At Bolia’s flagship showroom, Lookbox Living brought the design community together for a conversation on how sensory cues like light, sound, texture and temperature shape mood, focus and behaviour in everyday spaces.
16 October 2025
Text by Janice Seow
What makes a space truly resonate with us? That question anchored The Sensory Dimension of Design, a lively design conversation presented by Lookbox Living, in collaboration with Bolia and Bang & Olufsen.
Held at the Bolia showroom, the discussion drew Singapore’s interior design community for an evening that explored how sensory cues — from light and sound to texture and temperature — drive mood, focus and behaviour.
The evening brought together three voices from practice, science and research-by-design — each offering a distinct way of understanding the senses in design. They included Alan Tay, Founding Principal of Formwerkz Architects and this year’s President*s Design Award: Designer of the Year recipient; Associate Professor Georgios Christopoulos, Provost’s Chair in Organisational Neuroscience at NTU; and Dr Lilian Chee, Associate Professor of Architectural Design and Visual Cultures at NUS. In a discussion moderated by Janice Seow, editor of Lookbox Living, they unpacked how design engages not only the eye, but the body and mind.
Among the key points raised, Alan spoke about the often-overlooked power of transitional spaces — corridors, courtyards, and in-between zones — that let people experience changing light, air and sound throughout the day. “You feel most alive when you sense the gradients of change,” he shared, describing homes designed not just for comfort, but for awareness.
From the science perspective, Georgios explained how our surroundings subtly shape focus and emotion — through factors like temperature, acoustics, and natural cues. His research revealed that even the gentle sound of birdsong, when used intentionally, can lower stress and ease fatigue — evidence that sensory design affects more than comfort. “Designers,” he said, “are doing public health — not just aesthetics.”
Lilian’s lens turned to everyday life. Drawing from her film At Home With Work (2025), she showed how people instinctively adapt domestic spaces: a living room becomes a yoga studio; a small corner becomes a hatchery. It’s a reminder that spatial awareness often begins in lived use.
After the conversation, guests continued their sensory exploration with cocktails and a blind tasting experience. Drinks were inspired by curated flat lays of Bolia and Bang & Olufsen products, while canapés challenged taste buds with unexpected flavour combinations — a fitting reminder that design, like food, is about perception and play.
Hearing from practice, science and research underscored one key truth: there’s far more to sensory design than surface aesthetics. How a space feels can influence mood, cognition, and connection — shaping how we think, focus and relate to others.
All of which points to a simple conclusion: the sensory isn’t a layer on top of design—it’s the architecture of experience itself.
Also see Design, Dine, Dress: Can we make it all more sustainable?
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