The Meaning of Architecture as 'Total Experience' Involving All the Senses Challenges the Meaning of Architecture 'Limited to Vision'Seema Malik, Architect, Avinash Malhotra Architects, USA RationaleSight dominates the way we "see" the world. Thinkers such as Aristotle have emphasized this fact. He said, "Of all the senses, trust only the sense of sight." There existed and still exists a bias towards vision. Buildings too, are judged largely by their external appearance. However, we need to look beyond the façade. A building has much more to offer than mere visual appeal. The tactile engravings of the Puri temples in Khajuraho and the Forts of Fatehpur Sikri1 demonstrate this. Courtyards, which played an important role in Indian architecture, were planned with an understanding of wind and sun, so that the transition from the 'inside' to 'outside' could be felt and not just seen. Growing up and studying architecture in India one is never really exposed to disability laws and their role in molding the lives of so many people. For instance, disability laws between Delhi, India and New York vary in terms of how refined the relevant laws are in New York and how strictly they are imposed here. However, upon pondering the issue a little more deeply one begins to wonder what the ultimate aim of these laws is? Is it merely to provide access to buildings? It seems as though most buildings are designed and these special requirements are merely pasted on. Different people have different kinds of requirements. So in order for the design to be universal it should consciously keep all the requirements in mind. These requirements could be physical disabilities, blindness etc. Vision as a mode of experiencing architecture has come to be overemphasized to the virtual exclusion of all other senses. As students, we tend to design mainly for what is most pleasing to the eye. All studies of buildings are done through pictures and all design ideas are communicated primarily through the visual medium. There is also a tendency to limit our design conceptions to static views such as elevations, sections and perspectives. The other senses tend to be sidelined. To attribute an experiential value to a building that transcends its functional value, a building would need to provide sensory experiences. Sensory categories that form our reactions to space are the visual, the tactile, the aural and the kinesthetic. The olfactory sense though important, cannot always be considered in building design. Thermal sensibility is also of relevance. A building conditions our behavior and the way we function. Studies show that staying in an environment devoid of sensory stimulus leads to boredom, restlessness and lack of concentration. As students of architecture, we will be benefited by a critical analysis of the interplay of our senses and its consequent impact on architectural design. ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to try to understand the interplay of the visual sense with the other senses in the context of encouraging one's architectural skill set in universal design techniques. The paper first constructs a methodology that might permit such learning and tests it by experimentation. This is seen as an important attempt in the author's personal history to design outside of the box, where learning so far has been visually dominated, as a way of enhancing one's capabilities of architectural design. MethodologyArchitectural illusion is transformed into a fact when we physically experience a place, which is when our senses are activated. It is then that the preconceived image begins to fade away and we obtain a more real and complete appreciation of the building. In order to clarify this process, as a first step in the methodology for inquiring into the subject of this paper, a discussion is carved under the following heads:
This is followed by an investigative technique. It was the author's opinion that she should personally visit a place and experience it with the specific purpose of testing the theory. The exact procedure is developed along the course of study. DiscussionIt would be interesting to initiate discussion on issues surrounding universal design techniques in other parts of the world. Specifically, what steps have been taken towards the promotion of universal design? Have there been any independent studies to understand the nuances of such design techniques? What role have regulatory authorities played in encouraging such design? How have these concepts influenced the academic discipline of architecture in various parts of the world? |