{"id":85569,"date":"2022-12-08T16:00:09","date_gmt":"2022-12-08T21:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.carleton.ca\/?post_type=cu_story&#038;p=85569"},"modified":"2025-08-19T09:37:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T13:37:08","slug":"7-senses-perceive-environments","status":"publish","type":"cu_story","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/story\/7-senses-perceive-environments\/","title":{"rendered":"5 senses? In fact, architects say there are 7 ways we perceive our environments"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"w-screen px-6 cu-section cu-section--white ml-offset-center md:px-8 lg:px-14\">\n    <div class=\"space-y-6 cu-max-w-child-max  md:space-y-10 cu-prose-first-last\">\n\n        \n                    \n                    \n            \n    <div class=\"cu-wideimage relative flex items-center justify-center mx-auto px-8 overflow-hidden md:px-16 rounded-xl not-prose  my-6 md:my-12 first:mt-0 bg-opacity-50 bg-cover bg-cu-black-50 pt-24 pb-32 md:pt-28 md:pb-44 lg:pt-36 lg:pb-60 xl:pt-48 xl:pb-72\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/conversation-spa-pool-1200x900-1.jpg); background-position: 50% 50%;\">\n\n                    <div class=\"absolute top-0 w-full h-screen\" style=\"background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.600);\"><\/div>\n        \n        <div class=\"relative z-[2] max-w-4xl w-full flex flex-col items-center gap-2 cu-wideimage-image cu-zero-first-last\">\n            <header class=\"mx-auto mb-6 text-center text-white cu-pageheader cu-component-updated cu-pageheader--center md:mb-12\">\n\n                                    <h1 class=\"cu-prose-first-last font-semibold mb-2 text-3xl md:text-4xl lg:text-5xl lg:leading-[3.5rem] cu-pageheader--center text-center mx-auto after:left-px\">\n                        5 senses? In fact, architects say there are 7 ways we perceive our environments\n                    <\/h1>\n                \n                            <\/header>\n        <\/div>\n\n                    <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"absolute bottom-0 w-full z-[1]\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 1280 312\">\n                <path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M26.412 315.608c-.602-.268-6.655-2.412-13.524-4.769a1943.84 1943.84 0 0 1-14.682-5.144l-2.276-.858v-5.358c0-4.876.086-5.358.773-5.09 1.674.643 21.38 5.84 34.646 9.109 14.682 3.59 28.935 6.858 45.936 10.449l9.874 2.089H57.322c-16.4 0-30.31-.16-30.91-.428ZM460.019 315.233c42.974-10.074 75.602-19.88 132.443-39.867 76.16-26.791 152.063-57.709 222.385-90.663 16.7-7.823 21.336-10.074 44.262-21.273 85.004-41.688 134.719-64.193 195.291-88.413 66.55-26.577 145.2-53.584 194.27-66.765C1258.5 5.626 1281.34 0 1282.24 0c.17 0 .34 27.596.34 61.3v61.299l-2.23.375c-84.7 13.718-165.93 35.955-310.736 84.931-46.494 15.753-65.427 22.076-96.166 32.15-9.102 3-24.814 8.198-34.989 11.574-107.543 35.954-153.008 50.422-196.626 62.639l-6.74 1.876-89.126-.054c-78.135-.054-88.782-.161-85.948-.857ZM729.628 312.875c33.229-10.985 69.248-23.523 127.506-44.207 118.705-42.223 164.596-57.709 217.446-73.302 2.62-.75 8.29-2.465 12.67-3.751 56.19-16.772 126.94-33.597 184.17-43.671 5.07-.91 9.66-1.768 10.22-1.875l.94-.161v170.236l-281.28-.054H719.968l9.66-3.215ZM246.864 313.411c-65.041-2.251-143.047-12.11-208.432-26.256-18.375-3.965-41.73-9.538-42.202-10.074-.171-.214-.257-21.38-.214-47.046l.129-46.618 6.654 3.697c57.313 32.043 118.491 56.531 197.699 79.143 40.313 11.521 83.459 18.058 138.669 21.059 15.584.857 65.685.857 81.14 0 33.744-1.876 61.306-4.93 88.396-9.806 6.396-1.126 11.634-1.983 11.722-1.929.255.375-20.48 7.769-30.999 11.038-28.592 8.948-59.288 15.646-91.873 20.147-26.36 3.59-50.015 5.627-78.35 6.698-15.584.59-55.209.59-72.339-.053Z\"><\/path>\n                <path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M-3.066 295.067 32.06 304.1v9.033H-3.066v-18.066Z\"><\/path>\n            <\/svg>\n            <\/div>\n\n    \n\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<p>This article is <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/5-senses-in-fact-architects-say-there-are-7-ways-we-perceive-our-environments-193179\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">republished<\/a> from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. All photos provided by <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">The Conversation<\/a> from various sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;\" allowtransparency=\"\" allow=\"clipboard-read; clipboard-write\" src=\"https:\/\/narrations.ad-auris.com\/widget\/the-conversation-canada\/5-senses-in-fact--architects-say-there-are-7-ways-we-perceive-our-environments\" width=\"100%\" height=\"400\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Have you ever wondered why you feel cozy in some places while you feel stunned in others? Think about the last international airport you landed in, or a local coffee shop in your neighbourhood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How we perceive these places is multifaceted. We often hear that we perceive our environments <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theweeklyjournal.com\/business\/using-the-five-senses-in-marketing-is-a-must\/article_112c8b0e-71a0-11ed-967e-17935054a27f.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">through five senses<\/a>: sight, smell, touch, sound and taste. But what if there are more senses involved in our perception? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Architects concerned with &#8220;the ways we experience things, thus the meanings things have in our experience,&#8221; as articulated in the branch of <a href=\"https:\/\/plato.stanford.edu\/entries\/phenomenology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">philosophy known as phenomenology<\/a> are <a href=\"https:\/\/stoutbooks.com\/products\/questions-of-perception-phenomenology-of-architecture-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">concerned with a fuller picture of how we perceive our environments<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"more-senses\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">More senses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond the traditional five senses, neuroscientific research also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/topics\/neuroscience\/proprioception\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">examines proprioception<\/a> (sensing your muscles, their location, and their movements) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/topics\/neuroscience\/vestibular-system\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the vestibular system,<\/a> which regulates the sense of orientation and balance in space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scientists are also examining <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/science\/2021\/aug\/15\/the-hidden-sense-shaping-your-wellbeing-interoception\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a sense called &#8220;interoception&#8221; <\/a> which refers to the perception of sensation from inside<br>\nyour body. The most commonly experienced one is having butterflies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image align-center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/499566\/original\/file-20221207-10117-78sqem.