The Process
From Urban Comfort to Slow Domes
URBAN COMFORT
Our case proposed by the AMS Institute was Urban Comfort, aiming at redefining Urban Comfort. After a month of brainstorming and initial interviews and research, we determined our topic: Slow Living. This topic aligns with the set criteria we established at the beginning of the project:
1
.
1. ADDRESS A REAL SOCIETAL ISSUE
3. PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MULTISENSORY AND CREATIVE INSTALLATIONS
2. BE GROUNDED IN TECHNICAL DATA AND METHODS
4. ENGAGE WITH CITIZENS AND MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS
SLOW LIVING
Slow Living is rooted in the Slow Food movement, which originated in Italy in 1986. Being more than simply slowing down in speed and movements, slow living is a lifestyle that enhances the power of being present, appreciating the surroundings, and living life attentively. We explored how our target group, Amsterdam's students, perceives slow living and how they practice it already. We interviewed multiple experts in various fields connected to Slow Living in urban environments and started to gain insights into how to transform this concept into design principles.
.
2
3
.
'STILLE STAD'
We conducted an important interview with Martine Sluijs, a member of the Ministerie van de Luwte, who shared with us her 6-year research on "Stille Stad" (Download Booklet), a new approach for designing more Slow Cities. It is the Ministry’s aim to create urban public spaces of stillness and reflection in a fast-paced world, and their research centers around the question: “How do you slow down in a fast-paced city?”
4
.
KEY PERSPECTIVES
Through the booklet of the Ministerie van de Luwte, 5 perspectives are shared and analyzed. We used these perspectives to conduct informal interviews with our target group.
What does a nice place where you can unwind sound, smell, taste, feel like, and is beautiful to look at?
And when is that place mediocre or even unpleasant?
SENSES
What do you need to be at ease in a place? To feel safe, almost like you are at home with your own customs and rituals?
HOME FEELING
What is the most relaxing social setting for you to unwind?
SOCIAL FACTORS
What does the environment of a place where you completely unwind look like?
ENVIRONMENT
Which memories does a place bring back to you? Is it a new place, or a place that resonates with your own story?
MEMORY
5
.
PERSONAS
From the interview with the Ministerie van de Luwte and other expert interviews, we understood that there is a gap in research. This research is not targeted at young adults, and Martine asked us to explore it using the persona development method from their booklet.
After a series of informal interviews and data analysis, we came up with 3 main personas representing young adults in Amsterdam:
The quiet nature enjoyer
"I enjoy a quiet place, where I can see trees, water or sit on the grass. I like walking in the park or biking along the water. I prefer it when there are a few people around me, but I am left alone to think or to experience up my peaceful surroundings."
DEBORAH
The curious creative
"I just moved to Amsterdam. I enjoy walking around in historic and cozy neighborhoods to get to know the city. I like watching people and getting inspired by people's clothes and diverse characters."
ELINE
The social butterfly
"Me and my friends love to hang out at a bar or terrace after a week full of work, having a beer or two (or three...). We also love to BBQ in the park. To stay fit, I go to the gym sometimes. Working out helps me feel calm."
YORICQ
6
.
CO-CREATION
Once we identified the different personas, we wanted to find a solution that would benefit them all. During the first co-creation session, we aimed to create a product considering the pains and gains of the developed personas. We brought together young adults, experts and enthusiasts, to brainstorm what our product could be. By the end of the session, we got many product ideas.
7
.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Our theoretical framework is the combination of research and interviews, together with the results of the co-creation and the perspectives proposed by the Ministerie van de Luwte. The framework consists of seven principles that are essential for designing public spaces where students can slow down. The principles are grouped in two separate areas. The inner area (red) includes factors that are intrinsic and focus on creating a personal connection to a public space. These are core psychological and emotional needs for slow living in public spaces. The outer area (green) focuses on external factors that shape the environment and impact the ability to slow down in a space.*
SOCIAL DYNAMICS
Social factors play a crucial role in fostering mental well-being and enabling students to slow down in urban spaces. A healthy social environment should foster the feeling of being included on the one hand, and the ability to isolate oneself on the other. This includes reflecting on factors such as the number of people, the nature of their relationships, and the level of interaction in the space.
ACTIVITY STIMULI
Features in public spaces that encourage people to engage actively with their environment. These stimuli promote interaction, relaxation, and presence in urban spaces.
SAFETY
Safety, both social and physical, is a crucial factor in encouraging people to slow down, as it provides the foundation for individuals to feel at ease in a place.
FEELING OF HOME
Homeliness is a core principle to slow down because it provides individuals with comfort, familiarity and the freedom to be themselves.
SENSORY EXPERIENCE
Traditionally, architecture and urban planning prioritize visual elements, but a holistic sensory experience encompasses all senses and is key for nudging people to slow down. A multi-sensory experience is connected to mindfulness, where the connection between the mind and the body is vital to slowing down.
DIGITALIZATION
Digitalization is an ever-present aspect of modern life and highly influences how people interact with their environment and each other. Phubbing, the behavior of ignoring other people when using the phone, negatively affects our relationships with the people around us.
ENVIRONMENT
Mental well-being is lower in urban centers but higher in green spaces, even in the city, as natural environments have a calming effect. Water also restores stressed senses and brings calm.
MEMORY
The relevance and effectiveness of each principle depend highly on personal preferences, which are shaped by an individual’s memories and their associated experiences.
*All these principles are influenced by our memory, which is a subjective factor making it impossible to get a universal solution.
8
.
PROTOTYPING
We decided to test in the field what we have learned. The first idea for the product, based on our co-creation and research, was something similar to a tipi. We got in contact with ThatWeirdPlantGuy, a willow dome expert, and decided to work together to improve the existing and future willow domes in Amsterdam. We tested our findings in an existing willow dome in Amsterdam West to prepare to build our version.
Tea and herbs enhance calmness and bring people together. Having free warm tea could make strangers get to know each other and create connections.
Sitting furniture, to have the possibility to relax inside the space. More than one chair to promote sociality and a table (chopped tree) to improve comfort.
Books are a symbol of slowness, an element that gives a feeling of home. Books can be exchanged or can just improve the beauty of the space.
A sign to give an identity to the space, suggesting a phone-free area to reconnect with the surroundings and other persons. It is the symbol of a new way to see digitalization.