Towards New Connections: The Loneliness Crisis and the Interior Design as a Facilitator of Human Connections within the University of MonterreyOriginal title: Por conocernos.: Crisis de la soledad y el diseño como facilitador de conexiones humanas dentro de la Universidad de Monterrey
Original title: Por conocernos.: Crisis de la soledad y el diseño como facilitador de conexiones humanas dentro de la Universidad de Monterrey
Student Thesis:
Student thesis
Thesis
The loneliness crisis has emerged as a pressing issue in contemporary society, increasingly linked to the erosion of social skills and the reduction of interpersonal contact. According to a survey conducted by the medical insurer Cigna in 2020, this phenomenon is particularly prevalent among young people, whose social interaction time has declined by up to 70% over the past two decades. Loneliness not only undermines emotional, psychological, and physical well-being, but also challenges existing spatial configurations to evolve into environments that foster authentic human connection.
This thesis seeks to address the problem of loneliness among university students by focusing on the case of the Universidad de Monterrey. The central objective is to design three social interaction pavilions within the campus that encourage meaningful encounters, strengthen community bonds, and mitigate the effects of isolation. To achieve this, the project undertakes an in-depth analysis of the absence of interactive environments and examines how spatial conditions influence the perception and expression of loneliness.
Methodologically, the research integrates qualitative and quantitative approaches, including case studies, surveys, and user interviews. User-centered design tools are employed to generate spatial solutions that reconcile individual needs with collective dynamics, applying data-driven criteria grounded in holistic well-being.
Ultimately, this project positions design as a transformative instrument capable of revaluing public space, promoting social interaction, and contributing to the creation of environments intentionally conceived to combat loneliness. The expected outcome is the development of architectural interventions that not only reduce the environmental and social costs of isolation but also reinforce the cultural and communal identity of the university context.
This thesis seeks to address the problem of loneliness among university students by focusing on the case of the Universidad de Monterrey. The central objective is to design three social interaction pavilions within the campus that encourage meaningful encounters, strengthen community bonds, and mitigate the effects of isolation. To achieve this, the project undertakes an in-depth analysis of the absence of interactive environments and examines how spatial conditions influence the perception and expression of loneliness.
Methodologically, the research integrates qualitative and quantitative approaches, including case studies, surveys, and user interviews. User-centered design tools are employed to generate spatial solutions that reconcile individual needs with collective dynamics, applying data-driven criteria grounded in holistic well-being.
Ultimately, this project positions design as a transformative instrument capable of revaluing public space, promoting social interaction, and contributing to the creation of environments intentionally conceived to combat loneliness. The expected outcome is the development of architectural interventions that not only reduce the environmental and social costs of isolation but also reinforce the cultural and communal identity of the university context.