The Eudaimonia Machine is an architecture project that aims to create environments in which people can achieve a state of well-being and happiness. The idea behind this project is that architecture can positively affect people's lives, improving their quality of life and helping them achieve a state of eudaimonia, or happiness and fulfillment.
The idea is rather simple (and somewhat naive) after all, but nonetheless compelling. It could be summarized with the following hypothesis:
what would happen if we used the built space as a tool to affect the mind and society?
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The concept of Eudaimonia Machine stems from ancient philosophy, particularly the theories of Aristotle, who argued that happiness is man's ultimate goal and that this can be achieved through the exercise of virtues. In architectural design, this concept is translated into spaces designed to foster the exercise of virtues, such as contemplation, socialization, creativity and personal growth.
The Eudaimonia Machine consists of several components, including green spaces, natural light sources, areas for contemplation and introspection, common rooms for socializing and sharing, and spaces for art and creativity. All these components are designed to work together to create a balanced and harmonious environment where people can feel comfortable and relaxed.
One of the most interesting aspects of the Eudaimonia Machine project is that it is not limited to the design of indoor spaces, but also includes the design of outdoor spaces. For example, the green spaces are designed to create an immersive experience where people can feel in touch with nature and reconnect with it.
The Eudaimonia Machine project has been applied in a variety of contexts, from private homes to mental health facilities, from schools to homes for the elderly. Wherever it has been applied, it has proven to have a positive impact on people's quality of life, improving their mental and physical well-being.
In conclusion, the Eudaimonia Machine is an innovative and ambitious architectural project that aims to create environments that promote people's well-being and happiness. Through the design of balanced and harmonious indoor and outdoor spaces, it offers an opportunity to improve the built space, particularly those spaces intended for work.
Deep Work
In "Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World," Cal Newport speaks of the Eudaimonia Machine as a kind of ideal environment for deep work. Deep work is a state of mind in which one is completely immersed and focused on a specific activity, without distraction. Mind you, this is an extremely topical issue: the hypothesis (not even so much hypothesis) is that in our current society it has become substantially much more difficult to have a space (mental or physical) to distinguish one's thoughts from the background noise of the information age. Newport argues that in order to achieve this state of mind, it is necessary to create an environment conducive to concentration and productivity.
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In the book, Newport describes the Eudaimonia Machine as a place where architectural elements, such as natural light, green spaces and the arrangement of furniture, are designed to create an environment that helps people concentrate and work deeply. He points out that environments can affect people's ability to focus and be productive, and that creating an environment conducive to deep work is essential to increasing productivity and well-being.
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Newport uses the example of the Eudaimonia Machine to explain how environments can be designed to foster deep work and how this can have a positive impact on people's quality of work and lives. He argues that creating an environment where people can focus and work deeply is critical to achieving success and well-being in the digital age. And he goes further, recounting Professor David Dewane's "architectural" experience and his spatial reflections on this fascinating concept.
SPa rendering
They thus come to be defined as 5 stages of depth, down toward that sort of intellectual trance that we have all experienced while studying but have somewhat lost sight of because of too many notifications... so to speak.
The five "rooms," they are so called:
1. The Gallery, is the first environment, but already contains "examples of deep work," serves to inspire and create a positive culture (inspiration);
2. The Salon, stimulates curiosity, is a place of debate, where ideas can arise from discussions (conversation);
3. The Library, is a kind of archive of everything produced by the "Machine" (research);
4. The Office, is for less intense activities, there is a blackboard and some desks (light work);
5. The Chamber, is defined as a space of 6 feet by ten (2x3m), it is acoustically isolated and is the space where the so-called deep work actually takes place.
SPa illustration
In short, in a sense the Eudaimonia Machine is a kind of metaphor for the human mind. On par with Jeremy Bentham's Panopticon, about which I feel the urgency to write a post.
