139 place. In nature, we seek the sound of wind, birds and water as a way of connecting with the space. In architecture, sound can be manipulated to change the emotional impact of the space. “A study of man-made place therefore ought to have a natural basis: it should take the relationship to the natural environment as a point of departure.” (Norberg-Schulz, 1979, p50) Phenomenology designs according to experience, senses and phenomena, but it begins with the natural landscape. It becomes the starting point and directs the rest of the design according to the best response to the land. We look to nature for design elements, such as caves for volume and form, or trees as a ‘sacred grove’ or ‘forest of columns’ that borrows the character from nature. (Norberg-Schulz, 1979, p52) This can be used as a starting point for design when certain characteristics of the site can be repeated or recreated in a final design. “The distinctive quality of any man-made place is enclosure, and its character and spatial properties are determined by how it is enclosed.” (NorbergSchulz, 1979, p58) Enclosure requires architects to build boundaries. However, these thresholds can be subtle, for example as lines of changing texture or screens, and each one gives a different experience of that boundary. “The character of a man-made place is to a high extent determined by its degree of ‘openness’.” (Norberg-Schulz, 1979, p63) Isolating the building within an enclosure is to deny the space as a unified total. An integrated comprehensive approach allows the building to root itself in the context and character of the environment. “Technology is essential in architecture, but
the poetic and artistic qualities have always an existential origin and motif. Architecture arises from a heightened sense of life.” (Pallasmaa, 2015) Pallasmaa is another architect who believes in architecture that favours the human experience. He has an interest in Japanese architecture, which is nature-oriented design. It relies on subtle experiences and a light treatment of thresholds in order to better connect the building with the context. This sensory design creates the emotional experience of the building through the eyes and mind of the user. Sensory architecture is inspired by the many natural elements available to designers. These are light (and shadow), volume, form (and shape), texture (materiality), colour, sound, water, and planting. These are found in nature and can be manipulated in architecture in order to create a more fluid relationship between the building and the context. If these elements are studied and copied in their specific location, it improves the experience since it is more rooted in place. Spirit is allowed to flow through the entirety of the space, from the context and into the architecture. Character and sense of place can alter drastically depending on how these elements are arranged. A dense forest with diffuse light and textured plants around has a different experience from dark cave structures with fewer circles of light allowed within. An example of architecture that uses phenomenology in its approach is the Therme Vals by Peter Zumthor3, shown in Figure 143a. This example prioritizes the sensory experience as the most important aspect of the design.
3 Peter Zumthor is known for his architecture that pursues phenomenology.
PHENOMENOLOGY