Emotional Architecture by KevinCompher

Spring

14 Thesis

Emotional Architecture:

Evoking Positive Emotions through Color

KEVIN

COMPHER

Martha Foss

Abstract By strategically introducing color and light, architecture has the ability to be therapeutic and transform userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emotion to help relieve pain and suffering. When we see color, we experience various emotions, memories and experiences on a subconscious level. Through research and experiments we now know that color effects the body through body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and brain activity. Color and light within a hospice facility can help transform users from a negative mind set to a positive one. Emotions affect the human body not only physically but also psychological through memories and thoughts. People have their own distinct personal experiences which makes each of them unique, with each seeing color and thinking and feeling different things. Everyone struggles with negative emotions when it comes to death. A progression of emotions usually results in further negative emotions. A therapeutic hospice facility has the ability to impact a wide range of building users whom have all experienced different life events. The design of this hospice facility will use evidence based research in color and light to influence the way the users experience a space. The hospice facility will effect those who are going through an often avoided or uncomfortable state, making it a more manageable and acceptable situation.

Table of Contents Introduction Abstract 2 Key Words 6 Research Research Essay 7 Survey Results 14 User Emotions 20 Precedents 24 Methodology Frame 1: Methods Frame 2: Site Frame 3: Program Conclusion Appendices 1. Mind Maps 2. Design Probe 3. Annotative Bibliography

31 43 59 77 79 82 84

Key Words Emotion(s)- noun - an expression of feeling resulting from an experience or event such as place or people. Color Therapy - noun - the ability to use color to help or improve a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s feelings or emotions. Responsive - adjective - the ability for something to react or answer an event such as a question or emotions. Expression(s) - noun - the human ability to make oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s feelings or thoughts known. Responsive Technology - noun - the use of science and the technology equipment that exists that can observe human signals, such as heart rate, blood pressure, facial expressions, body language and temperature. Natural Lighting - noun - the light that comes from the sun and enters a building. Electric Lighting - noun - the light that comes from a man made source such as light bulb. Architecture - noun - a constructed space that can protect humans from the elements.

Research When it comes to color and how people feel about them, it is a wide open argument, there is no question that it is a subjective matter. However there is proven studies and research into the effects that color has on people and how that could affect their emotions. Colors are a fundamental aspect of human perception and the way we experience life. Humans express themselves in so many ways, but only through emotions do we share a common string. Everyone experiences some sort of emotion whether happy or sad, emotions are a key element that connects us to each other. Humans lie its part of a defense wiring in our brain so determining an emotion based on what someone says cannot not always be trusted. However we can begin to deconstruct signals that we give off such as facial expressions which are quite common throughout the world. A happy expression is quite distinguishable to the eye from a sad face. We don’t just express ourselves through our facial expressions though, but also through the use of body language. What most people do not know is that we express ourselves on a subconscious level. The body and mind are an impressive and mysterious set of organs, it can change the temperature of the body, moisture levels of the skin, increases and lower heart rate and create brain activity all without the need to think about it. Our senses are unbelievably responsive to our surroundings, we smell and hear things before 1

Birren, Faber. 1978. Color & Human Response.

seeing them however we know what they are. Our skin and even taste buds are so sensitive they can identify temperature and strength and so much more at a micro level. However our sight connects us, we see each other, it allows us to see and feel other’s emotions. We can tell if someone is upset or sad, in a bad mood or angry. Sensory technology has the ability to monitor watch and sometimes even understand and read humans. On the other hand architecture has the ability to adapt, influence and change in response to human needs. These two elements are greatly under used by today’s architects. If you can imagine a system that can read all the signals that are given off by a human and understand the human emotion it would change the way humans interact, not just with each other but also with architecture. Each of our senses could be used and help to create new architecture, however the eye sight is what I will focus on for my thesis. Light, it is how we see and thanks to light we are alive, it is a necessity for life. Color cannot exist without light and thanks to that we encounter colorful experiences of emotion throughout our lives even without knowing it. It hasn’t been completely understood even to this day what the effects colors have on the mind and body. Through data and experiments conducted over the last 100 years they have shown that color has an unbelievable effect on the viewer.

