Patrycja Rokicka BA (Hons) Interior Design 2020

‘The Wind Down’ addresses various problems night shift workers have to deal with due to sleep deprivation and interruptions to their circadian rhythms, which are quite often ignored, leading to more serious problems. There are 33% of the 3.2 million night workers in the UK who suffer from insomnia. The design of this space is adapted to benefit both the physical and psychological health of night shift workers. Allowing them to work at their optimum, just as it they were working during the daytime. The space helps to aid sleep insomnia, and sleep apnoea as well as metabolic disorders caused by irregular eating patterns. The space also helps the occupants to fight fatigue, and anxiety promoting better sleep, and restfulness.

To support the natural rhythms of our body clocks, Halle St Peters offers the optimum amount of natural light. Light stimulates the brain and sends signals to tell us to wake up. It is an ideal location close to Manchester city centre, surrounded by warehouses that mainly function during the night time and is close to transport links making it easily accessible.

'The Wind Down' functions as not only a place to wind down, relax, but also to power up, and regenerate. The design focuses on the sensory experience of the occupants by promoting creativity and alertness, as well as drowsiness by stimulating the brain through colour, sound, and lighting within the space.

As a designer, I think it is important to find creative solutions to pre-existing problems, and understand who and why we are designing for, and how we want the user to experience the space. I think it is important to make careful and thoughtful design decisions to be able to overcome many problems within our society.