According to BBC Education, there is a 20% year on year increase in students seeking help from counselling services due to stress related mental illness. Student life can be affected by a variety of social changes including the ever present pressure of social media. As it is so accessible, the feeling of constantly being in competition with others to be living the perfect life is unrelenting.

 

In response to this, the Refuge environment created serves as an escape, and a place to relax. Nature has proven links with stress reduction and therefore it was important to include a tangible connection between nature and the user. The aim was to subtly incorporate elements of the natural world and envelop the users into a surreal and thought re-directing environment, whilst also providing a space to reflect.

A key influence to the design was a Ginkgo tree, located in the University of Dundee Botanic Gardens. Even though the tree can be wilting, it shines a beautiful shade of gold, developing a positive metaphorical link to the stress students can feel. The use of nature to inspire relaxation can be seen as a reference to A-art House by Kazuyoshi Sejima.

 

The final design is a reflection of the summits we all aim to reach through our journey in life, while occasionally seeking shelter in times of bad weather. These manifest as a climb up a topographical landscape, with a circular ‘crannog’ as its peak. Additional small areas of shelter, like bothies and brochs, also offer refuge for two in times of vulnerability. The student community will be part of a circle, seen through the ‘ring’ form of the relaxing landscape, that helps to support and protect one another, while creating a sense of togetherness.