Healing in Urban Environments

[Healing in Urban Environments] A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the Department of Architecture Wentworth Institute of Technology by Jonathan Amaral Silva Bachelors of Science in Architecture Wentworth Institute of Technology, 2016 In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Architecture April 2017

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Submitted by Jonathan Amaral Silva Department of Architecture ..........................................................................

Certified by Penn Ruderman Primary Thesis Supervisor ..........................................................................

Accepted by Kelly Hutzell, AIA Director of Graduate Program Š 2017 Jonathan Amaral Silva. All rights reserved.

The author hereby grants to Wentworth Institute of Technology permission to reproduce and to publicly distribute copies of this thesis document in whole or in part using paper, electronic, and any medium now known or hereafter created.

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I, .........................................................................., am aware of the serious nature of plagiarism and of the fact that it includes design concepts, images, drawings and other representations beyond the written word. I will not intentionally use someone else’s work without acknowledgment and will not represent someone else’s work as my own.

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DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this thesis book to all of those who have contributed to my education, perseverance and success in the past five years of my architectural studies.

To my late grandfather Humberto Amaral, for believing in my dreams and pushing me to pursue them.

To my mother and father, for supporting my every endeavor, and instilling morals which have shaped my many successes.

To my family and friends, who have been an infinite source of inspiration and motivation throughout.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 INTRODUCTION

LITERATURE REVIEW NARRATIVE LINES

DESIGN AS RESEARCH_ANALYSIS METHOD INVESTIGATION METHOD EXECUTION DESIGN OUTCOME WORK CITED

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1.0

INTRODUCTION

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1.1

THESIS STATEMENT Implementing natural + programmatic layers within an urban environment in order to diffuse the visual and physical connection between sanctuary + urban intensity.

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KEY TERMS urban stressors natural elements healing therapeutic blurring ďŹ ltering masking collage layering

a state of bodily or mental tension developed through city living, or the physical, chemical, or emotional factors that give rise to that tension. substances; earth, water, air, and fire, formerly regarded as constituting the material universe. the process of making or becoming sound or healthy again.

something causing someone to feel happier and more relaxed or to be more healthy.

to make or become unclear or less distinct. to pass or slip through slowly, as through an obstruction or a filter.

anything that disguises or conceals an underlying matter. an assemblage or occurrence of diverse elements or fragments in unlikely or unexpected juxtaposition. to separate into or form layers.

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URBAN STRESSORS EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES

CROWD CONGESTION ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING

COLD ENVIORNMENT TRAFFIC NOISE

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1.3

ARGUMENT In my research, therapeutic space has often been designed by responding to the nature of rural environments. So why build a healing space in the city?

Although the best medical facilities have proven to be located in urban environments, city stressors are not conducive in the healing process.

The thesis investigation explores the potential for bringing nature into an urban setting as a way to create a distraction from city stressors and promote visually and mentally therapeutic environments.

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1.4

ABSTRACT

Creating environments promoting healing within urban surroundings is only feasible when there is an understanding of how humans establish therapeutic connections. The pure elements of nature possess a universal quality which distract our negative and stressful emotions, and give us the feeling of serenity, security and comfort. We respect nature for what it is and do not question why things are the way they are because they are in its purest form. Nature leaves our minds free for reflection and relives the stressors of reality. What has become a problem today is the implementation Typically, when we design buildings in urban environments we respond to the urban context and build relationships based upon urban patterns. While this is still important, how do we change our design focus to having a building respond to a new ecological environment? This thesis creates a second layer of response that forces a building to weave in and out of nature right within an urban setting. What makes this approach complicated is how to blend the chaos of the city with the relaxed qualities of rural ones.

By identifying the primary triggers of emotional distress, methodologies can be created that diffuse those stressors.

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2.0

LITERATURE REVIEW

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The physiological study of humans and their relationship with architecture has advanced tremendously over the past decade due to the great technological advances of today.

We understand the human anatomy now, more than ever before. Not only physically how we are structured, but how we are programmed mentally and emotionally. As humans we all seek similar principles and qualities in architecture. What differs between each and every person is the environments that shaped our upbringing and conceptions of comfort and security.

