IN SEARCH OF
SOLITUDE
IN SEARCH OF SOLITUDE Veronica Acosta
Thesis | Masters of Architecture | Parsons The New School for Design (2014)
“Some 70 percent of American workers inhabit open-plan offices.” Susan Cain, author of “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” (2012)
“Though open offices often fostered a symbolic sense of organizational mission, making employees feel like part of a more laid-back, innovative enterprise, they were damaging to the workers’ attention spans, productivity, creative thinking, and satisfaction.” Matthew Davis, Organizational Psychologist (2011)
“As the number of people working in a single room went up, the number of employees who took sick leave increased apace.� Jan Pejtersen, Senior Researcher at National Research Center for the Working Environment (2011)
“Noise has been repeatedly tied to reduced cognitive performance.� Dr. Nick Perham, Psychologist (2010)
“Sleep and work (deep thought) are very closely related. They are both stage based events. Sleep has 5 stages, and in order to get to the very deep ones, the meaningful ones, you have to go through the early ones. If you are interrupted while going through the early ones you don’t just pick up where you left off. You have to start again.” Jason Fried, Co-author of “Rework” (2010)
National Sleep Foundation
HEADPHONES, IN SEARCH OF SOLITUDE Solitude aids creativity and productivity. The more crowded our cities get the more we search for solitude. You walk in any New York City subway today and you will probably notice that more people are wearing headphones than not. Even just walking down the street, or in the gym, or the cafe, people crave solitude in order to get things done, and our natural tendency for creating that psychological isolation is to put on our headphones. The open plan office invigorates the collaborative spirit but is filled with distractions and interruptions. For the average knowledge worker, it’s a luxury to have long stretches of interrupted time and concentration at work. I believe we are in dire need of spaces built for solitude to counter existing spaces shaped for fostering collaboration and exchange of ideas. The thesis is to design semi-outdoor spaces tailored to supporting solitude in the city. These nooks of retreat provide isolation from noise and distractions without having to leave the heart of the city. They are designed mainly for individuals but can also accommodate pairs searching for peace and quiet.
HUMAN BODY BUILDING
SITE LOT
CITY
INDEX
HUMAN BODY
Users: Individual Pair Isolation Range: Noise Visibility Activity needs: Seating surface only Seating and table
Andy Remente
MIT, Soft Rockers
NC State University Library
Micasa Lab | Cocoon 1
ArchitectureArtDesign.com
Alcove Ottoman
Yanko Design | Flip-Floppin’ Bench
Kajen Public Bench
Remove | Dansk
Studio 1:1 | Kennisnet Foundation
Tengbom Architects | Karolinska Institute
Veronica Acosta | New York City Public Spaces
Veronica Acosta | New York City Public Spaces
Veronica Acosta | New York City Public Spaces
Veronica Acosta | New York City Public Spaces
Veronica Acosta | New York City Public Spaces
Veronica Acosta | New York City Public Spaces
BUILDING
Required spaces: Open air Semi-open air Enclosed Restrooms Place for Resources Maintenance Cantina Coffee Tea Juices Water
Peter Zumthor | Serpentine Pavilion
Peter Zumthor | Serpentine Pavilion
Snohetta | Tverrfjellhytta, Norwegian Wild Reindeer Pavilion
Snohetta | Tverrfjellhytta, Norwegian Wild Reindeer Pavilion
SO-IL | Wulpen, Belgium Community center
SO-IL | Wulpen, Belgium Community center
SO-IL | Wulpen, Belgium Community center
SO-IL | Wulpen, Belgium Community center
SITE LOT
New public space: Vacant space Repurposed space
Greenacre Park, New York, NY
Greenacre Park, New York, NY
Greenacre Park, New York, NY
Green alleyways in Charleston, SC
CITY
Network: Along the heart of the city In areas with dense concentration of office buildings
New York City
SITES
MIDTOWN EAST
DUMBO
FO HCRAES NI
EDUTILOS