Texture has long been used by architects to breathe life into buildings as well as to create a unique experience for occupant’s senses. Expressing the true quality of materials, shaping an interior space or simply to articulate a pattern; texture is a fundamental tool existing to some extent in most all buildings – both good and bad.

The question becomes — how do you use it in your architectural design?

AN EXPERIENCE FOR ALL THE SENSES

Texture can be used...

Architecture usually tries to achieve some sort of design balance, whether asymmetrical or symmetrical. In the midst of the design process, do architects consider certain laws or theories as relating to how humans perceive? Yes, architecture must take into account all of the senses – but can theories, like the Gestalt Principles, highlight why design works the way it does?

For instance, when viewing a building from almost all distances and perspectives, the observer may...

Many sources today are writing about a renaissance of the “scientific revolution” in architecture – where architecture is once again influenced by science via its theories and findings. In the Seed Magazine article, “Architecture’s Scientific Revolution”, five examples are illustrated to show modern architectural designs that have been influenced by science. (1) So, where do we stand today?

It is important to not settle on simply...

Architecture has always been part design and part science, but – once again – we are in an era where the two have great potential to help one another. A design science marriage will be key as both scientists and designers strive to push their respective fields forward. Each can provide insight to the other as designers can help scientists think “outside of the box” while scientists bring newfound technologies and theories to the design disciplines...

When students learn in a classroom today, a wide variety of learning activities fill their day. Students learn in almost all parts of the classroom and when designed correctly, all parts have a purpose. Architectural design for learning means that an architect has provided space for a quality educational experience – and it is interesting to understand where lighting fits into the big picture.

Randall Fielding has written a paper, Learning, Lighting...

It is no secret that hospital patients are influenced by their surroundings. Hospital design directly impacts patient health – in more ways than one might think. Today hospital designers are trying to evolve hospitals beyond their infamously sterile décor. Care is being taken to use color, nature and wayfinding to ease a patient’s hospital stay. The following are five ways hospital design influences patient health – where care should be taken to...

The nature of the way we work in offices has changed over the years. Yes, ergonomics has arisen as key to comfort; but, with the advent of the technology revolution even our brains need to be kept in healthy environments. As a result of the computer age, workers are constantly busy – at times even deprived of person-to-person interaction. While bodies sit still, worker brains are influenced by the internet, email, cell phones, videos and all else that can be found via the digital age.

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Sensory Design Through Computer Algorithms

What if a computer alogrithm could design architecture that targets sensory design principles? For instance, by basing its design decisons on past architectures throughout history – such an algorithm could create the “best of the best” that pulls from all that works from a sensory design standpoint. Such a tool could prove to be useful to architects, and may very well shed light on new approaches to design. However, at this point,...

The notion of manufacturing algorithmic pieces like panels, structural systems and other elements and components that go into making a building, pose some interesting questions and ideas for you, as an architect, to consider.

In fact, trying to turn algorithmic architecture into a reality is quite a challenge today. It requires the manufacturing of materials that can move about, shift location and morph — all aspects that make digital manufacturing a little ways off.

I read an article...

In the image above, you can see how beautiful and revealing the implementation of algorithmic processes can be. To help you better understand what is going on in the above image, here is the author’s explanation about the mysterious and beautiful form patterns. It is curiously and simply called “Happy Place:

“256 nodes with friendships to other nodes tied together using the following rules: get as close to friends as possible, and get away from everyone else....