Britt van Dam 

Netherlands, 15-12-1996 

The architectural skin

Mental health is a huge problem in The Netherlands. Through research and interviews I found out that many people feel overstimulated and would love a place to hide and feel protected. A place to be alone and take a break from the busy world. During my design process, I noticed that our skin has some very valuable functions which would be perfect in our architectures as well. Aspects as protection, flexibility and absorption are in my opinion the essentials in spaces such as offices or schools. This installation shows that a place to be alone isn’t so hard to create. It could literally be made from materials you find on a construction side. We are embraced by our skin our whole life and although it becomes somewhat wrinkled over the years, it still keeps protecting us from influences from outside. 

Visitors can take place inside the installation and experience the feeling of being embraced by the architectural skin.