Architectural Aesthetics as a Catalyst of Agency: A Design Exploration of Affordances, Atmosphere and the Anthropocene

This PhD thesis explores architectural aesthetics as a catalyst of agency. Both aesthetics and agency are approached from the perspective of perception. Following the theory of atmosphere (Gernot Böhme), aesthetics is understood as atmosphere – the multisensory and affective perception of the surroundings. Following the ecological approach to perception (James Gibson), agency is interpreted as the perception of new opportunities for action, referred to as affordances. The exploration follows the method of concept-driven research through design. The design process is informed and driven by the concepts of atmosphere, affordances and the Anthropocene. And the design drives the conceptual analysis of the three concepts. In this way, design and conceptual analysis enrich each other to arrive at the following hypothesis: multisensory interactions on the approach to an affordance create a shift in attention that stimulates explorative behavior and draws attention to the atmosphere and global issues of the Anthropocene.The thesis arrives at the following main conclusion: architectural aesthetics can catalyze agency by increasing the multisensory expression of people’s actions on the approach to an affordance and, thereby, stimulating explorative behavior. Future research can develop and challenge this conclusion by exploring other strategies for stimulating a shift in attention on the approach to an affordance and by working with architectural aesthetics in other locations.