Artist Biography
Sarah Taylor is an emerging designer from Fall River, Massachusetts, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Architecture from Endicott College. Throughout her academic career, she has been recognized on the Dean’s List all four years, reflecting her strong commitment to both design excellence and academic achievement. Sarah has gained professional experience through three internships, including a semester-long internship with OTJ Architects in Boston, where she developed her skills in collaborative, real-world design environments. Her work is driven by a passion for mental health and well-being in design, with a focus on creating environments that support individual experience and well-being. Through her work, she explores how thoughtful spatial design can foster comfort, control, and healing. Sarah is deeply grateful for her friends, family, and professors for their continued support and encouragement throughout her journey.
Thesis Abstract
Pearl is a multimodal center for mental health and well-being. Inspired by the poetry book Make Believe by Victoria Hutchins, this project explores how we can design a center that offers immediate connection, fosters hope & provides an opportunity for individuals to partake in passive/active journeys to improve well-being and overall understanding of mental health.
The building is organized as a vertical journey, expressed through a central stair that connects three key layers: community and education, passive reflection, and active engagement. The first level emphasizes connection and education, recognizing that social interaction and educational experiences can reduce isolation and increase self-awareness. The second level introduces restorative, passive experiences that provide an emotionally safe starting point for individuals to slow down, observe, and process their emotions through storytelling and reflection. The third level supports active engagement, where individuals choose to participate in therapeutic practices that foster expression, connection, and personal growth. The project reframes passive and active experiences as complementary rather than hierarchical, forming a continuous cycle of learning and healing. By offering multiple ways to engage, the environment supports individual agency, allowing healing journeys to be shaped by personal needs and preferences. Creative modalities—including art, narrative, music, and movement—are translated into both passive and active experiences that encourage exploration, self-discovery, and emotional connection.
This project seeks to reimagine what mental health spaces can be, with a goal to make healing more accessible, less intimidating, and more aligned with the diverse ways people experience and express their mental health. Also to remind individuals that even small moments can hold meaning and that reasons to continue living can be found in everyday experiences.