Boundaries, Transitions, Skin

B O U N DA R I E S TRANSITIONS SKI N

CONTENTS Boundaries Attributes of boundaries Defining space Tangible boundaries Transitions Evolving boundaries Interfacing with boundaries Skin Natural role models

BOUND

DARIES The word divide, quite accurately describes the many aspects of boundaries.

Essentially, by a division, a boundary establishes a within and without, and by this, dichotomies emerge. Contrast in scale and intimacy is one such dichotomy. In the book The Poetics of Space by phenomenologist Gaston Bachelard, the boundary of a house is described to be a “vital space” in which we inhabit, in a “corner of the world”1. The vast contrast in the connotations of the words corner versus world, highlights this difference of intimacy and scale behind this notion of within and without.

1 Bachelard, G. (1958) Poetics of Space, 1994 Ed. Beacon Press. Pg. 4.

6

2

The cabin in the mountains and the apartment in the city 1

1 2

1 http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/86510513/Comstock-Images 2 http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/84739454/Photonica

7

ATTRIBUTES OF BOUNDARIES Through the dichotomies established by boundaries, physical and phenomenological attributes of boundaries can be analysed. This deconstruction of boundaries was conducted on two distinct axes, namely scale and intimacy.

OF SCALE The first impression of Bachelard’s description of a “corner of the world”, would quite naturally be the vast difference in scale between the image of a “corner” and “world”.

Physically, the construction of a boundary serves as a delimiter of space.

Boundaries form a dynamic and ever growing fractal with the world as a canvas, encapsulating spaces within spaces. As we transit in and out through these boundaries we transit through changes in physical scale. The axis of physical scale could then be drawn as an axis radiating from the centre of our human bodies, increasing to fill this world (Fig. 2.1).

Psychologically, the experience of the scale of spaces is far more complex than this model with the body in the centre. The cabin on a mountain side, dwarfed by the immensity of its location, may seem much smaller than an apartment in the centre of a city, which may be spacious in the cramped urban condition.

Bachelard describes this experience of contradictions using the season of winter; “we feel warm, because it is cold out-of-doors”, “nests will be all the warmer, all the downier, all the better beloved...”1. This example serves to illustrate the experience of the scale of boundaries, not through geometrical quantities, but through the difference between the within and without. Bachelard, in his discourse on the dialectics of outside and inside, mentions “everything, even size, is a human value”, and that “miniature can accumulate size, it is vast in its way”2.

Phenomenologically, the axis of scale could be drawn radiating inwards into

1 Bachelard, G. (1958) Poetics of Space, 1994 Ed. Beacon Press. Pg. 39.

2 Bachelard, G. (1958) Poetics of Space, 1994 Ed. Beacon Press. Pg. 215.

8

Fig. 2.1 Axis of Scale, radiating from the Self Fig. 2.2 Axis of Scale, radiating into the Self

9

our self (Fig. 2.2). The scale defined by a boundary could be qualified by the experience of the space defined by the boundary. Digital memory, for example, is an invention which defies many physical conventions of scale. The physical boundaries of digital memory devices (smart mobile devices, laptop computers etc.) are constantly shrinking, yet, the digital space in which they contain is expanding exponentially. Especially when we use the Internet with these devices, we manipulate a physical boundary smaller than us, but enter into a digital space far bigger. Books, a more archaic example, have the same effect as well; the phrase to be absorbed in one’s reading describes this phenomena.

The attribute of scale when applied to boundaries, can not be qualified merely in the physical aspect. The phenomenological qualities of boundaries does affect the experience of scale, more so than physical measurements. When we look at figure 2.2, we see the notion of closeness, or intimacy, with regard to the experience of boundaries.

OF INTIMACY Perhaps a more precise axis in our deconstruction of boundaries would be the axis of intimacy. This scale of intimacy remains insightful in its subjectiveness, allowing us to explore the phenomenological aspect of boundaries.

The intimacy of boundaries could be imagined to be the degree which our being fills the space. In the comforts of a familiar boundary, we “loosen up”, and inhabit the space. The most intimate boundary, the bedroom, for example, becomes an extension of our skin, and we embrace and inhabit the space within. On the other hand, unfamiliar boundaries suppresses our urge to inhabit its space. We develop a response akin to claustrophobia. We become a discrete entity within that unfamiliar boundary. The experience of standing in a public elevator with strangers could be an example of this phenomena. Within the confines of this foreign boundary, the individual protectively pulls his being inward; what fills this space instead is a palpable sense of awkwardness.

