The Inner Studio - Riverside Architectural Press

THE INNER STUDIO
A place that welcomes and supports stillness.
A place that looks quiet.
A place that suggests we move slowly.
A place where our creative faculty is nurtured and refreshed.
An outdoor place for inactivity.
A place where worn-out people can relax.
A room where the mind naturally slows down.
A place where we are invited to feel heavy.
A room that reminds us of the existence of our bodies.
A garden that reminds us of the needs of our bodies.
At the close of this exercise take a moment to review the images you
have received. If any of them move you, make sure you follow your
inspiration and record these impressions in some way. The greater the
energy these images hold, the more you might want to creatively reflect
on and integrate their content.
Body-Centered Design
We have collectively been treating the earth, air, rivers, and oceans
the same way we treat our own bodies: as something inferior.
Patriarchy has had a long history of believing in masculine superiority
over the feminine. There is no logical basis to this, just as
there is no logical basis for harming the natural environment. No
one thrives in a situation in which they are consistently treated as
inferior. We don’t like it and the environment surely doesn’t. But
without looking at these issues psychologically, it is difficult to
understand a role for our feelings in design decisions.
The first step toward body-centered design is to simply become
aware of your whole body, experiencing the felt sense of the body.
Rather than beginning with a focused desire to create or solve,
begin with an attitude of readiness to receive an impression from
your body. For some, this first step is the most difficult because, as
a designer, you are asked not to design or anticipate the design;
you are asked to do nothing. Don’t take a position toward the
problem. Instead, go into your own felt experience of your body
and make contact with it in the moment. We usually rush past this
experience–I am suggesting that we linger with the feeling. For me,
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