rabbit hole

The design is an experimental architecture attempt to create a series of space with strong spatial identification to lead the users toward the establishment of a sense of order and trust. The design is based on the analysis of Exodus and other material of the Israelite history, where through repeating events, faith and order were established. The function of the design is a youth psychological counseling center. Unlike traditional centers where counseling was mandatory, we designed a series of underground space with themed central courts that lead the children toward the ground level pastures. The real counseling area occurred on the ground level where chairs are randomly scattered on the grassland, around the trees and the ‘light bell’ which serves as a guiding signal in the underground space. Thus the counseling process is motivated on the basis of voluntary free will of the children, and a more open and casual spatial experience was established for the counseling.

Academic Studio (transcoding) l 2014 Spring l Architecture that Heals: Youth Psychological Counseling Center Collaborator: Xinye Sun

transcoding diagram
We believe that man's first impression about a city or a space is vague and commonly lost. But through the impact that the space, whether by its form or by its order, gradually establish in a man's visual and audio memories, an individual and true city vision was then emerged. Thus, we focus our study on designing with sensually oriented space to seize and adjust the impact that space has on the user's emotions. 
We choose the book Exodus as the original text to base our design. With the general pattern of the original story, the Red(Sinful) part being erodes gradually by the White(Holiness) part, represented how can be influenced by a sequence of experience and guidance.   
The process was defined in this case as youth counseling in modern life, where the young generation is experiencing the wilderness in their life, with the same sequence translated as spatial experience, the chances are that they might be willing to open their heart for counseling. 
architectural solution
Concept of Plan Arrangement: The counseling center is located in an island in Osaka, Japan. The base level which consists of the space designed to guide youngsters to establish a sense of order and trust which eventually lead them to the upper level is constructed on the ground. The open counseling area is constructed on top of the base with open pastures, trees and random scattered chairs. The entrance of the center is at the en of a hill while the center space can be reached through a long path across the hill to the other side facing the ocean.
Thus, from the entrance the real space is hidden while only a hole leading toward an unknown world can be seen. Resembling the ‘Rabbit Hole’ in fictions where young kids seek to escape reality to enter another space. The long curved path is the timeline in Exodus, where the Israelite nation went through the desert to establish faith and order within the people. Themed spaces are experienced along the path with guidance of the ‘light bell’ with invite sky light from the upper level into the base, aiming to persuade young kids to step up to reach out for counseling voluntarily.
Along the underground path, we selected nine stories that are representative in Israelite history, and transformed them into nine courtyards along the path. Each courtyard has the unanimous elements such as the light bell and the stair case which leads to the upper level of the design. Each courtyard represents a theme such as order, authority or promise that are experienced before the law was established among the nation.
 We believe that man's first impression about a city or a space is vague and commonly lost. But through the impact that the space, whether by its form or by its order, gradually establish in a man's visual and audio memories, an individual and true city vision was then emerged. Thus, we focus our study on designing with sensually oriented space to seize and adjust the impact that space has on the user's emotions.  
We choose the book Exodus as the original text to base our design. With the general pattern of the original story, the Red(Sinful) part being erodes gradually by the White(Holiness) part, represented how can be influenced by a sequence of experience and guidance. The process was defined in this case as youth counseling in modern life, where the young generation is experiencing the wilderness in their life, with the same sequence translated as spatial experience, the chances are that they might be willing to open their heart for counseling. The events written in Exodus has a relatively similar pattern, the repeating elements include sin, prayer, commandments, law, rage, salvation, repentance, and praise.  As the Israelite experiencing the repeating pattern, a nation-recognized valuation system was established. Translating the elements into the related spatial experience, the building would be performing the role of repeatedly experience education. 
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