Usyd M.Arch Portfolio - Natalie Au

Healing Hub

Postproduction of Car Park : A Healing Journey for DomesticViolenceVictim

Natalie Wing Shan Au Tutor_Duanfang Lu Graduation Studio Semester 2 2018 School of Architecture,Design and Planning The University of Sydney

Contents Chapter 1/ Chapter 3/ Chapter 3/ Chapter 4/ Chapter 5/

The Journey Research onTrauma and Healing The Site Design Model

Abstract

Healing process can be described as an endless loop from being wounded, through bleeding to forming scab.Victims bear unspeakable mental torment by repeating these processes. They recover and heal from traumatic violent experiences by formal and informal treatment. Some studies elucidate the formal treatment of the current medical system is beneficial but not adequate. The victims usually have greater benefit by using informal treatment.

The objective of this project is to propose a comprehensive and effective post-trauma healing journey for the domestic violence victims.The healing journey can be defined into three levels: group supporting and sharing, discovering facing and healing self, and professional therapy services.The three levels of healing implement the suggested strategies of healing self: connections with others, spirituality and beliefs, and body work and other restorative activities. In this proposal, Healing Hub leads the victims to become healers through architecture. Architecture involves persistence and developing a sense of safety and trust for the community.This is the influence of architecture that cannot be found in the current medical system.

This project is to approach a postproduction strategy for Goulburn Street car park in Sydney. In this proposal, the car park is transformed from a giant concrete infrastructure to a humanity architecture for community. In this case, the postproduction of abandoned infrastructure benefits sustainability of social and economic aspects. It provides viable way to achieve economic sustainability. It is also the medium to potential evoke public to care the hidden problem of the city. It enhances social support and social responsibility for the domestic violence victims.

Postproduction

Humanity

Healing DomesticViolence Garden Journey

Project Description Research Findings Domestic violence is a hidden problem in the city, it happens around us every day.The definition of domestic violence is not only physical but also emotional, economical, psychological and sexual. From 2012 to 2016, the total number of victim gradually increase from 74k to 77k in Sydney.The ratio of female victims is far higher than male.There are 66% of victims are female, 34% are male. In fact, one in four women experiences domestic violence. Among one woman is killed by her partner or ex-partner almost every week.The problem of domestic violence brings a huge burden to the Australian economy.

The expenses of medical treatment and supportive services rapidly rise from $13.6 billion to $21.7 billion in the last six years.

The unbearable trauma comes from vivid fragmented images, sounds, or smell lingering the victim’s psyche.These sensations are embedded beneath the language brain.The Franklin CountyWomen andViolence Project (FCWVP) reveals that healing is not an isolated event that happened at a particular point in time. Rather, healing typically took place in fits and starts over an extended period of time.This process was not linear and not predictable. It is usually an extremely slow process.The path to healing is different for each person.The metaphor of a journey emerged as an appropriate description of this process.

Healing process can be described as an endless loop from being wounded, through bleeding to forming scab.Victims bear unspeakable mental torment by repeating these processes. Ethnographic interviews suggest that the medical and psychological therapies may help but not completely help.To end this loop, it still depends on the victim herself. FCWVP has studied that the formal treatment in the current medical system does not satisfied by all patients whose have mental health and substance use issues.The formal treatment have and have not been helpful for them. Some interviewers in this research reflect that the formal treatment is harmful to them.The uniformity of the formal treatment does not suit for all patients whose experience is unique. FCWVP also investigates how the informal treatment can help the victims to take care of themselves during difficult times.The strategies of healing self are “connections with others, spirituality and beliefs, and body work and other restorative activities�.

Design Approach The objective of this project is to propose a comprehensive and effective post-trauma healing journey for the domestic violence victims.The program does not completely abandon the formal treatment, rather combining with informal treatment to form a comprehensive healing journey.The building is generally defined as three levels.The beginning of the journey is the informal treatment at the first two levels.Through the public and individual spaces to achieve different levels of healing self. The first level, group supporting and sharing, allows victims to rebuild trust and self-value with other people who have similar experience and also experience empathy between them.The hierarchy of this level is the Spiritual Hall which provides psychic support.The ramp revolves the functional spaces increases the opportunity of interacting with others.The second level is individual experience. This level provide an opportunity for the victims to discover and face to the trauma again.The roof garden acts as a buffer zone to connect numerous scattered spaces. It allows people moving around in this level to experience different emotional spaces.The formal treatment is located at the top level.The space arrangement gives a clear direction and purpose for people to find the way for seeking help for the professionals.

Postproduction Approach In this project, Goulburn Street car park is transformed from a giant concrete infrastructure to a humanity architecture for community. The inserted structure breaks down the rigid appearance to soften the boundary between architecture and the city.The roof garden brings green to the concrete jungle.

