Papers by Gabriele Fowler (née Knueppel)
IDEA JOURNAL
A series of conversations between a group of blind and visually impaired participants and myself ... more A series of conversations between a group of blind and visually impaired participants and myself about non- visual and multi-sensory spatial encounters is used as the ground for discussion in this design research paper. Specific issues examined include the role of the visual, the auditory and the tactile in relation to the human body, movement, memory, sensory landmarks and processes of sense making. Within the participants’ stories of their experiences, spatial and temporal interiors emerge that are mostly based on non-visual encounters with architectural environments, yet may evoke visual imagery in the reader. Their accounts inspire a consideration of new ways of thinking about interior architectural practice and the tools and techniques used in the design process. Writing and drawing are positioned as important methods for exploring, presenting and designing multi-sensory interiors. The main questions investigated are how to communicate qualities of spatial environments that are...
IDEA Journal 2012
A series of conversations between a group of blind and visually impaired participants and myself ... more A series of conversations between a group of blind and visually impaired participants and myself about non-visual and multi-sensory spatial encounters is used as the ground for discussion in this design research paper. Specific issues examined include the role of the visual, the auditory and the tactile in relation to the human body, movement, memory, sensory landmarks and processes of sense making. Within the participants’ stories of their experiences, spatial and temporal interiors emerge that are mostly based on non-visual encounters with architectural environments, yet may evoke visual imagery in the reader. Their accounts inspire a consideration of new ways of thinking about interior architectural practice and the tools and techniques used in the design process. Writing and drawing are positioned as important methods for exploring, presenting and designing multi-sensory interiors. The main questions investigated are how to communicate qualities of spatial environments that are encountered and remembered in non-visual ways in the context of interior architecture and how such accounts are capable of inspiring interior architects to think about their practice differently and therefore create new knowledge for the discipline.
This paper investigates the notion of occupation as dynamic physical and multisensory relationshi... more This paper investigates the notion of occupation as dynamic physical and multisensory relationships within architectural environments. Our study specifically focuses on the construction of myriad relationships between physical, visual and auditory articulations of space, and how these shape human activities and interactions. By drawing on literature from the areas of visual and acoustic ecology (Gibson, Truax, Schafer) we seek to frame the notion of human occupation as temporal interrelations between acoustic arenas, soundmarks, and sonic events, as well as their visual equivalents. Additionally, we use Brian Massumi's discussion of synaesthetic fusion, movement and sensation as a philosophical tool for interrogating these interrelations. For the design project we have nominated a site within RMIT University's city campus in Melbourne, Australia. The applied research methods include the auditory and visual capture of environmental data via video, still photography and stereo recording techniques. We subsequently produce a series of sound and video compositions, constructing new spatiotemporal and sensory relations from the material captured within Bowen Street. This approach serves as a technique for initiating a qualitative design proposition for the site that shifts modes of occupation through visual and auditory interventions. The paper concludes with speculations about the significance of interrelations between visual and auditory spaces in designing environments for human occupation.
interiorsforumscotland.com
This paper explores current issues of multi-sensory, spatial and temporal design in relation to s... more This paper explores current issues of multi-sensory, spatial and temporal design in relation to social interaction within interior architectural environments. A discussion of this notion is introduced through an overview of related theoretical and project references. My case study titled Kontakte (contacts), which was recently installed in a site in Melbourne's inner city, demonstrates an experimental design approach and application of my research concepts. Kontakte aimed to reveal, amplify and produce multi-faceted connections between people by means of changing the spatial dynamics of the site context. My research focuses on tactics and tools that challenge interior designers and interior architects in their thinking about social connectivity, facilitated through tangible (material) as well as intangible (ephemeral) qualities.
Conference Presentations by Gabriele Fowler (née Knueppel)
Proceedings of the Conference Constructed Space, 2009
This paper investigates the notion of occupation as dynamic physical and multi- sensory relations... more This paper investigates the notion of occupation as dynamic physical and multi- sensory relationships within architectural environments. Our study specifically focuses on the construction of myriad relationships between physical, visual and auditory articulations of space, and how these shape human activities and interactions. By drawing on literature from the areas of visual and acoustic ecology (Gibson, Truax, Schafer) we seek to frame the notion of human occupation as temporal interrelations between acoustic arenas, soundmarks, and sonic events, as well as their visual equivalents. Additionally, we use Brian Massumi’s discussion of synaesthetic fusion, movement and sensation as a philosophical tool for interrogating these interrelations. For the design project we have nominated a site within RMIT University’s city campus in Melbourne, Australia. The applied research methods include the auditory and visual capture of environmental data via video, still photography and stereo recording techniques. We subsequently produce a series of sound and video compositions, constructing new spatiotemporal and sensory relations from the material captured within Bowen Street. This approach serves as a technique for initiating a qualitative design proposition for the site that shifts modes of occupation through visual and auditory interventions. The paper concludes with speculations about the significance of interrelations between visual and auditory spaces in designing environments for human occupation.
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Papers by Gabriele Fowler (née Knueppel)
Conference Presentations by Gabriele Fowler (née Knueppel)