Reality Check took on the challenge of designing a space that allowed for individual contemplation, quiet refuge and meditative observance in order to combat prevalent anxiety, depression, and stress among students. The prompt was to design a discreet, self-contained intervention that could be deployed into small (<75sf) existing spaces throughout campus. This project was submitted as a final proposal for the annual IntAR department-wide charrette.

When obligations are in excess and time is at a minimum, it is all too simple for a college student to fall into a cycle of unproductive habits. During these times, it is paramount for students not to forget who they are and where they’ve come from. Reality Check fights back by intimately displaying immersive artifacts to remind us that we are not alone. Immediately upon entering the space, a user is given concentric curves to lean up against, and rings of soothing light leading them further into the narrowing void. At the core of its concept, Reality Check, is designed to reduce stress while also initiating further action and thought. When interacting with the space, a user’s stressful world is immediately supplanted with an enveloping world of artifacts that the student themselves can find solidarity in; artifacts that will serve as an archive of shared trials and tribulations. We imagine the raw feelings of a person prior to using the reflection room have the inherent potential for negative outcomes, but instead this proposal acts as a center of release. This project is successful in fulfilling the broader purpose of a reflection room by demanding interaction and integration. Above all, we hope this turns an otherwise negative situation into a humbling experience that reminds us that our reality is a lot brighter than we may think.