Group Members: Natalie Ki (0318918)

Ryan Kerry Jee Jin Yiing (0318715)

Andrew Mah (0318798)

Jaclyn Hwang (0319756)

Too Mun Fai (0318214)

Module: Social Psychology (PSY30203)

Title: Assignment 3 (Final Project and Group Presentation)

INTRODUCTION

For this final assignment in our Social Psychology module, we are required to assemble

into groups of four to five. We then have to choose a topic of interest that we have learned from

this module and design or create a built environment/space through drawings and graphical

materials that best reflects our chosen topic. This final project and presentation will represent the

manifestation of overall understanding towards theoretical frameworks and daily life applications

in regards to design of spaces. Labels, explanations and justifications have to be slotted to

indicate the specifications of our designs with and design’s ability and also how does it relate to

the topic of interest. A detailed write up has to be produced to further elaborate and explain our

design concept and specifications. Lastly, we are also required to pre-record our design

presentation prior submission.

PRINCIPLE

After series of group discussions, the social psychology principle chosen is optimistic

biasness and negativity biasness to act as our topic of interest as it is one of the strongest

principle with a solid design potential.

Optimistic Biasness - A tendency to be positive and expect situations to turn out well

overall.

Negativity Biasness - A tendency to be negative and more sensitive to negative or bad

outcomes than positive ones (pessimistic).

These two topics are chosen because it can be expressed through real-world design elements and

structures and allowing us to strongly develop a spacial design.

DESIGN THEMES

Optimistic biasness is a principle which reflects a situation whereby a person believes

that they are less at risk of experiencing a negative event compared to others. Hence, their

environment should emphasize tranquillity and portray a sense of peacefulness that would make

them at ease. On the other hand, someone who possesses the attitude of negativity biasness

believes in the notion that things of a more negative nature are bound to produce a negative

outcome. Therefore, they need an environment that allows them to feel less threatened or

exposed to the negativity around them. Based on our understanding on these principles, we have

chosen the following themes:

Zen - The term Zen in Japan means absorption and self-meditation. The architectural

style of “ Zenshuyo ” was based on the teachings of Zen. It highlights self-contemplation,

thought and intuition. This architectural style suits our chosen topic because it allows one’s mind

to self-contemplate and reflect in both positive and negative ways. Optimistic biased people will

find this environment comfortable due to its serene and private feel. While the negative biased

people can use this peaceful space to think and try to get rid of their negative mind set.

“The Optimist” a poem from D.H. Lawrence. –

“The optimist builds himself safe inside a cell

and paints the inside walls sky-blue

and blocks up the door

and says he's in heaven.”

This poem also relates to our design because it explains and shows the mind set of an

optimistic biased individual through a solid built form that allows us to narrow down our design

concept to something similar.

DESIGN CONCEPT

The space that we have designed is to serve as a space that both reflects the thinking of an

optimist and also a space which can ease the negativity of a pessimist. The design is based on a

cube-shaped room that is surrounded by a four-faced hanging garden with an opening that

functions as the entrance. A sliding panel door is also installed and the centre of the room will be

focused on an elevated timber floor with a separate elevated timber floor step that leads the

entrance. The elevated timber floor is because there will be a 2-feet deep water pocket that

surrounds the elevated timber floor and to bask the sense of a floating platform above the water.

This water pocket will be circulated by a water pump so the water will not be stagnant. There

will also be LED lightings installed beneath the elevated timber floor that will illuminate the

water below. All of these will be topped off with a skylight that allows natural light source to

enter the room from above.

The room is designed in a way that all the 4 walls are placed with vertical gardens,

surrounding the space inside. The greeneries greatly reflect the sense of joy and optimism as it

provides life in the designed space. Besides, the plants of the vertical garden will be creeping

upwards towards the sunroof which expresses the point of nature being a wild and positive form

that strives upwards. The skylight functions as a natural light source during the day and even

during the night which gives its occupants the feeling of pure freedom and feel as though they

are being watched over by “a piece of heaven” as they look up to sky beyond the skylight.

During the day, there will be reflection of the water surface due to the skylight from above which

shows inner-peace and allows one to reflect on him/herself.

Besides, the elevated timber floor and water pocket will emphasize on the Zen theme of peace

and serenity as it is floating which will bask the feeling of lightness, while the water also shows a

continuous circular movement as the pump “pushes” the water around. This circular movement

forms a centralized pattern which depicts a clear mind or inner focus of the mental state.

The view of beneath of the elevated timber floor will be hidden from the top view, so that

its occupants will feel as though they are standing/sitting on a floating platform will have its

occupants feel like they are on their own little floating haven, private and safe from all negativity

which will portray lightness. The LED lights will be lighted during the night when there is no

longer any light entering the space via the sunroof, this will illuminate the water pocket so that

its occupants can relax and ease themselves as they can only see the illuminated reflection of the

water that emphasizes serenity and calmness.

This space can also help those who are negative-biased as the room is enclosed by an

opaque wall in the form of a hanging garden which emphasizes on privacy and an enclosed mind

which blocks out all exterior negativity. The continuous movement of the water caused by the

pump will also portray the restless and unsettled mind of a negative biased individual. All in all,

the room will give a negative biased person a closed up little haven where they will not have to

worry about any negativity from the outside world.