Essay

Tuning Architectural Spaces

The design of architectural environments is becoming even more strategic; with an eye toward helping building occupants achieve higher levels of well-being. And this phenomenon is occurring around the world, as multi-sensory design gets applied to spaces in a multitude of cultures. As such, it is sensory design that can help people to achieve higher levels of well-being by tailoring environments to their needs.

Yet, multi-sensory design can be pushed much further. With creativity and an innovative design process, it becomes possible to create environments that “tune” to occupants. Such places will be able to personalize features and interactions to the needs, preferences, and goals of occupants. And much of this will be possible with the further development of inter-disciplinary design findings and processes.

The Overlapping Boundary

Paradoxically, as both technology and biophilia are increasingly integrated into everyday spaces, environments will become more personalized, and more nurturing. In other words, technology will help environments to “tune”, while biophilia in design will help environments to “nurture”. Ideally, the two will work together, to eventually overlap the boundary between technology and nature. For example, what if digital nature could improve workplace productivity, creativity, and health? Or what if office colors changed by tuning to the seasons of the year.

The relationship between technology and nature is becoming ever more important. No longer is each considered the opposite from the other. Instead, the two can work together to personalize environments – using innovative multi-sensory design approaches.

Your Architectural Key

As an environmental designer, you will benefit from an exploration into the relationships that technology and nature have in your building designs. Where is their boundary? Does each inform the other? Does each help the other to integrate most optimally into the design itself? And how does their integration help the building occupant? The key is to understand how to “bounce” technology and nature not against each other, but through each other – so your designs can harmonize with nature in entirely new ways, while also using technology to enhance personalization that goes beyond interaction, and becomes adaptive.

‍Image Credit: © Cegoh | Pixabay