Multi-Sensory Design - Building For All Senses - Re - Public

10/2/2021 Multi-sensory design – building for all senses | Re:public
Multi-sensory design – building for

all senses
 September 16, 2019  Elissaveta Marinova
   
Architecture is all visual, but there is more to it than meets the eye.
Imagine you have just entered the lobby of a luxurious hotel. You gasp, in awe of its
striking, eight-story high lobby, with a water feature cascading down at its centre and a
soft pile carpet beneath your feet. Before you check in, you pay a visit to the washrooms
and are welcomed with a clean, earthy waft of cedar wood - or is it cypress? You inhale
deeply; it is comforting. Your eyes then turn to the white Corian vanity units. They look so
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inviting you can't resist running your ngers along the surface; it feels as smooth as silk,
polished to perfection. 
What you have just experienced is multi-sensory design, the kind you could never truly
savour with your eyes only. The kind that engages all ve of your senses. You saw the
wonderful height of the lobby, you heard the waterfall, you perceived the scent of cedar
wood in the washroom and you felt the polished stone caress your skin.
What about taste, you may ask? It seems implausible for architecture to stimulate our
taste buds, but wasn’t it Dali who wrote of the "edible beauty" of Art Nouveau architecture
after all? You might be surprised at how powerful a space can be and even more surprised
at the emotions it may trigger.
Architecture can elicit a wide array of emotions
It is true that architecture can move us. It can bring back memories and elicit strong
emotions. It can be intimidating just like it can be comforting. We might feel safe amidst
the books of an airy, public library just like we might feel oppressed in the fusty, sombre
atmosphere of an o ce reception area.
Whatever the emotion conveyed, this interaction between architecture and people is never
the same. So, what is it that sparks all of these emotions and why do we react differently 
to a space? What can architects and landlords learn from multi-sensory design and how
can they use it to create commercial spaces that would be leased in a heartbeat?
Let's go back to our luxurious hotel lobby and imagine a slightly altered scenario. The
eight-story high lobby is still there, in fact, the reception area is now strewn with beautiful,
modern art paintings. The water feature has been replaced by an abstract anodised
aluminium sculpture, re ected in the marble oor. As for the washrooms, they are still
elegant but the scent is gone and the Corian has been replaced with laminate.
“
Architecture is the art of reconciliation between ourselves and the world, and this
mediation takes place through the senses
Juhani Pallasmaa
This is retinal-experienced architecture and, at rst glance, it appears to be enough. The