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As living organisms, we will always have the greatest emotional connection when we are enveloped by earths natural elements.

We find peace and comfort in the raw and purity of the untouched,

and always seek to find its presence. The topic of healing in urban environments has been broken down into three identifiable topics of discussion within the sources discussed below. As designers we unintentionally ignore how architecture can be therapeutic, as other elements usually take precedent. The introduction to this literature review discusses a more technical approach to creating healing space, and sets the stage to a more in depth conversation about what therapy can be for the human being. The first topic of discussion relates around the importance of understanding individual identity and style and what the factors are that shaped it. The second topic of discussion is the human relationship with nature and its elements and how they inform an undeniably therapeutic emotion. The third topic of discussion is extracted from the investigation of urban stressors and human behavior as an effect of those stressors.

In the book, “Wellness Centers: A guide for the Design Professional”, author Joan Whaley Gallup explains the importance of finding design solutions for healthcare facilities that meet the needs of todays technological advances, but more importantly that meet the needs of patients.

It is very difficult to create a medical center that does not feel institutionalized and Gallup presents several solutions used in her designs that eliminate the idea of institutionalization.

People today are wanting to stay home; they do not want to be involved in a depressing environment. They want the comfort that “home” brings them.

Gallup proposes the idea of creating wellness centers that aren’t only meant for sick people, but more importantly for healthy people. Millennial’s are expecting to live longer, and most likely will have a longer lifespan than the Baby Boomer generation. Incorporating fitness clubs, rehab centers, ambulatory care, medicine, counseling and education all under one roof can be a holistic approach to healthy living. She points out that while many hospitals may incorporate wellness in their institutions, the buildings themselves do not possess a positive architecture, promoting a therapeutic healing experience.

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The only way to create buildings that will nurture and sustain people, and environments that serve to support happy, life-enhancing activities is by turning past trends upside down and inside out. Thinking outside the box, is Gallup’s goal in her informative research. One of the main issues in current hospitals is the lack of attention to a comforting atmosphere for a patient, mainly due to the fact that efficient medical care is priority. What is not understood is that due to an emphasis on medical care efficiency, people are choosing to do what ever they can to stay out of hospitals. The sterile like hospital atmosphere does nothing but instill negative thoughts in what could be one of the most difficult time in a person’s life.

Gallup uses schematic diagrams that are health code compliant to explain benefits of specific design strategies. She creates templates and guidelines for lobby/waiting areas, clinical spaces, administrative areas, therapy pools, sports facilities, etc.

What is interesting about this text is the limited conversation about the connection of exterior space to interior space. This book is very focused on the details of the medical experience for a patient and chooses to ignore the aspects of architecture that can promote therapeutic quality within its urban context. While “therapy” may be discussed, how the environment can be therapeutic is not. How exactly can connections be established with the surrounding community or nature be implemented in order to enhance the qualities of a therapeutic space? In order to create this experience, we have to establish an understanding of how humans establish these therapeutic connections on a personal level.

In regards to the study of humans and architecture, the book “The Architecture of Happiness” by author Alain de Botton goes into explicit detail explaining the normality of the physiological relationships we make with our built environments.

The author tells a story about the energy and atmosphere one will seek in a space, and what exactly triggers that feeling. The feeling of happiness is evoked when we experience our style. Our “style” is a reflection of what we think is comforting to us, it is a reflection of what we think is positively happy.

Architecture is an expression of our ideals and a satisfier of our physiological needs. We use our homes as a reminder of who we are as a people. Home is a place that we create to make us happy. While other people may view certain homes as bad, they simply have other criteria that they have developed that brings them happiness. Botton explains, “to call a work of architecture or design beautiful is to recognize it as a medium of values critical to our flourishing, a transubstantiation of our individual ideals in a material medium” . He believes that what people consider as “bad architecture” is a failure of psychology. What we perceive as being bad is only because it is not what makes us happy.

In the response piece “Urban Environments and Human Behavior”, author Gabriel Moser explains the physiological need for people to identify with the place they reside in. He explains the universal experience of “feeling at home”, and its importance to the well-being of every living person.

