Anxious
Nest is a space designed for physical and mental regeneration. As Alan Cohen stated “there is virtue in the work and there is virtue and rest use both and overlook neither.” Rest and feeling rejuvenated plays a large importance in our readiness for social connectivity.
Nest is space which features teak rest pods and cotton woven suspension ropes. The pods conform to the bodies of various individuals and their various resting positions. The space promotes intimacy and relaxation fostering positive socially connectivity.
Technical Drawings
Section
Anxiety is a state characterized by feelings of unproportionate stress, tension, inability to overcome worry and physical changes like increased blood pressure. People with anxiety disorders usually have recurring intrusive thoughts or concerns; they may avoid certain situations out of worry.
This project was designed to give insight into the experiences and as well as guide through the mental realm of an individual who experiences anxiety. This project has been designed to directly target the tactile and visual senses through presenting these experiences using mediums such as carefully crafted geometry, patterns, lighting and materiality.
This project aims through guiding individuals throughout this mental realm to bring awareness and to start a dialogue around anxiety. The project assesses what can be learnt through these spatial experiences and questions if there’s a possibility for this information to contribute to the broader subject.
A primary symptom of anxiety is light sensitivity. Light sensitivity is caused by temporary enlargement or dilation of the pupil. Pupil dilation occurs when the body believes it has a reason to be afraid as a part of its fight or flight response. When an individual is afraid and the body believes it’s in danger the pupils dilate as part of it’s fight or flight response. Within instances of physical danger pupil dilation allows more light to enter the eye, improving vision and allowing the individual to notice details that maybe useful in fighting or evading the danger.
Throughout the design light sensitivity is addressed in various ways. The living room sits within an enclosed cave like structure; in order to express the heightened light sensitivity, I experience within indoor spaces with artificial light, the structure is luminated brightly and is further enhanced through the reflective floor. Within the kitchen space, the kickboard as well as the splash back are luminated. The dining space features a ceiling feature which acts as a metaphor for my failed innate desire to create a façade of happiness; the fractures within the design are then luminated to enhance the metaphor.
Often accompanying light sensitivity is sensation of seeing flashes of light. Within the context of anxiety this symptom is caused by an increased heart rate. It occurs when the body is over worked and acts as a warning to get an individual to stop and relax so that it’s able to adjust. Outside the realm of anxiety this symptom is often experienced after stopping an exercise.
Seeing flashes of light is addressed primarily within the workshop space. The workshop space is the best location to address this symptom as work, studies and finding a balance between the two, as well as figuring out finances and working through various external issues is a great source of anxiety for me. This symptom is displayed through luminating some of the beams which enclose the space. Light sensitivity is also displayed within the bathroom where issues of self-identity and appearance arise.
The last space where light sensitivity is addressed is within the bedroom. The bedroom is a space devoid of artificial light. I have noticed that within natural lighting and/or open spaces, light sensitivity is weaker, therefore I designed the bedroom to feature large open space and situated it adjacent to the floor to ceiling window.
Geometry, particularly simple geometric forms and patterns carry innate psychological meanings within individuals. Diagonal and angular configurations are usually associated with fear and threat. this has been studied and proven through various events, for instance tribal markings for battle, reptile scale patterns and several animal defence mechanisms, e.g. porcupines projecting their quills. Contrastingly, rounder and curved geometry tends to be associated with happiness and warmth. For example, this is evident through the innate preference and attraction for round infant faces and facial features.
Linear and geometric forms is how issues manifest within my conscious mind. Being brought up within a culture and religion of strict rules and order, I have always found comfort in things which have a clear answer, such as mathematics and geometry. My subconscious manifests these issues through linear geometry as a coping mechanism to help me understand and sort through these issues.
Throughout my design I have used geometry to symbolize issues of anxiety. Angular and jagged geometry have been used throughout to represent anxiousness. The bedroom is where the use of geometry changes. The bedroom introduces a central circular bed to represent a calmer space. This bed sits over a hexagonal platform. I found growing up that hexagons appease my mind and have a calming effect, I believe this is primarily due to the fact that they tightly fit together and have clear angles which can be easily calculated. This platform is then enclosed by a dome. The dome features angular geometry but as opposed to earlier uses of angular geometry, the lines within the dome all align and converge at a single point; this represents resolution and hope.
Materiality plays an important part of creating the mood and atmosphere of the environment. As stated by Dr Melanie Dodd, “the impact architecture has on a person’s mood is huge. Arguably these are the fundamentals of architecture: not how it looks, but how we feel it, through the way it allows us to act, behave, think and reflect.” In the creation of an anxious atmosphere, I selected materials which give a physical and psychological feel of coldness. There’s an innate connotation of cold temperatures and emotions such as loneliness and sadness. Psychologists Chen-Bo Zhong and Geoffrey Leonardelli studied the hypotheses that social isolation might generate a physical feeling of coldness; from this studied they concluded that, “we found that the experience of social exclusion literally feels cold,” Zhong continues, “this may be why people use temperature-related metaphors to describe social inclusion and exclusion.”