Featured Image Takeaway Design Strategy:

When preparing your design concept, do you ever look beyond your site to study nearby design alignments? As the image above shows, architectural design alignment can be visual as the obelisque visually connects with the Eiffel Tower. But you might not simply stop there. What about aural alignments? Are there certain sounds that you wish your architecture could connect to? For instance, in certain towns, church bells and traffic can be heard. I would imagine that you might want your architecture to connect with one over the other. Thus, you should be careful what your architecture aligns with when studying your site and its extended surroundings.

To Apply This Strategy, Ask Yourself:

Does my design concept incorporate more than just visual design alignment that extends beyond my site? Am I stopping to consider aural alignments as well? And if so, how might I design to let some of these alignments in, while buffering other alignments out?

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

What do you do when your architectural design tool won’t allow you to test your design for the senses? How do you know that you are creating the best design for your future building occupants? What architecture techniques will you use?

Well, we all know that there is a multitude of modeling software out there to keep you refining your design — to present it not only to yourself, but to reviewers and clients. And with this software, you can come close to modeling architecture for the different parts of the senses. You can use software like 3DStudio Max to visually see what is going on; you can model sound using acoustic modeling software. But —what about touch? And smell?

Well, much can be gathered through the eyes about touch and smell. After all, you can infer that a textured looking wall might be rough to touch. Also, you pull from previous experience about what certain elements will feel and smell like. And from there, you begin to formulate and model a design concept — to better understand its intricacies, problem areas, and winning solutions.

Also, for your design you can specify materials and interact with samples. So in the end, you can account for the classical senses by using different architecture techniques — whether software based, experience-based, or real-world material based.

Thus, the whole point of this article is to remind you (the architect) to not only think about the senses of your future building occupants that perceive the building, but to also think about your own senses as you create your design.

Don’t always rely on one tool to “see” how your design is shaping up for its occupants. Be resourceful. Explore. And use your own senses to “pre-experience” what you are designing for your future building occupants.

Please Tell Me What You Think

I would really like to get your feedback on my post today, so please leave me a comment in the form below. And if you enjoyed it, make sure you share it with your Twitter and Facebook followers by clicking on the “re-tweet” and “like” button at the beginning of this page.

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

Featured Image Takeaway Design Strategy:

When you design architecture, are you aware of the visual layers which you create? Now, rarely is a work of architecture viewed in pure elevation in the real world — so studying the three-dimensional layering within your design could result in some amazing effects. For instance, layering often leads to rhythm and/or transparency (depending on design form and placement). And with rhythm and transparency, you can create depth, texture, and boundary. If you look at the two above images, you’ll quickly see that each serves as an example. The red rails above create a transparency and the white structural elements create rhythm. So why is this important? Well, rhythm and transparency are two ways to provide perceptual engagement, to “lead one’s eye”, and to most importantly direct attention. Thus, in the first image your eye may be drawn to the complexity (through the handrail), while in the second image your eye may be drawn to the simplicity (the door).

To Apply This Strategy, Ask Yourself:

How can I direct my building occupant’s attention with my design elements? It’s not enough for design form to interplay with design form from a distance — thus, you as the designer are better served when forms interact: whether through rhythm, transparency, or even physical inter-connection. Analyse what happens as elements layer. What types of juxtapositions are created? And how do they direct your occupant’s attention?

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

Elevator technology reduces occupants from taking the stairs --- some may find this helpful while others need the exercise.

As architectural technology gains greater capability to do more, will occupants like doing less? Well, I think much of the debate revolves around two issues: control and privacy. And when these two issues are dealt with correctly, technology can serve to lift limitations — so occupants can do more of the things they want to do.

You see, with technologies that monitor occupant behaviors through the objects they use and through the routines with which they engage daily, less is private and control points are being streamlined. This means that as technology develops, care needs to be taken to incorporate control and privacy solutions — so that occupants do indeed like feeling less limited — without worry, frustration, or boredom.

We stand in prime position today because with advancements in architectural technology come great strides in our ability to uplift occupant lifestyle. Technology certainly does make things easier — at least until there is a glitch or it has to be maintained or upgraded. But all in all, our relationship with architectural technology is still good, as long as it is integrated into an architectural design correctly.

The key is for such technology to help occupants reach their goals, whether they are daily or lifetime milestones. And to do this it is important to “integrate” it correctly into a design, rather than to just “apply” it as an afterthought.

Truly revolutionary technology that can uplift our lives may be right around the corner, but just know that it will likely not only strive to remove us from our present-day “chores”, but will also help us to predict and plan for better lives by making better decisions.

So, will occupants like doing less as technology advances? Maybe the answer isn’t about doing less — but rather, it is about doing more in life with less limitations. Hence, I think people want to do more, to live fully, but to do it with less limitations — and this is something with which the architectural technology of tomorrow can help.

Please Tell Me What You Think

I would really like to get your feedback on my post today, so please leave me a comment in the form below. And if you enjoyed it, make sure you share it with your Twitter and Facebook followers by clicking on the “re-tweet” and “like” button at the beginning of this page.

