Theraputika

Practice, Theory, Expression

Lucy Galvin
Social stigma.
There is an inherent stigma in the UK that mental health and that the issues
associated are kept quiet. People have the attitude that having an issue with mental
health is embarrassing, almost like its something they should not suffer from and
should be hidden. Social and political attitudes in the UK towards mental health
are warped and relatively misguided compared to those of other cultures.
Growing up living within this stigma it is has only became apparent to me through
my research in the project the true state of the minds of the people in the UK and
how much of this is kept behind closed doors. I began to draw upon experiences of my
past and through this new-found knowledge I began to make sense of these moments
of the past and understand what they were. This research further catalysed more
questions; Why are mental ailments not regraded equal to physical ailments? In the
UK there is an explicit division between physical and mental sickness, and in the
minds of the general population, the definitions of these have become two completely
different concepts. In Argentina a very important battle was won, which was giving
space to emotional health, and acknowledging that a person who suffers emotionally
needs professional help, just as equally as a physical symptom.
When we have mental illness, the response is either to ignore the problem as it either
seems frivolous or embarrassing, or when treatment is actually sought , its kept
secret, like something to be embarrassed about. It is a result of cultural influences
among other things that have help encourage this stigma. The UK and America
have strong ideas about pragmatism, will and work ethic dominate in the UK and
American culture. People find alternative ways to deal with their problems rather
than solve them, by throwing themselves into work etc. the culture of the UK and US
is more orientated towards shame and individualism, with an ethic that there is a
quick solution to their problems. Places like Argentina, where the culture is to care
for and talk about your mental health, they have are more into introspection and
self exploration.
One of the biggest reasons people do not seek help for mental problems is
ignorance. Due to the secretive nature of the issue , most people in the UK are
brought up thinking they need to quash their issues, that they are somewhat
alone. Even in knowing they are not alone they still feel alone because the people
they are ‘not alone’ with are people with mental problems. Issues of mental health
are not advertised or spread as academic or social/political content. We are all
flimsily aware of the issues that exist but a small percentage of the population
really know about psychological well being, its importance, its specific problems
and means of seeking help.
Nine out of ten people with mental health problems say that the social stigma
attached to mental ill health and the discrimination they experience can make
their difficulties worse and make it harder to recover or impede their getting
help. We know that people with mental health problems are amongst the least
likely of any group with a long-term health condition or disability to:
find work
be in a steady, long-term relationship
live in decent housing
be socially included in mainstream society.
This is because society has stereotyped views about mental illness and how
it affects people. Many people believe that people with mental ill health are
violent and dangerous, when in fact they are more at risk of being attacked or
harming themselves than harming other people. Social isolation, poor housing,
unemployment and poverty are all linked to mental ill health. So stigma and
discrimination can trap people in a cycle of illness. The situation is exacerbated
by the media. Media reports often link mental illness with violence, or portray
people with mental health problems as dangerous, criminal, evil, or very disabled
and unable to live normal, fulfilled lives.
Alternative archetype.
The typology of typical ‘institutes’ or ‘research’ facilities of psychology is encapsulated
in a typology that rarely exhibits any sort of architectural presence. In the cases that
it does, the presence is most often offensive architecturally, for example an asylum
or a prison. Generally Educational faculties and research centres are not often set in
inspirational context, just existing within their department or wider building group.
The same goes for clinics, these places are most often experienced as a pocket of space
within something else, be it in a complex, hospital or public centre. The quainter
aspects of psychology seemed to be architecturally forgotten until the past century,
with introduction of architecturally ‘pleasing’ centres and clinics for people with
actual physical ailments to help their psychological healing simultaneous with their
physical healing. Still with this the architecture of psychology seems weakly existent.
In most cases, a person seeking therapy or to be immersed in the field of psychology
would be visiting a hospital, clinic, surgery, campus university or an educational
faculty. Something which seems almost completely practical, with the importance of
architecture seeming somewhat omitted.
My aim is to investigate an alternative typology, to make more of statement
architecturally of the ‘institute’. There are not typically many precedents of research
and clinical institute defined, especially with a contemporary approach. I aim to
create a contemporary institute of psychology which encompasses a clinic as well as
features that promote psychology to the public.

The slowness of psychoanalysis in particular may make it unattractive in other
cultures,. No analyst can guarantee a result in six months, and therapy goes as long
as it continues to feel right to the patient and analyst.
“Maybe a patient comes because of a problem. And when that problem is resolved,
he realizes that he wants to continue working on other problems. In analysis, that is
permitted,” he said. “In other kinds of therapy, when a problem is resolved, it’s over.”
If information on mental well-being and health was more widely disseminated,
attitudes towards these issues would change. A mental ailment would be less
likely to set you back in life from doing what you want, because the stigma is
somewhat dispelled as it becomes more acceptable to have something wrong with
your mind. Hopefully in dispelling the stigma, a lot more cases of people who
need psychological help would seek help with out fear or embarrassment.