While I am aware of the fact that a small portion of people are colored blind, totally blind and the fact that women can see more shades of colors than men, this idea of color therapy applies to everyone else or otherwise known as the general masses. The idea behind color therapy is that color can affect one’s mood and emotions. There is preference for certain colors and each person is different so when it comes to selecting a hue of color for a space can be difficult, especially for healing or relief of people with emotional problems. It is important to understand that when it comes to healing, effects need to be able to transform and address different emotions as they arise. For healing purposes though color it is critical that different colors be able to be applied to a space as a way to balance and counter act any negative emotions or feelings. To begin what may be a long and eventful life of studying I began doing my research into the idea of how emotions and colors relate. Humans are unique there is no question about that, we all experience different things in life and see different places. Different personal experiences effect the mind and how emotions are developed, however according to Birren “there are a number of general and universal reactions to color which seem to be noted in most persons”1. Birren was by far

one of the most informative and knowledgeable people in the field of color therapy and the psychology of color. He wrote just over 60 books and had over 200 articles published in his lifetime. His research, for the most part, is what will be complied a little later in this paper. In the meantime I ask that as a reader you put aside your prejudice about everyone being different for a moment and consider that we as the human race from all stretches of the world, we express our emotions in similar ways. For example a sad, frowning face is quite noticeable different compared to a happy smiling face no matter any person’s background. Even consider that excitement or being scared may increase a person’s heart rate or body language. Emotions are perhaps one of the most powerful ways we express ourselves. Humans express feelings or moods through facial expressions, body language, heart rate, verbal responses, brain activity and even body temperature to name a view. There are an unlimited amount of causes for certain emotions but perhaps one of the most influencing elements that effect emotions is sight. The human eye is quite advance in regards to other mammals in the world. We can see some of the widest range of colors and levels of lights like no other animal. However the eye and sight, let alone life, would not be possible without light. Whether natural or electrical or even fire we could not 2

Felix Deutsch, a physician investigated the effects of color and light in an environment and how humans

exist without it and because of that we can see colors. In a report conducted by Ravi Mehta and Rui Zhu the case for how people react to red and blue was explored in great detail. This detailed report looked at how red or blue could affect a person’s cognitive task performance. They defined color with three dimensions, “hue (the pigment of the color) chroma (saturation of color) and value (degree of darkness)” (Mehta and Zhu 2009). In their research they had participants perform tasks in a room where red or blue was use on the walls. Over a series of six different studies they were able to conclude that red could activate an avoidance motivation and could enhance performance on detail oriented tasks, whereas blue had more of opposite effect. This report begins to help me understand how I could use color to support different tasks or achieve desired effects. There are a few theories on emotions that all make valued points and suggest different ways in how emotions are created, however one of the more widely accepted and one that I found to be more associated with my ideas was the Schachter-Singer theory. This theory believed that emotions are derived from two factors, these include a cognitive experience and a physiological response. So for an example one could be meeting a new would react. Birren used Deutsch research to help make his points.

person of different sex for the first time (the stimulus), this could cause an increase in heart rate (the physical response) which either makes them think of fear or love. This lead to another theory that is hugely influencing the drive for technology and architecture responsive spaces. This theory is the facial feedback hypothesis mostly developed by William James and expanded abound by many others. This idea is about how facial movements can influence an emotional response, for example a smile can cause an event or experience to be more enjoyable. These two theories go hand in hand together, as an experience or event could cause a facial reaction. It is believed that by just by smiling one can boost their mood and create a chemical reaction in the brain that stimulates and relieves pain. Now I will not try to argue or persuade you to believe that every person can see a hue of color and think of the same thing. For example I may see yellow and think of sand and sunsets, where you may think of bananas and flowers. “Blues and greens which appear peaceful in one aspect may be terrifying in another”2. I want to try and say that the subconscious part of colors are real and here is why. Birren was clear that colors are subjective at many times in his writings, however through his research he was able to measure reactions under certain colored light. This is where I will point out that color therapy

