De-Stress at ABS

‘De-Stress at ABS’ is an entry for the RGU Campus Development Competition 2021. - Awarded ‘Best in the Category: Lecture Theatres and Tiered Spaces’ and also, ‘Best Overall Design’ A study found that 8 out of 10 university students in the UK reported stress and/or anxiety during their studies. Long term stress increases the risk of mental and physical health problems. We believe universities should incorporate more places on campus to take time away and de-stress. De-Stress at ABS is a proposal for a new bar, food and social space designed as an escape from the stresses of university, located in the Aberdeen Business School at the heart of the Robert Gordon University campus. Walls and boundaries come down as the enclosed existing tiered lecture hall transforms into a new campus bar and opens to the landscape allowing light to fill the two levels. A playful new slide sets the tone for the intervention which can be seen from all around. Curving rounded forms which set the space apart from the existing rigid high-tech building lift the mood and softens the experience. Both social interaction and personal space are important – whether you want to take time alone in the quiet zone or spend time with your friends in the bar, there is a place for how you want to de-stress. Acknowledged stress-relieving activities moulded the design with the proposal facilitating resting, music, games, a calm environment for creativity, meditation, comfort through natural and soft textured materials, eating healthy in the food space, interactivity whether it is with the lawn space or the immersive rooms, encouragement to go out and get moving, exploring the green campus. Long sightlines, daylight, and high ceilings act as a soothing mechanism for the users. The landscape around the building has been transformed to make use of the existing lawns to create new social spaces which could be brought to life year-round due to the re-use of the south end of the school.