The intimacy of a boundary affects the quality of its use. An example to illustrate this would be the ubiquitous coffee cup, a boundary that interfaces with our touch. 1) A disposable coffee cup from the vending machine could be seen as an alien boundary and one which we are quick to dispose. 2) The ceramic cup at a neighbourhood café is quite platonic, and we enjoy its use as part of the whole experience in the café. 3) The coffee mug we use at our work desk is one which we are comfortable with, an object which keeps us company while we work. 4) Lastly, the cup of coffee at home which we wake up to every morning can be described as an intimate object ingrained in our lives.

The intimate nature of the coffee cup illustrated in the last example has a certain quiet quality. It is an intimacy formed through use and habit, and quite likely

10

A

B

alien

comfortable Scale of intimacy across different boundaries

Gestalt Psychology The phonosemantics association of the words takete and maluma to the shapes above, as experimented by psychologist Wolfgang Köhler in 19291. Most participants in the experiment associated the shape A as takete and shape B as maluma, indicating the brain’s ability to abstract semantic properties from shapes and sounds. This is further explained by Köhler, with gestalt psychology’s theory of the brain’s self organizing tendencies.

The same principle was used to develop a symbology for the intimacy of boundaries. A gradient of rectilinear to elliptical forms correlates to increasing levels of intimacy, and thus represents the different levels of intimacy observed in boundaries.

1 Köhler, W. (1947) Gestalt Psychology, 2nd Ed. New York: Liveright.

11

one that would be taken for granted. Super Normal, an exhibition of everyday items conceived by industrial designers Naoto Fukasawa and Jasper Morrison, describes how the habitual use of a humble object polishes it over and over, revealing a hidden quality within that object that forms a relationship with the user3. Peter Zumthor, using the word atmospheres, details how architecture, through materiality, sound and touch subtly affects the quality of a space4.

In both Super Normal objects and Zumthor’s architecture, we sense an aspect within design beyond aesthetics, or function, or form. Super Normal brings to our attention the object-user relationship forged through time and use, while Peter Zumthor emphasizes on the atmospheres formed by an object.

When we look at objects through the subject of boundaries, perhaps intimacy is this hidden modality we are looking for.

3 Fukasawa N. Morrison J. (2008) Super Normal. Lars Müller.

4 Zumthor P. (2006) Atmospheres. Birkhäuser.

12

living space

dining space

entertainment space

Fig. 3.1 Boundaries as a Locus for Furniture in a Living Space

face that encapsulates

face that excludes

Fig. 3.2 The two faces of all boundaries

13

DEFINING SPACE In the previous exposition on the attributes of boundaries, the terms boundaries and space were used rather interchangeably. This seemingly lax distinction between the two terms, actually stems from the inextricable relationship between boundaries and space.

The conventional definition, or perception of space, is that of a void, blank, or unoccupied area1. Space, experientially and phenomenologically, is far more complex, and we inhabit this world by moving in and out of a wide spectrum of spaces, each designed for a distinct purpose. The distinction then, between spaces, is created by the boundaries that surround them; the essence of a space can be derived from its boundary. Simply put, boundaries define space.

EXPERIENCING SPACE Experiencing space would seem contradictory if we define space to be a void.

In fact the affordance of a void, the emptiness of space, is only made possible through the boundary that defines the space. The experience of space therefore is possible through the experience of the boundary that defines it.

Boundaries encapsulate space. When we enter into a room we first feel the limits defined by the boundary. The boundary creates a focal point for our gaze and experiences within the space. “The geometry of thought echoes the geometry of the room” - this sentiment was echoed in the book Eyes of the Skin2. In the same book, it mentions “we stroke the boundaries of space with our ears”3.