is real. For example “color influences a change in blood pressure. This takes place in an indirect way.”3 Someone who is stressed, angry or even sad will experience high blood pressure no matter what, it is out of their control when in those emotional states. However Birren was able to determine that blue light, for a short period of time lowered heart rate and blood pressure, whereas red had the opposite short term effects. Birren believed that color was a major tool for expression and could influence and change the perception of the human mind. During Birren’s research he was able to determine that program and location played a vital role in choosing the right color. For example, one shade of blue or red may be ok for an office or restaurant but not ok for homes or hospitals. This leads to the idea of Color Therapy and how hospitals use certain colors in patient rooms and recover centers in order to calm and help with the recover process. Before I continue let me point out that there are dozens of theories about color and how they affect emotions, but after plenty of research I was pointed in one direction by Frank Mahnke to look into Robert Plutchik. Mahnke agreed with Birren and suggested that “color affects the human organism on both a visual and nonvisual basis”. In Mahnke research he looked to Plutchik, who determined that there were eight general emotional responses to life. These were than 3

Birren, Faber. 1978. Color & Human Response.

paired with each other to create opposites, Anger and Fear, Joy and Sorrow, Acceptance and Rejection, Surprise and Expectancy. Now there are hundreds if not an unlimited amounts of emotions out there, however these eight encompass the rest, for example joy could be a derivative of happiness or pleasure and so on. My own research involved collecting 20 male and 20 female responses to a quick survey. This survey began with participants looking at primary, secondary and tertiary colors and was ask to just think of anything thing, this part was more of a way to get people in a mind set for the next question. After each participant had a moment to look over the colors they were asked to look at a list of emotions. This list of emotions was hidden from view as to not influence or cloud their mind of what these colors might have trigged in the beginning of the survey. The given list of emotions used in this experiment were those that were defined by Robert Plutchik which defined some general emotional responses to life. That list included rejection, sadness, fear, anger, joy, surprise, expectancy, sorrow and acceptance. Once revealed they were asked to associate any color and emotion, to not to force a match up or use one emotion more than once. The idea was to see how people may feel when looking at colors. The results were quite interesting, on the female side of the

responses they found that when looking at red they were more inclined to expect something, whereas men looked at green when expecting things. Other examples show that men and women agree on the face that orange and red are associated with anger and purples and blues may be tied with sorrow. Refer to the appendix for more detailed information on this study. Thanks to this information, it could become helpful in determining how to assign color to a space when it comes to developing a programmatic space. There are plenty of examples that exist of where architects used color in an effort to change the way people preserve a space. However it is less known whether their intentions were to alter emotions or to just create an experience. But are the two really that much different? Any sort of experience can provoke an emotion and a reaction to a viewer even unintentionally, which could be a bad situation if the wrong feeling occurred. Ideally a space could be made to evoke positive emotion responses only. Some great examples that I have come across that have steered me into the direction of color and therapy mostly come from healthcare and healing. Steven Holl has been working on a patient center that deals with cancer (refer to page 8). The Maggie Centre Barts in London explores how light and color could enter a space and begins to

change the way the space is experienced throughout the day. Ideally once complete Holl intents that the hospital experience can become more enjoyable and effect the way patients and visitors react to hospitals. Another example in the field of healthcare is that by Philips Lighting Company (refer to page 5). This is more of an individual room and personal experience compared to Holl’s whole building approach. However Holl is a modern master of using natural light in architecture. His projects not only look at how light enter and effect a space but how the light interacts with materials. Philips uses personal preferences to change the way the space sounds, looks and feels to the patient’s needs. These two examples are on complete opposite sides of my thesis interests, on the one hand there is the natural effects that sun light can have on a space, and the other hand there is electric lighting where there is the potential for more control and desired effects. This will be explored more a little later in this paper but for now it is important to realize that both offer something the other cannot. Both of these examples however are not just pulling this idea of using color out of thin air, the theory of color therapy has been around for a long time. Early research and percent studies explored how electrical lighting could change and alter a space. This included looking at my own personal space that I altered with 4

