SCARA

So there are many ways in which we maintain a constant perception in the

face of changing visual sensation. The size, shape and colour of an object
are all generally perceived by us to remain constant as it moves around in
space, or as we move around it. Of course the visual sensations of shape,
size and colour are continuously changing. Our size constancy mechanism
is absolutely central to our appreciation of some of the most common of
the tricks of the architectural trade. Architects talk quite specifically about
the scale of a building. They do not refer here to the scale at which they
draw it, 1 : 100 or 1 : 50 and so on. Scale here means the effect the
building has on us in terms of relative rather than absolute size.

MATERIALE

Materials give an identity to the surfaces through their temperature,

texture, density, permeability, light reflection and elasticity. These
constitute the different material parameters.

Temperature is traced back to the coefficient of conductivity (for example,

steel feels much colder than wood) and the radiation of a material.

Unlike what one might assume, light experience is very important for
haptic experience. Light can be haptically experienced through
temperature rise. However, light is more passively perceived by the sense
of touch, consequently we refer to the temperature parameter for the
variables as light is passively experienced through fluctuation in
temperature. Actively or dynamically light can be perceived as an
orientation point, but this happens less frequently.

Besides light, materials can also reflect or let through air. The latter is one
of the most typical experiences for the sense of touch. Air that caresses
our skin informs us about the structure of the environment. Materials can
breath as well.

The texture of a material gives direction, reflects light and defines the way
a material is felt. To support active touch, movement will be encouraged
by a rough texture for the feet, while the hands and other body parts ask
for smooth surfaces. When relaxing, on the other hand, the body prefers
smooth textures for hands as well as feet. For example, rough stones are
excellent for staircases but can be best avoided for walls that are regularly
touched like movement planes.

Elasticity of a material is the extent to which a material practices a

counterforce or is transformed under external forces. A material is
considered elastic if it returns to its original form when no forces are
performed. If active touch is priority, like in public buildings, preference is
given to materials with no elasticity. The judo mat in the boarding school
was felt as a very pleasurable material on the playground. In a public
building on the other hand, it is better not to use a rubber floor. Although it
does feel nice as it is soft, it is not practical at all as people risk to twist
their ankle. An ideal dynamic guiding plane on the other hand is for
example a grass surface next to a hard surface because it forms a guiding
plane next to the run line.

Color

Since the time of the Egyptians, healers have been utilizing colors for their
remedial benefits. Psychics would identify an aura that might hold some
telling information about a person's internal well being. The aura is a
cluster of electromagnetic energy that can be seen through the color of its
light waves. Color healing can be achieved through food intake, exposure
to the sun, color visualization, and color meditation.30 Edwin Babbitt's
groundbreaking book The Principles of Light and Color, in 1878, was one of
the first to record the uses and benefits of color therapy:

So What: The relationship of color and emotion acts both inwardly and
outwardly. Biological reactions occur within our bodies while receiving
certain colors, while the internal psychological and emotional state of our
beings can be expressed outwardly through auras (the electromagnetic
spectrum).

Light
From the perspectives of lighting designers, it can be used to convey an
aura, define distance, and manipulate the spatial relationship between
objects and their surroundings. Light that leaves objects ambiguous
creates a phenomenological experience, but the moment something is
clearly defined it enters the realm of visual language and loses its
mysticism. The direction of light and angle of rays can be understood by
the angle and distance of shadows.31 The placement, intensity, and color
of light on objects affect the perception of spatial distances. Smooth
surfaces reflect light evenly, causing it to shine, whereas rough surfaces
scatter light waves in many different directions so that they don't return
directly to our eyes.So What: Sometimes ambiguity creates a richer
environment because of the personalized opportunity it allows our
imagination.

Phenomenology of Stimuli

The relationship between what we feel and what we think points to the
tasks of our senses and our brains. The ambiguity between reality and
imagination is clarified by an intellect grounded in sensory perception.
Zumthor captures the phenomenon of a sensory--based intellect when he
states, "How comforting to know that the old division between intuition
and intellect is still alive and well and that in the end it is our feelings
which decide, for all the intellectual gymnastics. But feelings cover a wide
area -- experience, imagination, how we use our senses, it is a trained
sensory package, and it is the ability to sense moods; it is a certain

sureness of intuition. Architecture must succeed and touch people's sense.

More than this, it must please them".