Similar to Botton, they both believe that people will always seek to develop a personal habitat (home) in which provides an identity or style. People can adapt to any environment, but in order to feel at home, certain elements need to be implemented. Characteristics such as “centrality, continuity, privacy, expression of self and identity, social relationships, atmosphere (warmth and pleasantness), and characteristics of the physical environment” are to name a few.

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But what specifically about our style evokes the pleasantness and happiness we possess? The origin of the knowledge, a person has about particular materials, can be the trigger for this positive feeling.

In the book “The Japanese Spa”, author Elizabeth Heilman Brooke explains the therapeutic qualities of traditional Japanese architecture due to its use of natural materials.

The warmth and raw attributes of bamboo or wood in general are comforting to humans because of its direct correlation to nature. The purity of stone is comforting for the same reasons as well. What this book chooses to highlight the most, is the therapeutic qualities of water, and how we truly relate to it on a deeper level. Water allows people to feel cleansed both physically and emotionally. It may be because our bodies ourselves are made up of more than seventy percent of water, and not just us but all living organisms on earth as well. Humans seek natural elements like water in their daily lives, not only because it is an “aesthetically

pleasing setting” but primarily because it is a “restorative experience”. Whether we enjoy the reflection of the mirror like plane water creates when its undisturbed, or the sound water makes when its flowing against a solid surface, or the resemblance of being secure and cradled when we are emerged in it, different therapeutic connections can be made. He explains how nature has a positive effect on the health of people and many benefits can be obtained including

“cognitive freedom, escape, the experience of nature, ecosystem connectedness, growth, challenge, guidance, sociability, health, and self-control”.

In the book “Contemporary Asian Pools and Gardens”, authors Zabihi and Jotisalikorn catalog projects that incorporate the methods of traditional Asian design that meet the needs and desires of today. Water is the most commonly used natural element in Asian landscapes.

Similar to Brooke’s piece, the authors touch upon water as a restorative design tool. They believe that while some aspects of nature can be difficult to express in a design, water is a flexible element. Water can be heard, viewed and even touched. In this piece the authors discuss several ways these flexibilities can be implemented. They discuss how architecture can frame water as an element of healing. The author suggests allowing this element to be adventurous and something that provokes curiosity. Creating curiosity allows for distraction.

Distraction is necessary when healing, and it allows negative emotions to become blurred and not in focus.

A successful design approach discussed in this book is the integration of circulation and water.

Circulating between interior and exterior space can be created by developing a campus of facilities or allowing a building to deconstruct spatially. “Walking over water”, allows a person to feel light and fluid; instilling a positive attitude.

Using water as a threshold between space can be a powerful therapeutic element within a personal experience. It allows for moments of reflection, something that most medical facilities lack.

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While Moser’s piece is very opposite in focus from Zahibi/ Jotisalikorn’s piece and Brooke’s piece, all three share similar fundamental values. Brooke expresses the importance of nature influencing the process of healing in traditional Japanese architecture.

The powerful authenticity of the natural being showcased within the

“life of the 21st century, heavy with contrived, complicated pleasures”.

While her analysis is not based upon urban environments, she recognizes the stressors of

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everyday life and the negative impact they have on people. In Zahibi and Jotisalikorn’s piece they emphasize nature as a powerful element in the design of therapeutic space. It is proven that hospital patients who have a view of natural landscapes recover faster from surgery and require less pain medication. In addition, blood pressure and heart rates return to normal levels more quickly when people can interact with natural landscapes as opposed to stressful urban ones. So if nature is such a large part of healing in architecture,

one might ask how exactly you incorporate nature in an urban setting. What Moser’s piece focuses on is the relationship between humans and urban environments, and the lack of natural elements found in cities.

He explains how the most desired quality people seek is the sense of

“freedom and control felt in nature, in contrast to an urban environment, which is often perceived as constraining”.

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He defines the notion of urban stressors as “the

physical (noise and pollution) or social (density) environmental conditions that require various forms of coping�. He explains how

urban environments possess three specific attributes which affect societal behavior. One being the physical conditions of noise and air pollution, second being the social conditions of density and the third being visual over stimulation. Urban environments tend to be noisy which is the most common trigger of stress. While you may be able to buffer noise levels from building to building, how can noise be buffered between outdoor spaces?

