person who is close to dying stops eating. This is called Santhara Sallekhana. Non-violence is a concept that is followed strongly in the religion, and it is believed that not eating is a non-violent way of detaching from their current life and prepare for their next life while purifying the soul.

Hinduism, just like many other religions, has come up with elusive and expansive rituals surrounding death. These rituals allow an individual to grasp phenomena that are otherwise very complex to understand, and through these rituals, concepts like detachment are more easily understood. They help widen a person’s view in times of grief and misery and hence form a foundation in the concept of death.

Death in the religion is perceived with excitement, and embracing sallekhana is seen as heroic as it is not out of despair or to be rid of the pain that it is followed, but rather to gain and attain something new.

Hinduism Death is a concept prevalent in Hinduism, the Upanishads spoke about the importance of breath as a life force for a person, and the cessation of breath meant the body was lifeless. The Bhagwat Gita spoke about the concept of a soul, one which is heavily prevalent in Hinduism. It said “It is not born, It does not die, Having Been, It will never not be, Unborn, eternal, Immortal, and ageless It is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.”

The idea of a soul is intertwined with the idea of death, and it is believed that death is nothing but the end of physical life, with the soul just being reborn once again. Each human being is said to be predestined to innumerable rebirths. This is called “Samsara” or the cycle of death and rebirth. And the Karma ( The sum of the good and bad deeds of a person) decides both, the length of ones life and the form of the rebirth. The ultimate goal in Hinduism is to break this cycle of death and rebirth, by achieving moksha.

Hindus believe that at the end of life, a person should die on the ground rather than on a bed, and that a person who practiced Yoga and meditation allows for their soul to have a smoother passage out of the physical body.

The last few moments before one dies are said to be those of great importance.

Every Hindu wishes to attain moksha, but before their soul leaves the body, it undergoes a final test.

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Reincarnation and Afterlife

-Reference from the Bhagwat Gita

No matter how different their rituals and cultures, most religions have one thing in common: the belief in the existence of a soul. Despite this belief, what happens to the soul once the physical body has died, is varied. Two of the central beliefs are that of reincarnation and the afterlife.

Reincarnation

It is also called transmigration or metempsychosis. It is the rebirth of the aspects of an individual that exist after bodily death. These aspects can be the consciousness, the soul, or any other entity present in successive existences.

In many religions, as mentioned above, the belief in a soul is common, and the sould is believed to be capable of leaving the body through the nostrils or the mouth as it sets of on the journey to be reborn. This belief reiterates the idea that the death of a person is but only bodily death.

Plato also believed in the idea of an immortal soul that participated in frequent incarnations. Similar to these beliefs, many religions believe in the concept of reincarnation, some of these religions are : Hinduism-

The process of birth and rebirth or the transmigration (Reincarnation) of the soul is endless until one achieves moksha or liberation from this process.

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Moksha can be achieved when one realizes that the eternal core of the individual or the Atman and the Absolute reality or the “Brahman” is one.

Jainism-

Essentially, the concept of a soul exists in the afterlife, too, and the afterlife is decided by your life’s actions, i.e., Karma. Furthermore, your afterlife depends on this.

Jainism reflects a belief in an eternal and transmigration life principle or “jiva.”

The concept holds that Karma is a fine particulate Substance that settles upon the jiva according to the person’s deeds. Therefore the burden of the old Karma is added to the new Kanna that is acquired during the next existence until the jiva itself Frees itself by religious disciplines, especially Ahimsa, and then rises to the place of liberated Jivas at the top of the universe.

The difference is that in reincarnation, one gets the chance to redeem themself over several different lifespans.

In the afterlife, essentially, only one life decides your future.

Both believe in the soul, and both believe in the concept of Karma in some way.

Buddhism-

Moksha

Buddhism denies the existence of an Unchanging, Substantial Soul or self 3 and rather teaches the concept of anatman. It holds to the belief in the transmigration of the Karma that is accumulated by an Individual in life.

An Individual is the composition of fine ever-changing psychophysical elements or States: Form, sensation, perception, and impulse, and consciousness.

These terminate with death.

The Karma of the deceased, however, persists and becomes vijana’ or a germ of consciousness. The vijana is that aspect of the consciousness that is reborn in a new Individual. By gaining a state of complete passiveness through meditation and discipline, one can achieve Nirvana.

Nirvana is the state of extinction. Of desires and liberation from bondage to samsara by Karma.

In English, moksha can be called salvation.

Moksha is one of the four aims of life, with the other three being Dharma (Duty), Artha (wealth), and Kama (Desire).

It is considered to be the ultimate ideal of a human life, and attaining it means that one’s soul is free from the cycle of death and rebirth.

Afterlife

Mahasamadhi

Moksha and Mahasamadhi

There are two stages of moksha1. Jivanmukti - one who has attained a deep sense of self and that of the universe. They are then called atmanjaani or brahmanjan 2. Videhamukti - It is the liberation after death or the liberation from the body.

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It is the belief in life after death. “Eternal” is the first of all temporal designations, and eternal life has a deathless duration.

Sama means equanimous. Dhi or Buddhi means intellect.

Abrahamic traditionGod decides where one goes after death based on actions or beliefs during life.

Samadhi hence means Equanimous intellect. This intellect does not discriminate between good and evil, high and low, joy and misery, pain and pleasure.

Mahasamadhi is the great equanimous intellect. Intelligence that has lost all external input.

Egyptian beliefsDeath was believed as a temporary interruption rather than the cessation of life. When they died, they were mummified so that the soul could return to the body.

Besides the religious views on death, The concepts of souls supersede religion too. There are many views on the soul, but two largely followed beliefs are the physicalist point of view and the dualist point of view.

ChristianityIn Christianity, it is believed that the dead will have a body like Jesus did in his resurrection.

The sleep of the soul is a concept where the dead person’s soul enters into a sleeping state that continues into the last judgement, which will occur after the general resurrection. At The last judgement the resurrected will be assigned to either eternal life or eternal damnation.

3 - https://www.britannica.com/topic/reincarnation

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Fig.04 | Gajendra Moksham | source : Brooklyn Museum

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8.3 | Literature Review 1. How we die Book | Sherwin Nuland

In this comprehensive book, Nuland explains the process of dying. In the book, he draws his own experiences and others to present his thoughts on the topic.

The author starts by explaining that death is something that is feared across the world, but that we are still attracted to it. He then goes on to explain that it is inevitable, and modern medicine can unnecessarily prolong it, but not prevent it and instead what people should focus on is living the remainder of life fully.

He further iterates the fantasy of dying with dignity, explaining that a human’s quest to achieve true dignity fails when our bodies fail. Throughout the book, Nuland uses various anecdotes and stories to explain his points, such as that of McCarty, where he used his death to explain the ambiguity of what happens post-death and the idea of the physical body becoming void of life.

The next story he explains through personal experience of his “Bubba” explaining the importance of understanding the old age is a cause of death.

Through this he explains the various behavioral changes that take place and adaptability that is needed to house Death.

Nuland reinforces his ideology of not being in favour of an institutionalised death, which he describes as a “sterile” death in a hospital. Overall, he explained the current state of dying in the world and reinforced the importance of thinking about “how we die.” He goes on to explain that a person has more than 10000 ways to die, and that each death is unique but similar in the way that it is the end of life. He states that a person should die in their own way.

In conclusion, Nuland explains that it is important to make the most of our lives and make an attempt to live in a way that you don’t die alone or in unnecessary agony.

2. Death in Venice Video | Alison Killing

In her talk, Killing explains the importance and need to focus on Death and its architecture. She describes the current state of the architecture and compares it to how it used to be a few centuries ago, explaining that the life has been taken out of the architecture and the designs have become machine centric.

Through her exhibition, she highlighted how even though we dont talk aboutdeath, we are still largely surrounded by it.

She urges each individual to ponder about what they think a good death is, and what does an architecture that supports a good death look like. Her study allows an individual to consider that the current architecture can be changed if an attempt is made, and that, because it has not changed in a long time, does not mean it cant.

3. What really matters at the end of life Video | BJ Miller

Through his talk, Miller talks through his experience facing death, and then serving death through hospice care. He stressess on the importance of good design at the end of life, explaining that it is the last ever experience of a person and bad design can be detrimental in more ways than one. He explains that Hospitals are design to treat illness and acute trauma, but they arent spaces to live and die.

In this talk, he attempts to lay down design stratergies to improve the architecture for the end of life.

The first design cue is to understand the difference between necessary and unecessary suffering. And extending life, when death is inevtiable is unecessary suffering.

The second design cue is then tending to dignity by way of the senses. He reiterates the importance of sensuous aesthetic gratificatio, where in a moment we are rewarded for just being and that senses and its stimulation plays an important part in the process to dying.

The third and last design cue is that life at the end should be made wonderful rather than less horrible. Hinting at cues of allowing for people to find meaning in smaller things and allowing people to learn to live well not inspite of death but because of it.

He explains that the most important thing for people on their death bed is, comfort, feeling unburdened and unburdening to those the love, existential peace and a sense of wonderment and spirituality.

She states that with focus on life increasing, death was all but forgotten.

But with the amount of time, each individual now needs to spend in either hospitals, hospices and other facilities, the need for better architecture largely increases. She describes that where we die plays a key part in how we die. She asks that wouldn’t a person want to die in a space which is open, allows light and has nature rather than concretised buildings.

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8.4 | Death around the world Death is imminent, and it is one phenomenon that every individual will experience. However, each experience is different because of the way it is approached, or rather, the cause of the death.

There are various causes of death around the world, cancer, ischemic heart diseases, respiratory diseases. However, one cause, which is negated and hushed but is probably one of the main causes of death, is old age. Old age is medically not considered to be a cause of death. And although medically, this makes sense as it brings order, it is far from the reality of death and life.

This decision of not considering old age as a reason for death shows how the current system focuses on curing, it focuses on finding something that can be treated, and old age, currently, can not. The extreme focus that is given to “curing” a “disease” leads to there being little or no attention given to heal the dying. Mentally and emotionally. Curing a disease largely depends on physical treatments, and hence treating the intangible part of dying is negated. This is not to say that physical pain should not be treated. Rather it is one of the most essential parts in tending to the intangible. However, unless the realities of life aren’t accepted, the solutions would be limited. This is because the viewpoint on the matter would be diluted. Hence, old age as a cause of death should be considered so that the perspective on approaching it would change.

Old age leads to various issues. It is a silent killer. As one ages, the brain cells in a person start to die, and they start detaching from the things around them. As the person’s brain cells die, their behaviors change, and they start forgetting things that they would typically never forget. If observed carefully, these are all signs of the slow fading away of life. With age, a person’s body starts slowing down, their bones get weaker, and muscles frail. Medically, one can call this arthritis, or take the heart, which over time and after years of works starts wearing down. It IS a disease. It is chronic heart failure, but the reason is the years of work it has done, and just like a machine that wears over time, the human body does too, which we consider as disease taking over.

In addition to this, the thesis considers other medically accepted causes of death and the different types of diseases in an attempt to quantify and understand the users of the design and then understand the qualitative approach that would necessarily be required for the same.

Broadly, there are two vast types of diseases, Communicable and Noncommunicable.

Communicable diseases Communicable diseases are those diseases that can be transferred from one individual to another. They are, however not inheritable.

Communicable diseases disproportionally impact resource-constrained communities and are linked to basic human needs and conditions like safe drinking water, housing, poverty, and socio-economic factors. HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis, and other viral diseases are responsible for as much as 7% of all 28

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death in America. In addition to economic costs, communicable diseases impose intangible social costs on individuals, families, and communities. In sum, the burden of these diseases, with their health, economic, and social costs, prevents the full achievement of health.

Non-communicable diseases Non-communicable diseases are those which do not spread from one person to another person.

These diseases are also called chronic diseases. This is because they tend to be of long duration and result from a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental, and behavioral factors. The primary type of NCDs are cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and respiratory diseases. NCD’s affect people worldwide and are usually linked with older people, but according to reports, about fifteen million people between the ages of 30 to 69 die due to it.

However, this can be linked to their socio-economic conditions as 85% of these 15 million people belong to the middle or lower class section of countries.

Fig.05 | Causes of death in india over the years | source : IHME, Global Burden of disease

These diseases can be caused due to various reasons such as diet or smoking habits or other unhealthy lifestyle choices. Some of the significant risk factors can be divided into modifiable risk factors, and metabolic risk factors.

Modifiable are those that are due to various factors that can be changed, such as smoking or physical inactivity. Metabolic are those that are not in the immediate control of the user, such as blood pressure.

Non-communicable diseases dominate the causes of death worldwide. And most of the diseases are prolonged and affect a person longer, instead of being sudden. This gives them an opportunity to actually reconcile, and live their life, even if not to the fullest, at least enough to be fulfilled.

Quality of death index The quality of death index is a report from the Economist Intelligence Unit commissioned by the Lien Foundation.

Quality of life is a common phrase used because everyone is obsessed with improving their life’s quality. The achievements in medicine only meant that these conversations have increased as people start living longer lives than ever before. However, the quality of death is a topic in stark contrast to the one spoken about before. This can be credited mainly to death being a topic distressing even to start contemplating. The Hippocratic oath, which is the starting point for curative medicine, does not fit in with the demands of end of life palliative care, where medicine can not do much anymore, and the recovery is unlikely.

This results in the required care being neglected.

There is often no integration of institutes that provide palliative care and the healthcare system. Palliative and Hospice care in countries are heavily dependant on charities. The scarcity of drugs to reduce pain causes more trouble Fig.06 | Number of deaths and their cause | source : IHME, Global Burden of disease

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for the one suffering and their family.

Raising up problems with the quality of death invariably would improve the quality of life too.

The paper puts index findings into context and attempts to define the issues that must be considered when policymakers seek to improve the quality of death faced in their countries by those incurable illnesses. The findings are: • The UK leads the world in the quality of death.

• Combatting perceptions of death and cultural taboos is crucial to improving palliative care • Public debates about euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide may raise awareness but relate to only a minority of deaths • Drug availability is the most important practical issue • State funding of end of life care is limited and often prioritizes conventional treatment • More palliative care may mean less health spending • High-level policy recognition and support are crucial.

• Palliative care need not mean institutional care but more training is needed According to the WHO, in many parts of the world, hospice and palliative care are either non-existent or in their infancy, with about 5 billion people living in countries with insufficient or no access to medications to control severe or moderate pain. Meanwhile, in developed countries, medical services have all too often focused on preventing death rather than helping people meet death without suffering pain, discomfort, and stress.

Methodology of the Index The Quality of Death Index measures the current environment for end-of-life care services across 40 countries: 30 OECD nations and 10 select others for which data was available.

The Economist Intelligence Unit’s research team devised the Index, collated data, and built the model from a wide range of indicators. They interviewed a variety of doctors, specialists, and other experts to compile and verify the data.

The Index scores countries across four categories: • • • •

Basic End-of-Life Healthcare Environment Availability of End-of-Life Care Cost of End-of-Life Care Quality of End-of-Life Care

Fig.07 | Overall quality of death score | source : Economist Intelligence Unit

Fig.08 | Quality of end of life care | source : Economist Intelligence Unit

http://www.lienfoundation.org/sites/default/files/qod_index_2.pdf

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Twenty-four individual indicators fell into three broad categories: 1. Quantitative indicators: level of the Index’s 24 indicators are based on quantitative data, such as life expectancy and healthcare spending as a percentage of GDP. 2. Qualitative indicators: Ten of the indicators are qualitative assessments of end-of-life care in individual countries, for example, “Public awareness of end-of-life care”, which is assessed on a scale of 1-5 where 1=little or no awareness and 5=high awareness.

3. Status indicators: Three of the indicators describe whether something is or is not the case, for example, “Existence of a government-led national palliative care strategy”, for which the available answers are Yes, No, and In Progress.

The Index is an aggregate score of all of the underlying indicators normalized to make the data comparable. Data is first aggregated by category and then overall based on the composite of the underlying category scores. To create the category scores, each underlying indicator was aggregated according to an assigned weighting, determined by the EIU’s research team following consultation with experts interviewed for the research. Each category is also accorded a weighting within the overall score. Quality is given the largest weighting, accounting for 40% of the overall score; Availability accounts for 25%, Basic End-of-Life Healthcare Environment 20%, and Cost 15% High quality of death: According to the report, UK, Australia, and New Zealand are high in the overall ranking, given their relative wealth, advanced infrastructure, and long recognition of the importance of developing national end-of-life healthcare strategies. While the majority of the top countries are wealthy countries, some developing countries creep into the list, such as Hungary. This is due to their attention towards end-of-life care and the certain programs they have set up, such as palliative care, giving attention to dying.

Low quality of death: The bottom-ranked countries in the Quality of Death Index include developing countries, such as China, Mexico, Brazil, India, and Uganda, where despite notable exceptions of excellence such as the Indian state of Kerala, and services delivered through Hospice Africa, Uganda progress on providing end-of-life care is slow. In the case of China and India, further problems are vast populations for whom end-of-life coverage extends to only a fraction of those in need.

These countries also score lowly due to the less attention given to end of life policies and palliative care. In these countries, little attention is given to hospice, and rather complete attention is given to the “power of medicine” even when life is no longer an option.

Fig.08 a | Availability of End of life care | source : Economist Intelligence Unit

Fig.08 b | Basic end of life healthcare environment | source : Economist Intelligence Unit http://www.lienfoundation.org/sites/default/files/qod_index_2.pdf

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Attitudes to death and dying:

Fig.09 | Public awareness of end of life care | source : Economist Intelligence Unit

Strong taboos against talking about death exist in countries such as Japan and China, for example. This is even the case in India, where death is discussed more openly, and the Hindu philosophy of reincarnation should, in theory, mitigate fears about death. “Despite possibly a greater acceptance of the inevitable consequence of life and our philosophical attitude, when it actually happens to somebody in your family, you deny it and do not want to talk about it,” says MR Rajagopal, chairman of Pallium India, a clinic based in the southern Indian state of Kerala. Even so, in India, a bigger barrier more often is the protective attitude of the family. While relatives are often available to care for dying parents, Dr Rajagopal says that they are reluctant to disclose their condition. “They do not want the patient to be told that they are dying,” he says, “so they prevent open communication with the patient.”

In the US, appropriate end-of-life care is often trumped by the “cure at all cost” attitude of doctors, along with the strong religious views many families hold on the sanctity of life Debates across the world: Although cultural attitudes are difficult to quantify, the Quality of Death Index does measure public awareness of end-of-life care (an indicator within the “Quality” category, based on responses from national level palliative care organizations and governmental bodies). In China, there is little knowledge of the existence of hospice care or understanding of what it provides, says Dr. Ma Ke, director of the Third People’s Hospital of Kunming Hospice Department.

“Most family members of the patients cannot fully understand it,” he says, adding that even in medical circles, many doctors and other healthcare providers remain unaware of what palliative care entails.

The quality of death index works well when considered in the context of the world, but when talking about the quality of death in India, the Index lacks some key points. Religion and its role in death aren’t considered highly. In India, compared to other countries, people prefer to die amongst family, which impacts the way one dies, which is also not given enough importance.

Fig.10 | Index for India | source : Economist Intelligence Unit

At all points, a person is surrounded by spaces that are dedicated to the dying.

Regardless of the situation, death is hushed as a topic of discussion but even more so in spaces dedicated to death. These spaces range from catering to those who are dead or those on the verge of dying to even those who continue to fight death.

These different spaces dedicated to death and dying are: 1. Hospitals 2. Crematoriums 3. Cemetry 4. Palliative care spaces 5. hospices 6. Homes These spaces are explained in more detail in further chapters.

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8.5 | Aspects of Death The importance of dying in a certain way: Most people like to have a say in the way they die. Facing death is a moment that is important and intimate. The moment of realization that death is imminent is probably the first jolt of how mortal a human being is. The ease of life is often taken for granted because of the lack of effort that goes into providing it, ease is equated to normal, and hence it is just expected. However, pain, on the other hand, requires effort, it requires intervention, and it takes effort in recognizing it and then facing it. It is not free and comes with a cost, and so dealing with it becomes difficult. Similarly, living is a state of being, there is no effort in “living”.

The complex mechanisms of a body function without any external or conscious input from the person, and hence when death is imminent, the finality of death, and the possibility of the one thing that a person has done throughout the years they have lived just ending, comes with a profound sense of helplessness. The feeling of losing control over something you did not directly have control over can be overwhelming, to say the least.

When a person has no control over changing the final outcome of an event, they instantly turn to what they know. This is an attempt to regain some control over the direction they are headed, no matter the destination remaining the same.

Dying with dignity is a concept that many people strive to achieve. It is an aspiration that has been complicated far too much. “Dignity” is what people know of. People like to have it while living, and hence, hope its not lost with death. However, it should be understood what dignity is?

Moreover, what gets an individual this dignity they desire? Death is something that comes with a fair share of side effects and symptoms. A person starts becoming dependant, there is a loss of bladder control, and it can become hard to do simple daily functions like eating. Hence if you go by the definition of dignity being calm, serious and formal, then dignity can become hard to achieve. The truth is, there is no dignity in death because there is no hiding or denying from the cold truth of life ending and being finite.

So then, what is the importance of dying in a certain way? The importance is the possibility of having a view of the future, knowing the direction of what lies further, and gaining a sense of control when everything is in a state of imbalance.

One common factor in what people want before dying in peace, and an end without a multitude of regrets. The obsession with having a peaceful death can be linked as the closest thing to dying well. However, the complexity of what gets a person peace is subjective but is further broken down in the following chapters. However, the relation between death and peace has been prevalent for a long time.

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The argument stands at if it is essential to die peacefully. The first thing that one hears or says at the passing of someone is common universally. It is the phrase “Rest in peace.” It is an almost instinctive reaction, hoping that the dead is at peace at the end of it. Regardless of the religion or beliefs, the hope of a smooth, peaceful transition of the soul is prevalent. So what makes a person rest in peace? An essential aspect of this would be to die in peace, without any conflict, and so it becomes essential to make an attempt to understand what can get a person this peace.

Many scholars have spoken about “acceptance” and “coming to terms” with the approaching death. Even Elizabeth Kübler-Ross, a Swiss-American psychiatrist, a pioneer in near-death studies, talked about acceptance as one of the stages to dying in her book “On death and dying.” However, people do not necessarily accept that they are dying. They can understand that they are dying, but acceptance comes in many different forms. Many people know when they are close to dying, the weeks leading up to it can be strong indicators of the end nearing. Acceptance hints at it being OK that life is leaving your body, and this can be a hard thing to acknowledge. A person can understand it is happening, but very few people would reach a place where it would be OK to die.

Fig.11 | Museo degli innocenti | An example of what hospitals used to be. Light, open courtyards. | source : Inexhibit

“Coming to peace,” however, is a whole other argument. Some people find the peace they are looking for, and some do not. People’s belief system about life, death, hereafter, heaven and hell, and their unfinished business all affect that arrival of peace. It can also be argued that people’s detachment, nearing death, is a sign of letting go of physical connections and forcefully reaching a peaceful state.

A recent study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, which gathered data from terminal patients, family members, and health care providers, aimed at clarifying what a good death would look like. The study identified 11 core themes associated with dying well, culled from 36 studies:4 Having control over the specific dying process • Pain-free status • Engagement with religion or spirituality • Experiencing emotional well-being • Having a sense of life completion or legacy • Having a choice in treatment preferences • Experiencing dignity in the dying process • Having family present and saying goodbye • Quality of life during the dying process • A good relationship with health care providers • A miscellaneous “other” category (cultural specifics, having pets nearby, health care costs, etc.)

Fig.12 | Museo degli innocenti | The current state of hospital architecture. Fortified, alien | source : Inexhibit

Much dying in a certain way is dependant on the place where you die.

According to research published by BMC Medicine, Dying at home could be beneficial for terminally ill cancer patients and their relatives.

4 - https://qz.com/727042/the-11-qualities-of-a-good-death-according-to-research/

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According to questionnaires completed by their relatives, the study shows that those who die at home experience more peace and a similar amount of pain than those who die in hospital, and their relatives also experience less grief. However, this requires discussion of preferences, access to a comprehensive home care package, and facilitation of family caregiving.

