Pantheon of Wonder

Essay

Abstraction of Colorful Light

How Computerized Contact Lenses Can Make You Think Differently Design

by Maria Lorena Lehman

Virtual Reality

Architecture Drawing

As technologies continue to advance, building occupants are becoming capable of more and more. It began with the introduction of the computer, then went onto the smart phones, and now on the forefront are augmented reality technologies — one of which carries with it far-reaching implications.

I speak of computerized contact lenses.

If you think about it, it makes sense that the next evolution of computing would be to enter the realm of the bionic eye. For, when computer capabilites are added to the functionalities of a human using vision, one must think twice about how environments are to be designed.

Today’s environments are mostly a “what you see is what you get” type result. In the future however, with computerized contact lenses in the mix, environments will yield more than what you would see in them at first glance.

Suddenly, environments could themselves provide for information visualizations. They could redefine what it means to “connect” between real and virtual worlds. And environments would gain entirely new levels of funtionality — standing ready to act as a bridge between the virtual, informational, and the real.

Thus, with the simple addition of the computerized contact lens, environments will have new contexts with which to respond. And for designers of such environments, new chance will be given to redefine interactivity.

I invite you to question what might happen to the design of environments once innovations like the computerized contact lens arise. Think about any “new senses” that your given building occupant might gain. Would they be able to literally see through walls by gaining access to what is going on on the other side? Navigate in entirely new ways? Or even come to understand their environment through an entirely different process: perhaps web-based?

The key is to get you to think about environmental design at a few steps ahead of where things are today. Perhaps this will get the profession moving in the right direction — while also breathing new creative life into your ongoing projects.

Image Credit: © Dreamstime

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Dear reader,


I believe life is a continual process of awakening. As the journey of my own life continues, I always find myself connecting my experiences, studies, and ideas to new creative projects that bring beauty, inspiration, and hope for our world. For over 30 years, since starting at age 17, I have immersed myself in architectural design; and early on, I earned a Master of Design with Distinction from Harvard University, setting the foundation for decades of deep immersion in the field. Yet even before this, I held music close to my heart. At the age of 5, I began my first piano lessons; and since then, I began to see the world through a musical lens — even while designing architecture.


Over the decades, I grew closer and closer to music with a deep love for the design of instruments, their unique timbres, and for all the immersive ways their sounds could be interwoven into beautiful orchestrated compositions. I even began to develop a musical composition methodology, Spatial Symphonics, as I found my architectural design work becoming more and more emotive, soul-stirring, and yes: musical.


In recent years, I finally turned my focus to music composition. I hold a Graduate Diploma from the Film Scoring Academy of Europe where my works have been recorded by the acclaimed European Recording Orchestra (ERO), and I am founder of MLL ATELIER® — an award-winning studio now dedicated to my work as an orchestral composer, recording artist, and spatial symphonist — where I advance architectural design through music, and innovate music through an architectural design lens.


It is my hope that I can share my ongoing musical-design journey with you, directly from my studio through my video-newsletter entitled 'Orchestral Notes'. Expect video updates filled with first-access studio news announcing: album/book releases, concert premiers, sheet music publications, creative process sneak-peeks, and my own compositional philosophies as they develop to fuel my ongoing body of musical and architectural authorial works.


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Let’s enjoy the beauty, inspiration, and hope that music brings.


Thank you for joining me on this wondrous journey.


Warmly,

Maria Lorena Lehman


Founder of MLL ATELIER® | Orchestral Notes

Your invitation:


Dear reader,


I believe life is a continual process of awakening. As the journey of my own life continues, I always find myself connecting my experiences, studies, and ideas to new creative projects that bring beauty, inspiration, and hope for our world. For over 30 years, since starting at age 17, I have immersed myself in architectural design; and early on, I earned a Master of Design with Distinction from Harvard University, setting the foundation for decades of deep immersion in the field. Yet even before this, I held music close to my heart. At the age of 5, I began my first piano lessons; and since then, I began to see the world through a musical lens — even while designing architecture.


Over the decades, I grew closer and closer to music with a deep love for the design of instruments, their unique timbres, and for all the immersive ways their sounds could be interwoven into beautiful orchestrated compositions. I even began to develop a musical composition methodology, Spatial Symphonics, as I found my architectural design work becoming more and more emotive, soul-stirring, and yes: musical.


In recent years, I finally turned my focus to music composition. I hold a Graduate Diploma from the Film Scoring Academy of Europe where my works have been recorded by the acclaimed European Recording Orchestra (ERO), and I am founder of MLL ATELIER® — an award-winning studio now dedicated to my work as an orchestral composer, recording artist, and spatial symphonist — where I advance architectural design through music, and innovate music through an architectural design lens.


It is my hope that I can share my ongoing musical-design journey with you, directly from my studio through my video-newsletter entitled 'Orchestral Notes'. Expect video updates filled with first-access studio news announcing: album/book releases, concert premiers, sheet music publications, creative process sneak-peeks, and my own compositional philosophies as they develop to fuel my ongoing body of musical and architectural authorial works.


I would love for you to join me for this exciting adventure.


Simply click the button below to join my Orchestral Notes video-newsletter delivered every two weeks directly to your email inbox. Plus, get access to the full publication archives.

JOIN ORCHESTRAL NOTES

Limited availability each month.


Warmly,

Maria Lorena Lehman


Founder of MLL ATELIER

Author of PANTHEON OF WONDER

Maria Lorena Lehman has received the following awards and has been seen in the following publications: