Zoe Gao - BFA Interior Design Thesis

How can it be guaranteeing that women have enough education about what to expect before and after being a mother, both physically and mentally? Contents.

INTRODUCTION: MYTH OF MOTHERHOOD 01.

Knowledge of What to expect

Responsibility

Myth of Motherhood Reality Functional

Identity of women

Dedicate Innate

Happy Joy

Uttermost fulfillment

as a woman by being  a mother

Obligation

Pain

Postnatal  Depression

Absence  of Father

behind of  propaganda

Choice

Irreversible  Damage

limited knowledge and unrealistic expectation

Making choice based on public opinion

How can it be guaranteeing that women have  enough education about what to expect before  and after being

a mother, both physically and  mentally?

Thesis Statement

This thesis aims to 1) complement women's lack of knowledge about the challenges motherhood can bring before they become  mothers. 2) Let women make their own choices of being a mother or not after being adequately educated about the expectation  and challenges of motherhood. To achieve these purposes, I want to design an immersive public museum + memorial to equip  women with comprehensive information about what to expect as a mother.

Possible Solution

Narrow down the  discussion of  motherhood

The project is a memorial/ gallery of motherhood located at Riverside Park - South, which focuses on mental and physical issues women will experience---but the mainstream medium does not talk about---before, during, and after pregnancy, and translate them into a series of expe-

Design Concept

The aim of my project is to provide women with a comprehensive and realistic understanding of motherhood, while dispelling the unrealistic myths perpetuated by society This is achieved through a case study and site visit, drawing inspiration from the Jewish Museum Berlin. The project is a critical component of my thesis, as it transforms the traditional concept of circulation into an immersive journey. Rather than relying on emotional expression, the project presents visitors with extensive research and detailed facts, allowing them to interpret the experience from their own perspective.

The project itself is an immersive interpretive memorial and museum that seeks to re-educate visitors through a spatial experience, presenting a holistic and complete picture of motherhood. It is important to note that the project is not an interior renovation, but rather a reimagination of the city’s green space into a public area with a monumentality and installation-based approach. Inspiration for this approach is drawn from the narrative of Eastern State Penitentiary.

Through this program, I hope to unveil the reality of motherhood, giving women the freedom to make informed decisions regarding motherhood, rather than being bound by unrealistic societal expectations. By providing a more comprehensive and realistic perspective on motherhood, the project aims to empower women with the knowledge and agency to make informed choices.

The project is a memorial/gallery of motherhood located at  Riverside Park - South, which focuses on mental and physical  issues women will experience---but the mainstream medium  does not talk about---before, during, and after pregnancy, and  translate them into a series of experiential spaces to unfold the  entire picture of what to expect as being a mother for young  women before they choose of becoming one.

TWOFOLD NARRATIVE 02.

Memorial is a doubling of what gallery is; and interpreting spatial narrative is a doubling of interior design.

SCHEME OF CIRCULATION

Father’s perspective vs Mother’s Perspective

Physical

Tender and  swollen breasts,  frequent  urination, fatigue, cold symptoms,  sleeplessness

Weight gain, stretch  marks, backache, edema, fetal  movement,  hemorrhoids, frequent urination, growing belly &  breasts

Fatigue, tailbone  Pain, cumbersome,  breathing difficulties,  backache, pain in  lower belly, groin, or  hips, indigestion

Natural labor vs  C-Section vs Induced labor

Mental

Interview + Hidden Facts

Joyness

1 Being a mother

2 Waiting for a new  life

Ongoing process

Unknown

Anxiety

1 Responsibilities of being a "good"  mother

2 Job loss stress

3 Risks and pain of labor and delivery

4 Out of shape

1 Lacking knowledge of pregnancy, labor, and delivery (most can be  googled, but people are usually not ready for things like pubic  symphysis separation)

2 Unexpectation of emotional changes(hormones(partially), toxic  caring from family, negligence of mother's mental health)

3 The absence of a partner

After the first literal exploration, I researched the pregnancy and delivery process indepth and listed out the most common symptoms/experience people share online. Then I interview more than 20 people, including my peer, obstetrician and gynecologist, and mothers with at least one child. The feedback has surprised me in the way of asymmetric information: young women, usually who are at their 20s, learn about pregnancy from the internet, whose information is either the myth of motherhood or the negative complaints from young mothers; a bigger and well-narrated image of being a mother is not clear to them.

