“The Path as an Idea, as an Experience for the Senses”
This project for a mental health center was inspired by a notebook sketch from Lawrence Halprin. In his sketch, he described the path as an idea:
As a connector between points (home to work)
The path as a release (for pleasure)
The path as exercise (walking)
The path as an experience for the senses (kinesthetics)
The path as a series of events (interactions)
Situated on 392 Crown Street, New Haven, Connecticut – the site lies on a boundary condition that separates Yale from predominantly low income, African American and Latinx communities.
Taking on this idea of the path and drawing from the material imperfections of its site, the center aspires to bridge the Town-Gown relationship that exists between New Haven and Yale.
Conceptually, the design also draws from the choreographic ideas of Anna Halprin; it hopes to use movement as a means for healing, to provide a connection to nature, and become a place where one can feel at ease.
As a hybrid model for both mental health and community-based activities, the center aspires to be accessible for all – to become a part of one’s everyday journey so that one can return whenever they please.
