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1. Interior Behaviours

Bi Xia

Education:

BA Product Design, Central Academy of Fine Arts, China, 2013-2017 

 

Professional Experience:

Space Designer Internship, Four-by-Two, London, 2019 

Space Designer, GB Space Design, Beijing, 2018 

 

Award

National Best Project Top 3, C Foundation, China, 2017  

Contact

Behance

Instagram

Degree Details

School of Architecture

1. Interior Behaviours

Loneliness is a societal health issue that can affect everyone and companionship shouldn’t be the only way to relieve it. We have been educated from a young age to participate in groups, people who prefer to be in solitude are seen as outliers often. All of them are subject to this bias that is implanted in our society and we all internalize it from a very early age. 

Also, in the “Designed” world, we usually feel obliged to design socially engaging spaces rather than through improvement of quality in the very experience of being alone.  

Solitude has become a negative state that people want to avoid. But it should be a natural, justified and equalized option and it could be an alternative way to eliminate loneliness.  

I did not expect the “Social Distancing” will become a hot topic today, it was not my major concern in my project. But “Solitudism” will be a helpful project for reshaping the public space and people’s behaviour. 

Solitudism — Full description video

Grassland — Inspired by grassland

Hide Yourself In The Public Space — Solitary space

Perspective View — People are free to hide in like in a grassland

Plan View — The deeper you go, the more undisturbed you become

I designed three spaces for solitary dining, reading and practising. They will be an alternative way to combat loneliness.

Loneliness is a societal health issue that can affect everyone and companionship shouldn't be the only way to relieve it. We have been educated from a young age to participate in groups, people who prefer to be in solitude are seen as outliers often. All of them are subject to this bias that is implanted in our society and we all internalize it from a very early age.

Also, in the "Designed" world, we usually feel obliged to design socially engaging spaces rather than through improvement of quality in the very experience of being alone.

Solitude has become a negative state that people want to avoid. But it should be a natural, justified and equalized option and it could be an alternative way to eliminate loneliness.

Loneliness is feeling alone and not liking it, it's a feeling.
Solitude is being alone and content, it's a choice.

If you can master solitude. You'll never feel lonely again. We need more space for solitude in the city, also in our lives.

I designed spaces that help people to master solitude.

In 'Grassland' people are free to hide in freestanding flexible cork-rubber partitions. Roaming between them is not easy, the deeper you go, the more undisturbed you get. When you choose a stool, wrap the partition around it by magnetic grain, you can enjoy disconnect and remain in solitude for a period.

Medium:

Cork. Rubber. Magnet.

Mountain top — Inspired by stadium

Perspective View — Solitary reading space

Bird's-eye View — Enjoy the peaceful undisturbed solitary reading experience and sunset after a long working day before going back home

Exploded View

Section View

'Mountaintop' is a staff less reading place on your way home from work. It is located on the top of an office building near London Bridge underground station. The tunnel is only for one person to choose books and buy. The shallowly marked seats on the mountain ensure the distance and avoid eye contact.

Medium:

Cork, Rubber, Steel, Plywood

Caves — Inspired by caves

Plan View — Radical placed practise rooms

Perspective View

Section View — The raw cork bark panel blocks the sound to the neighbours. The pitched ceilings are made from plywood which has a tendency to direct sound waves to the centre yard

Instrument Reverberation — All the room‘s shapes are designed for different instrument reverberations

'Caves' is where you practice instruments on your own and you are free to switch between practice alone or performance with other people. The shapes are designed by different instrument reverberations, the glass revolving door shows the occupancy status and the soundproofing cork-rubber shutter provides the flexibility between solitude and performing.

Medium:

Cork, Bark, Plywood, Glass, Steel

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