SERENE SPHERE
A POP OUTDOOR ENCLOSURE PROVIDING UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH A RESTORATIVE ENVIRONMENT
Studio 6, Winter 2023
Group Project
In collaboration with Lily Daum
SOFTWARE USED
AutoCAD
SketchUp
Lumion
InDesign
PhotoShop
Illustrator
Concept
Serene-Sphere is a detached enclosure that can be temporary and reproduced within any campus worldwide, its main goal is to provide students with a place of respite connected to nature. The sphere is composed of floor-to-roof glass walls, helping users exhibit the feeling of being fully submerged within naturalistic environments with 360 views to the outside. This restorative environment is designed to promote relief from the stress, mental, and physical fatigue that students experience, aiding to prevent burnout. Whether users are seeking solo experiences or connections with peers, the flexible, multipurpose layout gives users self-guided experiences meeting their restorative needs.
Design Narative
Within the post-secondary atmosphere, undergraduates commonly experience and suffer from high stress and anxiety levels as a result of dealing with academics, personal, cultural and economical factors (Du, 2022). Du states that According to the American College Health Association, anxiety amongst post-secondary students has increased by 14.2% since 2000, and China’s National Mental Health Development reports state that 18.5% of post-secondary students suffer from depression, and mental health problems (2022). Following the COVID-19 pandemic, post-secondary students spent a majority of their time inside with zero connection to the campus and peers. As universities and colleges exhibit the opportunity to combat health and wellbeing amongst students on campus, it is important to understand the urgent approach to implementing restorative spaces. Restorative spaces allow for the promotion of human restoration and relief from mental and physical stress, creating the ability to relax and restore user health and wellbeing. “There are two theoretical approaches to the study of restorative environments: stress recovery theory and attention restoration theory, which argue that humans have evolved over a long period in the natural environment; becoming physically and psychologically more adapted to nature than to urban environments” (Du, 2022). Evidence suggests that humans tend to focus on naturalistic contents, elements, and environments, where Serene Sphere offers a 360 degree immersive experience connecting users to nature within the built environment. The promotion of mood regulation, and mental health can be achieved through Serene Spheres implementation of WELL Standards including MO7 Restorative Spaces criteria. This includes adjustable lighting techniques, thermal comfort controls, integration of nature and naturalistic elements, sound interventions, flexible and modular furniture arrangements within communal, semi-private, and private areas, and subdued textures, colours, and forms. With careful consideration to the natural environment and surrounding elements, Serene Spheres composition heavily values its inhabited environment. The composition’s concept allows students, and faculty to learn about the land, and its species, where native species placed within the core become the focal point of the space. With the “aim to advance human health through design interventions, a diverse culture of health and well-being is fostered” (WELL, 2024).
Perspective Views
