———————-Design Phase (Updated on Dec 18)—————–
Problem: Due to high rent for apartment, some people (we narrowed it down to students and young working class) have to share a room with their roommates, so lack of personal space is a huge problem in New York (and other big cities in the world.)
We took students at parsons as example. Some of them have nowhere to go between classes, because time between classes is not long enough to go home. So they want a place to rest, and not be heard and seen by others/and they don’t want to hear and see others, also.
In this case, we decide to make a prototype of something that can be put in public space in University Center, or in public lounges in dorm. It’s also doable to place it in public parks.
Main purposes of this design:
1) sound insulation; 2) sight insulation; 3)some design features that ease people with claustrophobia; 4) comfort; 5) space saving.
For 1) sound insulation, I found it not pleasing to wrap it all with sound-proof foam. So I looked up the theory of “sound-proof window,” it’s mainly that the true air between two solid materials (eg. two piece of glass) will block sound. So we decided to make it two layers.
For 2) sight insulation, the inside layer will be transparent glass/plastic. So the person inside can see the image display (will talk about it in No.3). The outside layer is not transparent at all, so the outside won’t see what’s inside.
For 3), we really struggled a lot on which kind of image display to use. We had 3 options: a) Layers of thin, reflective material with pattern. (as seen in Hybycozo) Pros: light; cost-effective. Cons: the image is too flat, kinda boring.
b) LCD screen + video. The purpose of it is to surround the person inside with a whole new world or a relaxing landscape. For example, cherry blossom, rainy day, galaxy.
Pros: can display anything; easily to build a 3D world. Cons: need a LCD screen, too heavy. (similar to this picture taken in Museum of Feelings)
c) Similar to paper cut light box.
The purpose of it is to achieve a somewhat 3D effect, with lighter weight than LCD screen, and with more depth than Option A. It’s also more affordable. But “paper cut light box” can’t do pictures with complex details. What we did later is a bit different.
We chose pictures from “Celestial Exploring” by Kagaya studio, and use Photoshop to draw out clouds to be printed on 1 sheet of paper, flowers on 1 sheet of paper, for instance. and for each side of walls, there will be 4 layers. Together, 3 sides of walls will display a panorama.
In addition to images, we will play ambient sound to offer a more real experience, as the person inside is in another world. Ambient sound websites:
http://tistheseasonto.be/snowing/
For 4) comfort, the bottom will be made with soft, stretchy fabric. The person inside can use it as a hammock. Because in our research, the most comfortable position/posture is curling up as the person is in mother’s womb. This feature also asks for the walls to hold a person’s weight.
For 5) it shouldn’t take too much space. The room is just for 1 person.
Sketch:
Image display outcome
————————————–Research Phase—————————-
Purpose: 1) sound/light insulation; 2) enough space to work/lie down
Idea: 1) object: put in room/house – eg. tent, hammock; 2) interior design: installed in public space {a} floatation tank X it’s only for meditation purpose, no practical use; {b} refer to “Suspense: A Womb with a View”
Material: Solid material to build a structure, then wrap with stretchy fabric – eg. Lycra. Inside I’d like to put sound-proof materials.
Notes: 1) Jeppe Hein fountain – water constructs space. My ideas: When someone is in the “room,” water is on. If other people want to intrude this occupied space, they will get wet. When there’s no one in the “room,” water is off. 2) Maya Lin wave field – comfortable to lie on. What’s related to my project: look up for what positions can make people feel comfortable, yet save space. 3) Ernesto Neto installation – like a swing, hanging; umbrella shape.