Previous studies have shown that most people would prefer to die at home, 5 yet less than 50 % of them would get the opportunity to. In the UK, US and Canada, more people get a chance to die at home, whereas in other countries like Portugal, Japan, and Germany, deaths are more institutionalized.

Despite differing trends, the most frequent location of death for cancer patients remains hospital. Evidence regarding whether dying at home is better or worse than in hospital has, however, been inconsistent.

The quality of a space has the power to directly influence a person’s response and perception of the said space.

This makes the architecture catering to dying, which is the last space a person experiences before death, one of the most important spaces in a persons life, because it has the power of dictating how the person feels and if the last moments of their life can be one of completeness and warmth rather than institutionalized cold.

A space that can positively influence the person’s perception towards death and better the experience of dying.

Author Barbara Gomes from the Cicely Saunders Institute at King’s College London, UK, said, “We know that many patients fear being at home believing they place an awful burden on their family. However, we found that grief was actually less intense for relatives of people who died at home.”5 A person’s choices, wishes and wants develop a specific approach to death.

However, more often than not, an institutionalized death can result in preemptive decisions that might go opposite of the wants of the patients causing distress to the patient and their relatives. This is because the most crucial goal of the hospital is to prevent death or at least prolong it.

To sum up, peace is closely related to the concept of a good death. Hence the methods of getting this peace are a matter to be investigated, hence concluding the guidelines of dying well.

The how of dying to the where of dying Alison killing stated that the “How of dying is directly affected by the where of dying,” why is that? As the way people died evolved over time, the kind of diseases people died of changed. The cases of chronic illness far outnumbered that of those diseases that cause a quick death. During this time, it is likely that a person would spend a considerable amount of their time in hospitals or hospices.

Hospital architecture is not human-centric by any means. The long corridors, with stark lighting, only provide a sense of ambiguity and increase a person’s anxiety, rather than alleviating it. Ironically, the current architecture supporting death does not support death and absolutely does not support a peaceful death.

But the choices are few, regardless of people’s wants of dying at home, the need and requirement of physical care is difficult and expensive to recreate at home, and hence people at die in hospitals, against their preferred choice.

The atmosphere created near a person dying should be one that subconsciously induces a sense of calm and peace and then intentionally allows for the person to come to terms with their death so that finding peace can be easy and possible rather than a difficult quest.

5 - https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151009032500.htm

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8.6 | Conversations about death No matter how much focus is granted to those dying, the family and close ones of the dying play a pivotal role in the time period reaching up to death. Regardless of the turmoil that a person facing the end of life experiences, their family, assuming no ill emotion towards one another, would be adversely affected too.

Dealing with the death of a loved one is never easy, and just like facing it, a person goes through the same feelings of helplessness and no control.

For those close to the dying, it is important for them to see their loved one, without pain, dying in peace without complications. A lot of attention is given to the person dying, but little to no attention is really given to those close to them.

A sense of closure comes through forms of rituals and cultures, but beyond that, it’s a search of answers and the hope of passing of time helping them cope better.

When you realize that the time you can spend with a person remains limited, an overwhelming feeling of confusion can encompass the person. In many families, the ones close to the dying often put up facades in an attempt to prevent the dying from feeling more overwhelmed or responsible for inducing such emotions. However, these situations lead to suppressing one’s emotions and not allowing themselves to ever deal with the issue openly. This suppression of feelings is difficult in the long run as well as the short run.

They often feel that the importance of the emotions that the dying is going through far outweigh the importance of their own, but this isn’t largely true.

An essential aspect of dying involves in knowing their family’s wellbeing and emotions. The constant neglect of one’s emotions results in half conversations.

Dying is a process that is often neglected, but the proper way of making it less stigmatized is to talk about it. The opportunity of being able to speak openly to your loved one dying, rather than suppressing it, can provide a greater sense of peace and relief to both parties involved.

The stigma around having to be strong around the dying is harmful. There is nothing tangibly joyous about death. The idea of never experiencing or having the chance to experience things with a person is not something that can induce happy emotions. Yet, people tend to hide their true feelings. Their sense of being lost is overshadowed by the stigma of never feeling lost, having a direction to go ahead, and various other situations created by people today to deviate from having to experience truly.

Quite often, the atmosphere isn’t always appropriate or comforting to talk about deep emotions, and there isn’t a space that would feel safe. The current architecture should attempt to create such spaces of emotions.

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Conversations about death

Conversations:

A study was conducted to understand individuals’ fears, experiences, perceptions, and emotions pertaining to their death and that of their families.

The majority of the responders believe that death and dying aren’t talked about enough. They also agree that they are comfortable talking about death, however, they ironically left the next questions about death empty. This can be inferred as being caused due to the environment that exists during a moment and the emotions that are induced by talking about these experiences. Amplifying the need for spaces that promote open conversations allowing them to emote openly, without fear of judgment.

A set of questions were asked in order to get a better insight and have conversations about death through both a qualitative and a quantitative approach.

The analysis of the study was broken down into six broad Parts, The meaning of death, Fears, Conversations, Experience and perceptions, Emotions, and associations.

The meaning of deathThe responses can be divided into subcategories of the end or just a transition. A lot of these responses can be associated with the individual’s religion and beliefs pertaining to death. A percentage of the answers linked death to the loss of a loved one, and more broadly, loss. The relation to “end” was linked to that of life, pain, suffering, and existence. Whereas the transitions aspect of it is linked to the moving of the soul, a peaceful transition, and a chance to have a new beginning FearsThe responses for this section proved that people are more scared of the process of dying than they are of death itself ( See figure below). The reasons for these were: 1. The fear of pain and suffering leading up to death 2. The impact one’s death would have on their loved ones 3. The uncertainty and unpredictability of what the future holds and a loss of control.

4. Not being happy, and content before death 5. Not being calm and at peace 6. Not being able to cope with the intimidating process of death.

Fig.C | Do you think people talk about death and dying enough | source : Author

Fig.D | Are you comfortable talking about death | source : Author

Experience and perceptions : All the respondents went through the experience of the death of a loved one or experienced a near-death experience, With an almost even response of how it affected their perceptions on death.

In relation to their expectations, a majority of respondents either didn’t know or knew that their loved ones weren’t at peace during death. This can be suggested as being caused due to either the location of their death or the timing of their death.

Contrary to previously made assumptions, when asked about if they would change anything about the death, the majority of the participants said no, explaining that they were either at a better place or that with time, they understood the inevitably of it and learned to accept the reality of the situation.

For those who suggested they would change the experience, all the answers revolved around wanting to reduce the pain, making sure they were at peace, and talking openly and freely before they died.

However, the response to having regrets garnered an equal response.

78.6% of participants believed that last wishes are vital as they allowed the dying to get a tangible sense of peace and that it was their last ever want from the world and hence it should be honored. Majority of the last wishes of the respondees related to being near friends and family, and not being alone. It can be inferred that the importance of being surrounded by family and friends adds to the sense of familiarity that one needs.

Fig.A | Are you afraid of death | source : Author

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Fig.B | Are you afraid of the process of dying | source : Author

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79.3% of the people believe that where one dies hugely affects how one dies. Further explaining that where one dies, hugely affects their response to death. The majority of the answers stated that the best place to die would be at home, in a space of familiarity, with friends and family surrounding them. When asked about where they would want to die, the answers prompted the importance of trees, gardens, and nature in inducing a sense of warmth and calm. A few even suggested not minding anyplace other than a hospital to “escape the claustrophobia” of the rooms.

On an intangible scale, the associations most commonly stated were of peace. Next was the end, followed by family and then love.

Fig.E | Perceptions of death | source : Author

Fig.H | Religions influence on dying | source : Author

Fig.F | Comfort talking about death | source : Author

Emotions-

Fig.G | Importance of wishes | source : Author

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The responses to the question of how they coped with the death were mixed, suggesting that people had their own methodology of dealing with the situation. However, the theme followed was similar.

• One key point was talking, and expressing the emotions to friends and family • Another constant was time • Introspection and emoting were two major factors • For some, spiritual studies guided them • A few are still figuring out how to cope with the loss.

Associations53.6% of the people believed that religion and religious views play a part in how they perceive death. However, neither stated of there being a link between their religious studies guiding them to die in a certain place.

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Fig.I | Importance of how and where of dying | source : Author

Conclusion It can be inferred that people are subconsciously more focused on and fearful of the process of dying than they are of death. However, the conversations prove that very little focus is actually given to dying, with the majority of the current architecture catering to death being either hospitals or post-death architecture such as crematoriums.

The questionnaire attempted to question what people would want when dying, and the results show that a painless death and one where the people are at peace is vastly preferred and desired.

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This peace can then be linked to multiple variables, such as being with family, being in a familiar environment, having a chance to fulfill their last wishes in addition to being able to emote and talk openly to their loved ones.

In relation to the environment they would prefer, the results largely pointed towards nature, amidst green, mountains and water. A hospital death is vastly not preferred.

Another factor often overlooked is that of the family of the loved ones and how their responses are often affected by and affect the dying. Coping with death was difficult to many, and it took people a while to learn to emote and cope with the death. Hence it is essential to facilitate these too.

It can be concluded that mechanisms have to be developed to help deal with the process of dying, which includes managing fears, understanding requirements to come to terms with their death, and emoting.

A study was done by NCBI regarding the quality of dying and death. Some of the high priority end of life characteristics are: • • • • • • • •

Time with family and friends Pain under control Breathing comfort Maintained dignity and Self respect At peace with dying Physical expressions of affection Untroubled by the strain on loved ones Use or avoidance of life support.

Some of the medium priority characteristics are: • • • • • • • • •

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Goodbyes said Control of bladder and bowels Unafraid of dying Ability to laugh and smile Healthcare costs covered Control over what was going on Means to hasten death Spiritual advisors visit Funeral Arrangement

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8.7 | Approaching Death Every death is unique, hence the experiences while approaching death too are varied. Over many years, people’s behaviors, wants, and experiences have been observed and studied. These are explained further.

Deathbed Phenomenon: Deathbed phenomena refer to the experiences that are reported by people who are dying. Both non-fiction and fictional literature suggest that these occurrences have been noted by cultures worldwide for centuries, although the scientific study of them is relatively recent. In scientific literature, such experiences have been referred to as deathrelated sensory experiences (DRSE).6 Dying patients have reported to the staff working in hospices that they have experienced comforting visions.

Deathbed visions have been described since ancient times. However, the first systematic study was not conducted until the 20th century. They have also been referred to as veridical hallucinations, visions of the dying, and predeath visions.

A study conducted between 1959 and 1973 by the parapsychologists Karlis Osis and Erlendur Haraldsson reported that 50% of the tens of thousands of individuals they studied in the United States and India had experienced deathbed visions. Osis and Haraldsson and other parapsychologists such as Raymond Moody have interpreted the reports as evidence for an afterlife.6 Later, neurologist Terence Hines disputed these claims arguing that the data was secondhand and the percent of people who responded in the first place was less. However, for this study, the argument for an afterlife is not important.

Rather, the visions and experiences of these individuals are of importance, giving an insight into what they experience and look at in the final stages of their lives.

Research within the Hospice & Palliative Care fields has studied the impact of deathbed phenomena (DBP) on the dying, their families, and palliative staff. In 2009, a questionnaire was distributed to 111 staff in an Irish hospice program asking if they had encountered staff or patients who had experienced DBP.7 The majority of respondents had been informed of a deathbed vision by a patient or the patient’s family. They reported that the content of these visions often seemed to be comforting to the patient and their family. Another study found that DBPs are commonly associated with peaceful death and are generally under-reported by patients and families due to fear of embarrassment and disbelief from medical staff. In response to this qualitative data, there is a growing movement within the palliative care field that emphasizes “compassionate understanding and respect from those who provide end of life care” regarding DBPs.

or waking. For instance, sleep paralysis, or the experience feeling paralyzed while still aware of the outside world, is reported in up to 40 percent of all people and is linked with vivid dreamlike hallucinations that can result in the sensation of floating above one’s body. A 2005 study found that out-of-body experiences can be artificially triggered by stimulating the right temporoparietal junction in the brain, suggesting that confusion regarding sensory information can radically alter how one experiences one’s body.8 Research now shows that several medicinal and recreational drugs can mirror the euphoria often felt in near-death experiences, such as the anesthetic ketamine, which can trigger out-of-body experiences and hallucinations.

Ketamine affects the brain’s opioid system, which can naturally become active even without drugs when animals are under attack, suggesting trauma might set off this aspect of near-death experiences.

Altogether, scientific evidence suggests that all features of the near-death experience have some basis in normal brain function gone awry. Moreover, the very knowledge of the lore regarding near-death episodes might play a crucial role in experiencing them—a self-fulfilling prophecy. Such findings “provide scientific evidence for something that has always been in the realm of paranormality,” Mobbs says. “I personally believe that understanding the process of dying can help us come to terms with this inevitable part of life.”

These findings beg the question of if these experiences can be induced artificially, forcing a peaceful experience, or at least assisting them. The possibility of a placebo, of seeing things, for instance, can be artificially enforced psychologically so that the person experiences these things and gets a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. An example of this would be the seeing of a tunnel of light. Using the existing data and experiences, these elements and characteristics can be created in spaces to subconsciously occupy a user’s mind.

Near-death experiences A near-death experience (NDE) is a profound personal experience associated with death or impending death, which researchers claim share similar characteristics. When positive, such experiences may encompass a variety of sensations, including detachment from the body, feelings of levitation, total serenity, security, warmth, the experience of absolute dissolution, and the presence of a light. When negative, such experiences may include sensations of anguish and distress.

In 1975, psychiatrist Raymond Moody described 150 patients who reached the threshold of irreversible death, yet recovered, usually after medical resuscitation, and believed while they were clinically dead, they had visited a heavenly place and returned with a redemptive message. Dr. Moody called this syndrome a “near-death experience.”9

Over time scientific and biological reasonings have been formulated to explain these phenomena. Out-of-body experiences are also now known to be common during interrupted sleep patterns that immediately precede sleeping 6 - https://www.creativespirits.net/deathbed-phenomena/ 7 -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deathbed_phenomena

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8 - https://www.nderf.org/NDERF/Articles/NDEvsBible.pdf 9 - https://drpelletier.com/the-near-death-experience-diagnosis-and-treatment-of-a-common-medical-syndrome/

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Characteristics of Near-death experiences.

Common elements: Researchers have identified the common elements that define near-death experiences. Bruce Greyson argues that the general features of the experience include impressions of being outside one’s physical body, visions of deceased relatives and religious figures, and transcendence of spatiotemporal boundaries. Many familiar elements have been reported. However, their interpretations depend from person to person.

Hence these common characteristics could be reproduced just enough to allow the dying to interpret it in their own way. Some of these common elements are: 10 • A sense/awareness of being dead.

• A sense of peace, well-being, and painlessness.

• Positive emotions and a sense of removal from the world.

• Consciousness or spirit ascending above the person’s body and remotely viewing the attempts at resuscitation from the ceiling (autoscopy).

• A “tunnel experience” or entering a darkness. A sense of moving up, or through, a passageway or staircase.

• A rapid movement toward and/or sudden immersion in a powerful light (or “Being of Light”) that communicates telepathically with the person.

• They were being met by “people of the light,” who are usually deceased friends and family, in a joyous reunion.

• A bright light at the end of the tunnel which is pulling them close • An intense feeling of unconditional love and acceptance.

• Receiving a life review, commonly referred to as “seeing one’s life flash before one’s eyes.” In the presence of the deity, the person undergoes an instantaneous life review and understands how all the good and bad they have done has affected them and others.

• The person returns to their earthly body and life because either they are told it is not their time to die, or they are given a choice, and they return for the benefit of their family and loved ones.

• Separation from their physical body.

• Feeling of calm and peace.

• Being in a garden • Interacting with dead friends and relatives.

Kenneth Ring, Ph.D., a research psychologist and professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Connecticut, subdivided the NDE on a fivestage continuum. The subdivisions were: • Peace • Body Separation • Entering the Darkness • Seeing the Light • Entering the Light • Return

Fig.13 | ascent of the blessed - Hieronymus Bosch | source : Pictorem

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10 - https://www.creativespirits.net/near-death-experience/

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Peoples real near death experiences

Different models and studies have been developed in relation to explaining NDEs. Some of them are:

“I felt as though I was above my body It was like I had 360-degree peripheral vision of the whole area around. But not just in the room where my body was in, but beyond the room.” According to Anita Moorjani in she was reunited with her father in this state. “He said that I’ve gone as far as I can, and if I go any further, I won’t be able to turn back, But I felt I didn’t want to turn back, because it was so beautiful. It was just incredible, because, for the first time, all the pain had gone. All the discomfort had gone. All the fear was gone. I just felt so incredible. And I felt as though I was enveloped in this feeling of just love. Unconditional love. Incredible clarity where everything started to make sense.” - Anita Moorjani

The first study is the psychological explanation. In this, there are three models. The first being the Depersonalization model-

“She was on ventilator for 8 days and was unconscious for around two months. After this she made gradual recovery over 1 year. During this period of unconsciousness she described that she was in a brilliant light in which she floated. She then went to ‘heaven’ where there were a pantheon of Gods with ‘hierarchy’. There was the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva but even they were in hierarchy ‘junior’ to ‘Om’ an apparition of light. She could recall what had been earlier discussed between doctors about technical matters regarding ventilator, endotracheal tube and tracheostomy. Though she was reluctant she was then ‘sent back ‘ by ‘Om’. ” “ A 22 year old hindu male was unconsciousness for about 36 hours and had sepsis for about 3 weeks. During the unconscious period he described travelling in a tunnel of white light which he was rushing through. He felt a sense of absolute peace and calm during the arrest. He also had an out of body experience (OBE) when he observed with detachment from outside, the rush of medics to resuscitate him. After few months, he could not recall the details other than the light.” “ A 4 -year -old male, was unconscious for over one week. After extubation he started describing his experience of being in silvery white clouds with ‘time dilatation’ or expansion i.e. he felt he was there for months although his altered sensorium was for about a week. Subsequently he forgot most of the experience.

The depersonalization model was proposed by professor of psychiatry Russell Noyes and clinical psychologist Roy Kletti in the 1970s. It suggested that the NDE is a form of depersonalization experienced under emotional conditions such as life-threatening danger, potentially inescapable danger and that the NDE can best be understood as a hallucination11. According to this model, those who face their impending death become detached from the surroundings and their own bodies, no longer feel emotions, and experience time distortions. This model suffers from several limitations to explain NDEs for subjects who do not experience a sensation of being out of their bodies; unlike NDEs, experiences are dreamlike, unpleasant, and characterized by “anxiety, panic, and emptiness.”

The Expectancy modelAnother theory is the expectancy model. It has been suggested that although these experiences could appear very real, they had actually been constructed in the mind, either consciously or subconsciously, in response to the stress of an encounter with death (or perceived encounter with death), and did not correspond to a real event. In a way, they are similar to wish-fulfillment: because someone thought they were about to die, they experienced certain things in accordance with what they expected or wanted to occur. Imagining a heavenly place was in effect, a way for them to soothe themselves through the stress of knowing that they were close to death. Subjects use their own personal and cultural expectations to imagine a scenario that would protect them against an imminent threat to their lives.

Subjects’ accounts often differed from their own “religious and personal expectations regarding death,” which contradicts the hypothesis they may have imagined a scenario based on their cultural and personal background.

Although the term NDE was first coined in 1975 and the experience first described then, recent descriptions of NDEs do not differ from those reported earlier than 1975. The only exception is the more frequent description of a tunnel. Hence, the fact that information about these experiences could be more easily obtained after 1975 did not influence people’s reports of the experiences.

Another flaw of this model can be found in children’s accounts of NDEs. These are similar to adults’, despite children being less strongly affected by religious and cultural influences about death.

11 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnel_of_light

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Dissociation model:

Using NDEs

According to the dissociation hypothesis, NDE is a type of withdrawal used to buffer a person from a distressing occurrence. Some people may detach from undesired feelings in extreme circumstances in order to avoid the emotional impact and pain that comes with them. Detachment from one’s immediate surroundings is also a feature of this state.

As suggested above, NDEs can be a strong solution to Death anxiety and the fears leading up to death. These experiences play a key part in gaining peace before dying, and regardless of what these experiences entail, they seem to provide the mind with a sense of satisfaction and completion. While these experiences can be overwhelming at times, they provide an opportunity to finding a pathway to peace.

The next study is the physiological study: A wide range of physiological theories of the NDE has been put forward.

The first model in this theory is the Neuroanatomical model: This model is further broken into Type 1 NDE and Type 2 NDEs. The next models are the neurochemical model: Some theories explain reported NDE experiences as resulting from drugs used during resuscitation (in the case of resuscitation-induced NDEs) for example, ketamine or from endogenous chemicals that transmit signals between brain cells, neurotransmitters.

In the early eighties, Daniel Carr wrote that the NDE has characteristics that are suggestive of a limbic lobe syndrome and that the NDE can be explained by the release of endorphins and enkephalins in the brain. Endorphins are endogenous molecules “released in times of stress and lead to a reduction in pain perception and a pleasant, even blissful, emotional state.”

Low oxygen levels (and G-LOC) model: Low oxygen levels in the blood (hypoxia or anoxia) have been hypothesized to induce hallucinations and hence possibly explain NDEs. His is because low oxygen levels characterize life-threatening situations and also by the apparent similarities between NDEs and G-force induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC) episodes.12 Another interesting study went into the study of NDEs in children. This is because research suggests that children experience NDEs at the same frequency as adults. And while arguments are made that a lot of near-death experiences are caused due to external influences and different biases such as religious and cultural, the NDEs experienced by children are very similar in characteristics, and since children are less influenced and impressioned by different biases, the arguments would need more rethinking.

Effects of NDEs NDEs tend to induce peace that is beyond understanding. NDEs are experiences that are more intensely remembered than normal memories. They usually provide comforting feelings and hence peace.

The common characteristics studied in DeathBed phenomena and NDEs show that there is a pattern to be followed. Patterns lead to there being a possibility to follow, replicate and mend these characteristics to recreate these experiences in a controlled manner to then produce new paths to peace.

The recreation and control over these experiences have been attempted before by various neuroscientists and psychologists.

However, one designer, called Frank Kolkman, decided to use modern technology in an attempt to understand and recreate these experiences. The goal of the device was to tackle “Death anxiety” among terminally ill patients.

The device simulates a near-death experience using virtual reality.

-Explanation of Frank Kolkmans death simulation machine

During the exhibition, visitors were invited to try out the experimental device.

The out-of-body experience that was simulated could provide therapy for dying people by gently acclimatizing them to the sensation of death. Unlike other attempts at VR, this device uses real-life video footage instead of computersimulated spaces. This adds to the experience of the device.

The working of the device was explained in an article, which has been extracted below: Users stand directly in front of a robotic head, which is fitted with a 3D camera in each eye. The head is mounted on a vertical trolley track, allowing it to move forwards and backward.

The cameras transmit a live video stream to the user, who watches through a VR headset as the camera glides away from their body.

The robot mimics head movements in real-time, allowing the user to look around and observe their environment. It also has “ears” – two microphones positioned at opposite sides of its face that intensify the feeling of displacement.

“Our brains utilize subtle differences in timing and timbre to identify the origin of a detected sound in direction and distance, and where you are in relation to it,” Kolkman explains.

“The same goes for the video feed – by removing the ears from the body and placing them in a different location, your sense of location and presence can be hacked.”

The third element is an automatic hammer that taps the chest each second to mimic a heartbeat, which helps to make the experience feel more physical.

Kolkman also added a mirror to the end of the track so that users are shocked by their “reflection” when the robot peers into it.

12 - https://slife.org/near-death-experience/

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Kolkman reiterates that there is too much focus on keeping ill patients alive rather than on improving the quality of time they have left.

A person’s behavior starts changing as he approaches death. This change is hardly ever instant but rather gradual, different aspects of their behavior begin to change in the process of deterioration and detachment.

