Image: NASA Goddard Photo and Video | Flickr

Buildings today continue to move from static to fluid design, and this fluidity is expressed by integrating not only new materials with amazing behavioral properties, but also by pulling information patterns from a building’s context. Interestingly, it is this “pulling” of sorts that can bring architectural fluidity toward architectural adaptability.

So, what does it mean for a building to pull? And where might it pull from?

As we can see with the internet, our mass populations are collecting large quantities of information about the world in which we live — with cues about how we live in that world. As an architect, you should look upon such collections as proverbial goldmines, within which you can sift to find nuggets of collective wisdom for you designs.

Extracting information and capitalizing upon it can be easier said than done. A building that pulls information from the internet, a country’s population, a weather pattern or even a neighborhood’s political race, can range from “ingenious” all the way to “controversial”. Suddenly, your designed architecture space can find new ways to engage and interact with its surrounding contexts — and when executed correctly can help those that experience it.

Does an architecture that pulls from the masses merely act as a mirror? An interpreter? Or as the loyal opposition?

It’s all In the Stars

Just like the seemingly infinite array of patterns found in the sky above, you can use your building as an outward demonstration of what is otherwise be an intangible mass. The real question becomes…”How can “pulling” help your building to be better?”.

Over time, stars have served a multitude of purposes. Humans look to them for everything from night gazing for their beauty to life-dependent navigation. And similarly, architecture can do more than help people to “visualize” information — especially when that information is pulled into three- and four-dimensional form.

When there are masses, there are patterns — behavioral, emotional, inspirational spiritual and so on. Yes, it is important that you listen to the elite few as you design your buildings and push for them to exceed your last, but it will also help for you to take a look in the unexpected and untapped places where the “masses” congregate. Figure out how to pull that information into your architectural design, and then use that knowledge to equip yourself and your building to respond with not only elegant fluidity but humane and beautiful adaptability.

Please Tell Me What You Think

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© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

The following slideshow takes a look at how light can “set off” built form, and how built form can “set off” light. When the two fuse poetically, they can showcase your materials, an experiential path or even “warm” an otherwise “cold” space.

So, the real question becomes…

WHY Do You Inject Light into Your Building Designs?

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

Image: Anton9 | Dreamstime

Can we define what makes a beautiful space? Well, the study of neuroaesthetics is trying to uncover qualities that come together to yield beauty. In the magazine SEED, the article entitled Beauty and the Brain explains that “An object’s beauty may not be universal, but the neural basis for appreciating beauty probably is.” The article goes on to describe how neuroscience findings regarding direction, location and dimensions of space will have profound implications for architecture.(1)

As architects engage in their design process, will the discoveries of neuroaesthetics impact their project outcomes? In other words, will knowing what triggers more neurons to fire rapidly impact design decisions at the drawing board? Yes, beauty is dependent to some extent on culture and experience; but can beauty be universally understood at some level?

Aesthetic, in architecture, is often linked with order and balance. Rhythm, for instance, is frequently desired within striking architectural compositions. So, is architecture nothing more than the manipulation of space to follow certain rules of beauty? Can architecture break or challenge such rules that are directly connected to the human senses?

When the human nervous system experiences beauty, certain parts of the brain consistently light up. It seems that, to some extent, humans can be taught what beauty means. Again, culture and experience may have a significant role. Yet, there are thought to be certain qualities that are constantly found regardless of culture or experience. These qualities, according to Beauty and Brain are grids, zigzags, spirals and curves. Such findings indicate that on some level, beauty may be universal.(1)

As architects, we strive to create beautiful forms and spaces that inspire humans within. It is often said that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”; however, there are a collection of architectural spaces that never fail to stir occupants deeply. Like many designers, architects must follow rules and consciously bend them. To advance as a profession, it is important to learn from the discoveries of neuroaesthetics; but it is equally important to challenge them. Architects should not feel limited by such findings, but rather they should feel freed to learn why occupants respond the way they do — to certain arrangements of space.

Currently, we are increasing understanding of how the human brain works. Isn’t it appealing to unleash what makes good architecture according to our senses? Yes, it may be difficult to conclusively define “beauty” once and for all. For instance, as architects don’t we usually link function to aesthetic? I wonder…Is function inherent to beauty?

It seems to me that the experience of beauty is fundamental to what makes us all human. We may find beauty in different things at different times; however, the joy found in surrounding architectural space and form is universal. As spatial compositions continue to evolve, so too will our understanding of the meaning behind beauty.

(1) Costandi, Motheb. Beauty and the Brain. SEED Magazine. September 16, 2008.

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman