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Stiliyana Minkovska
Architect | Artist | Designer | Maker | Researcher
arper x designers in residence
What does it mean to design ‘softer spaces’?
We are living in a society that has become over accelerated. In an era dominated by social media and new technologies, we are constantly connected and at risk of losing control of our time and human intuition. The quality of our spaces and materials impacts every aspect of our lives: from health and productivity, to creativity and collaboration. What if the spaces we inhabit could be designed in a way that encourages us to reconnect with our natural environments, bodies & minds?
Responding to Arper’s theme of ‘SOFT(ER)’, designers Mále Uribe Forés, Marta Giralt, and Stiliyana Minkovska, have curated a table of material experiments that re-imagine architectural surfaces for the future. Inspired by organic shapes and bodily rhythms, these materials promote feelings of stillness, comfort and adaptability. The playful display of design process can be viewed as a starting point to debate broader ideas around the meaning of interior design, softness, and sensorial experience.
Stiliyana designed a series of pregnancy / postpartum cushions. One of the simplest artefacts that provides comfort is a user is a pillow. When we bury our heads into a soft matter after an exhausting day, it is when we disconnect with the world (phone) and connect with peacefulness and calmness.
The idea behind a scented pillow, a cushion with aroma comes from stimulating the limbic brain thought smell. Smell is one of the most incredible, yet mysterious senses. It is not tangible, yet immediately paints pictures in our brain. To see, two channels have to transform two images, merge them in one, mirror them and then send them to the neocortex. Smell on the other hand travels straight to our brain. It brings memories, people, places, moments of love, of sadness, moments of comfort and anxiety. For this exact reason I chose four smells which induce calmness, comfort, peacefulness and relaxation:
Jasmine - good for calming the nerves as valium with no side effects;
Lavender - “tranquillity,” “calm,” “relaxation,” “soothing,” and “serenity.” Lavender has purported healing powers for reducing stress and anxiety;
Rose - pleasant smell which calms and reduces heart rate;
Gomphrena Globosa - edible flower, healing qualities; antibacterial