Boundaries are the reflectors and diffusers of sound and light. The boundary of a room multiplies light, illuminating the space within. Boundaries, like the walls of a musical instrument, also transforms sounds4. Natural sunlight, the warmth of an incandescent bulb, our conversations, the white noise outside the house, all reflect off the boundary of our living space, filling its void. Physical manifestations of memory and sentimentality like photographs, art, reminders, are often anchored onto the boundaries of our living space. The intimacy of a space, is thus the product of the boundary.

1 2 3 4

Space, as defined by the New Oxford American Dictionary.

Pallasmaa J. (2005) Eyes of the Skin. Wiley-Academy. Pg. 45.

Pallasmaa J. (2005) Eyes of the Skin. Wiley-Academy. Pg. 49.

Zumthor P. (2006) Atmospheres. Birkhäuser. The Sound of a Space Pg. 29.

14

Double Walled Symbology A boundary defines two spaces.

Superimposing the scale of intimacy onto itself derives a grid of double walled symbols.

This symbols illustrate the wide range of dichotomies in terms of intimacy, when we look at boundaries.

15

The boundary is the physical, and also the psychological locus of the space it defines. Boundaries limits the physical definition of a space, and it also enclose our experiences within the confines of the space. This is evident when we look at our homes. The boundaries of our living spaces serve as a locus for furniture, in particular the storage facilities of shelves and wardrobes, which in turn serve as anchor points for other objects we place within the space. When furniture is placed contrary to this, we observe that they create a boundary within the space.

Dividing shelves, sofas, dining tables, divides our living space into sub-spaces with discrete purposes (Fig. 3.1).

WITHIN AND WITHOUT A boundary defines two spaces, the within, and without. Just as how the space inside is experienced by the boundary that encapsulates, our experience of the space outside is defined by the boundary that excludes (Fig. 3.2).

The boundary that encapsulates, limits our gaze and provides a focal point for the space within. The experience of the boundary that excludes on the other hand, is far more complicated.

The boundary that excludes defines the space outside in relation to the space within. The walls of medieval castle are built to deter invaders and protect the inhabitants within. Similarly, the faรงade of Gothic cathedrals were designed to create a sense of awe in the worshippers before they entered the church. Along the lines of architecture, we observe that the experience of the urban space would be defined by all the faรงades that communicate to us.

Our object-scape illustrates the complex nature of the boundaries that exclude as well. In the example of a kitchen, our experience of the space is not only governed by the walls and cupboards that define its space, but also the all the utensils, vessels, and equipment that dialogue with us in the space. Their materiality and affordances affect our experience of the kitchen space.

When we experience space, we thus experience not only the boundary that encapsulates us, but also the collective influence of the boundaries that exclude.

The boundary of an object possesses this dialectics of encapsulating and excluding. We see that a boundary, more than a mere wall that segregates, serves to define both the space inside and outside; it forms the focal point of the spaces within and without.

We will examine the dichotomy of within and without established by the boundary of objects in the following examples.

16

DICHOTOMY OF BOUNDARIES

Macbook Pro Unibody

Laptop computers have entrenched themselves in our lives, not only as machines we use for work, but also as a medium for our social interactions and a place we store our memories. The thoughtfully designed exterior interface of the Macbook Pro unibody presents itself as an intimate object, a digital chest we are happy to pour our lives into.

In contrast to the quiet exterior, the interior of the Macbook Pro unibody consists of a complicated metal framework, organizing and securing the mess of electronics. Its utilitarian nature is certainly alien to the unknowing user, absorbed in his dialogue with the intimate exterior.

1

Clothing

The clothes we don everyday is an apt case study for the examination of the dichotomy established by a boundary. The inner face of our clothing, in constant direct contact with our body, naturally forms an intimate relationship with us. The outer face of our clothes on the other hand, projects different degrees of intimacy. The intimate image of lingerie, to the comfortable image of our personal couture, to the professional image of our business attire, and the homogenous image of uniforms, these project a whole spectrum of intimacies to the onlooker.

1    http://static3.slamxhype.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/yohji-yamamoto-spring-summer-2010-collection-5.jpg

17

Diary

The diary is an archetype we are familiar with. The diary communicates its affordances clearly, and in fact three of the six faces of a diary are formed by the edges of its interior pages. Within this diary, we immediately delve into an intimate space. Here in this space we see the thoughts of a person translated onto these pages through his own writing and sketches. The ubiquity of the outer shell of a diary masks its intimate contents.

