Oliver Winter

Prospect & Refuge focuses on ways to reduce tension and maintain internal stability.

When we break past the luxury and delivery elements of autonomous cars, what will an affordable family, commuting vehicle consist of? With autonomous concepts of all shapes and sizes being unveiled at industry shows and student exhibitions, Prospect & Refuge aims to provide a glimpse into a humanised autonomous future.

The fully autonomous family car has been designed without screen technologies to bring an intuitive and interactive experience to the user through tactile surfaces and analogue interfaces.

The initial research led Oliver to focusing on autonomous interior concepts and how they are continuously envisioned for a business oriented and overly complex environment, with excessive screens and sterile and clinical design themes.

Human beings are prone to talk, wave to their friends, make love, day dream, listen, stare and learn. We would not be very human if we abandoned these practices, even during a journey. Readings led the project towards the theory of Prospect and Refuge developed by Jay Appleton, an English geographer and academic in 1975. The theory states how humans seek to satisfy an innate desire when reviewing a space. To have opportunity [prospect] whilst being safe [refuge]. This theory was used as inspiration and a guidance on how to design the interior space.

Throughout the project Oliver collaborated with Lizzy Stuyfzand a Textile designer at the RCA, where they used the circadian rhythm to inspire the interior colour and trim. The circadian rhythm is a natural, internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours. This design direction provides the user with a seamless and fluid interior space. They continued to follow the innate and natural aspects of the project and developed a colour scheme that was influenced by the circadian rhythm.

The interior layout provides a space for individuals to feel at ease with a sense of privacy and an area to reflect and contemplate their daily activities.

The rear seating area of the vehicle has a large and encapsulating design, that aims to provide users with a space of comfort and security [refuge]. This being a vehicle designed around a family journey, the rear seating also offers a space for parents to sit and watch over their children [prospect]. It challenges traditional vehicle interior design by placing the parents at the rear of the vehicle and children at the front.

The front seating area has been designed for a social and interactive space. Where passengers can talk and view the external environment with ease, whilst offering areas of privacy and relaxation. A continuous and adaptive lighting strip runs throughout the vehicle, acting as the users analogue host. It communicates to each user through the interior speaker, whilst tactile controls enable users to call the A.I. host and change their immediate environment.

An autonomous interior concept, designed around your innate characteristics and primal instincts as human beings. Prospect & Refuge aims to provide a glimpse into a humanised autonomous future.

The exterior of the vehicle was designed in conjunction with the theme of the interior and use nature as an influence and the interior form as its guide. Using natural rock formations, such as Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland, as a reference, the exterior aims to heighten the interior aspects and theme of the prospect and refuge theory.

The final model for the Prospect & Refuge project focuses on the interior alone. Particularly emphasising the layout of the interior and touch points that users can interact with.