OCD is a mental disorder driven by obsessive intrusive thoughts and repetitive compulsive actions. It is a psychological cage that traps individuals in their daily lives.

The obsessive thoughts distort perceived reality by constantly narrating a horror ending. The compulsions are, for the sick brain, a way to prevent those horror endings from manifesting. The relief brought by the compulsions lasts for a fraction of a second, making this cycle extremely addictive. Un-contamin-house is a project for the rehabilitation, through a domestic space, of an OCD patient obsessed with contamination. The project explores the possibility of a spatial compromise between the persistence of obsessive impulses and the active resistance.

In Un-contamin-house, all the patient’s belongings are exposed in the walls, meticulously separated. The open plan and absence of interior walls make the patient constantly aware and reassured of the physical separation of the objects. On the contrary, the furniture is nestled into the structure of the house, allowing for moments of full presence, where the wall-catalogue and the obsessions cannot be seen.

And when the patient feels themselves spiraling, they can walk through a labyrinth: a long, dark corridor on the first floor that takes them to an all-window veranda. The labyrinth is a univocal path: it offers no choices or possibilities for compulsive repetition. It is a meditative experience that unties the knots of intrusive thoughts.