Softskin: anticipating change for the future architectural envelope

The architectural proposition in this thesis aims to study the symbolic, physiological and emotional implications of the spatial and experiential qualities of architectural space, through an exploration of future possibilities for the envelope. The Architectural envelope defines a relationship between inside and outside, marking a threshold between two different environments. It is therefore of a dual nature, a two-sided surface. The outside is the expressive face of architecture, a communicative surface; the inside is an expression of our own intimate worlds, which we decorate with desires and memories. Thus the envelope is determined by our timeless desires for both protection from and connection to the outside world. Yet the future of the architectural envelope is uncertain. Entering this space of uncertainty, the objective of this thesis is to question the possibility of imagining the envelope as a more complex skin, a soft skin, one that is a multi-layered system, following the model of the living skin.