Technology and the : Multi-sensory in the Digital Age

Rebecca Breffeilh (student) Mona Azarbayjani (PhD, Assistant Professor at the Center for Integrated Research) UNC Charlotte, School of Technology and the Senses: Multi-sensory Design in the Digital Age

ABSTRACT both the design process and the experience of architecture. With the As society progresses into the future, the direction that architecture is heading, the impact of technology on different aspects thinking process of the technological of our lives will continue to increase. The approach needs to be reconsidered in challenge for architects lies in order to balance the sensory one. Thus, determining how to combine the theoretical arguments in regards to technological advancements with the significance of multi-sensory design fundamental sensual qualities. For will be studied in this paper, along with architecture in the Digital Age, case studies of how technology and the technological implementation too often senses can work in conjunction with each overshadows multi-sensory design. other. However, when done carefully, technology and digital media can be used THE OF to help stimulate the senses and enhance the perception of a place. Through the The dynamic nature of perception means venues of light, sound, and touch, this that it is “continuously changing by paper investigates how technology and various extents” (Kreji, 2008). Not only the senses can work together to impact do people perceive things differently in the experience of a place. the same situation or environment, they also apply different meanings to what INTRODUCTION they perceive. It is this variability that makes it very challenging for architects to Through academics, architects are taught produce spaces that are equally beneficial to address various design aspects of and meaningful to their occupants. building performance such as context, Because an architect cannot predict an environment (sun, temperature, wind), individual’s reaction to a space, they must cultural aspects, user behavior, allow their instincts to guide them. But to occupancy, and function. These what extent should architects rely on considerations are combined and their instincts to produce emotional manipulated into a formal aesthetic attachment to a building? The way that expression of the architect’s imagination. design arrangements impact emotional However, it can be argued that emphasis responses and what those responses on formal design principles and media- mean to the building’s users are generated architecture is coming at the important considerations. This idea is a expense of sensory necessity. In an fundamental aspect of multi-sensory increasingly technological-based society, design. By creating a “feast for the it is understandable that architectural senses” one has more ability to connect principles would be influenced by both with multiple users on different levels of digital and technological developments. experience (Lehman, 2010). Thus, the However, architects must not neglect the more diverse the built environment is the role that sensory stimulation plays in more sophisticated the occupants’ will be.