Meanwhile, women who have given birth before indicate that they experi enced a lot of unexpected situations both physically and mentally during their pregnancy, which social media does not talk about. In both cases, the lack of information has led to a misunderstanding of what to expect as a mother.

Based on the information I collected, I made the timeline above and highlighted those facts that most women(both young and aged) do not expect/have little knowledge about.

Father’s perspective

Mother’s perspective

Academic perspective

Perspective

Complete circulation

Short cut cross the site

Exterior program circulation

Circulation

The first scheme, Maze, is a literal exploration of circulation --- a wide and straight path cutting through the maze. At the same time, the rest of the space -- wrapped by curvy partitions -- is inserted with exhibitions of the spatial experiences. The straight circulation represents the father’s perspective, and the cutouts on the wall will only frame the joyful moment(such as nature) of the rest circulations. In comparison, the mother’s perspective is embedded in the curvy and narrow maze. Whenever there’s an intersection between the two, it would be when one decides to participate in the other identity’s life.

SCHEME 02 Hidden Emotions

The second scheme only exposes the happiness/joy of pregnancy to the public, so there would be several landscapes/installation embedded in the ground and welcoming people to get in. Meanwhile, all the negativeness of pregnancy - mental issues and physical risks - will be transferred into a spatial experience and hidden underground as circulation.

The third scheme is an underground journey emphasizing with mother. People would enter the space from the ground level, and the deeper they go, the more intense the emotional experience they would have. Their feeling would reach the summit once they arrived at the deepest point of the project. Programs representing the mother’s experience during pregnancy would be scattered around circulation. Each room is a gallery of a particular mental/physical experience. Meanwhile, two straight lines(father’s perspective) intersect the rest program and have cutouts on the wall that only show joyful moments of the rest circulation. Again, people need to make a choice whenever there’s a crossroads. And they decide whether to participate or not in the mother’s experience.

Analysis Diagram

CONCEPT MODEL

Exploration of circulation is the starting point while playing with perspective is another essential aspect of my project. So I create this concept model to explore the idea further: The pattern and color are different if one looks from an other side. Meanwhile, even though the cutouts share the same color, they do not represent the same wall/surface. And one circulation is hidden within those zigzag surfaces in the same color. Among all the cutouts, only a slim one has cut through all two blocks and become the only entrance/exit that connects two components and circulation in between.

Two component joint togather

Elevation

Physical Model

FROM CIRCULATION TO PROGRAM

Immersive  Experience  Combination

How to incorporate the education of  expectations before and after being a  mother with an emphasis on memoriality?

My project will investigate the process and  influence, both physically and mentally, of  pregnancy and delivery, which is the  transition point of identification for many  women. The project will play with circulation  to present the physical challenges(including  but not limited to fatigue, tailbone pain,  cumbersome, breathing difficulties,  backache, and pain in the lower belly) and  the mental issues, usually caused by the  anxiety of job loss stress, lacking knowledge  of pregnancy, and absence of partner, but  have been long ignored under the pretext of  hormones.

Visitors will start their exploration with a  selected circulation mimicking the physical  process of being a mother with an  interpreting exhibition. The program would  also provide a parallel circulation with uneyecatching entrances. Inside would be the  exhibition/gallery of mothers' mental issues,  which are less exposed to the public.

The spatial program for the mother would include:

- Exhibition and public engagement spaces

- Amenities: Spaces for rest, relaxation,refreshment and outdoor areas.

Program Map

PREGNANCY TIMELINE

What to expect physically & mentally?

Physical

Tender and  swollen breasts,  frequent  urination, fatigue, cold symptoms,  sleeplessness

Weight gain, stretch  marks, backache, edema, fetal  movement,  hemorrhoids, frequent urination, growing belly &  breasts

Fatigue, tailbone  Pain, cumbersome,  breathing difficulties,  backache, pain in  lower belly, groin, or  hips, indigestion

Natural labor vs  C-Section vs  Induced labor

Mental

Joyness

1 Being a mother

2 Waiting for a new  life

Interview + Hidden Facts

Anxiety

Ongoing process

1 Responsibilities of being a "good"  mother

2 Job loss stress

3 Risks and pain of labor and delivery

4 Out of shape

Unknown

1 Lacking knowledge of pregnancy, labor, and delivery (most can be  googled, but people are usually not ready for things like pubic  symphysis separation)

2 Unexpectation of emotional changes(hormones(partially), toxic  caring from family, negligence of mother's mental health)

3 The absence of a partner

After the first literal exploration, I researched the pregnancy and delivery process indepth and listed out the most common symptoms/experience people share online. Then I interview more than 20 people, including my peer, obstetrician and gynecologist, and mothers with at least one child. The feedback has surprised me in the way of asymmetric information: young women, usually who are at their 20s, learn about pregnancy from the internet, whose information is either the myth of motherhood or the negative complaints from young mothers; a bigger and well-narrated image of being a mother is not clear to them.

