In an article titled “What Happened to Downtime? The Extinction of Deep Thinking & Sacred Space,” author Scott Belsky talks about the loss of the freedom which comes with being disconnected, lamenting:

“…despite the incredible power and potential of sacred spaces, they are quickly becoming extinct. We are depriving ourselves of every opportunity for disconnection. And our imaginations suffer the consequences.”

Many of the recent projects seen in academia and design blogs seem to point to a culture that idolizes a life that is highly connected.  However, it seems as though there is a great need in ALL of our lives for a place of respite where we can shield ourselves from being bombarded with varying spectrum of digital frequencies, untangle our bodies from the swarm of wires connecting our “iGadgets” to the greater world beyond.  If not for the betterment of our physical health but also for the preservation of our own sanity.

Perhaps it is worth starting the conversation in academia, profession and the blogs about the nature of sacred spaces in our built environment, domestic and public alike, in order to address a true social necessity that architects CAN affect directly.

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