“My thesis explores how interior spaces can support healing — not just physically, but emotionally. Path of Balance is a trauma-informed wellness center and retreat that reimagines how we engage with rest, introspection, and care. Grounded in the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism, the design guides users through four interconnected stages: Awareness, Reflection, Hope, and Transformation. Each phase is expressed through immersive environments that respond to both body and mind using light, texture, sound, and spatial choice.The Bickford Centre, located in a high-density Toronto neighbourhood with strong Buddhist community roots, provides the foundation for this project. The design draws from its site context while responding to the mental and sensory pressures of urban life. Through adaptive reuse, the building is transformed into a space that softens the pace of the city, offering stillness where it’s needed most.Recognizing that trauma alters how people experience space, this project asks: How can interior design counteract those effects and promote healing? Rather than treating trauma as something to fix, the design embraces a healing-centered approach. It fosters autonomy, emotional safety, and sensory regulation without pathologizing the user. At its core, this is a space made to hold people gently and on their own terms. By blending biophilic design with sensory technology, the center invites users to shape their environment, move at their own pace, and reconnect with themselves in a way that feels right to them.”