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

As more and more technologies converge into smaller and more mobile devices, the spaces that we build are being understood and perceived in entirely new ways. In fact, when a person experiences a physical space with a mobile device, it can be augmented — where new dimensions about the space are revealed to the observer, within which it is made easier to navigate, remember, and find comfort.

For instance, in the following video, technology augments life’s experiences from the point of awakening every morning. This may be where technology is headed — and if so, how would you as an architect design for such augmented perception? Think about this question as you watch the following video.

As you can see from the video, at just about any point during the day, an event can occur that may be acted upon, shared, or downloaded for future retrieval. With the help of mobile technology, you could be reminded, taught, or even asked to socialize in new ways. So, what does this mean for architecture?

In a world where “places” are being shared virtually, or where way-finding becomes more intuitive, the architecture begins to enter into a new type of conversation with its visitors. The transformation of “place” that yields more real-time “events” means that architecture is becoming ever more dynamic.

With added layers of information making up a physical space, would it be possible to accomplish more in that place for the occupant? And if so, how could the architecture work hand-in-hand with the augmenting technology to feed occupants not only when they need it, but also where they need it?

In the end, augmenting mobile technologies are making it easier for people to find and act upon what they need. But how does the “static-ness” of architecture interact with the dynamic qualities of such technologies? How can the two come together to impact and uplift human experience?

One way, is for architects to consider that in addition to the classical human senses, occupants are gaining dynamic real-time information, visualized and understood as an added layer through technology. For instance, when technology is connected to the internet or is “crowd-sourced”, there is a deeper sensing that can occur. The trick then is to use such information and engagement to inform the design of buildings.

Augmenting mobile technology does seem to make a lot of experiences “easier”. But with architecture that takes such technologies into account, perhaps experiences can reach higher and richer levels — all in real-time, seamlessly woven into the fabric of daily life.

Please Tell Me What You Think

I would really like to get your feedback on my post today, so please leave me a comment in the form below. And if you enjoyed it, make sure you share it with your Twitter and Facebook followers by clicking on the “re-tweet” and “like” button at the beginning of this page.

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

It’s time!

You can now join the ArchiSensing Design Lab.

If you are ready, go here now -

http://archisensing.com/resources/

Simply put, this course will help you to boost your architectural designs to create more notable architecture that truly makes a positive difference in people’s lives.

The ArchiSensing Design Lab will teach you how to boost your design process by showing you powerful ArchiSensing strategies, concepts, and techniques which you can apply immediately.

To find out more about the program and to sign up, click on the following link —

http://archisensing.com/resources/

I’ll see you on the inside.

Looking forward to working with you!

Here’s to your design success,

Maria Lorena Lehman
http://archisensing.com/resources/

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

As a person works to achieve their goal, they often will encounter milestones along the way. And at these milestones it becomes important for them to assess how they are doing. Are they behind where they should be at a certain point? Are they ahead? And what happens as a result of where they are?

Well, what if an environment could pick up on cues about where an occupant is in relation to their goal? Perhaps it could use some just in time design interventions to help motivate and educate occupants toward their goal. This type of designing might take advantage of what I wrote about in my last post on adaptive architecture. That is, the architecture could feedback information to its occupant to help them achieve their goals.

Such an architecture would take advantage of aspects like teaching and rewarding occupants at just the right moments. Akin to a video game that rewards you to continue onto the next level — this type of adaptive architecture differs in that it aims to ease the obstacles and challenges while motivating and teaching its occupant.

Some examples of this type of reward-system architecture could be an environment that proactively helps occupants lose weight, engage in healthier habits, or work more productively. You see, each of these goals can be broken down into milestones, and each of the milestones can be used as points in time during which the environment can offer feedback on where an occupant is in their process, on how to improve for their next steps, and it can offer feedback in the form of a reward — which can serve as powerful motivation.

So, your objective as a designer isn’t to reward your occupants in meaningless ways, but to find rewards for them that are meaningful for them and their way of life…for their goals and objectives. You can make your environment feedback to its occupants in the form of signage, digital media installations, beautifully composed architectural elements, or even through their mobile devices. Don’t forget that environments are becoming more able to communicate with occupants through objects and appliances found within the environment.

Whatever the case, think about reward for your occupants as you design. How will you reward them? When will you reward them? And for what will you reward them? Think about elements that fit into their daily narrative, and also remember that you can use techniques like surprise, beauty, and knowedge to enhance their experience and propel occupants toward their goals.

Please Tell Me What You Think

I would really like to get your feedback on my post today, so please leave me a comment in the form below. And if you enjoyed it, make sure you share it with your Twitter and Facebook followers by clicking on the “re-tweet” and “like” button at the beginning of this page.

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

If a building can provide real-time feedback to assist with promoting positive behaviors, do you think it would be a good idea to design such a building? You see, the implications to designing such a building are many. For instance, notions of privacy, control, and determining what positive behaviors to promote all feed into what might make such a building challenging to build.