THE COMPONENTS OF MULTI- Picture 1.1 The creation of place SCENSORY DESIGN In psychology, the word haptic refers to Multi-sensory design is traditionally “the ability to experience the assumed to be design that impacts the environment through active exploration, five senses: sight, , , touch, typically with our hands” (Towards, and smell. However, this notion 2010). This means that hapticity is encompasses only the most basic concept similar to the act of touching. However, of multi-sensory design. In fact, there are the main difference between touch and three other systematic concepts related to hapticity is that touch is often perception that are incorporated within characterized as two-dimensional, and a multi-sensory design: hapticity, haptic experience is three-dimensional kinesthesia, and syneasthesia. In essence, (Towards, 2010). The of touch is these systems take the five senses and essentially extended to include reformulate them into an active, inclusive temperature, pain, pressure, and system that directly impacts the kinesthesia (Malnar, 2004). Thus, the experience of architecture (Kreji, 2008). third dimension makes movement an important factor in the experience of a Up until now the perception of “space” place. has been stressed, but it is important to note a differentiation between space and Unlike hapticity, kinesthesia in not a place. Place is established from space as direct interpretation of one’s it becomes better known and is endowed surroundings and, therefore, does not with the value that one gives it; this value create an emotion within the body (Kreji, is created is through our senses. 2008). It does, however, have an Therefore, perception of place is important effect on the senses and is thus essentially “processed” sensation entwined with the experience of a place. (Malnar, 2004). Although perception People understand kinesthesia in a technically only requires gathering subconscious way, but it is rarely information about the environment by at recognized because it is constantly least one of the senses, the more senses experienced. In the simplest terms, that are engaged within a space, the kinesthesia is the examination of our easier it will be to establish the environment through movement perception of place. This is why an (Towards, 2010). No matter what type of argument can be made in favor of the movement occurs, whether it is walking, necessity for multi-sensory design within or even a head or eye-movement, the the built environment. As the senses are physical and reactive quality of used to establish a place, an experience of kinesthesia is extremely relevant to the that place through hapticity, kinesthesia, formation of one’s perceptions (Kreji, and syneasthesia will be formed. 2008). Thus, kinesthesia affects an experience through its connection with touch, movement, and hapticity. A contemporary example of this philosophy Haptic Skin, Exploratio Varying is parkour, which is a physical practice of System joints, and n configurati experiencing a place by traversing muscles (through ons of touch) touch elements in an urban setting. Kinesthes Muscles, Exploratio Varying ia joints n positions Syneasthesia is an involuntary (through and phenomenon that collects sensory movemen movement information from one sense and transfers t) of body parts it to another (Towards, 2010). This Synesthe Neurologi Sensory Memories implies that there is no choice but to sia cal Connectio make connections between the senses n and when one is experiencing a space. transferen Because of past experiences with certain ce sensory properties, a person’s memory Table 1.1 Expanded summarization of the influences how his or her mind relates to sensory systems (Malnar, 2004) seeing these properties again in the future. Thus, syneasthesia unites previous VISUAL PREVALENCE sensory information into one coherent representation of an experience without The challenge with creating multi-sensory the need for actual sensation. A simple design is that architecture traditionally example of syneasthesia is to consider supports ocularcentrism, or the how people relate the color red to “hot” importance of visual qualities over the or blue to “cold” (Towards, 2010). In this other senses. This should not be way, syneasthesia has the power to alter surprising, however, given that formal perception by causing objects or spaces design principles used in academics today that one perceives to essentially enter our are verifiable elements of architecture physical realm. and sensory elements are not. This means that to an architectural community System Anatomy Activity Stimuli grounded in aspects that can be of the of the Available substantiated and observed, the other Organ Organ four senses seem unreliable as design Sight Ocular Looking, Variables of parameters (Malnar, 2004). This is Mechanis fixation structures creating an increased interest in the m (eyes) in ambient light visual sense and a decreased interest in Taste Oral Savoring Compositio the other sensual qualities of the built Cavity n of environment. (Mouth) ingested objects In addition, architecture is also being Smell Nasal Sniffing Compositio Cavity n of the influenced more and more by mass (Nose) medium media, , and various digital Touch Skin, Touching, Texture, medias (i.e. internet, , and hands feeling weight, etc television). Whereas in the past Hear Cochlear Orienting Vibration in architecture was judged ‘in situ’, images organs to sounds the air of buildings can now be uploaded onto (Ear) the computer for everyone, regardless of location, to see (Towards, 2010). In response, architecture has already begun window should “act as a mediator to adapt to our dominance towards the between the inside and outside worlds” visual sense and virtual image. Many (Pallasmaa, 1996). Whether light is buildings no longer create a spatial natural or artificial, however, is irrelevant experience grounded in expression to its importance in multi-sensory design; (Towards, 2010). Before they are even it is the manner in which it expresses a experienced, they are judged by their space that determines its relevancy. Light digital representation - a representation is also important because of the shadows that is extending beyond the aesthetical it imparts on spaces. Shadow and light aspects of architecture and into the are connected in a way that few things environmental aspects as well. are; light creates shadow, and shadow emphases light (Chapter, 2010). Shadow also expresses depth and texture of CASE STUDIES materials, but both light and shadow are needed to affect the atmosphere of a place Multi-sensory architecture should not (Chapter, 2010). only act as a visual journey but also as a physical experience in a place. Based on A-Asterisk Architects created a bold, the different theories involving multi- modern design for an office building in sensory design, I have investigated three Shanghi (Picture 1.2). Their inspiration elements that I that believe help stimulate came from images of shadows and trees, a sensory environment: Light, sound, and which they perforated onto GRG panels. touch. Although the importance of these Behind the panels, white glass helps elements has long been established, in enhance the experience by contrasting our contemporary culture, technology is with the texture of the panels so that a quickly becoming an inherent part of building occupant truly feels like he is architecture. Thus, it is necessary to walking underneath trees (Leafy, 2008). merge past methodologies with present The use of light and shadow creates a capabilities. By exploring different mystical experience that is uncommon to relationships between light, sound, touch, most office building lobbies. and technology we will be able to create ambiances that act as mediating devices between the two extremes. Along with an analysis of each element, a corresponding example of work has been included that portrays sensual elements through the use of technological means.