Terminal restlessness is a syndrome that causes changes in behavior. Those experiencing this syndrome show signs of physical and emotional restlessness as well as anxiety, agitation, and cognitive decline in the days leading to death.

The behaviors that manifest when someone has terminal restlessness can include outbursts, agitation, confusion, and lack of attention. It is believed that the behaviors stem from discomfort and physiological changes in the body rather than genuine anger or hostility. Terminal restlessness can be characterized by the sudden appearance of incongruent behaviors rather than the anger, depression, or other emotions commonly experienced during the stages of dying. The person experiencing this may seem uncomfortable, constantly pulling at clothes, bedsheets, and intravenous (IV) lines, whereas some may seem indecisive, looking for items or asking for something and then turning away from it, and others may seem meanspirited, accusing people of wrongdoing that may or may not make sense.

There are different causes for terminal illness. Some of these are:13 • Medications - Medications used for comfort at the end of life often lead to delirium and other side effects • Cancer treatments - The treatments are often difficult on the body and can cause restlessness.

• Poorly managed pain - Often, dying patients can’t describe their pain. And even with pain treatment, there is a delicate balance that needs to be struck.

An imbalance can cause illness.

• Medical problems: - Dehydration, anemia, infections, and fevers are all effects of terminal medical illnesses and weaken the body, contribute to restlessness.

• Lack of voluntary activity - As the sensations and muscle movements that control different bodily functions are impaired pain and discomfort is caused.

• An emotional response to dying - Often, people who are dying of terminal illness are aware of it. As death nears, fear, anxiety, and emotional turmoil can manifest in a number of ways, including restlessness.

Coping with Terminal restlessness Often, it wouldn’t be only the dying who is affected by it, but their family too.

The change in behavior can be hard to comprehend and understand. But It is important to keep in mind that the manifestation of terminal restlessness, whether it is hostile words or actions, or calm reflection of memories, is not necessarily consistent with a dying person’s personality or how they feel about someone.

Beyond the emotions that can come in response to what is said or done, as well as the fact that death is imminent, watching terminal restlessness may make one feel guilty about how they are handling their loved one’s dying process.

Death approaches in peculiar manners. Often in chronic illnesses, the approach is slow and painful. This gradual approach can often be confusing. However, there are some signs and symptoms that can be observed and understood.

Some of these are: Withdrawal from the External World As death approaches, the person starts detaching from the physical world, and they lose interest in things they used to find pleasurable. They sleep more and have less of an inclination to do things. Days before death, the person becomes less responsive to different sensory stimulations, and their reflexes would start going down.

Visions or hallucinations These hallucinations are often part of the dying experience. They may see different things like their deceased family members.

Loss of appetite Often a loss in appetite is noticed. The ability to swallow starts to reduce, and they move towards softer food that is easy to eat. In the very last stages of life, however, they may not want any food or drink. A dying person may want to suck on ice chips or take a small amount of liquid just to wet and freshen the mouth, which can become very dry.

Terminal restlessness is often confused with other syndromes that occur while approaching death, such as near-death awareness and the stages of dying.

Psychologists typically describe the stages of dying as denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance (DABDA), during which a person may experience outbursts, irrational and contradictory behaviors.

Change in Bowel and Bladder Functions -

The stages of dying can be differentiated from terminal restlessness in that the behaviors occur once a terminal diagnosis is received. With terminal restlessness, they occur in tandem with the end-of-life decline. With that being said, terminal restlessness and DABDA can occur at the same time.

Confusion, Restlessness, and Agitation-

These are common symptoms and are often caused by a lack of control over different muscles. As death approaches, muscles start relaxing, and hence the control over them reduces.

As explained earlier, terminal restlessness is a common symptom as the end of life approaches.

13 - https://www.verywellhealth.com/terminal-restlessness-1132271#citation-1

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As one approaches death, a big part of the peace of mind is the idea of last wishes and end-of-life planning. These aspects are often hushed and pushed under the rug. This is because of the fact that these discussions make a very intangible concept very real. The concept of last wishes is a scary topic, but there is a greater sense of peace knowing these last wishes so that if they cant be completed by the person themselves, they can be completed by someone close to them.

Regardless, even if individuals would want to discuss these wishes, the environment is often not conducive for such conversations, and hence progress on these talks hit a standpoint.

Advance planning is required in respect of last wishes because they often vary and are influenced by different aspects. These wishes are often non-medical in nature and reflect their connection with family and friends. Or they can be culturally or spiritually influenced, and fulfilling them is an essential part of holistic care of the patient.

A wifes last wish to have a last dance with her A womans last wish to see and feel the sand husband one last time before dying the next day one last time.

Culture and spirituality play an important part in the understanding of last wishes.

Death is often considered a transition from the known to the unknown, and it is more often than not perceived differently in different cultures. But this can be confusing, and culturally driven last wishes often prove as a path for ease of mind.

Dealing with last wishes, however, is a complicated affair. This is because, more often than not, these wishes might not be medically inclined and can result in the need for tough decision-making. They can be practical or impractical, or they may even be illegal and defy logic. Other wishes might be simple but cause ethical dilemmas as they may harm the person, such as consuming alcohol or soft drinks. In such situations, relatives often become decision-makers.

In relation to this study, however, it is to be understood that most of the last wishes cannot be satisfied architecturally or that their scope would often exceed that of the capabilities of design and site. Hence for this study, only those wishes that can be fulfilled by the design or space would be considered for fulfillment.

A Grandfathers last wish to have his favourite beer one last time

A grandmothers last wish to see the ocean one last time

Keeping this in mind, it is important to recognize the Pros and Cons of last wishes, but also understand that from the standpoint of the one dying, the pros would far outweigh the cons.

Many patients wish to die at home, and a survey conducted revealed that 85% of women and 79% of men chose home for their demise. However, in many cases, relatives do not want deaths at home, mainly because they are not confident of handling the patient in the last minutes. This last wish of patients, therefore, clashes with the wishes of their relatives; healthcare professionals must decide what is to be done in this situation. 13 So, in this case, what familiar environment can be created that can help both parties?

A last wish to see her cat for one last time and say goodbye 14 - https://ehospice.com/international_posts/last-wishes-and-ethical-dilemmas-at-the-end-of-life/

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A mans last wish to see his dog Bubba one last time before death

Fig.14 | Real last wishes of people | source : Bored Panda

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Requests for alcohol or tobacco raise a larger ethical debate. By and large, healthcare professionals and caregivers are averse to satisfy such last wishes since these are harmful substances. However, the team needs to carefully assess the harm they can cause to a dying patient. This is not to say that every such wish should be catered for, but that every center should have a laid down policy for handling such requests. Every center managing end-of-life situations must be geared to handle last wishes.

There is no way that a standard operating procedure (SOP) can be laid down for following last wishes.

However, it is possible to establish an SOP for recording, assessing, and building consensus on last wishes.

Some last wishes are going to remain unfulfilled and can be disheartening; however, the practicalities need to then be explained. Yet there are many wishes, which can be fulfilled and should be.

Fig.15 a | “Before I die” Wall | A wall where people write what they want to do before dying | source : drexel university

Fulfilling the last wishes becomes all the more important when death takes place in a place, not of the patient’s choice. Dying in an unknown or unfamiliar environment can be dehumanizing, but when patients’ last wishes are fulfilled, there is significant personalization of death. For patients, this adds dignity to death, while for families, it created positive memories of end-of-life care for their loved ones.

Doctors and nurses in a Canadian intensive care unit found that asking dying patients – or their families – to make three simple wishes and then fulfilling those wishes helped bring peace to the end-of-life process and eased grief.15 At St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton in Ontario, clinicians asked how to honor patients by eliciting at least three wishes from them or their families. Then, they worked to implement those wishes - such as allowing a pet to visit, facilitating a Skype reunion, hosting a wedding vow renewal, providing Scottish bagpipe music at death, or deferring life support withdrawal until after a holiday.16 The positive effects of this initiative were incredible, as described by some of the families of the patients. Dr. Anne Woods, a co-author, and palliative care physician, says that the project’s strength was in making the dying visible. She says: “It let them be seen as people, not as patients. The family knew they were seen, and the patients who were alert knew they were seen as people and that they mattered.”

“It’s giving a face to a faceless process,” Cullinan, who was not involved in the study, says. “The patient is being told indirectly that we care about you, we care about your loved one, and we want to help you with the grieving process.”15

Fig.15 b | “Before I die” Wall | A wall where people write what they want to do before dying | source : drexel university

The study of these projects and understanding the different approaches to last wishes highlights a trajectory to follow and helps in formulating guidelines for the functioning of the design.

15 - https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/living/2015/07/22/having-last-wishes-fulfilled-before-passing-on-brings-peace-easesgrief/ 16 - https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-terminalcare-idUSKCN0PQ1VT20150716

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8.8 | Conclusion The overall chapter explored what death is and what it means to die. The different perceptions of death reinforced the importance of religion in the approach of dying. This is due to the tangible ways in which it explains death and the unknown (Reincarnation and afterlife). It helped in allowing people to get a hold on their “fear.” Death, however, is universal. It is common for every individual. Hence, the attempt to find the commonalities in death leads to a common outcome of every individual wanting some sort of “peace.” This peace can come from last wishes, control over their life and hence death, or even just expressing themselves.

The study into death around the world helped in gaining a holistic view of this approach to dying. Hence, it is understood that the first categorization of users would largely be those who had Non-communicable diseases. With only a few Communicable ones being catered to. The quality of death index highlighted the current state of the approach to dying in various countries and explained how India lacked far behind in the quality of death. This can be largely attributed to three things. Firstly, the lack of education results in the lack of understanding of the possibilities of a good death. Secondly, the index does not consider the importance of religion in a perceived good death. Furthermore, lastly, it does not consider the role of people wanting to die at home. However, The index comprehensively explains that there is a lack of infrastructure in the country, and the increasing demand for healthcare and a lack of domesticated death means that the quality of dying will continue to grow in importance.

Adding to the studies, understanding the importance of dying a certain way helped understand the importance of the perception of space. The need for a better environment to die and spend the last days it was found. The study solidified the belief that a more human-centric design is a need rather than a machine-centric design and that the functions should not be centered around diseases and dying.

However, ironically, the space for the dying should be centered around living. This is reinforced by the fact that this would be their last experience and last “perceptions” of space, and hence they should add warmth.

People’s approach to death and dying helped understand the person’s needs. The findings highlighted the need for family, familiarity, and control. It can also be concluded that Coping with their and their families’ death was an integral part of dying well. Different methodologies of coping hence need to be developed, which is explored in further chapters.

The explorations into NDEs and DRSEs helped understand the psyche of patients right before death. The different approaches raise the possibility of tapping into the positive aspects of these experiences and incorporate them into the process of dying architecturally. The recent experiments prove the possibility of such a program. Additionally, the behavior of individuals during death calls attention to the need for new approaches to induce calmness without actively doing so, such as color schemes, environments, and even the perception of the space.

Lastly, last wishes play a hugely important role in the process as a whole. However, it has to be acknowledged that architecture can only cater to certain of these requirements. Nevertheless, the simplicity of some of these wishes must be considered in the holistic experiences. The importance of creating and holding on to memories, too, is understood.

It can be concluded that peace is a common aspect of most people dying, and different methods would need to be developed to improve the approach to dying. Before developing and integrating these processes into architecture, it becomes integral to understand what peace is in the context of dying and what different approaches can be taken to gain this.

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9.0 | PEACE 9.1 | About Peace The word peace has been discussed extensively in the previous chapters, and certain consensus were reached, too, acknowledging the importance of peace in the approach to dying. However, peace was often used in different contexts, such as peace of mind or being peaceful. So what exactly is peace? Specifically, in this context?

A situation or period of time in which there is no war or violence

Source: Oxford languages.

This definition, however reiterates the fact that peace by logic is a negative concept. It speaks of the absence of something rather than the presence of things. This then led to the creation and understanding of 2 types of peace. They are Negative peace and positive peace.

Negative peace is defined by the absence of war and violence. It does not capture the societal tendencies towards stability and harmony. Negative peace promotes ending the conflict, but in doing so, it is offsetting the damage rather than adding value to the said event or state.

Positive peace, however, is a more “lasting peace that is built on sustainable investments in economic development and institutions as well as societal attitudes that foster peace.” It can be used to gauge the resilience of a society or its ability to absorb shocks without falling or relapsing into conflict. Positive peace as a concept opposes the structure and cultures of violence.

A state of tranquility or quiet

Source: merriam-webster

As noticeable, the above definitions and explanations seem to be about societies at large rather than individuals. Hence while keeping the definitions in mind, it is first essential to understand and establish the context under which “peace” is being referenced. In this context, it is being referred to on an individual level, with the goal being to gain psychological peace.

So peace in this scenario would be to not fight against death but rather to come to peace with one’s reality. The acceptance of reality would hence be the beginning of peace.

Just like death, different cultures explore their concepts of peace.

Sanskrit, an ancient language in India, explored the concept of “Shanti.” Which is to maintain a tranquil mindset even in suffering or conflict.

In Japanese, it equates to “Heiwa,” which means aligning oneself to the common good/social order. The Hebrew word for peace, “shalom,” means “whole” and points to this twofold meaning: peace within oneself and peace between people.

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Peace of mind is supposed to be the natural state of a person. When peace of mind ceases to exist, a sense of discomfort and uncertainty arises. Peace of mind, however, differs for every individual. It could mean inner introspection for some, whereas others might get peace of mind from external activities. Meditation is often confused with something that has to be done in a room, with legs crossed and eyes closed. However, meditation for someone can simply be doing things one loves and feels a sense of calm while or after doing it and brings about positivity.

Having peace of mind is a concept of growing importance. This is because it reduces stress, promotes optimism, and reduces fear and anxieties.

What gets people peace?

There are broad options for finding peace. The first is for oneself. Here, different methodologies can be used to gain inner peace. The other is by being the source of peace to someone. For instance, a child to a mother or a wife to a husband. Being around someone calming instantly becomes a source of peace. This can be related to people’s wants to be next to family while approaching death. It has a lot to do with the fact that family, becomes the source of trust, and in an intimate moment like death, this trust and relation exudes peace. Hence through this, it can be concluded that peace is hardly ever unidirectional. Rather, it is impressionable, from one individual to another.

Fig.16 | Negative and positive peace | source : Institute for economics and peace

Sadhguru explains peace as meaning nothingness. He states that it is not something that one creates or something that happens but instead as something that always is. He describes it as the fundamental existence. This explanation is accentuated by the metaphor of comparing peace to the ocean, where he states that the ocean’s surface is turbulent, but deep down, it is perfectly peaceful. Sadhguru further explains that if energies in ones surrounding affect them, they are not at peace. If there is anger around, it will anger the person too. He states that the basic aspect of being human means that everything in an individual should happen by choice and that nothing should happen by compulsion.

In addition to this, the study aims at understanding “psychological peace,” something that is far less defined.

However, it can be related to peaceful thinking and emotions.

Psychological or inner peace refers to a state of being internally or spiritually at peace, with sufficient knowledge and understanding to keep oneself calm in the face of apparent discord or stress. Being internally “at peace” is considered by many to be a healthy mental state or homeostasis and to be the opposite of feeling stressful, mentally anxious, or emotionally unstable. Within the meditative traditions, the psychological or inward achievement of “peace of mind” is often associated with bliss and happiness.

Peace of mind, serenity, and calmness are descriptions of a disposition free from the effects of stress. In some meditative traditions, inner peace is believed to be a state of consciousness or enlightenment that may be cultivated by various types of meditation, prayer, yoga or other various types of mental or physical disciplines.

What is the meaning of peace of mind?

The dictionary definition of peace of mind is a feeling of being safe and protected. However, it also means to be without worry, anxiety, and stress. Therefore, the very phrase, ‘peace of mind,’ involves a range of emotions.17

Why do people need peace?

Before moving on to understanding what methods can be used to gain peace, it is essential to understand why is it that people need peace? It has been established that peace is a universal concept, various cultures define it in their way, but usually, they revolve around similar concepts. When death is approaching, these cultures play an important role in it, and hence it would only make sense that the same cultures help in defining peace too.

As death nears, a person, more often than not, is filled with a multitude of emotions; they have no real control over their outcome and usually lose their direction forward. While a person navigates their way through these range of emotions, the mind is in disarray, filled with confusion, because of questions like why them? The person goes through their life trying to find a hint or clue to understand why their normal life would come to an end which seems abrupt.

In dealing with these questions, they assume solutions and paths that they think might give them an answer.

This answer is nothing but a means to gain clarity. It is a path to acceptance. When a chronic terminal illness is diagnosed, it seems like a death sentence, and hence everything the person naturally tends towards doing is to reject it, fight it, and end the conflict and war in their body. However, when death is imminent, this approach is equal to that of negative peace. Although the goal is understandably peace, to end this conflict and continue to live on, that approach would lead to nothing but more confusion, anxiousness, fear, and anger.

The right approach would be to come to terms with this reality, but this is easier said than done. Accepting death is not something that is voluntarily the first response of a human being, it is always to fight, but how this acceptance is reached is the pathway to peace, and peace in this scenario, would be not to resist the inevitable, but allowing it to shape what one does with the remainder of their days

17 - https://iskcondwarka.org/blogs/peace-of-mind/

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9.2 | Aspects of peace The intangible aspect of peace Just like death, peace as a concept is intangible in nature. A person can understand it exists, and people crave it, yet, it isn’t something that one can hold in their hands or even see. The intangibility of peace makes it increasingly difficult to attain it. For instance, if you want an object, you can get it. The object is something you can see, something you can touch.

Simply put, it is something you can experience using at least one of your five senses. But peace, or any other emotion for that matter, more often than not cannot be experienced by the five senses. However, the human body tends to make sense of this intangibility of emotion by making it tangible. Sad, Happy, Angry are all emotions, and they individually cannot be seen, its effects are internal, however using external outputs, we make sense of these intangible emotions. We cry when we are sad, the tears in our eyes make the sadness tangible. We laugh or smile when something makes us happy. This is a tangible response to the said emotions. At the same time, these intangible emotions aren’t born out of nothing, just like the external output for them, very often, external, tangible input is needed too. When you look at sadness as an emotion, an external input of words or actions results in “sadness” being born. This means that something tangible is needed first to feel the intangible and then to express the intangible, to make it felt.

In the case of peace, however, this is a little different. The concept of peace, albeit intangible revolves around the idea of being void of external stimulation, stating that, if there is anger around you, that anger should not be stimulated further within you. Peace is supposed to be a response against external stimulation, and it contradicts the above principle of the interlink between the intangible and tangible. This is why the entire concept of peace is difficult to grasp. There isn’t a singular response for gaining peace or any tangible way of necessarily expressing peace. This, however is a gray area. If there is no external way of attaining peace, how do you get it? While other emotions tend to have tangible inputs that are supposed to make one feel something, it is believed that peace tends to make you feel nothingness or neutral. But it can be argued that peace is, in fact, borne out of more than just one possibility. It can be borne out of acceptance or contentedness of one’s reality.

That is, to be at peace with one’s own death doesn’t mean that you have to be okay with it or happy with it. It means that you understand that it has to happen, and you have no control over it. It is to understand that it is okay to be void of any control, and only what one can control should affect them. To be at peace with one’s own death essentially means to accept their reality.

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Peace is often born out of other intangible emotions rather than tangible inputs. For example, being around family at the time of death makes the person feel happy and calm and, in return, gain peace from it. Or when there is a negative emotion or guilt, talking about this said guilt to the person would allow the person to let go of the sorrow and hence feel peaceful.

In addition to this, it would be wrong to assume that there is no tangible input to gain peace. Peace, as said earlier, would be born out of intangible emotions.

However, those emotions can be born out of tangible forms of expression.

For instance, breaking plates can be a form of releasing anger and frustration, making one feel content and hence being peaceful.

Peace cannot be physically expressed. It is felt. Unlike its input, where direct external input is rejected, peace tends to have an output, where the void of any action exudes more silence and calm, and hence peace. The human quality of talking becomes a tangible expression of peace, a person can say when he is at peace, but an animal, for instance, wouldn’t be able to easily express when he’s in a peaceful state. It is up to be judged. Hence the subjective nature of peace would prevent the absolute quantification of it. What gives someone peace might be the very source of someone else’s woes.

Just like other emotions, peace can not be forever. Even if it is void of external stimulus, the temporariness of peace makes it essential to understand its importance. If it can be said that calmness gets one peace, it can also be said that peace allows someone to be calm. It occupies the center of emotions and triggers. It can be triggered by other emotions in an individual, and the idea would be to understand which emotions to be triggered by.

The tangible aspect of peace The arguments and understanding about the intangible nature of peace bring about interesting questions about the tangible side of it. What is the tangible aspect of peace? It has been established that peace can not be borne out of any singular method, and that there is a multitude of possibilities of achieving a peaceful state. In Hinduism, there are specific chants that bring about peace if spoken at the time of death. But it can be argued that maybe, it isn’t only the chants that get you the peace, but rather, the idea of knowing that this chant

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would get one peace makes the person feel content. This content comes out of the belief that this is the ideal way of dying, that there would be no better way to end life, and that God himself has said this.

This is not to say that the chants aren’t contributing to the peace, but rather that the rituals formed by religions, just like they do with death, make the intangible aspect of peace tangible. It is the belief that the chant will bring you peace that brings you peace.

The subjective nature of peace makes it difficult to conclude what tangible medium one could use to gain peace. For a certain individual, meditation would be the path to peace, whereas, for another, chaos would be the route to peace (It is to be understood that chaos in this context would be tangible chaos). However, the end result of being aligned with the true nature of themselves is the key to peace. The tangibility of peace would be to facilitate expression. To be at peace, would mean to be true, and this is possible by having an outlet to express.

Fig.17 | Zen Gardens and Peace | source : Garden design

Besides this, a lot of study and research has gone into what makes someone peaceful. For instance, subjectively, the concept of zen gardens, or the ambiance of a temple, instantly provides a sense of calm and hence peace. But these simulations aren’t direct. They are subtle. The organization of different elements and spaces does not specifically inform one to be at peace but instead induces serenity, calmness, and peace.

When death approaches, different tangible methods are needed to understand the prerequisites of peace and then further on to achieving these prerequisites. Therapies become a source to understand what can get the peace.

Then simple, tangible qualities like talking can be significant sources of gaining peace. This brings about the importance of last wishes and last experiences. The finality of death results in there being a sense of fulfillment and content that is extremely important during the last stages, as it becomes the person’s last chance to feel content. A simple gesture of being with their dog, for example, allows them to know they aren’t alone and makes the dog itself a source of peace.

The importance of both the intangible and tangible aspects of peace becomes central to the approach to death. Understanding the intangible aspect of it becomes the first step to finding the tangible. Therefore, the approach to peace is an important piece in the journey to approaching death and hence dying well.

Fig.18 | Temples and peace | source :Open Magazine

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9.3 | Conversations about peace Last wishes Keeping in mind the previous chapter, an attempt is made to understand the role of Last wishes and last experiences in the quest to find peace before death.

Referencing back to the chapter “approaching death,” a hospital, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, was mentioned. The three wishes project undertook by them entailed the making of three simple wishes that the hospital then fulfilled to the best of its capabilities. To take an example from the hospital itself, it categorizes the wishes into five groups: rituals and observations—an elusive category, to say the least. The intangible aspect of religious practices is that of understanding the possibility that death of the physical body is not necessarily the end of life but instead just a transition. This belief allows for the anxiety of death being the end, lessen, and is a source of peace. However, the rituals allow for there to be a specific tangible pathway to this transition.

Believing in the rituals and following them will enable them to then access the possibilities of transitioning, hence gaining peace.

Reconciling with someone that the person’s action has hurt, allows for certain guilt to be lifted. This is the intangible nature of achieving peace. However, talking about it and mending the relationship becomes a tangible approach to it. Last wishes become the source of unraveling a person’s inner desires, ones that maybe weren’t achievable or they were not comfortable enough to try to fulfill these desires.

