Artistry DNA My main inspirations originate from Architects such as Frank Gehry. The main attraction for me is that his work depicts excitement. Frank Gehry states that “[He looks] for a way to express feelings and movement.” (BBC1, imagine). Having this small insight, you can see the dynamism reflected in his work. As shown in figure 1. This inspires me to design creatively not just ticking boxes of what is needed, but to create a unique design.
Figure 1 , Title (Marqués de Riscal,) an example of movement though architecture (source: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/best-of-frank-gehry-slideshow. Architect Frank Gehry)
In the last year, the biggest change to interior design has been the rise in environmental awareness. Brought about by the series Blue planet 2. Since this series, there have been changes such as plastic free shops opening. This has impacted interior design as there is more pressure to create a sustainable design. This means designs will have to have minimal environmental impact. Recently there has been a rise in awareness and understanding towards mental health issues. Designers can respond to this by designing space with mental health in mind. Studies have shown that “City dwellers have an almost 40% increased risk of depression […] compared to people who live in the countryside” (Design Council, 2018). The city can provide overwhelming stimuli. Which may result in increased stress, this can then encourage people to retreat into their private spaces and reject social connections. (Design Council, 2018) in addition to this city living can decrease access to nature. This suggests that designers have an opportunity to improve mental health by creating spaces around these issues. Another massive social issue is homelessness. A website article states that “in the last year, 4800 were estimated to be sleeping rough in England” (Full Fact, 2018). Designers could respond to this by creating safe spaces for the homeless. History plays a huge role in interior design. This is shown in figure 2:
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Figure 2, Title (INTERIOR DESIGN TIMELINE), Timeline showing interior design trends. (source: https://visual.ly/community/i nfographic/home/interiordesign-timeline)
Looking back at the past can inform us of successful designs as “Interior design history is not only a platform for the past, but it can also be a springboard toward the future”. (May. B, 2015). Designers are able to use concepts from the past whether it be culture or traditions to create a sense of community and gives us a sense of ‘who we are’. This is important as many traditional values are overlooked in modern design, which can result in spaces of isolation. My personality in three words I would say I am Kind, Motivated and Positive. This reflects in my designs as it means I am able to consider the needs of others, set myself regular goals and always make the best out of a situation. My future goals as an interior designer would be to be able to use my design knowledge to create innovative designs inclusive to all. Furthermore, I would like to work with top designers to soak up as much inspiration as possible to better my designs. Being a designer holds many responsibilities. Such as sustainable designs, Safety, knowing upcoming trends, using design as solutions to social issues.
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Contextual Discussion My contextual discussion is based around the work of Anya Gallaccio which is a permanent commission that is situated in the grounds of Whitworth Art Gallery, shown in figure 3. This sculpture stands in place of a tree that had died and had to be cut down. This piece has been created off a 3D of the space that was taken for the new extension. The artist then used this scan to respond to the loss of the fallen tree. The material of this sculpture is stainless steel. According to the Whitworth website, this is to “appear […] as a ghostly negative form [reinstating the missing tree]” (Wild, n.d.). This is also said to represent “loss, memory and physical presence” (Wild, n.d.). However, this has many different meaning and representations for different people. Whitworth gallery has had many different proposed over the years. It was founded as a university in memory of Sir Joseph Whitworth. “considered to have brought into general practice the principles of modern production engineering based on […] precision” (Whitworth Manchester, n.d). From this point, the tree Figure 3: Anya Gallaccio, Untitled 2016, Exhibition at representing memory is fitting to area as the building to was to The Whitworth representing loss, memory and represent the memory of Sir Joseph Whitworth. In 1889 physical presence, Media: Photograph taken by David Oates. Retrieved from Whitworth gallery was opened to “people of all social classes” https://www.beesblogs.co.uk/anya-gallacciossince this the building itself has been through many different sculpture-tree-at-the-whitworth/ changes over the years. In 2015 the new extension opened built with “steel and glass wings that extend into the park” This shows that the design was affected by the building surroundings as the tree mimics the building. This also represents a timestamp as the sculpture was created at the same time as the new extension was being created. Currently, the sculpture could be seen as representing the masses of deforestation and the replacement of nature with big permanent structures. This could be seen as bringing awareness and creating a statement to reflect on this issue. This can be reflected in modern interior design as designers are finding new innovative ways to create the look and feel they are looking for. For example, A Dutch designer Tjeerd Veenhoven's has made rugs from a palm leaf material, called palm leather, this is a sustainable and vegan alternative to traditional leather made from animal skin.” (Pownall.A. 2018). Another example of environmental awareness in interior design is shown in the QO hotel in Amsterdam where designers Tank and Conran have created sustainable luxury interiors. “The overall design seeks to reduce environmental impact by embracing circularity and moving away from single-use elements.” (Ali Morris, 2018). These are just a few ways that designers are creating an awareness and responding to contemporary issues. This relates to social impacts of waste culture and globalization, such as personal loss, whether it be though homelessness, death or illnesses. Research suggests that an estimate of 5.4 million people died from 1955 to 2002 as a result of wars in 13 countries. (Reinberg.S. 2018). This loss can be briefly represented in this one sculpture as it shows the ‘ghost’ of something that was once living. This simple representation can create a big impact when put into perspective.
