Scale – no, I am not talking about that thing we all dread stepping onto in our bathroom or at the gym. I am talking about proportion and the spatial qualities of an object or entity in relation to its surroundings. A scale is measurable, but more importantly, it has a sensory component. When you walk into a room, how do you feel? Does something seem off? Maybe the windows are too small, the room is too narrow, and the couch blocks circulation paths. Everything around us acts to define scale, and therefore, has an effect on our sense of it.
If a room feels too big; architectural treatment of the ceiling and floor planes might be incorporated to create different zones within the space. If a room feels too small; large window openings and strategic removal of vertical wall surfaces offer new views and a sense of openness.
A scale can also establish a hierarchy and create focal points. Like a roadmap, inhabitants and guests are lead by these architectural cues and drawn through the spaces of a home. Proper understanding and manipulation of scale inform every decision that goes into a successful design.
That room you walked into earlier… the one that seemed a bit off. Imagine how different it would feel with large windows that flood the space with sunlight. A boxed bay widens the room creating a niche for the couch, restoring the natural circulation paths into and through the room. Adjustments like this have the power to modify your perception of a space, redefining its scale.