An overall of 12 larger themes emerged from the study. In order of most to least, the list was family, do an activity, personal aspiration/self-identity, live life fully, happiness, love, wider social impact/greater good, peace, legacy, feel appreciative/gratitude, religion/spirituality, and health.

These were then described by inward or outward-focused sentiments. Inward were those that were self-focused. Outward-focused were those that were focused on others, such as family. In this example, when one considers family, Inward and outward focussed sentiments were combined as while the focus can be on others, the person expressing the sentiment usually experiences something that will contribute to their own fulfillment. This fulfillment allows for the person to approach peace.

A lot of people had “peace” as their last wish before dying, but what is forgotten is that all those experiences actually lead to peace. Most of the wishes relate to having some sort of fulfillment, even if it is done in relation to others; the gratification from doing something for another person itself allows the person to be content.

Inference from NCBIs study into community views on what I want before I die

When looking at peace, the context it was looked at in defined its approach.

For instance, “Make peace” was outward-facing, resolving conflict with others.

“Be at peace,” on the other hand, is inward-facing.

Last wishes and experiences play a pivotal role in approaching peace. This is because they aren’t a singular source of peace, but rather through it, the family too can become a part of the process, instead of being onlookers in the slow demise of an individual.

The wishes allow for acceptance. When the fog of fighting the inevitable clears, an individual making their wishes is a crucial step to acceptance. It plays a role in calming a person’s anxiety by giving them control and the luxury of choice. A choice that they have created, rather than the grim choices they would have to make about their death.

These last wishes allow for there to be a finality that is created on the person’s terms, not one which is unfulfilled. Having last wishes that are fulfilled allows the person to be content for one last time and regain some amount of control in a time of no control.

Understanding what people want before death is an essential step in understanding why it brings about peace.

A study by NCBI into “Community views on ‘What I want before I die’” explored what people wanted when facing their own mortality.

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9.4 | Ways to achieve it How do you attain peace?

The approach to attaining peace can be divided into two parts, a religious path, and a secular path.

Religious Different rituals and actions at the end of life are all a result of wanting a sense of peace before dying. Hence the driving force behind religious rituals is the intent to achieve a peaceful death.

Religion plays a role in how we perceive “death”; hence, it plays a role in how we see dying. Most religions have beliefs about what happens after death.

They believe that the state of mind of an individual plays an important part in what happens after death too.

It is proven that religion, faith, or spirituality enables patients and their caregivers to cope with death better. This is because they encourage a more positive outlook on how cancer affects their lives. Religion can also be a means of resolving the existential uncertainty of what comes afterlife on earth. Some religions believe in the concept of an afterlife, whereas others believe in reincarnation. These beliefs lower the level of uncertainty and hence the level of anxiety that is prevalent in the context of dying.

Open discussion and communication are important parts of attaining peace and letting go of fear and anxiety. These views are shared by Elisabeth KüblerRoss too, where in her book on death and dying, she states that “The most important communication, perhaps, is the fact that we let him know that we are ready and willing to share some of his concerns.” and acknowledges that this would help individuals open up about death.

An important aspect of religion in death is the idea of an afterlife and reincarnation, as explained previously. The primary reason behind this playing a part in approaching peace is because of the reduction of uncertainty.

Knowing that there is a certain future beyond death reduces the fear and anxiety that comes with knowing that mortal life is ending. These concepts also play a role in how people then perceive life, because it directly influences life and death. For instance, in Hinduism, the accumulation of Karma means that good deeds throughout life are rewarded, or in Christianity, the actions throughout life dictate if one goes to heaven or hell.

to cope with high distress. But this is only possible through open communication and, therefore an environment that promotes healthy communications spaces, which exude warmth and trust.

The concept of a good death is also prevalent in Hinduism. Here it is largely connected to their faith, and then an opportunity to say goodbye, settle their affair on earth, resolve conflict, and have a peaceful mind.

Another strong belief in Hinduism is the rejection of prolonging life by unnecessary aggressive medical or mechanical interventions as they believe it disrupts the natural order of life and death and hence disrupts the peaceful state of a person, which creates unnecessary barriers for the smooth transition of the soul. The belief of the soul and reincarnation also allows for death to be something that is celebrated rather than only being mournful.

The main goal in Hinduism is for the soul to achieve moksha, which is the point where the cycle of death and rebirth is stopped, and the soul merges with a higher consciousness. And this comes only when a person is peaceful.

Approaching death without religion Religion has been said to have been born out of the fear of death. It helps in giving meaning to life, and fills the void that is death. This void is often confusing, and causes disarray, and giving death meaning, and filling up the void allows for life to get a structure and direction and hence control.

Religion indeed has a very important role in this process, but the common assumption of meaning being absent in without religion is largely baseless. The majority of people in the world crave for some meaning to their life. This is the same across religious and nonreligious people. Religion provides a definitive framework for this. However, research shows that nonreligious people create their own meanings through different frameworks using purposive narratives.

The broad social narratives that come from religion or science, a particular family background, or popular culture often help shape the individuals storytelling. Christel Manning explains these meaning-making activities as a mapmaking enterprise. Explaining that the stories an individual tells are a way people connect the dots and orient themselves. He compares this concept of mapmaking to that of the formation of constellations created by the Greeks, reinforcing the idea that events can feel random without a constellation map to life. A person can feel lost, frightened, and confused. But when one has a map, they get a path to follow and hence orient themselves.25

The common belief of going to “a better place” after death allows for the dying and even their caregivers and families to better understand the death and come to terms with it.

Religion is a powerful mapmaking tool because it creates meaning on two levels. It provides a generic narrative that functions as a cultural tool for constructing meaning; and these narratives inform, infuse, and frame each believer’s personal narrative.25

It is found that spirituality or religion has the power to create a more personal bond between the caregivers and the patients, and also improves their ability

The question, however, remains of what is this generic narrative that nonreli25 - https://bulletin.hds.harvard.edu/facing-death-without-religion/

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religious people could experience? Manning describes death as being humanity’s most profound crisis of meaning, and that when an individual faces their mortality, they are forced to reassess their life, the good and the bad, and if they can change or improve it. This acknowledges meaning-making as being backward and forward-looking, mapping the past and the future.

Meaning-making in secular individuals has distinct patterns that can be compared to religious meaning-making. These narratives function similarly to religious narratives by providing coherence (ordering the past) and control (action steps for the future). Like religious narratives, they articulate the meaning of human existence to something bigger than ourselves, and they suggest a moral dimension. 25

oppotunity to provide a framework to those dying, which provides a format and path to approach death. This direction allows for the individual to gain some control back in their process of dying. The generic narration of death, allows for the individual to then have their personal narratives to the same.

For instance, a generic narration can be that of finding what exactly a persons fears are, or a space that helps a person understand their prerequisites of peace, the personal narrative on the other hand is that of the individual then finding their method achieving this peace through the various facilitating architecture.

Studies show that although there are many variations, the basic understanding of the narrative is that humans are all part of nature. They have a place in evolution and a role in the ecosystem, which keeps evolving and developing with time. It is understood that whatever happens to an individual can be explained by science, and an individual’s actions ripple out into all aspects of nature. Death is part of life and should remind us of our kinship to other animals.

Yet, our intelligence also imposes a moral obligation to seek understanding (through science) and to preserve the planet for future generations.

Mapping the past can be explained by understanding that random things happen throughout time, such as natural disasters or even the family and individual is born in. It is essential to understand that they do not have any control over this but rather can only control their reactions. These situations help shape an individual in their process of evolving. This explanation can be considered harsh, but that is because nature is not fair.

Mapping the future can be explained by understanding that death is the end of one’s existence and consciousness, and yet life continues to go on. A person’s body is recycled as it nourishes plant life. This approach of perceiving themselves as part of nature allows for the individual to find meaning in the part they play in the universe.

Another framework is that of moral urgency. It stems from the understanding that humans have the power to shape the evolution of the world, but bad choices have damaged the world, and the job of every individual is to contribute to the best of their capabilities in the process to improve the world for the future generations.

Religion is often considered as one of the only ways of addressing the fears of death. However, it can be argued that this is because it is the oldest and most popular method. But secular approaches have been found to be fruitful.

Similar to religion, they provide coherence and control. They position human experience in context with something larger than oneself and give moral value to one’s life as they approach their end.

This ideology is reinforced by the approach to death. Narrating death, is an 25 - https://bulletin.hds.harvard.edu/facing-death-without-religion/

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Therapies for peace Studies have been done to deal with the multitude of emotions that one faces while approaching death. Different methodologies have been developed for reaching peace and approaching death. These methods allow for a human, to process and work through various emotions and experiences, such as the fear of death, or terminal illness. These additionally also assist in helping the person gain some amount of peace as the approach the end of life.

One of the most common phenomenon when approaching death is death anxiety. Death anxiety, or thanatophobia is a conscious or unconscious psychological state resulting from a defense mechanism that can be triggered when people feel threatened by death.

Death anxiety results in various problems and can render the person feeling hopeless, and takes a direct toll on their mental health. The inevitability of death results in the person developing a fear of the unknown, fear from the idea of suffering from a long debilitating illiness that can cause pain and make one lose their dignity and fear of leaving people behind. Now, in extreme cases, people usually get confined in their own cocoon and stop socialising, and live in constant fear. This can be detrimental to a person when they are approaching their death. Usally, if getting out of hand, counselling and therapies help in dealing with it.

Multiple studies and therapies have been developed to deal with death anxiety, these therapies can help a person • • • •

Accept that death is a natural process Focus on making the most out of the remainder of their lives Live in the present Make a plan for their dying

Therapies for death anxiety, additionally help in dealing with various issues, such as OCD, PTSD and anxiety, all highly prevalent during the process of dying. OCD is a common phenomenon, where for example the individual often goes and cleans their cupboards, or other such habits.

A few of the therapies in relation to treating death anxiety and its allied issues are described below.

•

Fig.19 | Exposure Therapy | source : psychology tools

Exposure therapy

One of the most evidence based therapies to treat anxiety and fears is exposure therapy. The idea of this therapy is to face the fears rather than avoid it or working around it. The way the therapy works is that one usually starts with easier tasks like watching a movie with death, then it goes a little more extreme which consists of activities like writing their own eulogy, or literally being placed in a body bag, to experience what it would be like.

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•

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy entails the person consulting with a psychologist or psychotherapist about their fears and anxieties. They then assist the person in determining the source of their fears before helping them develop techniques to deal with the anxiety. Sometimes, just talking about their anxieties can be helpful.

•

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

CBT works by gradually changing a person’s behavioural patterns so that new behaviours and ways of thinking can emerge. A doctor assists the person in developing practical strategies to help them overcome their anxiety. They then concentrate on developing skills to help them remain calm and unafraid when discussing or thinking about death.

•

Reminiscence therapy

Reminiscence therapy consists of people recalling memories of their life and storytelling. This is found to drastically help with mental health. This therapy is often used for old people. It is used to evoke past events, feelings, and thoughts to promote mental and social health by establishing a happy and active atmosphere. People feel more valued by remembering memories.

Fig.20 | Garden Therapy | source : Medium

By recalling memories, the individual reveals their philosophy of life and the purpose they attach to living. This in turn helps them understand the meaning of life and provides a framework to approach death based on these beliefs.

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Medication.

In addition to death anxiety, other therapies also help in dealing with anxiety and find a certain sense of peace. In addition to the therapies above, a few of these therapies are: •

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)

This therapy is often used for the dying and those close to them. EMDR is a type of psychotherapy treatment that aims to reduce distressing emotions associated with traumatic memories. In it, the patient first explains in detail why they have come for the counseling, Then the psychologist prepares them for for the therapy and teaches them relaxation techniques. They are then told to focus on one vivid memory and a negative belief about themselves.

The next steps involve desensetization, Installation, body scan, closure and reevaluation.

• •

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Art therapy Meditation

Fig.21 | Reminiscence therapy | source : evidently cochrane

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Logotherapy

Logo - meaning It is a scientifically based school of psychotherapy. It is based on the belief that the search for meaning amidst misery can constitute a solution to suffering. It is understood that meaning can be found by creating a work and adopting a modified attitude toward suffering.

Logotherapy is based on the idea that we are driven by a “will to meaning” or an inner desire to find purpose and meaning in life.18 •

Garden therapy

Garden therapy offers many benefits. Some of these include connecting with nature, social interaction, and learning new skills. It can also help individuals to develop fine motor skills, deeper concentration, stamina, hand-eye coordination and a sense of independence and control.

Research has found the viewing natural scenes and elements of nature can ease stress by evoking positive emotions and reducing negative emotions.

It is found that nature also holds the attention of viewers, blocking stressful thoughts.

The reduction of stress and inducing of peace also has a lot to do with chemicals in the human body. By inducing these chemicals, a persons fears can be alleviated. These chemicals are: •

Dopamine - It is also called the feel good hormone. It is an important part of the brains reward system and is associated with pleasurable sensations, along with learning, memory, motor system function, and more.

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Serotonin - This hormone helps regulate ones mood, sleep, appetite, digestion, learning ability and memory.

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Oxytocin - It is called the love hormone. The hormone can also help promote trust, empathy, and bonding.

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Endorphins - They are the bodies natural pain reliever. It is produced in response to stress and discomfort.

There are multiple ways of activating these. Such as, going outside, Exercising, Laughing, cooking, music, meditating, playing with pets, having good sleep and managing stress.

9.5 | Conclusion The chapter explored the concept of peace in the context of death. Based on the study, it is understood that an attempt is to be made to achieve peace of mind and inner peace through understanding psychological peace. One of the main reasons for the need for peace is the overload of emotions and the plethora of questions, uncertainty, and fear that come along with death and dying. The understanding of what gets peace allows for the opportunity to facilitate better means of gaining it.

The lack in the understanding of peace results in there being a lack of tangible ways of expressing it. Hence, through the inquiry into the tangible and intangible aspects of peace, it becomes clear that mechanisms need to be developed to better experience peace. The comparison of peace to other emotions allows for a framework to be developed to understand the process of peace and its temporariness. It can be noted that peace can be felt tangibly through expression. Understanding and applications of these expressions are made in the following chapters.

As explained previously, last wishes play an essential role in the path to peace before death. This is due to the contentment one feels after having a wish fulfilled, and hence architectural means to facilitate these wishes need to be considered. For instance, wishes like being with family or having pets or spaces to help resolve conflict.

Much like death, religion plays a key role in the perception and approach to peace too. However, there are tangible processes developed over years of research to gain mental peace. These can be used in the context of dying to better the process and ease it for the user. However, these cannot fully help an individual holistically. Hence for a holistic experience of the architecture, the approach to peace is to be divided into two categories: Active peace and passive peace.

The research solidifies the importance of peace in the process of dying and offers ways to approach the same. The research shows that tangible methods are needed to make the process effective and that various approaches such as expression, therapies, and more need to be explored. These understandings further lead to explore the possibilities of implementing these learnings into architecture and how the different theories can be applied to create models for approaching death and hence dying well. These are further explored in the following chapters.

18 - https://positivepsychology.com/viktor-frankl-logotherapy/

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10.0 | Inferences To build for the dying, it is first essential to understand the dying, their state of mind, emotions, wants, and needs. Hence understanding the philosophy and theory helps better understand what one is catering to.

This is so that the architecture caters to the users and not machines or the stringent needs that come along with dying.

Their state of mind and behaviors play an essential role in the shaping of architecture. For instance, the dichotomy that exists between a person’s wants and their reality is something that requires attention and careful treatment.

Religion does play an important role in dying, but the goal of the design is to cater to the dying, rather than a particular religion, but this does not mean that religion can be negated because it plays a huge role in the understanding of death and hence the approach to it, therefore, allowing a person to choose their approach to dying also means to allow them to decide what path they would like to follow.

Designing for the dead signifies a need to design the more minor details too, this is because the architecture does not strive to be a building that one occupies but is one that the user lives through. Details such as spatial organizations, viewpoints, and other spaces play just as important a role as the fixed spaces that would require the aforementioned therapies. Rather, it can be argued that they would require more attention because these spaces impact the user subconsciously. And hence, a wrong understanding would result in a less desired outcome.

Based on the research done in Part I, the role of peace in the process to dying well can be understood, and different approaches can be taken to develop a mechanism to attain this peace. It can be inferred that approaching death is a complex process, with many avenues needing to be addressed. However, it is largely recognized that death comes with a multitude of emotions and questions, with one of the primary goals being to be at peace with death and oneself and those near them.

The intangibility of these concepts, such as death and peace, result in the sense of loss of control which adds to the daunting process of dying. There are different methodologies to make these concepts tangible, such as through therapies and counseling. However, the complexity of dying means that only these methods would not yield great results. Hence, in addition to these, different coping methods need to be developed that can allow the person to come to terms with their mortality.

These can include fulfillment of wishes, places that feel familiar and not alien, spaces catering to the experiences and emotions, and methods of understanding and gaining their own peace.

To do so, however, it is first essential to understand the existing architecture of the dying, what people associate with these spaces that exist, and what works in these spaces. The next step would be to identify the requirements of these spaces, modify the existing functioning, and then add additional values to form a holistic framework to the approach of dying. These studies will be done in the next Part, The setting.

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PART II THE SETTING

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11.0 | ARCHITECTURAL REFERENCES 11.1 | Death and Architecture The relationship between architecture and death goes back a long time, from the tombs designed to commemorate the dead to the pyramids that were meant to protect the body of the dead. Over time, this relationship has continued to evolve, but the interaction between the two changed. But as this relationship between architecture and death evolved, the relation between architecture and dying began to fade.

As time progressed, the lifespans of individuals drastically increased. The focus shifted from dying to the living. The architecture that was meant to cater to death, slowly transformed into buildings that did everything to prevent death.

- tering to death and dying need not be grim, and the associative qualities of the architecture of death can be altered. Alison killing rightly stated that “It is surprising how changeable attitudes are...People are open to changing things if they are given the opportunity to talk about them.” It can hence be argued that the approach to dying can and should be different.

The first shift needs to be in the focus given to the architecture for dying.

This is because with death comes a plethora of emotions. The astute sense of losing control can become overbearing. Hence, the attention that needs to go in crafting the architecture should be increased. The architecture of the dying ironically should focus on living. Lest it should cease to support death, but the environment should be that of life. For instance, the first association of imminent death should not be of hospital rooms, lifeless walls, and concrete views. The first association should be that of something that is comforting, whatever that may be, familiarity. The architecture isn’t the only thing that is familiar but rather it assists in making death, too, feels familiar, in a positive way.

Many of our perceptions about situations and conditions are influenced by what we associate the said event with. For instance, a person’s perception of sports can be influenced, positively or negatively, depending on their association to it, in this case, a school. If the persons want to play sports were fostered well by the school, their perceptions about sports would be positive. Similar is the case to death.

As the focus shifted away from dying, the architecture that supported any form of dying largely shifted from serving the living to just accomodating the living. The reduction in the possibility of dying at home and the increase in the number of people dying at hospitals meant that fewer and fewer people got the chance and luxury to choose their way of dying. The want of familiarity at the time of death was largely ignored as more and more people witnessed death, in sterile white rooms, with bright white lights and no natural light to touch their loved ones for one last time. Along with the light of the sun, warmth was completely stripped off from the architecture. Literally as well as figuratively.

The long waiting corridors, with other families sharing the anxiety, meant that the incredibly personal experience of death was all but forgone. For the less fortunate, death wouldn’t come once, but twice in a short span as attempts were made in vain to restore a life that was clearly leaving, just so that the family could have hope or say their goodbyes in a room where another family goes through the same ordeal with just a curtain dividing the two.

Fig.22a | Hospital rooms | source : Bombay hospital

Our negative perceptions of death were greatly influenced by what we associated death with. In the above case, hospital architecture. We believed that death is a gruesome process that abruptly halts life and that it should be stopped even when it is imminent. In the process, we forgot about the role of religions and people’s wants. Death ceased to be something that could be cherished and approached with dignity, and it ceased to be something that individuals had a right to have control over.

Architecture, however has the power to mend perceptions. The architecture caFig.22b | What hospital rooms can be | source : archdaily

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The second shift should be in the approach to the architecture. The loss of control that comes along with death causes anxiety and fear. The idea of attempting to understand the unknown requires support. What is needed for the approach to architecture is a narrative. It is the narrative of death that should build up the architecture. For instance, The Kashi Labh Mukti Bhawan in India. This structure architecturally is extremely simple, and each individual gets a room to spend their last days in. Usually alone, or if they want, another family member. Here the architecture does not attempt to do something splendid or out of the box, but it allows for the story to dictate the experience.

The narrative of being able to die in a holy and extremely sacred place for Hindus, along with getting to decide how they spend their last days provides a powerful representation of how architecture can support an uplift rather than overpower. The singular room, allows for a person to spend their last days, with themselves, not only allowing for but rather advocation self introspection and contemplation as they come to terms with their death. This allows for the user to regain lost control. The architecture for death and dying has no narrative today. They become spaces that behave like a “stop and go” with no direction but rather a constantly running factory. When there is a profound sense of loss, helplessness, and no control, what architecture can provide is a direction, a sense of control, and a choice to choose which path to follow.

The architecture should provide a sense of home. Familiarity allows for the creation of memories. Additionally, the space should facilitate the tangible translation of these memories so that they can become spaces of remembrance, allowing for the shifting of associations to positivity.

The architecture should create an atmosphere of life because an individual wants to live when death is so close. The architecture of death need not be void of the qualities of the building that one cherishes to live in, but rather additionally facilitate the must-have requirements that support death.

It can be argued that the architecture of death does not need to strive for artistic representation and that the qualities of the space should not only dictate but more often facilitate emotions that the individual is too afraid of showing or oblivious of knowing they exist. Contrary to belief, the architecture should overpower the purpose of the space. It should not distract, and the focus should be on the individual experiencing the space. The people who occupy the space.

It should inspire individuals at a time when the appetite for inspiration is feeble.

And it should facilitate and evoke emotions.

The third shift is largely linked to the second. The architecture should facilitate a choice. It should be the individual’s prerogative as to how they wish to approach their death. The architecture should harness the power of choice and allow each user to control their process. As death creeps in, the person, even if they do not wish to make any decisions, should know that they have the choice to do so if they wish to. Spaces of expressing their wishes and emotions openly are a necessity.

The Fourth shift should be in how the architecture facilitates and influences a person’s experience. Talking can not be the only way to express emotions; The goal should be to provide a cathartic architecture that allows for open expres sions of emotions. While counseling takes up an essential role in this process, the architecture should further facilitate the learnings of this counseling. For instance, Meditation is a word that is thrown about loosely as a means to gain inner peace, and it is supposed to be a key method of self-introspection and contemplation, however, it is wrongly assumed that for Meditation, one needs to be sitting cross-legged, with their eyes closed and blocking their thoughts.

In reality, Meditation is to promotes awareness by focusing on a particular thing. Hence Meditation can be done by even dancing or singing out loud. It is found that cathartic experiences have a rather meditative effect on individuals.

Architecture should nurture this. True freedom is when a person is given a chance to dictate their experience, no matter what it entails, and this idea should be fostered.

The fifth shift should be that of familiarity. An essential aspect of choosing where to die often entails having a sense of familiarity, whether this is through their family or through material belongings depends on every individual, but the least the architecture can do is not to create an environment of the unknown.

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11.2 | Architecture catering to death Death surrounds every individual. In one form or another, architecture encompasses the different parts of death. However, this is often overlooked, with no attention actually been given to these buildings for death. More often than not, death becomes a part of a larger function of the building or space.

Broadly, these spaces Include places for the end stages, as well as those after the death. The spaces catering to death are as follows: Hospitals, Palliative Care units, Hospices, Funeral Spaces, and Homes.

(Crematoriums, Burials, Etc).

An attempt is made to understand the functioning and components of these spaces and the architectural qualities that make up these spaces.