2

Disposable Drink Packaging

The disposal drink packaging is one example to illustrate the dilemma of temporary boundaries. In its dormant state the object contains the drink which fills the interior of the packaging. The purpose of the boundary ceases to exist when the drink is consumed, and what remains is an empty shell; a boundary encapsulating nothing. These boundaries shift quickly into a state of alienation, from a drink we enjoy to an object we are eager to discard. This boundary which has lost its internal purposes becomes rubbish; a trace of consumerism.

Construction Site Hoardings

The construction site hoardings form a temporary boundary of an architectural object. The transient nature of these boundaries often manifest themselves in hastily constructed walls to separate the public from the worksite. Often, these boundaries only serve to segregate the physical space of within and without; the poor construction of these boundaries leaks the chaos of the work site outwards, and the experience of the space without is strongly associated to the space within.

2  http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/57301871

18

1

1

1    Excerpt of works from Haptic exhibition. From top left, clockwise, breathing remote control by panasonic design, fruit juice packaging by Naoto Fukasawa, high-five gel door knob by Toyo Ito, geta clogs by Shuhei Hasado.

19

TANGIBLE BOUNDARIES Tangible, refers to the mode of an object that is perceptible by touch1. This short definition in fact, is a primer for our investigation into the experience of the tangible. Touch and perception, are the two aspects of this definition which are worth investigating.

The categorization of the bodily senses into five distinct realms, is an amputation of the highly interrelated and sensitive nature of our senses. In Kenya Hara’s exposition on haptic, he describes stimuli as an event on our skin. Light on the retina, air vibrating the ear drum, surfaces that caress our skin, our body touches and makes tangible these stimuli. Perception then, refers to the transformation of these stimuli into meaningful interpretations. The phenomena of tangible, is therefore the transformation of these haptic stimuli into perceived meaning.

Our experience of boundaries, and this intimacy between the boundary and us, is the dialogue between our senses and the boundary. In this chapter, we would look at the tangible nature of boundaries, and the relationship between our senses and perceptions of boundaries.

MATERIALITY The boundary is the focal point for our experience of a space. The boundary of reflects the ambience of a space, and it is this boundary that stimulates our senses. Its materiality dialogues with us, stimulating our senses in different ways.

The haptic exhibition2, showcases objects designed to stimulate the senses.

Given the theme of haptic, it is no surprise then that many of the designers chose to focus on the materiality of the object’s boundary. A remote control that breathes, juice packaging that bears a resemblance to the skin of the fruit, a squeezable door knob, geta clogs that lets you walk on moss; these are a few examples of the designs that communicates haptic through the materiality of the object’s boundary. The attraction we feel towards these objects, lies in the uncanny association of material with the object’s purpose. This stimulates our senses, refining our perceptions on these common objects.

1 Tangible, as defined by the New Oxford American Dictionary.

2 Hara K. (2008) Designing Design. Lars Müller. Pg. 68.

20

physical

tangible

psychological

Tangible Boundaries

1

1

1 Therme Vals. Zumthor P. (2006) Atmospheres. Birkhäuser.

21

The materiality of the boundary was the key consideration while Peter Zumthor designed therme vals, a thermal bath hotel in Switzerland.

“Mountain, stone, water – building in the stone, building with the stone, into the mountain, building out of the mountain, being inside the mountain – how can the implications and the sensuality of the association of these words be interpreted, architecturally?”3

The result is a piece of architecture that merges with its environment; an object that transcends age and its physicality.

NOSTALGIC BOUNDARIES We learn and remember the different concept of boundaries. The image in our minds of a home for example, is an image gradually constructed from our experiences of all the houses we have inhabited in. A image of a home, is not just the image of the present house we inhabit in, but the collective memory of all the dwellings we have inhabited in. Bachelard describes this phenomena of the image of home, as “a group of organic habits”, and “the house we were born in has engraved within us the hierarchy of the various functions of inhabiting”4. Peter Zumthor too, in his book Thinking Architecture, reminisced about the kitchen in his childhood home, and describes this sense of nostalgia in architecture, saying “the atmosphere of this room is insolubly linked with my idea of a kitchen”5.

