Tactile Surfaces

A home is encountered through repeated contacts: feet on a floor, a hand on a rail, forearms resting on a table. These surfaces form a small but consequential part of an interior. Their temperature, texture and shape remain relevant long after the first impression of the room.

Pallasmaa's writing on architecture and the senses asks designers to give these encounters proper attention. Selection can begin by following the actions expected in a place. A person who relies on a handrail meets it differently from someone who brushes a hand along it. A bench edge is felt under a different kind of pressure from a door pull. The material should be considered with that use in mind.

Sight participates too. A surface can suggest softness or weight before it is touched. Research on visual and tactile texture shows interactions between the senses, making samples especially useful for examining what a material promises and what contact reveals. Full-sized details can show the joints and edges that a small swatch leaves out.

This gives a practical way to direct attention and budget. The surfaces touched most often deserve repeated handling before they are specified. Their wear and maintenance should be considered as part of the same experience. A well-resolved joint, a comfortable edge and a finish suited to its setting make a material's qualities available through everyday use.