‘Design for the invisible bodies’ an informal research document
Swati Goel MSDH 2018 University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Expert on VR
Patient/ Client
Psychologist’s notes
Brain
Scientist
Psychologist
Architect
Engineer
Cognitive Scientist
FUNNY ARTIFACT Dinner party with ‘Food for thought’ and brain food.
DESCRIPTION This party brings together stakeholders from different disciplines to talk and discuss about the critical issues around mental disabilities and the role of architecture. The discourse will be around the evolving needs of the human body and the existing design practices. The body is a shell on its way to becoming invisible. The architect needs to design for the brain and its diseases. Depression is a growing disease in the society and architecture makes little or no attempt towards designing for the mental disabilities.
NAME ‘The Stakeholders’
http://www.advancedpsychotherapeutics.com/ANXIETY.en.html
FUNNY ARTIFACT EEG signals show very little reading. Hence it needs to be combined with other determinants for usable Use results. of old studies might be helpful.
DESCRIPTION 28% of the population will at some point in their life suffer from a clinical form of anxiety. Anxiety effects adults and children and is the most common of all disorders followed by depression. An EEG can be used to map depression through passive brain computer interface. Meeting with Dr. Jane Huggins at Direct Brain Interface helped me understand the scope of my research and the limitations of EEG mapping. The concept of mapping the brain activity of patients can serve as evidence for design.
NAME Depression and EEG mapping
Anthropocene - Viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment EEG - Electroencephalogram; evaluate the electrical activity in the brain. It tracks and records brain wave patterns Depression - A common mental disorder, characterized by persistent sadness and a loss of interest in activities that one normally enjoys, accompanied by an inability to carry out daily activities.
FUNNY ARTIFACT Sigmund Freud’s work has been described as “Uncanny” - strange or mysterious, especially in an unsettling way.
DESCRIPTION Sigmund Freud’s office is full of books, artifacts and busts. The surface is wrapped in a Persian rug with a mandala pattern (used for meditation). While he is a pioneer in the field of psychoanalysis, he also makes connections between psychology and projection which is relevant to my study of Depression. His office is a connection between vision, power and transference of ideas and thoughts. Panopticon - A type of institutional building and a system of control
NAME Sigmund Freud’s Vienna office Reverse Panopticon
FUNNY ARTIFACT As of 2013, 34.6 million adults (14.6% of the population) received mental health services during the past 12 months. 4 of the 10 leading causes of disability in the US and other developed countries are: mental disorders, which include bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, major depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
DESCRIPTION Architectural representations of mental disorders. The Cenotaph for Newton is a bubble shaped universe encompassing Freud’s world in it. The outcome will be to find the intersection between psychoanalysis and architecture to treat Depression. Diagrams for the architect’s mind by Federico Babina. Newton’s Cenotaph by Étienne-Louis Boullée
NAME Representing the invisible
Book Shelves
Artifacts
The mandatory green
Meeting room
The mirror
The patient
Freud’s Table
Table lamp
The vestibule
The Therapy room
The famous couch
The Persian rug
Paintings and Busts
PLAN OF FREUD’S OFFICE IN VIENNA
FUNNY ARTIFACT Freud’s office is like his own entombment which is why he has so many antiquities. (The psychic energy around Freud.)
DESCRIPTION Freud asks his patients to sit across the table at 4 feet distance from himself on the first meeting. The patient sees his reflection in the mirror on the wall while seated which is then replaced by Freud’s head. This implies that he is showing the patient what the patient is showing him. The dynamic of the mirror is a critical conversation around ‘self-image’ and reverse panopticon which helps curb ‘projection’ by the patients and complements healing.
NAME Freud’s Universe
This device is used to produce white noise which dampens other sounds and is used to prevent sound from escaping a room. Acoustic dampening devices
FUNNY ARTIFACT Psychoanalysts offer the opportunity to reflect upon oneself and breaking from the general pattern of sitting. The dinner party allows the guests to be in any comfortable posture.
DESCRIPTION Common mental disorders in the recent days has been reduced to treatment in a room with 2 chairs and a table.
Ergonomics - the study of people’s efficiency in their working environment The Chair: Rethinking Culture, Body, and Design Book by Galen Cranz
NAME Postures for Self-reflection
Salvador Mundi by Leonardo Da Vinci
DESCRIPTION The virtual reality universe is reducing human bodies into virtual bubbles. The human being is missing in the environment. Hence, defying the idea of the Anthropocene.
Reyner Benham “ A home is not a house�
NAME Salvador Mundi and the Bubble vision Lecture by Hito Steryl
FUNNY ARTIFACT
Panopticon
VR is making people invisible. IOT is connecting people but also making them invisible. VR is placing humans the center of the panopticon by giving a 360 deg view of the surroundings.
DESCRIPTION Neurable, emotiv and similar design labs are working on connecting the dots between brain and mapping our emotions using VR devices. This can inform the architect of the unknown and design better. Neurable’s device
Passive brain computer interface - It helps to provide information from user mental activity to a computerized application without the need for the user to control his brain activity
NAME The Invisible body
FUNNY ARTIFACT Psychologist’s office has evolved spatially over years, but 2 chairs, a table, a shelf and a clock have remained. Audible Seen
DESCRIPTION
Public
Cultural discourses
Architecture
Psychoanalysis
Inaudible Unseen Private
An inclusive party void of any type of discrimination. VR gives the opportunity to unmake the body. Design should create an inclusive society that is inviting and equal. The bodies will be the ‘perfect shells’ in that future.
The Psychologist’s office
NAME A Space for ideas to converge
FUNNY ARTIFACT According to ancient myth, the god Asklepios had the power to raise people from the dead and he himself was restored to life by Zeus.
DESCRIPTION In ancient Greece and Rome, an asclepeion was a healing temple, sacred to the god Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine. These healing temples were a place where patients would visit to receive either treatment or some sort of healing, whether it was spiritual or physical. The Asclepius Machine is a complex wheelchair accessible ramp designed by Prof. Robert Adams. The Asclepius Machine has a series of artificial pneumatic muscles that allow the walls and an elastic membrane to gently open and close as a person moves through the space.
NAME The Asklepion
FUNNY ARTIFACT In India, the stigma against mental disorders prevents people from seeking medical help. Instead people go to the temple to ward off the evil eye and cure the unseen disease.
DESCRIPTION The Indian temple architecture comprises of an entry chamber that leads to the main chamber for prayer. In this exploration I revisited the concept of an Indian temple as a reflection chamber in an urban setting. The drawing explores various postures and technologies that can be used to engage with our inner selves in a unique private chamber.
The Brihadeshwara temple, India
NAME The Indian Temple
FUNNY ARTIFACT Hospital’s are charged spaces for action.
DESCRIPTION The intent of the vestibule requirement is to reduce infiltration of air into a space, thereby addressing energy conservation and comfort issues for occupants located near primary entrance doors. The majority of infiltration comes through primary entrance doors that are typically used to access public areas, and have higher usage rates than doors classified for personnel use. Vestibules can reduce the infiltration losses (or gains) from wind and stack effects by creating an air lock entry. The airlock at C.S. Mott hospital is a small circular atrium with wheelchairs and barely any space to sit and wait considering the volume of patients it gets.
The main lobby is a beautifully designed large space to wait with a cafeteria, cameras and surveillance. The anxious mind finds no comfort. A redesign of the vestibule could instill a sense of privacy.
NAME Vestibule at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital
FUNNY ARTIFACT Design markers of a threshold space are also called the Airlock or vestibule in buildings.
DESCRIPTION Threshold spaces are transitional spaces that provide a spatial preface to the functional spaces that follow.
Threshold Spaces: Transitions in Architecture. Analysis and Design Tools Book by Till Boettger The Architecture School Survival Guide Book by Iain Jackson
NAME Threshold Spaces
FUNNY ARTIFACT Some foams are thermoplastic that can be recycled over and over again.
DESCRIPTION Hard wooden furniture defines the spaces in a rigid way. While soft furniture takes the shape of the body in a fluid manner hence making it feel absorbed. The project explores the use of foam to design its first space with walls and furniture made of foam.
NAME Transition chamber
FUNNY ARTIFACT A human in such a chamber would perceive the surroundings as devoid of sound. Anecdotally, some humans may not like such quietness and can become disoriented.
DESCRIPTION An anechoic chamber (an-echoic meaning “non-reflective, non-echoing, echo-free�) is a room designed to completely absorb reflections of either sound or electromagnetic waves. They are also often isolated from waves entering from their surroundings. This combination means that a person or detector exclusively hears direct sounds (no reverberant sounds), in effect simulating being inside an infinitely large room.
NAME An anechoic chamber
FUNNY ARTIFACT Mirror was used as a reflection of self by Sigmund Freud. He placed a mirror behind his desk for the patient to reflect their thoughts, a position later taken by Freud.
DESCRIPTION A mirror is an object that reflects light in such a way that, for incident light in some range of wavelengths, the reflected light preserves many or most of the detailed physical characteristics of the original light, called specular reflection. In this research the quality of reflection is used metaphorically to reflect upon our thoughts to instill mental well being. Adrian Piper: A Synthesis of Intuitions, 1965–2016. Exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art, New York Yayoi kusuma designs kaleidoscopic environments offers the chance to step into an illusion of infinite space.
NAME Infinity mirror rooms
FUNNY ARTIFACT The indoor garden at Ford headquarters in New York was implemented to keep the employees indoors.
DESCRIPTION Humans tend to seek connection to the nature. It has been proven in studies that outdoor activities and exposure to plants leads to improved mental health. Winter garden at the Frankel Cardiovascular Center at University of Michigan Ford Headquarter in New York was designed by Kevin Roche with a garden in the atrium. Creating a man made biophilic area for the employees to enjoy during breaks. Studies show that the connect with greens reduces stress.
