Reviews

Architectural design involves a process of iteration and testing which is closely akin to practice-based research and lends itself naturally to this approach in the University environment. Academic research into the relationship between mnemonics and spatial theory reveals the significant part architecture can play in developing the design of memorable virtual environments. The art of memory, which has largely been forgotten in the 21st century, may provide a theoretical context for this research. As we increasingly rely on mechanised forms of memory storage and recall on computer screens, these synthetic memories become ever more complex, and the creation of new methods of representing them becomes pressing. To this end traditional ‘Memory Arts’, based in physical architecture and spatial orientation, are a fruitful source of inspiration. The concept of ‘architectural mnemonics’, which grows from the memory arts, requires a multidisciplinary approach for it to be fully understood. The virtual environments produced using such a theory also require input from different disciplines to allow them to be fully analysed and tested. The interdisciplinary nature of the work reflects the many sided approaches of architecture, which always include both scientific and artistic elements. Through carrying out such practice-based experimental work, both the practice and theory of architecture are advanced and extended.