abstract revision

In today’s fast paced western society the increase of stress related illness is life-threateningly startling. Depression is the most treacherous in terms of mental illness killers. By the year 2020, depression has been predicted as the second biggest medical killer after heart disease. Unfortunately, in today’s society, the treatment of depression is usually not pursued or not successful. I feel this has particularly occurred through both the social stigma that is strongly related to mental illness, as well as, the emphasis on treatment methods that relieve the symptoms of depression through routine medical prescriptives, rather than addressing the personal cause of the illness. Therefore, it is my belief, that through the design of healing/nurturing spaces and places that are specifically related to the people with or affected by depression, that a new precedent in possibly more successful depression treatment can be initiated. A range of research methods will be imperative to the successful translation of a place for people with depression. In addition to basic textbook research techniques, additional research will include people research, involving taped casual conversation techniques with people that have or are associated with depression, as well as people that have been exposed to either nurturing or non nurturing spaces. Architectural case study investigations will also be conducted. One specific example is the Maggie’s Centre’s in the UK, who have had a particular success in emphasising the person in the cancer patient. Alternatively, other architectural examples that have received praise or criticism for being humanized or non humanized nurturing spaces could be imperatively fruitful to the design process. Initial conceptions of this new typology of nurturing spaces for depression are; a free drop-in counseling centre dislocated from the stigmated grasp of society. These spaces will offer refuge, support, therapy and friendship to those persons affected by depression. The aim for these nurturing environments is to support people with or affected by depression in their personalised process of dealing with the cause and treatment of their illness in a more homely, casual, secure and natural environment.

midterm submission

How can nurturing spaces help support people with depression?

In today’s western society the occurrence of stress among the general population is becoming increasingly prevalent. In relation to this phenomenon, prolonged exposure to stress is resulting in the increased onset of both biological and psychological mental illness such as depression and anxiety. Statistics show that around half of the people suffering from mental illness are not receiving any help. There are many documented reasons for this disparity. Unfortunately, as stress is becoming more and more accepted in today’s productive society, many people are unable to differentiate between ‘common’ stress and more serious stress related mental illness. On the other hand, many depression sufferers are aware of their disease, but fall victim to the negative stigma associated with mental illness, which in many cases is enough to inhibit people to seek help. The downside for those people seeking help is that often the first means of treatment for mental illness diagnosis is ‘quick fix’ prescriptive medication that deals with the symptoms of the illness but does not address the bigger picture. This thesis will investigate how space can have a nurturing affect on people that are suffering from mental illness, particularly depression. The context of these nurturing spaces will be free drop in counseling centers dislocated from the stigmated grasp of society that offer support, therapy and friendship to those persons affected by depression. The aim for these nurturing environments is to support depression sufferers in their personal process of dealing with their illness in a more homely, casual, secure and natural environment.

mindmaps

fundamental key questions and line of process - see below for more detailed mindmap illustrating the same as above








idea of nature assisting in the nurturing affect for people with mental illness

bibliography

images


"society is where everyone hides their real character then reveals it by hiding" one tree high


prescriptive medication - 'the quick fix'


feeling misunderstood, alone and ashamed are identifiable symptoms of people with depression and anxiety


social conformity that governs fear in people to address their mental illness.


mental illness - seeing yourself in the reflectional view of societies stigmas.


we have to stop treating people as patients and start to place more value on treating people as individuals.


fear of alienation or judgment from society for having a mental illness.


tea houses in japan, interesting precedent studies for spaces of tranquility


ibid


maggie's centre, drop in centre for people with cancer, frank gehry


previous research topic in ecotherapy that I feel can apply to this field of research


ibid



books
Alexander, C. (1977) A Pattern Language, Oxford University Press, London

Bachelard, G. (1994) The Poetics of Space, Beacon Press, Boston

Bohm, D. (1996) On Creativity, Routledge Classics, London

Day, C. (2004) Place of the Soul - Architecture and Environmental Design as a Healing Art (2nd ed) Architectural Press, London

Honore, C. (2005) In Praise of Slow - How a Worldwide Movement is Changing the Cult of Speed, Orion Books, London

Pallasma, J. (2001) in the book - Aesthetics, Well-being and Health Essays within Architecture and Environmental Aesthetics, Ashgate Publishing Company, England

Papanek, V. (1997) Design for the Real World, Human Ecology and Social Change (2nd ed.) Thames and Hudson, India

