Artist Biography
Claire Keene is an emerging Interior Architect with a passion for craftsmanship and thoughtful design. Since she was young, she was drawn to the built environment, developing an appreciation for design while working in her family’s woodworking shop. Claire has since cultivated a deep respect for handmade furniture and custom craftsmanship, which ultimately inspired her to pursue a career in interior architecture.
Claire is particularly inspired by designs that connect to nature, bring people together, and create a sense of comfort & creativity. Through her experience in educational, residential, and senior living design, she has gained a deeper understanding of how thoughtfully designed spaces can influence how people feel, connect, and experience them. Looking ahead, she hopes to merge her background in custom craftsmanship with her passion for interior design to create spaces that are both meaningful and everlasting.
Thesis Abstract
Purpose Driven Work is a men’s mental health center with a focus on guiding men through various stages of life. Currently, men are four times more likely to die by suicide than women, but are less likely to reach out for help. Purpose Driven Work was created to make mental health support feel more approachable by meeting men where they are and encouraging progress in a way that feels comfortable and meaningful.
To help reduce suicide rates among men, the center balances traditional counseling with non-traditional therapeutic experiences throughout the space. This contributes to one of the main goals behind the design: keeping men consistently showing up for their mental health, not just for a therapy session here and there.
These non-traditional therapy spaces represent the concept of Bringing Purpose Back. For some, purpose may come from cooking dinner for their family each night until they become empty nesters. For others, it may come from being the family handyman — the person who can always fix what is broken — until they have passed on all their skills. To foster each individual’s sense of purpose, the center creates opportunities for men facing different struggles to connect, build relationships, and support one another through shared experiences. For example, the family cook may become a cooking instructor for newly single fathers learning to prepare meals for themselves and their children. The handyman may contribute to community projects while building relationships with others who share similar interests. These examples illustrate the potential of Purpose Driven Work — a place where healing extends beyond the individual to positively impact families, friendships, and the larger community. A center like this does more than bring people together; it has the potential to save lives.