Defining the Identity..

Defining exactly what the identity of that space is and selecting specific functions enable the design to be focused and it makes it way easier to design a space when you have exactly what the concept and the identity of the business or service is.

Starting off, personally I want to create a 'wellness retreat' to help people in some way not to just create a wellness centre that provides a pampering service.

I have always been intruiged by mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder, manic depressive disorder, anorexia and bulimia, amongst others, so I thought it was fitting that I design a wellness center to help people who have to live with these sorts of illnesses. 

To narrow it down I chose to just target woman, ranging mostly from 14-60 years of age, I think because it hits home for me personally to want to try and help woman with these illnesses. 

This is fitting because in and around Port Elizabeth there are no 'wellness retreats' that are just for woman - this already gives me a certain design direction that I can stick to.

The therapies that I want to include in the design are going to mainly be 'natural' therapies, such as animal and art assisted therapies, touch therapy (Ayurvedic Massage) and exercise based therapies such as meditation, yoga and kick boxing. Group therapy sessions will also be held at the space for people who aren't there but wish to use it as a support system.

A nutritionist as well as a psychiatrist will be on site and they will have to be on call. 

A mind map to show the thought process behind the decisions made.

Takashi Sugimoto - Japanese Interior Designer

TAKASHI SUGIMOTO

An interior space designer Takashi Sugimoto actively handles various designs of restaurants, hotels and bars both domestically and overseas. He works all over the world. Sugimoto owns a vacation home on Ubud, Bali, in Indonesia. It consists of two villas and a tea room. Originally it was owned by the hotel next to it but Sugimoto purchased it since he liked the traditional Balinese building and surrounding nature environment. He is also fond of the Balinese lifestyle which reminds him of Japanese agricultural village a few decades ago. After he purchased it, he renovated on his own gradually.
What stands out the most is the wooden panel where the traditional south-east Asian patterns like flowers and leaves are sculptured. This woodcarving detail adds some nuance to the space. Sugimoto often applies things that local people produced in his designs. He thinks the old material being newly reborn in a different space is good. Sugimoto learned its spirit in the old, plain Japanese tea room where scrap wood was utilized. In this Balinese tea room, he considered how the light falls and how the greens are seen. He expressed the connection with nature through fretwork panel.
Sugimoto says that the Japanese commer-cialized modern society and design can learn something from the ritual spirit of serving and drinking Japanese tea where it is customary for one simply exist in a small space while feeling the essence of the four seasons. Some designers who support Japan's creation are aware that the sophisticated and plain culture which Japan transmits, in other words, the tea ceremony culture will be the driving power to pull the 21st century design.

http://www.imhome-style.com/en/no37/

If you want to read more about this amazing designer, click on this link :)

 http://www.superpotato.jp/en/concept

The atmosphere created by the materials and textures used within the space is what I feel is a good reflection of what 'Inner Peace' would look like. 

This is the kind of atmosphere that I want to create within my Wellness Retreat. 

These spaces don't only look good and create a sense of calm - I want the building and interior space to heal, not only the therapies do the healing of the body, mind and spirit.

The Building..

The building I have chosen to use for my Wellness Retreat is a beautiful building called The Manor, it is situated just outside PE. The environment around the building is perfect for healing. It has a whimsical almost magical feel about it, so much space!

I would die to live out here, the most perfect setting :)

Why..

For my BTech design project, I wanted to design a sort of 'Wellness Retreat'.
I wanted to do this because I feel drawn to the wellness aspect of humans.
The human isn't just the physical body and mind but a spiritual side, whether that is religious or not this is an important aspect of feeling whole.
Everyone has a need to feel loved and accepted, this is what the wellness retreat aims to fix within a person.

“Better indeed is knowledge than mechanical practice. Better than knowledge is meditation. But better still is surrender of attachment to results, because there follows immediate peace.“ Bhagavad Gita.

This is just skimming the surface of the reason why I personally wanted to design a wellness retreat.