The final major project focuses on a mix between public and private areas. Having been provided a specific client, we must develop the brief through our own interpretations and explore the needs and requirements of our client.
There are 6 clients, each one artistic in profession. They also have a form of impairment which must be considered. My client is Hawking Stephens, a bipolar painter.
Hawking Stephens is a bipolar painter and portrait artist. He travels the world recording and painting the places and people he encounters through his visits. He is a hoarder and likes to work with found materials such as rubbish and labels (bus tickets, train tickets, etc...) in his constructions. He suffers from the extremes of bipolar disorder. When he is hyper manic he needs calming confined spaces, when he is depressed he needs uplifting inspiring spaces.
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar was previously known as 'manic depression'. It is a condition which effects the mood, causing it to switch completely from extreme to another. This is why the client I am working for will require such certain places.
The two extreme states of moods are 'depression' and 'mania'. Depression causes the person to feel very down and sad. Mania is the opposite, causing the person to be very overactive.
There are ways of coping with this disorder and keeping it under control, from medication to psychologically training yourself. There are certain medications called 'mood stabilisers' which get taken every day. There are also medications to be taken in the event of an episode occurring. It is also possible for people to control their mood by training themselves through therapy and by learning to recognise the triggers for the episodes. There is also a lot of advice regarding lifestyles, such regular exercise, plenty of sleep, healthy eating and taking part in enjoyed activities which can provide a sense of achievement. Using these ways of coping can vastly reduce the ways that bipolar disorder can interfere with the life of someone who has it.
The two extreme states of moods are 'depression' and 'mania'. Depression causes the person to feel very down and sad. Mania is the opposite, causing the person to be very overactive.
There are ways of coping with this disorder and keeping it under control, from medication to psychologically training yourself. There are certain medications called 'mood stabilisers' which get taken every day. There are also medications to be taken in the event of an episode occurring. It is also possible for people to control their mood by training themselves through therapy and by learning to recognise the triggers for the episodes. There is also a lot of advice regarding lifestyles, such regular exercise, plenty of sleep, healthy eating and taking part in enjoyed activities which can provide a sense of achievement. Using these ways of coping can vastly reduce the ways that bipolar disorder can interfere with the life of someone who has it.
PAINTER & PORTRAIT ARTIST
The client is a very artistic man who focuses on portraits. He is also a hoarder and uses his findings to influence and create his artwork. Further to this, he uses his bipolar disorder to his advantage, channelling it into creating expressive pieces of contrasting work. Doing this helps him to control the disorder, and this could be the key to designing for him. | "It is during the most extreme parts of his swings in which he produces his best work." |
His love of art and travel and expression give him something to focus on, his need for certain spaces does not necessarily mean a detachment from artistic environments. It is during the most extreme parts of his swings in which he produces his best work. As such, it may be that Hawking requires two studios, one for his state of mania, and one for his state of depression.
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Bipolar-disorder/Pages/Introduction.aspx