How to create a place that, reminiscent of memories of the old Polish countryside, allows you to soothe a body weary of illness? Urszula Gruszewska, a graduate of the Interior Design Department at {tag:University}, designed a support center dedicated to people struggling with cancer. Her work was presented at the UpComing 2024 exhibition organized by the university.
Urszula Gruszewska is a graduate of the Interior Design Department of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. She works professionally as a freelance designer of private and public interiors. She is also involved in visual communication, artistic textiles, printmaking and photography.
views of facades
proj.: Urszula Gruszewska
architecture for well-being and health
The project of the "Friendship" Support Center is complemented by a theoretical work that considers the relationship between humans and space. In it, the author describes how external stimuli create reactions in the human body, mind and soul. The design of the facility focuses on the impact of architecture on the well-being and recovery of people after illness. Appropriately designed elements of the facility can have a therapeutic effect on the user.
The Support Center was located in five houses in the Przyjazn housing estate in Warsaw, in one of the quarters. It performs the functions of both individual and group psychological support, as well as social integration. According to the plan, the center would host classes promoting health knowledge and relaxation workshops.
projection of the cottages
design: Urszula Gruszewska
"Cottage A" is the seat of administration and the place of the patient's first contact with the center. It's where you can sign up for the foundation and get all the necessary information. In "House B" the author designed a common space, seemingly resembling an ordinary house with a living room and kitchen. It is a place where patients can freely spend their free time and establish relationships.
Visualization - reception area in "cottage A"
proj.: Urszula Gruszewska
visualization - the interior of the living room in "bungalow B"
design: Urszula Gruszewska
Therapeutic functions are carried out in "cottage C" - this is where group and individual therapies and support group meetings are held. The next building, or "cottage D," is an educational place, intended for the organization of workshops and lectures on health and self-development. A reading room and computer stations have also been located there.
In "cottage E," in turn, one can take part in relaxation, breathing and music therapy classes.
visualization - the interior of the group therapy room in "house C"
designed by Urszula Gruszewska
visualization - staircase
designed by: Urszula Gruszewska
The diploma of Mrs. Urszula Gruszewska is a very special project, dealing with a difficult topic not only on a social, but also on a design level. It assumes the creation of the interior of a day support center for people experiencing cancer and their relatives. Through the project, the graduate wants to prove that treatment is not only pharmacology or rehabilitation, but also support on other levels, often unnoticed
- comments Prof. Beata Dobryjanowicz, the thesis supervisor.
In addition, a vegetable garden and a sensory garden have been planned for the center . Recreation is also facilitated by wooden benches arranged among the greenery.
In the design, important to the author were individual elements relating to the senses, scale and proportion, light, color, the presence of nature, rhythm and repetition, as well as the idea of enhancing autonomy or coexistence. The interior was designed with attention to detail, natural scale and materials. It is full of vibrant greenery, muted organic colors and objects made of real wood. The realization of the intended functions is also fostered by furnishings with shapes that mimic nature (such as boulder-like seating), and a furniture layout that promotes integration.
furnishings
designed by: Urszula Gruszewska
projection in color
proj.: Urszula Gruszewska
how to design a solace for the senses?
An element of Urszula Gruszewska's project is an art object entitled. "Serenity" - made of fabric, at the exhibition displayed horizontally at a height of 45 cm so that you can sit on it. The very process of creating the work was full of creative expression and sensual exploration.
appendix "Serenity"
proj.: Urszula Gruszewska
The art object created by Urszula Gruszewska brings to mind memories of childhood in the Polish countryside of the 1980s. It resembles traditional mattresses - smelling of meadow, rustling and gently scratching with the rawness of linen fibers. The work combines nostalgia with a modern approach to art and utility
- comments Dr. Eliza Proszczuk-Chmiel, promoter of the appendix to the work entitled "The Soothing". "Serenity."
The design was colored using natural techniques. During the coloring process, the author explored colors that were durable, aesthetically pleasing and fragrant at the same time. Eventually, a sampler of natural colors was also created.
The combination of traditional inspirations and innovative solutions resulted in a sensual object that awakens memories and creates new, soothing experiences
- adds Dr. Proszczuk-Chmiel.
visualization - space between houses
designed by Urszula Gruszewska
Urszula Gruszewska has created a design that realizes a multitude of functions in a subtle, unobtrusive way. At the same time, the graduate emphasizes the importance of designing architectural objects in a way that favors those with special needs.
The UpComing 2024 exhibition also featured projects by Aleksandra Kupidłowska - "zeTKNIJ się", and Antonina Dutkiewicz - a set of BAST furniture, also graduates of the Faculty of Interior Design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw.
