The materials selected during the design phase provide the physical and psychological connection between the user and the space. It affects the user's comfort and mode firsthand in the space.
What do you think?
Let's take a look at an experiment done on this subject if you want.
In a study conducted at the Faculty of Architecture of Yıldız University, the concept of “texture” was considered from different angles. In this study,
- What kind of tissue types are preferred indoors and outdoors?
- How do tissues of different hardness groups affect the same space?
- What were the factors of the senses of vision and touch in perceiving tissue stiffness?
they have found answers to such questions.
Within the scope of the experiment, 3 spaces with a scale of 1/10 were presented to the subjects. By removing one of the walls in the model spaces, they have ensured that soft, medium hard, and hard textured surfaces appear from this gap. The lighting characteristics in the environment were always kept constant, while the subjects were shown walls of different textures. According to the data obtained as a result of the experiment,
- The perception that soft, hard, and hard textured walls made the subjects feel the space in a larger or smaller size was formed. 84% of the subjects said that the space looks bigger on the soft textured wall. It has been seen that the hard textured wall causes the space to be perceived as smaller than it is.
- The majority of the subjects used words such as “simple, subtle, understandable, calming, warm, friendly, comforting, cute, pleasant, unlimited, comfortable” when describing the soft textured wall.
- Most of the subjects used words such as “understandable, limited, deep, strong, specific space, friendly” when describing the middle hard textured wall in the middle.
- Most of the subjects used words such as “strong, cold, narrow, sharp, distressing, comprehensible, safe” when describing the hard textured wall.
If we examine the research results, it is seen that the textures in the space directly affect the size and meaning of the space. The choice of materials that psychologically affect the user so deeply should be carefully selected by the designer.
The material in Architectural Design
If it is desired to express the material in the design field in the simplest way, it is divided into 4 categories:
- Metal
- Ceramic
- Organic
- Mixed-composite
Some points need to be considered when choosing materials from these categories.
The designer must master the production techniques of the material very well. It is necessary to know in which regions the material to be used in the design is widely produced, where, how and under what conditions the supply of raw materials should be provided, and under what conditions it should be maintained. The more information we have about the materials that are the raw material of the design, the less our chances of making mistakes in the future.
No matter how unique the design is visual, another element that needs attention is durability. For the design to be useful for a long time, the materials to be used should be selected from durable categories. Along with durability, we must also take into account the characteristic properties of the material. For example, wooden material is usually preferred in the designs of shabby areas that have been trending lately. This is because wood is a characteristically natural material. It allows for simple, spacious, and secure space designs without too much processing on it. On the contrary, metal is not a preferred material in shabby designs. Because, characteristically, the metal has a harder and cold structure that evokes concepts such as authority and power. The material selected by considering the characteristic features in the design can fully fulfill its function in the space.
We can collect everything described in the above paragraph and say that the material to be selected should be “holistic”. It should provide the connection between the user-space-space function. In your living spaces, you can reach your dream design much easier and faster by getting professional help for successful designs that are unique to you. As Ankara Riva Interior Architecture, we have been shaping your living spaces with the projects we have signed since 2006. You can contact us to get more information.