Stress may not be a bad thing.

Another great podcast of Esther Sternberg on Stress and the Balance Within. 

We all look at stress as a negative feeling; however Esther Sternberg look at stress as a necessity. For example, "when an animal finds itself a new environment. If it doesn’t have a stress response, if it wouldn’t suddenly stand up and look around, if it just went to sleep, it will get eaten. So, you need your stress response to survive, but the problem happens when that stress response goes on for too long. When its active, when it shouldn’t be active, when you are pumping out hormone chemical at max, that’s when you get sick. That’s when you get these hormone and chemical effects on the immune system."

Stress is not a bad thing, only when you can't control stress is a bad thing.

Fractals.

I came across the word "fractal" when I was reading Healing Spaces by Esther Sternberg. She states that fractals are "intrinsically satisfying to the human mind."

"Whether gothic cathedrals or Hokusai waves, our mind responds to the complex, repetitive, increasing- decreasing patterns, freed from rigid boundaries of scale, the mind can move inward or outward, up or down, at will."  - Ester Sternberg

What is a fractal?

"A fractal is a never-ending pattern. Fractals are infinitely complex patterns that are self-similar across different scales. They are created by repeating a simple process over and over in an ongoing feedback loop. Driven by recursion, fractals are images of dynamic systems – the pictures of Chaos. Geometrically, they exist in between our familiar dimensions. Fractal patterns are extremely familiar, since nature is full of fractals. For instance: trees, rivers, coastlines, mountains, clouds, seashells, hurricanes, etc. Abstract fractals – such as the Mandelbrot Set – can be generated by a computer calculating a simple equation over and over." - Fractal Foundation.Org


Note: The fractals above are created using the method of twisting and turning.The illustrations were done using fractalfoundation.org.

 

Programming my thoughts...

This diagram is another quick illustration of my thought process.

The dotted black lines represent the entry and the exit of the site.

We all come from a stressful place to heal. In order to heal, one must forget and forgive. One must let go of their stress, anger and fear. Before going through the process of healing, the place needs a space that allows people to discard their angers, and toss away their stressful memories of the past. What if there is a space that let people write down anything that they want – their pain, their anger, and their stress – and burn those into ashes. (I don’t want to pollute the environment. I was told that there are some types of papers that are not toxic and harmful to the environment)

There is a display area to exhibit the history of what happened in the past. Usually, exhibitions recall memories, but what I don’t want is to remind the people of the dreadful past. My intention is to make them remember the history and give them a gesture to move on. Another intention of the display area is to let everyone see the journey of what Burmese people went through (This is for the future generation and the people from other countries). 

Tranquility is something you find after you are healed. Therefore, a peaceful space awaits at the end of the journey. The healing space allows one to meditate, reflect on oneself, interact with the space.

The Issue...

I drew this diagram really quick to explain my thought process and the history of Burma to my mentor. Here is the brief explanation of the illustration above.
Quick Note : Blue represents peace.
Black frequency represents anger, stress, and fear.

Burma, just like any other South East Asian country, is known for ethnic diversity. Burma started when different ethnic groups moved to the southeast to establish their own empires. Everything shattered when the British people came in and conquered Burma. Because of the ongoing wars at that time, the people of Burma were both physically and psychologically hurt.

Stress, anger and fear caused by the outsiders have been tied to the innocent people of our country ever since. The British did not only take away the land, they separated and drew a line between the low landers and high landers. It was done to make sure that they could rule the country as long as possible. Ever since that time, there have always been misunderstandings and confusions between the ethnic groups.

In 1948, when we gained independence, our hopes were once again revived, but it didn’t last long. The Burmese military junta did not treat the ethnic groups fairly and equally. It was all about selfishness and egoism back then. Many innocent people died because of the civil wars between the military junta and the ethnic groups.

Currently, Burma is at the blink of transformation, but regardless of the drastic changes occurring in Burma, many ethnic groups are still fighting to get their land back. One of the reasons they are still attempting to fight is because they still haven’t forgiven the mistakes that the Burmese government made yet. There is still anger, and beyond their angers are the painful memories of the past.

This is where Architecture comes in! What can we, as architects, do to bring the ethnic groups together? The architecture I create, must not only heal the psychological pains of all people of Burma, but also bond them to create a better future of all people.

Why Are Colors So Important?

“When we speak of color, we mean energy waves. Every color, each with its own frequency, is a form of energy.” – Perry R. Scientific documentation on color therapy

The role of color is essential in Architecture; even some people attempt to ignore it. The color plays a critical role not only in the natural environment, but also in the built environment designed by human beings. Our brains respond to colors and the surrounding. Our brains process and evaluate whether it is subjective or objective based on the colors we see. “Psychological influence, communication, information, and effects on the psyche are aspects of of our perceptual judgment process.”

Many people tend to think that colors are just for decoration, but it is not true. Colors should be part of the design process when we design a space. The choice of color should not be considered at the last stage of the design.

