This project embraces the intersection of biophilic design and mindfulness as a means to positively impact its users' mental health. The use of intersections in this design embodies therapy's goal of creating a welcoming space where people can safely explore and accept who they are as they travel their mental health journey. Mental health is an increasing problem, particularly for younger people whose social development was abruptly interrupted and adversely impacted by the pandemic. Those struggling with mental health are plagued by constant battles with their own thoughts of insecurities, fear, anxiety, and self-harm or harm to others. Embrace provides architectural spaces that support mental health and therapy by leveraging biophilic design and mindfulness. Existing mental health and behavioral clinics commonly misuse or ignore the potential for architecture to aid in therapy. These designs further alienate those struggling with mental health and do not encourage people to stay at the building beyond their initial appointment. This project takes advantage of the potential for architectural features to become active tools in therapy through biophilic design and mindfulness, which can make therapy sessions more effective and pleasant.
Biophilic design implements physical nature or natural influences into architectural form, materiality, patterns, and features in order to optimize the mental health benefits of natural surroundings. Examples of effective biophilic design strategies include the use of natural materials, daylighting, and views to the exterior. Mindfulness is a common therapy technique used to treat a variety of mental health disorders by reducing anxiety and negative thoughts. This state of mind can be practiced in architecture by tracing shapes, describing, and counting elements.
The location selected is in Blacksburg, Virginia, just outside of the Virginia Tech campus. This location offers a lot of potential for interactions with the surrounding environment because of an existing tree grove, its adjacency to the Huckleberry Trail, views toward the Blue Ridge Mountains and elevation changes in the topography. By embedding the two-story building in the landscape, this offers three main view options: views to the south of the tree trunks from the existing tree grove, views to the south of the tree tops, and views to the north of the Blue Ridge Mountains. In addition, the proximity to the Virginia Tech campus is essential because there has been an increase in the number of students and faculty requiring mental health support. The project's parti reinforces the importance of intersection through its overall form. The building is split up into two parallel forms pierced by a third form. The materiality in the parallel portions of the building are mainly natural materials, like heavy timber. The materiality in the third, intersecting piece is mainly structured materials, like concrete. The moments of overlap in the building join the two materialities to make beautiful gathering spaces for those struggling with mental health to meet others in similar situations and promote group therapy involvement.
The individual therapy rooms are tailored to the needs of the therapists and include private bathrooms, controlled acoustics, and ample seating. The building provides multiple spaces dedicated to group therapy, community gathering, and reflection. Throughout the building are common spaces designed to architecturally support specific therapy types. These spaces optimize the site location, materiality and building form to create spaces that not only meet the physical needs of the selected therapy, but also create a unique quality and atmosphere. While this building plans for numerous types of tailor-made therapy spaces, this project focuses on the detailed development of three main therapy types: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy, and Existential Therapy.
The aspiration of this project is to create a building that is welcoming to the Virginia Tech community while simultaneously supporting mental health with thoughtful architecture. Although the most common reason for students to first arrive at Embrace is for a therapy appointment, the goal is that people will also see the opportunity the architecture provides for reflection, community, and support outside of their appointments times. Ultimately, the architecture gathers the mental health community. / Master of Architecture / This project embraces the intersection of biophilic design and mindfulness as a means to positively impact its users' mental health. The use of intersections in this design embodies therapy's goal of creating a welcoming space where people can safely explore and accept who they are as they travel their mental health journey.
Mental health is an increasing problem, particularly for younger people whose social development was abruptly interrupted and adversely impacted by the pandemic. This project takes advantage of the potential for architectural features to become active tools in therapy through biophilic design and mindfulness, which can make therapy sessions more effective and pleasant.
The location selected is in Blacksburg, Virginia, just outside of the Virginia Tech campus. This location offers a lot of potential for interactions with the surrounding environment because of an existing tree grove, its adjacency to the Huckleberry Trail, views toward the Blue Ridge Mountains and elevation changes in the topography. In addition, the proximity to the Virginia Tech campus is essential because there has been an increase in the number of students and faculty requiring mental health support.
The project's parti reinforces the importance of intersection through its overall form. The building is split up into two parallel forms pierced by a third form. The materiality in the parallel portions of the building are mainly natural materials. The materiality in the third, intersecting piece is mainly structured materials. The moments of overlap in the building join the two materialities to make beautiful gathering spaces for those struggling with mental health.
The individual therapy rooms are tailored to the needs of the therapists. Throughout the building are common spaces designed to architecturally support specific therapy types. These spaces optimize the site location, materiality and building form to create spaces that not only meet the physical needs of the selected therapy, but also create a unique quality and atmosphere.
The aspiration of this project is to create a building that is welcoming to the Virginia Tech community while simultaneously supporting mental health with thoughtful architecture. Ultimately, the architecture gathers the mental health community.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/115870 |
| Date | 09 July 2023 |
| Creators | Julius, Rachel Erin |
| Contributors | Architecture, Jones, James R., Regan, Deidre, Gipe, Andrew |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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