Solace From Space

Abstract

Shinrin-yoku or forest bathing is the Japanese art of using the forest to relax. The process takes about two hours to absorb the full benefits of the forest. This does not provide for an easy way to decompress if you are living or working in an urban environment. The expansion of urbanism and decrease of green space across the country only furthers the inaccessibility someone might face if they seek nature as their destination to destress. There needs to be a more accessible way to alleviate the harmful effects of stress in an urban atmosphere. The health benefits from nature are numerous. This thesis focuses on the ways landscape can quiet the mind and aid in calming the psychological stressors of a person living in an urban environment. The use of expanse, beauty, and phytoncides combine together to create the zones of this soothing landscape park. The importance of finding a way to create a safe, healing environment is critical to the development of this site. Multiple design ideologies are implemented to create a space that will aid in reducing strain on the brain's cognitive load capacity. This thesis shapes a park that provides a calming and soothing escape for any person who seeks twenty minutes to relax and decompress before returning to their work day. The Carlyle Solace Park is an example of how a therapeutic space can be created in an urban environment.