Losing Myself

Overview

Losing Myself is the first architecture project to examine dementia by bringing together perspectives from neuroscience, anthropology, health, art, media and design. It was developed through interdisciplinary dialogue and a new process of research-based collaborative drawing, demonstrating an imaginative engagement with dementia.

The project explores spatial cognition, seeking a deeper comprehension of how mind, body and architecture interact as a whole. While most literature produced on dementia for architects focuses on ‘best practice’ guidance, Losing Myself encourages thought and debate around the subject, expanding our capacity as built environment professionals to better understand and empathetically design for dementia and ageing.

A multi-media installation formed The Irish Pavilion at the 15th International Architecture Exhibition, while the open-access website losingmyself.ie compiles the authors’ research and a set of design recommendations, titled ‘16 Lessons’, that outline a holistic approach to making and sustaining inclusive buildings and communities.

The impact of McLaughlin’s long-term research about architecture and dementia can be gauged by his lectures on the subject to institutions like the House of Lords and the RIBA, and by his buildings and masterplans with intergenerational programmes such as his project, Univ North, the largest modern addition to University College Oxford. Since 2015, Manolopoulou has extended the research into an experimental use of open scores in architectural design (Montreal 2017, UCL Press 2020) and in writings for Arts & Dementia (De Gruyter 2020) and Neurodivergence and Architecture (Elsevier 2022). Shortlisted for the RIBA President’s Awards in the Research, Design & Technical category, 2017.