Scent as Scene: Alleviating Loneliness Through Spatial Experience Informed by Scents

Alaa Alharbi // Adviser: Nichole Mandjarov

Scent as Scene: Alleviating Loneliness Through Spatial Experience Informed by Scents

Loneliness affects people of all ages, ethnicity, genders and occupations. It is a growing global issue, and has negative impacts on health and wellbeing. This thesis proposes to counteract loneliness by creating attachment to place through scent. By using scent to provoke memories of experiences, we can restore place attachment, which provides a sense of security and comfort. Designing for olfactory experience helps to cue vivid memories. Memories of scent are emotionally rich. The goal is to restore connections in design through scents, and create moments that evoke memories and nostalgia to alleviate loneliness.