Therapeutic environments

The Body Moving in Space in Early Modernism: Rudolf Laban and Imgard Bartenieff

Principal Investigator: Dr Daria Ricchi, Senior Lecturer

Rudolf von Laban (1879-1958) was a modern choreographer who developed a system to notate movement in the 1940s known as Labanotation (or Kinetography Laban). The Labanotation is a comprehensive vocabulary and analytical framework with which to identify patterns and changes of movement in space.

This project retraces the role of the body in movement in the perception of space in early modernism when movement practices where integrated in the curriculum of architectural studies. This research aims to understand why the body was crucial, why it has been degraded to a secondary role, and what practices could be still relevant nowadays.

The research is looking at the work of Rudolf Laban and the set of movement principles coded by his student Irmgard Bartenieff (1900-1981), a set of principles exploring kinesiological functioning that can be used to observe and analyse our bodies in motion, and which can be extended to all types of movement possibilities, including those with moving disabilities.

Impact

The role of the body in the perception of space was crucial in the early modernist period and has declined in later modernism. Nowadays, in many disciplines the role of the body has come to the fore again after a deep interest in the study of the brain (for instance in AI). This research follows the same trajectory in reintegrating the position of the moving body in the discourse of perception of space and in architectural studies.

The Body Moving in Space in Early Modernism

Understanding the Maggie’s Centres

Principal investigator: Dr Andrea Placidi, Senior Lecturer, and Dr Daria Ricchi, Senior Lecturer

Co-Investigator: Prof David Uzzell, University of Surrey, and Dr Caterina Frisone, IUAV, University of Venice, Italy

The research on the Maggie’s Centres analyses the spaces and atmospheres of the Maggie’s Cancer Centres. It investigates the positive and therapeutic impact of architecture in the context of a cancer support programme that aims to empower patients beyond traditional hospital settings. The objective of the research is to evaluate the effect of the buildings and interior settings on the well-being of cancer patients. Despite different appearances, every Centre adheres to the same functional programme, based on Maggie Keswick Jencks’s Blueprint for Cancer Care. The operational principles of the programme revolve around the awareness and manipulation of sensorial stimulation and (sub)conscious responses to atmospheric qualities that are considered paramount.

Impact

The Maggie’s Centres have received consistent public attention in recent years both because of their successful fund-raising campaigns, and because of a widespread interest in the potential of their innovative social approach to cancer care support. To date there has been no systematic attempt to investigate and discuss the therapeutic effects of the Maggie’s Centres, from the point of view of the patients, the Maggie’s organization approach, and the role of the architects. The research aims to dissect and clearly present this impressive conjunction of architecture and cancer care. It will be crucial for professionals in the fields of architecture, environmental psychology, medicine, and nursing. It offers an historical and critical approach to the contribution of design strategies in the context of cancer care architecture, taking the Maggie’s Centres as the key study.

Outputs

Placidi, A., Ricchi, D., Uzzell, D. (2024) Understanding the Maggie’s Centres London: Bloomsbury.

Access to Nature Fosters Well-Being in Solitude

Principal Investigator: Ralph Saull, Senior Lecturer in Architecture

Co-Investigators: Mina Samangooei and Netta Weinstein

This study explores the way in which individuals connected with nature during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly when they were alone in solitude. We identified key themes describing individuals’ relationships with nature during this period and, more specifically, when individuals were relating to nature during time spent alone. We found that natural spaces were integral to experiencing positive solitude and increased the chance that solitude time could be used for rest, rejuvenation, stress relief, and reflective thought. The research was a collaboration between two architects and an academic in clinical psychology.

Impact

The results highlighted the importance of nature integration at varying scales in urban environments. We found that nature can and should be incorporated into urban spaces to create thoughtful and quiet spaces for reflection and regulation. We considered the issue at different scales of enquiry ranging from spaces inside buildings, around buildings, and in streets to larger green spaces.

Outputs

Mina Samangooei, Ralph Saull and Netta Weinstein, 2023. "Access to Nature Fosters Well-Being in Solitude," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-15, March.