SPACE AND
EMPATHY
MARÍA CLAUDIA NARVAEZ ARANGO
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
You are reading the most important paragraph of this document. Without this amazing group of people, this thesis would most certainly not have been possible. I want to thank my family, Mónica Arango, Mónica Narváez, Luis Miguel Narváez and José Miguel Narváez for always being a source of unconditional support for me. To Alexa Griffith Winton, the best advisor I could have asked for: thank you for believing in me and in this project, even in the most confusing of times. Thank you for envisioning the potential of this thesis in times when not even I did. To my other advisors, Jonsara Ruth, Alfred Zollinger, Mark Rakatansky: thank you for your valuable input and for helping this project grow. To David Rios, my amazing programming tutor: thank you for your patience and dedication. To my fellow MFAID students: thank you for your company, your experience and your encouragement. I cannot express my gratitude for all the knowledge you have given me. Thank you, all of you, for being my teachers for this past two years, and for getting me where I am today.
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 2. ABREVIATED ABSTRACT 3. ABSTRACT 4. CULTURAL AND HISTORIAL CONTEXT 5. CASE STUDIES 6. MATERIAL STRATEGY 7. SENSE OF PLACE 8. DESIGN PROCESS 9. STUDIO PROJECT 10. CRITIQUE 11. BIBLIOGRAPHY
ABREVIATED
ABSTRACT How can space respond to a person’s well-being? As a consequence of an ever-expanding society pushing its limits, humans are now facing unprecedented, emotionally straining circumstances. People find themselves isolated in the interior space, removed from their known life circle, disconnected from everything in a world where connectivity is supposed to bring us together. This thesis explores the concept of psychological extreme environments, emotional sustainability and how Interior Design can restore the emotional well-being of a person using an empathic approach that transforms space from a shell into an empowering, acknowledging and responsive environment.
ABSTRACT In order for you to understand where this thesis came from, you should know something about me: I am a huge astronomy and space exploration fan. Last summer, I had the chance to go to Washington D.C. and, for obvious reasons the first Smithsonian Museum I visited was the Air and Space Museum. They have this really interesting exhibition which shows the interiors of a space station designed in the 1960s. While I was looking at it, my friend mentioned that she knows one of the designers at NASA in charge of the interior design of the current International Space Station, and one thing this designer had done to improve the astronauts’ living experience was to change every handle present in the station from aluminum to latex, so they wouldn’t feel cold to the touch. My mind was blown with this small yet powerful action, and I decided that THAT’s what I wanted to do with my thesis. I wanted to have that kind of consideration towards the person that inhabits the interior.
So I started my journey researching about extreme environments. It is no secret that the increase of the world population is having a great impact on our planet’s environmental conditions, and such number will not cease to increase in the times to come. Circumstances such as global warming, the limited nature of fossil fuels, the increase of gas emissions, the rising energy demand, among others, are inevitably forcing us to look beyond our current resources in search of new alternatives to sustain our existence. Simultaneously, the expo-
nential advancement in technology is allowing us to go further in such explorations, making indomitable geographical scenarios more accessible than ever before. Now, in a world where every inch needs to be thoroughly studied in our quest for understanding, the range of habitable spaces is wide and varied. These include the most inhospitable, unaccessible places on Earth, and even outside of Earth, with unprecedented environmental conditions; temperature and pressure extremes, changes in the composition of the atmosphere, isolation and confinement. These are just a few of the determinants that these newly found living spaces have to face. Nevertheless, the need to provide shelter and well-being to its human inhabitants is non-negotiable. I was really interested in these restrictive settings where human needs can really stand out. As I learned about the International Space Station, the Italian Antarctic base and an American underwater lab, I recognized one condition that really stood out to me and kept appearing in every one of these scenarios, which is this sense of isolation that people feel one way or another. People inhabiting these spaces are conďŹ ned, removed from their social circle and their everyday life. At this point, I also realized that this condition goes beyond geographical location. This was an emotional state of being, a psychological extreme circumstance that could be found outside geographical extreme environments. So then I started listing other settings where I could identify this feeling of isolation. I looked at vulnerable populations like the elderly, soldiers being deployed far from home, students moving away from
home, among others. While all of these situations demonstrated a straining feeling of isolation, the one that caught my attention the most was longterm hospitalization in isolation.
