This document describes a group project in social psychology on designing a space based on principles of optimistic and negativity bias. The group chose these topics as they can be expressed through design elements. Their design concept is a cube-shaped room surrounded by a four-faced hanging garden with a skylight. The room features an elevated timber floor around a water pocket lit from below, representing peace. Vertical gardens on the walls reflect optimism and nature striving upwards. The design aims to provide a private space reflecting lightness for optimists, and enclosing negativity for pessimists, helping both reflect on themselves.

1. Group Members: Natalie Ki (0318918)
Ryan Kerry Jee Jin Yiing (0318715)
Andrew Mah (0318798)
Jaclyn Hwang (0319756)
Too Mun Fai (0318214)
Module: Social Psychology (PSY30203)
Title: Assignment 3 (Final Project and Group Presentation)

2. INTRODUCTION
For this final assignment in our Social Psychology module, we are required to assemble
into groups of four to five. We then have to choose a topic of interest that we have learned from
this module and design or create a built environment/space through drawings and graphical
materials that best reflects our chosen topic. This final project and presentation will represent the
manifestation of overall understanding towards theoretical frameworks and daily life applications
in regards to design of spaces. Labels, explanations and justifications have to be slotted to
indicate the specifications of our designs with and design’s ability and also how does it relate to
the topic of interest. A detailed write up has to be produced to further elaborate and explain our
design concept and specifications. Lastly, we are also required to pre-record our design
presentation prior submission.
PRINCIPLE
After series of group discussions, the social psychology principle chosen is optimistic
biasness and negativity biasness to act as our topic of interest as it is one of the strongest
principle with a solid design potential.
 Optimistic Biasness - A tendency to be positive and expect situations to turn out well
overall.
 Negativity Biasness - A tendency to be negative and more sensitive to negative or bad
outcomes than positive ones (pessimistic).
These two topics are chosen because it can be expressed through real-world design elements and
structures and allowing us to strongly develop a spacial design.

3. DESIGN THEMES
Optimistic biasness is a principle which reflects a situation whereby a person believes
that they are less at risk of experiencing a negative event compared to others. Hence, their
environment should emphasize tranquillity and portray a sense of peacefulness that would make
them at ease. On the other hand, someone who possesses the attitude of negativity biasness
believes in the notion that things of a more negative nature are bound to produce a negative
outcome. Therefore, they need an environment that allows them to feel less threatened or
exposed to the negativity around them. Based on our understanding on these principles, we have
chosen the following themes:
Zen - The term Zen in Japan means absorption and self-meditation. The architectural
style of “ Zenshuyo ” was based on the teachings of Zen. It highlights self-contemplation,
thought and intuition. This architectural style suits our chosen topic because it allows one’s mind
to self-contemplate and reflect in both positive and negative ways. Optimistic biased people will
find this environment comfortable due to its serene and private feel. While the negative biased
people can use this peaceful space to think and try to get rid of their negative mind set.
“The Optimist” a poem from D.H. Lawrence. –
“The optimist builds himself safe inside a cell
and paints the inside walls sky-blue
and blocks up the door
and says he's in heaven.”

4. This poem also relates to our design because it explains and shows the mind set of an
optimistic biased individual through a solid built form that allows us to narrow down our design
concept to something similar.
DESIGN CONCEPT
The space that we have designed is to serve as a space that both reflects the thinking of an
optimist and also a space which can ease the negativity of a pessimist. The design is based on a
cube-shaped room that is surrounded by a four-faced hanging garden with an opening that
functions as the entrance. A sliding panel door is also installed and the centre of the room will be
focused on an elevated timber floor with a separate elevated timber floor step that leads the
entrance. The elevated timber floor is because there will be a 2-feet deep water pocket that
surrounds the elevated timber floor and to bask the sense of a floating platform above the water.
This water pocket will be circulated by a water pump so the water will not be stagnant. There
will also be LED lightings installed beneath the elevated timber floor that will illuminate the
water below. All of these will be topped off with a skylight that allows natural light source to
enter the room from above.
The room is designed in a way that all the 4 walls are placed with vertical gardens,
surrounding the space inside. The greeneries greatly reflect the sense of joy and optimism as it
provides life in the designed space. Besides, the plants of the vertical garden will be creeping
upwards towards the sunroof which expresses the point of nature being a wild and positive form
that strives upwards. The skylight functions as a natural light source during the day and even
during the night which gives its occupants the feeling of pure freedom and feel as though they
are being watched over by “a piece of heaven” as they look up to sky beyond the skylight.

5. During the day, there will be reflection of the water surface due to the skylight from above which
shows inner-peace and allows one to reflect on him/herself.
Besides, the elevated timber floor and water pocket will emphasize on the Zen theme of peace
and serenity as it is floating which will bask the feeling of lightness, while the water also shows a
continuous circular movement as the pump “pushes” the water around. This circular movement
forms a centralized pattern which depicts a clear mind or inner focus of the mental state.
The view of beneath of the elevated timber floor will be hidden from the top view, so that
its occupants will feel as though they are standing/sitting on a floating platform will have its
occupants feel like they are on their own little floating haven, private and safe from all negativity
which will portray lightness. The LED lights will be lighted during the night when there is no
longer any light entering the space via the sunroof, this will illuminate the water pocket so that
its occupants can relax and ease themselves as they can only see the illuminated reflection of the
water that emphasizes serenity and calmness.
This space can also help those who are negative-biased as the room is enclosed by an
opaque wall in the form of a hanging garden which emphasizes on privacy and an enclosed mind
which blocks out all exterior negativity. The continuous movement of the water caused by the
pump will also portray the restless and unsettled mind of a negative biased individual. All in all,
the room will give a negative biased person a closed up little haven where they will not have to
worry about any negativity from the outside world.