Noise can come from cars, public transportation, construction, emergency vehicles, weather, and people. When we are exposed to more than one of these elements at a time we immediately loose our sense of serenity and personal security.

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The overpopulation and high density of cities plays a negative impact on society as well. This city stressor can come in different forms including; social density of the outdoors where people gather more because of a common need, and confined spatial density in a person’s habitat (home), where

there is not enough space for a person to live comfortably. Visual overstimulation is something cities inevitably obtain. As humans we also visually understand our environments, and when cities visually obtain informational overload, it becomes stressful and increases fatigue.

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In regards to nature, it would be a dishonor to activate a landscape purely as a visual experience. In order to create the therapeutic environment, we all seek in healing, we cannot design a fish bowl that looks out at the world around us. A physical connection between interior and exterior space needs to be established. The sequential role in a facility needs to respect a movement through landscapes and not only by it.

Today, most parks and squares “suffer either monospecific or a deficit of frequentation due to the limited activities that they offer.

Moser explains in his piece that by providing an “increased number of activities and introducing water features, trees for shade, and benches for resting and interaction” the exterior space becomes just as important as the interior space for restorative healing. In addition, by creating this landscape between a building and the urban context, societal connections are proposed.

Giving the opportunity for the public to interact within the healing space allows for the elimination of

the institutional feeling Gallup talks about in her writing.

Moser then expands upon his discussion about exterior environments by allocating specific space based upon need; something he calls “Behavioral Zoning”. Allocating exterior space to “specific activities

allows access to be controlled and canalizes the flux of visitors, thus avoiding conflicts resulting from different aspirations and contradictory needs (rest/exercise) and reducing the feeling of crowding”

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It is clear that throughout the pieces discussed above, a common concern is addressed about the relationship between the human body and architecture.

Beginning with Gallup’s piece about Wellness Centers that turn past trends upside down and inside out to focus on the personal experience, we immediately delve deeper into Botton’s intense study about human happiness and the normality of the physiological relationships we make with our built environments. The topic of healing in urban environments boils down to the understanding of how humans establish therapeutic connections on a specific level.

While Botton and Moser make it clear that people associate happiness with personal style, they also respect the universal identity people relate too. The pure elements of nature distract our negative and stressful emotions, and give us the feeling of serenity, security and comfort. We respect nature for what it is and don’t question why things are the way they are because they are in its purest form.

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Nature leaves our minds free for reflection and relives the stressors of reality.

While therapeutic built environments are easily identifiable in both Brooke and Zahibi/ Jotisalikorn’s books, what becomes a problem is the implementation of these natural and rural qualities in urban environments. Typically, when we design buildings in urban environments we respond to the urban context and build relationships based upon urban patterns. While this is still important, how do we change our design focus to having a building respond to a new ecological environment. Creating a second layer of response that allows a building to weave in and out of nature right next door to programmatically urban neighbors.

What makes this approach complicated is how to blend the chaos of the city with the relaxed qualities of rural ones. Moser does a great job explaining urban stressors and how they shape our societal behaviors. He identifies the primary triggers of

emotional distress and how the implementation of natural elements can diffuse that stress. He explains how unsuccessful nature has been in urban environments today because they do not offer any type of connection to the built environment and therefore become underutilized and pointless.

Creating a healing space can only be obtained by understanding what humans value as therapeutic, and these authors have each identified the key principles to shaping this type of environment.

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3.0

NARRATIVE LINES

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3.1

OUTLINE 1

[articulating connections with community through framing] Beginning with an anchor point questioning how architecture can interlace around nature, I situated my question with the site. How can nature be incorporated in an urban site? Framing views of nature will create purposeful distractions eliminating a constant negative mindset, distractions can be more than framing of views but as well as societal and program connections, these distractions can be strengthened by eliminating symmetry and creating curiosity within circulation.

While a connection to society, community is important for health, how can a limit be reached architecturally?