1. As Professor Brian F. Davies indicated in an interview with archinect.com, regarding his Underwater Studio for the Extreme Environments Design Course, University of Cincinnati. 2. Based on the Human Needs and Human-Scale Development System proposed by Manfred Max Neef, Antonio Elizalde and Martin Hopenhayn, which classifies the fundamental human needs as: subsistence, protection, affection, understanding, participation, leisure, creation, identity, freedom.
Given the close, almost intrinsic relationship that technology has had with science, it is no wonder that the conception of habitable spaces within hospitals, fruit from technological advancements, has been ruled almost exclusively by medicine and engineering.1This has resulted in highly technical interfaces where where function prevails over form, meaning that the approach to design these living spaces has being focused solely on the performance of the space as a machine, leaving aside the fact that a complex human being inhabits the interior. When we start to look at state of the art spaces currently being used for such purposes, it is necessary to question the ability of these living quarters to meet the requirements within the wide spectrum of needs that a human being has.2 The current approach in most cases seems to be this “home away from home” feel, where warm colors and patterned fabrics are used to create a “homy” feeling, but in the end they don’t take into account the need for personalization that the patients have, specially people experiencing long hospital stays. Their main priority is compliance to code and increased efficiency. As a result, spaces feel generic, insincere and removed from the patient. With little room for customization it’s harder for a person to really inhabit and own the space. As I continued with my research, I also found a project called Patient Room 2020, which intended to design the patient room of the future. While it has very valuable insights like
corian as a material, it seemts to have the same problem with integrating the patient into the space, and results into looking like a science fiction, alien, unfamiliar environment. Consequently, the presence of the human factor calls for a human centered approach that not only contemplates the fulfillment of the user’s survival needs, but seeks to provide an environment where a person can thrive in any other aspect, be it mentally or psychologically, as in any other given circumstance. Since the main purpose of every living space is to support human beings, it makes sense that a discipline that is driven by the desire to provide quality of life, as is Design, becomes an essential part in the process of constructing such spaces. In that sense, Interior Design can turn into a tool that allows us to see this process in a systemic way, in which human being, space, environment, objects and the activities and/or relationships that happen between them are fundamental components of the system that conforms a living space. In other words, Interior Design helps us to analyze the interaction of these factors that are intrinsically related, bounded by space. By breaking down an extreme environment into components, it could be easier to understand where the outcome of an experience comes from and further analyze which factors should change, if necessary, in order to enhance such an experience. Going back to hospitalization for a moment, it is important to clarify that this thesis will focus on long term hospitalization in isolation. There are two main reasons why someone would get hospitalized in isolation: either because they have an infectious disease and need to be in quarantine, or because
they have a suppressed immune system and they need to be protected from pathogens. I decided to look into the second case, also called protective isolation, since these cases are more likely to experience extended hospital stays, normally months at a time. I went through various studies about the psychological impacts of hospitalization, but my most valuable insights came from actual testimonies of people that experienced this psychological extreme environment. I went in deep into the memoir of Robin Roberts, an American journalist that underwent a bone marrow transplant and was placed in protective isolation for 30 days. I also learned about a day in the life of Jen, an 18 year old Pakistani girl who was brave enough to share her experience while she was recovering from leukemia. From these experiences I was able to understand the need for empowerment, acknowledgement and communication that these people have. So then my main question and design driver appeared. For the remainder of this process, I would always ask myself: how can this space be more empathic to them? At this point, we have arrived to the key component of my design approach: empathy. Empathy can be defined as the ability to understand another person’s emotional state of being. To me, the missing element in all the highly technical environments described above is this understanding. Based on the above, I decided that an empathic hospital room should have the ability to acknowledge a person’s presence, it should be thoughtful in anticipating their needs while remaining safe for their protection, and it should also allow the patient choices so
they can feel in control in this otherwise straining circumstance. This kind of empowerment could really allow people to inhabit and connect with the space.
