Multisensory architecture Compiled by- Ar. Akbar Khan
Introduction Let's start from the basic, What comes to your mind when you think of the term architecture? ‌May be Buildings, facades etc. Well for me, architecture is a process, where imagination is converted into reality, a healthy conversation between a space and its user. Remark-ability of a space is set by how useful it has been proved for its users, how well it functions. Architecture of a space should be able to capture the feeling of the users with so ease, comfort and relaxation that it attracts them to experience the space again. That's when architecture of a space is proved useful for users. To achieve it in a space an architect should understand and deliver the function of it's user to gain maximum good experiences. As it is said body and mind are not two different things but the same thing combined together. So when a body is moving through a space, or experiencing a space it's just not the body moving there but the mind also which visualizing or interpreting the data of the experience is gained by the space!!! Space has different meaning for everyone. In case of an architect, space is something which is manmade and also which is natural it is both inside and outside the building it could be divided or could be created , within which all things can move or exists!!! When it finally makes to evoke different feelings in a human being then it is called an architectural space. Whether it is the materials, paths, landscaping, entrances, placement of structures and spaces by understanding the needs of the user. We architects mostly design things which is visually good and attractive leading the users to experience it visually or maybe by touching it or feeling it.
When there is more than a visual approaches to architecture of a space, which includes activeness of all the five senses of a human body then it is said to be multisensory architecture. "The impact of architecture on a person's mood is huge, arguably these are the fundamental of architecture: not how it looks but how we feel it, through the way it allows us to act, behave, think and reflect".
Senses Says Dr Melanie Dodd, program director of spatial practices at Central St. Martins art School. Multisensory architecture is the language of interaction between human beings and the built environment by using all our five senses. There are basically 5 types of senses.
Sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch.
SIGHT-
It is the most dominant sense which allows us to see through our eyes it helps to measure depth, identify color, texture, height...etc around us. It absorbs the visual quality of a space. It is also capable of stimulating other senses in our body. Architects focused only on the appearance of the building or space which has
been the priority since we started creating built up structure, there is unfortunate gap between other senses of human body and buildings to communicate by all senses to understand the built environment specially to feel the space. In fact we have developed all the software and presentation techniques to support the visual impact of the space. Sometimes this visual preference of built up structure have biasness instead of focusing on the function and sensitization of spaces through which we walk.
SMELL-
Usage of this sense is done by our nose, which allows us to smell whether it is bad or good, pleasant or not, smell has the strongest connection with the memory therefore it leaves some image with the kind of smell we experience. Every space has its own smell that defines it's properties. Which act as a powerful tool to identify .To remake an image of the past or memory smell plays an important role, if we want to give a sense of tragedy , happiness, fear, we can put fragrances which connects your memory to them and it moves us to that feeling. Smell can capture you in space to sit and think or enjoy the space, and opposite to it can make you uncomfortable in a space to sit or move. smell of wood, soil, flowers, fabrics can connect us to nature and make space vibrant and comfortable for us. Smell of varnishes, polish, paint, can connect to the memory or space in which you are moving, specially it goes to your subconscious mind and your body act according to the signals generated in your mind. HEARING-
Hearing is done by ears which allow us to detect vibrations and sounds present around us. It has an ability to please a mind via if it is soothing also to make a human body distress if it is loud and noisy. Controlling the acoustics of a space in relation to a human body plays a huge role in developing the space. Without viewing the space or we can say a blind person can have the understanding of spaces by reflected sound and echo produced in space. It can tell the volume of space from narrow to large, near to far. Our senses can identify that there is a space behind us if we didn’t saw it yet because of the sensation of sound on our eardrum. If we want to create the curiosity for a hidden space , we just have to create a passage for sound toward our eardrum and we can easily
sense the space without seeing. Acoustics can tell us the value of space, if some people are sitting around a table and discussion is not noisy so human sense will tell you to move in that space until there is an invitation, opposite to it if there is noisy space so our senses does not give a signal to stop by moving in space. TASTE-
This allows us to sense -hot, cold, sour, sweet or to develop a taste via using our tongue also known as oral sensation. This is a sensitive transfer between touch and taste experiences. Taste is generated when there is combined action of nose and tongue. It is also said that visual sensation also collaborates with the oral sensation. Our mind usually forms an image, remembers it by its smell and then develops its taste. A texture or rendering material can create a metallic taste or salty taste by looking at it or by smelling the material. Some images and texture or smell can fill your mouth with saliva, which gives a long term impact to your conscious or subconscious mind.
TOUCH-
We feel touch with our skin it helps us to sense what is in contact of our body also known as tactile sense which is capable of recognizing texture, temperature of an object. The interpretation of light and color also relates to the "touch or tactile" sense. Touch on a solid object, for example staircase handrail can give you the feeling of comfort as well uncomfortable it depends on the texture carved on it. A soft fabric of sofa can make you sit on it for hours in comparison to poor nylon fabric which creates heat by rubbing your body or hand on it. Wrong selected tile in washroom under your naked feet makes us uncomfortable during bathing it gives a sense of slip or created fear of falling on ground. Our mind collects the knowledge by these senses and makes
a conclusion by processing it, we can put an thought or feeling by using the texture or temperature in surrounding environment. These senses are different from each other yet they influence each other, the term multisensory broadens when these different senses are put together for the inhibition of the senses.
To understand the senses better we have the "five senses graph". By Jinsop lee. In which you grade each one of them on the scale of 1-10 on the basis of how much did they effect you. The activities are listed below, visualize it and feel its impact on your senses and mark accordingly on the graph. 1) -Thunderstorm
Image source- https://soundcloud.com/juliette-coates/thunderstorm
Image source- Self developed graph on the theories of Jinsop lee
2) - Thunderstorm + rain
Image source- https://cdn.kalingatv.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/rn-t.jpg
Image source- Self developed graph on the theories of Jinsop lee
3) - Reading a book
Image source- https://www.techinasia.com/talk/10-books-inspired-build-unicorn-company
Image source- Self developed graph on the theories of Jinsop lee
4) Watching movie
Image source- https://hexus.net/ce/features/audio-visual/112052-qotw-how-prefer-watch-movies-2d-3d/
Image source- Self developed graph on the theories of Jinsop lee
This activity clearly indicates that whenever there is an involvement of more than a particular kind of sensation in an activity, the experience of a human body is higher in terms of multisensory experience. leading it to interpret the data more correctly for us to recall.
Even if there is a complete absence of any one of the senses then it gives birth to the enhancement of rest of the sensory experiences. This kind of experiences or activity in which most of the senses are involved lasts long!!! In the same way if involvement of these senses could be used in our designs, understanding the basic human body characters and its need for the comfort and relaxation in a space can make experiences of a design last long!!! And Remarkable.
Multisensory architecture through architectural examples It is necessary for architects to study the various existing building so we can collect those elements which engage our all senses when we walk or use those spaces and to apply those elements in buildings which have been missing during the design processes. An example from Laurie Baker designs is known as Centre for development studies Trivandrum. Site is contour based land , Architect designed structure as organic whole with site levels, it includes Library, Computer centre, Auditorium, hostels, guesthouses and residential units for the staff.
Image source- ( http://arkistudentscorner.blogspot.com/2011/05/laurie-bakers-centre-for-development.html)
Structure is a masterpiece of brickwork, straight and curves walls with exposed brick work in and outside. Structure are fused with existing trees. Brickwork has its own natural texture, when fused with the rain it generates a fragrance and creates its own identity in air when you take a walk in that volume.
Image source- ( http://arkistudentscorner.blogspot.com/2011/05/laurie-bakers-centre-for-development.html)
When wind blows through these spaces there is rustling of leaves and a sound which we can say that sound is generated by air when it passes through the jail, it creates another identity for us through hearing and understanding of volume through acoustics.
Image source- ( http://arkistudentscorner.blogspot.com/2011/05/laurie-bakers-centre-for-development.html)
Sensitization of space through light received by our eye and heat feel by our skin. These spaces have also the fragrance of wooden furniture, varnishes and paint on window frames which create a memory through our senses and sometimes absorbed by our conscious and subconscious mind.
Discussion and conclusion- senses are the foundation which plays an important role to collect the knowledge for humans and our brain process that data which is collected by those senses and connects them with previous collected data and generates memories, results and conclusions. Human body is a composition of these senses , when we walk through a space it is not just an eye it is a complete body which collect information through all sensors, it is our role to design such spaces and buildings which should be able to engage all senses of humans and we should be able to design such spaces and choose those materials which should be able to speak the story of building or space or the philosophy of architect.
References1. Peter-WillemVermeesch. Less vision, More Senses - Towards a Multisensory Approach in Architecture. 2. https://www.coa.gov.in/show_img.php?fid=148 3. Maclachlan, D L C. Philosophy of Perception. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1989. 4. Dawkins, Rachel. Engaging Sensibilities: An exploration into Architectural Techniques for Multisensory Environments, New Zealand. 5. https://soundcloud.com/juliette-coates/thunderstorm, https://cdn.kalingatv.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/rn-t.jpg, https://www.techinasia.com/talk/10-books-inspired-build-unicorn-company, https://hexus.net/ce/features/audio-visual/112052-qotw-how-prefer-watch-movies-2d-3d/ http://arkistudentscorner.blogspot.com/2011/05/laurie-bakers-centre-for-development.html)