Disaster-Affected Spaces as Multisensory Living Labs.

Disaster-affected environments are often viewed as remnants to preserve or replace, overlooking their potential as multisensory spaces. The paper reinterprets post-earthquake abandoned architectures as multisensory living labs, exploring how light, sound, materials, smell, and microclimate influence orientation, perceived safety, and stress regulation. Drawing on two Horizon 2020 Search & Rescue case studies—Poggioreale (Italy) and Madrid (Spain)—the research combines sensory mapping and a user-centered approach to identify comfort patterns supporting spatial legibility, embodied interaction, and cognitive clarity. The study proposes disaster-affected spaces as experimental commons, positioning multisensory design as a driver for resilience and adaptive reuse.