Hospitals: Before the twentieth century, the lifespans of human beings were considerably shorter than they are right now. With little modern technology, the focus was mainly on the people who needed care. As time progressed into the twentieth century, new medicine was invented, and new technology was created that helped increase the average lifespans by almost double. However, the introduction of these new machines meant that space was required to house these machines, hence the birth of the modern hospitals. The architecture slowly shifted from catering to the people occupying the space to catering to these very machines. As the standard of living continued to increase, the standard of dying reduced. The hospital’s functioning was no longer to support death. It was to prevent it, and preventing it meant that various other treatments and functions started getting introduced under the umbrella of a hospital. This meant that catering to dying took a back seat. This was not intentional but rather a product of modern medicine and the requirements that came with it. The focus was rightly needed to support the living.

However, death was never eradicated from hospitals altogether, and the number of people dying in these hospitals increased exponentially.

Modern medicine also meant that the treatments needed the kind of space that modern hospitals provided.

Hence staying at home, like people would prefer, just was not possible. As the demand for hospitals increased, the architecture changed from being a form of expression to a form to encompass function.

The functioning of a hospital mimics that of a small city, with different departments on each floor, with the departments further divided into different groups. Every individual ran from one place to another, as patients either waited or walked to their diagnoses, attempting to avoid getting lost in organized chaos.

When getting a diagnosis, or worse while coming to get treated, the last thing an individual needs is confusion. However, the maze-like movements provided no comfort to its users.

However, the functioning of the hospital can not be discredited. It is highly efficient in its functioning and serves its purpose of treating physical illness exceedingly well. While accomodating multiple users at the same time. The planning of a hospital is exquisite, with a perfect flow of services, way finders to define the movement, enough space to allow for transition from one space to another, and rooms that provide just enough comfort to exist in. This is a necessity for the continual functioning of the hospital, without which the space would fall into disarray. However, is this all that a hospital should strive to be?

Albert Kahn designed the University hospital in 1925, near ann harbor, where he applied the logic of assembly lines in the spatial organization of the space. In the healthcare architecture of this time, the understanding of medicine aligned well with the modern emphasis on clean lines, hygiene, and technological overtness. On the other hand, the ford Hospitals applied Ford’s experience and understanding of pioneering industrial efficiency into the designs for the hospital, which were described as having interiors

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Fig.23a and 23b | Hospital Corridors| The sterileness of hospital corridors, with little to not stimulus to the senses | source : Reddit

defined by narrow hallways and muted tiled floors.

Ken Worpole, an author, writes that his impressions and memories of inpatient stay are that of “long corridors smelling of disinfectant; harsh neon lighting; wards and individual rooms which are overheated and under-ventilated.” Astutely reinforcing the associative qualities of a hospital.

Verderber and Refuerzo, on the other hand, describe mid-century hospitals as “machines for occupation until death,” expressive of an authoritarian “culture of denial.” 19 Edwin Heathcote, an architect, describes the emotionally empty architecture that diminishes the sanctity of life’s thresholds by saying: “at the exact moments we are most in need of meaning and spiritual uplift, we find ourselves surrounded by the bleak expression of hygiene and efficiency. … Our existential gateways are manifested as service entrances.”

With all these descriptions in mind, it can be argued that regardless of its efficiency, the architecture of a hospital should strive to do more. The creation of excessively long corridors that give the sensation of labyrinths only to create way finders to offset the chance of getting lost is like creating a problem just to find a solution. Although, over recent years, attempts have been made to bring back the human touch into hospital design, with better integration of nature, private spaces, and better design.

One factor that has to be considered is that every user might not share this view of hospital architecture.

The fact remains that the extreme architecture and treatments go hand in hand when a person who has a chance of survival visits the space. This is because it screams exhaustion. Exhaustion of all methods with a complete effort to preserve life. However, this view is explicitly relevant when a cure is not possible. When a person is at the cusp of imminent death, hygiene and a sterile environment can create an atmosphere of cold rather than warmth. The modern hospitals design aspires for longevity, and to die in a space where all effort is made to prevent death, might be recognized as a situation where peace with death is deferred.

Palliative Care: Palliative care is an approach that aims to improve the quality of life of patients and families who are facing life-threatening illnesses. It aims to prevent and relieve suffering through identification, assessment, and treatment. Differing from hospitals, the goal of palliative care is to tend to these physical, psychological, or spiritual issues. This care, however aims to cure the illness. Hence palliative care is chosen when death is preventable. The care supports the patients by addressing practical needs along with providing couns19 - Inferenced from Verderber and rufuerzos study into hospice

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-eling. The main criteria is to prevent and reduce physical pain through procedures as well as medical drugs.

Hospice:

Palliative care offers an ideal concept to those who have a chance to recover by providing a conducive environment to do so. However, it comes at a cost, with little effort shown by government agencies in India to improve the state of palliative care. Different barriers show up when talking about palliative care, such as cultural and social barriers, lack of national policies, Misconceptions about palliative care, and lack of training.

One of the reasons that hospices and palliative care works, is that it is one of the closest replacements to a death at home. These spaces aim to provide a space of familiarity which allows for the patient to cope with illness well. Hospices are very similar to palliative care spaces. The main objective is to focus on the care, comfort, and quality of life of a person with a serious illness who is approaching the end of life. Hospices are designed for times when it is no longer possible to cure the illness and for those who do not want to be treated.

Palliative care entails a variety of services provided by a variety of professions, all of whom have an equal part in supporting the patient and their family - including physicians, nurses, support workers, paramedics, pharmacists, physiotherapists, and volunteers.

Architectural considerations for palliative care spaces: • • • • • • • • •

One of the goals is to respect the values and wants of the patient; hence external input is often considered The design usually attempts to achieve a home-like environment and provide privacy.

Single occupancy rooms should accommodate a family member too.

Community participation is largely supported, hence larger gathering space where activities can take place should be provided Commercial kitchens are a common element in palliative as well as hospices to promote further interaction.

Nature is often brought into the design to add a sense of warmth.

Spaces are designed to give enough privacy to the patients as well.

The spaces are designed at a human scale, with little interpretation required. The scale of such care is often small.

The materials used are those that give a sense of warmth. Such as wood.

Fig.24 | Hospice design | This example shows the ideal planning for a hospice. The upper floors of the building are more private, with bedrooms and dining for patients, while the lower floors offer green space and tables for the public as well as those in hospice care. Each floor has places to socialize, and places for solitary relaxation. | source : Fast Company.

Like palliative care, hospice provides comprehensive comfort care as well as support for the family, but, in hospice, attempts to cure the person’s illness are stopped. Hospice care is provided for a person with a terminal illness whose doctor believes they have six months or less to live if the illness runs its natural course.20 People do not usually access hospice care soon enough and hence do not utilize the full benefits of hospice care.

The architecture is very similar to that of palliative care, with the main focus being the users. Importance is given to patient care. The idea of the hospices creating a home-like environment can also be counterproductive because it keeps the confrontation of death enclosed in an envelope, whereas a balance has to be found. These spaces of familiarity might even produce ill memories of domestic violence etc. Hence familiarity has to be a personal experience rather than a general one. When designing for familiarity, it becomes essential to just give a nudge of familiarity, so its interpretation becomes subjective.

In their survey of modern hospice design, Verderber and Refuerzo caution that there are “no magic formulas,” but they offer specific guidelines for color (“Above all, avoid yellow and dull, bland hues in the hospice setting”), dimensions (“Private bedrooms should be 20-25 percent larger in size than the typical hospital room. … Provide interesting ceilings with recesses, barrel vaults, and indirect lighting”), and material (“Wood is of the earth, a tree grows with time, and its age rings are visible, symbolizing the change of season. … Wood, therefore, possesses therapeutic value in the palliative care experience”)

Fig.25 | palliative and a better death | source : fast company 20 - https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-are-palliative-care-and-hospice-care

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Homes: When asked where they would like to die, one of the most prominent answers is home. However, why is that? The want for a death at home stems from more than just that of comfort. The familiarity that stems from death at home provides an astounding sense of peace when everything seems out of control.

A lot of the want of a death of home comes from the fact of being surrounded by their families and an idea of not being alone at the time of death.

The architecture of each house, whether large or small, comes with a sense of warmth and a scale that is understandable. The normalcy of a functioning house allows for subconscious distractions away from the concept of imminent death.

Most houses have windows that let natural light in and provide a relatable and not starkly different environment. However, death at home is challenging in today’s context. This is because of the fact that homes are not capable of catering to death. The architecture and the built environment don’t allow for it. The constant medication and care can often be overbearing for families, but additionally, setting up the equipment required for care can become exceedingly difficult.

Recreating the care that one gets in hospices or hospitals can be a complicated ordeal, with the most amount of modifications only possible in areas such as bed placement, the direction of views, etc. Hence, more often than not, when homes are not possible, people turn to hospices to provide the physical support needed in an environment that tries to promote and harvest emotional support.

Funeral Spaces: The architecture of funeral spaces such as crematorium or burial grounds is often done with utmost care and consideration to create the right atmosphere because the perception of these places, if they come out wrong, creates possibly insensitive spaces. For instance, funeral homes architecture often promotes quietness. It provides an atmosphere of introspection. The choice of colors often offers warmth rather than elusive brightness. The spaces are large and open, preventing them from overpowering the event of the cremation. A good architecture for funeral homes would facilitate these emotions rather than just stepping aside.

Architecture in such situations does not need to go for the creation of artistic representations. At a time of mourning, the architecture, contrary to belief, should not distract. The focus should be on the individual, the people. These spaces can try to inspire but should not distract. The space should rather facilitate the multiple emotions that a user undergoes. And allow for people to emote.

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11.3 | Associative qualities of a space What gives a space a negative or positive quality?

Humans have used associations as a means to perceive spaces for many years. Associations are a way of understanding the spaces. They induce negative or positive emotions and are a way of better interpreting these spaces in the future. In this study, there are two variants of associations that will be highlighted. First are those associations that we go through subconsciously, and second are those that have a conscious stimulus based on experiences.

The first study is that of the subconscious associations made by the human body. The nervous system is divided into different parts, two of these are the limbic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is then further divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic nervous system responds in times of stress, fear, and anxiety. They are a response to when humans sense danger. At this time of sensing, they release different chemicals in the body, namely adrenaline and norepinephrine, followed by cortisol that slows down body functions that aren’t needed for survival. These responses helped humans survive in times of need. However, these responses can have ill effects because while our ancestors needed these for survival, stress and anxiety play a very different roles in today’s world.

Simple things continually give people stress but even though what gives us stress has drastically changed over the years, the body’s response to any kind of stress remains similar. So more often than not, the body releases these chemicals, and humans go into survival mode way longer than beneficial. These have ill effects on humans. The next response is the parasympathetic response.

Once the threat is neutralized, to bring back balance, the parasympathetic nervous system brings back the body into a resting state, returning the bodily functions to their normal state and induces a state of calmness.

Relating these responses to architecture in today’s world is extremely important. The input of stress-inducing scenarios and those that give us anxiety is a subconscious response, and this is done through patterns. Through evolution, various associations have been made, depending on if it made our ancestors feel secure or unsafe. These associations are a way of pattern finding.

The human brain recognizes patterns. In fact, it looks for patterns to make sense of spaces. They represent a sense of consistency and lack of chaos. There are various ways in which the brain recognizes patterns. The first is feature matching, which is when the brain breaks down incoming pattern information into bits that are then compared and contrasted one by one with portions of a previously stored pattern. The second is prototype matching, which is similar to feature matching except that instead of matching an incoming pattern to a stored pattern, our brain tries to link it to certain characteristics of a known prototype. The final form of pattern matching is template matching, which matches only parts of an incoming pattern to a template or prototype rather than the complete pattern. Patterns allowed our ancestors to predict what could possibly come next, improving their chances of survival.

Today, intuitively, a human’s reaction is based on the subconscious patterns that are observed.

Hence when there is unpredictability, such as in the case of death, there is already a sense of chaos, which is the opposite of a pattern and hence has ill effects on a human.

The ability of patterns to dictate emotions hence is something that is prevalent in architecture.

Since early times, nature has provided humans with shelter. The patterns of a tree spreading over the ground represent a sense of safety, rocks provided houses, and so on. Hence intuitively, the

brain often associates natural patterns with positivity. But patterns in architecture go beyond just nature.

They allow a building to look aesthetically pleasing or displeasing. There are four different rhythms or patterns that can be quantified. The first is, Alternation - This is the repetition of a contrasting pair. Next is Progression - This consists of a size of an object either increasing or decreasing progressively. The third is repetition - where an object is repeated continuously and lastly transition - the use of a line or an element to guide the eye to flow continuously from one point to another. When incorporated well, it can be found that these patterns create a positive impact on the human psyche and have a pleasant aesthetic to it because the brain is conditioned to associate them with safety, security, well-being, and survival.

This positive perception releases oxytocin, endorphins, and DHEA, all of which reduce a human’s fight and flight response and allow them to relax. These ideologies have been used in architecture through time. One such example is the Sagrada Familia in Spain, by Antoni Gaudi. The complex design uses multiple patterns found in nature, such as trees and their branches interconnecting, which gives a sense of security.*

Fig.26 | Sagrada Familia | source : Klook

Don Ruggles, an architect, discovered that most buildings he found beautiful followed a pattern called the nine-square pattern. Since ancient times, this pattern has been used and can be seen present in various city planning to building designs. A reason behind a nine square pattern’s positive outlook is that of it resembling a human face. This resemblance can also be linked to the distinct possibility that when people look at particular types of architecture and the patterns that make up that architecture, they subconsciously see faces, which would explain the physiological reactions and feelings of joy that specific design can elicit.

All of these conditions hence provide a positive association to different buildings, and the next aspect is to look at negative associations.

The shift towards modernism, came with a cry for minimalism, it was born out of the need of fast architecture, and while it can prove to be aesthetically pleasing, the shift from ornamentation and warm material to steel, concrete and glass, along with monochromatic dull colours resulted in great sensory deprivation.

The forms started to become more and more alien and hence unrelatable. The trend lacked stimulation but also effectively lost the human touch, creating cold environments that were unwelcoming and hence had negative psychological impacts. *The psychological imact of architectural design by Natalie Ricci

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Buildings that are unwelcoming and cold tend to evoke a sense of fear and anxiety. These feelings activate the sympathetic system as mentioned above, heightening the survival instinct. An example of the wrong implementation of patterns can be explained by noticing shops in a line. If these stores follow the exact same aesthetic value, look the same and continue for long stretches, they become mundane to look at.

The ill-effects of a lack of sensory stimulation can be observed in highways. Sometimes, when highways continue for long periods, with the same view for the entire distance, it causes significant sensory deprivation, the human brain is used to finding patterns to know what to do next. However, the lack of patterns means that there is no stimulation, hence the explanation for multiple accidents caused by people sleeping while driving.

Fig.27 | Long highways. | The Lack of stimulus is a great cause of accidents | source : dangerous roads

Before moving on to those associations that are caused by experiences and conscious stimulus, let us look at the above study in the case of a hospital. When a person is facing imminent death, their anxiety and stress naturally tend to be on a high, which means that their sympathetic system is already active. When entering a conventional hospital, the user often navigates their way throughout the space in an attempt to find their location, building on to the confusion. Most corridors in a hospital are similar to one another. This repetitive pattern builds on to the confusion as the flow of spaces is not smooth, and there is no active change in stimulus as one moves from one corridor to another.

That is, the transition of spaces is less pleasing than it should be. All of these subconsciously create a negative impact on the mind. In addition, the hospital’s requirements require there to be certain hygiene, which leads to the sterile nature of the architecture. The barren white walls, and the dull lighting, with the smell of cleaning agents overshadowing any other smell, result in the alleviation of anxiety and hence the negative associations to hospitals that exist.

Associations that are caused by experiences The human sense is an essential aspect of the way in which we perceive a space. The senses allow us to experience a space, and these experiences then create memories. Depending on these memories, a place is perceived as either positive or negative.

The interaction of the different senses usually dictates the experience. For instance, looking at the sea might be a visually pleasing activity, but the smell of the water, the sound of the crashing waves,

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the taste of the saltiness in the air, and the warmth of the sand dictate the overall experience. The imbalance in either one of them would change the entire experience.

Just like pattern recognition, certain characteristics of the space are recognized and linked with different spaces. This can be seen in the example of claustrophobia. If an individual is claustrophobic, the idea of staying underwater might be detrimental to their state of mind, even though water had no origin to their initial state of claustrophobia. Humans pick up these characteristics and find different patterns to apply them in; this is why certain smells can bring back a memory even though you are not in the same place.

When one considers the hospital’s environment, especially in the context of death, it comes with a slew of negative emotions, and at a subconscious level, affects the perceptions of an individual not only in the context of hospitals. For instance, consider the architecture of the space. When one waits for elongated periods in a hospital corridor, the already negative pattern generation, as explained previously, adds on to the stress and anxiety of waiting for a loved one activating the sympathetic response system at a constant rate. When an individual is admitted to the room, the lack of sensory stimulation and the lack of social interaction alleviates a feeling of being alone.

Further, it raises anxiety, hence creating a negative response to the structure as a whole. However, these individual characteristics such as specific lighting, narrow corridors, and more are marked out by the brain, and whenever any building, later on, mimics any of these elements, an instant sense of anxiety and panic starts to creep in. This can be related back to the idea of patterns and our brain looking for patterns.

Therefore, whenever we come across certain elements, the brain searches for a pattern and searches for a sense of familiarity, and the association it finds is that of death, hospitals, and loneliness, hence a negative perception of the said space. Therefore to change this association, the entire configuration of the space needs to be changed, such as the light quality, spatial perceptions, and organizational arrangements.

When asked as to where one wishes to die, usually, people say home. From the perspective of the dying, it gives a sense of security. The brain recognizes home as being a place of warmth, security, privacy and intimacy. These are opposite of what other facilities could offer. Hence it is preferred to die at home. Their positive perception and association of a “home” lead them to believe that a death in the security of a space they associate with positivity can be considered good.

Now, to consider the other side of the coin, home, as established, has the qualities of positive space, but when a family sees their loved one dying, one of two things can happen, first, they decide that they too would want their loved one by their side as they reach the end of life, or they realize that death, in their house, might be too painful a process to look at, and looking at it every day, might change this positive perception of a space into one that is negative, the room where the person died, might become one which is too hard to live in again, because the flooring, light, views, furniture might lead one back to the memory, which is not a positive one, and hence perceive the spaces disparately leading to a negative association.

Perceptions and associations play a key role in where an individual decides to die. A positive association is a likely choice for a person to want to die in as those are spaces that can help alleviate anxiety and help cope with fear. However, the barriers that show up are that of the space later turning from a positive association to a negative one. Hence the architecture should first attempt to create positive patterns to take care of the subconscious aspect of associations and perceptions and then focus on narrating the experiences

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in a way that allows the positive association to remain positive. This is possible by creating a space that exudes positivity through multiple inputs, such as the individual spaces, the colors, materials, but more so by the functions the architecture houses. For example, the positive memories it allows one to create and the experiences it provides to the individual and the family, giving a hint of familiarity to feel comfortable and secure, and other points that are explicitly curated for these experiences.

An example of a positive shift in association from a negative perception and association to a positive one is seen in the maggies centers, which take a new approach to end-of-life care. These centers are explained further on in the following chapters.

Fig.28 an 29 | hospitals | The possibilities of shifting associations | source : Khoo teck puat

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11.4 | Experiences and architecture Experiences are unique to people because the emotions these experiences evoke are different and unique. The role of experiences is especially important in the context of death because of the way they can sway and shift emotions.

Experiences in the context of this study play a pivotal role in the search for and fulfilling of the individual’s quest for a good peaceful death. Since the thesis aims at looking for methods that can help people deal with death and attempt to find their peace, the chapter looks at the different experiences that should be provided, why they should be provided, and how they impact the users.

Experiences of familiarity When an individual visits a new place, one of two emotions are likely to show up. First is that of curiosity, based on what the architecture offers and how much it reveals or leaves up to the user’s interpretations. The second is confusion, which is usually experienced in spaces that feel alien and disjointed.

The experience of the first one is usually a positive emotion, whereas the second is towards the negative end of the spectrum. The difference between the experiences in the first and the second one can be accounted towards various different things, such as the environment of the space, the warmth or coldness of a place, the relatability of the place, the scale of the space, all of which dictate the difference between a familiar space and an alien space.

A dying person craves for a sense of familiarity, something that gives them a grounding. However, the familiarity can be harmful too; for instance, an environment that feels like home can bring back negative emotions for some people too. This then becomes a confusing and uncomfortable experience for them.

Hence familiarity in this context would be looked at differently. For any individual, different things bring about a sense of familiarity, so the freedom to choose their familiar in a personal space would be provided. An example of this would be in the movie “Mukti Bhavan,” A place to go and die, here the individual was allowed a bare room, where basic facilities were provided, such as a bare bed, windows, and toilet facilities. Each individual then had the opportunity to customize their rooms to their needs and wants, allowing the users to GET their familiarity with them.

The architecture can only strive to hint at the familiar because it becomes an excessively subjective matter, however, there are certain things that are familiar to every individual and tend to induce a sense of calm because of their nature itself, one such aspect that is explained later on in detail is that of nature. Nature is common to all. Whether it is the trees, or the sand, or any other element of nature, the individual elements provide some measure of familiarity to the users. This familiarity comes with a sense of security. This can be linked to the previous chapters on the association, over time, as humans evolved, they often found shelter and security in nature. These patterns have remained

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in the human brain, and hence subconsciously, they feel familiar. Another aspect that dictates familiarity is that of scale. For instance, an average person does not spend everyday life inside a huge space, like an atrium or a mall. Usually, a relatable scale is familiar. The next looks at the kind of materials used. Warmth has a lot to do with the human psyche, humans are tuned to the materials of earth, those which are naturals, but over recent years, the innovation of technology, modernism and various other things have swayed away from these, moving towards concrete, steel, glass and other materials which tend to exude a sense of coldness, they have a sense of authoritarianism within them that can prove to be overshadow a persons experiences. Familiarity in this scenario is the freedom to choose their experiences. Whether it be from material spaces or accommodating the family of the individual, all these factors of familiarity should in fact, work with the goal of providing some level of peace to the grieving individual.

One of the experiences that play a key part in the person’s process to death is that of last wishes. They play a pivotal role in the process of finding peace because they are literally the last thing an individual is asking for before death. However, some of the wishes, cannot be fulfilled architecturally. Hence only those wishes that can be fulfilled architecturally would be catered to in the design. The other wishes, however, can be acknowledged functionally, based on the feasibility of it. A more extensive explanation of the impact of last wishes on terminally ill patients is explained in the earlier chapters.

Most of the experiences in the space cater to a final goal of contentment and peace. These different experiences work in coherence with the different functions of the space, such as counseling or community spaces, to work towards this final goal. Experiences that are of social inclusivity play an important role in preventing patients from being isolated in their treatments, and being in the company of others going through the similar aspects tends to add resilience to the process. Multiple spaces of gathering, community kitchens, and other spaces facilitate these activities.

Many experiences are individualistic, such as spaces for introspection and contemplation, which require spaces to provide the privacy and intimacy required to experience them fully. An important consideration in the design for dying is the opportunity to emote freely and openly. The role of a cathartic process is one of the most important pathways to coming to terms with and coping with death.

A variety of spaces need to be considered to provide a holistic outcome for the space. The play between units that are inward, promoting smaller scaled spaces and those that require a larger space is one that works to complement one another rather than contrast them. The unbuilt environment plays an equal if not a more significant part than the built-in the choreography of these experiences. However, the factor that ties all of them together is the aspect of the end result and how each element needs to work individually but coherently along with the narrative to reach this end goal through conscious and subconscious methods. This allows for a symbiotic relationship between the user and the space guiding the users to choose their own direction forward.

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11.5 | Architectural applications A person dealing with their death goes through a range of internal emotions and experiences. Elizabeth Kubler Ross explained this through her model of the five stages of grief namely Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and acceptance, or DABDA for short. Stating that there isn’t a particular order but every individual who is grieving, goes through these emotions at least one.

This might be true, but can never be definitively conformed, The goal of this architecture, is to not worry about which of these emotions might play out, but rather give the freedom for a person to truly and openly feel and hence emote.

At the time of death, the only thing that makes one feel alive, are their senses.