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"A thin structure appears to be on wooden stilts nestled against sheer rock.\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\n       <span class=\"caption\">Allmannajuvet Zinc Mine Museum in Sauda, southern Norway, designed by Peter Zumthor.<\/span><br>\n       <span class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"source\">(Astrid Westvang\/Flickr)<\/span>, <a class=\"license\" href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CC BY-NC-ND<\/a><\/span><br>\n      <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"phenomenology-in-architecture\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Phenomenology in architecture<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While architects across cultures and time have long considered the senses and design, the concerns of phenomenology as articulated by philosopher Martin Heidegger were introduced into architecture through <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/13264821003629279\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">architect Christian Norberg-Schulz<\/a> beginning in the early \u201870s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Architects concerned with phenomenology are interested in how to integrate a renewed fundamental <a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.ca\/books\/about\/Questions_of_Perception.html?id=r7gyAQAAIAAJ&amp;redir_esc=y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">understanding of perception<\/a> to design better buildings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Phenomenology in architecture refers to a shifting focus on giving users an experience. Beyond <a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.ca\/books\/about\/Genius_Loci.html?id=FlYkAQAAMAAJ&amp;redir_esc=y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Norberg-Schulz<\/a>, architects <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1357034X16676540\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Juhani Pallasmaa<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oasejournal.nl\/en\/Issues\/58\/PhenomenologyAndVirtualSpace#035\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Alberto P\u00e9rez-G\u00f3mez<\/a> have developed this approach, and architects Steven Holl and Peter Zumthor design based on the theories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NqlyDCXY9p0?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"thinking-about-approaching\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thinking about approaching<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Our <a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.ca\/books\/about\/The_Concept_of_Dwelling.html?id=4xxQAAAAMAAJ&amp;redir_esc=y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">perception of approaching<\/a> a building, a city or an object within an environment depends on many factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Approaching a city in the middle of the desert is entirely different than approaching a town in a forest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can perceive and see a city in a desert in plain sight, and you might perceive the duration it takes to get there longer than it is in reality. When approaching a town in a forest, you will be busy looking around the forest, looking at animals or trees, and experiencing a shorter time than what it took you to get there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to buildings, you will first approach them, enter them, and finally start exploring them. From the moment you are on the path of approaching, you start perceiving <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/referencework\/9780128054093\/the-senses-a-comprehensive-reference\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">with all your different senses<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image align-center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/499565\/original\/file-20221207-12015-yvtyxk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"A wooden walkway seen extending through water and greenery leading towards a building complex.\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\n       <span class=\"caption\">Part of the Linked Hybrid complex in Beijing, designed by Steven Holl Architects.<\/span><br>\n       <span class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"source\">(Wojtek Gurak\/Flickr)<\/span>, <a class=\"license\" href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CC BY-NC<\/a><\/span><br>\n      <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some tangible examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Touch:<\/strong> Imagine the moment you are going to touch a front door knob. A wooden door knob will feel different than a steel one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Smell:<\/strong> Sometimes, a specific smell can remind you of beautiful memories. It&#8217;s the same when it comes to buildings. Everyone can differentiate between the scent of a clean vacant space and a cottage in the woods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sound:<\/strong> You can get different feelings of space by just perceiving it with your ears. Compare a room with ceramic tiles where you hear shoes clacking along the floor and walking on a wooden floor where you hear the wooden floors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image align-right\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/499814\/original\/file-20221208-14351-65pkn0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"Image of a house in the distance with a light on in the darkness and snow falling around it.\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\n       <span class=\"caption\">Do you see, hear or smell a fire?