Ardunio is a website that produces circuit boards for developers to take to the next level. They allow people

color changing LED lights (refer to page 49). Other examples included in the appendix were that of Cinimod Studio and Ozel Office (refer to page 50 & 51). These two examples look at the human interaction between architecture and mind. Further research led to looking at not only how electrical lighting could change a space but how natural light could begin to transform a space. Humans have only been exposed to electrical lights for a little over 130 years, so the idea that natural light could have more of an impact on improving human emotions begun to take center stage. When it comes to the other hand of this paper, the side of sensory technology and architecture the two are barely connected, sure we have smart buildings and advance materials but we don’t have artificial intelligence and buildings that respond and interact with humans automatically. While we may be a few decades away from having these two topics integrated together there is expanding research and examples of how we can begin to use sensory technology to respond to human emotions. The advance technology to receive signals based on human emotions and incorporate that information into an architectural response is basically new. However companies like Arduino4 have developed the basic elements to start an to explore interaction between computer and human on levels never seen before.

interaction between computer and human emotions and architecture. They have developed many different devices that can receive all sorts of signals, however one case study that is interesting is that of Vittorio Cuculo. As Arduino is an open source developer they look to the public to create interactions. Cuculo created a simple lamp that response to not only human voice commands but also human facial expressions. Turning on and changing colors based on two key elements in determining human emotion is just the beginning. The possibility later down the road that a computer could receive all signals put off by emotions mentioned before to determine the correct human emotion and responding to it through architecture is just stimulating. “The goal is not to control people’s actions but to support them in order to improve the emotional state. pagea 24-28 good handful of articles ”5 Negru has had and speeches published over the last few years however his conference summary is quite captivating. He believes that “emotion is considered to be fundamental to human experience, influencing perception and everyday tasks such as communication, learning and most importantly our decision process”. In his paper (Negru 2010) he explains a system known as the FOAF which is “a machine-readable ontology describing persons, their activities and their relations to other people and objects”. This system 5

Stefan Negru makes a valid point here and I completely agree.

monitors human emotions in groups and using patterns determines if one person is being different. Negru points out one problem that I myself have been questioning, this is the “ challenge that comes when the system intervenes in order to avoid conflict between users”. In a public environment with multiple people could be overwhelmed and unable to evoke the correct positive reactions, sometimes referred to as “emotional manipulation”6. After doing plenty of research on how electrical lighting can transform a space and looking at examples of how architects use natural light I thought that it would be a good time to look at how I could transform a space using natural light. These explorations that I conducted included looking at how natural light and color could change or alter a space. This involved making 20+ models of a space and introducing color either through colored glass, reflective surfaces or materials. In my model research I took into account a lot of the knowledge that I had gained throughout the semester so far. This led me to use only primary colors and to arrange them in such a way as to involve a human response. For example using red and yellow in the east, morning side of a space to increase heart rates and prepare people for the day, and in reverse using blue and yellow to calm and relax a user as they prepare for sleep. These 6

Manipulation of the emotions is dangerous, Negru says that it often happens without the user’s awareness, such systems could be used for malicious

set of models (refer to pages 20-27) help to get an understanding of how they could be used in program or architectural sense. Which lead to an idea of therapeutic architecture, healing or helping people with emotional problems. The idea behind therapeutic architecture is about a place for healing or improving human experiences. This could involve providing positive distractions, altering human response such as heart rate, blood pressure. Creating comfortable spaces where people can relax and heal from surgery, mental illnesses or even stress. However this sort of approach brought me to the program of a hospice. A place where people essential go to die. Hospices are a great fit of program that will be explored in more detail (refer to page 34) which can accommodate my thesis idea of therapeutic architecture and addressing people with extremely difficult emotional problems. I think that by adding a mediation space to a hospice I can begin to develop a new type of hospice that will influence other designers later down the road. It will be difficult to explore the program of a hospice and how patients experience emotions and space but only through time and case studies in Boston will I get that.

intentions. He suggests that a user be well aware that they are in a space that can evoke emotions.

In conclusion emotions are hard to defined and narrow down when looked at from one point of view but with the help of technology we could start to understand each signal the body reveals to us and together can start to narrow down what is being expressed. While colors or light especially red and blue light have some of the most adverse effects on humans and their emotions it is still not 100% understood. Color in general has the ability to make humans perceive and experience spaces in a different ways but each person comes with their own backgrounds. So it may be up to the user to experience the architecture and respond to the natural and electrical lighting that is provided.

voice commands but also human facial expressions. 31-38 Turning on and changing colors based on two key elements in determining human emotion is just the beginning. The possibility later down the road that a computer could receive all signals put off by emotions mentioned before to determine the correct human emotion and responding to it through architecture is just stimulating. “The goal is not to control people’s actions but to support them in order to improve the emotional state.”5 Negru has had a good handful of articles and speeches published over the last few years however his conference summary is quite captivating. He believes that “emotion is considered to be fundamental to human experience, influencing perception and everyday tasks such as communication, learning and most importantly our decision process”. In his paper (Negru 2010) he explains a system known as the FOAF which is “a machine-readable ontology describing persons, their activities and their relations to other people and 5

Stefan Negru makes a valid point here and I completely agree.

objects”. This system monitors human emotions in groups and using patterns determines if one person is being different. Negru points out one problem that I myself have been questioning, this is the “challenge that comes when the system intervenes in order to avoid conflict between users”. In a public environment with multiple people could be overwhelmed and unable to evoke the correct positive reactions, sometimes referred to as “emotional manipulation”6. After doing plenty of research on how electrical lighting can transform a space and looking at examples of how architects use natural light I thought that it would be a good time to look at how I could transform a space using natural light. These explorations that I conducted included looking at how natural light and color could change or alter a space. This involved making 20+ models of a space and introducing color either through colored glass, reflective surfaces or materials. In my model research I took into account a lot of the 6

Manipulation of the emotions is dangerous, Negru says that it often happens without the user’s awareness, such systems could be used for malicious

knowledge that I had gained throughout the semester so far. This led me to use only primary colors and to arrange them in such a way as to involve a human response. For example using red and yellow in the east, morning side of a space to increase heart rates and prepare people for the day, and in reverse using blue and yellow to calm and relax a user as they prepare for sleep. These set of models (refer to pages 22-29) help to get an understanding of how they could be used in program or architectural sense. Which lead to an idea of therapeutic architecture, healing or helping people with emotional problems. The idea behind therapeutic architecture is about a place for healing or improving human experiences. This could involve providing positive distractions, altering human response such as heart rate, blood pressure. Creating comfortable spaces where people can relax and heal from surgery, mental illnesses or even stress. However this sort of approach brought me to the intentions. He suggests that a user be well aware that they are in a space that can evoke emotions.

program of a hospice. A place where people essential go to die. Hospices are a great fit of program that will be explored in more detail (refer to page 36) which can accommodate my thesis idea of therapeutic architecture and addressing people with extremely difficult emotional problems. I think that by adding a mediation space to a hospice I can begin to develop a new type of hospice that will influence other designers later down the road. It will be difficult to explore the program of a hospice and how patients experience emotions and space but only through time and case studies in Boston will I get that. In conclusion emotions are hard to defined and narrow down when looked at from one point of view but with the help of technology we could start to understand each signal the body reveals to us and together can start to narrow down what is being expressed. While colors or light especially red and blue light have some of the most adverse effects on humans and their emotions it is still not 100% understood.

Color in general has the ability to make humans perceive and experience spaces in a different ways but each person comes with their own backgrounds. So it may be up to the user to experience the architecture and respond to the natural and electrical lighting that is provided.

Positive & Negative Responses to Colors

Human Emotion Diagrams

Sadness

Remorse

Anger

Body Temperature: Lowers Heart Rate: Normal Blood Pressure: Increases

Body Temperature: Increases Heart Rate: Normal Blood Pressure: Increases

Body Temperature: Increases Heart Rate: Increases Blood Pressure: Increases

Resentment

Depression

Anxiety

Body Temperature: Lowers Heart Rate: Increases Blood Pressure: Increases

Body Temperature: Increases Heart Rate: Normal Blood Pressure: Increases

Human Color Reaction Diagrams

Oranges

Reds

Yellows

Body Temperature: Increases Heart Rate: Increases Blood Pressure: Increases

Body Temperature: Normal Heart Rate: Lowers Blood Pressure: Normal

Greens

Blues

Violets

Body Temperature: Lowers Heart Rate: Normal Blood Pressure: Normal

Body Temperature: Lowers Heart Rate: Lowers Blood Pressure: Lowers

Body Temperature: Lowers Heart Rate: Lowers Blood Pressure: Normal

Ambient Experience By Philips This healthcare facility is about human care and making the visit to the hospital easier and more comfortable for visitors while also making life easier for hospital management. By using light, color, sound, human contact Philips has developed a way to reduce anxiety and help in the healing process. The process involves changing these elements to a personal experience and making the needs of the patient priority number one.

