The overarching theme to this design was ‘navigating spaces’ – to explore the daily struggles of those with disabilities and create a space which can help to ease those difficulties. I had chosen to focus my design on a client with Asperger’s syndrome. Despite not being a visible disability, it is a form of autism that affects people to different degrees therefore, each person can face their own unique difficulties on a daily basis. A common symptom is hypersensitivity/hyposensitivity to colours, sounds, light and space. When in a setting that they are uncomfortable or overwhelmed in, they will experience frustration, get upset or see things in blurred or double vision. My client in particular is a 28 year old banker who enjoys small yet open spaces, simple, clean designs and shows a strong dislike to bright, cool toned light as it reminded him of a hospital/clinical setting. Therefore, I made sure to integrate warm, natural lighting into the building design by creating a glass curtain wall. This not only brings in the warm toned light from the sun but also opens up the space. One thing the client mentioned was how he appreciated the works of Santiago Calatrava and how he incorporated curves and geometric shapes into his design. I took this into account and used Calatrava as inspiration when creating a curved, ‘s’ shaped wall. This feature aided in bringing intrigue to the overall design and helps to make the client happy and comfortable in their own space.
Experience:
Being HUMAN 2020/21