Meanwhile, women who have given birth before indicate that they experienced a lot of unexpected situations both physically and mentally during their pregnancy, which social media does not talk about. In both cases, the lack of information has led to a misunderstanding of what to expect as a mother.

Based on the information I collected, I made the timeline above and highlighted those facts that most women(both young and aged) do not expect/have little knowledge about.

EMPATHIZE WITH MOTHER

Pregnancy Experience = Spatial Narrative

Anxiety --- Temperature getting higher

Fear ------- Fear of lost --- Walking on the edge

Found out pregnant

Joy --------- Expectation to the future ---- Framing

Unknown -- have no idea about the risks and issues --- long way to the  underground space

Being Ignored --- Mental issues are ignored for long time ---- hidden  circulation behind room showing physical struggles

During pregnancy

Anxiety of Making Choice ---- countless entrances

Absence of Father ---- Father circulation is separated from mother's,  limited interaction is provided by framing.

Spatial Narrative

Delivery

Extreme Experience

Found out pregnant

Symptoms of cold ---- Temperature

Fatigue --- Long ramp with bumps

Weight gain

Puffy legs

Cannot move easily

During pregnancy

Stretch marks --- Fabric

Sleeplessness ---- Ongoing sounds --- Water runs  through the project

Back pain --- Narrow space forces people to bend their back

Based on the timeline and research, I selected a list of pregnancy experiences and assembled them into two categories: mental and physical, divided into found, during pregnancy, and delivery.

Then each of the critical moments/experiences is translated into a spatial experience and carefully documented on the right side of the page.

Gallery

Immersive experience

Public program Program

Moment of Joy Gallery 01

The journey begins with a one way circulation gallery that mimicking the moment of joy and unknown at the beginning of pregnancy.

Hallway of Choice Installation

Then people need to find the one and only “correct” entrance to enter the following spaces - which refers to those moments young women are forced to making choices.

Always on Display Immersive Space

The atrium forced visitors to be exposed to stranger’s sight; the following space is decorated with fabrics to mimick stretch mark and the changing of skin during pregnancy.

The Complex Immersive Space

This is a space recreating the intense feeling during the labor and delivery.

Material Study

This study was exploring different techniques - such as folding, weaving, tearing - to achive the feeling created by collage on the left.

Sustainable Mesh - Original Sustainable Mesh - Folded

Wire Swatch - Original Wire Swatch - Original

MotherRest Playground

Healing Moment

Gallery 04 + Consulation

This is a two-story structure whose first story serves as a gallery and zen garden, and second floor is a mini consulation space for young mother / people to ask questions.

“0” Water Feature “0” is a water feature that serve for both the nearby community and people finish visiting the complex, who probably want to take a break before their journey continues.

MotherRest Playground

The playground is designed specificly for mother. It is a space for them to relax, play with their children

Moment of Joy - Gallery 01

The natural light in this space highlights the joyful moments of pregnancy.

The Complex - Gallery 02

People can experience “seeing and being seen” at the bottom of the complex. There is also a matching gallery for them to learn about pregnancy’s strugglings.

Refreshing Time - Gallery 03

A water feature is inserted to gallery to create a moment of refreshing.

Healing Moment - Gallery 04

The clinic+gallery not only provides medical advice, but also serves as an open space for people to relax and unwind.

IN BETWEEN SPACE

Overlapping and connecting

Room of Falling Down + Stretch Mark

The model comprises four different programs, which represent four key moments from the project. Each of these programs is connected to the others by a formal entrance or opening. The four key moments are: 1) theater; 2) dripping; 3) stretch mark; and 4) swelling.

Another focus of this model is “framing.” The exterior, or the box, has small cutouts on each face for people to peek inside. The image one perceives is completely different before and after the box is opened. The only space visible without opening the box is the white tunnel, which is the only gallery space in this model, while the others are all spaces for experiencing.

