Artist Biography
Isabel Davern is a member of Endicott College’s Class of 2021 pursuing a B.F.A. in Interior Design/Interior Architecture. From a young age, she has been fascinated by art and the natural world. She explored her love of art through drawing and painting. She explored her interest in nature by creating her own little worlds outside, whether it be a sandcastle at the beach or a fairy house in the woods. Isabel has always been very sensitive to her environment and picked up on design’s potential to be healing. During her time at Endicott, she discovered her passion for using her abilities to create sustainable healing environments after working on a project for a young boy with autism. This project showed Isabel the power of research-based design and the importance of biophilic design. She chose to continue to explore design for autism for her senior thesis, and in her research discovered a need for specialized research and design for women with autism. The project showcases her ability to design healing environments that are considerate of and influenced by nature in order to help a specific user group thrive.
Thesis Abstract
r.a.i.n.b.o. (readying autistic individuals for the next big opportunity) is a residence hall and community center on a college campus to aid young autistic women with transitioning to adulthood. the design includes a cafe, health center, performance space, educational suite, and four residential apartments supporting a total of 30 young women with autism. the r.a.i.n.b.o. program will teach secondary education courses as life skills courses, give them vocational learning opportunities, and immerse them into a community.