Portfolio of Work - Ana-Catrinel Visan

Junior Interior Designer

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Ana-Catrinel Visan

catrinelvisan@yahoo.com +44 (0) 7549 274099 London, UK

catrinelvisan@yahoo.com +44 (0) 7549 274099 London, UK

The Immaterial Institute

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Consultant at Polaris & Dawn Consulting, Online (Part-time) Apr 2019 - Present

BA (Hons) Interior Design, University of the Arts London, Chelsea College of Arts, London, UK Sep 2018 - Jul 2021

(2021)

Online portfolio guidance for prospective university students

Groove .....

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Student Employee at ArtsTemps, London, UK (Part-time) Oct 2018 - Present

Chartered Society of Designers (CSD) accredited course; LTAC (learning, teaching and assessment criteria) Delegate; Course and College Student Representative; Elected as Part-Time College Officer and Treasurer of the Drama Society

Bathroom Design and Showroom Assistant at The London Bath Co, London, UK (Part-time) Oct 2019 - Dec 2020

Certificate in Dementia and the Arts Short Course, University College London, UK Oct 2020 - Nov 2020

(2020)

University event coordinator and on-line content producer

Chelsea Sauna .....

40 (2019) The Liberation

Design and administration position involving ArtiCAD bathroom modeling, client showroom meetings, appointment scheduling, ordering management and showroom administration.

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(2019) Still Life Drawings

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(2020)

Image rendering for two residential projects

Freelance Interior Designer at Shaun Clarkson ID, London, UK Feb 2020 - Apr 2020

(Ongoing) Bathroom Designs

Freelance Interior Designer at Dash House Group, London, UK Oct 2020

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Project-based assignments including AutoCAD orthographic drawing, mood board creation and FF&E scheduling for hospitality and retail schemes

Interior Design Intern at Lynne Hunt London, London, UK (Full-time) Jun 2019 - Sep 2019

Role comprising of a wide variety of tasks such as FF&E scheduling and sourcing, inventory cataloguing, space surveying and maintaining client and supplier communication

Reference available upon request

Member of the Digital Maker Collective, London, UK Jan 2021 - Present Graduate Showcase Curator for BA (Hons) Interior Design course at Chelsea College of Arts, London, UK May 2021- Jun 2021 Participant in the All Across Chelsea exhibition at the Cookhouse Gallery, London, UK May 2019 Social work volunteer at Motivation Association, Romania Nov 2015 - Aug 2018 Third place in the National Ergometer Championship for Seniors, Romania Jun 2018 Volunteer Manager at Red Cross Association, Romania Feb 2014 - Dec 2017 Participant in the S.E.L.F.Y. - Save Earth’s Life For Youth Erasmus+ project Jan 2016 - Jul 2017

Adobe Photoshop Adobe Illustrator Adobe InDesign Rhinoceros 3D AutoCAD

Ana-Catrinel Visan

Course accredited by the Royal Society for Public Health

First prize in the Tolerance and Immigration Phenomenon in Europe Debate Championship Feb 2016

@visan_design

Volunteer Manager at the European Championship of Kayak-Canoe Juniors U23 2015, Bascov, Romania Aug 2015 - Sep 2015

The Immaterial Institute is a cultural center placed in a 100 years’ time in the socio-cultural context of a genderless community.

The programme aims to challenge unconscious biases and promote the beauty of multiculturalism and communal living.The proposal is highly influenced by scientific advances and projects the possibility of technological use, tackling physicality as well as affectivity to reach the final goal of complete bias removal.The space is designed to adapt and evolve to the ever-changing needs of humans, the development of the space being organic within a fixed structure and following the queer architectural proposals whilst binding the aesthetics of binary spaces. The whole design pursues to create an unbiased world, just like the gender removal process aims to remove the sex preconceptions.

Feminism and unconscious biases

Research regarding female inequality in digital and architectural industries

Questionnaire about public apprehension of feminism

2012 - 2017 UK Architects

Questionnaire SNS helped understand feminism

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Diagram of acquisition and manifestation of unconscious gender biases through digital media

100%

Questionnaire Did not research “feminism”

58%

2014 Google

17%

2019 Global Population

49.584%

2019 Architecture School Applicants

44%

2015 Women on the Internet accessing SNS

Questionnaire Stated it should not suppress men

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80%

50% Diagram of gender biases and public apprehension of feminism

The incipit of the project analyzed technology as digital media and the wider context of the historical, cultural and socio-economical impact of feminism.

