THE ART OF TRANQUILITY

SOUND HEALING CENTER

MARTINA ABRAHAM/ 2016PA0020

 ABSTRACT

With onset of Digital era humans have created a different array of existence. The way in which
humans perceived their social contacts, workability and culture has altered significantly.

There are 5 senses through which we experience day to day life. The digital age had made us
deficient of our archaic way to experience life. We are capable to connect with fellow humans and
other entities but lack the touch and substance of physical presence has lead to lack of a
wholesome connection between environment and the individual.
This also affects the way architecture is shaped.

We see architecture getting more and more shut off from the exteriors, separating people from
elements, organizing the parameters of functions that affect how we live and feel. These
interactions and experiences encountered in, on, under and around the architectural forms are
often monotonous and ordinary. This has very well led being cause of “daily unease” of stress,
fatigue, exhaustion till the point when one starts to only look at survival than living. This “daily
unease” is not just in terms of measurable experiences (light, smell, touch, taste & sound etc.) but
also in terms of immeasurable experiences (memory, unity, serenity, etc.). This enclosed
environment has not just affected culture but human perceptions about living as well. Lack of social
spaces, interactions, engaging in cumulative efforts with nature has lead humans in path of being
self-centered and one with narrowed vision about life. Hence, also taping on the psychological
health in bad terms.

With the comforts that this era has offered, the shortcoming involve extreme social connectivity
and immoderate stimulations; enough to create a chaotic scenario where focusing on single entity
for long period has become a myth. Individuals try to fit in certain breaks in life such as listening to
music, watching a movie or as simple as walking in a park to escape the notion unease. However, it
buries the problem than solving providing a short term comfort. Humans have a complex mind and
desire stimulatory and sensory experiences on various different levels which also involves self-
introspection. Yet the man-made environment currently has imbalance of space to unwind and
space to moil.

This thesis explores connection between human and the natural and man-made environment, its
effects on psychology and solutions that could be intervened with current scenario to improve
mental well-being of individuals across the globe; who desire to seek it. It also addresses existential
intelligence within human mind, which just like wisdom growth is a never ending process and need
consistent evolution; hence the name “THE ART OF TRANQUILITY : SOUND HEALING CENTER”. A
place of hope and growth.
 INTRODUCTION
ORIGIN

This project ”ART OF TRANQUILITY : SOUND HEALING CENTER” deal with designing Architectural
intervention using sensorial architecture to induce self- realization and exploration.
Any experience is experienced through three stages - first via stimulation by the subject which needs
to be experienced, second via any living who perceives it through sense receptors and third stage
deals with how it responds to those stimulation. All these three stages in a nutshell could be
categorized as “Sensorial experience”. These consistent back and forth experiences induces process
introspection and in turn action in lines with it.

EXPLORATION

• Stress, anxiety, expression have been common mental well-being issues faced by almost every human being in
much more frequency than ever before. The impact of the sensorial experience in terms of tangible and
intangible aspects of living was noted.
• Issue was jotted down to derive an architectural intervention that could be have been a catalyst or a solution
for improvement for the issue. It was observed that sensorial even though is a common sense for the design
of environment we live in, it is being neglected due to various other factors of living leading to mental health
crisis of the century.
• The issue jotted down was an intangible issue which might not be completely solved only via providing an
architectural intervention. But, proposing an intervention that is focused on mental well-being, coupled with
sensorial architecture and various other interdisciplinary practices can become a catalyst to the solution of
issue.
NEED FOR THE STUDY
• We are living in times where many architectural structures we experienced on daily basis lack
existential depth. Hence, experience created are either monotonous or chaotic. Either way the
impact is observed through deranged mental well being coupled with unhinged lifestyle.
• The lifestyle and culture that today’s times especially in urban setting with high stress levels and
suicides simple measures could be taken to ensure well-being or creating environment in smaller
pockets. However in practical and real time terms; each time accessing them in a compromised
space it not a long term solution nor most of the times it does address the issue. The issue is
harnessing wisdom of existence which runs much deeper and personal for every individual
depends on various factors. Providing an environment (architecture) that can be the catalyst for
the issue but not a wholesome solution as we are addressing intangible via tangible aspect. As an
architect I can so far as help induce those senses and feeling required to achieve introspection and
higher wisdom via architecture.
• Human mind is complicated so is how it processes introspection. Understanding lengths and
breadths how these processes function and there connection with architecture is to be
understood. Sensorial architecture can help establish some connection and have much efficient
impact on precise sense of experiences I mean to stimulate.
 AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
AIM:

OBJECTIVES:

Concept:
• Understanding issues and in what ways it could be improved.
• Understanding need for introspection and ways to achieve it. Understanding need for healing
center and its requirements.
• Understanding sensorial experiences and its relation to architecture.
• Understanding symbiotic relationship between “sensory, architecture, nature, human and their
psychometrics”.
• Understanding source and factors that impact today’s architecture in terms of relationship with
nature and sensory and how is it affecting mental well-being.