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Final Question
How does design impact health and wellbeing in the 21st century and how might interior designers respond? Through this essay, I will discuss the negative effects of design on physical and mental health, and how by identifying these issues they can be used to create positive environments, which allows health and wellbeing to be improved through interior design. During the 21st century, there has been an increased awareness of health and wellbeing, particularly mental health. Studies have shown that “In 2013, depression was the second leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide, behind lower back pain. In 26 countries, depression was the primary driver of disability.” (Mental health foundation, 2016). Further evidence shows (figure 4) that there has been a rise in mental illness since the early 1990’s.
Figure 4. Title (Proportion of people with severe symptoms of common mental disorders), A bar chart showing the increase in mental illness from 1993-2014. (Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41125009)
Support for mental health issues such as depression is supported by campaigns such as Time to change which state that “Since 2009, Time to Change campaign bursts have inspired thousands of conversations, shared peoples’ stories, and shown practical ways to be in other people’s corners” (ReThink Mental Illness). There are many other campaigns to support a better mental health such as Mind and the Mental health foundation. Whereas, during the 20th century there was still a huge stigma brought across mental health as a large number of mental hospitals were still open up to the early 1990s, where there was a 60% fall in the number of mental hospitals in the UK. Mental hospitals were closely associated with mental asylums, where patients were treated inhumanly. (People's History of the NHS, 2018). This shows the dramatic change in the awareness and understanding of mental health in the 21st century. Since mental health is such a big issue in today’s society this Raises the question, how design can impact health and wellbeing, and the changes designers could be making to health improve overall health and wellbeing whether it be physical or mental health. Interior design can have an impact on mental health. There are many different sensory factors of a space that can affect our emotions and the way we view certain situations. As I have stated in artistry DNA patch, studies have found that “City dwellers have an almost 40% increased risk of depression, over 20% more of anxiety and double the risk of developing
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schizophrenia compared to people who live in the countryside.” (Design Council, 2018) This shows the impact different spaces can make. Considering why these spaces have these effects are the key to creating designs to improve health a wellbeing. Design council 2018, suggest that the reasons behind city living and decreased mental health is due to a few factors. One of these factors is an overload in stimuli. The Densely populated area, the variety of smells, sights and sound create an intensity of senses. Therefore, people who live in the city are more likely to become stressed and retreat to their own spaces and shy away from social contact, which can then result in negative impacts on their mental health. This overload in stimuli can be linked with Autism causing people with autism to feel overwhelmed and put them in extreme discomfort. This shows the importance of considering health and wellbeing when designing a space. Another factor affecting the decline in mental health in the city compared to the countryside suggested by (Design Council, 2018) is that the lack of accessibility to green spaces in the city has a significant negative impact on the mental health of those who live in the city. Studies have also shown that Green spaces are often seen as a basis for stress relief and encourage fitness. As studies have shown that levels of physical activity are higher in areas with more green space with people living near the greenest areas achieving the recommended amount of physical activity (HPPOST, 2016). This shows that there is a link between green spaces and health and wellbeing. Another way design can affect our health and wellbeing is through colour. Colour can have an impact on the way we view spaces and the emotional impact they have. This is due to Colour theory. Colour theory is how we use colours to create colour harmony or to show contrast. From this, there has been further research into the emotional connotations of colour and how we perceive colour. For example, one study collecting qualitative data found that Blues and Greens can be associated with being calming and peaceful with positive connotations. Their research also suggested this was due to the link between these colours and nature. This is in contrast the colour Grey, Research found that grey is regarded as lacking emotion and was described as “depressing”, “drab” and “un-emotive” (Clarke.T, Costall.A. 2007). This supports the claims that colour can have an effect on human emotions and can affect health and wellbeing in 21st-century interior design. Design for physical health has a big impact on mental health, which many people may overlook. For example, a badly designed office chair could give the users back pain, this, in turn, could then lead to the workers being less productive and they could be having more days off work because of their pain, all caused by this badly designed office chair. Injuries to the back generate the highest frequency of disabling injuries and can be closely related with the ergonomics of a design. (Roth, 2011). Ergonomics is the consideration of the user and the distances that should be used for a design to have a minimal physical strain on the user. There are many factors in interior design that a designer should be considering making the design comfortable and ultimately safe from harm to the user. To combat the issue of unergonomic designs, The Metric Handbook was created, in 1968. This document is now on its Fifth Edition, most recently updated in 2015 with the latest construction standards and evolving building types. This provided measurements such as the standard desk highs and widths, to provide minimal health effects on the user (The Metric Handbook, 2015). This
