At Ease: New York City
My concept process began with creating a model based on a painting by Van Gosh. I took a look at the work's elements and found that the lines were very interesting. I came up with a model made out of foam core and regular white printer paper. The way the straight strips of paper fell into one another reminded me of bamboo. in a rainforest. Since I was assigned to base my project on Tokyo, Japan, I decided to create a spa, with a relaxing themes of relaxed lines and neutral color schemes.
After being provided with information on the potential Chiyoda-Ku site in Tokyo, Japan, it was clear what distinctive qualities needed to be present in the creation of this New York City office design. In reference to health and wellness, U.S. workers are under a lot more stress and do not take enough time out of their day to relax or take breaks in comparison to workers in Tokyo, Japan. In order to promote wellness, it would be a good idea to have a spa treatment facility in the same building that the workers can use whenever they please. Japanese bathhouses have a long tradition starting out with mixed bathing in the many hot springs to be found in Japan and later in public bathhouses. The bath houses traditionally have temple-like entranceways with curtains proclaiming the "kanji yu", or hot water. For this particular space, baths will be available for single-person uses, since community bathing is not as popular as it was years ago. Serene settings will also be created using neutral colors and earth tones so that when customers walk in they automatically feel "at ease." There will be sauna rooms, massage rooms, small bath houses and an area to simply sit down and enjoy a cup of hot tea. A light snack area would also promote healthy eating, since there is such a high rate of obesity in the U.S. The main goal is to create a space dedicated to relaxation.
Overall this project was a great opportunity to practice site analysis, and explore different types of materials. It was very enjoyable having the freedom to creat anything I wanted in 1,080 square feet. Designing a spa was a lot of fun, and I look forward to designing one for real clients in the future.
After being provided with information on the potential Chiyoda-Ku site in Tokyo, Japan, it was clear what distinctive qualities needed to be present in the creation of this New York City office design. In reference to health and wellness, U.S. workers are under a lot more stress and do not take enough time out of their day to relax or take breaks in comparison to workers in Tokyo, Japan. In order to promote wellness, it would be a good idea to have a spa treatment facility in the same building that the workers can use whenever they please. Japanese bathhouses have a long tradition starting out with mixed bathing in the many hot springs to be found in Japan and later in public bathhouses. The bath houses traditionally have temple-like entranceways with curtains proclaiming the "kanji yu", or hot water. For this particular space, baths will be available for single-person uses, since community bathing is not as popular as it was years ago. Serene settings will also be created using neutral colors and earth tones so that when customers walk in they automatically feel "at ease." There will be sauna rooms, massage rooms, small bath houses and an area to simply sit down and enjoy a cup of hot tea. A light snack area would also promote healthy eating, since there is such a high rate of obesity in the U.S. The main goal is to create a space dedicated to relaxation.
Overall this project was a great opportunity to practice site analysis, and explore different types of materials. It was very enjoyable having the freedom to creat anything I wanted in 1,080 square feet. Designing a spa was a lot of fun, and I look forward to designing one for real clients in the future.