The greenery improves micro-cityscape of local area.The aim of postproduction is not to totally discard the original characteristic of the building, rather to be modified for a second life of the building to benefit community. Hence through extending, cutting and removing part of the original structure, the center part of the building is admitted merely to insert a new lightweight structure with different materials. The original rigid faรงade is retained and adding a translucent skin to cover part of the building. A part of the car ramp is retained as well in order to fit the new circulation to its functions.

Social/Economic Sustainability Healing Hub is the medium to potential evoke public to care the hidden problem of the city. It enhances social support and social responsibility for the domestic violence victims.The perception of social support comes from the social network inside the Healing Hub.The social network involves hope, self-acceptance and helping others. Over time, this leads to healing that flourishing in the pursuit of meaningful goals and purpose for the sociality.

Postproduction of abandoned infrastructure provides viable way to achieve economic sustainability.The resource is reused and transformed to increase its value for supporting development of the city. By inserting the lightweight structure and slightly modifying the existing structure, it reduces consumption of construction.

Innovative Ideas People experience the healing journeys to overcome unspeakable trauma and then become healers themselves. The role in the healing process shifts from passive to active.The research findings elucidate the current medical system is insufficient to care all victims whose experience are unique. In this proposal, it leads the victims to become healers through architecture. The three levels of healing, circulations, programmatic arrangement, emotional spaces, lighting, sensibility and soft landscape, form a whole new healing experience. Architecture involves persistence and developing a sense of safety and trust for the community.This is the influence of architecture that cannot be found in the current medical system.

ra i l wa y

E li z a b e th S tr e e t

C a st le re ag h S tr e e t

Goulbur n

Campbell Street

Street Site Plan 1:1000

n e W w th o A tr h v u en e

under

groun

d ra i l way

The Journey

[ The journey of healing ] Healing Self Body work and restorative activities

Level 3 Professional therapy services Spirituality and beliefs

Connections with others

Level 2 Discovering,facing and healing self

Level 1 Group supporting and sharing

New building skin

Existing car park structure

Research

[ Trauma and healing ]

DomesticViolence

Trauma Bruise Bleed

Repeating

Form a scab 66% 34%

womem

mem

1 in 4 women experiences domestic violence

Unbearably vivid fragmented images,sounds,or smell lingering their psyche.

1 woman is killed almost every week

Many victims choose to be

silent and stay Emotionally and physically out of control. Mental and substance use disorders.

Research

[ Trauma and healing ]

Healing Methods

Trauma Bruise Bleed Form a scab

Repeating

To end this

loop

To recognize: They are worthy of being taken care of.

The necessity of taking care of themselves first.

Informal treatment: Formal treatment + Taking care of self services

Beneficial but not adequate Helpful Individual therapists’skills and relational styles Availability and institutional responsiveness Female therapists and women-only groups Shared experience and empathy

Harmful

Woman’s unique experiences Different ways of coping and recovering Current trauma healing centers

PROBLEM:

mainly provide the formal treatments

System barries Insurance limits Lack of trauma sensitivity Lack of professional cross-training in dual diagnoses Individual therapists’attitudes and behaviors

Significant emotional distress Loss of sense of safety

Research

[ Trauma and healing ]

Ways of taking care of self

How Why

What did the victims say

Connections with others

Spirituality and beliefs

Body work and restorative activities

Connect with professionals,peers, family and friends. __________ Provide a level of understanding and trust that is not always possible in professional relationships.

Provide them with a source of support, a sense of hope, and a feeling of inner peace. __________ Help them stay sober and maintain their emotional balance.

Three themes emerged, including the importance of pets and nature, physical care, and volunteerism. __________ Reduce stress and to calm,center,and balance themselves.

Feel more comfortable expressing their feelings and talking about their experiences with other victims, especially those who have had similar experiences. __________ “I use the support network and it’s just incredible. I don’t feel like I’m alone and that’s a huge thing.”

Constant presence.

Victims who use this as a means of taking care of themselves believe that a reciprocal connection exists between their physical and emotional health. __________ Walking and enjoying nature seem to be elemental.“Aesthetics and the beauty of nature heal all. I went into the outdoors to heal from my abuse.”

“The most helpful for me, I think, is when people share what they are doing, because it validates my experience and it also opens other possibilities for me.”

“The greatest gift for anyone in pain is compassion. It’s just to totally validate themand give them compassion.”

Reestablish a sense of order and fairness, while reducing shame and hurt. __________ “You use your bad thing that happened to help someone else.

It turns it into a positive thing in a funny way. It actually transforms that event from something that happened to you to something that gave you the ability to help others. It just changes where you are coming from in the world, and that has got to change how you feel about yourself. Instead of being a worthless, broken thing, you are actually a helping, worthfull thing.“

The Site

[ Goulburn Street car park ]

Existing conditions

Site Analysis

[ Goulburn Street car park ]

7mins

Concrete jungle

Existing Oasis in the city 6mins Proposed

Design Approach

[ Healing hub for domestic violence victims ]

Transformation:

Before Giant concrete infrastructure

After Humanity architecture for community

Postproduction Approach

[ Transformation of car park to Healing Hub ]

Insert

Retain/ Extend/ Cut/ Remove

Retained ramp

New Building Skin [ Facade and materials ]

Existing structure Polycarbonate panel Steel angle

The Journey begins:

Level 1

[ Group supporting and sharing ]

Plan 1:500 Spiritual Hall

Prayer Rm Lecture Hall

Number of People

1500

130 240

Cafe Atrium Office WC

Program

215 190 80

Floor Area

Circulation

Atrium

Spiritual Hall

Level 2

[ Discovering,facing and healing self ]

Plan 1:500 Healing Garden Petty & Low Regret Delusion Confuse Doubts Repression

Forgiveness

Program

Number of People 2 17 100

80 40 50

57

Floor Area

Circulation

Level 2

[ Discovering,facing and healing self ]

Doubts 疑惑 你好嗎 沒有人怪罪 可是甘心進牢裏蹲著 好像就能洗清一點什麼 就能變得清白 不見海倉，不顧日黃 不勒索時光的踉蹌 慢慢，待在靜止中腐化 準備我們的暗房 重複錄再放 重複錄放…… 你好嗎 早晚的溫差 還習慣嗎 當我們跑到山脈之前環抱沿岸 是不是躲了回來 就再也脫不下 畏寒的武裝

Trauma Bruise Bleed Form a scab

Repeating

Forgiveness 寬恕 Delusion 妄想 回音 好希望再繼續 和你唱完一首歌 雖然喉嚨啞了 也要哭眼淚水當成 溫水喝下，催眠開嗓 以為就能繼續哼了 上得去高闊的頻率 低得過渾厚的境地 你要往前的每個地方 都要有我的聲線相疊 我的視線對望 千萬別慢慢走遠了喔 回音漸弱、 回音漸弱、 我真的不夠敏銳 你知道的 只要一點技巧 或是順着自然 我就會受騙了

謝謝 雨季正怒的時候 我們去過山上 沒有傘也沒有得掩蔽 水用灌的，眼前看得清楚 你把外套給我 鞋子脫了 —— 在我耳邊用孩子的聲音喊起 「走！」 淋得可快樂了 我雙手撐起你給的防罩 後頭追趕 不自禁也笑了出來 有點可愛又有點憂傷我 最後一遍了 最後一趟了 最後一次任性被讓你對我好 雖然在怎樣也還不起了 仍是謝謝你 放我去愛別人

Regret 遺憾 親愛小時候 港邊的印象除了 還有風浪與頑石 那段日子我並沒有忘記回家 只是回到了家，即刻 害怕擱淺還是羈絆的開始 害怕我的鞋像我的眼淚 離開時裹好 回來時卸下 亂丟在門口仍不會有人整理 也已經夠了 幾年來情緒很滿的琴鍵 什麼時候再有勇氣背譜彈奏 對着遺像，回到當年的病榻 看他們道人長短、收拾屍身 我像聾子般不解仇恨 懶得原諒 可能吧我永遠不夠強壯 無法如壁虎完美求生 寧願拖着傷口 保留一部份的自己 在一個記得的地方 一定啊我辦不到 遺棄往事讓生活過得很好 毁滅一行地址 假裝這裏再沒有人居住 我辦不到。 因為我會回來，我會回來 回來問問親愛的小時候 你見過陽光，弄丟陽光 你還想不想再一次擁抱它

Repeat & Console 自虐與安慰 還 沒 死 忍 用 去 不 了 了 住 的 望 親 人 是 停 擺 的 鐘

五 月

Repression 抑壓 用力

Confuse 迷惑 流 於 無 義

命 了 名 ， 其 餘 都 是 孤 火

Petty & Low 卑微 好 起 來 了 嗎

真 的 好 起 來

我 只 想 真 的

長 在 心 裏 發 芽

發 生 ， 為 什 麼 從 身 外 流 至 身 上

回 想 痛 是 為 什 麼

不 用 知 道 那 裏 痛

只 有 修 復 的 世 界

一 起 前 進 到 那 個

而 這 麼 跟 着 你

抑 或 我 有 把 握 為 了 變 好

我 還 會 好 嗎

導 向 美 麗 之 前 總 是 痛 苦

信 這 樣 的 過 程

你 要 信 嗎 ？

我 如 果 這 麼 說 了

人 生 藏 在 崩 壞 與 復 原 之 間

我 如 果 說 了

我 會 好 嗎

對 望 相 守 的 人

找 到 與 你

在 地 球 的 另 一 端

你 還 是 可 以

可 是 沒 了 我

沒 有 你 就 沒 有 我

你 是 普 照 的 盛 光

我 是 寂 處 的 黑 暗

光 與 影 的 關 係

只 有 幾 盞 燈 被 我 們

千 萬 顆 星 星 一 起 住 在 夜 裏

夢 與 現 實

每一天用力 睜開眼 直視晨光起點 用力吸氣 用力隱藏，盡量 不和人說話 維持安靜 用力—避免爆炸 仔細篩選 慢顆善心和虛假 用力抹煞 「相信他們是我的朋友」 這樣的自己 用力咬字 但學着 不發出聲音 「沒關係」 「對不起」 用力使用詞彙 同時，咬住棉被 每一天認識新的極限 用力，拎着骨頭 不往下墜 踮起腳尖 用力踩在人生上面

Healing Garden

Healing Garden

Level 2

[ Detailed design of Healing Garden ]

Steel frame Plastic planter box Soil Drainage cell Waterproof membrane I-Beam Drainage downpipe Window Truss Timber cladding Existing structure

View from Spiritual Hall

Level 3

[ Professional therapy services ]

Plan 1:500 Counselling Counselling

Therapy

Waiting

Counselling

Program Number of People 90 90

133

180

90

Floor Area

Circulation

Healing Corridor

Model

[ Final presentation model ]

Model

[ Final presentation model ]

Bibliography Davis L. Meditations for Healing Trauma: Mindfuless Skills to Relieve Post-Traumatic Skills. US: New Harbinger Publications, 2009.

Palmer, S. and Sul, N. Modernity in Healing and Learning: the Architecture of Anshen + Allen. NewYork : Edizioni Press, 2007.

Sanderson, C. Counselling Skills for Working with Trauma: Healing from Child Sexual Abuse, Sexual Violence and Domestic Abuse. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2013.

Scott,J.,Warber, SL., Dieppe, P., Jones, D. and Stange, KC. Healing Journey: a Qualitative Analysis of the Healing Experiences of Americans Suffering From Trauma and Illness. BMJ Journals, 2017.

Stenius,Vanja M.K. andVeysey, Bonita M.“It’s the little Things“Women,Trauma, and Strategies for Healing. Rutgers University, SAGE Journals, 2015. 追奇. 結痂. 台灣: 時報出版. ISBN:9789571370620

Images RESEARCH ON TRAUMA AND HEALING Bruise

Mike Mills, Four Bruises Poster, 2007. Recycled paper, 20.2” x 28.6” . http://www.humans.jp/04/collection/detail.do?id=116

Unbearably vivid fragmented images

Lucy Dyer,Thoughts, 2018-7. Collage, Digital art. Lucy Dyer Art. https://lucydyerart.com/thoughts/

Dark lady

Clara Lieu, Figure Study No. 52, 2011. Lithographic rubbing ink on charcoal paper, 9” x 11.5”. http://claralieu.com/portfolio/falling-figures/

WAYS OF TAKING CARE OF SELF Connections with others

Luciana Mathioudakis,Walking and talking. Painting, 31.5” H x 39.4”W x 1.2” . Belgium.

Spirituality and beliefs

Vincent van Gogh,Woman Praying, 1883-4. Drawing, Black chalk, pencil, brush, washed, heightened with white, F: 1053, JH: 357. Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo,The Netherlands, Europe.

Body work and restorative activities

MyDubio, Minimal InteriorTravel, 2015. Photograph. http://www.mydubio.com/lacma/

Mood images

Charline von Heyl (Petzel), Momentito, 2009. Acrylic, pastels, and charcoal on linen. 78” x 82’.

Charline von Heyl (Petzel), Blue Eye, 2008. Acrylic, oil, and charcoal on linen. 82” x 78’.

Heitor Magno, 2013-12. Photograph. https://www.flickr.com/photos/heitorm/13923540447/ Weissesraus Chen.You are mega stupid. http://weissesrauschen.tumblr.com/ MyDubio, Minimal InteriorTravel, 2015. Photograph. http://www.mydubio.com/lacma/ Line Kay, Photograph. http://vintagepiken.blogspot.com/

Natalie Wing Shan Au Tutor_Duanfang Lu Graduation Studio Semester 2 2018 School of Architecture,Design and Planning The University of Sydney