2021 Senior Exhibition Artists

Isabel Vieira

Art + Design: Interior Architecture + Design

About Isabel Vieira

Art has been a large part of my life since I was young, and I knew I would eventually enter the work world under an artform. My journey began at UMASS and I found myself exploring the idea of interior design. I left, settling myself at Mount Ida, where I was introduced to the world of design. The opportunities and experiences I have had here at UMASS over these five years have taught me to never stop exploring who I am as an artist and a designer. I create to better the human connection and experience. I think of an environment's resiliency in concept and application and how it will shift and influence for years to come. As designers, we have a duty to better our surroundings and the effects from it I strive to create for a balance of stimulation. I want to create a space to coexist with the human experience and subsequently elevate it.

Statement

How can I design a facility to maximize its efforts to educate communities in alternative ways to advance into a healthier mind and body through diet and emotional and mental awareness? This is the question I tried to answer for my thesis. My solution came in the form of a Holistic Lifestyle Center. Through my research, I found a connection between energy flow and the wellness of a building’s occupants. Techniques through feng shui, energy mapping, and the WELL Standard were applied to reorganize and harmonize the building’s interior for maximum wellbeing. Cooking classrooms, yoga studios, meditation pods, and seminar space are a few of the available opportunities that will be utilized by employees and customers. There’s a focus on elevating the habits of our lives by intertwining them with new routines. Small adjustments are the best first steps to creating a happier and higher quality life.