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a texture language: exploring the facets of tactile richness

in biophilic design

Materials define spaces, crafting atmospheres and guiding the experience of the space.

Tactile materials in particular add depth and life, reconciling designed spaces with the richness of the natural world.

This is where A Texture Language comes from…

introducing a texture language

A Texture Language stems from my research on biophilic design, an ongoing exploration to find deep and authentic ways to bring the spaces we design closer to the natural world.

A Texture Language is a journey into tactility in designed spaces and a celebration of material richness. It is a research and a roundup of immersive materials that are able to create involvement around physical features while adding a grounding dimension to the experience of the space.

Raw stone texture.
Credit: unknown
Kitchen with raw stone wall.
Credit: Cheshire Architects – Ph: Samuel Hartnett
Bedroom with ribbed wood wall.
Credit: Mim Design – Ph: Tom Ferguson

materials and biophilic design

Material choices fit into a biophilic approach to design from a number of perspectives.

Natural materials draw a connection between man-made environments and the natural world, infusing designed spaces with the unique identity of their surroundings.

Highly tactile materials engage deeply with the senses, moving beyond the visual. Speaking of sensory richness, materials also define a temperature map of the space, with all the feelings that come from it.

Close-up of a raw wood coffee table on a textured rug.
Credit: Nordic Knots

materials and emotions

Materials carry both physical and emotional features. Igniting the senses, they inspire feelings that define the space on a profound level.

Natural materials are intrinsically grounding, yet they communicate an array of different emotions. A Texture Language delves into these nuances, contemplating coarse and fine, rough and sleek, cold and warm… all while recognizing the sensations that these material features communicate.

Fluted stone close-up.
Credit: Il Granito
Fluted stone close-up.
Etched wood close-up.
Credit: Zanat
Fluted stone close-up.

Exploring the physical and emotional side of tactile richness, A Texture Language delves deeper into design, elevating man-made spaces to nourishing environments that feed our senses as much as our souls.

explore a texture language

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