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OUTLINE 2

[masking stressors through materiality] Beginning with an anchor point of healing patients with multiple sclerosis, I was lead to the note about how nature heals mentally and UV Light rays heal physically.

The combination of both mental and physical can be designed by blending the notion of interior and exterior spaces. If this needs to be done in an urban environment, how can we mask urban stressors and focus on a primary layer of response (vegetation). If the urban condition needs to be masked, how can the material of a building be comfortable? Blending man made materials with earth made materials will provoke the use of the natural elements of healing.

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OUTLINE 3

[creating distraction within a natural site framed by an urban one] Beginning with an anchor point questioning how to create a natural environment in an urban environment, I was lead to the elimination of symmetry.

Moving away from an urban grid and creating a building that does not clearly indicate a definable path is important.

Within the undefined path, natural elements of healing can be introduced to keep a patient distracted. How can these healing elements be used in a way that is not modern and sterile? By using regional or site materials, a direct connection to nature can be felt. By conforming to the site and literally translating topography within the architecture, site can be understood. How can this be done in a city where a site may be flat? By conforming to the surrounding buildings based upon a level of societal connection desired.

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OUTLINE 4

[blending interior and exterior space, creating therapeutic environments] Beginning with an anchor point questioning the qualities of space, I identified the framing of nature as one of those qualities. Framing nature within an urban environment can be done by introducing natural materials.

These materials can be used to blend what is man made with what is earth made.

The blending will eliminate a sterile urban environment.

How can the blending be done by connecting interior and exterior spaces? By conforming built space with the natural space an unsymmetrical path will be created.

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4.0

DESIGN AS RESEARCH [analysis]

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4.1

PRECEDENTS Casa de Cha

Alvaro Siza Vieira

Nested in the rocky shore of Porto, Portgual, is the Tea House by architect Alvaro Siza Vieira. The building interlocks with the landscape by inhabiting negative space which the rocky terrain naturally forms. Due to the submerged structure of the design the building is perceived as a part of the landscape. When experiencing the building, a person immediately understands where they are located in the site. By framing horizon lines, and pieces of the landscape, a person physically connects to the change in terrain, and experiences the natural site walking through the building.

The strong relationship to site suggests a inevitable therapeutic atmosphere.

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PRECEDENTS Leca Swmming Pools Alvaro Siza Vieira

Built in Porto, Portugal, the Leça Swimming Pools complex is one of Siza’s most visited works from the 1960s. The project is situated along the coastal avenue, the mass of the building set below the road level to allow an uninterrupted view to the sea. Because of the need to limit construction costs and to preserve the landscape, the project had to make a minimal intrusion into the existing terrain. These limitations guided a very natural design that blended the line between natural and mandmade. This design highlights natures therapeutic 45 qualities and uses them to its advantage.

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PRECEDENTS Estadio Municipal de Braga Eduardo Souto de Moura

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Portugal by architect Eduardo Souto de Moura is another great example of architecture interlocking with the landscape. The stadium is built using the terrain of the granite quarry, and it is not only apparent from the outside, but the inside as well. The natural quarry wall and the two stadium walls frame the outward city. What is most captivating about the project, is its physical connection to the site. The experience circulating underneath the stadium wings interacts with the grand gestures of the landscape and honors its irregularity. By exposing the quarry and by using natural materials the building blends with the landscape elegantly.

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PRECEDENTS Barcelona Pavilion Mies van der Rohe

The Barcelona Pavilion by architect Mies van der Rohe uses the landscape to blend the division between interior and exterior spaces. The building is located in an urban environment but one would never perceive urban conditions when experiencing the building. The maize like building lies boundaries that frame the landscape creating pockets of sanctuary. The sequence of spaces weaving indoors and outdoors possess the therapeutic qualities essential to healing.

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PRECEDENTS Central Park

Frederick Law Olmstead

In the design for New York’s Central Park, Frederick Law Olmstead strived for the rejuvenation of a rural environment in the urban realm. By introducing man made public parks and landscapes, Olmstead created a rural city within a city that gave people the opportunity to unwind from the every day urban stressors. What I believe is not successful in the design of Central Park is the distinct separation between the city and the park. In order for the therapeutic qualities of nature to have an affect of the greater city, nature has to be weaved through the urban fabric. In the rendering above Central Park is shown as if it was placed within an existing grid, and therefore allowing it to blend more naturally with the city.