The senses of the very body that is dying allows an individual to feel alive, It is hence the architectures responsibility to facilitate these senses positively, it should be to cater to them. BJ Miller, eloquently explains that “ As long as we have our senses, even just one, we have the opportunity to experience what makes us feel human.” It can be argued that the role of sensorial stimulation when approaching death, might be as much, if not more important than tending to other treatments.

Shadows Plastering Shape Proportions Solid/Voids Internal factors: • Texture • Roughness • Softness / Hardness • Material • Reflectivity • Temperature

If an individual wishes to come to terms with their death, they first need to face themselves. This means to understand what their needs are. During life, most people are surrounded by noise, and there is little to no room to hear and understand what they themselves want. Hence the most important thing a person can do to come to terms with their death, is spend time with themselves, selfishly, unabashadley, allow themselves to experience freedom, so that when freedom does arrive, there aren’t any regrets.

This chapter, focuses on how, architecture can first facilitate this freedom by allowing people to express themselves, in any way they need to understand what can help them cope with death as well as reach the peace they require, and secondly how the architecture, can consciously and sub consciously stimulate any of the human senses and what role it plays in helping the person be peaceful or undertake the process to be peaceful before death.

The combination of different elements affect the perception of any space, these characteristics, allow for a simple wall in a house be conceived differently from the wall of a temple.

These characteristics can be divided into external and internal factors. Some of these characteristics are listed below in the context of a simple wall: External factors: • Light • Scale • Ornamentation • Colour • Temperature Fig.30 | Internal and external Factors affecting an objects perception | source : Author

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These factors, actively affect the perception of the space. In addition to these factors, there are ofcourse other elements that play a role, such as the overall context, the environment and importantly a narrative. A temple is SUPPOSED to make one feel the spirituality, it is the narrative, The wall in a house, doesn’t need to exhude that same characteristic. But, if the above mentioned factors were not applied, the wall then, would not be able to work in tangency and support the narrative. In the context of dying, and providing peace, or emoting a feeling and allowing for expression, these factors can be manipulated to work in the favour of the narrative. These will be explained further.

a sort of white noise. The rhythmic crashing and the slow whooshing sounds allow the brain to interpret the space as safe and puts the body in a meditative state. This working is not conscious, it works on the mind passively.

Nature:

The next sense that is impacted is the smell. The smell of the ocean mist largely contributes in the overall impact of the beach and sea. The ocean air, consists of negative ions. Negative ions have been proved to be anti depressants and hence the negatively ionised air alleviates the symptoms of S.A.D. So when an individual smells the salty misty ocean air, the negative ions in the air provides for instant brain benefits and hence calms the brain.

Nature has been consistently linked to giving a sense of peace to individuals.

Studies show that nature proves to be a calming factor, this can also be related to the earlier chapters, where the history of ancestors and natures role in survival was explained. Nature inherently allows for the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, but what exactly allows for this to happen?

Why does a beach have a calming effect on the human mind? The question that arises is that of if this, and other natural elements do exude this quality, what are these elements that induce a sense of peace an calm, and can these characteristics infact be harnessed individually to further provide this peace in different scenarios away from their original context, and then explain why certain already existing built environments, exude these qualities of peace and calmness, consciously or subconsciously.

The first natural environment that is going to be attempted to break down is that of a beach and the sea. People can have different descriptions about the sea, what effects it has on them, however what is constant is that the sea will evoke an emotion, this can be negative too, but its there. The sea has a captivating quality about, the constant organized disorganization of the waves create a sense of curiosity, why is this? This can be divided based on our senses.

Another characteristic is that of the colour blue, The colours influence on peace is explored more in later parts of the chapter, but the effect of the colour blue has an inherently calming effect on people, they help in reducing the stress, hence staring at the ocean literally changes the brain waves, allowing for human to go in a mild meditative space.

The above feature largely focused on the effects of the sea, however, the beach itself also contributes to the process such as the sand between the toes. When a person walks without footwear, barefoot on the sand, it offers a sense of grounding, this grounding has stimulating benefits to the body and the mind, the feet have a rich conncection of nerves and acupuncture points, which absorb the free negative ions on the earth surface have a similar effect as that of the ocean mist.

Overall, the beach stimulates all the senses in a person, activating the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing the persons down and allowing for them to relax.

The brain craves patterns, patterns are a way of allowing the brain to process what is happening in its surroundings and attempt to make sense of it. The ocean waves, provide a plethora of patterns, and they remain interesting enough to hold the individuals attention, hence constantly stimulating the brain through the visual senses. The quality if one notices however is that every wave, from the big ones to the tiny ones inside another wave are all different and unique, The randomness has a sense of familiarity, one can not say which direction a wave goes in, the crashes are random and they form patterns. They are always different, always unique, but always familiar.

The repetitive sounds of the sea waves, allow for the brain to subconsciously match the rhythm of an individuals brain. To further understand the effect of this, it is important to categorize the different sounds. There are largely two categories of sounds. The first are Threatening sounds, and the second are non threatening sounds. Sudden noises like alarms are perceived by the brain as threats and can awaken a person abruptly. So in the context of catering to the dying, threatening sounds can increase the person anxiety subconsciously. The sound of Ocean waves on the other hand is a non threatening sound, they are Fig.31 | The sea and its sensorial stimulation| source : Author

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The next environment to understand are forests.

Forest bathing is a real concept which is the act of spending time in a forest and opening your senses to the natural surroundings to experience feelings of peace and wellbeing. 21 Trees release an essential oil called phytoncides, these are oils that prevent the tree from rotting or being eaten by insects. These oils however when inhaled, increase the natural killer cells in bodies, these cells kill tumor or virus infected cells and help in bettering the human immune system. The environment of trees, activates the parasympathetic nervous system, having a positive effect on the mood and reduces the stress hormone cortisol.

Unnatural Images: • • • • • •

They are scale variant Hence they are uncomfortable to look at ie: it causes visual discomfort The human body has limited energy, Unnatural images require greater brain activity and hence require more energy.

Larger the colour differences, greater the discomfort and more the oxygen required by the brain The abnormally large amount of oxygen uptake results in visual discomfort, this is a protective response by the body to dampen the oxygen consumption.

Examples of unnatural images can be observed easily in everyday life currently, these are basically striped patterns, as found in stairs, lighting grids or corrugated surfaces.

Our visions developed in the natural environment, to process natural images, these images are scale invariant. That means, no matter how much you blow them up, they have the same amount of detail. Trees and forests and other natural environments are as the name suggests, natural. Hence being in a forest, completely surrounded by trees and organic images, allows for the brain to literally rest, and process less data.

Studies are being done to show how using colour filters onto unnatural images, can reduce the oxygenation of the brain. But, current studies have found that this is subjective, with different colours working for different persons.

Fig.32 | The sea and its sensorial stimulation| source : Author

Another important concept to understand is that of natural and unnatural images. Trees and the forest ofcourse are natural images.

Natural Images: • • • • • • • •

They have a particular spatial structure They are scale invariant The brain hence, processes them easily and efficiently Require lesser neurons to process the image They have lesser colour differences and make one feel better The brain uses less energy to understand them and hence less oxygen.

Trees, natural structures of earth are an example of this Earthy material and colours contribute to the natural images.

Fig.33 an 34 | Scale invariant and scale variant images | source : pinterest

The next study into environments and elements is that of fire or candles. Sitting by a fire has be proven to reduce blood pressure and be hypnotic. The burning of fire, stimulates more than the sight, the crackling sound complements the visual, providing a multisensory experience. The addition of heat, increases the blood flow, contributing in improving the bodies functioning.

The last study is an addition to the first of studying the beach and sea. This study is that of water and its effects. Theres a studied effect called the blue mind effect. This effect is activated when one looks at water or is near water. Water has played a huge role in the evolution of humankind, Subconsciously, water is seenas the source of life, hence being near water reduces stress and anxiety, increasing happiness and making a human calmer.

21 - https://www.jackinthegreen.org/post/beginners-guide-to-forest-bathing

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Water holds a persons attention, but in a non info rich way.

Black

Colour

Inherently, black is the absence of light.

Psychologically - It creates protective barriers, as it absorbs all the energy coming towards you, and it enshrouds the personality.

Colour has played an integral part in the human evolution process, they are not just prevalent in the natural environment but rather the man-made environment too. The brain perceives these colours from its environment and then judges what it sees on a subjective and objective basis. Hence colour has a huge impact on human psychology.

“Color is a sensory perception, and as any sensory perception, it has effects that are symbolic, associative, synesthetic, and emotional. This self-evident logic has been proven by scientific investigation. Because the body and mind are one entity, neuropsychological aspects, psychosomatic effects, visual ergonomics, and color’s psychological effects are the components of color ergonomics.

These being design goal considerations that demand adherence to protect human psychological and physiological well-being within their man-made environment.22

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Positive aspects - Clarity, Satisfaction, safety, seriousness, efficiency Negative aspects - Oppressive, Coldness

White Psychologically - It creates a feeling of safety. They visually heighten the perception of a space.

Positive aspects - It is largely linked with purity, mourning and creativity.

Negative aspects - Can often be straining to look at.

Gray

The color specifier/designer has the task of knowing how the reception of visual stimulation, its processing and evoked responses in conjunction with the hormonal system, produces the best possibilities for the welfare of human beings. This is of utmost importance in varied environments, such as medical and psychiatric facilities, offices, industrial and production plants, educational facilities, homes for the elderly, correctional facilities, and so forth.”22

Psychologically - Gray is psychologically neutral.

To understand how colours affect perception, it is first important to understand the difference between colour psychology and color symbolism. Colour symbolism can also allow us to perceive spaces differently, however, this a conscious effort. For instance, Orange is often associated to hinduism, or green to islam, These conscious symbolic associations are developed through personal experiences, and hence are greatly unique to every individual. Colour psychology on the other hand, works differently.

Psychologically - Although not technically the most visible, it has the property of appearing to be nearer than it is and therefore it grabs our attention first. It stimulates people and raises the pulse rate, giving the impression that time is passing faster than it is.

Colours have the power to influence the human brain, for instance when people are cold, they inherently are attracted to warmer colours, and if they are feeling hot, they are attracted to cooler colours. There have been extensive studies done on the effect of colours on the human psyche, however, every person can perceive it differently, based on additional factors. For instance a person who went through an accident might be repelled by the colour red. Another aspect to consider is that of how the colours work with each other. This factor can change the perception of the environment as a whole.

Blue

A general study into the colours and their effects are listed below, these are based on general associations and can be different for certain individuals.

Psychologically - Green strikes the eye in such a way as to require no adjustment is, therefore, restful. Being in the centre of the spectrum, it is the colour

22 - https://archinect.com/features/article/53292622/color-in-architecture-more-than-just-decoration

https://medium.com/studiotmd/the-perception-of-color-in-architecture-cf360676776c

Too much gray can provide of feeling of nothingness. And a loss of direction.

It gives a sense of practicality, timelessness.

Red

Positive - Prominent, colour of energy, movement, excitement Negative - Demanding, aggressive, fierce.

Psychologically - It causes the body to produce calming chemicals Positive aspect - Focus, calm, dependability, soothing, clear thoughts Negative aspect - Can seem cold, lack of emotions, unfriendliness.

Green

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balance. The presence of green results in a primitive understanding of the presence of life.

Architectural elements and their impact

Positive - Growth, calming, pleasing to the senses, nurturing, peace.

Negative - Stagnation, blandness

When people look at forms, they experience a variety of psychological effects.

Each one evoking diverse feelings, thoughts, and impressions in the brains of the viewers.

Yellow Psychologically - It is the strongest colour psychologically, it is triggers emotional stimulus. The right kind can lift spirits and self esteems Yellow stimulates the brain to release more serotonin and hence promotes happiness.

Positive - Confidence, Optimism.

Negative - If not used rightly - Depression, anxiety, fear

Orange Psychologically - It is a combination of red and yellow, hence orange is stimulating, and the reaction to it is a combination of emotional and physical, it focuses the mind on issues of physical comfort and sensuality.

Positive - Sense of warmth, fun Negative - Deprivation, frustration

Purple/Violet Psychologically - It is highly introvertive and encourages deep contemplation, or meditation.

Positive - Contentment, spiritual Negative - Introversion, suppression

Pink Psychologically - Psychologically it is soothing rather than stimulating.

Positive - warmth, tranquility Negative - inhibition, weakness

Brown Psychologically - It consists of the seriousness of black, but is warmer and softer.

It is the colour of the earth, hence is linked to stability and reliability Positive - Seriousness, warmth, reliability Negative - Heaviness, oppressive.

https://medium.com/studiotmd/the-perception-of-color-in-architecture-cf360676776c

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Experts have examined how different shapes can alter people’s behaviour and determine the persona of each viewer for many years, as each form has its own significance and influences the viewer’s thinking differently. This is known as the psychology of shapes.

Sacred geometries : Sacred Geometry has been described as the blueprint of creation and the genesis, or origin, of all form in many traditions. Sacred geometry is an ancient science that investigates and describes the energy patterns that generate and unify all things, as well as the precise way in which creation’s energy arranges itself. Every natural pattern of development or movement, it is stated, may be traced back to one or more geometric shapes.

It is thought that the ancients viewed Sacred Geometry to be necessary for soul education. They understood that these patterns and codes represented our own inner domain and that they were important to greater consciousness and self-awareness. Sacred geometry strengthens our spiritual connection while also promoting harmony inside ourselves and between ourselves and the rest of the planet. Because it underpins and is woven into the fabric of all creation, it is often referred to as “sacred architecture.”

All shapes come back to the Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio. “Galaxies are in spirals of energy. Energy moves in spirals. The spiral is also the kundalini, which is symbolic of raising one’s consciousness on the path of the evolution of the soul. The spiral is connected to the flow of energy through the chakras as they spin in a circle. The spiral is the spiral shape as a double helix in the DNA of each cell.”23 The intersection of the 2 lines is where ‘heaven and earth’ meet, and the result of their union is mankind (symbolized by the cross).

The Flower of Life is a physical representation of the connection with all living things in the universe. It is considered a sacred symbol universally, and said to also contain within it the ‘blue print of creation’, the ‘building blocks’ of the universe – which we call the “Platonic Solids”. These are templates through which the foundation of life can be expressed. The Greek Mystery Schools 2,500 years ago taught that there were five perfect 3D forms – the tetrahedron, hexahedron, octahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron. These Platonic Solids are considered the foundation of everything in the physical world, revealing the unity in all things. However, if you break these Platonic Solids down to their simplest forms, they form the triangle, square, circle, spiral, and straight line.23

23 -https://destinationdeluxe.com/sacred-geometry-explained-healing-benefits/

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Merkabah (Interlocking triangles) - All sacred symbols make up the Merkabah Squares and rectangles - They are formed by lines and right angles, and give a sense of security and reliability

Fig.35 an 36 | Mekabah and Golden Ratio | source : pinterest

Triangles - They represent stability, balance, and movement. Studies prove, that an upward facing triangle directs vision straight to the top, and right or left facing ones show movements in those directions Circles, ovals and ellipses - Circles feel softer and milder than others shapes.

Commonly they represent both unity and protection Pentagons, Hexagons and Octagons - These shapes arent very commonly used in design, because of its complexity. However, they are used in shapes, signs etc.

Abstract Shapes - Parts of abstract shapes, can retain their symbolism from their original shapes. What that means is, if you use the top half of a circle and the bottom half of a square, you will create an abstract shape that exhibits both the playful features of a circle and the serious features of a square, but still create its own identity.24

Architecture for Catharsis Responses to situations are nothing if not a response to emotions. Most emotions have a form of expression, If one is happy, they smile, if someone is sad they cry. These responses are a way of fully “feeling” these emotions. Without a response, these emotions would have no output and would be overwhelming.

When death approaches, a person doesn’t go through singular emotions, they experience multiple, in varied spans of time. More often than not, the perceived sensitivity of death means that most these emotions are put on the back burner, or atleast those we think are negative. For instance, the perceived notion of having to be “strong” in the time of crisis, inculcates a belief that it is wrong to cry.

But the emotion does not wear of. It stays prevalent in the person. Catharsis is a response to emotions. Feshbach was a physicist who explained that catharsis is a multifaceted phenomenon. Its literal meaning, derived from the ancient Greek word kayaı´rein (kathaı´rein), is to purify. Aristotle, in his work on poetic arts argued that tragedy is the imitation of a serious action that inspires pity and fear and thereby reaches purgation from these states.

Simply put, Catharsis is the idea that expressing an emotion reduces the emotion. That is, Crying will then reduce the want of crying. Or releasing aggression will make one less aggressive at that point. It is the process of expressing strong feelings, for example through plays or either artistic activities, as a way of getting rid of anger, reducing suffering.

This becomes especially important in the process of dealing with death, for the dying and their family because it helps one experience deep emotions and is linked to closure and satisfaction.

Epidarus, was a landscape of well being in greece, it was architecture that respo nded to peoples consciousness. It consisted of embraced temples, clinics, houses for sleep and dreams, and a theatre for physical and emotional catharis. It consisted of views out to the sea, awe inspiring landscapes, all of which, together became part of the healing process.

Catharsis in architecture implies a real efficiency of the architectural process, it can be a method of bringing back memories and experiences of the past in a symbolic way, subsequently giving actual relief. Architecture can endeavor to get through the ordeals of life.

Fig.37 an 38 | Triangle, circle and pentagon | source : pinterest

Fig.39 | Theatre for catharsis, epidarus | source : greeka 24 - https://uxdesign.cc/psychology-of-shapes-in-design-how-different-shapes-can-affect-people-behavior-13cace04ce1e

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The logic behind the concept of cathartic architecture is that it is a way to respond to a disaster by incorporating it into architectural design,which is bringing out the possibility of a renewed but reduced symbolic and temporary experience of disaster. However in this context, dying is attempted to be looked at, not as a disaster but rather a peaceful experience, hence the Catharsis in this context would be to get over the idea of death as a disaster. Hence, instead, Cathartic architecture can be referred to as the architecture that acknowledges a disaster and pain in a way of allowing the release and realization of true, raw emotion.

However, Cathartic architecture doesn’t exist in isolation. When catharsis, got adapted in theatre, it can be understood that the story, the setting, and acting is what really triggered the catharsis. Hence it can be inferred that for catharsis to really be triggered, just architecture alone would not be highly effective.

It shows that this dramatic interpretation that is Cathartic architecture implies the actualization of a narrative while using or interpreting certain architecture.

The cathartic narrative works as a unit, because individually, the narrative in itself might not be recognizant to the aesthetic of the disaster, which in this case would be the gravity of the emotions relating to death. An example of this would be for instance a person likes to sing, and for him, singing is an experience that holds deep value, because, through it, they express themselves. Now, if this person is first given a narrative that they hold dear to them and then put in an empty room and told to sing, the cathartic response would be far lesser than if the person was put in a room, with a view of trees, the flowing water to stimulate the other senses and then told to sing. It is the elements that support the narrative that create a holistic Cathartic narrative.

ely linked to artistic expressions because they are a way of channeling your emotions and converting the intangible into something that is tangible. A list of few of these expressions are: • Music • Theatre • Dance • Story Telling • Art • Writing • Talking to someone you trust • Singing • Exercising There are however other forms of releasing emotions too, such as breaking of plates, or just screaming out load into the woods, these might seem like unconventional or aggressive methods of expression, however, the point of the cathartic experience is to be allowed to feel what you feel, express however one chooses. It is an opportunity to be their true selves, without judgement or worry.

Catharsis is a way of giving the user freedom, and one of the goals of architecture is to facilitate this. What spaces can make one dance, and sing. What does it take for a person to be themselves when they are not interrupted? It works with a space that allows you to have your thoughts, and then express them.

An example for the narrative for a place for dying is to be working through an uncertain future, focus on the unease, allow for reassessment, which helps manage emotions and regive control.

Through the explanations of catharsis above, its evident that a coherent effort is needed, and an individual effort would not be as fruitful, hence a manual of the steps an elements for a cathartic experience has been developed.

An architectural model for catharsis:

Fig.40 | Jewish museum | This structure showcases the effect of strong narrative in architecture and its role in catharsis| source : archdaily

Catharsis is an important step in the process towards peace before dying, and as explained in the previous chapters, it is likely to be a need for those experiencing the end of life due to the various emotions that people undergo. (Fear of the unknown, pain, confusion, peace, dispair, sadness, anger, frustration, denial, anxiety). The goal can not be to completely remove fear from the entire process. It is not a practical expectation when facing death. However through this process, the idea is to reduce the time frame of this fear, from the time of the prognosis to death.

Emotions are intangible, and complex emotions like anxiety, confusion require an output, that is not common in humans, hence cathartic experiences are larg-

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• • • • • • • • •

The cathartic expression ( A narrative that guides the overall experience ) Supporting narrative (Unique for different users. Each user getting the freedom to create their narrative after understanding their requirements) Symbolism Assisting factors (Senses and emotional triggers) Acknowledging the “Disaster” Spaces of security (Those where the security makes the person feel comfortable and secure enough to emote) Understanding of the emotions of the user Facilitation of the emotions of the user (Through various artistic and physical expressions) Elements of peace, acting as a catalyst for the after-effects of catharsis. (Specifically for this context)

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A study was done, into understanding the right approach to introspection. Stating that there is a wrong way too, one which brings up unproductive and upsetting emotions, that can then impede judgement. The study reiterates that “Introspection might also lull us into a false sense of certainty that we’ve identified the real issue.” it continues, stating that one might eagerly pounce on whatever insights one finds without questioning their validity or value.

Architecture for emotions Emotions in architecture can often be linked to how architecture exudes a sense of place. That is, the architectural setting can dictate the emotion of an individual. As explained previously in the cathartic narrative, the place can take up a certain narrative, this narrative further gives a personality to different spaces, which then, with the help of different sensory inputs activate emotions. Different elements of nature can dictate the emotions of a space, Many architectects use light as a medium to do this. For instance, Tadao Ando in the church of light or Peter Zumthor in Thermes Vals, where the play between light and play arouse different emotions in individuals.

It then categorically challenges the current approach of introspection saying that asking “why” is highly inefficient. When trying to understand ones feelings, thoughts and behaviors, asking why might lead us to the first few and most easy answers, negating the true concept of introspection. They suggest that a simple shift from why to what, might result in a more effective outcome, because asking what instead of why can force one to name their emotions, a process that a strong body of research has shown to be effective. For instance, when one says, “why am i feeling this way,” means that a feeling has already been assigned to themselves and then the responses are negative, rather by asking “what am i feeling”, might lead to a holistic answer.

The underlying Narrative potentially is the most Important Key in the awakening of emotions. The maximum effect of a space is felt when the senses are stimulated in a correct way. For instance, The space should not be visually pleasing, but the auditory experience is chaotic.

Architecture for introspection Introspection - reflective looking inward : an examination of one’s own thoughts and feelings Introspection can be considered to be one of the most important steps to cope with ones death. This is because, before a person can emote, express, make peace with themselves or others, they need to know what it is they want. Therapy, counselling always help, and largely guide a person towards introspection, but introspection requires a conducive environment to support it. Unlike Catharsis, introspection does not usually have an individualistic narrative, it is quite often the first step in the process of coping with death and hence most of the emotions aren’t even found out yet. However, that being said, a narrative is required. A person is much likely to introspect in an environment that is capable of guiding their emotions.

Symbolism plays a key part in the holistic experience of the space, this is because, it is the tangible method of representing things, for instance, in the jewish museum, Libeskind used metal skulls, to create a pool of those skulls, symbolising the massacre against the jews. This symbolism gives a powerful impact, because it solidifies a history that one cannot live out any more. Another aspect is that of metaphors and other figures of speech. They work in teangency to this symbolism. For instance, a quite cave, has a river flowing through it, hence symbolizing the flow of emotions. That is, “The natural flow of the river is like that of the river.” It moves the user. In an environment that is conducive, Simple things that go unnoticed provide a hint of what a person is experiencing. This isn’t just by chance. When overloaded with emotions, the brain looks for outputs, as explained during catharsis, however when given the opportunity, especially during introspection, the individual would experience many answers.