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highlights how one aspect of physical health can be impacted by design and how designers can improve these issues in the 21st century. Through the impacts design can have on health and wellbeing we can utilise these impacts to improve health and wellbeing in the 21st century. One way of improving health and wellbeing is through more exposure to nature as reduced access to nature can have a large impact on our health. Designers have already started to use this to create natural spaces. This is through Biophilic design. Biophilic design is about “creating a good habitat for people as a biological organism in the modern buildings and constructions that advance people’s health, fitness and wellbeing.” (Dr. Kellert, S, 2015). There are 5 main principles to achieve an effective biophilic design. These include: “Repeated and sustainable engagements with nature, focuses on human adaptations to the natural world over time, emphasizes an emotional attachment to a particular setting and encourages ecologically connected and integrated design solutions” (Dr Kellert, S, 2015). Biophilic designs can be achieved through different solutions, whether it be a direct or indirect experience of nature. A direct experience of nature would include light, water, planes and natural ecosystems”. Whereas, an indirect experience may include images of nature, natural colours and natural shapes and forms. “Including these factors in design can create a good habitat which means that people will more likely be able to function at their optimal potential” (Dr Kellert, S, 2015). This informs interior designers of how they are able to create health and wellbeing through design. Some examples of biophilic designs can be seen through the work of Oliver Heath who states that “Biophilic design principles can instantly lift a space and therefore have positive effects on the user’s mood and well-being” (Oliver Heath. n.d.) Here is just one example of how biophilic designs can be put into practice, shown in figure 5 and 6 by a single design in the Re: Mind studio in London.
Figure 5, (Re:Mind Studio-London) Biotecture wall as an example of biophilic design.(https://www.oliverheath.com/portfo lio-item/remind-meditation-studio/: Designed by Oliver Heath)
Figure 6, (Re:Mind Studio-London) Biophilic design.(https://www.oliverheath.com/portfolioitem/remind-meditation-studio/: Designed by Oliver Heath)
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This shows a 21st century design, using direct and indirect experiences with nature can affect the feel of the space. A direct experience is shown in figure 5 where the designer has created a Biotecture wall, as well as creating a direct experience this also helps to filter out the toxins in the air and lowers CO2 levels in the space, which has a direct impact on the user’s health and wellbeing. Furthermore, an indirect experience of nature is shown in figure 6, as the low pendants and wall brackets help to create a visually lower ceiling, this creates a sense of shelter and refuge, which is associated as restorative environments for stressed individuals. (Oliver Heath, 2018). These are just a few examples of how design can help improve health and wellbeing. Furthermore, other ways of improving health and wellbeing through design may lie in environmental psychology. Psychologists state that there are ten main factors that will have a positive effect on mental health. These include: “1. Personal space and density 2. Stress, choice and control 3. Sensory consideration 4. Spatial clarity and organisation 5. Comfortable and homelike surroundings 6. High quality/well-maintained environment 7. Positive distractions 8. Social interactions 9. Access to nature 10. Safety”. (McCuskey. SM, Pasha. S 2017). This highlights that, with these ten factors interior designers can contribute to improving mental health and wellbeing. Showing that there are many other design options in the future. In response to this, I have created 3 images, which are a combination of photographs I have taken in Manchester City Centre, merged with photographs of the countryside. I believe these images show the direct contrast between city living and living in the countryside (shown in figure 7, 8 and 9). This links back to the statistic that “City dwellers have an almost 40% increased risk of depression, over 20% more of anxiety and double the risk of developing schizophrenia compared to people who live in the countryside” (Design Council, 2018). From figure 7 and 8 you can see how colours from the countryside added in the city can change the perspective of these images, making them seem more joyful. In Contrast, figure 9 depicts images from the city placed into the landscape of the countryside. This again highlights the mood changed between the two places, creating a negative emotion. Overall, this shows that design features such as colour and the use of nature can affect health and wellbeing.
