Brainwave Symphony

Two-Trail System of Low & High Frequency Heal Traumas by Syhchronizing Rhythms

Collaborator: Melody Zhao STU 1406, Harvard GSD

Instructor: Gina Ford + Anyeley Hallova

Time: 2022 Fall Semerster | Location: Parrott Creek, Clackamas County, OR, Category: Trauma-Informed Design

"Parrott Creek Child and Family Services - an 80-acre creekside facility in Portland, Oregon - supports some of Portland's most vulnerable community members: children and families caught up in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems..."

- Parrott Creek Child and Family Services

Through engaging with members of the Parrott Creek youth community and researching the practice of "Trauma-Informed Design," we have come to realize the widespread and profound impacts of trauma. However, we have also identified a potential path to support the healing of trauma through the design of the surrounding landscape.

In this project, we aim to understand the basic needs of community members through research on trauma and brainwave patterns, daily calendar usage, site spatial features, and ecological features. Based on this research, we propose two trails that cater to different brainwave frequencies, providing a range of emotional responses and experiences for Parrott Creek youths. By taking into account the unique needs and experiences of the Parrott Creek youth community, the low-frequency rhythm trail is designed to promote healing and recovery, while the highfrequency trail offers an energetic space for exploration and expression.

How does Trauma Influence the Youth's Brain?

Trauma experiences can physically change our brain structure, our brain turns on survival mode, and only connections between three parts of our brain will be left and strengthened, while connections between other parts will be cut off. The situation for teenagers is worse, for their brain structures are still not mature. Besides, when we’re confronted with trauma, our brainwave will become high-frequent.