Fool’s Tower - Vienna’s General Hospital

Architecture and Psychology
The creative process has everything to do with the psyche and psychic function.
Architecture has to do with the utilization of space. Oscar Niemeyer claimed,
“The ultimate task of the architect is to dream. Otherwise nothing happens. “
In fact, the process of architectural design has been compared by a number of
psychoanalysts to dreaming. It will be interesting see whether anything about
the states of consciousness involved in dreaming and their relation to the states
of consciousness involved in creativity and problem solving resonates with
eachother. The analytic process itself is a construction, as is the way meaning
is bestowed by each of us on everything we experience.
Through research of links between architecture and psychology I discovered
the interesting relationship between Richard Neutra and Freud. The way
Neutra designed his spaces, completely immersing his work harmoniously
with the mind of the client. Clients often found when meeting him the
questions he would ask them were odd to come from an architect. Neutra
employed a labour intensive client autobiography, asking about their mind,
their thoughts, their relationship and their family He strove to create a space
that nurtured the psychological needs of the user, rather than just creating a
beautiful place responding to basic needs and context. He added another
dimension to context which was the mental state and well-being of the user.
“The continual refinement of human knowledge of the body and soul came to
be one and the same thing for me, and the architecture of the human living
space its most necessary application and evaluation” - Richard Neutra
The sense of well-being and behavioural effectiveness in people is what is to be
striven for in this type of architecture.
The relationship between architecture and psychology is very broad and
vast, covering topics ranging from the very literal, to the less literal concepts
of design and psychology. One end of the spectrum is the very obvious
finding on environmental psychology which is about the relationship
between humans and natural environments This then feeds into how we
design in a way that maintains this connection between us and nature, or
that it mimics it or embellishes it into form.
Findings from the field of environmental psychology shows that humans
are aesthetically attracted to natural contents and to particular landscape
configurations. These features are also found to have positive effects
on human functioning and can reduce stress. However, opportunities
for contact with these elements are reduced in modern urban life. It is
argued how this evolution can have subtle but non-trivial adverse effects
on psychological and physiological well-being. These can be countered
by integrating key features of natural contents and structural landscape
features in the built environment.
We can then look at the more architecture related psychological effects
we experience from colour and dimension of space. Creating a space that
commands a desired type of thought is achievable, through correcting
thresholds, dimension and colours we can create space that encourages
the type of behaviour we desire.
The colour blue automatically triggers associations with the sky and ocean.
We think about expansive horizons and diffuse light, sandy beaches and
lazy summer days. This sort of mental relaxation makes it easier for us
daydream and think in terms of tangential associations; we’re less focused
on what’s right in front of us and more aware of the possibilities simmering
in our imagination.
Psychologist Joan Meyers-Levy, at the Carlson School of Management,
conducted an interesting experiment that examined the relationship between
ceiling height and thinking style. She demonstrated that, when people are in
a low-ceilinged room, they are much quicker at solving anagrams involving
confinement, such as “bound,” “restrained” and “restricted.” In contrast, people
in high-ceilinged rooms excel at puzzles in which the answer touches on the
theme of freedom, such as “liberated” and “unlimited.” According to Levy, this
is because airy spaces prime us to feel free.
Furthermore, Levy found that rooms with lofty ceilings also lead people
to engage in more abstract styles of thinking. Instead of focusing on the
particulars of things, they’re better able to zoom out and see what those things
have in common. The difference between “item-specific” versus “relational”
processing.
What is the character of the settings or elements that can trigger such
immediate affective states?These reactions can be provoked by some typical
structural land scape features.
Geographer Jay Appleton was one of the first to propose a model addressing
this issue (Appleton,1975).According to Appleton’s prospect–refuge theory,
human beings’ preference for landscapes correlates with two environmental
qualities: prospect and refuge.
The notion of prospect refers to settings or landscape elements that facilitate
obtaining information about the environment. A typical example is a
hill,which aids to visually access and inspect the surrounding area. On the
other hand, refuge points to settings that can provide shelter and protection.
This making the observer feels safe and protected.
Alliance.
Considering the apparent need for a social and political response to the stigma
around mental health I felt a good move staging this would be to find ways
of making mental well being less of a taboo subject. By finding new ways of
spreading information widely and publicly to involve the public within the
field rather than just professionals . In addition , finding ways to influence
attitudes towards the subject, so that it is not thought of of having an air of
seriousness and boringness. This would involve young people and people that
are less educated, further widening circle of people made aware of psychology
and well-being. I felt that these elements warranted the response to encompass
practice, theory and expression of psychology.
Although these fields not normally coincide in an institute, each element
improves each and one another. This then creating a cyclical node of all
encompassing knowledge and practice. This creates something that can involve
people from all walks of life, be it professor of psychology, and young child
with autism, and alternative hypnosis therapist, a psychoanalyst or someone
completely unrelated to the field apart from just being generally interested.
I conducted research into existing institutes and if there are any glimpses
of more modern approaches to dissemination and practice of psychology
and therapy. My research yielded some promising information. Firstly ,
