RESTORATIVE ENVIRONMENT
SUNNYSIDE DE-STRESS FACILITY
Facility for Workers of the Public Sector with High Stress and PTSD
Concept: BALANCE of mind, body and spirit.
Frequently working irregular or unusual hours, or remaining on call throughout the night, the risks of exhaustion, smoke inhalation, long hours outdoors in bad weather, getting seriously injured while on the job and constant tension due to high attention to details, responsibility and expedite decision making, and even the state of anticipation preceding a major threat can be highly stressful in itself. While most of those workers have to go through a very rigorous and demanding physical and psychological training; there is not a place to rehabilitate those who are no longer active or those who suffer from stress or a psychological illness due to a work traumatic experience.
Taking in consideration that the enjoyment of individuals is also highly connected to the perceived restorativeness of the environment; this project is about balance of mind, body and spirit through the implementation of a user-friendly, environmentally conscious and restorative design that is aesthetically pleasing, user-centered and sensitive to its surroundings. The goal was to create a place to rehabilitate these workers and reincorporate them into the civilian life.
Location: Sunnyside Pavilion at 1755 Lake Shore Blvd. W. Toronto. ON. M6S 5A3
Situated in the historic Sunnyside Pavilion on Toronto’s west-end waterfront. I have chosen to use this building and particular location due to its close proximity to the lake and for the reason that it is connected to Sunnyside beach, Boardwalk and Martin Goodman Trail – a 56 km cycling and inline skating path along the waterfront – that tied in with my thesis project.
