Connecting Your Senses to Design

Your everyday experiences of your environment are determined first and foremost by your senses. All of your senses, sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell, play a role in your daily experiences and help to define your pleasures and joys. Over time, the accumulation of these experiences combines to inform your experience of life itself and, in some ways, your view of the world. The connections between our senses from our body’s external touch points (eyes, ears, hands, nose, tongue, etc.) and that of our brain are made with various types of receptors and signals. Each receptor type at the peripheral nervous system depends on the sense being engaged. Information from each receptor is then sent through to the central nervous system and into their respective zones within the cerebral cortex for processing. All senses are processed with different elements of the body’s limbic system. The limbic system, as a whole, helps us make sense of the environment around us. By actively engaging our senses, meaning having a conscious awareness of our sensory experiences as they occur, we enable mindfulness – a helpful wellbeing practice.

From the standpoint of design for our environment, the practice of phenomenology is one that emphasizes the sensory qualities that will be elicited through the design. Phenomenology puts our sensory experiences at the forefront of how we might make design decisions. For example, the form, space, and materials that shape a room may be designed to effectively manage the acoustics by way of the relational geometries and soft, porous finishes. In this case, the design decisions are largely guided by how the experience of sound may occur. In some cases, you may want to emphasize your experience of the thermal or visual environment, while in other cases, you may be more interested in the qualities of touch and smell.

Each sensory experience can help us manage and maintain health and wellness. By tapping into all five senses, we practice mindfulness. When our brain receives signals that are not enjoyable or cause pain, our senses are effectively helping us to monitor environmental qualities and understand warning signs about the health of our spaces. A good example here is our olfactory sense, which can warn us about mold or mildew problems in our house when there are foul-smelling odors. In addition, our haptic senses will let us know when the environment is too hot or too cold and signal a need for adjustment in our thermal environment to help our body maintain thermoregulation function.

There is one particular mindfulness practice that is effective to connect you with your sensory experiences and is best to be conducted first thing in the morning with your sup of coffee or tea. It is a 5-4-3-2-1 meditation that engages each of the five senses in a particular sequence. Find a comfortable seated position with your feet grounded on the floor. Take a few deep breaths with your eyes closed before you begin so that you can center yourself and calm your thoughts. Now, open your eyes and focus on five things that you see by just observing. Next, identify four things that you feel – this can be anything your body is in contact with, such as the seat of the chair, the fabric of your clothing, your hair on your neck, the warmth of your coffee mug, etc. Now, identify three things that you hear. You may want to close your eyes for this so that you can tune in to the sounds in your environment. Some sounds can be quite subtle, such as the humming of your refrigerator. Maybe you hear some noises outside of your space, such as cars driving past or birds chirping. The fourth step is to identify two smells in your environment. This one can be challenging as well, but you should be able to smell your coffee or tea if you hold the mug close to your nose. Make sure to smell the space you are in and try to identify whether the quality of the air seems fresh or stale. Finally, experience one thing you taste (this can obviously be your coffee or tea)!  Congratulations, you have now completed the 5-4-3-2-1 meditation. While this is a great exercise in the morning, it is one that can be done at any time you need to reconnect with your senses throughout the day.

The reason I believe that connecting our senses with the design of our environment is so important is that it enables us to create designs that have longevity and timelessness. The more we can identify with the sensory experiences that bring us pleasure and joy, the more we will be able to make design decisions that tap into these qualities and serve us best over time. So, there is a sustainability argument for designing with our senses! We can improve the sustainability of our home design by establishing the fundamental sensory experiences that we appreciate and enjoy most. This can also apply for home décor, which can be one of the more wasteful practices for the environment if we choose items only for visual effect and don’t account for the other senses (think of scratchy and itchy fabrics on throw pillows that we just want to get rid of even though they are pretty or cute). Creating designs that you appreciate with all of your senses will empower the lasting effect and give you a stable and suitable palate that is not only unique but also healthy.

If you are interested in more information about designing or renovating your house to optimize for your senses, reach out to AIDA, LLC today for a consultation. You can always find more information and healthy home resources at Aletheia Ida Design and Architecture, LLC (AIDA, LLC) at www.aletheiaida.com.