Somatic Experience, Room 1

Somatic Experience Therapy starts with symptoms of trauma which are anger, fear, anxiety or physical problems.

Once entering the room people are asked how they are feeling and will be provided with access through different entry ways accordingly. People who feel angry and frustrated are provided with an entry point where they have to squeeze through to allow a release of some of their anger physically. People who feel scared and anxious are provided with an entry point where they are met with turnstile to help them push through their fears with guidance. The third and final point of entry is for people who have been affected physically by trauma by having no physical obstruction in their way to enter. This system of access is repeated at the exit of the room and this is so that people can be aware and considerate of their feelings before and after the journey through this room.

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Somatic Experience, Room 1

The first stage in the Somatic experience is finding a comfort zone. These digital panels change colours in a therapeutic manner to create a calming and comforting effect and with the distraction of this space, people should be able to ease and clear their minds. Bio-plastic tiles can be collected here and this tile will be carried through the journey after which the visitors may mould it however they wish to then leave behind in the building’s atrium in order to share their personal stories and feelings with others.

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Somatic Experience, Room 1

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Somatic Experience, Room 1

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Somatic Experience, Room 1

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Somatic Experience, Room 1

The second stage in the Somatic Experience is for people to identify and explore the effects of the traumatic event. This can be a difficult process and therefore a personal space is provided where people can write about their traumatic experiences. It is an important step to talk about what is hurting to be able to take the experience as a lesson and to be able to read what other people have experienced can help others to open up about their own experiences.

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Somatic Experience, Room 1

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Somatic Experience, Room 1

The final stage in Somatic experience is to identify how the body needs to respond and to find a natural and safe way to release negative energy. The back and forth motion of a swing can help people to calm down while the swinging motion can also be a physical release of energy.

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Cognitive Behaviour, Room 2

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is a cycle of emotions, thoughts and behaviours. This means that what we feel affects how we think and act. What we think affects how we feel and act. And what we do affects how we think and feel.

When entering this room, people will find themselves in a cage structure. The aim of this structure is to symbolise a beautiful prison. This is because a place of withdrawal is often the easiest thing to do for people who have experienced a traumatic event and although it is beautiful, is it also a prison for emotions. At this stage people should be able to recognise that coming out of their beautiful prison is a step they have to take as they are in control to leave and connect with others about their emotions and continue their journey to resilience. At the entrance, people are also presented with the end of a slide which happens to be the end of the journey around this room. This is because the end of the journey around the room goes back to the beautiful prison, symbolising just how easy it is to fall back into that trap and thus continuing the cycle of the therapy.

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Cognitive Behaviour, Room 2

The next part of the room is where people are given a choice of creating confusion or order. Two strips of lights represent order as the lights are aligned perfectly meanwhile the middle strip of lights are controlled by the visitors and how they choose to connect them. The choice to connect the lights neatly or perhaps mix them up is a symbol of the next step after coming out of their beautiful prison of withdrawal, whereby the choices people could make is between continuing a troubled life not focusing on their mental health needs after a traumatic event or the choice to create order in their life and seek out professional help. Using the plastic bio-plastic tiles collected in room one, the next stage is for each individual to mould their tile in any way they wish in the craft corner. This could be a representation of their feelings, experiences or something more personal such as their palm or finger prints.

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Cognitive Behaviour, Room 2

Continuing the journey throughout room two, people are presented with a set of stairs. Both the stairs and the upper level of room two are made out of a metal mesh that can be uncomfortable for people without shoes (as this is something that had to be removed on arrival). This metal mesh walkway is to control the way people move through this level as their steps are likely to be slow and steady. This is to symbolise that making this journey to resilience can be quite difficult at times and cannot be rushed.

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Cognitive Behaviour, Room 2

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Reflection Bubble Space

The second floor atrium space is where people have the opportunity to leave their personalised bio-plastic tiles. Representing each individual taking the necessary steps to a happier life. This space also serves as a waiting area as this building also provides one on one and group therapy sessions for those who feel ready to seek professional help. Also found in the atrium of the building, the bubble space designed to be used as a space for personal reflection. Entry can be made from the ground floor and from the second floor into a spiralling tunnel of bubbles. Within this building, this structured is designed to be permanent however similar structures can be built to be transported to different locations with its simple wooden frame and its deflatable quality to create an awareness of this Therapy centre and its facilities.

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Reflection Bubble Space

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Section (1) Reflection Bubble Space

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Section (2) Rooms 1 and 2

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Introduction

The Re-Building project is looking into how interior design can act as a therapeutic space for those struggling to live a happy life due to a traumatic event they have experienced. This space teaches people resilience towards trauma and helps them develop protective factors to allow a healthier response to traumatic events in the future. This space focuses on empathy and experience to promote healthy emotions and behaviours. In a physical term, Re-Building is used to renovate old, unwanted, damaged, or abandoned buildings. In an emotional term, Re-Building is a safe zone where people can identify the effects of a traumatic event and learn how their body needs to respond through a natural and safe release of energy to build resilience.

Aims and objectives

The first aim of this project is to build resilience in people through a therapeutic encounter with the interior of the selected building. This research developed through several experiments of expression and gathering of feedback from both human and computer-generated software to understand how human emotion can be translated into an inanimate object.

Plato, the Philosopher, once said that there is a metaphysical realm of Ideal Forms. These Forms are universal and unchanging. Based on this, the second aim of this research is therefore to pursue the meaning of the Ideal Form and more specifically the Ideal Form of Interior. To do this, it was important to start this research by gathering insight on ornamentation, beauty, purpose, function, form, evolution, and future of any building to highlight the important factors in each of these categories.

The objective was then to create ornamentation of the human emotion so that both human labour and human emotion can contribute in the construction of the Ideal Form of Interior and to discover if Interior design can come closer to the Ideal Form by implying that function follows human needs and form follows human behaviour.

Trauma

A traumatic event is a deeply distressing or disturbing experience through an emotional shock or a physical injury and there are three key therapy types for this. Somatic experiencing therapy focuses on bodily sensations, rather than thoughts and memories about the traumatic event. By concentrating on what’s happening within the body, there can be a release of trauma related energy through shaking, crying, and other forms of physical release. Cognitive-behavioural therapy helps people to process and evaluate their thoughts and feelings about a trauma. And finally, Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing incorporates elements of Cognitive-behavioural therapy with eye movements or other forms of rhythmic, left-right stimulation that can “unfreeze” traumatic memories.

For Erika, it is important to highlight the potential in old and abandoned buildings to avoid further damage to the environment as sustainability should be the bases of all future designs while maintaining the design variety of the past. Throughout each of her projects, Erika has the passion to make a difference by learning about personal issues of the public and tackling them one by one using interior design to create awareness with the aim to stimulate people to live and socialise in an emotionally healthier way. She aims to continue discovering new ways to help people through the adaptation of designs of the past, maintaining that the user’s well-being and happiness is a priority.