Beyond sight: sensory atmospheres and design

What is an atmosphere? Does sensory fine tuning expand the understanding of reality? Can perceptions and atmospheres influence design and vice versa? Multidisciplinary approaches that integrate sensory aspects are tools that open up possibilities for design. Nevertheless, design has often prioritized the visual, overlooking the crucial role of the other senses in shaping experiences. This essay explores academic practices and performances that cross disciplinary and synesthetic borders. Social design strategies and public initiatives that focus in particular on sensory atmospheres unveil different multifaceted points of view and narratives of the same place. This paper presents various communication/performative design tools including auditory/sensory training for design/architecture students and participatory workshops in peripheries. The paper also describes the methods of the research.