Students enter design competition MADE-Life

A room where clients feel at home because of the dynamic furnishings and cosy corners, this encourages the tendency to open up for conversation. The room also offers the possibility of sitting or standing in several places. Warm colours, soft fabrics and music play a big role in the design.

Music is a good topic to start a conversation with, so the room features a speaker box with which music can be played in the background, also posters of different artists can be hung on the wall which provides a conversation opener. Personally, I think this helps a lot in bonding and trust between the psychiatrist and client.

The name of my concept is ‘my safe cocoon’. This means that I want to create a nice and safe place or ‘cocoon’ for clients. The cocoon will be a place to escape the hustle and bustle outside the room and unwind.

A place to be able to be yourself and where no one will judge. In doing so, the aim is for the room to radiate calm, safety and trust. There will be sensitive conversations in the treatment room that are not meant for anyone else. Therefore, you can also think of the room as a kind of bubble of trust. What is discussed in the bubble stays in the bubble. In the bubble, you can be completely yourself and tell everything. I want to put people at ease and give them comfort.

The eye-catcher of the treatment room is the sitting pit with cocoon around it. The sitting pit is a three-quarter circle so you don’t have to go up or down stairs to get in. So that people with disabilities can also get into the sitting pit without any problem. The sitting pit has an enclosure. This is the so-called cocoon. The cocoon wrapped around the seat pit makes it feel safe and cosy. I want the enclosure to emphasise privacy. The conversations stay within the walls and will not leave the space.

Designing a new treatment room involves many different things. Think of a broad target group with an age of 12+, safety rules and clients’ wishes. One thing I knew for sure, it had to be different. The gloomy, old, uncomfortable and impersonal feeling had to disappear. In my design, therefore, there is a relaxed and homely atmosphere where everyone will feel at ease. The green colour evokes a sense of security and harmony. The wood feels natural and warm. The mirrors on the ceiling allow extra sunlight into the room.

Hanging from the ceiling are the triangular mirrors. These mirrors give a blurred image so you don’t look at yourself too directly, as not everyone has positive self-reflection and wants to look directly at themselves.

Safety, peace and freedom. That’s what my design for the treatment areas is all about. They are key words that emerged in my research as something much needed.

The space is inviting, but not too busy so that it does not feel clinical but homely. I did this by using natural materials and organic patterns. I chose green as the main colour because it stands for nature, growth and harmony. Also, one of the key elements of my design is accessibility and feasibility. By creating a unique custom-made piece of furniture as a desk, the space is easily adaptable. You can fold down the desk allowing the entire space to be utilised. The space is designed symmetrically which creates peace and harmony. It also reduces the feeling of a power relationship. The natural wallpaper that extends into the ceiling creates a sense of security.

Inner strength & peace. A place for finding your inner peace and/or inner strength. A nice, safe and reliable place where everyone can tell their story and where you are actually listened to.

Comfortable, calm and powerful are core values that characterise the space. A warm and rustic atmosphere that creates peace both in your head and in the environment. Soft materials such as rugs and soft upholstery and soft colours create a sense of security and give a ‘living room’ feeling. This refers back to inner peace.

There is more to see than just you yourself so you don’t feel like you are directly exposed. In contrast, the somewhat coarser strong materials and rougher structures such as the raw wood and bark as well as the natural darker colours refer to inner strength.

The concept name says it all: ‘adapt the room to your mood’ which literally means ‘adapt the room to your mood’. I am going to create a design in which it is possible for the patient to adjust the treatment room himself according to his/her mood.

By doing this in the first 5 minutes of the consultation, it breaks the ice and the barrier between practitioner and patient, and the patient feels more at ease. This space can be customised by LED light, curtains and modular furniture

EMBRACE is a concept addressed a problem: lack of a bond/connection between the client and practitioner.

EMBRACE is a solution-oriented concept and aims to improve this! Through this mission, people will feel heard, embraced and accepted in these spaces and together we strive for better mental health.

In addition, EMBRACE incorporates a new unique idea, this is still in its infancy. Namely an elastic ceiling. With this, we keep access to the suspended ceiling and once again think in terms of solutions. Tensioned elastic is very strong and can be used to suspend elements. Curious about this conceptual design? Take a look at EMBRACE through the images above and experience!

I have inspired the treatment space on a Japanese zen garden. I created a calming space, I did this by using materials such as wood, stone and fabric combined with neutral and calming colours.

Upon entering, there is a high cabinet where any items such as a laptop or books can be tucked away. The Buddha statue is a mini waterfall that creates a calming feeling.

The ‘stone’ elements are fabric poufs where you can sit in many different ways, if you don’t like this I have put a chair in the space so everyone can feel comfortable.

After my research, I came across three words that stuck in my mind: freedom, redemption and feeling safe. These words were my inspiration for my design process. I felt it was important to create a space where people feel free and secure, where they can share everything. This feeling of security is essential for creating a relaxed atmosphere. The search for the perfect expression of these words led me to the phrase “as free as a bird”.

To bring my concept to life visually, I chose airy tones, flowing lines and subtle lighting. My commitment to minimalist design reflects the simplicity and clarity I want to convey.

I found my inspiration in the air currents in which birds elegantly navigate. By incorporating these organic shapes into my design, I wanted not only to add aesthetics, but also to capture the deeper meaning of “as free as a bird”. The fluid lines and subtle nuances in my design reflect the natural movements of birds in the air, and this adds to the overall harmony of the space.

“Serenity of natural vibes” stands for Ying and Yang and in this case for a contrast between colours and materials. Think: tiles and wood combined with soft fabrics and earthy colours.

In my design, an effective and pleasant space is created with a terracotta colour accent, to still reflect a calm atmosphere. There will also be comfortable furniture and warm lighting. This brings back the living room feeling. A combination of decoration make the room a whole. By placing plants in the room, nature is brought back inside. With beautiful designer furniture and made-to-measure work, you create a pleasant atmosphere that makes clients feel completely at ease.

In our daily lives, we are consciously and unconsciously influenced by the environment in which we find ourselves. Environmental characteristics such as colours, smells, music, materials and the layout of the room have a determining influence on our well-being and functioning.