AYURVEDIC TREATMENT AND TRANQUILITY CENTRE : HEALING THROUGH

SOUNDSCAPE
D S Rakshna Devi, Section A, 1150100515, B.Arch 5th Year
Department of Architecture, School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada

AIM :
To design a healing space through the principles of soundscape and provide tranquility
through healing in different forms like Ayurveda, yoga and meditation.
BACKGROUND :
Human beings have an inner connection with our environment by physical emotional and
mental and spiritual means. This connection can drive dynamic action in life with people
thrive. Sound has the ability to affect a person’s mind set either through positive manner or
through negative manner. Architecture plays a vital role in defining the soundscape of a place
and its impacts the people living in the space. Research recognizes the impact of building
environment and sound in healing spaces that redefines the mental and physical ability to
heal and promote the quality of care. A state of total healing can only be achieved if the
surrounding and environment contribute to the wellness of the being. The ancient Indian
medicine of Ayurveda practices medicine with deep routes to bring calmness to mind, body
and soul. It also promotes yoga and meditation to achieve spiritual discipline and well being.
CONTEXT :
From being the science of life , Ayurveda has become the slice of life for many with advent
and positive growth of rejuvenation centre in country. Ayurveda recommends he means of
prevention and treatment of various illness a well as preservation of health. It is a system of
natural healing that is originated in India 5000 years ago in which the body mind are interplay
of five elements space , air, water, earth and fire going back to this understanding and its
concepts the healing space should be connected with these elements providing a better
opportunity and mindset to heal peacefully.
JUSTIFICATION :
The relationship between healing , senses , soundscape and architecture is most important
thing which provides for the physical and emotional stability for the patients. But to achieve
total tranquility and complete recovery one must know how to incorporate elements of
healing into built form. Therefore it challenges the western method of treatment. Ayurveda
understands the to completely heal , the healing must be part of the built environment and
built form should both visually and mentally depict it. The concern for loudness and noise in
the chaos of the building reflects negative results in the patient’s conditions. The patients
experience reduced sleep, extended hospital stay, need for increase medication and many
other due to the loudness and unpleasant noises in the healing spaces. The old school healing
spaces such Ayurveda yoga and meditation are more-over connected with nature and natural
sounds to improve conditions of their patients. These spaces helps us to understand the
importance of sound and soundscape for these centres.
The proposed built form helps to integrate these elements in harmony which creates
equilibrium of physical health , mental clarity and emotional happiness.

SITE : Mahabalipuram along the East coast road, Chennai.

OBJECTIVES:

 To understand the elements used in soundscape and how the elements contribute to
the physical and mental health of the patients.
 To create an integrated environment where the physical and mental healing takes
places through Ayurveda and soundscape.
 To explore sensory architecture in the built form.
 To design spaces to achieve mind body and spiritual connection.
 To design built and unbuilt spaces keeping the acoustics intact.
 To design spaces according user behavior pattern.

METHODOLGY:

 Study of soundscape elements and how the sound, noise and other factors affect the
sense of hearing in a humans.
 To analyze the how the soundscape and setting of healing space can blend together
to improve the condition of these spaces.
 To study different form , shape and materials that can be used in soundscape and
aural architecture and how these can innovatively change the aural sense and the
visual sense of the space.
 Validate the search through case studies.
 Conceptualize the design processing all the study material
 Design for the proposal.

SCOPE:

 The design shall help to determine how the conditions of the healing spaces can be
improved using soundscape and sensory architecture.
 Different strategies identified can be applied to both outdoor and indoor environment
of healing and with sense of space, building materials, soundscape and mental ability.
  Combinations of different forms , spaces and materials help in improving the design
for healing spaces used in healing architecture.
 The design shall help in exploring the anti- ocular aspects of architecture and
scheduling of vistas , and to connect the user to nature.

LIMITATIONS:
The aural architecture of a space when badly designed, the inhabitants experience
themselves as being socially isolated, as if they were encapsulated within invisible walls.
Virtual boundaries can appear in the aural domain even though they are not visible

REQUIREMENTS :

 Consultation rooms
 Different types of therapy rooms.
 Yoga centre
 Integration of nature and therapy rooms
 Quarters for the patients and staff.
 Open landscapes
CASE STUDY :

 Heritage Madurai , Madurai

 Think tank retreat, Goa
 Quiet healing spaces , Auroville
 Ayurvedagram , Bangalore.