BRIEFING DOCUMENT FOR SEMESTER 1 DESIGN

DESIGN THESIS , SEMESTER 1, 2013

TITLE:

Architecture and Human Senses

Student:
Supervisor:

Aileen Sun
Aaron Sills

Picture and credits to be supplied by student

Topic Description

Architecture, beside its functional issues, it is a form of art that communicates to

human beings without verbal language. Hence, buildings do not function like a
machine or a divider of different human beings, but function as a link that evokes
people's inner souls and create unity. Architecture communicates with people
through human senses. It is its interaction with people's senses that makes its
existence in our world, enrich our lives and experiences.
This thesis will focus on how the physical world could alter peoples emotion, trigger
the memory, inspire the mind and purifies the soul through its connection with human
senses, which includes sight, smell, touch and sound. If the objective world cannot be
sensed and perceived, then it does not exist in our world. Through human senses, the
objective world enters the subjective world. The existence and the state of the
subjective world is determined by our inner beings. More positivity given by the
physical world, more positively the humans inner beings can be affected, hence more
positive things can enter ones world, which forms a positive cycle.

Critical Question for the Thesis

How can architecture express itself and give positive impacts on peoples minds, spirit,
emotion, thoughts, health and lifestyles through its connection with human senses and
perceptions?
Key References and Precedents

Mastery of Spaces
Between Silence and Light: Spirit in the Architecture of Louise l. Kahn
Questions of Perception: Phenomenology of Architecture
The Eyes of the Skin
Atmospheres
Experiencing Architecture
Bruder Klaus Field Chapel , Peter Zumthor
The Louvre Abu Dhabi, Jean Nouvel
Jewish Museum Berlin, Daniel Libeskind
Design project

There are a lot of people suffer from depression, unhealthy lifestyles, dark thoughts,
stress, feeling lost and miserable. The unhealthy inner being is the origin of all the
problems in society--eg. crims, wars, suicides, large gap between rich&poor... This
design project will help them walk out of the darkness and get their lives back onto a
healthy track, bring positivity into their lives.
The design project will be a structure f loating above the existing
buildings in the W ynyard Quarter. The f loating structure will
provide a living system which gives positive impacts on people's spirits,
minds, emotions, lifestyles and healthy well-being.
Site Description

The site is at the Wynyard Quarter in Auckland. By considering its future planning
which is happening in five years time, the project will be designed based on the new
planning of the Wynyard Quarter. Since the design purpose is more focused on the
people who live a complex and stressful urban life, the project will be set on top of the
urban section of the Wynyard Quarter. It is also close to the CBD, where has a high
concentration of population.
Major Architectural and Architectonic Ideas to be Investigated

I will be investigating the relationship between architecture and human senses, such as
phenomenology, semiotics, and architectural psychology. The investigation will be more
focused on architectural psychology, such as spatial perception, spatial thinking, orientation
behaviour, spatial experience, Living requirements & Satisfaction.

Plan of Work for Semester 1

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7

Research, Design Brief

Research, Reading, Design ideas
Site research, Reading, Proposal form
Reading, Research precedents
Literature/precedent review
Design Concept.( Brief, Site analysis, Programmes, Plans, 3d views)
(Concept crit)
MID SEMESTER BREAK

Week 8

(Hand in first draft thesis: this briefing document that will be distributed to midyear critics)
Reading, Design development
Reading, Design development
Reading Design development
Midyear design crit

Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Literature Review

1. The Mastery of Space, John D. Dickson

This collection of papers has been concluded various aspects of spatial properties that
relate to sense experiences, such as the implication of various types of space and
shape, social implications and movement, the texture and color of materials, the
environmental aspects of light, sound, heat, water, taste, and smell. All the aspects
are organized and explained in a clear way with annotations at the bottom to further
clarify the ideas. The annotations include quotes, poems, explanations and details that
do not only explain the literature but also broaden the knowledge and inspirations.
After each topic, a framework summary and diagrams are provided for revision.
This collection of papers gives me a general introduction to all the aspects of space
that could relate to human senses. It is as clean and clear as a dictionary that could
guide my further investigations of the topic.
2.

