In my concept exploration I started out with what seem to be some of the fundamental parts to the healing system: familiarity (to the child's home environment), comfort, as well as ways to make the child feel normal: by granting some sense of growth, as well as connection to the outside universe.
I've given some thought to ways to provide growth and connection to nature first through the idea of a small fast-growing plant placed in a planter outside of the child's window. The plant is used as a metaphor to show the child's growth through his treatment as well as some semblance of connection with another organism and the outside natural world. The child can name the plant, and during outside time (depending on the state of the child) either the child or a nurse can water the plant once a day. The mental connection between the child and the plant is something that cannot be broken or taken away despite the intangibility of the glass and metal that separates. The fragility of the plant also conveys the sense that in the face of disaster and breakdown hope is never lost and growth must take place.
Another idea is to replace the observation windows to patient rooms with small fish tanks. Observation is brought to a more innocent level where a connection is established between the child and his fish as well as a connection between the child and his nurse through his dependence on her for the feeding and maintaining of the fish. This may lead to less aggravated retaliation of patients on nurses. Patients may learn to respect their environments as the environments of the fish and the plant are fragile; metaphors for the repercussions constant aggravation and instability can have on others and the outside environment.
The questions outlined on our exploration hand-outs were very helpful in helping me distill the needs of the children, staff and the space.
What does the space desire to be?
What should its identity be?
What is the type of experience I want to provide to users of the facility?
What can I take from the existing site to design in the most economical way?
The potential concepts I have arrived at are sand dune, pond, and shade tree.
The pond is a metaphor for the intangible, that life often contains wanting and not having but still having connection to. Many things within the facility are intangible to the patient as many components are encased or unavailable without supervision. Perhaps this inability of the child to truly touch the TV or cut his/her food can be used to the treatment's advantage through the above stated plant and fish ideas.
Sand dunes are attractive for their warmth as well as their "ability" to change shape despite their stationary presence. Sand dunes grade light in that surfaces change in subtle odd ways. Sand dunes are stark but provide a place to meditate. The layering of sand also provides some insight to filtered light components much like what is already seen in "the Spine" corridor.
Children love to watch, marvel and explore spaces with... multiple spaces. The "moment" of the shade tree is something that is made of many components. The shade tree is in a soft grassy place; there is a light breeze, the smell of earth and grass is in the air; there are patches in the ground of soft dirt, twigs, and roots. Yet despite all of the dirt and hard roots, It is all seemingly clean and harmless. A focus much like this must be taken with the facility as such regimented institutional practices may potentially suppress our creative, inquisitive minds to further disorder.
One glaring omission of the visiting experience to Central Regional Hospital was actually seeing the children in their element. Observing how they act, move, and engage the environment, each other and nurses/staff (not to say that they would all act the same) would have been very beneficial to our holistic experience of learning the existing space. However, for good reason we were not to come into contact with patients due to potential aggravation.
I desperately need to identify my client as children with mental instabilities is something I know nothing about and something I've given little thought to. If I were to design for a basketball player who likes to cook, or a skate boarder who loves dogs I would have a good idea on what is desired without necessarily meeting the client. I hope to read (and watch) a few more articles like this TIME article which illustrates the disturbing anarchic atmosphere that I am sure must occur within some mental hospitals.
No comments:
Post a Comment