Project has been listed TOP 5 and moved onto second phase for the Orange County Crime Victims' Memorial Center Competition.

‘Place Between Hurt and Reality’ is probably the name that fits this project best.

Driven by the idea to express person’s deep inner struggle fought in order to overcome pain of emotional hurt, we established several layers of developing design that represent physical manifestation of cognitive perspective towards the surrounding world of people affected by all sorts of crimes.
Of course, we started with people. Real people that could be marked as crime victims, but instead of giving them names, we turned the story to something they all have in common: the need for consolation and hope while leaving them the opportunity to expose themselves as much as they feel comfortable.
In collaboration with psychologist, concept of circle of emotions, past and future, struggle and choice is created. Cycle of suffering, as core of our design is closed circle in which clash between flow of life (positive emotions such as optimism, joy, happiness, hope) and negative self (negative thoughts and emotions: pain, anger, unfairness, resentment, loneliness, inferiority) occurs. Only one’s choice to let go of harbored negativity offers path of healing and possibility to embrace life in all of it’s best.
Six intersected circles as basis of the concept are placed on the site with intention to create nested ambient partly hidden from the outside views. Creating place that represents shelter, hidden and reserved for those who need it most asks for modest shaping of the space that allows site to breathe. There are two paths on site. The one that represents inclined path of pain leads from hidden entrance, that stands for suppressed emotions, down to the garden of life bloomed in trees and flowers, with opening view towards the lake. The other one is circle that climbs towards the wall of life imagined partly as part of cycle of suffering and partly representing path of healing that stands behind the wall as everything that waits for a person who overcomes emotional barrier of pain caused by emotional hurt.
Visual dynamic on the site is achieved by changing heights and depths of paths defined by two walls –black one that leads the path of pain and bright one that cuts and opens towards the eastern sun. The entire composition is nested into the ground with just one dominant element visible from all over the park – THE WALL. Wall itself represents emotional barrier that prevents person from seeing what’s behind the wall, and yet the crack that exists between two walls opens view towards green oasis enriched with Lilley of the Valley path that symbolizes happiness and rebirth. And in the middle gathering venue for up to 1000 people is placed.
Furthermore, with intention to symbolically show the human strength gabions are used to cover for stability with steel construction and fragility with stone pieces. This served well as constructive solution since retaining wall was needed ,and at the same time it allowed additional experimenting with lights that hidden inside the wall shine out through the rocks.
Even though it is originally imagined as shelter, grandiosity of the design defined it to be a monument, but with carefully shaped details it is human scaled place for contemplation with apparent feel of distance with paths that bring people closer together.