The Poetics of Space, Gaston Bachelard

This book is an artistic literature which full of richness of humans perceptions and
imaginations of space. In Gaston Bachelards opinion, a house is not only a
geometrical object of planes and right angles, but a space that holds our thoughts,
memories and dreams. From the view point of phenomenology and psychology,
Bachelard analysis each part of the house such as drawers, wardrobes, doorknobs,
attics, nests, shells and corners with intimate immensity. Here, we can see a different
way to view our spaces, a poetic way that evokes our souls.
Same as my thesis topic, this book focuses on phenomenology and psychology. It
gives abundant knowledge of how the space relates to humans inner being. Even
though this book is not in an academic style, as it contains a lot of personal
perceptions and imaginations, it could give me inspirations and new understandings
about space.
3.

Meditative Spaces, Michael Freeman

This book gives a broad knowledge of meditative spaces, from its theory to a wide
range of examples. It focuses how space could alter humans perception and thought,
how space could calm the mind and open it to the world through the methods of
simplicity, perceptual shift, focus and natural energy. Each method contains many

examples with descriptions and photographs, which helps understanding

comprehensively.
The wide range of examples of meditative spaces given by this book is quite helpful
for my learning of materials and elements that could affect humans inner being.
Meditative space is also a way to give positive impacts on people's spirits, minds,
emotions, lifestyles and healthy well-being which suits my design purpose.

4.

Experiencing Architecture, Steen Eiler Rasmussen

Based on the idea of that architecture should be determined by common senses,

professor Rasmussen produced this book which explains how art can be experienced.
This book contains a broad analysis of textures, shapes, colors, contrast, scale and
proportion, rhythm, textures, light and acoustics. These categories are explained with
the support of a wide range of examples, such as teacups, golf balls, windows,
doorways, sidewalks, buildings from all over the world and across centuries. The book
provides a broad understanding of architecture as art.
In relation with my thesis topic, I think this book gives a broad and comprehensive
explanation of how people experience and feels the architecture as an art form. The
detail analysis of a wide range of art instances also helps me to broaden the
knowledge in this area.
5.
Between Silence and Light Spirit in the Architecture of Louis I. Kahn, John
Lobell
This book contains the theory and notions of Louis I. Kahn. It is a book collects his
deep thinking and viewpoints of joy, touch, sight, wonder, realization, intuition, the
unmeasurable and the measurable, knowledge, order, silence, light, singularity,
making something, form and design, place, space, structure, plan, garden and room,
materials, the wall, the column, institutions and architecture. Some of his buildings are
also introduced.
I think the philosophy of Louis I. Kahn is similar to the topic Im investigating. His study
of architecture is the study of human beings, and architecture is an expression of the
human place in the world, is an expression of the spirit. It is interesting to know and
learn about a masters perception of architecture and how art forms derived from ones
thinking as a whole system.
6. Sensory Design, Joy Monice Malnar and Frank Vodvarka
This book is specifically about design for senses. The sound, touch and smell are as
important as sight for design considerations. Joy Monice Malnar and Frank Vodvarka
explored the nature of humans sensory response to the spatial constructs with
meaning. Various sorts of buildings, gardens to constructions of fantasy were
analyzed and marked the existence of human awareness of the sensory capacities. A
scientific approach is also addressed to serve as a typology for design.
Compare to other resources, this book analysis the sensory topic in a more logical
and scientific way. It developed a new, sensory-oriented design paradigm that worth
to study about for creating more humane design.
7. The Sense of Space, David Morris
This book analyses the sense of space in a philosophical approach. It shows the

