Sensory materiality in space                        

Exploring the properties of materials

Relating structure, space and surface to define and emphasise an identified sense.

Materiality connects us to the surrounding architectural space. The materials that create interiors express themselves through our senses emotionally, physically and perceptively.

We unconsciously perceive space through them, which heightens our awareness of the environment. The acoustics of a room, the glass we see through or the surface we touch.

‘Sensory experiences becomes integrated through the body, or rather in the very constitution of the body and the human mode of being […] there is no body separate from its domicile in space, and there is no space unrelated to the unconscious image of the perceiving self’ (Pallasmaa, 2005:40).

Materiality communicates its own properties to us creating a sense of place. It adds mystery or defines purpose.

 ‘Natural materials express their age and history, as well as the story of their origins and their history of human use. All matter exists in the continuum of time; the patina of wear adds the enriching experience of time to the materials of construction’ (Pallasmaa, 2005:3).

Auditory

The cone like transitional space expand in scale as you walk along its length. The relationship between space, material and body constantly differs.

absorbent wood	differentiation of materials and scale

Haptic

articulation of space through extreme kinaesthesia	exaggerated textural qualities

Transluscency

reflection, graduations of transparency, overlay and juxtaposition to create a sense of spatial thickness

Vision

directional vision channels and focuses