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PRECEDENTS Brigham + Womens Hospital Klopfer Martin Design Group

The Brigham and Womens Hospital Master Plan by Klopfer Martin Design Group is a great example of measures taken to try and add natural layers to existing medical facilities. By modifying the existing building, therapeutic natural elements are implemented in attempt to create a less sterile environment. While this project will add positive experiences to the buildings, it lacks the entire architectural concept which allows nature to be apart of the architecture.

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PRECEDENTS

Moriyama House, Tokyo, Japan Ryue Nishizawa

The Moriyama House by Japanese architect Ryue Nishizawa, is a residential project, that consists of a series of unit towers that occupy an enclosed wall. This wall of towers creates an interior quality to the atmosphere of the architecture. The formal approach Nishizawa takes works alongside a system of natural elements that create a system of deeper levels of privacy. This complex seems like a pocket that was notched out of an existing fabric, which it pays no regards to.

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PRECEDENTS

Maggies Center, Hong Kong, China Frank Gehry

The Maggies Center in Hong Kong, China, was designed in a rural environment around a traditional mad-made Chinese coy pond. This healing center moves in and out of the landscape throughout a series of multiple buildings, bridges and paths. This design method frames the landscape to become a part of the experience. Allowing for distraction caused by sublime moments, a person can feel more at ease healing.

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DISCURSIVE IMAGE 1 The discursive image to the right is a collage of the five elements of natural healing; wood, fire, water, metal and earth. These are the basic elements responsible for the therapeutic qualities that promote healing environments.

Overlayed onto the elements is the plan for the Brick Country House by architect Mies van der Rohe. The maize like plan suggests an unsymmetrical and irregular experience, that creates moments of curiosity, exploration and distraction. By using the natural elements of healing throughout the experience of a building a person will always remain engaged and calm.

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DISCURSIVE IMAGE 2 The discursive image to the right is a rendering that captures a sequential connection between a building and its site. By allowing an occupant to experience the outdoors in the progression between spaces, a mental break is introduced.

Natural distraction allows for an occupant to remain engaged and distracted from the stressors they may be experiencing. Framing the outdoors as an extension of inhabitable space aids in the connection between spaces.

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FRAME 1

The catalog to the right is a collection of modeled spaces that frame natural elements.

This charrette emphasized the importance of apertures framing specific moments that suggest therapeutic quality.

Whether using long horizontal windows to capture the horizon line or square windows to frame a single tree, apertures need to respond to the specific site conditions given on site.

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FRAME 2

In the next set of frames, I further developed the idea of masking by using the natural elements of healing.

By using metal, water, wood, earth, and fire, I was able to study the different aspects of masking of the surrounding urban environment. In many of the scenarios I overlayed different elements together to strengthen the level of separation. Throughout the different vignettes a person consistently has a rough understanding of the urban context but remains focused on the calming qualities of the natural mask.

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FRAME 3

The frame to the right is a series of models that study the notion of masking. By using a system of layering, a person can mentally and physically disconnect with the urban stressors of the city surrounding. The density of trees creates a mask that diffuses the visual connection to the cold and hard city behind it. This system of layering can be multiplied depending of the level of connection desired/ needed.

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FRAME 4

In this next iteration, I studied the system of layers used in the previous model. By using city three dimensional city graphic and vegetation scene, depth is introduced into the system of making. By using natural materials to frame the view, the experience feels less built or sterile. This study allowed me to understand the different level of masking that is present in winter months where vegetation is less dense. The investigation proved how the system of layering needs be diverse in elements, and can not be strictly trees.

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4.4

FILM STILLS

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5.0

METHOD INVESTIGATION

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5.1

PROBE

CLAIM

What is being tested or probed?

This probe is testing the spatial qualities essential for redefining the transition from an urban environment into a healing space and visa versa.

METHOD

How is the claim being tested?

