Deus ex Machina
An immersive installation exploring how sensory design can recreate the restorative qualities of nature within urban environments.
Context
Deus ex Machina was a collaborative postgraduate project completed as part of the MA Design: Expanded Practice at Goldsmiths, University of London, in partnership with CAMPER.
Developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the project explored how sensory experience design could recreate the psychological benefits of the beach for people living in dense urban environments. Working alongside CAMPER’s Art and International Collaboration teams, we investigated how light, sound, movement, and environmental cues could be combined to create moments of calm and reflection.
Challenge
The project explored how the emotional qualities of natural environments could be translated into an immersive spatial experience.
Rather than recreating the beach literally, the challenge was identifying the sensory characteristics that make it restorative and transforming those into an installation that encouraged relaxation, reflection, and daydreaming.
Our Approach
Understanding Sensory Experience
The project began with interviews and research into stress, memory, and perception. We spoke with psychologists, filmmakers, and individuals experiencing increased stress during lockdown to understand how environments influence emotional wellbeing.
A key influence was Dr. Devin Terhune, whose research into consciousness, placebo effects, and mind-wandering informed the project’s direction.
Exploring Placebo and Perception
Drawing on this research, we developed a series of experimental interactions, including a placebo device that simulated a cognitive task through a non-functional button and digital interface. The experiment demonstrated how expectation and repetitive interaction could influence emotional state.
Designing the Installation
The final outcome was the Placebo Room - an immersive environment designed to evoke the calm of the seaside through sensory cues rather than representation.
The installation combined reflective materials, controlled lighting, sound, and airflow to recreate the movement and atmosphere of the coast. A suspended reflective ceiling projected shifting patterns across the floor, while the enclosed space reduced external distractions and encouraged focused sensory engagement.
Prototyping and Testing
The installation evolved through iterative prototyping and user testing before being experienced by fifty participants. Feedback consistently described feelings of calm, immersion, and emotional detachment from everyday stress, with many participants comparing the experience to being underwater or beneath ocean waves.
The Work
Collaborative design research into stress, perception, and restorative environments.
Interviews with psychologists, filmmakers, and participants affected by lockdown.
Development of speculative interaction concepts and placebo experiments.
Co-design and construction of the Placebo Room immersive installation.
Spatial design, lighting design, and environmental prototyping.
Video production and documentation of the final installation.
User testing and evaluation with fifty participants.
Impact
Supporting Materials
- Placebo Room Film Film
- Process Documentation Documentation
- Research Archive Archive