Nevertheless, we can already see feedback being used to promote behaviors during regular daily life. For example, your car lets you know how fast you’re going, how much gas you have left, and whether or not you’ve forgotten to put your seatbelt on. In the case of the car, its feedback mechanisms target letting you know how to engage in positive behaviors that keep you and your car safe. Plus, the issues of privacy and control are all dealt with seamlessly.

For a building that is adaptive in its design, it could sense aspects like occupant mood and behavior, from which it could detect patterns — to determine desired outcomes, goals, and/or experiences seeked out by occupants. And in doing so, it could feedback to its occupants with important and timely information to help trigger positive behaviors.

Such positive behaviors could be to exercise more, to watch less tv, to eat healthier, to go to bed earlier for a better night’s sleep, or to become more productive by working smarter and multi-tasking less. Really, the behaviors that are deemed positive and worthy of being an occupant goal might all be embedded within the adaptive building’s fabric. Thus, what the building feedsback via its environmental stimuli would target helping occupants achieve such positive behaviors to reach their goals.

So, to answer the initial question which this article began with: Can Building feedback help to increase positive occupant behaviors? I think that if designed well, then the answer is yes. However, much care should be given to ensure that the building is targeting what the occupant wants to achieve, along with any predetermined safety measures as determined by the architect.

In the end, such an adaptive building could really help to improve occupang lifestyle, health, and happiness. The key is to make certain that the building’s feedback is in fact helping them positively. If designed well, I think that there is much that could be accomplished with such an architecture.

Please Tell Me What You Think

I would really like to get your feedback on my post today, so please leave me a comment in the form below. And if you enjoyed it, make sure you share it with your Twitter and Facebook followers by clicking on the “re-tweet” and “like” button at the beginning of this page.

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

I am thrilled to be launching the ArchiSensing Design Lab within the next month — that means that this online architectural design course’s doors will be opening very soon. So, if you’re interested in taking the course and haven’t done so already, you need to sign up for the early notification list today. To do so, simply click on the following link:

http://archisensing.com/official/early-notification-signup/

With that in mind, I would like to tell you a bit more about the course in terms of how it is structured and how it can help you.

Course Structure — Work at Your Own Pace

The course is made up of 12 core module lessons which you will be able to go through at your own pace. In addition to the 12 core lessons are several bonus video lessons. All lessons target helping you to boost your design process using Archisensing techniques and concepts which you can integrate into your design process immediately. This includes lessons that pull from design strategies, latest scientific advancements, sensory design techniques, and so much more.

In addition to the core module lessons and bonuses, there will also be an online forum where you will be able to ask me questions, or even collaborate or get feedback from other ArchiSensing students. My hope is to grow this forum into a thriving community which stays on top of leading-edge ArchiSensing topics.

Course Benefits – How It Can Help You

Some of the benefits of taking the course include:

• Boost your current design process, to save time and effort while improving your design’s overall quality and performance.
• Gain strategic design thinking expertise to become a more notable and respected architect with increasingly beautiful and highly effective projects.
• Bring greater value to clients — and thus, get more business as you will be able to solve for more complex design problems, more creatively.
• Understand how latest advancements in architecture all “fit together” so you can pull from them to advance your own work.

The beauty of this course is that since it is online and all of the learning materials are ready for you immediately — you can go through this course at your own pace.

Be Notified When The Course Opens for Enrollment

Already there has been a great response from prospective students. So, if you haven’t done so already, I urge you to sign up for the early notification list — I will be giving first priority for “online seating” to those on this list. And please keep in mind that enrollment will be limited in order to accommodate a nicely sized class.

To sign up for the early notification list, simply click on the following link:

http://archisensing.com/official/early-notification-signup/

I look forward to working with you!

Maria Lorena Lehman
ArchiSensing Design Lab

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

Featured Image Takeaway Design Strategy:

As you design your architecture, notice not only the common vantage points, where your occupants look straight ahead as they travel through your building, but also vantage points like when they look upward. While occupants don’t often look upward while walking through your building — you may want to reward them for being just curious enough to look in other directions: upward, left, right, and downward. Remember your occupants aren’t looking straight ahead all of the time. Design key moments where it would make sense for your occupants to look — an invitation to explore your design, making it more than just a building they go through, but turning it instead to a building that “heightens” their experience.

To Apply This Strategy, Ask Yourself:

As you’re designing, ask yourself about those key milestone moments within your design that will speak to your occupants as they journey through. After all, you are in a sense writing an architectural story, where you guide your occupants to look, hear, touch, smell, and so forth. Also, remember that with well-designed milestone moments within your design, you can change occupant speed, as occupants typically slow down to look upward, or speed up if they see something ahead that they want to explore more closely. Understand that you are guiding occupants with your design, through their perception. And knowing this can help you to design a more powerful architecture that speaks to them on more exciting and engaging levels.

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman