KOOZ What prompted the project?

WD I’ve always enjoyed stories with twists/endings and characters with unexpected behaviours. Upon reading Roald Dahl’s short stories about madness, I began to consider a clinic which might accommodate and rehabilitate some of the characters in these stories – how spaces may respond to them and the highly bespoke requirements for their individual treatments. After some reflection I realised I was close to turning my scheme into a series of insensitive caricatures, so I read some real case studies written by psychoanalyst Stephen Grosz, and began developing a scheme which not only would be a sincere reflection of my interpretations of mental disorder; but also help me develop my own understanding of mental health.

KOOZ What questions does the project raise and which does it address?

WD The main intention was to challenge people’s perception of what it’s like to struggle with mental health. In my research, I discussed the stigma we’d inherited from the barbaric treatments recorded in asylums and how, although our general understanding of mental disorder has developed tremendously, people are still generally uncomfortable discussing it openly. As many mental health issues are seen as ‘invisible’ illnesses, I wanted to not only provide a visual interpretation of many disorders and their symptoms, but to also encourage people to discuss their own mental health and help them understand if others wanted to discuss it with them.

KOOZ The project explores the allegorical parallels between "mental rehabilitation and retrofit", could you expand on this premise further?

WD To me, retrofitting an old building and helping someone confront a mental disorder have a similar approach and intention. With retrofit, you take an old, worn out building and you reinvigorate it. A successful scheme will often retain the existing features which preserve the building’s character and historic/cultural value, and enhance or celebrate them with modern design elements so that the building can function again. Therapy and mental rehabilitation is fundamentally the same; a person struggling with severe mental disorder may often find themself feeling isolated by their own sense of reality differing from those around them. In order to help this person, we sensitively work with them to help unravel the cause and effect of their condition(s), and by helping them better understand, we can develop a plan to manage it. Rather than completely dismantling a patient’s psyche, a therapist works with them to equip the patient against any triggers, compulsions, etc so that they may live ‘normally’. Both of these processes gently coax something left behind by society back into the present.

KOOZ What case studies informed the project and its design?

WD While trying to rationalise some of my early spatial experiments, Lebbeus Woods’ image, Berlin Free-Zone 3-2 was one of the first main influences. Later, when working out tangible spaces and hierarchies, the DZ Bank in Berlin by Gehry Partners, as well as The Museum of Contemporary Art & Planning and Musee de Confluences by Coop Himmelb(l)au were all critical in helping me work out the balance between regular and irregular geometries.

KOOZ How does the project understand the relationship between architecture and individuals?

WD A great deal of work went into understanding the specific requirement of each part of the programme. Every space was designed in intense detail, while I explored how they would be used in their day-to-day functions. In the larger spaces, circulation routes offer individuals control over the level of social exposure they want while inhabiting the buildings. There is a balance between private and communal areas, which can be used in groups or independently. In a more abstract sense, I was ultimately exploring how architecture could be a tool to teach people to understand and appreciate the turbulence of severe mental disorder. The strong contrast between regular and organic spaces offers visitors to the scheme a chance to experience said turbulence and disorder in a controlled way which won’t overwhelm them but may encourage reflection.

KOOZ What is for you the power of the architectural imaginary?

WD Much successful architectural imagery is just as complex and receives just as much care and intention as any celebrated work of art. I wanted my section drawings to express my idea that you cannot know what’s going on inside someone’s head without going inside it, and that no matter how well kept together the exterior may be, the inside might be far more chaotic.I considered complex states of being and tried to express them in a way which would resonate with people while retaining my own impressions of the subject. A sketch or drawing of a building can be just as emotive as life studies, capturing the artist’s impressions of what they see and conveying how it makes them feel in exactly the same manner. A photorealistic render can generate tranquility or chaos, a collage can express joy or hopelessness. No matter what kind of imagery, it always comes down to the creator’s skill in representing their subject.

Bio

Will is a recent postgraduate with Distinction in Architecture, having completed his studies in Leicester, UK. For much of Will’s student career, he has explored the relationship between people and the built environment, with particular interest in the psychological effects of high-density living. His work challenges the Western approach to designing in cities, using intensely personal studies to form holistic, community-oriented schemes. Outside his studies, Will has a colourful history playing hockey and in the last few years has become an avid indoor climber. He also enjoys reading, cycling, and time spent with friends.