ARI 560R / ARI 696 / ARC 561R
Fragrance: An invisible, evanescent experience found in perfumes, bath foam, powder, soap, shampoo, lotion, candles, detergent, and even food. It can be derived from natural as well as synthetic materials: Lavender, musk T, Tarragon, Vanillin, Cedryl Acetate, Neroli, Vetiver, each having unique properties as well as classifications: Animalic, Gourmand, Woody, Floral, Opulent… Individual notes combine to form infinite aesthetic qualities and accords, some anchoring together as a base, others acting with volatility, quickly dissipating into the ether.
Scent is described through tangible qualities -- it has and carries weight -- and suggests texture: suede, velvety, hard, soft, and temperature: hot and cold. Those with synesthesia (the ability to experience multiple senses simultaneously) may even perceive and smell scent as an array of colors. Scent is tactile, aural, visual, and emotional. It impacts mood, behavior, memory, and cognition yet is often overlooked in our design endeavors.
In Liberté, Egalité, Fragrancité, A Fragrance Manifesto, perfumer Christophe Laudamiel writes of a world where “people shall go to theaters, movie theaters, museums, libraries, events, and stores because of scented events. All the Instagram® posts of this world will not replace the combination of scent experiences with visuals and sounds” and that “buildings shall get several rotating scents over the course of a day, like giving them a soul.”
Imagine designing a space with just air!
This advanced interior design studio will investigate all things scent – from its origins in raw materials to techniques of manufacturing and distillation, distinctions between natural and synthetic, fragrance compositions and characterizations, its relationship to the body, HVAC, ventilation, and air quality, as well as scent’s use in sensorial design and its impact on our psychologies. This research, along with scheduled workshops and local site visits to perfumeries, will form the foundation for our studio exploration of scent, materiality, and spatial definitions and boundaries. Fragrance, paper, wax, metal, concrete, plaster, plastic, water, fabric, resin, wood, rubber, foam, light, and color will be our materials. Casting, routing, welding, sawing, folding, sewing, wrapping, printing, cutting, tearing, photographing, drawing, and making will be our processes. Scent as material, surface, pattern, volume, and space will be our representations.