EMILY SULLIVAN
Mental Health: Using bioluminescent lighting to benefit mental health in individuals, inspired by bioluminescent glow worm caves.
Physical Health: Using mycoremediation to eliminate toxins in the built environment that are affecting those suffering environmental injustice.
Environmental Health: Reusing existing buildings to eliminate both embodied and operating carbon emissions.
Cultivating homes that help residents living with mental and physical health issues through the science of bioluminescence to provid e sensory lighting and mycoremediation to eliminat e toxins, benefiting residents and becoming a model for the future.
Iteration One Residence
Residence One
Two
Shared Space
This diagram shows how the bioluminescent bacteria is kept alive. Without this system, the culture would be dead in a few days due to nutrient depletion and waste product build up.
Luminescent Bacteria - P Phosphoreus uses SWC medium containing 15% glycerol grown at 15°.
BIOLUMINESCENT BACTERIAL CULTURE 0.22 m FILTER
KEEPS BACTERIA FROM LEAVING
PUMP CARBON FILTER MEDIA RECYCLER WASTE CONTAINER
SECOND FLOOR SHARED SPACE
Bioluminescent Residences was my senior thesis project which took on the science of biomimicry with the use of both mycoremediation and bioluminescent lighting. Mycoremediation restores the environment from toxins and is shown in the large masses of fungi which take on the forms of rock that are in a cave. The bioluminescent aspects are shown throughout the two residences and shared space, using fiber optic lighting to take on the effect of a glow worm cave and a bioluminescent bacterial wall culture. This culture is alive and glows when more medium is fed to the bacteria through a system that I and a chemistry PhD student, Megan Sullivan, came up with.
The bioluminescent and mycoremediation takes place more promin ent ly in the basements of the two residences where the cave like walls lead you into a shared space that extends three stories, mimic k ing layers of caves shown in section with an interactive environment. With both sciences in mind, the blue ambiance and the otherworldly experience positively affects the mind and body.
The concept of elasticity and plasticity allows the space to conform to the people instead of the people conforming to the space.
Elasticity can start to take the shape of shifting elements that make up the spaces that “stretch”, while plasticity represents the space adapting and changing to the people occupying the spaces for their needs.
Pinecrest 100 Park Ave. Orange, OH
Adaptable Zones
This psychogeographic map shows the sleekness and sterility of the existing space at Pinecrest. The materials are meant to feel luxurious, making you conform to the space.
Race Demographics shows the diversity within the surrounding areas of Pinecrest, giving us information on the boundaries of the different communities.
It also shows the contrast between white and black populations in the cities of Orange and Warrensville.
Pinecrest is on the border, so there i s opportunity to bring in diverse groups of people.
This income and home value demographics chart helps us compare and contrast the different incomes to the race demographics map. They are very similar.
The predominant race in Orange is white, while in Warrensville it’s African American. This contrast between household incomes and home values is noticeably different from one another.
The Asset Map gives a more specific context to the surrounding areas around Pinecrest. This is important because it gives us more information on specific types of people and places nearby. For example, Tri-C Eastern Campus is a community college that has a diverse group of individuals that can come to the theater for performances and classes.
BACKSTAGE
THEATER
CLASSROOM/ REHEARSAL ROOM
ART THEATER EXHIBITION
CLASSROOM/ REHEARSAL ROOM
ART THEATER EXHIBITION
CHANGING ROOM
RESTROOM
OFFICE
CONCESSION
SEATING
BOX OFFICE CONCESSION SEATING
THEATER ENTRANCE
In the art theater exhibition the elastic stringing elements change with each exhibition like rubberbands.
BACKSTAGE TRADITIONAL THEATER TRANSFORMATION
CLASSROOM/ REHEARSAL
BACKSTAGE PLAYBACK THEATER TRANSFORMATION
CLASSROOM/ REHEARSAL
While researching the overall aspects of autism and digging deeper into how we can design for the students, we found it is vital that they can easily associate a surrounding with a function. This correlation makes adapting to a space easier for the students, which l ed us into researching biophilia.
The research expressed that biophilic elements can help stimulate and calm those with autism. This benefits all hyper and hypo sensitive individuals, and can also act as a way in associating different rooms, which le d us to explore the different biomes and their connections.
Programming based on the connection of different biomes to help students associate rooms with certain subjects or activities.
Using the concept of biomes as a way to design the Center for Autism helps students associate the rooms and activities to each area of the world and provides certain feelings and stimul i that will fit the intended goals of each room.
Each room contains a different biome that is connected to another biome or room as found in the natural world. They were then strategically placed based on the programs and demographic of the spaces. With the biomes incorporating biophilic elements, it benefits everyone.
EARLY INTERVENTION CLASSROOM - SAVANNA
To showcase and promote Italian designers and their work by incorporating their pieces and Italian culture into the space.
To create a space that retains the history of the site, while enhancing the space through my concept. Considering the historical stone and the arches that make up Le Murate while also forming a balance between my concept to produce a cohesive design.
The concept of stacking and focal point is combined to enhance the overall environment and produce a center of interest with the use of colored aspects and layered effects. Stacking creates volume in a space and color attracts the eye making a space more intriguing and welcoming.
These two ideas were inspired by the Italian designers’ Ettore Sottsass and Michele de Lucchi. Ettore Sottsass is known for creating radical designs with his use of unconventional colors and materials, while Michele de Lucchi incorporates layering and a stacking effect in his work. Both of these designers have a nonconforming design aesthetic that amplifies any space.
This mobile reception is located in the Le Murate courtyard. It is a mobile transformable reception that can expand into a 335cm x 275cm space. When compact it can fit through a 100cm x 220cm space. The reception includes three containers that stack inside of each other with the use of caster wheels. The custom furniture fits inside the smallest container and can be taken out to accommodate the workers and customers. The reception serves as a café, craft workshop, and information desk. It also includes a map, pamphlets, and promotion of Italian designers.
The two designers, Ettore Sottsass and Michele de Lucchi, believed that the creation of new and nonconforming ideas and designs started with the use of already existing elements. By experimentation of the use of traditional techniques and craft, you can evolve the design into something new, while restoring what was there before. Taking that philosophy into account, I experimented with different materials in conjunction with the historical stone walls and forms to refresh the space and create a light and airy atmosphere.
