Engaging sensibilities: An exploration into architectural techniques for multi-sensory environments

Abstract

The culture and practice of architecture is regarded as a principally visual field. The sense of sight dominates the remaining senses, which lack purposeful engagement in current architecture. This proposal ventures to recognise the potential of multi-sensory engagement in order to embellish the architectural experience. It develops the design of a Rehabilitation Centre for those that have recently lost their sight. It has been identified that participation in group-based rehabilitation is more effective than its individual-based counterpart. The centre therefore caters to small groups of clients and their families, who participate in a programme consisting of typical daily living as well as specialised rehabilitation, which takes place in multi-purpose facilitation spaces. The research undertaken considers a phenomenological approach, aiming to investigate and explore an architecture that is enriched with the application of the senses: touch, smell and sound in addition to sight.