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 innovative designs emerge into (and from) different regions and respective populations in the world.

What Stories Will Biomimicry Designs Tell?

As architects take on a renewed and forward-looking slant when turning to nature for inspiration, will this “attuned” architecture reflect its contextual surrounding geography and culture? After all, nature found in different parts of the world maintain different forms of life cycle processes and response systems; thus, giving architects a plethora of sources from which to design for more advanced architectural function and beauty.

In looking ahead, I can’t help but envision what Biomimicry and BioDigial Architecture can do for our architectural discipline. On the forefront, I can see that architecture will gain a renewed closeness with nature that it has never consciously had before. I also can see buildings that metaphorically embody a piece of nature (take the simple example of a flower), where an architect studies a particular process or response system from nature and then builds an architecture stemming from this nature inspired “seed”. Thus, a literal flower species can metaphorically plant its “seeds” within an architect’s vision — so then, a bioDigital building becomes a metaphorical flower offspring.

So yes, I do think the emergence of more bioDigital architecture will reflect the very nature which surrounds a building (or at least, the architect). Architectural clues like material, fabrication method and occupant lifestyle preference are already inherent to buildings around the world. Thus, a building is like a time capsule holding within it not just its occupants while it is functional within its own time, but also holding within it an “archeological-type” find that serves as a multi-dimensional “treasure map” telling a story to all those who “read” it long after its occupants are gone.

What story do you think buildings will tell once new technologies and scientific breakthroughs have had a chance to take full effect in architectural advances like Biomimic Design? Will buildings tell a deeper tale about what extinct species and types of nature existed before in a specific region of the world? Furthermore, what story will architecture built using nanotechnology, bioDigital algorithmic design and ubiquitous computing methods?

One thing is for sure, I do think that new biomimcry design methods will implant new layers of information — making the visionary buildings of today, gem-like seeds for tomorrow.

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 followers by “tweeting” it using the re-tweet button on this page.

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

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 the innovative integration between a significant amount of nature, new body (physical) activities within the space and new ways of working to ensure efficiency and healthy productivity.

It is important to keep dreaming up such future visions.

You Can Do The Same With Your Work

Again, it is refreshing to see a designer such as Lehanneur, going beyond oversimplifications regarding how users experience design. This is where science excels, in helping us to understand better why human beings are the way they are. Designers stand in prime position to really take advantage of this type of information.

Simply watch the video below to watch Mathieu Lehanneur’s presentation where you will see more prototypes, inspirations and theories as relating to this designer’s projects.

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 followers by “tweeting” it using the re-tweet button on this page.

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

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 made by natural or artificial means.

Architecture Is a Living System

I see great use for such materials in the evolution of architecture and its technology. Building maintenance is a very important factor involving not just the beauty of built form, but its function.

The notion of “surface” is becoming an ever-more important part of architecture; for it is with surfaces that we are gaining ability to do more. Such architectural “faces” are a critical key to helping our buildings meet the sometimes harsh external environments.

The following is a video where Armstrong explains her work and theories in greater detail.

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 followers by “tweeting” it using the re-tweet button on this page.

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

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.

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

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 staying free from hype and gimmicks. Form with no meaningful purpose or pure function with no attention to form and aesthetic are two sure fire ways to design architecture without true synergy.

To reach timelessness, your architectural designs need to be carefully thought out and your intentions need to encompass both the complex and the simple. These basics elude many building designers. Although they may seem obvious, they are often quite difficult to truly achieve. This is especially true the more complex a design is. (Think about hospital design as an example.)

REDEFINE THE FUNDAMENTALS

So often, architects are faced with the challenge to create designs that break a mold so they may be called “innovative”, “fresh” or “new”. But are they really timeless or universal? Perhaps they look “cool” from the outside. Perhaps they look “different”, but how do they actually feel for the occupant within them?

The perfect fusion between the timely and the timeless within a design is very difficult to achieve – particularly within more complex building types. Start with the fundamentals like…”How should these building programmatic requirements be translated and built so they feel right for the occupant as they journey through the space?”

Use limitations (like budget) as ways to help you push boundaries. With limitations come challenges and with challenges come opportunities to think outside of the box.

Look at better ways to improve upon basic human (and planetary) needs. Do this, while reaching for something innovative, but without forgetting the fundamentals. Then your designs will start to sing.

I WOULD LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK…

I would love to hear your feedback on this post today, so leave me a comment down below. And if you enjoyed it, make sure you share it with your Twitter followers by “tweeting” it using the re-tweet button! Thanks so much!

