The Blur Spa Located in Manhattan, New York was project given to create a spa designed after one of many different traditional spa types. The spa chosen was a Japanese Onsen hot springs. The traditions of the Onsen hot spring experience were very important in the design and were modernized from what is normally a natural outdoors within nature experience to a modern indoors city experience.

To start the project the experimentation of mixing materials was used. For this particular project, wax, and cork were used. Using spacial terms as many as 20 models were made to create abstract forms. To create an even more abstract view of looking at these models, they were placed on a computer scanner and photographed from a different view. Once these new views were taken they were placed into a matrix describing spacial areas in a spa. From looking at the photos and matrix the concept idea of blur came up.

To create the space of the spa the idea of blur and blending everything together was a very strong concept. Not only was the architecture blurred but the Onsen Hot Spring spa was blurred. When creating the architecture, fast drawings were sketched up creating minimal lines and walls. Once the quick drawings were drawn the best one was chosen. From there trying to define area but without walls was a challenge. Any walls that were placed would not reach the ceiling and would them self blend in with the floor. Any walls that did reach the ceiling were for purpose or privacy. To stay with the blurred idea, anywhere full walls were needed they were used with glass to keep with the idea.

In the traditions of the Onsen Spa, sexes are separated through out the entire experience. Modernizing the spa and blurring the traditions, in this particular spa sexes are not only together but bath and dress in the same area. When looking from one area of the spa to another, the areas are supposed to blur together and create a unified experience.