This range of socio-political movements and ideologies promote the equality of sexes on personal and societal grounds, aspiring to attain a way of living based on human values rather than gender differentials. Therefore, the research examines the inequalities of gender in architecture and the digital space.

Numerous studies reveal that most unconscious biases occur at an unconscious level, without realisation.Throughout the brain development phase, humans examine behaviours manifested around them and later replicate them as part of the necessity of being part of a society. This behaviours allows for the perpetuation and continuous manifestation of unconscious favoritism of certain groups of people.

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Questionnaire Supportive of the movement

The future of the body

2120s

1850s

Technology

The Great Exhibition

2020s

1950s

Sputnik 1

1970s

Feminism

5G internet

King’s Cross

King’s Cross station opening

2020s

1980s

Women’s Liberation Movement

1850s

The era of the proposal

Equity feminism

Cyberfeminism

2020s

1980s

Holy Cross Church Occupation

Knowledge Quarter

The creation of the cyborg

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In the context of this project, the cyborg is a person who has undertaken a technological bodily procedure of removing the gender. It is inferred that the solution to solving societal gender disparities is creating a nongendered community. Using technology to physically alter people by removing their genitalia betimes would provide the grounds of equality feminists have been striving for. As no physical indicators would reveal the sex assigned at birth, the disparities and biases present today would be eradicated. Social interactions would be reevaluated and so the built environment would be redesigned.

Ana-Catrinel Visan

Timeline of the proposal

The site Circulation route

View accessibility Natural elements

Granary Square demarcation Materiality relationship

Kings Cross is a hybrid area in London which has hosted significant events with regards to gender inequality. Presently, the tract holds the headquarters of some of the biggest digital companies in the world, gender underrepresentation and wage disparities being highly encountered. As the future speculations are based not only on the present social climate, but also on the timeline of major events in recent history, the proposal is highly influenced by the site in its programme and aim.

The history of the site reveals many feminist acts and riots with regards to gender injustice. Females have voiced the necessity of equality both physically in events such as the Holy Cross Church Occupation by the English Collective of Prostitutes in 1982 as well as through the use of digital media in the form of The Guilty Feminist podcast since 2015. Hence, the built environment on site is a containment of feminist acts in their physical form.

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Ana-Catrinel Visan

Fish and Coal Offices building relationship with the site

Diagram of the history of the female user in the King’s Cross area

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Illustration of Granary Square in 100-years time

Performance art

Rhythm 0 by Marina Abramovic (1974)

Whereas performance art has the ability of tackling any subject known to man, it constitutes the best way of expressing emotions and beliefs whilst receiving instantaneous responses from others. Performance art enables any person, irrespective of their artistic expertise, to take part in the action. This relationship between the executant and the public is closely intertwined and evolves through time, hence allowing anyone to reveal their unconscious thoughts without the judgement of others.

Burolandschaft by Quickborner (1978)

User interaction within the plan

The energy of the relationship between the user and the space

These qualities of performance art constitute the reason for introducing this activity into the proposal as a main tool to challenge bigotry.

Granary Square user circulation

Energy emanated by the human interaction

Analogue overlay of circulation on plan

Cyborg positioning within performance art

Proposed liminal pathways obtained from analogue testing in 2D

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Analogue test layering of obtained plans and sections

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Analogue overlay of circulation on section

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The energy of performance art

Performance space

Video of performance sphere journey - Click to view

Interior view 12am

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Interior view 6pm

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Performance space plan

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The final concept for the performance space is the creation of a performance sphere once any artistic act commences in the space, as anyone is able to participate or start a performance because the goal of the programme is sharing cultural traits and challenging unconscious biases. The sphere has the ability of increasing and decreasing in size according to the number of people wanting to participate in one performance. The bubble created around the participants of any one given performance would be zero gravity and would allow the public to view from any given point in space.The dynamism of the sphere’s size is also emphasized by the changing shape which alters though time, having openings for people and areas covered by material to regulate the gravity as well as light and sound qualities of the performance space. Once the act is over, the sphere disintegrates and the users are able to exit safely and access the pathways, the bubble only completely disappearing once everyone has reached the liminal areas safely.