Maggie’s Centre Barts By Steven Holl This center for caring with patients with cancer is located in London. Steven Holl envisioned “a vessel within a vessel within a vessel.” He used colored glass to shape the interior space and wash the floors and walls with changing colors. By using these colors and effects, Holl hopes to create a new joyful experience within the hospital.

Educational Center By Alejandro Miranda This educational facility for kids evokes a sense of play and excitement. The common space and circulation paths are all illuminated with filtered natural light. As the sun moves along the south facing walls the colors inside shift and create a blend of colors which stimulate the kids that move throughout the space. The spaces where kids spend more time are less about these intense methods of creating colorful spaces.

Casa Gilardi By Luis Barragan This colorful house uses natural light and reflection to create always changing spaces. The pool and dinning room area is lit by sky lights which only come in directly over the pool this not only reflects off of the glossy blue wall but also the water. The use of primary colors are offset by the use of secondary colors on the exterior of the building which only serve the function of aesthetics.

Youth Center & Sports Complex By KOZ This educational facility for kids evokes a sense of play and excitement. The common space and circulation paths are all illuminated with filtered natural light. As the sun moves along the south facing walls the colors inside shift and create a blend of colors which stimulate the kids that move throughout the space. The spaces where kids spend more time are less about these intense methods of creating colorful spaces.

Sarphtistraat Offices By Steven Holl The offices designed by Steven Holl are similar to other projects where the interior is white washed and clean and the activity of color and light play to create spaces that change throughout the day. The multi layer facade incorporates different materials and colors which effect the interior spaces.

Frame1: Methods Semester long explorations looked at how spaces could be transformed through color. At first each space was treated like a different model and new approach such as ones on this page which could transform and be alter by user preferences. However this led to the following series of models which were all constructed to be the same size but looked at different configurations for light. Through the use of colored glass, colored surfaces, material changes and time I was able to look at how spaces can be transformed and begin to effect userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emotions. Based on earlier research I looked at how a space, if say, someone was in a space at say morning could be awaken with bright colors that could get the heart rate up and get hem excited for the day, where as on the opposite side of the room when the sun set the room would be transformed to a calm and relax a user after a long day. These sort of room configurations could be applied in all sorts of spaces which makes the case for a program which would call for color changing spaces that could effect a user emotions.

Sunrise Noon Sunset lighting models

Bridge Model Exploration

Frame2: Site

Site Topology +Close relation to existing infrastructure +Abundance of land +Access to nature +Relationship to existing communities.

Forest Hills, MA

Medford, MA

Queens, NY

Color Palette Location allows for different seasons and an ever changing environment to influence color reactions on interior spaces.

Winter

Fall

Spring

Jamaica Plains: Wards Pond, Boston MA

This site was chosen because it had the basic elements I was looking for which included a site in the northern hemisphere, a location with enough landscape and nature, a connection to existing communities and transportation.

Site Research and Documentation

Site Layers

Site Program

Existing Tree Research and Proposed Trees

Jacaranda Trees

Cherry Blossom Trees

Llawarra Flame Trees

Average tree height: 50 feet

Average tree height: 20 feet

Average tree height: 120 feet

Pin Oak Trees

Tabebuia Trees

Paper Birch Trees

Average tree height: 90 feet

Average tree height: 80 feet

Average tree height: 70 feet

Existing Tree Research and Proposed Trees

River Birch Trees

Red Oak Trees

White Oak Trees

Average tree height: 100 feet

Average tree height: 65 feet

Average tree height: 80 feet

Silver Maple Trees

Red Maple Trees

Yellow Birch Trees

Average tree height: 100 feet

Average tree height: 50 feet

Average tree height: 100 feet

Winter Solstice

Sunrise

Noon

Sunset

Spring Solstice

Sunrise

Noon

Sunset

Summer Solstice

Sunrise

Noon

Sunset

Fall Solstice

Sunrise

Noon

Sunset

Frame3: Program

Program Elements

Program Layouts + Maximize southern exposure to housing to allow for as much natural sunlight. + Separate quiet/isolation spaces for escaping some negative feelings. + Connect as many space together through common spaces. + Meditation space on the north side of the building to control and distribute light evenly throughout the day.