<\/span><br>\n       <span class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"source\">(Shutterstock)<\/span><\/span><br>\n      <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sight:<\/strong> All of us have seen pictures showing a small house in the distance where a small light is on on a snowy day. That tiny light on a snowy day can be a fireplace we can feel just by seeing it in the distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Taste:<\/strong> It might be hard to link taste to architecture, but architecture can be a stimulus for taste. Specific colours and details can stimulate taste. For instance, marble might give you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/lifeandstyle\/wordofmouth\/2013\/mar\/12\/how-taste-different-colours\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a particular sensation of taste<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vestibular (movement) and proprioception (body position):<\/strong> These two senses are the foundation for orienting yourself in a space and being self-conscious within an environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"stimuli-in-our-environments\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stimuli in our environments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s important to also consider what <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stevenholl.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Steven Holl<\/a>, a New York-based architect, believes <a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.ca\/books\/about\/Questions_of_Perception.html?id=r7gyAQAAIAAJ&amp;redir_esc=y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">are the 11 stimuli in our environments that affect our perception<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1) An object is perceived within its surrounding. If you have a flower in front of your windows, the background will also play an important role in perceiving it and your impression of the flower. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2) Our perception is a series of frames from our environment that changes with our every single move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3) <a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.bg\/books\/about\/Colors.html?id=RRklvgAACAAJ&amp;redir_esc=y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Colours<\/a> have an important role in our perception. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>4) Light and shadows can give us different feelings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>5) Night and day can yield completely different experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image align-center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/499564\/original\/file-20221207-26-xuglf3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"A white rectangular building seen reflected into water beside it.\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\n       <span class=\"caption\">Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Mo., designed by Steven Holl Architects.<\/span><br>\n       <span class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"source\">(Dean Hochman\/Flickr)<\/span>, <a class=\"license\" href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CC BY<\/a><\/span><br>\n      <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>6) Perception of time is not linear and depends on many different factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>7) Water is a reflection of its surrounding environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>8) Sound helps to perceive our environment. Imagine measuring the depth of a room by echoing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>9) Details in design are an essential factor that can have different impacts. A person can easily differentiate the feeling and taste of natural wood from an artificial one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>10) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.routledge.com\/Proportion-Science-Philosophy-Architecture\/Padovan\/p\/book\/9780419227809\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Proportions and scales<\/a> are other critical factors in perceiving our environment. If a building is too big in scale, it can give you a feeling of being stunned, while a lower ceiling height can make you feel cozy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>11) Ideas are vital in designing buildings as they can give people different experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Accordingly, if you want to create a cozy coffee shop, you design it with low lights, warm colors, a nice ambient sound. An idea at the centre influences details with furniture and interiors, ceiling height and everything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Phenomenology in architecture helps create better environments based on how humans perceive their surroundings. Whether you are planning to go to a local restaurant or an exhibition, you can now think about how your experiences in a space are related to your sense perception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8212;<br>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.carleton.ca\">Carleton Newsroom<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/193179\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" alt=\"The Conversation\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever wondered why you feel cozy in some places while you feel stunned in others? Think about the last international airport you landed in, or a local coffee shop in your neighbourhood.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":410,"featured_media":85572,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_story_type":[1623],"cu_story_tag":[],"class_list":["post-85569","cu_story","type-cu_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","cu_story_type-expert-perspectives"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":"blueprint"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/85569","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/cu_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/410"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/85569\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":85576,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/85569\/revisions\/85576"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/85572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85569"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_story_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_type?post=85569"},{"taxonomy":"cu_story_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_tag?post=85569"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}