These memories and images of boundaries build upon each other. We experience this sense of déjà vu when these images are stimulated within us.

When we see workers setting up construction barriers outside our home, our past experience of these boundaries conjures up the experience of constructions sites before even physically experiencing this new site. This reflexive memory is particularly obvious when we look at cars. The position of the driver’s seat is so ingrained in our habit and memory, that we often find ourselves in the “wrong” seat while driving in another country. The physical boundary of any car is inextricably associated to the image of the car’s boundary in our minds.

THE IMAGE OF BOUNDARIES Boundaries exists psychologically as much as they exist physically. On this subject of tangible boundaries, it is essential to investigate the translation of physical boundaries to the image of the boundary in our mind, as well as 3 Quote from Peter Zumthor, http://www.archdaily.com/13358/the-therme-vals/.

4 Bachelard, G. (1958) Poetics of Space, 1994 Ed. Beacon Press. Pg. 15.

5 Zumthor P. (2006) Thinking Architecture. Birkhäuser. A Way of Looking at Things. Pg. 7.

22

The yellow line and the gates

1

2

12

1 http://train-photos.com.s3.amazonaws.com/10590.jpg 2 http://www.flickr.com/photos/haynes/389782601/sizes/l/in/photostream/

23

the image we have on boundaries and how they transform actual physical boundaries.

This image we have of boundaries is formed not only from the physical boundary, but also from our past recollections and sensations of similar boundaries. As mentioned, the tangible nature of the boundary is established when we perceive what our senses touch. As such, just like how the experience of the boundaries scale cannot be geometrically measured, the tangibility of a boundary is not linearly related to its physical make-up.

The mass rapid transit (MRT) system in Singapore provides us with one such phenomena. The MRT system goes both above-ground and underground.

The above-ground platforms are separated from the tracks with a yellow line painted on the floor, while the underground stations have floor-to-ceiling gates to separate the tracks from the platform. We can observe that the simple yellow line of above-ground stations, keeps people much further away from the tracks than the underground stations’ gates. In fact in the underground station we observe many commuters leaning against the walls that separate the track from the platform. The yellow line though less physical, is a more tangible boundary for deterring commuters from the tracks compared to the physical gates.

The boundary is both the physical and psychological limit of a space. The physicality of a boundary, together with the image of the boundary, is translated into the tangible boundary which we experience. Our perception of a space, is therefore formed through our interpretation of our senses stimulated by the boundary; our experience of space, is the experience of the tangible boundary.

TRANS ∆

∆ : change and transition

ITIONS Boundaries divide, and in this division define a within and without. With this divide, dichotomies are established between the boundaries. Part of our experience with boundaries, is this experience of change. We experience this change as we transit between the inside and outside defined by the boundary, and we also experience this change of the boundary through the passage of time and use.

This chapter on transitions, investigates this multidimensional experience of change created by the phenomena of boundaries.

26

1

1

1 http://www.thememagazine.com/uploads/images/stories/naoto_fukasawa/full_01.jpg

27

EVOLVING BOUNDARIES Evolve, is described to be a process of developing gradually, especially from a simple to a more complex form1. Boundaries evolve over time, and this transition affects the intimacy between us and the boundary. We can observe the evolution of boundaries over the passage of time and use.

BOUNDARIES AND THE PASSAGE OF TIME The empty shell of a house is transformed into a home when we inhabit in it.

This evolution of a house to a home occurs in the course of our inhabitance, the intimacy between the home and its inhabitant changes during this duration.

In describing the phenomena of nests, Bachelard speaks of this evolution of the boundaries we inhabit. The nest starts with the hard twigs and material which the male bird brings. The female, on the inside, presses against the inner walls of the nest with her small body again and again, smoothening the inside to a soft felt-like padding. After the nest has been made inhabitable, the eggs are careful concealed within. The offsprings inhabit in this nest with their parents.

Eventually, the nest is evacuated and returns to an empty shell2. We can draw this parallel between the nest and the home we inhabit in observing the evolution of boundaries of our home.

Our boundaries evolve with use over the passage of time. We handle a new mobile phone gingerly, taking care not to blemish its clean boundary. Through use, our hands polish this boundary, and we grow accustom to the object’s feel while at the same time the object’s boundary evolves with our touch. Over time, the object’s boundary loses its pristine qualities, growing more human through our use.

