Technology and the Senses: Multi-sensory Design in the Digital Age Rebecca Breffeilh (student) Mona Azarbayjani (PhD, Assistant Professor at the Center for Integrated Building Design Research) UNC Charlotte, School of Architecture 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 PERCEPTION OF SPACE 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’ perceptions 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, hearing, taste, 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 sense 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, fashions, and various digital Touch Skin, Touching, Texture, medias (i.e. internet, advertising, 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