RESeTROOMS Mind the gap. That was the motto for this interdisciplinary, global engagement studio focusing on mindfulness at Arizona State University. Working towards this goal as a studio, the Design School at ASU was taken as a prototype. Gaps between stimulus and response throughout the Design School were identified and their latencies were harnessed in order to elevate the spaces. Being that restrooms breaks are already a necessary gap within everyone’s day, the restrooms were an obvious opportunity. While everyone experiences these spaces, unfortunately in their current condition they are repelling. The moment you enter the space your awareness is peaked through an engagement of the senses brought about by the unpleasant characteristics of the restrooms. Through exploiting these circumstances and redesigning them to be positive encounters, these spaces can be shifted to a more constructive engagement of the senses. Through an understanding of the Design School and the existing context, emotions were assigned to each of the eight “resetrooms” that drove the experiential qualities of the spaces. Color, texture, smell, sound, etc. were all utilized to create an encompassing experience of that emotion and those similar to it. Taking a gender neutral stance for the redesigning of the restrooms, the spaces are no longer designed for gender, but for experience instead. Once acquainted with the various experiences of the spaces, the users can choose to utilize the “resetroom” that best suits their current state, either encouraging them to lean into emotions they are experiencing or opt to experience a new emotion in hopes of shifting their mood. It is our hope that these restrooms would shock the senses of it’s inhabitants, cleansing the palette, resetting and preparing the student, faculty or visitor for the next phase of their day.
Pe a c e f u l
Cu r io u s
Hopeful
E xc it e d P la n
Ner vo us
E xc it e d
Ne utral
S o m b e r P la n
Irrita ted
Somber
Design South
ADE 621: Fall 2017 Advanced Architectural Studio I
Design North
Student: B. Bailey, N. Calic and J. Clark Instructors: Michelle Fehler, Darren Petrucci