Colors and human bodies are in harmony. According to the chromotherapy, our bodies are generally composed of colors.  “The body comes into existence from colors, the body is stimulated by colors and colors are responsible for the correct working of various systems that function in the body.”

Just like colors have their own frequencies, all organs, cells and atoms inside our bodies are energy waves with their own frequency and vibrational energy.  “Each of our organs and energy centers vibrates and harmonizes with the frequencies of these colors.” The use of colors in architecture can influence and manipulate people’s feelings. It can either generate positive or negative energy inside our bodies. “When various parts of the body deviate from these expected normal vibrations, one can assume that the body is either diseased or at least not functioning properly.” Therefore, it is vital to consider and choose the use of colors wisely when designing a space. “Colors have a profound effect on us at all levels—physical, mental and emotional. If our energy levels are blocked or depleted, then our body cannot function properly, and this in turn can lead to a variety of problems at different levels” (Light).

Photo credit: http://www.windows2universe.org/physical_science/magnetism/images/visible_spectrum_waves_big_jpg_image.html
Reference:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1297510/

Color - The Integral Element in Architecture

"Color is an integral element of our world, not just in the natural environment but also in the man-made architectural environment. Color always played a role in the human evolutionary process. The environment and its colors are perceived, and the brain processes and judges what it perceives on an objective and subjective basis. Psychological influence, communication, information, and effects on the psyche are aspects of our perceptual judgment processes. Hence, the goals of color design in an architectural space are not relegated to decoration alone." - By Frank H. Mahnke

Photo credit: http://anniejenningspr.com/jenningswire/metaphysics/practical-spirituality/aura-colors/

THERMAL VALS

Thermal Vals is designed for the local people and surrounded by the hotels. Peter Zumthor uses simple geometry, but there is complexity hidden behind the simplicty of his designs. You enter from a long balcony and there are series of experiences such as cold pool, fire pool, flower pool and the outdoor pool. There is relaxation process throughout these experiences. The space awakes and enlightens the senses. The dim light creates a calm state of mind and that in turn helps to relax the body. As we move inside the space, we are “bodily aware of the way a wall or a corridor confronts us or how we are surrounded by space.” Zumthor uses stone to evoke a sense of cavernous, and allow people to rest.

UNESCO MEDITATION SPACE

The intent of this project is to create a peaceful space that people from all around the world, of all races and religions, could come to. Simplicity plays the main role in this project. Ando uses simple geometric shapes. Circle is a symbol of peace, it also represents centrality, emptiness, oneness and enlightenment. The cylindrical space is 6 meter wide and 6 meter high. In Ando’s architecture, height and depth doesn’t define one or two storeys. They are “ways we penetrate into the earth and feel its embrace around our body and the way we aspire towards the heavens."

The Most Beautiful Feeling

A friend of mine asked me this question today...

"What is the most beautiful feeling that you've ever felt in your life?"


I paused and pondered for a while.
"The feeling of achievement."  

To me, it's the best feeling ever. You work hard for something and getting reward for your hard work is the best feeling you can ever have. 
If I can get something without putting a lot of effort into it, I probably won't appreciate it that much.

The point is...
The feeling of achievement is something I cannot get all the time. In order to achieve something, I had to go through and experience all the other feelings, which I would say negative feelings. Stress, depression, anger, and impatience are some of the negative feelings that can't be avoided. 

Maybe we don't have to have happy thoughts and tranquil feelings all the time. We need to experience other negative feelings, so that we can appreciate the positive feelings. Maybe this is what a balanced life is.

As cliche as it sounds,
You need to experience sadness in order to understand the true happiness.


I just needed to jot this down before I forget. It might not really relate to my thesis, but at least it relates to emotions so.... 

Inspiration

I listened to this podcast for several times.

Every time I listened, I learnt something and heard something that I didn't catch up the last time.
Thanks to Aaron Anderson for sending me this podcast and sharing his insight with me.


If you are researching on healing spaces or how human being responds to spaces, this podcast will really help you understand what healing means.

Side note : It didn't work on my computer, you can either use your Ipad or mobile phone to listen to this.

http://reader.mac.com/mobile/v1/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.onbeing.org%2Fsites%2Fonbeing.org%2Ffiles%2Fxml%2Fpodcast.xml

Visual Illustrations

I had a hard time trying to illustrate emotions graphically. Emotion really depends on individuals and our backgrounds. Here are some quick illustrations.

The first diagram is abstract illustration of chaos transforming into order. The rectangles represent the city blocks. The overlapping and the intersection of those blocks imply the chaotic situations within the city and it begins to transform into lines that fades away as it moves towards the right direction. This diagram is to represent Burma’s chaos turning into order. You can read further in the draft that I posted below.

The second illustration is explaining the history of what Burmese people went through. The gradient represents the darkness transforming into light.

For the third illustration, I picked out some basic shapes and forms that we are familiar with. It is amazing how these spaces trigger our emotions in different ways. Further explanation can be read in draft two.