By using representational natural frames and architectural frames I have created a matrix of spaces that create essential depth to successfully blur the transition.

RESULTS

What is the most useful evidence produced?

Useful evidence that has been produced is how layering can be more than only reaching the faรงade, but as well as a system of spaces that blur the line between the urban environment and the healing space.

In addition, this model has explored using nature in a more vertical context as opposed to the more traditional horizontal one. With a site enforcing verticality, this model has helped think with that in mind.

NEXT STEPS

Referring to both method and design, what then must we do?

Locate the different systems of layering and identifying where they should be in a building. As well as defining the most inconvenient urban stressors and applying methods that blur those stressors. Then I must pick a site and apply the research that proves my arguments.

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5.2

COLLAGE STUDIES

[understanding layers] This first collage begins to depict a series of layers that would separate a person healing from the city around them. By collaging elements of nature such as trees, water and wood over chaotic imagery from urban environments, the intensity of the city begins to be dissolved. Each layer creates a frame of random geometric shapes that suggest several opportunities for a layered experience.

DIMENSIONS 11” x 11” x 1/2” MATERIALS Butterboard, printed images PROCESS Mount cut outs of images onto butterboard frames, then overlay all frames over each other.

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COLLAGE STUDIES

[material creating distortion] This second collage begins the conversation about architectural materials as layers and how natural elements can be applied to certain materials. By collaging these material shapes together, more depth is given to the separation from the urban environment.

While this collage is not physically deep, one can begin to understand the spatial relationships suggested due to the multiple overlayed layers.

DIMENSIONS 13” x 13” x 1/2” MATERIALS white corrugated plastic, clear corrugated plastic, wire mesh, green moss, foam core, city images PROCESS Cut out each material into rectangular shapes, then collage them over city images in order to distort the image.

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5.2

COLLAGE STUDIES [layers through section] This piece collages the initial design of the rehabilitation facility designed in the thesis studio. Understanding the relationship layers have with each other help one understand the atmosphere desired. Seclusion from the outside world. The collage demonstrates how the building sits in the existing urban fabric, and how one progresses through space.

DIMENSIONS 17” x 9” x 1/2” MATERIALS white foam core, printed section rendering, green moss, wire mesh PROCESS Rendered a section with materials and contextual information. Printed and cut out each element of the rendering and mounted them onto foam core.

Overlay the individual pieces of the section, to give depth the relationships created in model form. “Drawdle”

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5.2

COLLAGE STUDIES [programmatic layer organization]

As the design of the facility becomes more architectural, understanding how layers can be used in different methods helped further the thesis idea. Programmatic space is used as a system of layers that distances one from the city around them.

This collage was designed as a tool to investigate how different programmatic layers can be arranged. By developing this sectional collage, one can start to develop a set of rules that determine the best possible outcomes for the thesis idea.

DIMENSIONS 20” x 5” x 3” MATERIALS MDF, plexi glass, printed images, green moss, museum board, colored marker, scale figures PROCESS Laser cut section in separate pieces, assembled individual layers, applied natural elements, figures and collaged images to create an interactive tool.

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6.0

METHOD EXECUTION

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6.1

SITE ANALYSIS THE QUESTION

How can the qualities of a rural environment in which are conducive to the healing process be implemented into a dense urban medical district where urban intensities are unconducive to such process?

THE PROPOSITION

I propose to address this question by developing a system of boundarie and layers that blur the elements of architecture and nature to create a disconnect among the relationship between a person healing and the city around them.

THE TEST

This proposal can be tested after selecting a parcel within an urban medical area in which exposure to urban intensities is at its highest.

After analyzing the needs of the site and its relationship to the greater block, a system of layers can be created. Beginning with the street as the outer layer, a boundary must be created inward, that pronounces its separation from the public realm yet remains pleasing to the non-user.

From their, working inward towards the center point of the parcel where you can become most distant from the urban chaos, a system of layering must be made that alternates nature and architecture in order to create visual and physical distraction.

THE CRITERIA

The important criteria for testing this proposal is the respect and use of a mostly vertical parcel as opposed to a more horizontal rural landscape.

