'Layering up' soft materiality: a hybrid embodied design ideation method for soft interior architectural design

Embodied design ideation (EDI) methods have been proved to provide meaningful insights and successful outputs within the design process in the field of Human Computer Interaction (HCI). While these alternative approaches have been widely explored in interaction design, fashion design and product design, there are fewer examples of these in soft architecture, making it difficult for architects to grasp the subtleties and detail of what happens when the body interacts with a soft material. In this paper, we present a hybrid embodied design ideation method that borrows from EDI methods and motion capture technology. The findings show that by digitally capturing embodied material interactions, the materiality, the felt experience and the geometry of a soft space can be connected in real time, offering a new way of ideating soft interior architecture. Three versions of a soft courtyard were explored through material elasticity, material transparency and material foldability, resulting in distinct spatial configurations for a soft courtyard. These are presented in this paper through visual content, including images and videos.