"Seeing is Believing but Feeling's the Truth"
It is testament to the dominance of vision in contemporary society that this well-known phrase is often only remembered as "seeing is believing" (ref).
We know from previous readings that architectural experiences are more than visual - they are syneasthetic and involve the whole motive body.
Given the importance of taking these non-visual bodily sensations into account, how might we better integrate these elements into our architectural designs and presentations (especially given the current situation and the reliance on digital, and in particular, visual mediums like Zoom and Unity)?
Before discussing the possible solution in virtual space, let me first define what I mean by senses in architecture:
1. Vision:
There is no doubt that this is the most important part. Needless to say, many architectural theories and designs are visually advanced. When we stepped into a new building, we confirmed the space by our eyes first.2.Touch:
Touch is also very important. The first part is linked to different textures which are also closely connected with visual memory. We can distinguish rough concrete and smooth stainless steel by visual action, but that comes from our touching experience in the past time. The other part is the feeling of wind, temperature and other factors. A perennial windy and freezing courtyard is definitely not as popular as a breeze and warm one.3. Hearing:
In the building, hearing is more related to activities rather than space. Most activities will make sounds, from classroom discussions to playing the piano in the lobby. The existence of sound can play a background effect which is also common in video and games. Taking the Falling water Villa as an example, the sound of flowing water confirms the residents that they are in nature without see the real stream with their own eyes. On the other hand, in some places where hearing is the main purpose, such as a concert hall. The calculation of echo and reverberation is one of the main subjects in architecture design.4.Smell:
As far as my concerned, the smell in the building is often closely connected with the material, such as the fresh wood fragrance in the new wooden building, or the rust smell in the dilapidated factory building. Most modern buildings are odorless, however, in my former school, the animal breeding area of the Biological Building was particularly smelly, which made me have to bypass that building every time if possible.5.Taste:
No, I will not lick any iron or concrete surface in a building. Never.
Back to the topic, among the four senses other than vision, I think the most worthy of discussion is the sense of touch in the visual medium. Let me talk about the other three senses first.
However, in architectural design, smell is more considered in gardens and interior spaces design. It will bring additional labels related to the user's personal experience, which may not be what the architect expected. Therefore, when simulating a cafe in a virtual environment, it may be simpler and more effective to simply prepare some hot coffee and place it at the table nearby than to simulate the smell by complex virtual signal. This idea comes from “5d movie” theaters, where staff use perfume to simply simulate the obvious smell of forests, flowers, and oceans related to what is shown in the movie screen.
1.Hearing:
Hearing has been used more maturely in the virtual engine. In architectural rendering software such as Lumion and Mars, you can put customized music and set its range and attenuation. So that audience can hear different sounds when walking in different virtual space. There are many kinds of sounds inside the software, ranging from reading in the classroom, talking in the cafeteria, to singing of birds on the branches. In more professional areas, such as film and game production, the use of sound is more numerous. There are even dedicated companies specializes in recording various types of sound effects in the recording studio. In general, sound can help people better integrate into the environment presented by vision, which is called “synesthesia”.2.Smell:
In China, there are some successful projects that study the connection between virtual reality and smell. The Scent Library (气味图书馆) is one of them, which uses chemical reagents to greatly reduce various real-world products.
3.Taste:
I don't think we will need to taste a building physically.
The most worthy of discussion is to explore the practical significance of touch and the means of realization in virtual reality.
In <The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses>, author criticized the visual center theory and believes that the lack of humanity in contemporary architecture can be understood as a neglect of the body and sensations. At the same time, the author proposed that human history has not been ruled by vision. The original auditory and tactile systems have been gradually replaced. In this process, situational thinking is replaced by abstract thinking. Although it has priority, visual observation is often convinced by touch.
With the development of the architectural era, architects like Corbusier, Gropius and Mies exemplified the characteristics of visual domination, which influenced architectural theory and perception of architectural forms, as well as the philosophy of architectural education.
The author believes that touch is the "mother of senses". All senses, including vision, are extensions of touch, which is also the senses that integrate ourselves into the world experience. Life initially relies on touching. After the development of visual images, the process of understanding them is also based on touching experience.
In terms of current technology, the realization of simple touch in virtual reality has been successful. In some advanced labs, touching gloves can replace the handle to simulate the operation of real hands. In the near future, with the update of sensor technology, we can expect to feel the difference between different materials in virtual reality. These all depend on the continuous advancement of hardware technology.
In terms of the current subject, the quality of the final rendering is the most important. The real material, the bumpy texture, and the multi-directional simulation of lightening. These near-realistic visual experiences can evoke our own internal memory of tactile sensation, thereby partially realizing the sense of touch. Take the comparison of the two pictures below as an example.
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