Do the uniform lines of high rise structures in urban architecture make you uncomfortable? Professor Arnold Wilkins from the University of Essex in England describes this response as ‘architecture headache’ and explains that the straight repetitive lines of city landscapes may actually lead to discomfort, headaches and migraines.
In an article featured in The Conversation, Professor Wilkins says that our brains struggle to process the dominant endless ‘stripes’ representative of urban architecture because these patterns rarely exist in the natural world. Consequently, our brains work harder, causing headaches and discomfort.
Wilkins and his team analysed images of apartment architecture over the past 100 years and found that architects typically favour uniform lines. Repetitive stripes can’t be avoided in architecture as they make up the very structure of a building through ceilings, walls, windows and columns.
While these ‘stripes’ can’t be avoided, they can indeed be hidden using a carefully designed facade built with perforated metal featuring brain-pleasing images.
Perforated metal is a highly versatile material that can be transformed into intricate, delicate and varying patterns seen in nature. Curves, waves and shapes in different sizes can all be achieved using perforated metal.
Arrow Metal Systems offers perforated metal facades featuring everything from words and waves to leaf patterns and logos. Some of Arrow Metal’s standout design skills can be seen at their flowing facade project for Cowper Street, Granville, the ‘wave’ metal facade for Bay Street, Brighton Le Sands, and a perforated metal fencing with tree and forest images at the Narellan Town Centre play area.
Wilkins believes that the ‘rule of nature’ ought to be more considered in architecture and interior design. Arrow Metal’s perforated metal projects show just how easy it is to incorporate natural patterns into architecture through the building envelope.
Talk to Arrow Metal’s expert team about nature-inspired metal facade designs and creating customised perforated metal facades featuring unique photographs, illustrations and more.
