Title: Reclaiming Intimacy
Location of Proejct: Pic Des Chabrières, France
Project Completion Date: 05/28/2021
Firm Name:

Short Description: Reclaiming Intimacy strives to understand and interpret the impact social media has on social interaction. An unintended consequence of the increase of online interaction is a decrease in offline interaction. The quantity of connections online cannot be equated to the quality of interactions offline. This project notes the physical and mental disconnect of people in contemporary life and attempts to revitalize that connection. The project specifically addresses true interaction that fosters intimacy. The interaction is made of the site, users, and architecture in itself. The users explore spaces that represent different aspects of achieving intimacy, the site connects the space.

Architect's Statement: In this project, the greatest design challenge was taking the themes of intimacy and manifesting them on the physical plane. This requires careful, subtle design applications. After extensive research on vulnerability and intimacy, three recurring themes - Expression, Friction, and Reflection - appeared in literature on fostering intimacy. From there, the ratio of transparency, utilization of color psychology, and changes of scale created the architectural spaces that embodied the themes. Each space requires a different ratio of opaque to transparent. Transparency sets an open atmosphere for the users, connecting them to others and the site. Opaque allows for privacy. Color psychology applied to materials and textures help push the wanted atmosphere in the interior, ranging from comfort and welcoming to uncomfortable and passionate. Changes of scale within each space allows for different levels of interaction between a group, a pair, and oneself. Additionally, application of building envelope and shading devices allow for added atmospheric control. Introduction of the themes of Expression, Friction, and Reflection aim to reintroduce users to intimacy. As the digital world continues to advance, users remember the inherent need for humans to connect. Ultimately, users possessing this knowledge can create new ways of communicating and interacting through the lens of social media.

The project is located on a mountain peak in Southern France, the Pic Des Chabrières. The selection of a rural site allows for seclusion from technological societies. However, the user does not begin their journey on the mountain peak, rather in the capital of love, Paris. The user travels from Paris to the mountains of Southern France, signaling a departure from the digital to the nondigital, where intimacy is prevalent. The architecture adapts to the natural elements of the site to build the architecture of intimacy. The orientation and placements of the structures are determined by the traveling path, sun path, and wind patterns. The new traveling path is determined by a combination of the existing built path and the human path created overtime. The structures are surrounded by an abundance of fauna and flora allowing users to be enveloped in nature.

This project looks into how this simulation has affected romantic relationships' ability to share vulnerability and intimacy, in other words, create a true connection. The value of intimacy has almost become obsolete as we evolve into the digital world. The digital world has introduced new standards that allow the individual to avoid being truly vulnerable with their partner. Social platforms provide tools for their users to put up boundaries, avoiding uncomfortable situations that may be unavoidable in an unplugged world. Relationships have become fleeting, ending as quickly as they begin. The architecture facilitates an interactive space that leads the users through stages of achieving intimacy. Site elements are integrated, with the interaction of sun and wind with the building envelope connecting users with their environment through the architecture. An environment that reintroduces true connection is essential and should be preserved. Humans inherently need to connect with others. Social connections are important in both physical and mental health. Greater social connections between communities allow for greater progression in society both socially and economically. Application of natural elements only further promotes better health on an environmental aspect.