In addition, layering nature and architecture allows for a density to the separation between city and sanctuary, and a respect to the system of layering must remain. It is essential for the site to be rich in the urban stressors in order for the test to have the most value.

CREATING A SAFE SPACE WITHIN URBAN CHAOS

CREATING INNER/ PRIVATE GREEN SPACES

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6.2

SITE STRATEGY

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6.3

ANALYTIQUE

JONATHAN A. SILVA

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7.0

DESIGN OUTCOME

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7.1

DESIGN OUTCOME

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7.1 DESIGN

OUTCOME

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7.2 CRITICAL

` if there were more time?

EVALUATION

Further investigation and development could have been made in regards to the experience of each and every layer. The details that compose the atmosphere of each layer, would have helped strengthen the systems created. `

reďŹ nements to the method?

The method of layering could have been refined to allow the architecture to not strictly depend on nature as means for privacy and interiority. The architectural layers should be primary in development and nature should be a measure taken to strengthen the experience of each layer.

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ďŹ nal presentation feedback?

The comments given at the final presentation emphasized that the thesis idea has so much opportunity to grow and that it was not yet done. The atmosphere presented was very convincing and current, and could be broadened immensely. The thesis method of using systems of layering to bring a sense of interiority to a city building is something that can be used in a design regardless of program. Developing richer investigations on layering as a design method could allow this thesis to become a even more practical and current idea.

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my response to feedback?

I believe that the feedback given was very insightful, and relevant. Based upon the iteration presented at the final review, the comments given about deeper investigation in each and every layer was where I had anticipated the conversation revolving around.

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useful implications?

Investigating different systems of nature and architecture, and what type of atmospheres they evoke is important for the development of this thesis idea. Existing methods could be further explored and applied to the systems set in place.

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8.0

WORK CITED

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` Hughes, Galit, Theory of the Five Elements. September, 2014. www.orientalmed.uk Callahan, Shawn. Lighting Designed with Patient Healing in Mind. Fairview Hospital ICU, 2014. http://www.karpinskieng.com Marshal, J. Hakone Ginyu, Traditional Japanese Rrokan and Spa. Rakone, Japan. Oct, 2009. www.alamay.com Lodge, Nicolette. This Moment in Time. June 2015. www.nicolettelodge.com SIlva, Jonathan, A. Framing Views of Site. Brion Cemetery, Altivole, Italy, September 2015.

8.1 IMAGE

WORK CITED

8.2

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FILM STRIP WORK CITED

Lamont, James, K. New York City, Creative Commons, 2014. www.huffingtonpost.com Davis, Jen. Times Square Nighttime Overhead. New York City, NY 2006. www.nycgo.com Hahn, Jessie, F. Meeting on the Minds. San Francisco, CA. January 27, 2015. www.cityminded.org Thulstrap, David. Meis Van Der Rohe | Farnsworth House (1945-1951). December 2014. www. handvaerk.com Flores, Ness. A Peaceful Place, 2011-2012. www.thedistrictphotographer.com

City Scenes Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwTGK9qY19U Earth Zoom Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l53ghzPfaqM Nature Scenes Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb8CW3axqRE&t=1226s City Scenes Image http://galaxybackground.com/blurry-city-night-hazy-blurred-unsharp-view-perspective-streetscar-2/blurry-city-night-hazy-blurred-unsharp-view-perspective-streets-car-2-2/

` Botton, Alain De. The Architecture of Happiness. New York, NY: Pantheon Books, 2006.

8.3 LITERATURE

REVIEW BIBLIOGRAPHY

Gallup, Joan Whaley. Wellness Centers: A Guide for the Design Professional.

New York, NY: Wiley, 1999.

Moser, Gabriel. 2004. “Urban Environments and Human Behavior”. In Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology, edited by Charles Donald Spielberger.

Oxford: Elsevier Science & Technology.

Seki, Akihiko, and Elizabeth Heilman. Brooke. The Japanese Spa: A Guide to Japan’s Finest Ryokan and Onsen. Boston, MA: Tuttle, 2005.

Zabihi, Karina, and Chami Jotisalikorn. Contemporary Asian Pools and Gardens.

Singapore: Periplus, 2005.

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