Infinity Room

Non-featured
Written By jenna frye

An interactive sensory room installation at Dr. Bob's Children's Hospice.

 
photo diagram showing 3 options of animated lighting settings in a room

Completion Date
August 2013

Client
Dr. Bob’s Children’s Hospice, Baltimore, MD

Disciplines
Sculpture, Fibers, Animation

Course
Independent Study

The design challenge for the sensory room at Dr. Bob’s was to create a space that was specific to the needs of pediatric hospice medicine where the core function is palliative care. Functionally, the space needed to feature a therapeutic waterbed and space for caregiver seating, and offer sensory therapy by way of light and sound.

We wanted to design a space that would both stimulate and relax, offer a psychological and spiritual retreat, and hopefully delight and amaze. Hospice care is centered around managing physical, emotional and spiritual needs of patients at the end of their life. Our hope is that the sensory room we designed offers the community at Dr. Bob’s a therapeutic and normalizing, experience with the infinite.

 
therapeutic water bed and caregiver seating in medical setting under blue water animated lights

Sensory rooms are THERAPEUTIC spaces that use light, sound, and texture for a CALMING experience.

 

The centerpiece of the room is the custom therapeutic waterbed and caregiver seating pictured above. Our goals were to create as clean and blank of a space as possible to build within and to address several areas: 

  • Furniture: Featuring a therapeutic waterbed designed to take pressure off of aching joints and allow for a feeling of weightlessness and calm as well as a custom seating area for caregivers. All furniture was designed, fabricated, upholstered and installed by our creative team.

  • Textiles: Our team designed and fabricated three full sets of quilts we call texture-scapes which are made up of a patchwork of highly resilient and very touchable fabrics (able to withstand high cleaning temperatures). We also fabricated pillows, and bolsters for adjustable seating options.

  • Visuals: Three gentle and soothing scenes of original, generative animation were created by Jason Corace and coordinate with the room's adjustable LED lighting. We projected on the ceiling since many patients are bound to their backs.

  • Sound: Three original looping soundtracks in full surround sound were designed by Francesca D'Uva. 

 
therapeutic water bed and caregiver seating in medical setting under dark night themed animated lights
therapeutic water bed and caregiver seating in medical setting under green nature themed animated lights

Faculty Directors
Jason Corace, Jenna Frye and Jay Gould

Grant Funding
Ronald McDonald House; MICA Office of Community Engagement

Special Thanks
Bianca Box and Stephen Towns

Photo Credit
Jay Gould

Student Team
Francesca D'Uva, Hana Jakobs, Ian Privett, Karyn Lao, Lucas Haroldsen, Mary Reisenwitz, Nick Fogarty, Colin Foster, and Rachel Yalisove.

jenna frye
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