This thesis studies people’s sensory perceptions of historic architecture, exploring the physical triggers for such experience, and connecting these with what can and should be maintained through building conservation. Sensory design is a developing field in architecture. The research argues that this approach can inform people’s understanding of the architectural experience of historic buildings, which in current discourse are predominantly considered for their associated ‘cultural significances’. People’s affinity to (historic) buildings is initiated by a response through the senses. This research advocates that establishing the triggers for such sensory response should be the main focus of the initial assessment of a building for conservation. From the review of changing approaches to building conservation, and exploration of sensory perception and sensory design, the research concludes people’s experiential perceptions have not been structurally considered in the appraisal of historic buildings. The methodology entailed the empirical development of a suitable assessment format, through performing initial on-site surveys that generated data to be added to those of a final sensory assessment, covering three buildings. Buildings were assessed according to Gibson’s sensory systems of visual, auditory, haptic, olfactory/gustatory and orientational perception, as well as with a comprehensive multisensory focus. Evidence from the data retrieved through this research indicates that the sensory assessment is a useful, informative and exciting addition to any architectural survey in building conservation practice. Such rich information will provide guidance and clarity to decision processes, to assist in retaining the affinity as the building’s physical relevance for the future. The research makes an original contribution to knowledge through the combination of two areas of study; through the application of sensory perception to understand historic buildings; and, in demonstrating that a sensory assessment has true potential as a suitable approach to the issue in practice.

Le Nem chua est un produit vietnamien fermenté à base de viande porcine. Notre étude a pour but de formuler des starters lactiques afin de standardiser le processus de fabrication du Nem chua et améliorer la qualité des produits finis. Le pH de la pâte de viande diminue progressivement tandis que la population lactique se développe au cours des 5 jours de fermentation. Parmi les 131 souches identifiées, les Lactobacillus brevis et Lb. plantarum étaient les plus fréquents. Les autres bactéries lactiques telles que Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactococcus lactis sont présentes mais en plus faible pourcentage. L’utilisation de la combinaison des Lb. brevis et Pe. pentosaceus (6.106 UFC.g-1 pâte de viande, proportion de 1:1) donne des produits préférés par le jury de dégustateurs vietnamiens. Ces résultats permettent d’ouvrir de nouvelles perspectives de production et d’application au niveau industriel des starters lactiques choisis afin d’avoir les produits à la qualité bien maîtrisée et en sécurité alimentaire dans la fabrication des Nem chua du Vietnam, qui pouvant s’appliquer à d’autres fermentations carnées similaires. / Nem chua is a very popular fermented meat product in Vietnam. Our research aimed at the formulation of autochthonous starter cultures in order to standardise the production process of Nem chua and to improve the quality of final product. The paste meat pH progressively decreased while LAB increased during the fermentation. Among 131 isolates identified, the most frequent LAB revealed were Lactobacillus brevis and Lb. plantarum. The other LABs such as Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactococcus lactis, … existed in lowest percentage. The results of our sensorial experiments demonstrated significant effects of Lb. brevis and Pe. pentosaceus strains, which were previously isolated from Nem chua, on the sensory quality of this traditional fermented meat product. The use of both Lb. brevis and Pe. pentosaceus strains (6.106CFU.g-1 meat paste, strain ratio of 1:1) as starters for Nem chua offered the best sensorial quality. These results suggest further studies on the practical ability of using and producing these LABs in combination as commercial starters in order to produce products of well-controlled quality and safety for Nem chua in Vietnam and probably of other similar fermented meat products.

Bakgrund Deskriptiv sensorisk analys (DSA) syftar till att beskriva sensoriska egenskaper (attribut) hos livsmedelslprodukter. En bedömarpanel analyserar ett produktprov genom att identifiera, namnge och mäta intensiteten hos ett antal attribut. Syfte Syftet med undersökningen var att studera hur attribut identifieras, beskrivs och presenteras inom vetenskaplig tillämpning av DSA. Metod Sjuttiofyra artiklar, publicerade i vetenskapliga tidskrifter mellan 1974 och 2019, analyserades kvantitativt med hjälp av deskriptiv statistik. Sjutton variabler användes för datainsamling. Samband mellan variablerna analyserades med hjälp av statistiska tester. Resultat Av artiklarna var 96 % publicerade i tidskrifter utan specifik inriktning mot sensorisk analys. I två tredjedelar av artiklarna tillämpades generisk deskriptiv analys (GDA). I fler än hälften av artiklarna avvek panelen från vad som rekommenderas kring bedömarantal eller tid för träning. I snitt användes 1,4 ord för namngivning av attributen. I hälften av artiklarna definierades inte attributen. I två tredjedelar av artiklarna presenterades inte några referensprodukter för att illustrera skalstegen. I tre fjärdedelar av artiklarna presenterades attributen i metodbeskrivningen. Meddelandelen substantiv var 68,2 % och 31 % adjektiv. En måttlig negativ korrelation mellan andelen substantiv och tiden för träning av bedömarpanelen var statistiskt signifikant. Slutsats I många vetenskapliga studier utförs DSA utan att gällande rekommendationer kring bedömarpanelen följs. I artiklar publicerade i vetenskapliga tidskrifter presenteras attributen inprecist nog att ifrågasätta användbarheten hos resultaten. Att ge den kvalitativa delen av undersökningen, identifiering och namngivning av attributen, status resultat skulle kunna öka intresset för att definiera attributen och illustrera skalstegen, vilket är en förutsättning för att tolka det kvantitativa resultatet (intensitetsmätningen) på ett meningsfullt sätt. / Background Descriptive sensory analysis (DSA) aims to describe the sensory attributes of food products. A panel of assessors analyze a sample of the product to identify and name a set of attributes and estimate their intensity. Objective The aim of the study was to research how attributes are identified, described and presented in the scientific use of DSA. Method By using descriptive statistics, 74 articles published in scientific journals between 1974 and 2019 were analyzed quantitatively. Data collection was conducted using 17 variables. Correlations between variables and differences between groups were analyzed using statistical tests. Results Of the articles 96 % were published in non-sensory-specific journals. Generic descriptive analysis (GDA) was used in two thirds of the articles. In more than half of the articles the number of assessors, or the time spent on assessor training, differed from what is recommended. An avarage of 1.4 descriptive words were used to name each attribute. In half of the articles no definitions of the attributes were given. In two thirds of the articles no reference products were presented to illustrate the attributes or different points of the scale. In three quarters of the articles the attributes were presentet in the section of method description, and not the results. The avarage share of nouns was 68.2 % and 31 % adjectives. A moderate negative correlation between the share of nouns and the time spent on panel training was significant. Conclusion Sometimes DSA is used without panel recommendations being followed. There are scientific articles where the sensory attributes are presented vaguely enough to question the usability of the results. To interperet naming of the sensory attributes as a qualitative results could motivate a more defined presentation, which would benefit the quantitative result (intensity assesment) by explaining what is meassured.