Designing for All Senses: How is Sensory Design Culminating Mundane Spatial Musings into Whimsical yet Tangible Designs?
With the art of sensory design, where every element transcends mere visual appeal to create spaces that resonate with all senses.
A holistic design goes beyond the confines of what pleases the eye and inundates all our senses in tune with each other.
In the words of Finnish architect Juhani Pallasmaa, “Architecture is the art of reconciliation between ourselves and the world, and this mediation takes place through the senses.” Take a moment and get your brain cells running—have you ever encountered a spatial design that envelopes you in its magic the moment it meets your eye?
The aesthetics are poetic, weaving a magical narrative, but you are left wondering—what’s more to this oh-so-spectacular space that keeps drawing me in?
A well-crafted space goes much beyond the confines of the visual spectrum. Yes, it’s a must for a design to please the eyes, but is that all?
Even though most of our design aspirations are realised as “you get what you see,” designing a space that makes your senses interact with your surroundings requires much more than experimenting with the whimsies of design aesthetics.
Enters sensory design.
The aesthetics are poetic, weaving a magical narrative, but you are left wondering—what’s more to this oh-so-spectacular space that keeps drawing me in?
A well-crafted space goes much beyond the confines of the visual spectrum. Yes, it’s a must for a design to please the eyes, but is that all?
Even though most of our design aspirations are realised as “you get what you see,” designing a space that makes your senses interact with your surroundings requires much more than experimenting with the whimsies of design aesthetics.
Enters sensory design.
The Concept At Play
A space that doesn’t just make you but also your furry babies stop and stare.
As a concept, sensory design—its notion, essence, experience, and culmination—is all based on cocooning us in an immersive sensory interaction. A space tailored to offer a little something for all senses can trigger multiple feelings, such as warmth, comfort, excitement, surprise, and even fear.
Sensory designing is a layered concept where multiple elements are at play, infusing life into the sensory serenade and bringing it to a tangible realisation. This encompasses textures, smells, and sounds, which come together to form an enchanting and interactive design palette.
Imagine flipping through the crisp pages of your favourite read on a monsoon afternoon. Would you like to be enveloped within four bland walls, struggling to make sense of the words in dim lighting? No, right?
Instead, think of a warmly lit room where the scent of fresh blooms intertwines with the strong aroma of your coffee. The soft rustling of the curtains and the warmth of the wooden floors perfectly connect you to the rhythm of the raindrops, engrossing you more in the story while you relish the sensory design narrative embracing you.
Sensory designing is a layered concept where multiple elements are at play, infusing life into the sensory serenade and bringing it to a tangible realisation. This encompasses textures, smells, and sounds, which come together to form an enchanting and interactive design palette.
Imagine flipping through the crisp pages of your favourite read on a monsoon afternoon. Would you like to be enveloped within four bland walls, struggling to make sense of the words in dim lighting? No, right?
Instead, think of a warmly lit room where the scent of fresh blooms intertwines with the strong aroma of your coffee. The soft rustling of the curtains and the warmth of the wooden floors perfectly connect you to the rhythm of the raindrops, engrossing you more in the story while you relish the sensory design narrative embracing you.
What Meets the Eye
Colours let a space whisper its own whimsical tales.
As stewards of achieving human comfort through well-thought-out design, architects must achieve a sweet spot between balancing natural light, colour schemes, and ambient lighting with their designs.>br /
Experiment with colours that let the space speak its story rather than overpower its charm. Different tones are associated with different moods and feelings. Channeling the appeal of various hues can help designers impact end-users and how they perceive a certain spatial unit.
For instance, you can create the sight of a rainbow by mixing vibrant colours for a kid’s play area. On the contrary, you can beat the blues with bright reds that exude an energetic appeal.
Experiment with colours that let the space speak its story rather than overpower its charm. Different tones are associated with different moods and feelings. Channeling the appeal of various hues can help designers impact end-users and how they perceive a certain spatial unit.
For instance, you can create the sight of a rainbow by mixing vibrant colours for a kid’s play area. On the contrary, you can beat the blues with bright reds that exude an energetic appeal.
In Tune with the Sounds of Design
How often do we come across holistic designs that explore sound in architecture beyond the mundane concepts of soundproofing and noise reduction?
While those might be important checkboxes to accomplish a pragmatic design, it doesn’t end there.
Different sounds entail the ability to make your design dance to different tunes. The tranquil flow of water can make for magical background music for practising mindfulness meditation. Contrastingly, energetic and upbeat tunes can imbibe euphoria, weaving together the perfect ambiance to relish an exciting party.
While those might be important checkboxes to accomplish a pragmatic design, it doesn’t end there.
Different sounds entail the ability to make your design dance to different tunes. The tranquil flow of water can make for magical background music for practising mindfulness meditation. Contrastingly, energetic and upbeat tunes can imbibe euphoria, weaving together the perfect ambiance to relish an exciting party.
The pool adorning the entrance of our Beach House in Chennai epitomises the playful interplay of the sun, sand, and sea.
Smells that Teleport You
Isn’t it surprising how different smells have the power to remind you of a specific moment in life? For instance, the delicious smell of that favorite candy from childhood brings back those cherished school memories.
Beyond the aesthetics, this salon envelopes you in a sensory delight awaiting to unfold itself, one little surprise at a time.
Smells not only entail the ability to become magical reminders of specific life moments but also help navigate spaces in ways other than merely visually. Inculcating scents within the design narrative is an excellent way of etching memories in the user’s mind that make your design establish an emotional connection with them.
Besides, fragrances, when infused wisely, can help visually challenged people navigate through their surroundings with ease.
Besides, fragrances, when infused wisely, can help visually challenged people navigate through their surroundings with ease.
A Vision You Can Touch
The most vital and relevant element of a multi-sensory design experience is touch.
Raw finishes, warm tones, and soothing colours—every element in the design dances to its own rhythm.
The texture of soft furnishings, the warmth of floors touching your underfoot, and everything in between—every touch point in the design narrative brings the sensory interaction to life.
Every element you add to your design palette should be well-thought and designed, not just in resonance with the aesthetic but also the textures.
Every element you add to your design palette should be well-thought and designed, not just in resonance with the aesthetic but also the textures.