space is well-designed, but it lacks character and more importantly, it lacks depth. It is
one-dimensional.
What can we change? How can we design multi-dimensional spaces? How can landlords
improve their commercial space to appeal to more tenants and enhance their revenues?
Designing for the senses
“Architects who understand their users’ needs and feelings design successful buildings”
illustrator and architectural designer Justine Bourland told Republic. “I have always been
curious to know how the environment we live in has an impact on our perception of space”
she continues to say, “we started brainstorming on a system using a polygraph to measure
people’s heartbeat and moisture. This is an e cient way to read people’s reaction to their
environment.” A few months later, the device in question, created by Bourland and three of
her colleagues, existed in real form and experiments were conducted on over one hundred
people.
The outcome was fascinating. The polygraph showed more activity in an urban setting –
which meant more stress – and less activity by the sea. “The results have only con rmed
that our urban environment is not adapted to our needs anymore” Bourland points out,
raising an important question: how can we design better spaces?
Landlords and developers can learn a lot from this experiment. A commercial property
designed for the senses could easily command higher rent as the tenant will be engaged
in more ways than one. Bourland is well aware of the magnitude of workplace design:
“People living or commuting to a city spend most of their time at work. Workplace design
should be just as important as that of people’s home” she says, urging landlords to invest
more time and money in the workplace design strategy.
Architecture cannot exist without human habitation. The interaction between environment
and body is constant and according to Bourland, it “should be the architect’s priority”.
When we experience a space, we experience it through our senses and as we all know, we
have ve of those. That is ve different resources for designers to explore and tap into,
ve different resources often forgotten by landlords attempting to lease a space that only
stimulates one, maybe two senses.
So how exactly do we design for the senses and why will your business pro t from it? Let’s
take it one sense at a time.
1. Sight – the primary sense
Torres de Satélite, 1958, Barragan and sculptor Mathias Goeritz.
Architects use vision like spiders spin a web – instinctively. Le Corbusier, the icon of
modern architecture reinforced the idea that vision is at the heart of everything when he
wrote "I exist in life only on the condition that I see" and, as such, it comes as no
surprise that architects, furniture designers, landlords, developers, tenants even, all rely
on the power of sight.
Sight is what allows us to perceive light, form and colour. Take the work of Mexican
architect Luis Barragan, otherwise known as the architect of colour. Barragan’s style
can be recognised not only from the distinctive colour palettes he uses but also the
serenity permeating his architecture.
Granted, we could not fully comprehend Barragan’s work without our sense of sight, but
what makes the urban sculpture above particularly successful is not only the colour
palette but also the choice of material. Notice every concrete prism features horizontal
shutter marks that add character to the entrance of Satélite, one of Mexico City’s satellite
towns. Yes, colour is at the crux of Barragan’s work, but what about materiality?
2. Touch – the smooth and the rough
Materials come in all forms – some are polished, others are raw, some are warm, others
are cold, some are even made to interact with their surroundings. Juhani Pallasmaa
believes tactility leaves less room for mistakes than sight, no illusions, no trickery.
Let’s consider all the factors: texture, weight, density, heat, are all related to the sense of
touch. That leaves a lot of room for architects to experiment with materials and stimulate
our senses.
One architect in particular is known for his instinctive approach to materials and attention
to detail: if you haven’t already, meet one of the most enigmatic architects of the
20th century, Carlo Scarpa.
The work of Scarpa is a prime example of multi-sensory design. Bringing together time-
honoured crafts and modern manufacturing processes, the Italian architect has
embraced contrasts and made them his trademark. His renovation of the Castelvecchio
museum in Verona, completed in 1964, is an ode to materials and tactility.
Everything, from the walls adorned with various shades of Prun stone, to the
sophisticated combination of steel and concrete throughout the space, re ects the 
architect’s love for materials.
Justine Bourland reminds us of the in uence materials have over our perception of space:
“The design process should follow questions such as what the user will touch, and so
what kind of material will be used?” Such design process does not stop at the sense of
sight and in the case of the Castelvecchio Museum, pictures struggle to do it justice
because our eyes are not enough to comprehend the space. 
3. Smell – the untapped design resource
Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center, by Perkins + Will
Scents trigger memories, we associate spatial qualities to them: "it smells like home", "it
smells like a hospital". If cleverly used, these associations could be utilised in architecture
to increase certain emotions, to create a complete brand experience or even, like the
Chinese used to with beautifully engineered incense clocks, to tell the time.
Using our olfactory sense in architecture goes beyond plugging in an air freshener. It
means tapping into fragrant construction materials to create a naturally scented
environment: some trees emanate a resinous perfume and much of the wood used in
construction or furniture, like juniper wood, cedar of Lebanon, Atlas cedar, cypress, Thuja
or Laurel emanates a particular scent.
So ask yourself – what would a modern o ce reception smell like? Or a luxurious

washroom? Now push the boundaries of this default smell. What materials could you use
to create an entirely uplifted olfactory experience for your clients or tenants?


4. Sound - the invisible that can change a space
Low ceilings can be heard. Open doors, nearby walls, tall columns all have their own
reverberation time, their own resonance, and their own low or high-frequency energy.
A change in acoustics can have an impact on the entire space. Deep pile carpets create
an aural sense of warmth while marble oors and glass walls convey an aural sense of
coldness. It is all about reverberation time.
“
I remember the sound of the gravel under my feet, the soft gleam of the waxed oak
staircase
Peter Zumthor, Thinking Architecture
So how can our hearing be stimulated in architecture? Ambient music is an obvious