CULTURAL AND
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
The starting point of this thesis parted from the observation of extremes. As IDEO’s CEO Tim Brown has stated several times, users at the edge of the curve are an inspiring source of insights and innovation; there is little new knowledge on the average use of things. This type of thinking inspired me to look at different environmental settings located in extreme geographical conditions in the beginning, and then transition into less retired geographical spaces where the same kind of extreme psychologycal environments could be found. For this thesis, the main focus resides in exploring the consequences of isolation in patients who have to endure extended hospital stays, suggesting a new way in which interior design can relieve such strains by redesigning the conventional in-patient room. For this purpose, it is important to take a look at the pre-existent conditions that already exist in the healthcare industry pertaining in-patient room design. Most of the time, the current approach seems to be this “home away from home” feel, where warm colors and patterned fabrics are used to create a “homey” feeling, but in the end they don’t take into account the need for personalization that the patients have, specially people experiencing long hospital stays. Their main priority is compliance and increased efficiency. As a result, spaces feel generic, insincere and removed from the patient. With little room for customization it’s harder for a person to really inhabit and own the space. Community Hospital, McCook, NE
Cyndi McCullough, evidence-based design director for HDR (an internationally acclaimed architecture, engineering and consulting firm) states the order of
Neonatal Care, Danbury Hospital, Danbury, CT
Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton, OH
Einstein Medical Center, Montgomery
priorities when designing an in-patient room as follows: “First is the safety of patients, which includes infection control. Second is efficiency for staff, and then it’s involvement of the family” (Kovacs, 2014). Although there is no doubt that the safety and hygiene of patients is a top priority as well as the efficacy and compliance of the room to safety codes and procedures, the reality is that most of the time these parameters overshadow other important factors such as the emotional state of the patient and that of their support system, family and friends. In this sense, the tendency in healthcare design has been revolving around infection control, particularly around materials that are easily cleanable and maintained, from upholstery to non-porous surfaces. “Patient room design will continue to evolve along with the products, materials, and technologies to help keep rooms clean and patients safe. There are so many more appropriate products that have been developed in the last 10 years,” - Carolyn BaRoss, director of interior design healthcare at Perkins + Will (Kovacs, 2014). Throughout my research across the most renowned interior design and architecture firms working on healthcare in the country, the only firm that mentioned a project where family inclusion was a main design driver and actually proposed a design specifically for this matter was Perkins + Will. Their design for the patient rooms in Rush University Medical Center includes a family area within the entertainment built in cabinet where visitors and patients alike may seat and share. Other than that, the same sofa bed included in every hospital room is always present and never changed. A blog post from
St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital, Greensboro, GA
Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton, OH
the same company mentions the importance of the versatility of furniture within the room for patients, who may be too weak to maintain a conversation with their loved ones if they are seating too far away. “My experience was that I felt the most supported and most comforted when my family pulled up a chair and sat at the bedside where I could easily see and hear them. As the patient’s condition improves their zone of activity extends. Instead of just being at the bedside, they are able to engage family and friends in a more conversational way” (Perkins+Will, 2013). Still, the need for a more empathic approach becomes evident when the priority of avoiding lawsuits and abiding code surpasses the need for a comprehensive, sensitive and nurturing environment that goes beyond the medical and contemplates the emotional sphere of the patient. This is where interior design becomes a uniquely qualified discipline that places human wellbeing in the center of the challenge.
CASE STUDIES
CONCORDIA
The Concordia research station is located in the Antarctic South Pole. Founded by the French Polar Institute and the Italian Antarctic Programme, it is run by the European Space Agency (ESA) and it is the only permanent research station operated inland Antartica. Because of it’s seclusion, Concordia allows for unique research opportunities in the fields of astronomy, glaciology, seismography, climate and Earth’s magnetic field. The Concordia station is only accessible during the summer season, between November and February each year. This results in complete isolation for the remaining nine months. The nearest human settlement is 600 km (373 miles) away from the facility, making it even more remote than the International Space Station itself. This, of course, supposes a great challenge for researchers living in Concordia, but also offers a great opportunity in observing the effects of prolonged isolation in a person as well as the adaptability of the human mind to confined, secluded conditions. Being located in the South Pole, the behavior of the sun is unlike what we are used to experience. While in the summer months the sky remains a cerulean blue the whole time, the winter months, from May to August, bring a four-month night. This, of course, has major impacts on the circadian rhythms, sleep patterns and overall mood of the researchers. The environment is characterized for being extremely dry and still. Wind is an uncommon occurrence, which subsequently adds to the monotony that the inhabitants experience. In addition to this extreme condition, the base rests in a plateau located 3200 m (10500 ft) above sea level. This means that the crew
must endure the effects of hypoxia, having 30% less oxygen available than at sea level. The population of the Concordia Station is limited to 16 people, in total. This includes a technical manager, a chef, a doctor, a communications specialist, a mechanic and an electrician along with other scientists. The base itself consists of two main buildings, cylindrical in shape, three stories high. The division on the space follows a differentiation of activities between loud and quiet. The first building, including the loud activities contains the kitchen, a dining room, a games room, a fridge and freezer, an entertainment room, a sports room and a workshop. The second building or quiet tower includes a laboratories, the sleeping quarters, which consist of 16 individual bedrooms, a shared bathroom and the hospital. sually the crew must stay an entire year at the Concordia Station. Of those 365 days, 270 pass without any outside visitors. This case study is a great opportunity to identify design determinants inherent to ICE environments. For intstance, the concept of monotony certainly arises in the testimonials of hibernauts, due to a structured routine and sensory depravation. Some of the coping mechanism that they resort to include creativity and group dynamics. In this particular case, due to the extremely low temperatures and thin air, even smells are almost non-existent. The lack of wind and the position of the sun gives place to a never changing, dull environment. The physiological impact of these circumstances is another determinant that needs to be considered.
The lack of exposure to blue light from the sun during the winter months seems to have an even greater impact on the circadian rhythms of the participants along with their sleeping habits. According to studies, the summer months where the sun is fully present seem to be easier. There has been some experimentation with artificial blue lights inside the station that emulate the sun’s light frequency with some success.
Diagram of the Concordia Station interior program
MARS 500
Mars 500 was a series of experiments carried by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Russian Federal Space Agency (FKA) between 2007 and 2011. It aimed to study the psychosocial behaviors of a group of individuals in complete isolation. The final experiment, used as a case study for the purpose of this thesis, consisted of a crew of 6 men with different cultural backgrounds who lived in an isolation habitat for a total of 520 days. This has been the most extensive isolation experiment done to the moment. Although this particular experiment lacked certain extreme conditions such as microgravity, the absence of atmosphere and extreme low temperatures, it still was an important effort to deepen our knowledge in preparation for deep space flight. Other aspects of the challenge that supposes space exploration such as long-term isolation and confinement can also be addressed in ground-based simulations, thus the relevance of the experiment. The isolation habitat is a great resource of analysis, for example. The interiors stand out with the extensive use of wood throughout the space. This completely differs from the generally accepted aesthetic that comes along space exploration, which involves shiny and cold surfaces such as metal. The choice of wood over other materials already used in the international space station may speak about the intention of the designers to make the isolation habitat a cozier, more familiar space than its extraterrestrial counterpart. This is an acknowledgement of the need to design spaces that will not only shelter its inhabitants, but are also welcoming and contribute to the emotional well-being of the crew.
This is reflected as well in the effort of having individual sleeping quarters, making privacy and personal space a priority. After the conclusion of the experiment, it was revealed that an unexpected outlet of tension (like in Concordia Station) was creativity, like playing instruments, writing or painting. The celebration of Holidays was also a great part in relieving stress, breaking monotony and managing the passage of time. Jealousy was found to be a recurring problem between participants. It stemmed from the difference in work loads, the greetings they received from outside family and friends, among others. This urges the space to have as little hierarchies as possible, and poses equity and equality as essential design determinants when designing to isolated confided environments.
DAVID VETTER
Baylor College of Medicine Photo Archives
David Vetter was a patient suffering from Severe Combine Inmune Defficiency known for being placed in extreme protective isolation for the entire duration of his life. He was born on September 21, 1971 and passed away on February 22, 1984. His case is specially interesting for interior design since the only interior space he actually knew and touched was the limits of the plastic bubble he was placed in. These extreme circumstances make for an unprecedented conversation about isolation and interiors. For the purpose of this thesis, they provoke a discussion about surface, haptics and socialization.
