Image: Eduardo Deboni | Flickr

Yes, findings stemming from the worlds of science and technology are painting a new era that we are already beginning.

When cutting-edge paradigm-shifts occur, like new perspectives on nature that make methods like Biomimicry and BioDigital Architecture possible, I still wonder how these, combined with other factors like culture, globalization, personal preferences, lifestyle trends and geographic land characteristics will impact what we, as architectural visionaries, paint for the future.

Well, the future is happening now and as different cultures help to mold, embrace and even reject what design visionaries bring forward, I find it fascinating to uncover how Read more

Designs are increasingly inspired by nature in novel and unique ways — inspiring not only architectural buildings, but also the objects within them. “Science inspired designs” are sparking some very innovative and practical solutions. Mathieu Lehanneur is just such a designer who, in the video at the bottom of this post, discusses some of his intriguing design ideas and projects.

Deeply inspired by science and investigations about human beings, including both the way they work and feel, Mathieu Lehanneur looks at issues like noise, living objects for medical treatments, air quality and healthy living.

Lehanneur’s Take on “Living Objects”

For example, in his “living objects” project, Lehanneur uses inspiration from an onion, utilizing its layer structure to help patients visualize their treatment, its duration, and what motivates them. Such “living object” projects are great for individuals, and especially children because they increase the relationship and dependency between the patient and their treatment. Thus, ensuring that they will complete their treatment and have longer-term healing and health benefits.

A “Brain-Stimulating” Office

The brain stimulating office is an interesting approach to the mind-body problem. This common “problem” is a place where architects and designers strive to create balanced environments that are good for occupants by tapping into many of their senses. Although not everything in his design may be the most obvious now, it is still nice to see Read more

Many of the materials that we use in architecture today are rather static. For this reason, some buildings and even cities suffer. Venice, for instance, is sinking. The good news; however, is that people like Rachel Armstrong are coming up with new and innovative solutions — like architecture constructed from living systems.

Armstrong is working on metabolic materials for architecture. She is in the process of uncovering how nature operates so that, as architects, we can begin to solve design problems from the bottom-up. Instead of imposing structure upon matter (which she claims is the old approach), we can begin to use materials that actually can grow, self repair, and respond to environmental changes.

By studying such living systems, like cells, Rachel Armstrong is finding answers so that we can use metabolic materials within our built forms. She notes that, in the future, people will not be able to tell whether certain built forms have been Read more

News Update

Sensing Architecture is Featured in ARCHITECT Magazine, Nov. 2009

You can access the Feature Article here.

Image Credit: Tracy Powell

Here is an introductory excerpt written by Braulio Agnese, Sr. Editor:

SensingArchitecture.com, at the Nexus of Building Technology and Neuroscience

“How does memory play a role in the way we experience buildings? Or sound? Or optical illusions? What do advances in computing, power generation, lighting, materials, etc., mean for building design? How can “smart” environments affect our behavior or our mood for the better? And what about biomimicry? These are the kinds of issues Maria Lorena Lehman blogs about at Sensing Architecture…”

— ARCHITECT Magazine

[Click here to read the rest of this article.]

About Sensing Architecture

If you are new to Sensing Architecture, I invite you to visit (click here to visit), particularly if you are interested in architectural design, science and new technologies.

At Sensing Architecture you will find:

• A repository of useful articles for architecture professionals and scholars. These articles aim to give you forward-looking ideas to drive architectural progress.
• Fresh content is added regularly to help you learn about innovative design concepts and solutions.
• Unique perspectives expand the way you think about architecture and design.
• By exploring the science of how occupants perceive space, Sensing Architecture will teach you how to bridge the gap between new technology and architectural design — helping you to design more effective and humane state-of the-art environments.

Image: Detail of the Parthenon | philos from Athens | Flickr

Buildings change through time. Not only do their materials weather, but their intended purpose can become altered by a changing society’s or culture’s needs. So, how do you design a building that is both timely and timeless? This is an age-old question.

It is important to stay on top of the latest trends that affect building design and construction processes, but that is not all that is important.

New advances are taking place in other fields. In the sciences, for example, researchers are unraveling great findings that both directly and indirectly will affect the way you design and how your occupants perceive your spaces. Such advances prove to be important because they impact how people live — this influences how they think, the choices they make and what they like to do.

IT’S BOTH COMPLEX AND SIMPLE

A timely design can reach timelessness by really Read more

The Pantheon | Image: Frankix | Dreamstime

FOCAL POINTS HELP OCCUPANTS MAKE DECISIONS

There are so many details that come together to make a wonderful architectural design; but what gets the most visual attention when someone sees a work of architecture? How does visual attention play into an occupant’s experience? The key is to understand that attention is a gradual process of adaptation where what gets our attention in the first moment may not get our attention moments later. Let me explain…

“Attention dynamically routes relevant information to decision-making areas in the brain and suppresses the surrounding center.” (1)

In other words, we are wired to visually find focal points that Read more

Image: Secondshot | Dreamstime

Many sources today are writing about a renaissance of the “scientific revolution” in architecture – where architecture is once again influenced by science via its theories and findings. In the Seed Magazine article, “Architecture’s Scientific Revolution”, five examples are illustrated to show modern architectural designs that have been influenced by science. (1) So, where do we stand today?

It is important to not settle on simply inheriting structural forms and methods from science – it is critical that we Read more

Image: Astroboi | Dreamstime

Architecture has always been part design and part science, but – once again – we are in an era where the two have great potential to help one another. A design science marriage will be key as both scientists and designers strive to push their respective fields forward. Each can provide insight to the other as designers can help scientists think “outside of the box” while scientists bring newfound technologies and theories to the design disciplines – including the architecture process.

Paola Antonelli, the senior curator of design and architecture at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, is starting a wonderful column on the “interface of science and design”. (1) I have heard Paola Antonelli speak and Read more

Image: Adam36 | Dreamstime

Within architectural space it is important to establish a sense of place. This is true not only for the architecture to be good but also for your experience within that space to be memorable. Did you know that your memory and your sense of place are closely linked?(1) Creating an environment involves designing for meaningful experiences — to do this, establishing a sense of place is key.

In the paper Neuroscience and Architecture: Seeking Common Ground, both landmarks and paths are described as important when designing architecture. It seems that both memory and sense of place prominently involve the same part of the brain – the hippocampus. “Our memory of events may depend upon a strong sense of place, and by extension, our sense of place may be influenced by the integrity of the memories formed there.”(1)

A key factor in distinguishing place from space is the ability for humans to interact. This provides occupants with a feeling of belonging to the environment, instead of just “passing through it.” Also, establishing a connection between spaces is important. This provides opportunity for the incorporation of landmarks and other architectural features that can make a place memorable.(1)

Can you remember being in an architectural space that had a strong sense of place? Is your memory of that place linked to an experience that happened there? Odds are that that place also had a strong sense of orientation. As landmarks and other architectural features come together in one’s mental map, your sense of place becomes stronger.

Buildings that guide you through them while providing you with enough information to make meaningful decisions along the way can make for quite profound experiences. Embed within your architecture a succession for a meaningful sense of place – where memories can be shaped and built form can transcend the senses.

(1) Sternberg, Esther M. and Wilson, Matthew A. Neuroscience and Architecture: Seeking Common Ground. Cell 127, Elsevier Inc. October 20, 2006.

Image: Icefields | Dreamstime

When traveling through space you use certain cues to help you navigate. Your senses help determine things like orientation, distance and direction. During navigation, many moments arise for decision-making and your brain is a key player during this process. Within a building, architectural features send signals during the navigation process. The brain uses sensorial cues to help you travel within an environment – providing you with enough information to find your way.

In the interesting article entitled Getting Lost for Better Architecture, occupants are said to navigate, interact and then form “cognitive maps” in order to understand location within space. This article describes how researchers tested human subjects by having them travel through a virtual building while recording their brain function. Ties were made between what the subject saw and their brain response to those signals.(1)

Such research is fascinating because findings reveal how humans experience space. For instance, this research uncovered that humans use the “angle of incoming sunlight” as a primary cue for navigation. Of course, within architecture this cue is often eliminated.(1)

You might wonder how occupants interact within their environment to find such navigational cues. For this, it is important to understand what goes into the mental mapping of an architectural space – forming a mental image of that space as it is experienced. Of course, a mental map is also a consequence of occupant decision-making during that experience. For this, we can also use virtual reality – to uncover how the decision-making process works within architecture in real-time.

Although the applications may seem endless, such research will definitely give architects greater understanding into how the human perceives architectural features. Findings are sure to be quite enlightening.

(1) Nelson, Bryn. Getting Lost for Better Architecture. MSNBC Dec. 15. 2008.