example. Water is an underrated one. Acoustics is key. In the words of acoustic consultant
Julian Treasure, “It's time to start designing for our ears”. In a 2012 TED talk, Treasure
talked about "invisible architecture", stating that poor sound affects our health, our
education and our productivity in the workplace. And it doesn’t cost a leg and an arm to x
this – acoustic treatments, sound absorbing materials, clever space planning, are all
viable solutions to minimise noise levels and improve our behaviour.
5. Taste - the bitter and the sweet
Cision's Chicago o ce, by Eastlake Studio
"There is a subtle transference between tactile and taste experiences. Vision becomes
transferred to taste as well; certain colours and delicate details evoke oral sensations. A
delicately coloured polished stone surface is subliminally sensed by the tongue" says
Pallasmaa.
Yes, the sense of taste is strongly related to spaces such as grocery stores, restaurants or
bakeries but can’t we use those associations we make in other environments? What do
bitterness, sweetness or saltiness look like? Using colours to recall tastes can add depth
and character to a space. Paint the wall a bitter chocolate brown, punctuate the space
with zesty orange accents… It's all about associations.
Five senses or more?

Rebecca Maxwell is a writer who lost her sight at age three. In a radio broadcast called
“Beyond Appearances – Architecture and the Senses”, Maxwell invites those of us who
see and design only with our eyes to experience our surroundings in a different way by
considering a series of additional senses.
“I believe that there are a lot more senses. We haven't identi ed them and we don't use
them. I think by identifying them we would begin to turn them on, as it were. You see, I 
think there is a sense of pressure, a sense of balance, a sense of rhythm, a sense of
movement, a sense of life, a sense of warmth, even a sense of self, which psychology is
beginning to recognise.” That is a lot of senses and a lot of factors for landlords to
consider when renting a space. Is it oppressing or is it comforting? Is it inviting?
Human experience is multi-sensory
Maxwell highlights what most of us forget: architecture can impart feelings that will vary
from one person to the next. Why? Because we perceive certain architectural
atmospheres differently and that is an important aspect to keep in mind when leasing a
commercial space.
“
The hands want to see, the eyes want to caress
Goeth
It is not necessary to design for all senses at once of course but landlords should
understand a space can be stimulating in more ways than one. Envision your space like a
nely tuned instrument that can interact with its occupants through a wide array of
senses. Who is your target and what can you do to nd satis ed tenants faster? Design for
the senses.
We asked Justine Bourland what building she would like to bring her Time Machine into
and she said the Opera House of Sydney. “I can imagine the device would reveal a certain
calmness at the start of the visit and excitement at the end, when the user nally walks
into the main hall while listening to the musicians play, surrounded by this architectural
masterpiece”.
If the Time Machine were yours, would you dare to use it in the commercial property you
are renting? What do you think the results would be?
  
Elissaveta Marinova
Made in Bulgaria, raised in Morocco, "matured" in the UK, Elissaveta is our Editor-in-
Chief. Her career started in the eld of architecture and design where she developed
a talent for creative thinking and an eye for aesthetics. In 2014, she found her calling in
design journalism and now has over three years’ experience in writing about design &
architecture.
    
Contact:
hello@re-publicspace.com
+44 (0) 203 744 7888
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10/2/2021 Multi-sensory design – building for all senses | Re:public

Multi-sensory design – building for

Architecture can elicit a wide array of emotions

This is retinal-experienced architecture and, at rst glance, it appears to be enough. The

Designing for the senses

1. Sight – the primary sense

Torres de Satélite, 1958, Barragan and sculptor Mathias Goeritz.

2. Touch – the smooth and the rough

3. Smell – the untapped design resource

Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center, by Perkins + Will

So ask yourself – what would a modern o ce reception smell like? Or a luxurious

to create an entirely uplifted olfactory experience for your clients or tenants?

Peter Zumthor, Thinking Architecture

So how can our hearing be stimulated in architecture? Ambient music is an obvious

5. Taste - the bitter and the sweet

Cision's Chicago o ce, by Eastlake Studio

Five senses or more?

Human experience is multi-sensory

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