Hannah Berish

PAUSE SELF-CARE FOR ALL

INTERIOR DESIGN CAPSTONE

HANNAH BERISH

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SELF-CARE IS

A NECESSITY,

NOT A LUXURY

INTERIOR DESIGN CAPSTONE

HANNAH BERISH

01_CONCEPT RESEARCH

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N O R M A L I Z E MINDFULNESS WHAT IF SPACE RESPONDED TO HUMAN EMOTION AND SENSORY PERCEPTION TO PROMOTE MINDFULNESS?

_Recently the CDC has acknowledged the escalating omnipresence of mental stress that has emerged in our society consequent the pandemic culture and social unrest. Researchers have also confirmed that continued and consistent feelings of heightened anxiety can exasperate underlying medical conditions, significantly impact our ability to sleep and focus, and decrease our bodies’ immune response.

Mental wellness pertains to every citizen, every culture, every race, and every age. There is a shared interest and an incontestable need for an accessible retreat that fosters collective mindfulness. Pause will serve as an encapsulated collection of curative artscapes in which the spatial qualities rejuvenate users and inspire a deeper awareness of our mental well-being.

WHY

01_CONCEPT RESEARCH

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THERAPEUTIC A R T S C A P E S PAUSE IS A NEW TYPOLOGY OF RESTORATIVE SELF-CARE.

_Serving as a shared collection of remedial playscapes, Pause will promote mindfulness through tangible space. It will present a conscious introduction to curative interior properties and promote inclusiveness through its playful approachability and restorative atmosphere. Self-care is a quickly emerging wellness trend that is here to claim its permanence in our vernacular. Pause is an idealized sanctuary where ones mind can retreat into moments of rest and thoughtful interactions within the surrounding environment. Mindful design can play a crucial role in the betterment of our society by interjecting therapeutic materials and remedial architecture into shared spaces.

WHAT

01_CONCEPT RESEARCH

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S U R R E A L SANCTUARIES PAUSE IS A UNIVERSAL ESCAPE THAT PROVOKES CURIOSITY AND ENGAGES THE SENSES.

_Pause’s environments will serve as dreamlike escapes from the stresses of society. Utilizing principles of the Surrealism artistic movement, the scenes are non-sequential and reject the expected. The interiority should be completely divorced from existing architecture.

Unique material applications invite the user to question what they are experiencing and engage with the encompassing space. They layout should acknowledge the power of the unconscious and power of spontaneity by permitting users everywhere but guiding them no where. Users are encouraged to wander and discover which component of Pause’s experience they connected with most.

This is with the intention of provoking conversations about mental wellness and dismantling preconceptions about mindfulness.

HOW

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EMPATHETIC

IMMER

Adj. Showing the ability to understand and share the feelings of another; psychological identif ication with the feelings of others.

Adj. Noting or relating or imagery that actively and may create an alte

_Pause will provide a focal for collective mindfulness, acknowledging the need for communal support and thoughtful environments especially during times of heightened stress. The spaces will recognize the needs of each user and provide a variety of inclusive experiences.

_Pause will construct a and atmosphere that en and transforms their st emotions of hope and unpredictability relating crisis.

01_CONCEPT RESEARCH

RSIVE

ACCESSIBLE

g to digital technology y engages one’s senses red mental state.

Adj. Easy to approach, reach, enter, speak with or use; obtainable, attainable, approachable; capable of being understood or appreciated.

an illusory environment ngages the user’s senses tate of mind, fostering tranquility amidst the g to the current world

_Pause will serve as new public amenity, dismantling the stigma surrounding mental wellness. The hub will be placed in a strategic location offering a new typology of self-care to a diverse population, in turn benef iting the whole of society.

GOALS

S E N S E S E N S E

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S E N S E S E N S E S E N S E 01_CONCEPT RESEARCH

AESTHETICS OF ATMOSPHERES _Dr. Gernot Bohme, a contemporary German philosopher, rose to prominence by authoring several essays exploring the importance of the relationship between human perception and the built environment. One of his most renowned essays “The Aesthetics of Atmospheres” provides a phenomenological analysis of the aestheticization of our environments and the importance of understanding its role in our sensory perception. He proposes that this interaction is distilled through four approaches that directly correlate to the five senses. These modes are light, sound, texture, and movement. He elaborates on this sentiment by acknowledging the humanism that inherently exists in design; in which every individual is viewed as their own person with their own unique perspective, and therefore distinct perception of the spaces they interact with. Not only does he declare that we are all singular beings, but he also recognizes the need for mindful design.

THEORY

02_PRECEDENT RESEARCH

Images Courtesy of Reversibledestiny.org

R EVE RS IB LE D E S T I N Y SITE OF REVERSIBLE DESTINY | ARAKAWA & GINS

_Located in Gifu, Japan, Site of Reversible Destiny is a actualized landscape containing a sequence of pavilions, curvilinear planes, and disorienting spaces that present visitors a place of purposeful experimentation. One of the first pavilions encountered is the Critical Resemblance House which includes a maze with walls directly intersecting with furniture and also has a map of Gifu as its roof.

Also another notable part of the park is the Elliptical Field which is set in a concave basin formed by the foothills in the region. Arakawa and Gins theorized that changes in bodily perception would lead to changes in consciousness. The spaces developed by the duo aimed to challenge the body in order to “reverse our destinies”. The artists wished for visitors to explore the site like children to reconstruct perceptions and observe the unlimited possibilities of the body.

REVERSIBLE DESTINY

02_PRECEDENT RESEARCH

Images Courtesy of Otherworldohio.com

O W

T O

H R

E L

R D

VARIOUS ART EXHIBITS | OTHERWORLD INDUSTRIES

_Otherworld is a 32,000 square foot immersive art installation located in Columbus, Ohio. The space includes 47 rooms containing mixed reality playgrounds. Visitors are encouraged to freely explore and interact with the world of science fiction and fantasy. The artists consist of a team of more than 40 creatives with various backgrounds ranging from metalworking to creative writing. They aim to challenge the conventional gallery and strive to redefine what constitutes an art museum. It has been described as “part haunted house, part real-life first-person video game, part interactive movie set, and part outsized art installation. Through highly interactive tech, large-scale props, sets, and an engaging narrative, the environment intends to inspire the next generation of creators and innovators.

OTHERWORLD

02_PRECEDENT RESEARCH

Images Courtesy of Jamestralie.com

D I G I T A L ARCHITECTURE TH E G R E AT IN D O O R S | JA M E S T R A L I E

_ James Traile works as a producer and animator at NASA and is tasked with explaining complex scientific discoveries to the public through film and animation. His background is in Geosciences and Environmental Science but has also maintained a strong connection with the arts. He also imagines distant landscapes, experiences and worlds and creates though a process of terrain building in World Creator, texture mapping in Quixel Mixer, and creates the final renders in Blender. The Great Indoors was a personal project that James began when entering quarantine.

The project aimed to actualize some of his favorite destinations through abstract interior spaces. He intends to push the boundaries of interior environments and visualize transformative architecture.

DIGITAL ARCH

03_SITE RESEARCH

Images Courtesy of Architecturalafterlife.com

WARNER & SWASEY OBSERVATORY 1975 NORTH TAYLOR ROAD | EAST CLEVELAND, OH

_Built in 1919 by prominent Cleveland architects, Walker and Weeks, the Warner and Swasey Observatory served as a refuge for astronomers and observers alike for nearly half a century. Renovated in 1941 by the original architects, the program contained offices, a reception room, library, two observatories, an auditorium, and a telescope. The observatory was retired in the late 1960s due to light pollution from the growing city. Although it remains abandoned, the site draws many due to its unique design and innate aura to inspire those to understand the world we live in and what lies beyond.

HISTORY

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01

03 02

04

03_SITE RESEARCH

01 LAKEVIEW CEMETERY URBAN OASIS · COMMUNITY PARK

02 CASEWESTERNRESERVEUNIVERSITY ACADEMIC HUB · RESEARCH HOT SPOT

03 CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART CREATIVE DISTRICT · EDUCATION CENTER

04 CLEVELAND CLINIC HEALTHCARE CAPITAL · LOCAL SPONSOR

LOCATION

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S ATU R AT E

YOUR

MIND

04_SATURATE

L

I

G

H

T

LEVEL 0 | 528 SQ. FT. | APPROX. 15-30 MIN. _The light modality is centered around the positive cognitive effects of dense blue light. Studies have proven that there is a direct correlation between blue light and relaxation. In fact, they have proven it accelerates feelings of relief and alleviation by three fold. Similar to prolific artistic light installations, the light space is surrounded by projected blue light creating an immersive atmosphere promoting mental alleviation.

It will also utilize acoustical properties in conjunction with white noise in

order to guide the user’s attention and encourage inner

reflection. Tensile, spheres of complementary magenta creating a whimsical buffer in which to experience the calming environment.

DESIGN INTENT

01 02

03

N 1/ 16” = 1’

04_SATURATE

01 BLUE LIGHT Blue LED lights are covered by PVC stretch fabric panels that provide even, saturated illumination, as well as,

cover any electrical fixtures or

structural mechanics.

02 PINK BUBBLES Pink LED spheres comprised of matte PVC material provide contrast to the blue light and visual mystery whilst users curve through the tunnel. The spheres also create a sound barrier near the thresholds.

04

03 POURED CONCRETE Poured concrete is utilized on the flooring through out the facility. Not only does this provide continuity, but also creates reverberation between the groupings of bubbles, further immersing the user.

04 ARCHWAYS The archway is common theme used throughout the space. Not only does it aid in wayfinding but it also references existing archways in the structure and nods to colonnades and other procedural architecture.