Left + Front - Closed

Left + Front - Open

Dripping

Strech Mark

Strech Mark - Unfold

Dripping and Stretch Mark are interactive components designed to mimic the materiality of the project in reality.

Right - Open

Swelling

Swelling - Entrance

Room of Falling Down + Stretch Mark

Refreshment Zen Garden

Dripping Gallery

Room of Strech Mark

“0”

MotherRest Playground

Room of Falling Down

Gallery of Motherhood

INSIDE OUT 03.

The design blends the inside and outside to create a journey that encourages introspection. By doing so, visitors are able to gain a deeper understanding of the topic being discussed by reflecting inwardly.

Universal

Cultural barrier

Be re-educated Interpretation issue

On going process

Limited  knowledge before  the visit

Design Concept

My project provides women with a comprehensive picture of what to expect from motherhood, except for the unrealistic myth of motherhood, which gives them more room to decide if they want to be a mother. I intend to explore this through a case study and site visit. A similar idea is explored in Jewish Museum Berlin. This project is important to my thesis because it transfers circulation into an immersive journey. Rather than focus on emotional expression, both projects provide visitors with abundant research and detailed facts and leave visitors to decide the perspective to interpret. My program is an immersive interpretive memorial + museum. I am working with this program to allow visitors to be re-educated through a spatial experience. A similar program was observed at the narrative of Eastern State Penitentiary. By working with this program, I hope to reveal the reality of motherhood and provide women the option of making decisions to become a mother on their own instead of being kidnapped by the myth created by public opinion.

9.11 Memorial Park

9.11 Memorial Park, located at the original site of the Twin Towers, is now transferred into a large city  memorial park. The half-masted flags, identical cube seatings, and overwhelming sounds of water have  immersed people in the atmosphere of remembering and moaning once they enter the space. The deep  water installation plays with darkness, overwhelming sounds, and unknown depth, which evoke people's  empathy to re-imagine this tragedy.

Visitors who come to this place are, more or less, aware of the 9.11 attacks. Thus the installation/memorial  park serves as a monument to remind people never to forget about this history.

The interaction between 9.11 memorial park and its visitors is about emphasizing and remembering.

Main installation

Memorial Park

Eastern State Penitentiary

Eastern State Penitentiary is well known for many things:the first modern prison system; it is used to trap Ai  Capone; a failed exploration of criminals' adjustment.

At the same time, not every visitors are familiar with this Philadelphia attraction. Thus the narrative,  multimedia demonstration, etc., become the main string that threads up the spatial experience. Upon  entering the space, each visitor would receive an audio guide whose narrative matches the spatial circulation  perfectly. After the overall tour of the remains, people are welcome to explore the penitentiary on their own:  many narratives and artists' installations are hidden in the corner so that people would learn about a speci event/aspect of the prison. The visit ended with an exhibition that made people rethink the meaning of  modern prison by pointing out that a handful of people would likely commit crimes again within three  months they left jail because of the bias from society.

The interaction between visitors and the narratives is a process of education and interpretation.

Narratives

INWARD EXPLORATION

Interior Moments

Entrance

Framing system between two circulations

Room experience mimicking strech marks and puffy legs

Two circulations are parallel but have no intersection

EXPLORATION OF STRATEGY

Before diving into my pregnancy research, I generated the first model based on my understanding and knowledge of pregnant women. The exploration is based only on physical change.

The Jewelry Box

Girls usually get their first jewelry box at a young age and keep it for a while. So the storage jewelry, or accessories, are vivid proof of the transition of age or personality. The jewelry box is not only a storage for physical accessories but a box of symbolism and characteristics.

I designed this jewelry box with four layers, unfolding the physical and mental transition women experience when pregnancy based on my research. it is a jewelry box of motherhood.

The puff balls represent the sparkled happiness and joy in the early phase of pregnancy. The random green curvy strip is the uncertainty of the future, and the dark triangle means the concern of job security and the pain of delivery.

The balloon mimics the bloated ball during the mid-phase of pregnancy. Many mothers suffer from edema and the feeling of carrying heavy-weight water balls.

After the delivery, the mother’s body is like a sagging balloon. And the scar, same as the stretch on clothes, lives as a permanent mark.

The blank space represents the phase before pregnancy.

1st Drawer

2nd Drawer

3rd Drawer

4th Drawer