PROJECT 1 Taylor's University: THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE & URBANISM

1. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM
(ARC61303)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (AUGUST 2018)
Name: Eric Lo Yann Shin ID No.: 0324922
Lecturer: Mr. Nicholas Ng Tutorial Time: 10AM
Reader/Text Title: The Eye of the Skin Synopsis No: Synopsis Text 3A
Author: Juhani Pallasma
Sensory experienceisasignificantpartof contemporaryarchitecture.Withoutthe interactingsenses,the environment
is almostsurreal to us as if our bodyare separated in the space.Ocularcentrism theactof prioritizing visual stimulito
all other sensory stimuli. Pallasmaa argues that the experience of architecture must be measured by multi-sensory:
eye, ear, nose, skin, tongue, skeleton, and muscle.
Our bodies and movement are in constant interaction with the environment. If the experience of architecture is solely
dependentonvisual stimuli thenit isrefrainingit from beingas awholesome.As architecturetodayhave neglected the
transactionbetweenbody, imagination,andenvironment;several realmsof sensory experienceareunabletointeract
and fuse together. Forinstance,GeorgeBerkeleyassumedthat the sensory of vision and touchmustbe incorporated
in the shaping of haptic memory. Vision needs the help of touch that can give a sensation of spatial depth.
Whenthere isa consistentinteractionbetweenallsensemodalities,ittuneouremotionfrom poortosatisfactory. One’s
sense of the environmentis enhancedandarticulatedbythese types of interaction.Pallasmaa explaintheoutcomeof
taking a walk in the forest is energizing and healing due to the constant involvement of all possible senses. The
complexityof impression manifested byarchitecture cannot be captured by a collection of isolated visual picture. A
goodarchitectureoffersshapes andsurfacethat easilystimulatesallour sensory, this stimulationisvery enrichingfor
a person because it intensifyour thoughts and imagination of the place.
Therefore, the role of senses must be taken into account during the design process because the human bodyis the
centre of the experiential world. In authentic architectural experiences, the senses are constantly seeking for
mechanisms, resulting, the presence of constant interaction becomes as essential part in the design process as it
facilitates a sense of belonging and integration.
Word Count: 315 Mark Grade
Assessed by: Date: 24 October 2018 Page No.

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