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Interior view 6am

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Interior view 12pm

Access

The momentum conferred by the performance and the liminal spaces is perpetuated by the building’s accessibility which is necessary to consider given that the pathways do not emerge from already existing openings. Thereupon, the proposal consists of an area with eight “pixels” placed in front of the building which would operate as a launch platform for the cuboid solids acting as flying cars which would transport every individual to the entrance point they would select.

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Selecting the entrance

Arriving to Granary Square and accessing the platform

Travelling with the “pixel”

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The cyborg

The “pixel” transports the person to the assigned entrance

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User exiting the space and the “pixel” coming to pick up

Performance art experience

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Arriving back to Granary Square

Experiencing Darwinian emotions through senses

It has been studied that all humans, in any condition and irrespective of their culture or appearance present a set of five emotions which are characteristic across the globe and span throughout human history. Paul Ekman analyses in his “Atlas of Emotions” (2016) the five Darwinian emotions which have been developed through human evolution, manifesting irrespective of culture, gender or education. As the project aims to challenge the unconscious biases, reaching the trivial senses and emotions is of high importance as these are the human mechanisms of understanding the world.

Touch - Data collection at the entrance Sight - Darkness and mirrored surface

Hearing - Different sound pitches made by walking on the interactive floor

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Disgust Sadness

Smell and Taste - Experiencing the beverage of choice Touch - Glass surface and feeling the temperature of the beverage

Enjoyment

Accessing the upper floor Anger

Fear

Experiencing the five emotions through tailored projections according to the provided data

Sight - Projections onto the surface Diagram of the spatial sensory journey

Disgust Sadness Enjoyment Anger

The journey through the space engages all five senses for increased awareness. The contrariety of light, sound and touch found through the space aims to keep the user focused on the present at all times.

Ana-Catrinel Visan Diagram of sensory space concept

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Fear

Sensory experience

Bright light projection when user accesses the console 0

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Different light projections to induce emotions whilst the user drinks

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Beverage creation

Enjoyment

Fear

Sadness

Disgust

Anger

The console in gloom when not in use

Bright light projection after the user has experienced the five emotions

Glass dissolution

Interior view of the proposal

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Experiencing the senses takes place at one of the consoles. Upon accessing the chosen console, overhead panels placed on the ceiling are activated and would deliver a beverage which would slowly be composed on the table. The beverage is served according to individual’s needs, as acquired from the data given at the entrance. Once the individual starts drinking the beverage of choice, personalized images projected onto the liquid will induce the five Darwinian emotions. Each emotion will be instigated at different stages of the glass emptiness so that by the time the user finished the beverage they would be connected with the trivial nature of their emotions.

Ana-Catrinel Visan

Beverage journey

The metaphysical

The Substance

In a society where people do not have the concept of gender bias, it is necessary to introduce the notion to individuals and give the opportunity of experiencing it in order to start the in-depth analysis of one self’s condition, in addition to the reconfiguration of societal values and structures, aiming to eliminate other unconscious stereotypes. Understanding the past is essential for ensuring the continuous enhancement of humanity.

Extension Thought Imediate Imediate Mediate

The journey begins once the user accesses one of the touchpoints and lays in a fetal position which is an unbiased posture, being found across any cultures, genders or races.. The person will face the option of meditating and staying in the present or time travelling to four eras of the past which were marked by feminist riots and gender injustice. This process is highly influenced by Baruch Spinoza’s rationalist philosophy.

Motion and Rest

Material Universe

Infinite Intellect Infinite Immateriality

Mediate

Individuality of Things

Diagram showing Baruch Spinoza’s philosophy

The Substance 1970s

1980s

Infinite Immateriality

2010s 0

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2020s

Material Universe

Sphere leaves the touchpoint The process of creation

Sphere formation

The sphere morphs into four different bubbles in accordance to the era selected by the user

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User lays in a fetal position

Once the user decides to return to the present, the bubble leaves the gathering, morphs back into a perfect sphere and lands onto the touchpoint

Cogitation sphere journey

The morphed bubble joins a virtual conglomeration of the golden ration whilst floating

Illustration of the use of Baruch Spinoza’s concept within the proposal

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The process of disintegration

Cogitation space

A. Interior view - Cogitation space entrance

B. Interior view - Perspective from inside the cogitation bubble

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2120s

2010s

2020s

C. Diagram showing the option to transport to four eras in the past from inside the cogitation sphere

D. Exterior view - Exit from cogitation space and visualisation of transporting platforms situated on the roof

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1980s

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1970s

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Click for video - Journey through sensory and cogitation space

The Immaterial Institute

Performance space

Group Zoning of the proposal

Unconscious 1:30pm

4pm

7pm

Performance Space

Thought

Sharing Cultures

Cogitation Space

Sensory Experience

Emotion

Senses

Archive

Meditate

Individual

Conscious

7:30pm Diagram of the proposal

Leaves the Immaterial Institute

The Immaterial Institute is divided into two areas and is situated inside the present Fish and Coal Offices in King’s Cross, utilizing the second and third units from East to West due to their higher visibility on site.

