Closets of the Mind: Healing Architecture for Queer Youth

Abstract

A mental illness is a social disease which is gaining momentum within our society, characterised by a severe conditioning of the mind causing disastrous consequences for people who suffer from this disease. Yet as a mental illness wreaks havoc on our society, there is a disturbing trend of this disease affecting young gay men. Statistically, gay men are most at risk in our society of suffering some form of mental illness, due to many unfortunate reasons such as discrimination and loss of identity.

This research will propose a possible solution to this situation. How can the notion of a mental illness within young gay men, be prevented and cured, using architecture as a primary tool of therapy and identity? From here, two strands of research, Queer Space and the Architecture of Therapy, will be combined to create an architectural proposition that will help the inhabitor prevent or help cure his mental illness. It is hoped that the design that will be proposed, through interior architecture, will help the sufferer gain a clear sense of mental, emotional, spiritual and physical strength, through the search of identity within queer culture. It is anticipated that combating his mental illness through architecture, the sufferer will restore his sense of identity and place within our modern day society.