is a technique I use to explore how we experience places through our bodies and emotions. It’s a way of making sense of the feelings, sensations, and atmospheres we encounter in specific environments—especially those we’re physically present in. By tuning into how the body senses the world around it, I can start to identify what stands out emotionally and why certain features of a place feel meaningful.
This method helps me “read” the emotional and sensory character of an environment. While the mapping begins with immediate, lived experiences—sights, sounds, textures, temperatures, and moods—it also brings to light the mental images those experiences leave behind. These mental impressions are shaped by what we notice, what stays with us, and what matters to us personally.
Together, our bodily sensations and the mental images they spark shape how we understand the world and our place within it. We don’t consciously register everything we sense—there’s simply too much going on. Our perception naturally filters information, drawing attention to what feels significant. These are the moments that stick. And often, the mental images that emerge from them—though less detailed than the original experience—hold a deeper emotional weight. They help connect us to a place, sometimes long after we’ve left it. In that sense, mental imagery becomes a powerful source of insight, especially for those interested in how environments affect us—what I call “Sensory Ecologies.”
Sensory-emotional map
Sensory-emotional map
Sensory-emotional map
Sensory-emotional map
Sensory-emotional map
Sensory-emotional map
Unlike technical architectural drawings, sensory-emotional maps don’t show exact layouts or fixed dimensions. Instead, they’re more like layered memories—traces of emotional and sensory experiences collected over time. They reveal the dynamic relationship between people and place. The structure of these maps is inspired by a framework developed by environmental psychologists Kaplan and Kaplan (1981). Here’s how their ideas shape my mapping approach:
- Generality – Highlights recurring patterns and filters out one-off experiences
- Simplicity – Strips away clutter to focus on what matters
- Economy – Encodes the information to make it easy to read and remember
- Essence – Keeps the most critical, emotionally resonant details
- Connectedness – Uses symbols or features to link elements together
- Directness – Organises experiences into clear categories
- Unity – Ensures the whole map feels coherent and legible
The examples shown in the slideshow span various projects I completed between 2014 and 2022. I often use annotated sketches to build these maps, but I also experiment with materials and 3D approaches.
One project, shown in the video, looked at how people experienced Elephant Park in Elephant and Castle, London, during its redesign. We etched a bird’s-eye view of the park onto a tabletop, and participants used coloured threads to trace their own sensory-emotional journeys. This participatory piece was created in collaboration with scenographer and UAL Senior Lecturer Lucy Thornett for the London Design Festival and London College of Communication’s public programme.
Reference
Kaplan, S. and Kaplan, R. (1981) Cognition and Environment: Functioning in an Uncertain World. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Ulrich’s Books.