The first section hosts a performance space where people are enabled to interact inside zero-gravity spheres. The second section of the building contains a sensory experience which awakens the five trivial human emotions at the ground floor as a preparation for the cogitation journey placed on the first level, through which people can experience the present or the past.

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ing es

The whole design pursues to create an unbiased world which promotes the beauty of multiculturalism and communal living, creating an utopian scenario placed in 100 years time in the cultural context of a genderless community.

User navigation of the proposal

Ana-Catrinel Visan

Approaches the Observes Participates performance in second first space performance performance

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The Immaterial Institute

Being Present

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e s re

What are the spaces a non-gendered society would inhabit?

Sensory experience

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Cogitation space

Spatial connection between the areas

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Section A A

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Building plan

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Materiality

The core materials for the perfomance space are maintained as the programme is inserted into the existing structure.

Transparent glass

For the second section of the building, the sensory space is dark and monochrome, with light absorbing surfaces excluding the mirrored partition wall. The materials are neutral and allow for the projections to change the atmosphere and quality of the space throughout time.The overhead panels, the interactive LED floor, the digitized material and the floor lights of the consoles interact with one another and create distinct environments when in use. In contradiction, the first floor contains natural materials and a glass ceiling to provide connectivity to the outdoors and to maintain the dissonance to the sensory space which is isolated from the outside.

Black aluminium

Silk leaf

English oak wood

White polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)

Black aluminium

White clay wall paint

Gray slate

White fiberglass

Concrete

White satin glass

The proposed material

Multicoloured stock brick

Moss

Black painted concrete

Digitized material

Grey fiberglass

Black painted concrete

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Interactive LED floor panels

Stainless steel mirror

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Black aluminium

Concrete

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Concrete

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The project responds to the brief of creating a retail space central London. The assigned site is Lancer Square, a building under construction in the Kensington area which presents retail venues at the street level and residential units on all the other floors. Defining what “retail” means in the 21st century lays at the core of the proposal, as the exchange of goods for money has been identified to become an exchange of experience for monetary value. Therefore, the concept is based on the idea of selling experiences.

The future of retail

The proposed venue is a staff-free retail space which embeds a vinyl vending machine, a self-service bar and a stage area into a hybrid space which offers a contact-less experience.

The proposed hybrid space consists of three main areas: The entrance and the vinyl vending machine with a music listening facility.

Colour mapping on site

The self-service bar area where customers can access non-alcoholic beverages during the day and can create cocktails during nighttime concerts by having on-screen instructions and availability of ingredients.

The stage area is placed on a rotating axis, being open during concerts and seamlessly blending into the wall when not in use.

Colour mapping on site - building proximity

Colour mapping on site - building proximity - usage of a limited colour palette Mapping of bar and concert venues on site

Mapping of vinyl retail venues throughout London

Bar and concert venues on site

Vinyl retail venues

The building

The site

1950s

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Present

Future

Concept diagram of retail perspectives

Colour disruption on site

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1980s

Display device development

Window display reflections on site

Concept model testing mirrored surfaces

Concept model testing layering of materials

Concept model testing coloured reflections

Concept drawings for display devices

Concept modelling of display devices

Concept drawings for display devices

Concept modelling of display devices

Testing the window display through model-making

Testing the window display through model-making

Display device size and multifunctionality

Display device size and multifunctionality

Testing display devices and colours - interior view

Testing display devices and colours - interior view

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Display device transparency testing

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Display device transparency testing

Spatial development

Zoning

Zoning

Staircase itteration

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Stage

Final zoning and staircase proposal

Listening area

Self-service bar

Seating Display devices

Toilets

The sculptural elements of the proposal create a visual disruption in the wider context of the site, making use of different colour waves and transparencies to signal the disparity between the proposed retail unit from the adjacent ones. These also play an important role in creating the atmosphere of the space, being a colourful structures placed in a neutral space. The devices are transparent in the front of the venue, allowing passer-byes to view into the space.