space is an environment charged with meaning and reflects the characters of human
embodiment in moving, perceptual, emotional, expressive, developmental and social
capacities. By addressing the philosophies of Merleau Ponty and Bergson, as well as
the scientific psychology aspects, this book gives a comprehensive understanding of
spatial experience and what does the sense of space tell us about us.
This book helps me to learn the topic in a phenomenology approach which gives my
study more depth.
8. Encounters, Juhani Pallasmaa
Encounters is a book composes a series of architectural essays that relate to
sounding, sensing, inhabiting, observing, learning, reflecting and time. The essays
cover the standardized systems of construction to phenomenological approaches to
architecture with references to anthropology, psychology, sociology and philosophy.
Images are also provided alongside of the essays.
Some essays of this book are quite related to my topic, such as The place of Man,
The Geometry of Feeling, The rooms of Memory, etc.
9. Being and Time, Heidegger Martin
Being and Time is one of the most influential philosophical works of our time. It had
tremendous influence on philosophy, literature and psychology which changed the
intellectual map of the modern world.
This book would be helpful for seeking the meaning of human existence, and hence
the meaning of architecture and art.
10. Phenomenology of Perception, Merleau-Ponty
In this book, Merleau-Ponty presented a description of how human beings perceive
the world in which they live. He focuses on the human body as the locus of our being
in the world and produced this major work of phenomenology.
This book would be helpful to derive the theoretical base of my thesis.

Precedent Studies
Bruder Klaus Field Chapel , Peter Zumthor

Bruder Klaus Field Chapel was built to honor the patron saint, Bruder Klaus. Bruder Klaus
lived as hermit for the last 20 years of his life. In 1947, he was declared a saint who is also a
favorite of Peter Zumthors mother. Therefore Zumthor created this chapel as a gift to his
mother.
The chapel has a irregular five-sided form, inside this simple exterior is a spiritual evoking
interior that fully connect with human senses. The inspiration of the interior comes from
Bruder Klaus visions. As a teenager, Bruder Klaus said that he had the vision of inhabiting a
tower in the service of God, he also had a vision of seeing a star that lit up the world while he
was in his mothers womb. These visions resulted in the form of the interior. The interior was
built in a special way. The tree trunks were arranged in the shape of a tepee, and then the
tree trunks were burnt after the concrete was poured and firmed, left with the dark interior
surface with the smell of the burnt tree trunks. The holes left in the construction of the
concrete shell were filled with mouth-blown glass which sparkles as the light passing through
them. As people walk through the interior, they experience a gradual change from the
darkness into the brightness. The hole left at the top drops down a sudden beam of light
thats like the hand of god reaching down into the miserable human life. The dripping of rain
water from the hole at the top, creates a peaceful music in a silent space.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi, Jean Nouvel

The Louvre Abu Dhabi is a planned museum in Abu Dhabi to be built in 2015. It is designed
as a seemingly floating dome structure above a series of rectangular structures. The dome
is web-patterned allowing sunlight to filter through. The effect of the dome is to represent the
rays of sunlight passing through the date palm fronds in an oasis.

The design of the dome and the interaction with the water enriched the experience of the
interior. Although the interior surface is pure white, the moving light beams filtered through the
dome and the light dots dropped onto the floor and the walls enriched the visual experiences.
The light beams also add a holy feeling of the space. The rippling sound of the water, the
moving water waves and the reflections of the sparkling light dots all give a rich and sensory
experience. In general, the museum creates a silent and peaceful atmosphere and enjoyable
at the same time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvOuD_GmJ9U
Jewish Museum Berlin, Daniel Libeskind

Jewish Museum Berlin was built as a memorial for the Jews. In my personal opinion, Daniel
Libeskind achieved this purposed very well by working with the human senses. The materials
used are cold materials such as zinc and concrete to create a strong sense of sadness. The
narrow and dark pathways, the concrete beams falling down randomly above the head, the
sudden and acute turning corner that you cannot predict whats going to happen for the next
step, all give a feeling of danger and pressure that what the Jews have been experienced. As
the visitors experience through this building, the sad and dangerous design draws them
back to the crucial period of the history, make them experience what the Jews have been
experienced. In this building, the presence merges with the past, hence the memorial purpose
has been successfully achieved.

