MANIFOLDING LABS, LLC

Mission

Manifolding Labs provides sensory- and trauma-informed design consulting to architecture firms and non-profit organizations. Combining qualitative research, evidence-based design, and creative approaches, we develop spatial solutions for mental health needs.

Issue

An estimated 1 in 11 Americans will be diagnosed with PTSD in their lifetime. An even higher population of people experience environmental sensitivity from anxiety, depression, autism, phobias, etc. Most everyday and institutional environments fail to design with these experiences in mind.

Value

Dr. Sam Grabowska has extensive experience in approaching problems through a unique hybrid of bold artistic creativity, rigorous academic research, and empathetic lived experience.

Arizona State University Art Museum - “Everything is a Little Fuzzy” - exhibition design consulting

Client’s aim with the exhibit was to select non-traditional textile art works to explore the theme of trauma, memory, and resilience. We spoke of the violence of whiteness as well as the marginalization of the feminine and domestic in institutional art spaces. To respond to these historical conditions, we focused on warm pools of light, dark walls, fuzzy pedestals, informal seating areas, and a therapeutic soundscape.

Read more about the exhibition and the community of practice here.

Other clients for consulting, workshops, and speaking engagements include:

Shopworks Architecture
Architecture Advantage
Rainbow Dome
Texas State University
Arizona State University