Materialising smellscapes

This chapter explores the material culture of scent in architecture, drawing on debates in materiality. It defines “scent(ed) materials” as those that emit, absorb, or modulate odours, introducing two key concepts: scentability (a material’s capacity to hold or release scent) and scentonics (the systems and technologies that embed smell into spaces). Together, these terms provide a vocabulary for integrating olfaction into material and design discourse. Through applied examples, the chapter shows how scents interact with environment, technology, and presence, positioning smell as a tangible dimension of architecture. It argues for expanding material thinking to embrace multisensory design that includes olfactory experience.