The Mycelial Ritual

Finlay Aitken Technical Dissertation

BSC Architecture Design And Technology

BARC0109

Tutors

Daniel Wilkinson

Ifigeneia Liangi Martin Reynolds

Abstract

The Project is located just outside the urban fabric of Berlin, on the bank of Lake Schlachtensee. The lakes of Berlin serve as an eclectic gathering space which bring together the various peoples of the city. The psychedelic programme of the building mirrors the function of the lake; just as Schlachtensee serves as a change of scene from the bustle of everyday life, so too does the building offer a bespoke journey away from standard consciousness.

The primary occupation of the building takes the form of a three day ritual which is undertaken by a willing participant. This three day ritual serves to optimise and enhance the psychedelic experience by applying principals set out by both official and underground examples of psychedelic therapy. Secondarily, the building accommodates the growth and research of psychedelic mushrooms. The building gives agency to both the participant and the mushrooms alike in order to establish a respect and understanding for the medicine and thus improve and deepen the trip.

The mushrooms inform the building design on both a conceptual and practical level. Conceptually, the building mirrors the mushroom’s growth cycle through the embodiment of change and transformation. Simultaneously, the building uses the material and structural qualities of mycelium (the precursor to the fruiting mushroom) to create spaces which are appropriate and optimal for a positive psychedelic trip.

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Programme

The primary programme of the building is a psychedelic Therapy centre. Secondarily the building facilitates psychedelic research and mushroom growing. Broadly speaking, the building exists in two parts: The above ground research and accommodation spaces and the semi subterranean ritualistic spaces of mushroom growth and psychedelic trips.

Informed by the mushroom both formally and figuratively as a sacred medicine, the building will act as a vessel for controlling and propagating psychedelic mushrooms. The conditions necessary for growing mushrooms will overlap with the ritualistic procession through he building thus augmenting the experience of the user.

The Functionality of the building is based around a three day ritual which culminates with the actual psychedelic trip at the end of the second day. Prior to the trip a trusting and friendly relationship is established between the Guide and the participant. Subsequent to the trip, the guide will help make sense of the lessons brought on by the medicine and attempt to integrate them with everyday life.

The Ritual

8 weeks prior to participant arrival - mushrooms are planted

Day 1

1100 - participant travels to site

1200 - meeting the guide

1300 - lunch

1800 - dinner

2100 - sleep

Day 2

0800 - wake

0900 - breakfast

1000 - begin walk

1300 - arrive back at building

1400 - preparations begin on ceremony

1500 - mushrooms are ingested and trip begins

2100 - trip ends

2200 - sleep

Day 3

0900 - wake

1000 - breakfast

1200 - participant leaves

Timeline of ritual through building

Historical Use of Psychedelics

The use of psychedelics can be traced back to 9000BC where the earliest cave paintings of what historians believe to be a psychedelic shaman were drawn.

Throughout history psychedelic have been used by almost every culture on earth whether recreationally or medicinally. This was true of the West until the 1960s, when psychedelic substances were categorised as a schedule one drug. It is only in recent years that Western culture has begun to, yet again, explore and research the mystical properties of these chemicals.

Project 1 attempted to take various cultural approaches to psychedelia and combine them with individual description of psychedelic trips in order to build an architectural language. The project critiqued the western approach towards psychedelics in the 1960’s and the over zealous and uncontrolled application of these medicines. The project was largely informed by cultures who have consistently used psychedelic medicines throughout their history and the spatial constructions that they have created in order to facilitate psychedelic experiences.

Johns Hopkins As A Programmatic Precedent

This project takes many programmatic cues from Johns Hopkins Centre For Psychedelic Research due to the fact that it currently serves as the most established example of a facility that specifically studies psychedelic experiences. In addition to official precedents, the project is also informed by journalistic descriptions of underground guided ceremonies. The underground practices offer insight into a much larger set of data regarding psychedelic experiences which are more focused on personal and intimate aspects of ritual psychedelia. In conjunction, these two sources offer a set of rules which are both legitimate and functional for the programme.

