Representations of sensory experiences in the early phases of architectural design: there is more than meets the eye

In response to questions about designers’ visual way of knowing and working, this article explores how sensory experience is conveyed during the early phases of architectural design. By processing 985 graphic components issued from a three-month ethnographic observation inside an architecture firm, and proposing an original methodology for their analysis, we identify and analyse graphic expressions of sensory-related design intentions. Multi-sensory dimensions of experiencing an architectural artefact, and the way architects deal with users experiencing space differently, are topics also considered in this article. The resulting observations remind us not to mistake apparent lack of graphical clues with lack of sensibility when it comes to addressing sensory experience during architectural design.status: publishe