DISSERTATION TOPIC

IMPACT OF ORGANIC FORMS IN THE HEALING

PROCESS
THESIS PROJECT
AYURVEDIC RESORT

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
MESRA, RANCHI
SEMESTER 8
2018

THESIS GUIDE: SUBMITTED BY: ABHISHEK SAGAR

MR. RAJAN C. SINHA BARCH/10005/2014
INTRODUCTION

Justification of the Topic:

• Organic design can reduce stress, enhance
creativity and clarity of thought.
• These forms create a psychological impression
in our mind of being close to nature. Thus
lighting our minds and helping us to recover
fast
 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
• How can organic forms help in the healing process?
• How nature can act as a means for stress reduction?

OBJECTIVE
• Study the psychological impact of different types of spaces on human
mind.
• Effect of organic forms, colours, lighting on human being and their healing
process.
• To analyse the sacred aspect of architecture with relevance to nature and
its elements.

LIMITATIONS
1) Concentrating on the different components of organic
architecture and how it influences the psychology of a human
being.

2) Political and financial issues, being beyond the scope of this

research, will not be dealt with. The focus will be more on the
metaphysical, experiential and symbolic aspect of architecture.
 2. METHODOLOGY

DEFINING THE AIM, OBJECTIVE, SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE

REPORT

LITERATURE REVIEW OF DIFFERENT ARTICLES, REPORTS AND STUDIES

ANALYSIS OF DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE

LITERATURE STUDY OF EXISTING BUILDING DEPICTING ORGANIC

ARCHITECTURE
• Water Temple designed by Ando
• The Lotus Temple

ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

CONCLUSION
SL. Paper/book and Title of paper Aspects considered Methodology adopted Inference
NO. year and Author

1. Landscape Landscape Use of nature and its Preservation and • It is a great way to enhance the
Meditation - Faith Meditation form in designing the appreciation of the site performance and produce
& Form Volume 45, Issue landscape of the site. surrounding natural a natural healing environment.
1 (2012)by landscape • Landscaping can help in
Thomas reducing stress and create a
Hanrahan meditative environment.

2. Holistic wellness: Architecture Connection between Following points It helps in understanding:

A spiritual healing Thesis by Christin human and the discussed : • The impact of nature and
centre Elena Ellis(2014) universe and • Nature as natural organic forms on the
Savannah College architecture that are inspiration for healing process.
of Art and Design harmonious with the Space and Form • The use of natural light and
universe • Natural material ventilation.
• Natural light • The psychological effect of
• Colours different colours and tones on
the human mind.
SL. Paper/book and Title of paper Aspects considered Methodology adopted Inference
NO. year and Author

3. Pedersen Zari, M. Bio inspired Main components of Using the natural It helps in understanding:
(2008). Bio architectural bio inspired processes like organisms, • The creation of
inspired design to adapt architecture: organism behaviour, etc. regenerative architecture
architectural to climate change • Biophilic and incorporating it in the and to increase capacity of
design to adapt to architecture design process self-repair in human
climate change • Biomimetic psyche.
World architecture
Sustainable
Building
Conference SB08,
Melbourne.

4. How does Effect of Impact of Psychological analysis of It gives information about

architecture affect Architecture on architecture on human behaviour in how:
our brain(2017) by our brain humans and how it different spaces • Architecture of different
Aleph activates different spaces help in activation of
regions of the brain different parts of the brain
like the cortical regions of
emotional and motor
sensitive area.
• Exposer to different spaces
reduce anxiety and the
tendency to become
distracted.
 Components incorporated in
Organic Architecture
• Nature: landscaping
• Geometry:
• Material
• Space
• Light
• Colour
• Landscape
 LITERATURE STUDY

Water Temple designed by Ando

• On arrival to the temple, the visitors
are confronted with a vast open area
led by white pebbles terminating
against a high concrete wall.
• It is the gate that one physically has
to pass. It has one opening through
which one enters a passage bounded
by a curved wall.
• Beyond it, one overlooks an oval
lotus pond with dimensions of forty
by thirty metres. It is bright blue and
reflects the sky
• There is no temple in sight. The intention is to not
disclose everything at the point where one enters.
Instead the visitor is paused to think where he is; he
embarks on an experiential journey where his senses
are activated and becomes aware of the environment.
• The lotus ¡s a symbolic spiritual representation in Asia.
It signifies the channel of origin of all life in the Indian
cosmology and is the symbol of self-creation or
enlightenment in Buddhism.
• A central walkway leading to a descending staircase is
seen in the pond.
• The visitor has to descend down the lotus pond
through a staircase to get to the temple beneath. It is
an experiential process and an act of cleansing since
water represents purity. The exterior space is vast and
open to the sky (Nitschke, 1993: 77-83).
 The Lotus Temple
• The temple is a symbol that represents the Baha’i Faith by
expressing simplicity, clarity and freshness by the architecture it
reveals.
• The motif of the lotus flower as held in the hand is symbolic of
divine birth in the spiritual world. It also represents eternal life, its
preservation and procreation.
• The lotus shape is used in many religions. Its roots can be found in
the Zoroastrian architecture. It ¡s also representative of Mother
Saraswatee ¡n the Hindu religion. The lotus represents the womb ¡n
the Buddhist religion (Baha’is of India, 2008).
• In the Hindu mythology, the lotus flower represents the origin of
Brahma who came from the navel of Lord Vishnu. Therefore,
symbolically the lotus signifies pureness and serenity, and therefore
the lotus temple is the perfect place to carry out meditation (Indian
Temples, 2011).
• The lotus flower is poetically the emblem of beauty
with its distinct decorative and fair appeal (Baha’is of
India, 2008).
• The form of the lotus caters for the various possible
geometric shapes like spheres, cylinders and cones.
• All the ribs and shells are made in white concrete up to
the radial beam level.
• The shells were reinforced while the binding wires are
galvanized to prevent rusting of the material.
• The outer surface of the shells is clad ¡n white marble
which was cut and shaped to suit the geometry and
pattern required in Italy and transported to Delhi.
• The interior space is majestic in volume. The human
body disappears ¡n the space.
• Drawn by the electromagnetic field, the individual is
immediately invited ¡n a state of consciousness.
• The sound of the space is described as a powerful
white noise that resembles a violin’ sound, yet it ¡s
heard as an echo (Maharjan, 2007).
• When seen from the inside, the layers of ribs and shells
begin to fade as the view escalates vertically upwards
(Baha’is of India, 2008).
• Cosmic architecture has certain set of principles that
needs to be applied in order to create an environment
with the manifestation of its spiritual essence. This
notion is discussed profoundly in the following section
on Vastu Shastra.
 CONCLUSION
• Throughout this dissertation, various aspects of architecture have been
researched and analysed. These aspects are needed to create a healing
environment towards establishing a Ayurvedic Resort .The spatial,
functional, tactile, sensory and natural elements contribute in connecting
man to his environment. This connection is very important for his
wellbeing and healthy living.
• A review of findings from the field of environmental psychology shows
that humans are aesthetically attracted to natural contents and to
landscape configurations.
• These features are also found to have positive effects on human
functioning. However, opportunities for contact with these elements are
reduced in modern urban life. The negative impact of which can be
countered by integrating key features of natural contents and structural
landscape features in the built environment.
• These qualities will be used in the design stage complemented by the
concepts and theories studied in the literature review. The research will be
used to establish a design brief leading to the conception of the Ayurvedic
Resort
 REFERENCE
• Aleph. 2017; How does architecture affect our brain? - Architectural spaces affect our
perception, fostering meditative states and altering our brain behaviour; Catholic University
of America
• M. Pedersen Zari. 2014; Bio-inspired design in the pursuit of ecological regeneration and
psychoLogicaL wellbeing.
• Thomas Hanrahan. (2012); Landscape Meditation: Faith and Form; Ctaverack, New York.
• Chnstin Elena ELlis. 2014; Holistic WelLness: A Spiritual Healing Centre;
• Inese Dindone. 2011; ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE: ITS ORIGIN, DEVELOPMENT and IMPACT;
College of Design and Social