This brings up the goal of the counselling, which is to steer the user to asking the right questions.

Source: merriam-webster

The problem with introspection is that the goal is to shut off the chaos outside but shelter yourself inside. But when you do this, the chaos that is inside the mind is what comes out. Hence, a place of introspection is but a place of discomfort because It makes you question your discomforts. A place where you’re comfortable is a place where you contemplate, it is a place where you’re content. When you want to introspect, and question your life, comfort is not going to allow you to do so, this is not to say that the architecture should strive for discomfort, rather, the spaces tend to be pleasing.

For instance, to paint a picture consider the same cave considered above, with water passing through it. The covering of the cave is translucent in spaces, allowing light to subtly enter the space, the silence of the cave and sound of the water is calming but the echo of your breath is the only sound with the water.

The uncomfort stems from being alone, with oneself. The space is one where the person is truly alone, with no one interrupting them. All that is present is their mind and their five senses, all craving for some stimulation, but all that is received is an echo of their existence. The goal of introspection would then be to face yourself, with the least one can do for their existence is to hear what it has to say to them.

Fig.41 | Caves in Greece| The natural structure showcases the privacy possible, and creates an introspective enviornment| source : Greece is

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After experiencing what they do, a chance needs to be offered to leave a part of them back there, to take it away from them forever, but at the same time, leaving their mark in the world. This becomes a tangible way of letting go of these intangible feelings, another way of symbolizing their existence.

Fig.41a | Space for introspection | source : Gregory dos santos

Wilhelm Wundt was a german philosopher who in his philosophical research approached introspection in a different way from what was done at that time. In Wundt’s lab, highly trained observers were presented with carefully controlled sensory events. Wundt believed that the observers needed to be in a state of high attention to the stimulus and in control of the situation. The observations were also repeated numerous times. The purpose of these observations was to to understand the mind. Wundt believed that there were two key components that make up the contents of the human mind: sensations and feelings. And In order to understand the mind, he believed that researchers needed to do more than simply identify the structure or elements of the mind. Instead, it was essential to look at the processes and activities that occur as people experience the world around them.

11.6 | Architectural Question How can architecture help change the perception of death being a process that takes away control from the user to one that allows them to live and through spaces, gain control over their path to dying?

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Maggies Centres Dundee

11.7 | Case Studies

The Centre in Dundee is designed by Architect Frank gehry, and it was completed in 2003. Frank gehry was a friend to Maggie and her husband Charles, and took the project on as a personal project. The centre in Dundee was the first centre which was newly made, since the 2 before it were existing buildings converted into the centre.

The following case studies are done keeping in mind two aspects. The first is that of Architecture in the context of dying, and the second being the architecture catering to peace.

11.7a | Architecture in the context of dying

•

Maggies Centres:

• • •

• • • • • • •

Her own experience and background in architecture led her to develop a blueprint of what a cancer center should look like. and over her final years of illness, she developed this blueprint Maggie campaigned for pleasant rooms with thoughtful lighting; views of birds, foliage, and the sky Seating that could accommodate solitary rest or laughter with a friend A “ladies’ room” like the one you cry in at home; and a library.

It would be planned around a shared kitchen, with no daunting corridors or institutional signage.

Staff on-site would assist in a holistic sense, from offering information on how to advocate for the best care to help with exercise and relaxation therapies.

Airy sitting rooms with access to gardens and other landscape features, and bountiful view.

•

DESIGN PRINCIPLES

•

Maggie’s Centres are the legacy of Margaret Keswick Jencks, a terminally Ill woman who had the notion that cancer treatment environments and their results could be drastically improved through good design. Her vision was realized and continues to be realized today by numerous architects.

During her time in waiting rooms for treatment, she described the spaces as neglected, thoughtless spaces, explaining that patients were left to wilt under the glare of flourescent lights Jencks questioned that wouldn’t it be better to have a private, light-filled space in which to await the results of the next bout of tests, or from which to contemplate, in silence, the findings She stated that buildings should act as secondary therapy for patients.

THE TRIGGER

•

• • •

Fig.42 | Library | source : Raf Makda

• • • •

Two Maggies centers have been studied to understand the theory in practice.

• Maggies centre Dundee • Maggies centre Oxford

The structure was inspired by the design of historic simple Highland dwellings known as Brochs.

A cylindrical form ‘borrowed’ from that house type became the ideal space for the Centre’s library with the addition of small sitting room above it.

Except for this sitting room, the rest of the building is on one level with an open-plan kitchen and dining area, a large sitting room, and smaller rooms for one-to-one sessions.

Externally, the roof is enveloped in folded metal.

There is a walkway leading off from the kitchen area which goes out on stilts above the side of the valley so visitors can go out and take in the view.

The importance of symbolism and perception is however exemplified through its garden.

The garden, designed by Arabella Lenox-Boyd, contains a labyrinth design based on the one at Chartres Cathedral in France.

The labyrinth is an allegory for life: It isn’t a maze, there are no dead ends, but you have to trust you will find a route through, even though often it feels like you are heading in completely the wrong direction.

Also in the grounds of the centre is a sculpture by acclaimed artist Anthony Gormley, entitled Another Time X.

Fig.44 | The garden | source : Raf Makda Source - https://www.archdaily.com/498519/the-story-of-maggie-s-centres-how-17-architects-came-to-tackle-cancer-care

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Fig.43 | Kitchen area | source : Raf Makda

Fig.45 | View of the building | source : Raf Makda

Source - http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/maggiescentre/

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Maggies Centres Oxford

• • • •

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The internal plan is composed of three wings emanating from a central space which is a direct interpretation of the Maggie’s brief, allowing separate areas for information, emotional support and relaxation.

All are linked to the central welcoming heart of the building which has a kitchen, dining table and stove.

The spaces are of a domestic scale, friendly and inviting but also offering quiet places to retreat and reflect Clerestory glazing connects partition walls to the ceiling, giving the feeling of an oversailing roof and bringing light through the building. Slot openings in the roof allow shafts of sunlight into the spaces Openings in the floor provide views through to the landscape below.

Fig.46 | The building | source : Archdaily

Fig.47 | Counseling space | source : Archdaily

PLANNING

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The angular geometry is meant to add movement and life to the spaces The structure is a series of three-dimensional planes fragment, that fold and wrap into each other around a tripartite plan which allows the structure to fit among the existing trees – and visitors to escape visually into the landscape.

External terraces and steps into the woodland allow visitors the opportunity to explore and immerse themselves further.

The surface materials are largely timber and glass which are friendly and familiar and while modern, they will weather naturally and sit comfortably within the landscape.

To minimise disruption to the flora and fauna, prefabricated crossply laminated timber panels were erected on glulam timber columns fixed to concealed screw piles below the ground.

In addition to the design, the columns add a sense of symbolism evoking a sense of tree trunk thickets

DESIGN PRINCIPLES

• •

Maggies oxford has been designed by Wilkinson Eyre.

The concept is inspired by a tree house and hence the building floats amongst the trees in a small copse on the edge of the hospital grounds.

Raised on piloti, it treads lightly on the landscape beneath while the twisting geometry of the architectural form creates internal spaces that are full of gentle movement and light.

The idea was to have the design interact with and embrace nature to provide comfort and reassurance for visitors in their time of need.

Key to the design concept was to create a building that felt warm and friendly.

The Centre needed to be tranquil, slightly neutral and not in any way corporate or clinical

DESIGN CONCEPT

• •

Fig.48 | Central dining area | source : Archdaily

Fig.49 | Ground plan | source : Archdaily

Source - https://www.archdaily.com/558757/maggie-s-oxford-wilkinson-eyre-architects

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Karunashraya

Mindspace Architects

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Source - https://karunashraya.org/

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Fig.51 | Patient bed | source : Karunashraya

Fig.52 | Water body outside rooms | source : Karunashraya

Fig.53 | Corridor outside rooms | source : Karunashraya

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The space has a leaf-fringed, red-tiled meditation corner, serene enough to inspire journeys within. half-doors opening outwards from each curtained-off bed.

These allow fresh air in, besides facilitating the unobtrusive wheeling out of those no more.

The space has an image-free prayer room, where families gather to grieve around the departed or to observe religious rituals, without intruding on other inpatients. Its outer door leads to both the morgue and the hearse on the driveway.

Courtyards are used in design to aid the ventilation of the internal spaces The courtyards also create spaces for interaction The design makes extensive use of landscape elements such as Fountains, Ponds, and greenery.

The central pool acts as cooling agent as it carries cool air from SW to NE.

Fig.54 | View of the nature | source : Karunashraya

DESIGN FEATURES

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Every nook and corner is designed to invoke calmness and peace in one’s inner self. The greenery, water bodies aglow with waterfalls and chirping birds through background music.

Though life and death seem to walk hand in hand here, there is no sign of grimness in the air.

Dealing with hopelessness and death can take its toll on the patients and their care-givers. Live music by visiting volunteers offers a ‘diversion therapy,’ to refresh and energise them.

Food choices of the patients are noted down thrice a day in a meal register and cooked in the spacious sophisticated kitchen.

Environment of a hotel There are no restrictions for the patients A BLUE lotus basks in the sunlight at Karunashraya, a decade-old hospice for terminal cancer patients at Whitefield in Bangalore. Its roots are in the mud, its stem surges through still waters, while its scented bloom seeks eternal rays. The blue lotus, in ancient philosophies, symbolized the victory of the soul over the senses.

To each, the hospice aims to impart “peace and dignity,” The hospice addresses three main services. It nurtures terminal inpatients with understanding. It provides home care to outpatients, counselling for the family, and bereavement support to cope with their loss.

THE SPACE

•

75 bed facilities are available after its expansion.

Residential health assistants training program for adult woman from lower income groups who are later employed at the hospice or sent for homecare is provided Medical treatments for curing the disease is not provided but the nurses take care of the patients by providing them with basic medical assistance.

Checkups can also be done.

Educational initiatives including workshops, conferences and awareness programs on palliative care, Psychological issues in patient care for nurses, counsellors and volunteers is given.

Fig.50 | Patient enjoying the open | source : Karunashraya

SERVICES

• •

It is located in marathahalli in Bangalore.

Karunashraya means Abode of compassion.

It provide free professional palliative care for advanced stage cancer patients who are beyond cure.

It offers patients the flexibility of alternating between the hospice and their home.

They aim to help patients live without pain and in dignity and peace until they die.

Fig.55 | Different dividions of space | source : Karunashraya

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Kashi Labh Mukti Bhavan • • • • • •

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Hindus believe that dying in Varanasi releases them from the eternal cycle of life and death reincarnation. Cremation in the Ganges is an added spiritual bonus.

Kashi Labh Mukti Bhavan or “salvation House” is a building in Varanasi.

The buildings main function is to allow devotees to come to the space and spend their last days there. This idea revolvces around the concept of attaining Moksha.

The maximum limit for each room is 14 days. After which, if they live, they return back home.

In the sacred city, it is said that Shiva breathes the sacred Taraka mantra into a dying person’s ears Kashi epitomizes both ends of the Hindu spectrum. You come here to enjoy the pleasures of this world, ranging from music, art, food and love. You also come here to renounce the world and be an ascetic subsisting on alms collected in a begging bowl—like Shiva did.

These allow for two ends of the specturm. Extreme sensory deprivation though meditation, or Extreme sensory stimulation through the function, colours and more.

The architecture of the building is extremely simple, with bare concrete floored rooms for the people to occupy.

The room is completely given to the user, who can make it their own, by bringing things from their homes, hence allowing for familiarity.

The simplicity of the spaces, helps understand the importance of the narrative of the space, in guiding peoples motives.

Jewish museum Daniel Libeskind

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• •

The jewish museum is a great example of Architecture using a narrative to evoke emotions.

Conceptually, Libeskind wanted to express feelings of absence, emptiness, and invisibility – expressions of disappearance of the Jewish Culture.

It was the act of using architecture as a means of narrative and emotion providing visitors with an experience of the effects of the Holocaust on both the Jewish culture and the city of Berlin.

A visitor must endure the anxiety of hiding and losing the sense of direction before coming to a cross roads of three routes. The three routes present opportunities to witness the Jewish experience through the continuity with German history, emigration from Germany, and the Holocaust.

While entering the main spaces, stories, real letters, belongings of the victims of the holocast are displayed allowing the people to read them. This evokes a certain emotion and readies the people to then strongly experience the inside.

The narrative grips the user, and guides the emotions through the structure.

It allows to manipulate the experience of a user to a certain broader emotion. This is articulated craftily in the Jewish museum by Daniel Libeskind.

The interior is composed of reinforced concrete which reinforces the moments of the empty spaces and dead ends where only a sliver of light is entering the space. It is a symbolic gesture by Libeskind for visitors to experience what the Jewish people during WWII felt, such that even in the darkest moments where you feel like you will never escape, a small trace of light restores hope.

Source Archdaily

Fig.56 | View of the Kashi labh mukti bhawan | source : Project Fuel

Fig.58 | View of the Jewish Museum | source : Archdaily

Fig.59 | Shalakhet – Fallen Leaves | source : Archdaily

Fig.57 | View of the simple room | source : Homegrown

Fig.60 | Inclined walls | source : Archdaily

Fig.61 | Internal spaces | source : Archdaily

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11.7b | Architecture in the context of peace The following case study, is done first understanding the space itself,and its explanation of why it is peaceful. And then it is further broken down, based on the passive techniques that were mention in the above chapters. It is an attempt to showcase the role of elements playing a part in the subconscious path of gaining peace.

Ryoan-ji Temple The temple is located in north Kyoto, Japan. The creator and when it was created is debated amongst scholars, but the consensus is that it was originally created in the fifteenth century and that its present design dates from the Edo period which was from the 1615–1868. Early descriptions explain that the garden has nine big stones representing “tiger cubs crossing the water” and attribute the design to Matsumoto, the chief patron of Ryōanji, or Sōami, the connoisseur, painter, and garden designer attending the Ashikaga shogunate.

Movement: Entering the space, one first experiences the mirror pond on the left which is complimented by the views of mountains. The visitor then walks through the pilgrim pathway to enter the main building through the second gate. The rock garden is located in this space.

The Garden and its meaning: The Ryōanji garden is the one of the most famous examples of a rock gardens in the world. This type of garden consists of rocks and pebbles rather than vegetation and water, and was mainly created on the grounds of temples for encouraging contemplation. White gravel often symbolizes flowing elements such as waterfalls, rivers, creeks, or sea, while rocks suggest islands, shores, or bridges.

Architecture and the zen philosophy: The architecture is a reflection of the beliefs of the people. For instance, a particular religion believes in focusing on the dieties of nature, hence the abundance of nature in the space. The structure also emphasizes and builds on the Zen philosophy of simplicity, spontaneity, and truth. The sea of gravel, rocks, and moss of the rock garden and the earthy tones of the clay walls contrast with the blossoming foliage beyond—evoking stillness and contemplation suitable for meditation.

The natural surroundings and trees, allow for the temperature of the space to be cool and welcoming, not allowing in harsh sunlight.

Layout of the Hojo: The garden is located on the south side of the hōjō, the main building used for the abbot’s personal study and living quarters. The hōjō is divided into six rooms by sliding doors called fusuma; three rooms on the south (a reception, a lecture room and a meeting room) and those on the north (a study, a changing room and a central room consisting of three subdivisions of a serving chamber, alter, and sleeping room).

Fig.62 | Rock Graden | source : DiscoverKyoto

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Fig.63 | Section through building | source : DiscoverKyoto

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Ryoan-ji Temple Analysis

MATERIAL Materials and colour have a large impact in the perception of a space, The ryoaji temple, along with the temples that follow the zen philosophy, use this impact to their advantage.

For instance, natural materials such as wood and stone are a used everywhere, adding a sense of warmth. And the different colours, dont contradict each otjher but rather compliment and are soothing to the e

SHAPE AND SCALE The appreciation of the human scale is evidently seen in the temple, with the use of low furniture, the user gets a sense of grounding and also understands the space better and with ease.

The spaces are made in a way to allow for permeability and visual connect througout the styructure.

SAND In addition to its symbolic meaning, The sand subtly provides additional benefits too.

Walking barefoot on sand allows for a sense of grounding as the feet wa ground. touch the warm In addition the ground is negatively charged, and the feet, which have a rich connetion of nerves and accupuncture points, absorb these negative ions making one feel calm and pleasant

SYMBOLISM Symbolism has a huge part in the interpretations of a space. Ancient studies relate symbols, icons as having different effects on out minds. In this case portraying the philosophy of “I only learn to be content”

PLAN

138 Fig.63a | Analysis of peace through elements | source : Author

VISUAL COMFORT Visual comfort is dependant on various things. In the temple, a clean balance between natural and unnatural images allows for calming presence in the space and outside it too. The striped pattern of the joists/structural member can cause a certain unease in a user.

GREENERY The abundance in the use of nature in the Ryoanji Temple, allows the space to take advantage of the natural advantageous properties of trees. For example, it reduces the adrenaline levels in a person, and reduces stress levels. A feature important in such a place.

WATER Water has general calming effect on people, the rhythimic movement of the waves, charged with the activation of all the senses of the human body, the crashing of waves creates “non-threatening” sounds that allow for the effect of water to be accentuated and highly effective for bringing peace.

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12.0 | Inferences The research and inquiry was an attempt to relate the previous theoretical concepts with the architecture. Through this research it can be inferred that a more holistic approach to death is needed.

With the help of the understanding of what architecture currently exists, an inquiry into what value can be added into the current architecture for dying was developed. The associative qualities of a space, along with different elements for peace, assisted in the development of two approaches to the architecture: Active and Passive methods. A commonly forgotten element of approaching any architecture relating to peace is the passive method, the one that affects the subconscious without thinking. However, in the case of architecture for the dying, this becomes a key element to consider, due to the various issues and symptoms that arise, such as terminal restlessness, OCD and anxiety. The formulated passive peace methods hence help deal with these issues even when active mechanisms aren’t at play. Allowing for the users to feel peaceful at most times.

The research guided to the understanding of the significance of different methods for coping with death, and in addition to the therapies mentioned in the previous chapters and the understanding of the intangibility of peace, the importance of tangible outputs for emotions and hence inputs were explored and understood. Following this, the research into cathartic architecture led to the formulation of guidelines and an architectural model for catharsis. This highlighted the importance of narratives, and hence further helps in developing a design brief as well as considerations for the programs of the space.

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PART III THE REFLECTIONS

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13.0 | Design considerations 13.1 | Design brief Traditionally, death is looked at in various different ways, as a taboo or as a new beginning which one looks forward to. But little attention is given to the process that leads to death. On drawing inferences from the research, it is seen that the process of dying needs more attention and the process leading up to death can have a great impact on the way one dies and perceives death.

How can more focus on the process of dying ease the process and make it more understandable and acceptable, making a space that allows dying to be as, if not more, meaningful than death.

The broad intent of the thesis is to explore through design :

What can built form do to influence dying?

The sub intents include: •

Reducing the time frame of denial and pain, promoting the acceptance and methods of peace hence easing the process of dying with the assistance of built form.

The following broad aims have been identified as the values of design intervention: Narrative: A strong narrative for the design allows a smooth flow of spaces is conducive to grasp and make the user involved in the built form as they inference the transition of spaces as the subtle art and fact of the transition of life. enabling a hierarchy Buildability: Focus on the built and unbuilt environment to foster active and passive methods of peace. Active being spaces of purpose such as counselling and therapy.

Passive methods on the other hand being spaces that subconsciously trigger feelings of peace, balance and calmness.

Symbolism: Create various symbolisms to support the narrative of the space to better feel the gravity and impact of one’s emotions.

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Freedom/choice: The interpretation of each space is unique to each individual, and to enforce a rigid function would be to dictate each interpretation. Whilst the end result can be decided, enough freedom should be given for the user to understand their meaning of each space as they interact with it. Hence adaptable and flexible spaces should be designed in addition to providing Multiple different spaces for one function.

Emote: Creating pockets of private spaces to foster all forms of expressions. Building on the different therapy spaces, the public spaces should focus on subconscious triggering of different emotions and experiences. Spaces that give ample choice between built and unbuilt, private and public, to allow the user to choose their own cathartic experience. The building must strive to allow for true, without judgement emoting Association/familiarity: A persons interpretation of a space, highly depends on their association to it, A negative association, would bring about a negative response, similarly, a positively familiar space creates an environment of fostering and trust. Therefore, multiple pockets of spaces and nodes can be created that can alter the perception of a space which in turn provides hints of association and familiarity, and hence comfort and security.

Using different elements of familiarity to affect the subconscious along with the conscious.

Balance: The closer one gets to dying, the more they lose their balance, with increasing effects of OCD and anxiety.

Thus, the role of a space becomes to not only provide a sense of balance through its visual elements, but also soothe the person via an assumed sense of control.

Direction: People facing their own mortality have a large sense of ambiguity and confusion as the process their future. In such instances of lack of mental clarity, the visual clarity should help ease the mind rather than add to its stress.

Hence, the regular movements of the space should be crisp and there should be enough visual communication so as to always having a sense of direction and movement.

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(Foster) understanding: Understanding that death is imminent and a fact of every living thing on the planet is required to come to terms with their demise.

Through various methods, assistance and symbolism, allowing the people to Understand their purpose and path to peace before dying. The building can strive to achieve this through various spaces that nudge one in the right direction to introspection.

Introspection: Before any counsellor or therapy can help a person, it has to be the person himself who understands that there is something to process.

Normal routine and environment are not suitable for such a process that is gruesome and likely extensive. Environments that are conducive in the process of introspection, such as pathways amidst nature and continuous uninterrupted flows of spaces, where one can think and be with their mind is needed. The human scale is needed to be achieved to allow for a sense of grounding.

Additionally, creating pockets that allow for a person to absorb and experience the power of a space to its fullest. and allowing for trust

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13.2 | Design program and area statement The idea of an architecture for dying can be a grim feeling, yet every human dies and acknowledging how one dies can largely change the perception of death. Everyone wants a painless death, but it’s forgotten that pain is not only physical but emotional too.

Justification: At a time when confusion is high and emotions are all over the place, a person when given the choice between their home or a hospital will most likely choose their home. But home tends to comfort not understanding one’s reality. And in a situation where home is not an option (But still wants to be surrounded by their friends and family), or one does not want to be at home for whatever reason (Away from family, No family, doesn’t want to be a burden) a space that allows the dying to first understand their mortality, then allows them to freely acknowledge their emotions and then provides an outlet for the same, shouldn’t be a privilege but rather a right.

A program that gives one a choice when options are few Scope: The program aspires to cater to all people and hence is secular. And while religious approaches are catered to, the “secularity” allows for the people to choose what they want rather than the program being for a specific religious sect.

An important aspect when catering to the dying is to also cater to the family of the dying after or before death. Hence the program would also partly cater to the family.

While there is no “right way” of dying, but the program will strive to offer a different and idealistic way of dying where the user themselves can decide their right way of dying, in peace.

Places for dying have potential to deal with both emotional and physical pain while also providing a sense of control to ones life when everything seems out of control. And hence the need to rethink the approach to dying arises.

The thesis takes the opportunity to change the perception of the architecture that caters to the dying from being one that a person “occupies” till they die to one where the person creates meaningful experiences and attempts at finding their peace before dying.

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Program Outline The thesis aims to design a space through architecture that allows the user to experience their true emotions and a space that offers the chance to a cathartic experience, all while promoting means to the users of coping with their own death. This leads to spaces that through meaningful progression and experiences guides the users to find their path to a peaceful death.

A preliminary area study is done to find the ideal area required for a site. The following numbers are estimates and are subject to change during the design stage. They give an idea of the minimum area required while considering a site.

Total minimum built up area - 6815 m2 Site considerations would depend on permissible BUA of the site according to the FSI required. For Instance if a site has 0.35 FSI, the minimum area of the site would have to be 19,500 m2.