Naoto Fukasawa, one of the designers behind the design philosophy of Super Normal, designed a mobile phone inspired by the facets of a freshly cut potato.

By translating the comfortable feel of the blunt edges of the cut potato to the shell of a mobile phone, a haptic and nostalgic boundary, uncannily human to the touch, is thereby created.

1 Evolve, as defined by the New Oxford American Dictionary.

2 Bachelard, G. (1958) Poetics of Space, 1994 Ed. Beacon Press. Pg. 101.

28

1

1

1 http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/recycle-royalty-free-image/93910878

29

BOUNDARIES AND USE A boundary in fact conjures two distinct images. One image would be the physical nature of the boundary. Its materiality dialogues with our senses, stimulating and evoking a response from them. The other image would be the associations it conjures and message it communicates to us. These form the meaning we derive from the boundary.

The physical and psychological aspects of a boundary form the tangible boundary that we experience, and as these aspects change over use, so does the intimacy between the boundary and us.

An empty diary illustrates this evolution of a boundary through use. The crisp cover and pages of a new diary offers a clean slate. The intimacy we feel for the diary grows as we fill the pages with our writings and thoughts, as the pages wear with our touch.

Our living spaces evolve over use as well. The boundaries of our living space, like an instrument, play to different tunes. The reverberation of conversations of guests and friends, the soft rustle of bedsheets deep in the night, to the bright bustle of crockery and running water in the morning - these variations of physical and psychological qualities of our living space creates varying tangible atmospheres, reflected and contained by its boundary.

In the last example of boundaries and the passage of use, we shall examine the dilemma of temporary boundaries. The incongruity in the term lies in the fact that often, the temporal nature of such boundaries lies only within either its physical or psychological realm. Packaging, a temporary boundary used in many consumer products, has purpose only when it encapsulates its object. When we have removed an object from its box, or consumed the contents of a canned drink, what is left is a physical wrapping devoid of purpose; packaging as a boundary, is only temporal is the psychological and not in the physical realm. Our intimacy and experience of the boundary changes drastically over its use.

30

1

A comparison of images projected by construction site boundaries situated among residential estates

1

1  http://pingmag.jp/2008/04/21/constructional-fence/

31

INTERFACING WITH BOUNDARIES The boundary possesses a face that encapsulates and the a face that excludes.

By establishing this dichotomy, the boundary forms the natural interface between the within and without.

PROJECTING THE OTHER SIDE The boundary is a mediator of the spaces within and without. The first interface, would therefore be how it communicates the nature of the other side.

The boundary facilitates the projection of the image of the space inside to the outside, and vice versa. In this regard we observe various states of projection.

Boundaries can effectively conceal the nature of the other side, creating a state of oblivion. Boundaries can also reveal the nature of the other side in various degrees, from subtle suggestions to plain exhibition. Boundaries may transform the image of the other side, altering our perception of it.

We see different projections occurring in the example of construction site boundaries. In certain contexts, care is taken in putting up the boundary, creating a simple screen that hides the site. The chaotic nature of the site is thus concealed by the boundary. However, in some other instances, the callous construction of the boundary adds to the chaos, projecting the nature of site outwards, exhibiting the chaotic interior. In certain contexts, the boundary of the construction site is transformed into a platform for artwork or information, euphemising the nature of the construction site.

A boundary defines two spaces. In the example of train platforms, we see two different boundaries serving the same purpose, presenting its two faces differently. The gates in the underground stations present themselves tangibly as the face that encapsulates, hiding the dangerous nature of the tracks on the other side. The yellow line on the other hand exhibits the nature of the tracks clearly, enforcing the dangerous nature of the train tracks onto the waiting commuters.

32

The space within the faces of the boundary

1

2

Enko-ji temple, Kyoto

12

1 http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/japan-kyoto-enko-ji-togyu-no-niwa-autumn-high-res-stock-photography/200357117-001 2 http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/enkoji-temple-high-res-stock-photography/81991073

33

BOUNDARY APERTURES Spaces breathe through the apertures of their boundary.

Doors and windows, the most elemental aspects of a living space, facilitates the transitions between within and without. The front door is the biggest, but also smallest, aperture of our homes. It stands as the keeper of our living space, changing its permeability to different people. Windows allows time into a space.

It facilitates the change in intimacy of a space between day and night, cyclically refreshing the space. The windows of a living space also offer a contrast to its inhabitants. When the shelter is sure, the storm is good.1 The view of a monsoon raging outside, as seen through the windows of our living space, makes the space even more comfortable and secure.

Apertures in the boundaries vivifies our living spaces. There is an unnaturalness about a space without windows, and we feel keenly a sense of claustrophobia being in a basement, shut off from the outside world.

The apertures in the boundary of smaller objects, vary phenomenologically from apertures of living spaces. These apertures often define the functional relationship between objects. Water to cups from which we drink, containers to their respective foodstuffs, plugs to sockets, books to shelves - the organization of vessels to their contents is determined by the nature of the orifices of the vessels, and the affordances they communicate.

The aperture of the boundary bridges the face the excludes and the face that encapsulates. It is the gap between the faces where we transit between the within and without; where we exist in the boundary itself.

The area near the front door of our homes is where we transit between the inside and outside. Containers and shelves for our keys, shoes, coats and letters placed nears the entrance eases our transitions between the within and without.

This concept of a rite of transition is exemplified by the experience of a Japanese tea ceremony. By bringing the guest from the outside through a beautifully designed garden, before entering a quietly furnished room, the master primes the guests imagination. There, in the ceremony room, the subtlest of gestures by the tea master evokes the senses of the guest - made more sensitive through the rite of transition through the garden.2 This space between the faces of the boundary where the rites of transition take place, thus forms a fertile ground for the acclimatisation of our senses between the dichotomy established by the boundary.

1 Bachelard, G. (1958) Poetics of Space, 1994 Ed. Beacon Press. Pg. 39. Quoting Henri Bosco.

2 Authors@Google: Kenya Hara. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG4uRmTJUU8

SK

IN Skin, as exemplified in nature, is the purposeful creation of boundaries and transitions in accordance to the needs of the organism. In the investigation of the phenomena of boundaries and transitions, natural role models and the evolution of their skin, would yield valuable insights into the design of boundaries and transitions.

36

1

2

3

4

5

12 3 4 5

1 http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/leaf-detail-high-res-stock-photography/88686009 2 http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/leaves-against-bright-sky-high-res-stock-photography/200240783-001 3 http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/polar-bear-mother-with-two-cubs-on-snow-royalty-free-image/200557363-001 4 http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/peacock-displaying-feathers-high-res-stock-photography/a0064-000011 5 http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/close-up-of-a-dragonfly-royalty-free-image/57615712

37

NATURAL ROLE MODELS Animals and plants have complex biological architectures. Cell, tissues, organs, and vessel systems form the makeup of many animals and plants, and at all levels, we see that a membrane or skin organising them to form a coherent body.

BOUNDARIES THAT SUPPORT Boundaries often play a supportive role in nature. The membrane of the leaves of a plant is designed for its role in photosynthesis. The topside of the leaf facing the sun contains cells with high chlorophyll content (a component that uses sunlight to manufacture sugars). The underside of the leaf on the other hand is where majority of the stomata (openings for air to enter the plant) are located, so as to minimise water loss from the plant. This difference between the two sides of a leaf demonstrates how boundaries in nature are intelligently designed to optimally support its purpose, while maintaining a coherent outlook.

BOUNDARIES THAT COMMUNICATE Skin has a communicative role to play in nature. Many animals are able to camouflage themselves in their natural context, either defensively to avoid predators, or aggressively to not alert their prey. The reverse is also true, and bright neon colours on the skin of many animals warn potential predators of their toxic nature. Colourful and beautiful plumes of feathers on male birds are used to court females during mating season. These examples highlight the communicative nature of skin in nature, while still serving the protective function of skin.

BOUNDARIES THAT ADAPT The scales on fishes and snakes conform to the movements of the animal while ensuring a seamless skin. The cells in on the wings of a dragonfly varies in the different regions, from more rigid sections near the joint, to a bigger section at the ends which flex according to the air movements. This exemplifies the versatility and intricacy of structure in tessellation and patterning in nature.