alternative therapies. The practice of therapy is dominated by traditional
methods but more and more stress and influence is being put on
experimental or alternative methods. Broadening the variety of methods
of therapy is important, for not only the wide variety of mental issues but
all the wide variation if the people requiring therapy and what will work
best for them. The degree of a problem also plays a large part in the type
or combination of therapy conducted.
This is where the element of expression and contemporariness comes in.
There are strong links between psychology and the arts, be it contemporary
or modern art, dance , music, literature, comedy and film. Through
discussion groups and work shops people experience a different kind of
non traditional therapy. There have also been examples of how dance and
expressive movement is a great form of therapy, especially for clients that
struggle with the outward expression of their problems .They can receive
this type of treatment in conjunction with traditional therapy sessions to
achieve the greatest improvement. The combination of the speaking about
and discussing problems with a therapist along with sessions of discussion
or sculpture creates two different places of security and expression,
helping one to further their dissipation of feelings as its is not loaded in
one medium.
Young children with autism or down syndrome could come for therapy to
help manage their behavioural conditions, whilst parents can receive support
in a more clinical way, simultaneously. Users can also be people who are
not seeking to receive therapy, but people who would like the experience or
participate in some psychological theory or expression, creating a method of
integration for people with mental ill health. This way the subject is becoming
more widely available to the public, making Theraputika a welcoming place
for all types of people, subsequently educating the community more widely
about mental health issues.
Another way to spread information is public talks or lectures, I took inspiration
from Ted Talks, a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit
Sapling Foundation, under the slogan “ideas worth spreading”. TED events
are also held throughout North America and in Europe and Asia, offering
live streaming of the talks. They address a wide range of topics within the
research and practice of science and culture, often through storytelling. The
speakers are given a maximum of 18 minutes to present their ideas in the
most innovative and engaging ways they can.
I wanted to apply this concept to my scheme in a further attempt to involve
the public and spread information about psychology even further. These talks
are meant to draw peoples interest to the subject, be they an analyst, professor,
university students, anyone can come to hear talks on current matters or
pioneering discoveries emerging in the field. Adding an ‘events’ aspect to the
scheme gives the concept of involving the public more press and diversifies the
user group of the ‘Thereputika’.
Journey
The site of this Theraputika is Caples Mill. Capels mill is a site just out of
the town centre of Stroud, and houses a large and imposing existing viaduct
structure. This linear structure that pushes though the landscape is entwined
by a restored canal and the river Frome.
On one site of the viaduct begins the business of the city, on the other, a quieter
more natural tree clustered place. The proximity of the site to the town centre
while still encompassing a fulfilling amount of privacy makes it perfect for
the specific sensitivities of this scheme. This magnificent viaduct acts as a split
through Stroud as a metaphorical protection for Theraputika. As a method
of transition , the user will move through the viaduct as a threshold between
the town and the institute. As I chose from the outset to respect the viaduct
architecturally, I decided not to use it as part of the architecture, but to use it
to frame the architecture.
On entering the site the observer is faced by the long sided façade of the viaduct,
which houses arches which I chose to use as ‘vistas’ . These arches create a
view of various activities beyond the viaduct, and in turn draws the interest of
the observer. The observer will see a solid beyond it’s void, within these arches,
large glass brick façades mimicking the spaces and materiality of the existing
arch. This glass brick façades provides the observers glimpses of the interactive
activity occurring with these workshops. One day they may view an art class,
another day, a dance workshop, or maybe a film and discussion group.
Decreasing the proximity, the user enters the site through the viaduct into
the external exhibition space beneath the viaduct for contemporary art or
sculpture work. This can be experienced mainly in two ways; a user in private/
sensitive therapy travels along one axis through the centre arch of the viaduct
and crosses directly to the other side of the canal, entering a mound housing
a spine of therapy pavilions and therapists offices. These spaces are nestled
between trees and nature.
However, a student or scholar experiences a different route through the
institute. In this case the user can chose their route. This will involves them
experiencing the outside gallery space, activities in the public workshops,
until they reach either the library, or the lecture hall, at the other side
of the site. Each of there spaces are elevated and open visually, The user
experiences the hierarchy of the ‘educational/theory’ based elements of the
scheme while experiencing the site from a vantage point.
The concept of the schemes is read most clear in the section of the site .
Entering down into the gallery space , one travels through the viaduct and
reaches the workshops, spaces of ‘public expression’ ,the the same axis but
reflecting the same floor plan, the library ‘public theory’ reaches higher
that the viaduct, creating a sense of hierarchy. Moving across the site the
section moves down to the staff block, which is a more private element the
housing meeting and staff areas, not open the the public as explicitly as
the workshops , library and courtyard.
The scheme then crosses the canal the a mound on the other side of the
river which houses the place of ‘private expression’. The spine connecting
the pavilions and the relative offices is embedded in the ground creating
a sense of safety and security for the user, some thing require for users
of the private part of the building This therapy spine, due to its private
and sensitive nature has its own private circulation. To summarise, what
the scheme does its it provides two fundamentalist things that people in
therapy need- Safety and Sharing.