Elements taken from Hopkins include the multiprogrammed use of space which combines both research and the psychedelic experience whilst the underground accounts offer various ritual elements which supposedly augment and improve mental states during psychedelic trips.

Initial Fluid Experimentation

The narrative of the project hinges around the dichotomy of the controlled (research and medicinal applications of psychedelics) and the uncontrolled (The natural and organic influence and conditions of the mushrooms). To begin testing this tension, initial tests with fluid simulations were done to achieve a basic design language. These tests consisted of pushing simulated fluid through rigid bodies such that one may begin to control the unpredictable. Although simple in nature, these tests acted as a useful starting point for building a visual palette.

Site - Schlachtensee, Berlin, Germany

Schlachtensee Lake lies only a few kilometres outside the main urban fabric of Berlin. Due to its location, Schlachtensee is extremely popular for both tourists and locals alike as it offers a space which is separate from the busy streets of the inner city whilst also remaining extremely accessible. This is ideal for the programmatic needs of the building which require privacy and peace of mind in addition to ease of access for anyone who wishes to endeavour on a psychedelic voyage.

Seasonal Changes on Site

The site changes drastically throughout the year due to the dynamic climate of Northern Germany. In summer, the site is lush with vegetation and full of people who regularly swim in the lake’s warm water. During Winter however, the lake freezes over and is often used for ice skating. Despite the changes in weather, the lake constantly sees many visitors both from Berlin and abroad.

The Site’s Relationship to Berlin

The site lies around 9km from the city centre and is primarily accessible by the S1 Overground Train. The station is located only 150m away from the building thus meaning that it is accessible from anywhere in the city by only one mode of transport. The city itself is comprised of many different sects and ethnic groups which are each broadly separated into urban regions. The site, however, acts as an eclectic gathering space which is frequented by the entire population of the city. This, again, is in alignment with the programme which seeks to allow the largest cross section of the general population the ability to safely take psychedelic substances.

Schlachtensee Lake is part of the Grünewald chain of lakes which run North to South on the Western side of Berlin. Spanning these lakes is Grünewald Forest within which the building is located. The forest is primarily made up of pine trees which largely characterise the site and its surrounding area. In addition to other species of tree, many other things grow and live in the forest such as a large variety of birds and also many species of mushroom. Typically the local mushrooms are largely non psychedelic though occasionally it is possible to find a select few species of psilocybin mushrooms in Grünewald.

Sunlight on Site

The site receives a lot of sun throughout the year, though the tall pine trees offer a great deal of shade which is necessary during summer months when temperatures commonly climb to above 30 Degrees. The building is slightly elevated from the lake which gives it access to a higher amount of light. This is augmented by the design of the building itself which has large vertical light wells in order to catch light from above the treeline. The conditions necessary for efficiently growing psychedelic mushrooms require low levels of light which is the reason for the semi subterranean layout of the mushroom growing spaces. 19th April is an important date for the psychedelic community and as such, Parts of the building will be oriented to receive midday light on this date.

Climate and Weather

Berlin typically receives wind form the South-West yet, due to both the vast number of trees which act as a windbreak and the orientation of the lake which funnels incoming wind, The prevailing direction of airflow to the building is from the North East. This directional wind will be used to provide passive ventilation. The climate of Berlin is temperate making it unideal for mushroom growth which relies on steady and consistent levels of humidity and temperature. To counteract this, large thermal masses will be implemented in order to stabilize the internal environment of the building. Rainfall on site is moderate with an average of 16 days of rainfall per month. Mushrooms favour humid environments which would be problematic during the more dry months such as February and October were it not for the lake which raises the humidity of the micro-climate on site.

Schlachtensee is considered to be the cleanest of the Berlin lakes due to the natural filtration of water as it runs South from Wansee and other Grünewald chain Lakes. The temperature of the lake water varies greatly throughout the year from as low as 3 Degrees C in Winter to a comfortable 24 during summer. Many species of fish live within the lake and as such many people come to fish. Interestingly, the oldest structure at the lake is a fisherman’s hut which is around 300 years old and is now a historical landmark. Since the growing of mushrooms requires a lot of water from start to finish, the lake water will be utilised throughout the building.