Design:
• Implementation of research on architectural design intervention
• Understanding users of the healing center.
• Understanding earthquake resistant architecture.
• Understanding design strategies.
• Formulation of design program and its implementation.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS
• What causes deranged mental health? How to have long term mental well-being in today’s
lifestyle?
• What is introspection? What are the factors that affect it and how can it help better mental well
being?
• How can healing help in betterment of mental well being?
• How does sensorial architecture affect mental well-being of an individual?
• What is earthquake resistant architecture and its strategies?
• What are the design strategies for tropical, wet and dry climatic region?
 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

SCOPE

• Exploring concept introspection, its need, how can it be achieved and how it can
• improve mental well-being.
• Exploration of sensorial experience and its symbiotic relationship between architecture , nature,
humans and their psychometry.
• Exploring factors and source affecting multisensorial experience and mental well-being.
• Exploring activities and spaces that could be provided.
• Exploring earthquake resistant architecture and designing on contours.
• Exploring design strategies for a tropical, wet and dry climatic region.

LIMITATION

• Creating new philosophical thought of living.

• Conducting internation live case studies
• Adapting all existing philosophies and research concepts in design.
• Replicating traditional architecture design strategies in present condition.
 METHODOLOGY

The methodology has been derived in 4 stages as follows:

➢ First Stage: Understanding the Mental well- being and Sensorial

architecture

Existing state of research

• We are living in times of digitalization and globalization which has brough about various pros
and cons. As much as it has given comforts and advance humanity. The culture of humanity has
been impacted and altered drastically due to it which indirectly affect place making and
architecture.
• Comforts of living are provided at the doorsteps there is much need employment for jobs that
are confined and enclosed within tall glass structures. With humans spending maximum time
interiors engaged in confined to interiors jobs as such social and environmental integration is
taking toll. Stress being the most common impact. The issue is no longer materialistic, its
existential. Creation of spaces that offer to deal with existentialism and effective expression of
values for long term benefits is what is needed. Architecture can help create that by
multisensorial focus in space making.

Understanding introspection process and human mind

• Architecture that would be intervened via this research would ultimately created spaces and
induce experiences for introspection. The research has dived deep into understanding the
process of introspection as whole and how exterior environment also affects it.

Sensorial architecture
• A human experiences space via his 5 senses. Disproportionate stimulations can leads a human’s
mental well-being into jeopardy. Hence understanding sensoriality in the place making,
designing, and much sensitive towards human well-being and nature of the context has been
looked into.

➢ Second Stage: Data Collection and Analysis

• Understanding culture we follow for a base start is very important as it creates the very
background and purpose of the intervention. Mental well-being in based on various factors. That
would be explored in this segment. Environment being a key factor impacting mental well-being
is also researched.
• Occupation, age, gender, personal responsibilities, location of living and day to day routine a
person follows becomes key factor for impact on mental health. Collection of data related to
these factors give us an insight of scenario of current time. Hence analysis of data has helped
establish what kind of intervention is needed to counter the issue.
➢ Third Stage: Deriving Proposal and Intervention
• After analysis of data collected a conclusion is derived. For which architectural intervention is
proposed. There might be several derivations that could be made. While with comparing pros
and cons for each can determine the most apt solution for the issue. Not every issues is such
that it could be completely solved via architectural intervention however it could be a catalyst to
do so. Spiritual retreat is what is derived from the research as best possible architectural
intervention.

➢ Fourth Stage: Application and Design Programming

• After derivation of architectural intervention on basis of the data collection and analysis. Question of
location, users its catering to, how will the intervention will function and be con- structed are at question.
The study of these question is derived through research of material location and user analysis. This is
where the architectural design process starts. The process which I proceeded with goes as follows: