City Senses: Urbanism Beyond Visual Spectacle

Architecture and urbanism provide synesthetic experiences of space that don't necessarily privilege visual perception. This project seminar explores alternative approaches to design and an understanding of the city through explorations of all the senses. We will examine case studies of cities through the sounds of church bells, traffic, and water fountains; the smells of foods, plants, and sewers; or even the feelings of light and shade. Students are encouraged to work on projects that map the city through unconventional sensory markers, record sounds, distill scents, or film different corporal means of navigating the urban environment.