Other resources that have been or are yet to be consulted

The Thermae of Stone

Saint Benedict Chapel
Meggies centers
Further Literature studies might include Chinese Fengshui theories.

Preliminary design concepts

The idea is to create a small city that

can provide a happier and healthier
lifestyle to people whose lives are out
of balance or feel lost.
The living system of the floating city
is structured to help people get their
lives balanced. It brings people back
to the fundamental track of living,
make their lives more simplified and
clarified. A simple life is about
keeping balance between energy in
and energy out. The floating city
provides the fundamental needs of
human beings to help people take energy in and give energy out equally. Physically, it has
restaurant to provide energy, and recreation space to consume energy. Mentally, it has library
to provide energy, and office to consume energy. The houses are provided for people who are
willing to live here for a long period to simplify their lives and cleansing their minds, then
they can bring this simple lifestyle back to their normal lives and start new healthier and
happier lives. Small transporting spaces are provided for the visitors who are willing to take a
temporary experience.
Each bubble provides an experience of cycling between darkness and brightness (except
private transport). As people enter the bubble, they are at the start of the darkness(or
brightness), as they keep walking, the space becomes more and more dark and pressured, as
they are in the extreme darkness, a beam of light comes in, thats the start of the brightness,
as they reach the extreme brightness, it is the begin of the darkness. Hence, people cycles
between darkness and brightness, like what life does. Theres no extreme happiness worth to
chase about, and theres no extreme sadness that cannot be overcomed. Once they start

realizing life is a cycle between negativity and

positivity, they can go into the center of the
bubble which is an empty meditative space to
seek calm and peace.
Functionally, the bubbles are floating on the
water by having inflated structure underneath.
The public spaces are fixed destinations. The
movable houses and transportations are able to
be driven like boats. At the edge of each
bubble, a circle of magnet is attached. The
magnet allows the bubbles either to be attracted
together to get aboard or repel to leave. Light
frame and membrane structure will be used to
reduce the weight of the bubbles.
The site is the harbour between the Wynyard
Quarter and the Prince Wharf where has less
boats movement. The site is close to CBD
where has a high concentration of people who
lives a stressful urban life. The site also has
more tourists around to enjoy the floating city
as an attraction, which could catalyses the
tourism industry as a positive side effect, and
helps to promote this way of living worldwide.

Bibliography
1. Bachelard, Gaston, The Poetics of Space, New York: Orion Press, 1964.
2. Dickson, John D., The Mastery of Space, The University of Auckland School of Architecture,
1982
3. Freeman, Michael, Meditative Spaces, United States: Universe Publishing, 2005
4. Heidegger, Martin, Being and Time, Camelot Press Ltd, 1962
5. Malnar, Joy Monice and Vodvarka, Frank, Sensory Design, University of Minnesota Press,
2004
6. Lobell, John, Between Silence and Light Spirit in the Architecture of Louis I. Kahn,
Shambhala Publications, Inc.1979.
7. Morris, David, The Sense of Space, United States: State University of New York Press, 2004.
8. Pallasmaa, Juhani, Encounters, Rakennustieto Oy (Building Information Ltd.), 2005.
9. Ponty, Merleau, Phenomenology of Perception, New York: The Humanities Press, 1962.
10. Rasmussen, Steen Eiler, Experiencing Architecture, Denmark: Krohns Bogtrykkeri, 1959.

Assessment Criteria
x

The identified topic should be theoretically sophisticated and professionally relevant

The design should clearly relate to scholarly literature and architectural precedents

There should be a clear plan and programme of integrated design and research

The design-based investigation should be relevant and contributing to this plan of inquiry

The design should demonstrate a competent mastery of the media of architectural production

The design should impart information and understanding of the research topic to others new to
architectural scholarship.

Written Feedback from Critic

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Provisional Grade Assessed by Critic at midyear

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Critic to Sign

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Date

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