Light Light and architecture have long been interdependent concepts. Light allows users to define the surroundings of a Picture 1.2 Light – Leafy Shade, A-Asterisk place and, therefore, forming a Architects, (Leafy, 2008) retrieved from relationship between the two is www.a-asterisk.com, 2 Nov. 2010 inevitable. According to Pallasmaa the The advancement of technology has broadened the potential of lighting to manipulate the perception of a place. Architects are no longer required to rely on the sun to create lighting possibilities; the architect can now control light rather than simply respond to it. This has greatly affected the transfiguration and Picture 1.4 Light – Xicui Entertainment communication possibilities of Center, Beijing, China, (Giostra, 2008) architecture. Color can add another retrieved from dimension to the output as well. Many http://gliving.com/category/lifestyle/vide architects have recently been exploring os/page/3/, 3 Nov. 2010 how colored light can become more dynamic within a space. An example of Sound this can be seen in Beijing’s Xicui Human beings are active creators of Entertainment Complex. The building’s sound and place, and each are reinforced curtain wall integrates the largest display by the other. Architects’ concerns with of colored LED’s in the world and is also the acoustical quality of their buildings is combined with a photovoltaic system certainly not a new concept; however, our (Giostra, 2010). Thus, multiple types of ability to control and manipulate the technology have been utilized to create a sound within a building is becoming more lively display of lights. As the sequence in sophisticated (Chapter, 2010). New Picture 1.4 shows, each changing light digital technologies now allow sound to combination creates a different influence architectural space and be a experience of the surrounding , rather than a second thought. environment depending on whether the The omnipresence of sound in the built colors are warm or cold and what environment makes it important for arrangement they occur. architects to understand the effect and meaning associated with spatial sound.

The relationship between sound and architecture can even be taken a step further than acoustical considerations and sound generation in a building. With new digital and sound technologies it may possible to manipulate musical sound properties into a physical architectural

space. No longer will sound only be capable of affecting the atmosphere of a building, but it can now affect the physical environment as well. Current research being performed by Jesper Bonde deals with the relationship between music, body, and architecture in order to develop a tool based on the qualitative and quantitative parameters of sound. By allows architects to use, or even design, digitizing the process of producing music an endless assortment of textured and architecture the two can be linked to materials and technological form a dynamic architectural experience advancements mean that material (Bonde, 2010). Picture 1.5 illustrates selection is continually evolving. London possible building outcomes generated Giles Miller used materials in an from musical digitalization and the inventive way to create a tactile different experiences that they could experience. He created a wall mural, create. In my opinion, the first image entitled “Miranda”, consisting of a silicon creates a perception of mystery, while the base layer with over 65,000 second one creates a perception of energy polypropylene ‘hairs’ attached to it and chaos. Whether or not this technique (Picture 1.6). The hairs can be brushed in ever comes to fruition, it is interesting to different directions to create images or consider how sound can be used as a patterns on the wall (Miller, 2010). manipulator of space.

Picture 1.6 Touch – Miranda Wall, Giles Miller, (Miller, 2010) retrieved from www.yankodesign.com/2009/08/17/brus h-patterns/, 1 Nov. 2010

Another current trend involves smart materials, or materials that use functional Picture 1.5 Sound – Sound generated properties to perform in response to a Space, Jesper Bonde, (Bonde, 2010) change in their environment. One retrieved from www.jesperbonde.com, 2 example of this is thermochromic Nov. 2010 material, which changes color in response to temperature change. Thermochromic Touch qualities can be used within a variety of The tactile sense is important because it materials including tiles, fabric, paint, and connects us with the materiality of jewelry. Perhaps the interesting aspect of buildings. Architectural facades or skins thermochromic materials, however, is can express multiple characteristics such that they take heat, which is inherently as texture, density, temperature, and invisible, and make it visible. When used weight (Chapter, 2010). This allows for a in architecture, thermochromic materials creative environment and sensory can effect the perception of a place experience. Improving digital media depending on how the colors change and technology, implementation of traditional the interaction of the users. architecture practices is not a feasible solution to this challenge, yet the solution needs to build off of those practices to establish the essence of the place. In many cases this means re-examining our design process to incorporate concepts that stimulate the senses, especially through the use of light, sound, and touch. The application of multi sensory design in an architectural project is definitely not an Picture 1.7 Touch – Thermochromic Paint, easy task. No two humans have the same (Touch, 2010) retrieved from perception of a space just as no two sites www.designboom.com/contemporary/wall have the same surroundings. This paper2.html, 13 Nov. 2010 challenge is further oppressed by the technology-centered state that CONCLUSION characterizes contemporary society. However, although we may find ourselves Technology has many beneficial aspects deeply entrenched in the “digital age”, to architecture, such as increasing multi-sensory design is not time sensitive. production efficiency and energy Coming to terms with the challenges that efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing multi-sensory design entails is the first digital representation to communicate step in achieving design that creates a design ideas. However, there still needs true experience of place. to be a balance between technology and the senses. Due to the enhancement of

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