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Vending machine

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Staircase itteration

Groove

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Ground floor plan

Atmospheric proposal

A. Interior view

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Exterior view - Night-time

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B. Interior view

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Basement foor plan

C. Interior view - Daytime

C. Interior view - Night-time

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Exterior view - Daytime

Chelsea Sauna is a proposal for a liminal space inside the Chelsea College of Arts which aims to boost the mental wellbeing of its users. As the institution is mostly inhabited by students, this small scale space intervention aims to help the users in their daily lives and manage the stress levels associated with being a pupil.The proposal is based on the biological benefits experienced by sudden temperature changes. The brain releases endorphins when the body is exposed to high levels of heat and then abruptly to a cold environment. This fluctuation has been shown to have both short term results and long term benefits through repetition.

The assigned space for the project is a fire exit in the educational institution situated at the center of the building with no direct access from the outside. The space is tall and narrow, presenting many windows and a skylight. The only doorways are the ones accessible from the staircase.

Space identification

Study

Work

Hammam analysis

Sauna analysis

Hammam water supply analysis

Suna cold plunge analysis

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Stress

Concept diagram

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Mental health

Development

Zoning

Zoning

Final section

Section iteration

Second floor plan iteration

Axonometric view of the proposal

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Second floor plan iteration

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Section iteration

Final second floor plan

Outcome

Overview of the sauna exit and the cold plunge pool

Interior view of the sauna

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Interior view of the changing room are and the plunge pool

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Interior view of the sauna from the plunge pool

Interior view of the changing rooms

Interior view from first floor entrance

The proposed design contains sauna and a cold plunge pool.The shape of the sauna has been inspired by the hammam and it has been inserted at the 3rd floor level. The plunge pool is situated right below the sauna, being accessible through a platform. The changing rooms are placed right underneath the pool, having a clear ceiling which allows the rooms to be naturally lit through the skylight. The space circulation of the proposal forces the user to access the changing rooms and then to walk on the hallway to enter the sauna. The exit from the sauna and so the pool would direct the students back to the changing room and to the exit.

The project proposes natural tones and materials, using white wall paint, glass for the pool, natural wood for the sauna and the changing rooms and steel for the staircase. The whole space is well lit naturally through the skylight.

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Proposal overview

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Interior view from ground floor entrance

The project depicts a personal space intervention based on the concept of atmosphere and its impact on human behaviour. The brief requested the change of an ambiance in a movie scenario, hence the film “Room” (2015) has been selected as it depicts a confined space of desperation and abuse. The space portrayed in the film has been depicted and analyzed through a variety of mediums and the proposal for the atmospheric change has been opening up the space and revealing a world of freedom. The strong influence of interiors on the user’s wellbeing has been analyzed through the initial depiction, the final outcome attaining to uplift the welfare of its inhabitants through bringing in elements such as light and air into the initial space. The depiction of the outdoors of the proposal have been linked to the wishes the characters make throughout the movie.

The project follows the atmospheric change from a dark and oppressive room to a realm of revival and hope.

Room (2015) movie still

Depiction of the initial atmosphere

Depiction of the initial atmosphere - view from movie still

Depiction of the initial atmosphere

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Depiction of the initial atmosphere

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Room (2015) movie still

Opening the room

Depiction of the proposed space

Depiction of the initial space

The opening of the space

Depiction of the proposed space Ana-Catrinel Visan

Ana-Catrinel Visan

Depiction of the initial space

Depiction of the proposed space

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Depiction of the initial space

Depiction of the proposed space

Depiction of the proposed space

Depiction of the proposed space

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Depiction of the proposed space

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Freedom

Understanding the environment is essential to me and I have explored the construction of everyday products through pencil drawings. I believe still life drawing is a great way of building up knowledge about the world around me and I have explored textures shapes using this medium. All the drawings attached are executed in A1 sized paper.

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Ana-Catrinel Visan

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Depiction of the proposed space

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As part of my Bathroom Design and Showroom Assistant position, I have been assigned as a main task to have client meetings and redesign their bathrooms accordingly. Creating instantaneous visuals was key to delivering a good outcome and was achieved through using ArtiCAD. Presented in this sections are some of the visuals I created for client approval.