Meta: Eliciting introspective states through virtual reality - An architectural exploration of externally induced phenomena

Abstract

Architecture is a field inherently connected to art. The artist can create pieces that purposefully challenge our emotional states. Often, the architect is merely responsible for supplying the canvas. These emotional challenges, often conveyed by art, can frequently be left as secondary in architecture. In big cities society is constantly changing at a high pace. According to the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (2020), the population stresses more and more, which leads to mental illness through exhaustion. That, in turn, leads to long-term sick-leaves and unemployment. We have little time for self reflection and introspection and during the remaining hours of our days the media steer us in directions of their own. Our minds are crowded with ideas and needs that are not inherently ours that further increase toxic societal norms. The relation between our bodies, our minds and our direct environments has a great impact on our mental well-being. Architecture and spatial design have the ability to inspire and influence human behaviour. So, the spaces in which we spend most of our time could help us become mentally stronger and reduce stress levels. In order to explore how to create these kinds of built environments, Virtual Reality (VR) can be used as a tool to test spatial experiences that would emulate real life situations and trigger real emotional reactions. After surveying the field of VR research and performing VR experiments, a virtual space was designed. This VR experience was to act as a summary of the exploratory stage of the project, acting as a precursor to the architecture set in the real world. The reality-based project is located on site in central Stockholm, in connection to areas where stress levels are recorded to be among the highest. In this building, visitors could pause for a short time, being surrounded by an architecture that triggers positive and beneficial emotional responses, ultimately contributing to a more socially sustainable city.