Problem

Stress and the city

More and more people are living in cities. According to a UN report, 84% of the german population will live in an urban area by 2050. Worryingly, however, findings from brain research suggest that the urban environment has a negative impact on a person's mental health. This can be attributed to a variety of so called stressors. In addition to physical stressors, such as heavy noise or high air pollution, there are also predominant social stressors, that negatively characterize the urban environment. My bachelor thesis was dedicated to the social stressor of social disintegration, which manifests itself through reduced social cohesion within a community.

Ideation & Research

Reimagening public space

In order to understand the connectedness and network of a urban neighborhood, I explored it as an ecosystem, using a service map. The aim was to find out which actors are involved and to identify hidden potentials for social interactions. This made me realize the potential of local associations to build up social capital in a community. Additionaly, the service map revealed some possibilites to integrate social interactions into the everyday life of their community, by reimagening public & jointly used spaces, like laundromats. This sparked the underlying idea and laid the foundation for my project.

To get to know laundromats and their users, I put myself in their shoes and conducted multiple field studies in various laundromats. I observed how laundromat customers spent their time waiting and whether there were any interactions taking place between customers. However, the majority of the visitors were focused on their smartphone or read a book. Social interactions between customers remained mainly absent. The majority of social interactions took place in the closer social environment in the form of telephone or video calls. It was also interesting to see, that some of the visitors were accompanied by friends or family members. It seemed like for some of the customers the laundromat is already being used as a social gathering space.

Concept

Interaction

The WaschRaum is integrated into the everyday life of the city residents, by taking up the routine activity of washing. The WaschRaum provides washing facilities and can be used like a usual laundromat. The WaschRaum additionally enables users to interact with their neighborhood. Customers can interact both with each other, as well as with local associations. The WaschRaum serves as a communication interface between those interaction partners. The customers interact via the premises of the WaschRaum, while local associations, on the other hand, can access & interact through a common web page. WaschRaum users can publish their wishes, ideas & needs for their neighborhood, which can then be picked up by local associations, to plan new projects or events, that are tailored to the community. These project ideas are then again presented to the users and can be funded.

Spatial Design

The WaschRaum is divided into three spatial areas. The degree of social interaction is meant to increase from area to area.

Spendentrommel

Area 1 contains the washing machines, the tumble dryers and the automatic pay station. Here, users can regularly wash, dry and fold their laundry. In addition, the "Spendentrommel" (donation drum) is located in area 1. It invites the users to inform themselves about project ideas of non-profit associations from the surrounding area and to support them financially.

WaschProgramm & WaschTisch

In area 2 you will find the WaschProgramm (wash programme) and the WaschTisch (wash table). Here users can inform themselves about upcoming events and projects or actively participate in the WaschProgramm.

Space for activities

In area 3, users are provided with a space for collective activities. Here, projects and events of non-profit associations as well as self-organized WaschTreffs can take place. The WaschRaum card plays a decisive role in the concept of the WaschRaum. In addition to payment, the WaschRaum card also provides access to further possibilites of interaction within the room. It can therefore also be regarded as an entry card.

Spendentrommel

The Spendentrommel provides users with an overview of project ideas from local non-profit organizations. By rotating the Spendentrommel, users can change the project idea displayed. It takes the form of a disproportionately large laundry drum. In this way it integrates itself into the room, but at the same time, due to its size, it attracts the the attention of the visitors. Thus it promotes a common focus among the customers which encourages them to exchange & interact. With each wash, users receive a donation coupon that they can use to financially support a project idea they like.

WaschTisch

The idea of the WaschTisch is to promote the exchange among residents about their neighborhood and encourage them to formulate wishes, as well as ideas collaboratively. To do this, they simply place their WaschRaum card on the designated area of the WaschTisch and enter their wish using the keyboard. Other users are then able to see these wishes as a projection in the middle of the table. Local associations can also view these wishes via a web page. Based on these wishes & ideas, associations can initiate new projects and events. In addition, users can actively shape the WaschProgramm themselves by creating so called WaschTreffs (wash meetup). To do this, users place their WaschRaum card again on the designated area of the WaschTisch. WaschTreffs are meant for users who share a mutual interest. For instance, users could combine their weekly trip to the WaschRaum with an evening of board games or a joint jogging session. The formulated WaschTreffs can then be published in the WaschProgramm in order to make them visible to everyone.

Waschprogramm

The WaschProgramm presents upcoming events, projects and WaschTreffs within a weekly schedule. In this way, customers can get an overview of the various WaschRaum activities, that are taking place. By attaching their WaschRaum card to an activity, users can publicly register for it. In addition, by attaching their WaschRaum card to a free time slot, they can publish their own WaschTreffs, which they have previously formulated at the WaschTisch. The WashProgramm was designed to reflect a clothesline. The WaschTreffs and events that are part of the WaschProgram are represented in the form of cloths hanging from the various clotheslines. In this case, the WashRoom card can be understood as an abstract form of a clothespin.

Product trailer

Experience the WaschRaum

Prototype

Projections & RFIDs

The implemented prototype focuses on the interaction of the users with the WaschTisch and the Waschprogramm. Users can interact with the prototypical WaschTisch by depositing a card with RFID tag on one of the two projected areas. When they place the card on the wish area, an input field appears. The users can now formulate their wish via the keyboard. By confirming it, a new bubble grows next to the other formulated wishes. When users place their card on the WaschTreff area, they can formulate a new WaschTreff. As soon as it has been confirmed, their input is visually absorbed by their placed card. The users can now easily publish their WaschTreff inside the WaschProgramm by placing their card at a free time slot.