Baylor College of Medicine Photo Archives
Baylor College of Medicine Photo Archives
Baylor College of Medicine Photo Archives
Baylor College of Medicine Photo Archives
Baylor College of Medicine Photo Archives
Baylor College of Medicine Photo Archives
ROBIN AND
JEN
My most valuable insights came from these two women: to the left, Jennifer Adnan and to the right, Robin Roberts. Jen, an 18 year old pakistani girl suffered from Hodgkins Lymphoma and had to undergo a Bone Marrow Transplant, where she stayed in protective isolation for 42 days. She was brave enough to start a blog recounting her journey, which allowed me aunique opportunity to experience a day in a BMT patienr’s life through her eyes.
Robin Roberts is an American journalist who also underwent a Bone Marrow Transplant and spent 30 days in protective isolation. She wrote a book with her memoirs about the process and was also very helpful in undestranding a patient’s perspective inside the hospital room. One of her most memorable anecdotes was how she renamed and redecorated her I.V. pole to Roshanda, her ever present companion throughout her extended hospital stay. Rather than describing the artifact as something fearful and uncomfortable, she reframed its significance and actually drew strength from, sometimes literally when she used Roshanda as a cane as she was too weak to walk by herself. In the picture below, next to Robin, a little disco ball can be seen hanging from Roshanda’s IV bag.
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INSINCERITY
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APATHY
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one study revealed that caregivers are likely to spend 20% less time with isolation patients
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VITALS
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Jen’s weight fluctuates during the day due to water retention. It is monitored every 12 hours.
DOCTOR
The attending doctor will come daily to assess Jen’s overall health and answer any questions she may have. He may drop various times a day depending on Jen’s health.
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Jen needs to shower thoroughly everyday in the presence of a nurse to avoid infection.
SHOWER
Jen’s I.V pole helps hydrate her, give her medication, blood transfusions and lypids in case she can’t take solid food.
I.V. POLE
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Visitors are allowed 24/7 in Jen’s room. Only 2 visitors are allowed inside the room at a time, and they should follow the hygene guidelines depending on Jen’s isolation level. Gloves and mask are mandatory.
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MATERIAL STRATEGY VISUAL ESSAY
SENSE OF
PLACE
Meet Beth. She just received a bone marrow transplant that will help her rebuild her immune system after a long treatment battling leukemia. She usually wakes up at 5 or 6 in the morning to the sound of a nurse approaching her to take her vital signs. This includes taking her blood pressure, temperature and oxygen levels. Unfortunately, sometimes patients feel that nurses can be a little abrupt with their visits. Beth, for example, took as a habit to wake up at 4:30 am so she wouldn’t get startled by her morning visits. This inspired me to create something that would give patients a little sense of privacy and at the same time would empower them to communicate with their caregivers. As you can see, the space is divided in three main areas: to the furthest part of the room from the entrance, we can see the patient/ family area, while closer, to the right, we can find the bathroom. Immediately, right next to the entrance, we can find a space that I call the caregiver area. There is a threshold between the patient’s and the caregiver’s areas, noted by a sudden change in the flooring from baby blue corian to light bamboo, where a partition has been placed with various functions. At a first glance, it provides a visual cover for the patient from outside eyes; it is angled so that people walking by are not able to see the patient directly, providing them with privacy. On the side facing the caregiver’s area, the wall nests a little washing area where caregivers and visitors can easily wash their hands, but it is specifically hidden from the patient’s point of view. On the other side of the partition, facing the patient’s area, the caregiver can leave notes or charts about the patient’s process, as well as updated information that can help the patient understand better their situation.
Turning back for a minute, we encounter once again the caregiver area. It is a space designed to keep special equipment that nurses and doctors might need while examining the patient. For example, aside from their vitals, a patient’s weight needs to be monitored daily, and so a scale is always kept in place. Playing with some of the materials normally found in a hospital setting, I decided to custom design the furniture using those same materials in an effort to reframe their unfamiliar connotation and demystify them. Why do we fear? Because we don’t know, because we don’t dominate, because we don’t control. In order to domesticate these foreign, alien materials, we must lose our fear to them. We must undestand them, we must face them, we must transform their meaning. For example, the seating deconstructs the materials of the ever present IV pole, creating a new kind of responsive surface and sterilized weave. The drawers throughout the room are made from stainless steel resembling a surgical tray. The edges of the drawers are tamed by a bamboo profile that covers the sharp, cold edge and provides a warm handle to the touch. After Beth receives her daily morning evaluation, she goes on into one of the most important moments in her day: the shower. It is the best way in which she can protect herself from pathogens, by staying clean, but for me this room had even more implications. Because patients in protective isolation are so vulnerable, plants of any kind are not allowed in their rooms due to the bacteria and fungi they might carry. Still, being confined, people miss nature. In this sense, having a place where Beth can converge with water transformed the bathroom for me from a room for solely hygienic purposes to a place of connection with nature and the elements. I decided
to keep corian as the main material in this particular room for easy cleaning, but its natural gray color and texture resemble one of natural rock surfaces. The conventional shower fixture is replaced by a rectangular rain-fall shower head to recreate the immersive feel of a waterfall showering you. Since the patient might have difficulty moving around, there’s a bamboo handrail around the bathroom, again, taming the cold edge of the corian surface. We’ll see further how this handrail replicates throughout the room. Taking advantage of bamboo’s anti microbic properties, the shower also includes a small custom made stool so that Beth can sit while showering, if she finds it comfortable. There’s no partition between the shower area and the rest of the bathroom since sometimes, if a patient is feeling weak, a nurse or family member enters with them to help them wash, so an unobstructed, open space is necessary. Still, the designated shower area is delineated by the L-shaped drain on the floor. Now, something that people may not know of extended hospital stays is that patients are allowed to wear their own clothes instead of the not-at-all discreet hospital robes. This choice is a huge step into empowering a patient. Jen, one of my case studies, recounts as exciting when she found out that she could wear her own sweat pants. Considering this, the design of the closet needs to be thoughtful and welcoming for the patient. A light colored type of bamboo plywood with a soy-based, non toxic adhesive is used throughout the closet in combination with the stainless steel trays, bamboo handles and IV tubing to create simple drawers and shelving for the different types of clothing. The feel is clean, straightforward and sophisticated.
Now that she’s dressed, Beth is ready to receive visitors. I remember this image from my research where a woman was seating on her bed, smiling at the camera, and you could see the wall behind her covered in paper plates with a face painted on, each representing what I’m guessing is an important person in her life. To me, she felt supported and comfortable. This inspired me to give that same kind of feel to the room by activating the wall behind the bed as well as the wall in front of it and one of the sides of the partition wall as a responsive surface. surface. Throughout the room, the top part of the walls from the handrail up is actually a magnetic blackboard, where Beth can keep the cards she has received or just any image that she wants in order to personalize her experience. Playing off from this custom of signing a cast, people can also write or draw on the wall. The ultimate purpose of this is to empower the patient and the visitors into configuring the space to cater their needs, while promoting creative ways of communication. I want to take a brief moment to talk about surface here. Throughout this project I discovered by activating surfaces they actually become empathic interfaces. They are the medium by which we can give and receive empathy. So going back to the design of the seating, I wanted a surface that was able to communicate to the user the way in which it is being responsive to a person’s presence, like the way a hammock takes its shape after someone sits on it. I started to think about the responsiveness of this kind of tension and decided to do a weaved seating that takes after the form of the person seating on it. Each string reacts differently to the tension its being subjected to, allowing the surface to adapt in a unique way to each body.
At this point, Beth has received visitors. In this kind of setting it is normal that the patient has a family member or trusted friend who stays with them at the hospital for the most part. It then becomes a stressing point for the patient to make sure that their family member feels comfortable and at ease. This was the point where I realized that empowering a patient means acknowledging their needs, one of which is this distress they feel for imposing on their family. I decided to give special consideration to the area by the window, transforming it into a nook that feels comfortable and private. The material, bamboo, gives a natural and cozy feeling. The nook can also be used as a second bed for visitors and includes a second closet available to whomever decides to stay with the patient. Bed linens and other necessary elements would be found in the drawers placed on the base of the bed. Finally, dinner time has come, and Beth has several options. If she’s feeling well enough she can stand up from bed and go across the room to find the dining area, which consists of a table and seating that can be reconfigured as needed. The ritual of dining on a table is a really important element of the family. It is a moment where we can share with our loved ones. Unfortunately, in a hospital setting it’s very difficult to replicate such time, which got me thinking of ways to reconnect the patient to that time of the day at home, without leaving the hospital. The most straightforward way of doing this would be to Skype over dinner, however, I wanted to reflect on what means to be present and how can we transmit this presence in a physical, yet subtle way. This is how I decided to create a new channel of communication from the hospital room to home through the surface of the
dining table. The interaction would work between the table in the hospital room and a second portable LED surface that the family can take home and set up in their own dinning table. Through wireless networks, both surfaces react to movement, but each of them displays the movement that its counterpart is registering. In that sense, during dinner time, if Beth places her plate in her dining table, the surface on her family’s dining table will light up, and viceversa.
DESIGN PROCESS
EARLY SKETCHES
SECTION A
SECTION B
SECTION C
SECTION C
SECTION D
PROTOTYPING
STUDIO PROJECT
ACKNOWLEDGE
A PERSON’S PRESENCE
DESIGN
PARAMETERS
THOUGHFUL
EMPATHY
AND SAFE
EMPOWER
THROUGH CHOICE
PLAN
VIEW
SENSE
OF PRIVACY
SENSE
OF PRIVACY
CARE GIVER’S AREA
WATER
AND THE ELEMENTS
EMPOWER
THROUGH CHOICE
ACKNOWLEDGE
THEIR NEEDS
FAMILY
AREA
FAMILY
AREA
DINNER TIME
WHITE CANVAS THROUGH INTENTION
PRESENTATION DAY
CRITIQUE
The final studio review brought with it many more questions and beginnings than it brought closure for me. The importance of empathy in the discipline of interior design and the question of how can space and designers become more empathic to our users has become stronger. Though some portions of the project were easily accepted and understood, such as the family nook, others like the domestication of medical materials into furniture found a lot more resistance. Still, even though I understand where this resistance comes from, I have to say I feel encouraged by how progressive and unconventional my work seems to others, something that I honestly did not see coming. In the path of breaking paradigms, transformation and innovation I can only find excitement in strong reactions. I wish I could have had more time to further explore this proposal of familirizing the unknown, as well as diving even deeper into the materiality of every final detail. Nevertheless, I feel very pleased to have had the chance of fostering this hospital room as my design playground, as an unlimited experimentation incubator that gave me the opportunity to expand my knowledge in smart materials,processes and empathy.
BIBLIOGRAPHY ADNAN, Jennifer (2013). Jen’s Journey. A day in the life of a BMT Patient. http://diaryofatoughgirl. blogspot.com BALFOUR, Lindsey (2012). Hospital Loneliness and the Patient-Physician Relationship: A Preliminary Analysis of Associations with Recovery in Bone Marrow Transplant Patients. University of North Florida. ESA (2015). Chronicles from Concordia. http://blogs.esa.int/concordia/ ESA (2011). ESA’s participation in MARS 500: human spaceflight and exploration. http://www.esa.int/ Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/Mars500 KOVACKS, Jennifer (2014). Stakes are high for patient room design. Healthcare Design Magazine. http:// www.healthcaredesignmagazine.com/article/stakes-are-high-patient-room-design ROBERTS, Robin (2011). Everybody’s Got Something. Grand Central Publishing. New York, NY. SOON, Margaret Mei Ling (2012) An Exploration of the Psychological Impact of Contact Isolation on Patients in Singapore. Case Western Reserve University VICKERS, Peter (2009). Severe Combined Immune Deficiency Early Hospitalisation and Isolation Peter S. Vickers,The University of Hertfordshire.
MarĂa Claudia NarvĂĄez Arango 2016