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

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 help us make decisions in the most efficient manner. In terms of architecture, just think of the many factors that architecture can influence. As architects, we use the notion of a focal point all the time – in terms of function, aesthetics and scalability. Such design issues that make the most use of visual attention are architectural qualities like wayfinding, thresholds, window views, lighting — the list goes on an on.

Any given work of architecture has many decision-making points within it. For this reason, it is good to consider what role focal points (visual attention) will play as they help your occupants to make decisions. Such focal points not only grab an occupant’s attention, but actually guide them on their journey as they travel within architecture, from one moment to the next.

ADAPTING TO SPACE … WITH YOUR EYES

We designers like to use design practices (like framing or symmetry) to create focal points in buildings; yet, we are able to create them in timeless and scale-less manners. How do we accomplish this?

Did you know that the “strength of [our] visual input fluctuates”? (1)

This means that what gets an occupant’s attention one moment will change by the next moment. Have you ever noticed that your visual attention adjusts as you acclimate to a space? For instance, when going indoors after being outside on a sunny day, your eyes need time to adjust once inside. At first, it is difficult to see anything indoors. Everything seems mostly dark; but as time passes, it seems that your eyes adjust to the lighting — you begin to see more and more detail. This is what happens with your occupant’s visual attention. Once an occupant enters a space, they acclimate in stages as they process incoming visual stimuli.

DESIGNING ARCHITECTURE THAT COMES INTO FOCUS

All of this gives way to thinking about how to design an architectural space. A room, or even a threshold, can be designed to make the most out of this understanding of visual attention. For example, when considering where to place the entrance of a room you may want to study what happens when an occupant enters – not just design for after the occupant has acclimated to the space.

Part of every space is the entrance – don’t neglect the importance of the threshold. This is where you may help occupants prepare for the visual stimuli they are about to take in, once inside. If there is no physical threshold, think of how the room’s details, lighting, materials and overall geometries will get their attention as they gain greater focus of the room over time.

Sensory Design: AN EXCELLENT BOOK

The Pantheon in Rome is a wonderful example of how visual attention can be used in architecture. It really makes use of the factors described in this article. This is probably why it is on the cover of the book called Sensory Design…

I must mention that this book is a wonderful way to learn more about the interconnections between the senses and architecture. I highly recommend it if you are interested in these topics. It goes beyond just the visual senses and gives an in depth explanation of how humans experience architecture. I know you will enjoy it…Here is the link: Sensory Design

(1) News Release — Visual Attention: How the Brain Makes the Most of the Visible World. The Salk Institute. March 27, 2009.

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

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 interpret what science is discovering about how humans understand and navigate the world. Of course, architectural interpretations of how nature constructs itself are important to pursue; however, questioning why such constructions exist is also beneficial to architectural progress as a whole. We must ask how these constructions (and systems) can be applied to make life better.

Architecture’s scientific revolution should strengthen the architectural industry by contributing needed dimensions of knowledge about how and why systems work the way they do. Into the future, architecture will not refer to science because it can, but because it should.

Architecture and science are re-entering a partnership where each influences the other – where design and science meet to redefine architectural process. While architecture learns from “neuroscience and computation, complexity theory and embryology” (1), — architecture and science are crossing paths once again; each challenging the other to decipher and implement findings that hold value — to positively impact human living.

(1) Kwinter, Sanford. Architecture’s Scientific Revolution. Seed Magazine. March 13, 2009.

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

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 she is quite insightful and forward-thinking. In her new column, Antonelli writes the following:

“Design today has to deal with a timely set of priorities and responsibilities: a concern for the environment, an evolved sense of responsibility toward other human beings, new technical advancements in manufacturing and distribution, new ideas about what constitutes privacy and ownership of things and spaces, the immateriality of new forms of design, the interactivity that many objects allow, and the resurgence of local cultures in response to the global market, to name a few.”(1)

Needles to say, her article entitled Core Principles touches upon how and why a design science approach is so important. We live in an age where scientific and technological findings are influencing everyday life in more profound ways. From sensory devices to nanotechnologies, the sciences are providing not only new methods for design and construction – but they are also providing for new materials as well. Conversely, as science searches for answers to solve some of society’s biggest questions, it is the field of design which can provide for the some of the most innovative ways of thinking.

As Antonelli states, “Science can teach design how to find its core. The points of contact between science and design are countless.”(1) Developing a stronger design science approach is important. Opening the lines of communication between the two disciplines is critical. Each can inform the other in exciting new ways – where science can find creative solutions and design can develop more innovative creations. The renewed advent of design science is here — and the architectural process is a key contributor.

(1) Antonelli, Paola. Core Principles. SEED. February 9, 2009.

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

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.

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

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.

© 2008-2011 Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman