Hospitality Design - December 2024 - 23

perspectives hdac spotlight
By Stephanie Chen and Katie Kervin
Photos by John Marshall and courtesy of Reddymade
The second iteration of Reddy's " me+you " AI-powered
installation, on display at Michigan Central in Detroit
EMOTIONAL BLUEPRINT
Suchi Reddy designs for positive impact
Suchi Reddy, founder of New York-based studio Reddymade, is an
architect, designer, and artist whose diverse body of work spans public
art, commercial spaces, and residential projects. Guided by a " form
follows feeling " approach, her practice explores neuroaesthetics-the
impact of design on the brain and body. Her portfolio showcases an
exploration of this philosophy, including recent standout " me+you, "
an AI-driven sculpture originally commissioned for the Smithsonian
Museum's Arts and Industries Building in Washington, DC, and now
on display at the Michigan Central historic train station in Detroit.
The installation invites visitors to speak a word envisioning their
future aloud, which is translated into a light patt ern response that
contributes to a collective expression, " creating a shared vision of our
humanness, " Reddy explains. Beyond her practice, Reddy also teaches at
Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and
Preservation in New York. Here, she off ers a glimpse into her approach.
Why do you prioritize neuroaesthetics in your practice?
Function can never be ignored, but design needs to dig deeper, down to the
core of who we are and how we exist in the world. You never think about a
spider without its web, so you can't think about a human as separate from
their environment. The parts of our brain that teach us to think about the
future are the same ones that are manipulated by our experience of space.
The bett er our space is, the bett er we are going to be.
How can neuroaesthetics be applied in healthcare settings?
In a recent collaboration with the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns
Hopkins University School of Medicine, we developed a prototypical
hospital room that can aid in patient recovery. This is designed as a
sensory healing space to amplify the medical treatment of pediatric
patients suff ering from disorders of consciousness, which impair selfawareness
and interaction with the environment. Our design goal was
to promote regular wake/sleep cycles by regulating sensory input while
minimizing staff and atmospheric disruptions.
How is the hospital room set up?
It is designed to have several zones divided by curtains that block sound
and light. The primary zone is a pod, which insulates the patient from the
harsh environment of the hospital sett ing. Within the patient pod is a dome
that the staff can customize to project, for example, the sky mimicking the
outside. Another zone is for parents who [visit] while the patient is sleeping
or undergoing therapy. It's a place where the parent can hold their child. The
third is the therapy zone, where doctors and therapists help the patient. The
fourth is the staff zone, outside of the patient pod and the parent zone, where
staff can access and monitor the patient without disruptions.
What is your goal when you design?
I want people to be able to see themselves refl ected in a space. Particularly
for spaces that people use every day, I want that experience to support them
in diff erent ways. It's like fashion, which to me is no frivolous thing. What
you wrap yourself in is your fi rst home. Then you move out of that into your
room, then into your house, then into the world. At each of these levels, your
'house' can be made to sustain and bett er your spirit and your function. It
helps you go out into the world breathing a litt le easier. hd
This is an ongoing interview series curated by the Hospitality Diversity Action
Council (HDAC)
hospitalitydesign.com December 2024
023
http://www.hospitalitydesign.com
Hospitality Design - December 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hospitality Design - December 2024
