Methodological Processes - Definition and Attention

“Design involvement entails interplay between the movement of the design rules and the movement of the designer who interprets those rules.”

Adrian Snodgrass and Richard Coyne

Professor Jen Webb (2008) outlines the ‘Definition’ process as an important step to take in the initial phase of a creative research investigation. Webb (2008) affirms the definition phase as the first step of involved in this framework as a way of "defining the implications of the project within the field." This is because it encourages the researcher to establish a holistic understanding of the practice in which the research is being conducted, and to be aware of any precedents which have been set in the field that relate to the research that is intended to be pursued. In order to familiarise myself with the scope of research that has already been conducted within the realm of digital fabrication in architecture, I started analysing case studies of precedent experiments, involving the: CNC Router, Laser Cutter and 3D printer, to ground my understanding of how these technologies have been experimented with, and what the capacities and limitations of these technologies were. A further analysis was made on the phenomenological qualitative data of key philosophical theories presented by professionals in this field (Pallasmaa, Holl, Shirazi, Mori etc.) relating to how an individual experiences spatial conditions in architecture through the senses and cognition. Principally, multi-sensory responses are distinguished as the metaphysical encounters of spatial conditions which are evoked by the analysis of the qualities of substance, space and scale. Hence, the intention of a multi-sensory design approach recognises that architecture can be experienced through more than just one sense.

At the genesis of this project this research focused on a broader scope of philosophy concerning theories of perception proposed by Merleau-Ponty and Aquinas. This step incited me to reflect upon theories and concepts of perceptual phenomena previously established by key philosophers, and allowed me to record and analyse their logic. In return I was able to ratioanlise my own thoughts, and cohesively structure my logic within my research. At this stage, I defined the objective of my research investigation as an exploration into the potentials of digital technologies in architecture, and I decided to investigate how the resulting force of digitally derived designs could be experienced through multi-sensory thresholds. Webb delineates this step as part of the ‘Attention’ process, in which the purpose of the research project is derived.

As I descended further into this research, I came across Pallasmaa’s essay: ‘The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses.’ Juhani Pallasmaa advocates this theory of multi-sensory design, and he critiques the contemporary culture of architecture as being solely image-driven because he feels that there is a lack of value and meaning embodied within modern design. He argues that the negligence of the body and the senses in the experience of contemporary architecture provokes feelings of estrangement and detachment with ourselves and the world. He specifically describes that a holistic sensory experience should not only occur through the eyes, but also occur through the ears, nose, skin, tongue, skeleton and muscle. Using the process I had adopted from Webb’s outline in the ‘Attention’ stage of the research, I questioned the eleven assumptions of multi-sensory experiences proposed by Pallasmaa, and used his knowledge to reflect on how I might be able to answer my research question: “Can digitally derived architecture elicit multi-sensory experiences?”

Juhani Pallasmaa advocates this theory of multi-sensory design, and he critiques the contemporary culture of architecture as being solely image-driven because he feels that there is a lack of value and meaning embodied within modern design. He argues that the negligence of the body and the senses in the experience of contemporary architecture provokes feelings of estrangement and detachment with ourselves and the world. He specifically describes that a holistic sensory experience should not only occur through the eyes, but also occur through the ears, nose, skin, tongue, skeleton and muscle.

Starting off with this stage in the experiment was extremely confusing as I felt that I had no direction and I was scared to initiate the path of my research from so early on. Once I became comfortable with my research, however, I felt that I could competently complete my project, more so my eleven mini-research investigations, as I had defied a clear path for myself of what I needed to achieve at each stage of the research process for each investigation.

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Catherine K

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