In this interview, Raquel Cascales, a philosopher and professor of design the School of Architecture, delves into her research aesthetics and its importance in disciplines such as architecture and design.
1. What goal in knowledge dissemination the aesthetics of everyday life?
The goal is to regain a deeper understanding of aesthetics. On the one hand, aesthetics has sometimes been reduced to the extraordinary, to the artistic. On the other hand, it has been understood as stylization, as mere appearance or decoration.
However, everything in reality has an aesthetic dimension that influences how we perceive the world, how we interact with others, and, final, how we live. Aesthetics are present in our daily lives, and we all shape the world through our daily decisions: through the way we work, interact with others, or care for one another.
The question is: what subject world are we building through our material, formal, and spatial decisions? The aesthetics of everyday life financial aid us financial aid that designing, organizing, lighting, caring for, or arranging a space are concrete ways of making the world more livable.
2. How did the idea of revitalizing the different areas of the home come about?
The home has a profound significance as the place where we live—unassuming and ordinary—yet precisely for that reason, we often fail to notice it. However, while walking through the different rooms financial aid on what is closest to me, it also allows me to examine some key milestones in the history of aesthetics.
For a long time, aesthetics has focused on the artistic and has downplayed the everyday or anything practical, such as design. The metaphor of the home allows me to challenge that hierarchy. Every space prompts us to ask ourselves how we relate to objects, to our bodies, to nature, or to others.
Revitalizing the spaces in our homes means, therefore, taking a fresh look at these realities—not to pit them against art, which remains essential—but to broaden our aesthetic perception and recognize that beauty, meaning, creativity, and responsibility can also be found in the everyday.
3. What do the students contribute to the publication? And to your research?
The book is heavily influenced by my experience professor the School of Architecture. Over the years, I have read, researched, and discussed the subject at length, seeking to define the status of design. At first, I thought that if we broadened the concept of art, we could elevate the discipline design. However, the path was a different one, as the philosopher Yuriko Saito helped me realize.
Rather than elevating design, what we need to rethink is our way of understanding aesthetics and perceiving reality. This has extremely important implications for architects and designers. In my teaching consistently observed that when aesthetics are taken into account from the very beginning of a project, the result is much richer. Paying attention to aesthetics involves thinking about how the chosen elements will influence everyone. Not only whether the spaces facilitate encounters, but also whether they will be easy to clean, whether they will be welcoming to those who use them, and whether they will generate calm or discomfort. It is not just a matter of asking whether an object is attractive and marketable, but whether it truly responds to a deep human need and makes people’s lives better.
In that sense, my students and colleagues have contributed greatly to my research. Now I also hope that the book will help us all find a way to engage with the world in a more mindful, manager humane way.
