Campus Pavilion

The Shift is a pavilion designed to provide respite for a neurodiverse population of students within the often stressful campus environment. Triggers such as bright lights, crowded spaces, strong smells, loud noises, and tactile overstimulation can cause neurodiverse individuals to physically, mentally, and emotionally shut down. Our team looked to the past for inspiration and found that Greek architecture prioritized spaces for ceremonial healing. In these spaces they utilized wind, water, and sunlight to help heal those seeking respite. We united these three elements to create two separate and functional spaces. The layered design creates a terraced park for students to sit and enjoy the sunlight. Underneath the layers, a sunken walkway creates a protected pathway for students to meander and rest in more privacy. The wind is channeled through the layers, resulting in a gentle, controlled breeze, and a trickling stream runs along the pathway, activating the soothing sound of running water. Both spaces work together to help shift sensory inputs away from the bustling outside world, and toward a calm one in nature.