Sanare Sensim Medical Spa : Gentle Healing

Continuing with our project for the Bienenstock Interior Design Competition, we are now in the process of naming the facility, developing a logo, and providing a concept statement for the design.  As noted in the project overview, prime real estate has been secured in the outskirts of the pristine Napa Valley of California.  With its abundant wildlife, beautiful park-like setting, and beautiful rivers, it proves to be a very relaxing location for the medical spa.

 

"Sanare Sensim" is a Latin phrase that means "gentle healing" and is the atmosphere that will be implemented throughout the facility.  The owners, Pat and Chris Helf, desire to provide patients with multiple sclerosis a therapeutic medical spa that will consist of approximately 4,600 square feet and will implement treatment therapies such as massage therapy, hydrotherapy, yoga, water exercise, and other stress reducing techniques.  It is very important in the healing process to provide a tranquil environment with low stress and few outside pressures.  To better serve their patients, the Helf's will live in a residential space of about 1,000 square feet on location within the medical spa.  Based on research into the psychology of color, a tranquil and soothing color scheme has been chosen. 

 

 

Soothing color palette to be implemented throughout design

 

The design will incorporate relaxing colors such as greens, beige, and other natural colors.  The facility will also incorporate peaceful water features within to provide a relaxing place for healing with as little stress as possible. The design will also include sustainable and environmentally friendly elements, to further implement the holistic feel.

Medical Spa : Project Overview

As we continue to develop our medical spa project, an important next step is the project overview.  Pat and Chris Helf, a doctor and therapist team, have secured prime real estate in the outskirts of the pristine Napa Valley of California.  The area is well populated with various wildlife, native to the mountainous region and is within a park like setting with many water features in the area.  It is very important to provide a tranquil setting and incorporate stress reducing techniques for the clients.

After seeing family members deal with multiple sclerosis, the couple saw the need of more holistic options to treat this disease and they desire to tailor their facility to meet these needs.   The therapeutic medical spa will consist of approximately 4,600 square feet with a residential space of about 1,000 square feet on location within the medical spa. As much as possible, the design will include sustainable and environmentally friendly elements, to further implement the holistic feel.  As part of the project, we will also develop a name for the facility, a logo, and concept for the design.

The tranquil setting of the medical spa

 near Napa Valley, California

Berniece Bienenstock Furniture Library Field Trip

Since our class is working on a project to submit to the Bienenstock Interior Design Competition, we took a field trip to the Berniece Bienenstock Furniture Library in High Point, North Carolina.  While there, we were fortunate enough to learn about the library’s history and have some time to dive into the extensive furniture book collection.  The library is located in the Grayson house, which was built in 1923 and later purchased by Sandy and Berniece Bienenstock.  This library contains the world’s largest collection of books and publications on the history and design of furniture, including a rare book room with books published as early as 1543.  It was a treat to not only see the collection of books, but also to admire the gorgeous architecture of the home, which is entirely original.

Driving by the Furniture Library in High Point, NC

Gorgeous, original interior architecture of the library

Books, books, and more books!

Imagine my excitement when I was able to 

experience a peek into "rare" book!  White gloves

were mandatory.

Our instructor had given each of us a design period to research, along with researching a designer.  My research includes the design style of Louis XIV.  This time period featured a very ornate style, drawing ideas from flora, fauna, mythology, architecture, and war.  Materials included walnut, chestnut, or oak and could be left a natural color or painted bright colors, or even gilded in silver or bronze.  It was very common to see inlays of materials such as tortoise shell, metals such as brass, copper, steel, etc. in the designs.  Louis XIV chose his personal emblem to be the “rising sun” as he was known as the “Sun King”, and this could also be seen in designs from this era.

Two of the most prominent contributors to this style were Charles LeBrun and Andre Charles Boulle.  LeBrun was a gifted painter who is known for large altar pieces and paintings of battles.  His most important pieces are at the Versailles.  Boulle was the master cabinet maker to Louis XIV, and was considered the most remarkable of all cabinet makers. Boulle carried out numerous commissions for princes, nobles, and ministers.

For more information on the Berniece Bienenstock Furniture Library, visit http://www.furniturelibrary.com/

2015 Design Competition

The Interior Design students at Randolph Community College are excited about the upcoming project for the 2015 Bernice Bienenstock Furniture Library Interior Design Competition.  This competition consists of developing a design for a holistic day spa specializing in therapeutic treatment for multiple sclerosis patients, based on a given client profile and project overview.   To prepare ourselves even more for the design and competition, our class held a "spa research day" to gain more insight on spa design.

We were allowed to visit any spa or massage therapy of our choosing, and could elect to go as a class or individually.  I decided to make a visit to Blessed Massage, in Troy, North Carolina, as I had been here before and was impressed with the knowledge that the owner/massage therapist has to offer.  Cameron Higdon Wallace is trained in a variety of modalities and provides massage therapy services not only to humans, but also canine and equine.  In addition to having a degree in in Exercise and Sport Sciences, she is also a licensed massage therapist.  

I chose to visit Cameron not only due to the fact that she has helped me with pain management in the past, but I felt that her medical background would be a good fit in giving some input on the medical spa project.  Cameron agreed that holistic therapies and massage can be very beneficial to multiple sclerosis patients and assist in their healing.  

You can learn more about the services Cameron offers here:  Blessed Massage Therapy and also on her Facebook page: Blessed Massage Therapy-Facebook