PROPOSED PLAN & MATERIALITY

04_SATURATE

OVERALL PERSPECTIVE

04_SATURATE

DETAIL PERSPECTIVE

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MEDITATE

YOUR

ENERGY

05_MEDITATE

S

O

U

N

D

LEVEL 0 | 1,145 SQ. FT. | APPROX. 30-45 MIN. _The sound modality is characterized through a mechanism known as Solomon chanting. Solomon chanting was a strategy historically practiced

by Tibetan monks, in order to transform their focus on their intrinsic harmony. This procedural incantation involves cycling through periods of humming “ohm” and “sss” sounds with stages of rest. This repetitive mantra is believed to create frequencies, or vibrations, that cause the mind to enter a stasis of balance and meditation. This space utilizes this sense of rhythmic reverberation by incorporating speakers and sub-woofers that vibrate at this identified frequency. It also personifies sound waves by implementing them as spatial elements on the vertical wall and horizontal seating planes.

DESIGN INTENT

01 03 04

02

N 1/ 16” = 1’

05_MEDITATE

01 ACRYLIC PARTITIONS Teal tinted acrylic panels undulate through the space mimicking the repetition and variation of sound waves. The hard, smooth surface also allows for projected sound to reverberate throughout.

02 CHENILLE UPHOLSTERY Chenille upholstered seating creates cocoons of immersive sound with a relaxed atmosphere. The durable yet tactile fabric welcomes users to rest whilst experiencing the reverberations encompassing them.

03 LIGHT PROJECTIONS Moving projections that imitate the nature of sound waves are slowed and are cast onto orange walls that contrast the teal seating and walls. The contrasting colors heighten the senses of users.

04 MIRRORED PANELS The ceiling is treated with panels of hammered, mirrored metal that creates the illusion of rippled water. This again references the undulating properties of sound waves.

PROPOSED PLAN & MATERIALITY

05_MEDITATE

OVERALL PERSPECTIVE

05_MEDITATE

DETAIL PERSPECTIVE

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S O O T H E

YOUR

SOUL

06_SOOTHE

T E X T U R E LEVEL 1 | 2,310 SQ. FT. | APPROX. 45-60 MIN. _The texture modality is exemplif ied through a sprawling meadow of soft, green grass with pockets of cushioned velvet seating. Studies have shown that aff iliative materials, otherwise characterized as inviting or protective, generate positive associations within our shared conscience. It has been theorized that this connection has been passed down through an innate disposition instituted by our ancestors’ understanding that warm, soft surfaces correlate to safety. An atmosphere akin to the Danish concept of hygge, meaning coziness, providing a cocoon of comfort that soothes an overactive mind constitutes user reaction of deep relaxation.

DESIGN INTENT

03 02

04

N 1/ 16” = 1’

06_SOOTHE

01 SIMULATED GRASS Simulated grass material provides the welcoming, tactile effect of green grass, but is logistically viable for the space. The material covers insulated concrete form that imitates a rolling, grassy hill.

02 VELVET UPHOLSTERY Cotton velvet upholstery applied to pod structures provides coves of various sizes for users to interact with or rest upon. Larger seating pods are towards the 01

entrance, while smaller pods are towards the rear.

03 WALL MURAL A two dimensional wall mural imitates the natural surroundings with amplified colors, furthering the sense of surrealism. The dreamlike scenery heightens the users’ awareness, encouraging a shared sense of mindfulness.

04 GLASS CEILING A tinted skyroof serves as a lens through which light from the observatory tower illuminates the interior below. The tint creates a rose glow throughout the space, as well as encourages users to wonder what’s above.

PROPOSED PLAN & MATERIALITY

06_SOOTHE

OVERALL PERSPECTIVE

06_SOOTHE

DETAIL PERSPECTIVE

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REJUVENATE

YOUR

SPIRIT

07_REJUVENATE

M O V E M E N T LEVEL 2 | 175 SQ. FT. | APPROX. 30-45 MIN. _The movement modality is def ined through an interactive pillow that encourages the users to partake to climb, crawl, lay, or sit.

Studies have proven that exercise increases energy

levels by promoting the production of Serotonin, the feelgood chemical. This chemical influx rejuvenates the user and alleviates stressful thoughts. The space incorporates a large translucent surface that connects the user to the outside world, as well as the people below. Users are guided to focus on the motion or moment of rest rather than intrusive, upsetting thoughts. Users are invited to paint upon the graff iti-ed surfaces providing an outlet for self-expression and engaging the senses.

DESIGN INTENT

04

03

01

02

N 1/ 16” = 1’

07_REJUVENATE

01 RADIAL INFLATABLE The inflatable floor and bubble, formed of tensile PVC material, provide translucency and invite users’ to navigate the space. The inflatable allows people to interact with the environment and encourages various types of movement.

02 SKYLIGHT The open skylight inhabits where the rotating observatory roof used to operate. Although it does not function the same, it still serves as a connection, or portal, to what lies beyond.

03 GRAFFITI The observatory tower has served as a graffiti art gallery whilst the building has been abandoned.

Users are invited to add upon the ever changing mural and leave their own mark upon the space.

04 SPRAY PAINT Various spray paint cans are stored along the tunnel wall. There users can test different colors or painting methods. Every surface can be painted upon and visitors are invited to partake if comfortable.

PROPOSED PLAN & MATERIALITY

07_REJUVENATE

OVERALL PERSPECTIVE

07_REJUVENATE

DETAIL PERSPECTIVE

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OUT THERE INTERIOR DESIGN CAPSTONE

HANNAH BERISH