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ScentSymphony

Architecture without sight: a device that composes scent, heartbeat, and space into a living symphony.

The goal of this project is to transpose the invisible interplay of odor and physiology into a tangible, spatial experience. Using HoloLens, Rhino, Grasshopper, Fologram, Unity, Firefly, and Arduino, I designed a mixed-reality system that tracks heart rate in real time and modulates scent diffusion accordingly. Fragrance—by nature ephemeral and shaped by humidity, airflow, and individual perception—becomes an active medium: a floating “note” that oscillates between ambiguity and presence. ScentSymphony captures these volatile currents and visualizes them as holographic flows, revealing how aroma structures our bodily responses and spatial awareness. The resulting device is both sensor and sculptor: quantifying scent’s fleeting qualities while orchestrating an immersive dialogue between body, technology, and architectural space.

This study explores the interplay between odors and heart rate in architectural spaces, culminating in a sophisticated device for observing and quantifying their effects. Odors exist in an ephemeral state, oscillating between ambiguity and evanescence, while individual perceptions add complexity to spatial design. Environmental factors, like humidity, influence odor perception, which can be dynamic or static, varying in intensity and duration based on source and presentation. Controlling airflow allows odors to carry diverse characteristics.

Next Steps

Interested in learning more about this project or discussing potential collaborations? Feel free to contact me or explore my other projects.