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Creative Response
Figure 7: Photograph of alley View of Manchester City Centre, merged with countryside photographs
Figure 8: Photographs of perspective view of city offices merged with the same perspective view of a tree, to create a reflection.
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Figure 9: Photograph of countryside landscape, merged with features of the city
In conclusion, design can have both positive and negative effects on health and wellbeing in the 21st-century. Through identifying the negative effects design can have this allows designers to create more positive environments. Therefore, I suggest interior designer should utilise the factors of creating a positive effect on health and wellbeing as guidelines to avoid creating stressful and potentially damaging environments.
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Reference List: Design Council. (2018). Designing good mental health into cities: the next frontier for urban design. Retrieved from https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/news-opinion/designing-good-mental-health-cities-next-frontier-urbandesign Dr. Kellert. S. (01/05/2015). Title od article. Retrieved from https://blog.interface.com/nature-by-design-thepractice-of-biophilic-design/ ESH today. (2011). The importance of Ergonomics for the Safety Professional. Retrieved from https://www.ehstoday.com/news/importance-ergonomics-safety-3009 Full Fact. (2018). Homelessness in England. Retrieved from https://fullfact.org/economy/homelessness-england/ Houses of parliament, parliamentary office of science and technology. (2016). Green Space and Health. Retrieved from file:///Users/hannahmorton/Downloads/POST-PN-0538.pdf Manchester 1824, (n.d.) This Whitworth, Anya Gallaccio. Retrieved from http://www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/currentexhibitions/anyagallaccio/ Manchester 1824, (n.d.) This Whitworth, History. Retrieved from http://www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk/visit/thenewgallery/history/ May, B. (2015). Reflections on the History of History in the Journal of Interior Design on its 40th Anniversary. Journal of Interior Design, 40(2), page V. Mental Health Foundation. (2016). Fundamental Facts About Mental Health 2016. Mental Health Foundation: London. Morris.A. (2018) Tank and Conran and Partners create sustainable luxury interiors at QO hotel in Amsterdam. Dezeen. Oliver Heath Design. (2018) Re: Mind Studio-London. Retrieved from https://www.oliverheath.com/portfolioitem/remind-meditation-studio/ Pamela Buxton. (2015). The metric handbook (Fifth edition). Retrieved from ftp://vietchigo.myds.me/library/book/Design/methbplan_5.pdf Pownall.A. (2018) Palm leather rugs are vegan alternative to cow hide. Dezeen. Reinberg.S. and Healthday Reporter (21.06.2018) Worldwide War Deaths Underestimated. Abc NEWS. Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com/Health/Healthday/story?id=5207645&page=1 Rethink mental illness. (n.d.) Time to change. Retrieved from https://www.rethink.org/get-involved/time-tochange Sally Aitken (director). (2015). Imagine…Frank Gehry: The Architect Says “Why Can’t I?”. London: BBC1 Shepley, M.M. and Pasha, S. (2017) Published London, England: Routledge Wild, B. (n.d.). Anya Gallaccio's Sculpture Tree at The Whitworth Manchester, Art in Manchester.
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Figure List: Figure 1, Title (MarquĂŠs de Riscal,) an example of movement though architecture (source: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/best-of-frank-gehry-slideshow. Architect Frank Gehry) Figure 2, Title (INTERIOR DESIGN TIMELINE), Timeline showing interior design trends. (source: https://visual.ly/community/infographic/home/interior-design-timeline) Figure 3: Anya Gallaccio, Untitled 2016, Exhibition at The Whitworth representing loss, memory and physical presence, Media: Photograph taken by David Oates. Retrieved from https://www.beesblogs.co.uk/anyagallaccios-sculpture-tree-at-the-whitworth/ Figure 4: NHS Digital, Graphical representation of data, retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health41125009 Figure 5 and 6: Oliver Heath, Photograph of Re: Mind studio- London, Retrieved from https://www.oliverheath.com/portfolio-item/remind-meditation-studio/ Figure 7, 8 and 9: Photoshoped photographs merging elements from the country side and the city photographs
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