Suzuki, D (1993) Zen and Japanese Culture, Mythos, USA

Tanazaki, J. (2001) In Praise of Shadows, Vintage Press, London


films/documentaries
- Alice in Wonderland, Disney Classic (book by Louis Carroll)
- The Matrix (Directed by Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski, 1999)
- The Perfect Home, Alain de Botton, Documentary BBC (2004)


organisations
- beyond blue mental health organisation
- maggie's cancer centre
- the limelight foundation

architectural inspiration - places of interest to the topic both spatially and symbolically

houses
- Aalvar Aalto, Villa Mairea, Noormarkku **
- Aalvar Aalto, Summerhouse, Muuratsalo
- Tadao Ando, Rokko Housing, Kobe
**



cemeteries
- Carlo Scarpa, Brion Vega Cemetery, Treviso **
- Lewerentz and Asplund, Woodland Cemetery, Stockholm
**



health and wellbeing centres
- Peter Zumthor, Thermal Baths, Vals
- Mario Botta, Wellness Centre, Arosa **
- Aalvar Aalto, Paimio Sanatorium, Paimio
- Aldo van Eyck, Orphanage, Amsterdam
- Tadao Ando, Unesco Meditation Space, Paris
**



monasteries/convents
- Le Corbusier, The Monastery of Sainte-Marie de la Tourette, Eveux **
- Mario Botta, Capuchin Convent, Lugano
**


churches
- Lewerentz, St Peters Church, Klippan **
- Le Corbusier, Chapel at Ronchamp
- Tadao Ando, Church on the Water, Tomamu
- Tadao Ando, Church of Light, Osaka
**



banks
- Carlo Scarpa, Banca Popolare di Verona **
- Alberts and Van Huut, ING Head Quarters, Amsterdam
**



libraries
- Asplund, Stockholm Municipality Library **
- Aalvar Alto, Viipuri Library, USSR
**


tea houses
- Arata Isozaki, Ujian, So-An, Tokyo **
- Tadao Ando, Soseikan Tea House, Hyogo Prefecture
- Arata Isozaki, Gunma Museum of Fine Arts, Takasaki
**


museums
- Carlo Scarpa, Museo di Castelvecchio, Verona
- Tate and Tate Modern Museums, London
**

people research plan

I have plans to get on board two specific authorities to work with in relation to the needs of people that have mental illness as well as an architectural theoretician that specialises in healing spaces. These authorities are Bernie Byrne (Centre Head, Maggie's London) Juhani Pallassma (Finland). I hope to meet with Bernie in London the following Friday and Juhani in Finland in December (although I will be contacting him first). In the possible event that Juhani is too busy to work with me on this project, I will also be contacting Kim Dovey, Melbourne University (architect and theoretician on phenomenology in architecture) as well as Andrew Macklin University of New South Wales (Architect and Professor in Experiential Architecture). I hope to have continued contact and feedback with these main authorities throughout the entirety of this project as well as constant contact with people with depression or anxiety.

topic one

initial line of questioning into the relationship between reality/delusive reality/escapism/conformity in today's society.



Next step from the initial line of questioning ... looking at the bigger questions that have surfaced through my research/anaysis/thinking...



Mindmap that explains the relationship between delusive reality as the product of constant external conditioning, where fear keeps us on the 'right' path in society, meanwhile anxiety and stress are building up in our inner lives due to increased pressure to conform to societies beliefs and not see the bigger picture of the real reality.



Above image and following images are surrealist spaces that could address the fantastical domestic/public space for one to retreat to for introspection.






Idea of the natural growing into structure as a symbol of our unstructured inner selves.

Idea of new typology of architecture/design/urban spaces where introspection and aloneness is integral to the design process.


Can design address on an individual level and exemplify positive changes on a community level, the inner balance needs caused from our increasingly stressful western society?


We are evolving as a society. With this perpetuating evolution, design has to start to address what new needs and desires have surfaced with these changes. My interest lies in the individual of society. Where stress and anxiety are becoming evermore prevalent in the lives of western societies individual. Can design intervene to alleviate these internal responses to the external pressures and furthermore can design create exemplar frameworks to bring the ever increasing problems of stress and anxiety to a public forum, rather than the socially preferred hiding of keeping them behind closed doors.

inspiration:
matrix and plato's cave - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRNMZEDOBrM&feature=related

matrix and descartes - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEr8hnvzeHU

book alice in wonderland ... after alice falls in the rabbit hole she proclaims "being curious gets you into trouble" this can be identified as synonymous with stepping outside the boundaries of social conformity ... conversation with the caterpillar about who she is... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgbntWU7pG8

lyrics and video clip from Nitin Sawhney - Distant Dreams http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7wtwYQwe90

3 part BBC documentary by Alain de Botton - The Perfect Home

topic two

What can a designer learn from the needs and desires of a Dutch elderly retirement village community to mediate possible change into the spatial design for increasing a quality of life among those people?

I believe that the quality of daily life in our elderly community can be greatly enhanced through design. I particularly believe that this will require an in depth participation and contribution from a wide range of people that are invested emotionally, physically and professionally in the workings of a retirement village community. I feel that my previous ideas in relation to the addition of natural spaces with a community feel could have been too soon in hypothesis and will require more research and input from the variety of sources outlined above. Nonetheless, I do ultimately feel that there is a platform for positive change in this area of design that could be fruitful for all parties involved.

topic three

Can we learn from the values in nature to express within ourselves our individuality?


I see similarities with the way in which nature cannot be totally controlled by manipulation and the way that an individual does not always feel content in a classically conditioned conformist society. Nature always has a way of having the last say, whether this means that the power of the roots of a tree can break the concrete in a footpath when allowance has not been made for growth to the way that a youth finds various ways to rebel against authority when control becomes a point of contention. What can we learn from nature to adopt into our own state of being in the world?