Program

Counselling spaces

Therapy spaces

• • • •

Terminally ill patients who comes to space, experiences what they need and perishes there Aged people who know death is inching closer Friends and family of the dying Person who comes to the space and experiences what they need and goes back to the family or his life before he finally perishes Person dealing with someone’s death

Description

Built

Unbuilt

These spaces are those where a person dying is guided through a counsellor, to find the best path towards acceptance, these would then allow for the narration 265 through the spaces of the particular person.

After the counselling spaces, the next step would be the therapies, these would include those therapies mentioned in the above 300 chapters.

An offshift emergency hospital/clinic that can deal with major crisis and facilitate the various tests and treatments required

Medical spaces

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Contemplation spaces

These spaces promote the idea of contemplation and induce atmospheres for the same, they include but are not limited to 300 meditation spaces.

Spaces to Emote

These are cathartic spaces, that via different activities and spaces allow for a person to 750 cathart.

Dining areas

Multiple dining areas to facilitate the various sects of people visiting the space, who would all have their preferences and wants. The dining areas would also facilitate communal kitchens which allow for a sense of 250 “home food”

Introspection Spaces

Introspective spaces would be largely isolated spaces amongst nature which 250 compel isolated thinking.

Target user group: •

Area (m2)

These spaces would allow for multiple activities and be flexible in nature, not requiring a large footprint.

Places of flexibility

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Engagement and Interaction spaces

These are spaces that create engagement between the users, the goal is to reduce the isolation that people dying would usually 100 endure.

Places to reflect

Spaces for reflection can be isolated as well 300 in the comfort of few people.

Places for experiences

Understanding the limits of architecture in fulfilling and providing experiences and last wishes, this space would cater to experiences which the center and architecture can 375 facilitate A person who dies here, need not be taken to different locations to perform funerals.

Cremation spaces would be provided, and the rituals before burial could be performed too, the space however, would not facilitate burial.

Places for funerals

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The nothing spaces

The nothing spaces are places where one can just exist, there is no need or facility to 150 do anything. A space for nothing.

Accommodation

Administration spaces

Accommodation would be varied, first for the staff receding in the space, then for the users, which are further divided into long term and short term users. All accommodations would not only facilitate the person dying but even a few of their friends 2000 and families.

These consist of the admin or the areas required for the functioning and management 150 of the spaces.

Curated nature spaces Spaces of chance encounters

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14.0 | SITE 14.1 | Site selection Criteria The broader design intent is to rethink the way architecture can approach the process of dying and question how it can add value to this process.

For doing so, a large plethora of functions are needed to be accommodated.

Additionally, the design would heavily depend on the interaction of the unbuilt and the built and hence, the site plays a crucial role in the development of the design. With this background, the following criteria for the site and its context have been laid out: 1. The site should have abundance of nature: Nature plays a crucial role in the design of the space, it provides and helps activate the 5 senses of a person, but additionally in accordance to the research, Nature in this context not only serves as a visual pleaser and one the superficially interacts with the design but rather is one of the guiding factors to the various principles leading to the design.

6. In close proximity to city The site should be close to a city, so that incase of an emergency, services are easily accessible. This would also allow for more people to visit the site, since it is not difficult to reach.

7. Mix of dense and sparse greenery Respecting the natural landscape with an attempt to not destroy existing greenery, to allow for the eventual built environment, the site should preferably have a mix of a dense area of green and sparse area of trees.

8. Large site that allows for the large design of the unbuilt The design of the unbuilt needs to be done with the same sensitivity of that of the built. To facilitate this and enough interplay between the built and unbuilt, a large site would be ideal. To better the experience and understanding of a user, it is important to build to the human scale. and idealistically build horizontal rather than vertical, which would require a larger site.

2. The site should not have a strong religious significance: The thesis aims to be a secular design. In doing so, catering to all sects of people.

Hence, a site with a strong religious significance would create an unintentional bias, which would negate the secular direction. Hence a neutral site is preferred.

3. Site near a water body (Sea, lake, river) Water has a long standing association with various cultures, rituals and religions. Besides these values of water, a natural source of water would mean most elements of nature being present at one site, allowing for a holistic functioning and integration of the site and design.

4. Site which is accessible Owing to the fact that the users of the design would largely be those who are ill or old, it is necessary for the site to be accessible by various modes of transport.

In addition, since travelling is a constraint for people when sick, the site should be close to a metropolitan city to allow for ease of movement. The site should have an established road network for better convenience.

5. Lower population density Since a large part of acceptance and understanding the requirements of one’s peace depends on the person introspecting, it is important that the site provides each individual with the sort of exclusivity they require.

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14.2 | Preliminary site study Below mentioned are the potential sites based on the criteria mentioned previously. A further study was done on each site to analyse and understand the potential of each site.

Site Option 1 Karjat Site area: 45000 sqm

First potential areas and locality were identified based on the suitability, and then they were further narrowed down. These areas were: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Karjat Bhandardara Kolad Nashik Panvel (Gadheshwar)

PROPOSED SITE

KARJAT

PROPOSED SITE

Fig.64 | Karjat Site Demarcation | source : Author

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The site lies in the green zone 1. Religious buildings, resorts and cultural centers are permitted. A maximum building height of 15 meters is permitted with a Maximum FSI of 0.2.

Context The site is located in the sub districts of Karjat, Maharashtra, Close to the Tata power hydro plant in Bhivpuri.

The Site is well connected to major cities like Mumbai and Pune, via major transport facilities, such as cars, busses, and trains. It is 88KM from Mumbai. The site is on the banks of the Ulhas river, and boasts a large area of greenscape. The site is also in close proximity to Jeevanvidya Dnyanpeeth, a non profit organization.

Reason for site selection • • • • • •

The site is in very close proximity to cities, making it accessible.

Water plays an important part in the development of the design, and hence, the location of the river is advantageous.

The site provides a range of greenery.

The climate of the area is tropical, an ideal climate type, allowing the smooth functioning of the site throughout the year.

The topography and nature of the site would not only allow for the design to develop, but has the possibility of working with the design itself.

It fulfils most of the site criteria mentioned in the previous section (Sile selection criteria).

Fig.66 | Entrance into site | source : Author

Fig.67 | View of site expanse | source : Author

Fig.68 | View of river from site | source : Author

Fig.69 | View of site | source : Author

Fig.70 | View of river from site | source : Author

Fig.71 | Different topology of the site | source : Author

Fig.72 | Different topology of the site | source : Author

Fig.73 | Different topology of the site | source : Author

Scope The site offers and opportunity to provide for a quiet, contemplative space.

Nature acts as a comforter when usual methods don’t work. The extensive provision of the same allows for the site nurture its users. Since it isn’t in the main city, the development of the area would take a great amount of time, hence maintaining the exclusivity of the site.

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Site Option 2 Bhandardara Site area: 35000 sqm

Fig.74 | Bhandardara Site Demarcation | source : Author

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Context The site is located in Bhandardara, Maharashtra, Close to the Waki dam. The Site is 165 KM from Mumbai and 68 KM from Nashik. The area is accessible via the bhandardar-Ghoti road , thtough major transport facilities, such as cars, busses, and trains. The site is on the banks of the Waki river, and provides a good balance of greenscape and barren. The site is also in close proximity to various camping sites and mountains.

Reason for site selection • • • • • •

The site is accessible from major cities.

Water plays an important part in the development of the design, and hence, the location of the river is advantageous.

The site provides a range of greenery.

The site has a gradual slope, allowing for a varied range of experiences and movement throughout. It allows for a natural hierarchy of spaces.

The natural vegetation present on the side provides an opportunity to create a balance between the built and unbuilt.

It fulfils most of the site criteria mentioned in the previous section (Sile selection criteria).

Fig.75 | View of site | source : Google Earth

Scope • • • • •

The slope allows for various design opportunities There is enough space to design both, the built and unbuilt.

Nature acts as a comforter when usual methods don’t work. The extensive provision of the same allows for the site nurture its users The site offers and opportunity to provide for a quiet, contemplative space.

The panoramic view of the site would allow for the creation of pockets and different views in the area smoothly.

Fig.76 | View of site | source : Google Earth

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Site Option 3 Kolad Site area: 47000 sqm

Fig.77 | Kolad Site Demarcation | source : Author

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Context The site is located in Kolad, Maharashtra. The Site is 130 KM from Mumbai and 115 KM from Pune. The area is accessible via theRoha - Kolad road , through major transport facilities, such as cars, busses, and trains.

The site is on the banks of the Kundalika river, and provides a good balance of greenscape and barren. The site is also in close proximity to various river rafting camps.

Reason for site selection • • • • • •

The site is accessible from major cities.

Water plays an important part in the development of the design, and hence, the location of the river is advantageous.

The site provides a range of greenery.

The site has a sudden slope which turns into a hillock The natural vegetation present on the side provides an opportunity to create a balance between the built and unbuilt.

It fulfils most of the site criteria mentioned in the previous section (Sile selection criteria).

Scope • • • • • •

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The sudden slope allows for various design opportunities such as waterfalls There is enough space to design both, the built and unbuilt.

The road and the site are adjoining, however, the abundance of green in a line can act as a natural barricade.

Nature acts as a comforter when usual methods don’t work. The extensive provision of the same allows for the site nurture its users The site offers and opportunity to provide for a quiet, contemplative space.

The closeness of the river can allow for interplay between the design and the water.

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Site Option 4 Gadheshwar Site area: 34000 sqm

Context The site is located near the Gadheshwar Dam, in Maharashtra. The Site is 60 KM from Mumbai and 14 KM from Panvel. The area is accessible via the Dodhani road , through major transport facilities, such as cars, busses, and trains. The site is on the banks of the Kalundre river. The site is in close proximity to the Gadeshwar Temple and the Gadeshwar Lake.

Reason for site selection • • • • • • •

The site is accessible from major cities.

Water plays an important part in the development of the design, and hence, the location of the river is advantageous.

The location therefore offers number of hills and undulating geographic within the project area.

There is no commercial activity near the site The roads are well built and provide easy access to the site It fulfils most of the site criteria mentioned in the previous section (Sile selection criteria).

Scope • • • •

There is enough space to design both, the built and unbuilt.

The site provides the potential to use the various natural elements on it.

The site offers and opportunity to provide for a quiet, contemplative space.

The closeness to city life, provides a greater opportunity for a greater audience.

Fig.78 | Gadheshwar Site Demarcation | source : Author

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Fig.79 | View of the river | source : Manvi Mehta

Fig.80 | View towards the road | source : Manvi Mehta

Fig.81 | View of the river | source : Manvi Mehta

Fig.82 | View towards the dam | source : Manvi Mehta

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Site Option 5 Nashik Site area: 77000 sqm

Context The site is located in Nashik, Maharashtra. The area is easily accessible through major transport facilities.

The site is on the banks of the Godavari river. The site is in close proximity to Panchvati and the city center.

Reason for site selection • • • • • •

The site is easily accessible from.

Water plays an important part in the development of the design, and hence, the location of the river and the lake is advantageous.

The location has a high religious significance.

The site is abutting a lake The roads are well built and provide easy access to the site It fulfils most of the site criteria mentioned in the previous section (Sile selection criteria).

Scope • • • • •

There is enough space to design both, the built and unbuilt.

The site allows for a potential of “disconnect” from the city.

The highly religious significance, provides a chance to cater to a more focused user typology The site provides the potential to use the various natural elements on it.

The site offers and opportunity to provide for a quiet, contemplative space in a busy region.

Fig.83 | Nashik Site Demarcation | source : Author

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14.3 | Comparative Analysis

sites are evaluated 14.4The | Selected Site based on the site criteria mentioned before.

The Analysis along with the SWOT analysis, allows for better selection of the final site. Although the prelimenary sites were chosen in regards to the criteria in the first place, and they seem to fulfill most of the The sites arebut evaluated based shows, on the the siteintensity criteria mentioned before. criteria, as the analysis of the fulfillment helps narrowing the choices down.

The Analysis along with the SWOT analysis, allows for better selection of the final site. Although the prelimenary were chosen in regards criteria in theisfirst place, and they seem to fulfill most of ab Based onsites the above mentioned criteria, to thethe final site chosen Karjat. em ipsum dolor sit amet, consectethe criteria, but as the analysis shows, the intensity of the fulfillment helps narrowing the choices down. tur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Quis ipsum suspendisse ultrices gravida. Risus commodo viverra maecenas accumsan lacus vel facilisis.

Based on the above mentioned criteria, the final site chosen is Karjat. The Site area based on the maximum FSI allows for the optimal realisation of the thesis, with enough area being available for built spaces.

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15.0 | END NOTE The approach to dying can only be changed if people are given control in the process.

Dying is a complex process which involves more than just the stopping of breath and end of life. To holistically approach dying it is necessary to first understand the various complexities and beliefs linked through it Having commented on the different beliefs, approaches and interpretations of dying, it was noticed during the course of the study that many approaches to dying are not fully successful because they largely focus on singular approaches or death itself. The last thing a space catering to death needs is a constant, unwarranted reminder of the proximity of death. When catering to death, the focus should be the user and not the disease.

Dealing with death means dealing with the emotions and fears that come with dying, and only understanding these aren’t enough, architecture needs to allow for these understandings to be implemented. By dealing with the allied emotions and wants in relation to death, in addition to dying itself, can allow for a more holistic approach to dying.

Very often we forget that each death is unique, and hence having a stringent guideline to death, takes away the very freedom that the process deserves.

A changed approach to dying, invariably means an improved approach to living.

The thesis will ultimately attempt to translate these learning done at the macro and micro level at intervals throughout the study into an intervention on site level rethinking the approach to dying through the stated program.

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16.0 | BIBLIOGRAPHY BOOKS How we die | Sherwin Nuland The lost art of dying | L.S. Dugdale Questions of Perception: Phenomenology of Architecture | Juhani Pallasmaa and Steven Holl Eyes of the skin | Juhani Pallasmaa

PRINTS AND PUBLISHED ARTICLES A view from the frontline | Maggie Keswic Jencks Enigmatic Signifier and Cathartic Narrative | Emmanuel Rubio Excerpts from Deathscapes | Avril Maddrell and James Sidaway 2015 Quality of death index | Economist Intelligence Unit 2015 Quality of death infographic | Economist Intelligence Unit Home and/or Hospital | Annmarie Adams Effectiveness of act for death anxiety and OCD | Department of psychology, Shahid Beheshti Universtity of medical sciences Death anxiety and its role in psychopathology | Lisa Iverach, Ross Menzies, Rachel Menzies Study on the philosophy and architecture of Zen Buddhism in Japan | Antariksa Phenomenology of Contemplative Space : Architectural thesis | Frank Fuentes Sacred Matters : A place for contemplation : Published Thesis | Govinda DeCastro The Psychological Impact of Architectural Design : Thesis | Natalie Ricci Visual Arts, Aesthetics of Zen in Japanes Garden | University of hong kong Excerpts for the Garden of Cosmic Speculation | Charles Jencks

VIDEO REFERENCES Alison Killing : Theres a better way to die, and architecture can help | TED What really matters at the end of life - BJ Miller | TED Peter Zumthor and Juhani Pallasma - Architecture Speaks | Aalto University Resolve all Conflicts | Project Fuel

REFERENCED LINKS • • • •

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https://deathwithdignity.org/learn/religion-spirituality/ https://www.artofdyingwell.org/what-is-dying-well/a-good-catholic-death/church-says-death/ https://theconversation.com/in-the-midst-of-deep-grief-a-scholar-writes-how-hindu-rituals-taught-her-to-letgo-145370 https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/gravematters/2017/03/05/hindu-perspectives-on-death-karma-and-its-implications/

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

https://www.uofazcenteronaging.com/care-sheet/providers/religion-and-end-life-part-1-how-different-religionsview-end-life https://www.livemint.com/Sundayapp/pi5ZIylB1gAvrvvrbkamXJ/In-search-of-moksha-at-Kashi.html https://isha.sadhguru.org/in/en/wisdom/article/stages-of-death-rituals https://blog.projectfuel.in/2016/05/15/12-life-lessons-from-a-man-who-has-seen-12000-deaths/ https://u.osu.edu/group5/2014/10/12/the-meaning-of-life-according-to-hinduism/comment-page-1/ https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/palliative-care https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases https://ourworldindata.org/causes-of-death https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death https://www.eiu.com/industry/article/1413563125/white-paper-quality-of-death-index-2015/2015-10-07 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4117086/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-near-death-experiences-reveal-about-the-brain/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6172100/ https://www.boredpanda.com/things-to-do-before-you-die/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_ campaign=organic https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/peace-of-mind-near-death/ https://www.boredpanda.com/heartbreaking-last-wishes/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_ campaign=organic https://ehospice.com/international_posts/last-wishes-and-ethical-dilemmas-at-the-end-of-life/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2815047/ https://isha.sadhguru.org/in/en/wisdom/article/peaceful-death-dying-peacefully https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-is-palliative-care-and-who-can-benefit-from-it-2019111118186 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2793341/ https://medium.com/studiotmd/the-perception-of-color-in-architecture-cf360676776c https://www.dezeen.com/2017/11/23/frank-kolkman-outrospectre-near-death-experience-virtual-reality-technology-robots-health/ https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/7-ways-to-achieve-emotional-catharsis-without-having-ameltdown https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299853135_Introducing_emotions_in_the_architectural_design_process https://www.archdaily.com/965178/architecture-is-a-deeply-emotional-experience https://ism.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/Architecture%20for%20Worship.pdf http://www.millenniumpost.in/features/storytelling-a-cathartic-experience-397195 https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6749614/ https://mamou-mani.com/project/catharsis/ https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/05/lucidity-installation-offers-breath-healing-catharsis/ http://www.jakobsteensen.com/catharsis https://www.sageglass.com/en/article/healing-architecture-hospital-design-and-patient-outcomes https://architecturever.com/2020/09/25/psychology-of-architecture-and-its-effects-on-humans/ https://medium.com/studiotmd/spatial-perception-and-architecture-4f8ab99eeb41 https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/introspection/ https://www.behance.net/gallery/34504657/A-Place-of-Introspection-Experience-Design https://www.ted.com/talks/rogier_van_der_heide_why_light_needs_darkness

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17.0 | APPENDIX

Ch 9.1 Fig.16 | Negative and positive peace | source : Institute for economics and peace

Ch 7.0 Fig.01 | Ars Moriendi : The art of dying Ch 8.2 Fig.02 | Catholic look at the art of dying | source : José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro Fig.03 | Samsara - The cycle of death and rebirth | source : Wikipedia Fig.04 | Gajendra Moksham | source : Brooklyn Museum Ch 8.4 Fig 05 | Causes of death in india over the years | source : IHME, Global Burden of diseaseltrices gravida. Risus commodo viverra maecenas accumsan lacus vel facilisis.

Fig.06 | Number of deaths and their cause | source : IHME, Global Burden of disease Fig.07 | Overall quality of death score | source : Economist Intelligence Unit Fig.08 | Quality of end of life care | source : Economist Intelligence Unit Fig.08 a | Availability of End of life care | source : Economist Intelligence Unit Fig.08 b | Basic end of life healthcare environment | source : Economist Intelligence Unit Fig.09 | Public awareness of end of life care | source : Economist Intelligence Unit Fig.10 | Index for India | source : Economist Intelligence Unit Ch 8.5 Fig.11 | Museo degli innocenti | An example of what hospitals used to be. Light, open courtyards. | source : Inexhibit Fig.12 | Museo degli innocenti | The current state of hospital architecture. Fortified, alien | source : Inexhibit Ch 8.6 Fig.A | Are you afraid of death | source : Author Fig.B | Are you afraid of the process of dying | source : Author Fig.C | Do you think people talk about death and dying enough | source : Author Fig.D | Are you comfortable talking about death | source : Author Fig.E | Perceptions of death | source : Author Fig.F | Comfort talking about death | source : Author Fig.G | Importance of wishes | source : Author Fig.H | Religions influence on dying | source : Author Fig.I | Importance of how and where of dying | source : Author Ch 8.7 Fig.13 | ascent of the blessed - Hieronymus Bosch | source : Pictorem Fig.14 | Real last wishes of people | source : Bored Panda Fig.15 a | “Before I die” Wall | A wall where people write what they want to do before dying | source : drexel university Fig.15 b | “Before I die” Wall | A wall where people write what they want to do before dying | source : drexel university 180

Ch 9.2 Fig.17 | Zen Gardens and Peace | source : Garden design Fig.18 | Temples and peace | source :Open Magazine Ch 9.4 Fig.19 | Exposure Therapy | source : psychology tools Fig.20 | Garden Therapy | source : Medium Fig.21 | Reminiscence therapy | source : evidently cochrane Ch 12.1 Fig.22a | Hospital rooms | source : Bombay hospital Fig.22b | What hospital rooms can be | source : archdaily Ch 12.2 Fig.23a and 23b | Hospital Corridors| The sterileness of hospital corridors, with little to not stimulus to the senses | source : Reddit Fig.24 | Hospice design example | source : Fast Company.

Fig.25 | palliative and a better death | source : Fast Company Ch 12.3 Fig.26 | Sagrada Familia | source : Klook Fig.27 | Long highways and accidents | source : dangerous roads Fig.28 an 29 | hospitals and the possibilities of shifting associations | source : Khoo teck puat Ch 12.5 Fig.30 | Internal and external Factors affecting an objects perception | source : Author Fig.31 | The sea and its sensorial stimulation| source : Author Fig.32 | The sea and its sensorial stimulation| source : Author Fig.33 an 34 | Scale invariant and scale variant images | source : pinterest Fig.35 an 36 | Mekabah and Golden Ratio | source : pinterest Fig.37 an 38 | Triangle, circle and pentagon | source : pinterest Fig.39 | Theatre for catharsis, epidarus | source : greeka Fig.40 | Jewish museum and an effective cathartic narrative| source : archdaily Fig.41 | Introspective quality of caves in greece : Greece is Fig.41a | Space for introspection | source : Gregory dos santos Ch 12.7a Fig.42 | Library | source : Raf Makda Fig.43 | Kitchen area | source : Raf Makda Fig.44 | The garden | source : Raf Makda Fig.45 | View of the building | source : Raf Makda 181

Fig.46 | The building | source : Archdaily Fig.47 | Counseling space | source : Archdaily Fig.48 | Central dining area | source : Archdaily Fig.49 | Ground plan | source : Archdaily Fig.50 | Patient enjoying the open | source : Karunashraya Fig.51 | Patient bed | source : Karunashraya Fig.52 | Water body outside rooms | source : Karunashraya Fig.53 | Corridor outside rooms | source : Karunashraya Fig.54 | View of the nature | source : Karunashraya Fig.55 | Different dividions of space | source : Karunashraya Fig.56 | View of the Kashi labh mukti bhawan | source : Project Fuel Fig.57 | View of the simple room | source : Homegrown Fig.58 | View of the Jewish Museum | source : Archdaily Fig.59 | Shalakhet – Fallen Leaves | source : Archdaily Fig.60 | Inclined walls | source : Archdaily Fig.61 | Internal spaces | source : Archdaily Ch 12.7b Fig.62 | Rock Graden | source : DiscoverKyoto Fig.63 | Section through building | source : DiscoverKyoto Fig.63a | Analysis of peace through elements | source : Author Chp 15.2 Fig.64 | Karjat Site Demarcation | source : Author Fig.65 | Land use map | source : MMRDA Fig.66 | Entrance into site | source : Author Fig.67 | View of site expanse | source : Author Fig.68 | View of river from site | source : Author Fig.69 | View of site | source : Author Fig.70 | View of river from site | source : Author Fig.71 | Different topology of the site | source : Author Fig.72 | Different topology of the site | source : Author Fig.73 | Different topology of the site | source : Author Fig.74 | Bhandardara Site Demarcation | source : Author Fig.75 | View of site | source : Google Earth Fig.76 | View of site | source : Google Earth Fig.77 | Kolad Site Demarcation | source : Author Fig.78 | Gadheshwar Site Demarcation | source : Author Fig.79 | View of the river | source : Manvi Mehta Fig.80 | View towards the road | source : Manvi Mehta Fig.81 | View of the river | source : Manvi Mehta Fig.82 | View towards the dam | source : Manvi Mehta Fig.83 | Nashik Site Demarcation | source : Author

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