Emotional Stages of Building Users

LINKING COLORS AND EMOTIONS

REMORSE RESENTMENT DEPRESSION ANXIETY SADNESS ANGER

GREEN, BLUE BLUE, PURPLE, YELLOW ORANGE, YELLOW GREEN YELLOW, RED BLUE

ACCEPTANCE FORGIVENESS HAPPINESS CALMNESS HAPPINESS PEACEFUL

Program Research facility where the attention is focused on the patient. Some program elements that re quite A place of hospitably for the sick and typical included, patient living, administration dying. Where people that are terminally spaces, staff housing, common spaces, or seriously ill can be given care in their service areas and emergency care. last moments on earth. A hospice center provides relief for not only patients but also DIAGNOSIS family members. Normally a patient has to be given a 6 month diagnosis of life left to qualify for entry into a hospice however certain places are flexible on this time line. Facility management attempts to keep patients comfortable and try to improve the quality of life that they have left. Typical patients can experience a lot of negative emotions and feelings such as discomfort, Cancer Debility unspecified Dementia pain, depression, sadness and fear. Heart Disease Lung Disease Other

Hospice:

Stroke or Coma

Kidney Disease

Meditation spaces have been around for quite some time. And while normally of Zen or Buddhist religion I find that a neutral space where anyone could occupy would better benefit the complex. The idea behind the separate quiet spaces are for individuals to find a space that could be located in nature and can control their space by changing architecture to meet their needs.

Liver Disease

I believe that this program can be expanded and improved abound. By including a large meditation space along with separate quiet spaces where people can escape and just get away and find themselves in a time that may be hard to understand. Since each person is different and may be there for different reasons and length it is important to accommodate them all.

LENGTH OF SERVICE 180+ Days 90-179 Days

< 7 Days

The program for a hospice center can range from full on hospitals to in home care. However the hospice center I have been more inclined to proceed involves its own

30-89 Days

8-29 Days

Building Diagrams Exterior Views Interior Views

Private Semi Private Public Support Court Yards Solitude

Building Views

Building Program

Sunlight

Patients

Support

Staff Visitors

Building Arrangement

Building Circulation

Interior Chapel & Vestibule

Interior Patient Room

Interior Hallway

Roof - Site Plan

First Floor Plan

Second Floor Plan

Building Sections

Conclusion Since our eye sight is perhaps the strongest sense it allows us to really get a full spectrum of life. Which lead me to looking into healthcare and therapy, trying to help people at the end of their life seemed like a great way to use colors and emotions. My research and designs conducted over the past year have led me to create a program that can begin to meet the emotional needs of a select group of people that most designers tend to ignore. I concluded that each person that uses the building should be able to find their own solitude within the facility that can match their negative emotions with positive spaces. There was no defined space to go if a user was experience a certain emotion because each person is different it would be impossible to force them to feel the same thing as the person next to them every time. However by creating unique spaces that each user could use or experience differently, one could make a complex that fits many users needs. There are plenty of different methods of creating spaces that reflect and defuse natural or even electrical lighting into a space however by using different fixture methods of architecture I can begin to evoke an emotional response from a user by using natural light. This natural light is key and picking a site that gets a diffused and year long light is key. This site is not only located in a great spot to get year long light exposure but also a place that has the fundamentals to support a Hospice. Such as being close to existing communities that have an aging community and program elements that can provide activities for families. Through site arrangement and vegetation uses, a building user can experience something that changes throughout the day and year. Creating views that can comfort and offer relief to pain and suffering. The use of certain trees and pants can begin to transform interior spaces with color. There is so much more to explore and study in regards to color light and emotions. The ability to take the first steps of creating something that can help and change the way people use and experience spaces this year will open the door to many possibilities later down the road.

Mind Maps