UNSEEN WORLD: Propositions for a Sensing Architecture

Abstract

The methodology of multisensory design is explored in the research. Through the development of this methodology, architecture is explored here as a sensory, haptic condition. Human senses are placed at the core of the design process. This leads to the development of a richly experiential space that interacts with the senses, providing a more haptic and environmentally grounded experience.

The key methods for this multisensory design methodology are sensory model making, designing for multisensory experience, and research into sensory elements and theory. Through these models and research, different design exemplars and sensory-related experiential effects are navigated.

The project works with a haptic and sensory approach to architecture to show the benefits of design that emphasizes users’ experience and memories with space, rather than just function and form. Being in a space that engages with multiple senses provides a more profound, more rooted, and multi-layered experience, creating meaning and affect. This research project presents a multisensory approach to architectural design as a critique of the current architectural emphasis on the scopic. By incorporating haptic and sensory approaches, the research hopes to inspire an architecture that deeply connects and communicate with the communities it engages.