NAME Biophilic Chamber
the ‘ante-chamber’ My capstone research began with my interest in ‘the role of built environment on mental health’. While writing a paper for one of my classes, I tried to make an argument about the over stressed human minds in the 21st century ‘achiever’s society (Han in Burnout society). A hospital building has numerous stresses attached to it. Exiting a hospital after treatment should relieve the mind of those stresses. But most people carry the stress around. The Ante-chamber is designed for visitors and patients to destress while visiting the hospital. Numerous studies show how stress affects our thoughts and daily lives. A survey conducted among 400 students at the Shapiro Library at University of Michigan shows that about 40% students think their mental health is below average. Another experiment called ‘The Oasis Project’ at a hospital Chaplaincy Centre looked at how to reduce stresses for the people visiting the hospital. One of its major conclusion was to “Engage the senses”. At the University of Michigan, Student facilities have Reflection rooms. These are private rooms used primarily for prayer but can also be used for resting, medicating, stretching and recharging the mind. The intent was to design a space for relaxation and introspection for people in need to de-stress. The project explores the relation between transition spaces and stress. The Ante-chamber expands the experience of an airlock space to create an experimental transition space to reduce stress attached to a hospital among patents and visitors. It takes upon the need for a reflection room to an open semi-public space. It can be located in any institutional building, but a hospital was chosen because it is a site of action. Also called the ‘Intro-chamber’; it is the threshold in a Hindu temple or a Greek Adyton; which leads to the center of worship also called the Garbhagriha. The Antechamber; an experimental transition space to De-stress in an institutional environment. An initiative to relieve the stresses attached to a hospital and day to day activities.
Screen partitions
ANECHOIC CHAMBER
Space to sit/ interact
Screen partitions
TRANSITION CHAMBER
WHEELCHAIR DROP OFF/PICK-UP
Foam wall and inbuilt furniture
Entering and leaving a space are key moments in experiencing spaces.
Mirrors on the walls
INTRO-CHAMBER
REFLECTION CHAMBER
DEFAULT SPACE
BIOPHILLIC CHAMBER
ANTE-CHAMBER
Bench near a water fountain to mimic nature
THRESHOLD SPACE
WHEELCHAIR DROP OFF/PICK-UP
SOURCES Slide 1-2 • https://thenounproject.com Slide 3 • https://www.coherentnews.com/anxiety-disorders-and-depression-treatments-market-globalindustry-insights-opportunity-analysis-2017-2025/ • http://www.advancedpsychotherapeutics.com/ANXIETY.en.html • http://www.nina-wpe.eu/blog/ Slide 4 • http://www.romanovgrave.com/exhibitions/b19 • http://joelsandersarchitect.com/berggasse-19-inside-freuds-office-with-diana-fuss/ • http://lounge.obviousmag.org/embriaguez_artistica/2012/05/04/Office.JPG Slide 5 • https://federicobabina.com/ARCHIATRIC • https://www.archdaily.com/544946/ad-classics-cenotaph-for-newton-etienne-louisboullee/53a2643bc07a8079c500022f-ad-classics-cenotaph-for-newton-etienne-louis-boulleesection-during-the-day-with-interior-night-effect Slide 6 • http://www.urbain-trop-urbain.net/post/83565585945/plan-de-la-salle-de-consultation-et-de-lasalle-de • https://www.acousticalsurfaces.com/white_noise/white_noise.htm Slide 7 • https://www.illustrationsource.com/stock/image/41920/man-in-psychologists-office-with-moneyrug Slide 8 • https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/oct/19/mystery-jesus-christ-orb-leonardo-davinci-salvator-mundi-painting#img-2 • http://mindcontrol-research.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/4_banham_home_not_house.pdf Slide 9 • https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/19/facebook-brain-interface/ • https://www.renderositymagazine.com/public/index.php/article/3567/announcing-the-worldsfirst-brain-computer-interface-for-virtual-reality • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panopticon • https://medium.com/neurable/announcing-the-worlds-first-brain-computer-interface-for-virtualreality-a3110db62607 Slide 10 • https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/therapists/andrea-e-martin-westmount-qc/176913 Slide 11 • https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/445926800579931973/visual-search/?x=16&y=16&w=530&h=570 • http://ur.umich.edu/1112/Apr02_12/3416-disability-rights-influence Slide 15 • https://www.furniturefashion.com/saruyama_interesting_polyurethane_foam_furniture/ • https://dominikraskin.com/2014/12/20/foam-furniture/panton/#main • https://mattresszine.com/mattress-news/mattress-fun/duine-foam-furniture/ • https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/foam-fabrication Slide 16 • https://www.cnn.com/style/article/anechoic-chamber-worlds-quietest-room/index.html • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anechoic_chamber Slide 17 • http://dobbernationloves.com/2018/02/28/10-snaps-from-the-agos-magical-yayoi-kusamainfinity-mirrors/ • http://www.adrianpiper.com/art/What_Its_Like-What_It_Is.shtml • http://www.davidgillgallery.com/fs-coffee-table-detroit sep 2012 Slide 18 • https://photorator.com/photo/55475/ford-foundation-headquarters-atrium-in-nyc-by-kevin-roche