Draft Two

I was raised in Yangon, Burma, a country that has experienced constant conflicts, and under extreme control. I have always experienced and seen the obstacles and the struggles of Burmese people have encountered. People are restricted to think or act freely. The lives of people function in a disorderly manner due to the continual chaotic situations in the city. The quality of life that the military government provides for the people in the city is very limited.

There is a lack of tranquility within the city after the government had put people under control. The peace of mind that all Burmese people long for does not exist in the city anymore. The built environment that we live in deteriorated our emotions and our lives. Burma has approached its turning point. Transformations have started to take place in the country. In Yangon, the financial and commercial capital of the country, the dramatic changes are undeniably occurring.

How can we be creative as architects to heal the emotional pains of Burmese people, and how can architecture fix the broken dreams and revive the moment of tranquility that they long for?

            Why is emotion a critical factor in creating a piece of architecture that can enhance people’s lives? This question gets asked often. Man-made space can refine human feelings and perceptions. A well-designed space can define and control the actions of people who are in it.

Ergo, the emphasis of my research will be about the reactions and the emotions we have for defined spaces and forms of buildings, and how our built environment enhance the lives of people who reside in it. Why do human beings respond differently to different spaces? The different reactions we have for spaces are dependent upon the individual and our cultural backgrounds. The built environment has either positive or negative effects on our lives and our memories of those places.

Architecture creates a set of experiences and those experiences involve the brain activity of remembering, recalling and comparing. The emotional activities we experience in built environments are based on subjective memories, and other brain activity coupled with new sensory inputs.

The major five senses are linked to the brain by the nervous system, while awareness perceives the five senses and memory recalls the five senses.  Therefore, five senses, memories, and awareness are all interconnected. Awareness in its multiple definitions and iterations enables human beings to feel the emotions that buildings provoke and how they begin to form connections and attachments with various building spaces and forms through our psychological, philosophical and cultural ties.

My research will emphasize on why and how awareness affects our emotions triggered by built spaces. In addition to spaces, the use of materiality, colors, lighting and construction within the space are also critical factors to delineating emotions we garner from experiencing architecture, both real and virtual. The quality of the materials, colors, light, and the type of construction contribute to our awareness of the of inhabited spaces, whatever the time or use thereof.

According to John Zeisel, “the ultimate meaning of any building is beyond architecture; it directs our consciousness back to the world, and towards our own sense of self and being. Significant architecture makes us experience ourselves as complete embodied and spiritual beings” (Zeisel). Therefore, if we understand how brains and minds work or how they function in different spaces and how they develop over time to respond to our built environment, we as architects, should be able to deliver the intent of our designs and provide the quality of space that can help to improve people’s lives.

Studying the human brain and its response to different spaces, materials, geometric shapes, forms, colors, and light will assist me in designing a space that could satisfy the albeit momentary needs of people and potentially mitigate their psychological and/or pains enhancing their lives for that moment, and the memory thereto.

First Draft

The emphasis of my research will be about the reactions and the emotions we have for defined spaces and forms of buildings, and how our built environment affects us in our daily lives. Consciousness in its multiple definitions and iterations enables human beings to feel the emotions that buildings provoke and how they begin to form connections and attachments with various building spaces and forms through our psychological, philosophical and cultural ties.

 Why do human beings respond differently to different spaces? The different reactions we have for spaces are dependent upon the individual and our cultural backgrounds. The built environment has either positive or negative effects on our lives and our memories of those places. The emotional activities we experience in built environments are based on subjective memories, and other brain activity coupled with new sensory inputs.

The usual five senses take varied parts in creating memories - a sense of touch, a sense seeing, a sense of hearing, a sense of smell, and a sense of taste. Five senses, memories, and awareness are all interconnected. Awareness is an important factor in remembering and creating memories of places. The reactions, and the emotions human beings have for certain spaces and certain forms of the building are based on the memories stored in our brains and the five senses that took part in creating those memories.

My research will emphasize on why and how awareness affects our emotions triggered by built spaces. In addition to spaces, the use of materiality, colors, lighting and construction within the space are also critical factors to delineating emotions we garner from experiencing architecture, both real and virtual. The quality of the materials, colors, light, and the type of construction contribute to our awareness of the of inhabited spaces.

According to John Zeisel, “the ultimate meaning of any building is beyond architecture; it directs our consciousness back to the world, and towards our own sense of self and being. Significant architecture makes us experience ourselves as complete embodied and spiritual beings” (Zeisel). Therefore, if we understand how brains and minds work or how they function in different spaces and how they develop over time to respond to our built environment, we as architects, should be able to deliver the intent of our designs and provide the quality of space that can help to improve people’s lives.

 Studying the human brain and its response to different spaces, materials, geometric shapes, forms, colors, and light will assist me in designing a space that could satisfy the albeit momentary needs of people and potentially mitigate their psychological pains enhancing their lives for that moment, and the memory thereto.

Books to read for this week...

Note to self:

"Weight, pressure, and resistance are part of our habitual body experience, and our unconscious mimetic instinct impels us to identify ourselves with apparent weight, pressure, and resistance in the forms we see." - Body Memory and Architecture