Camelia M.

Petre
Architectural Toys
Paper Abstract
Fall 2014
FAUP

Architecture as seen by the blind

Architecture domesticates limitless space and enables us

to inhabit it, but it should likewise domesticate endless time
and enable us to inhabit the continuum of time.
Juhani Pallasmaa, The Eyes of the Skin, 2009

Oftentimes the spatial senses such as hearing, vision and tactility operate as distinct and independent
systems, with vision being crucial to the development of spatial abilities. However, research studies of blind people
with a certain amount of experience show that they can function usefully in space. This is to show that sight is not
indispensable for spatial awareness.
On the other hand, though the blind may undertake spatial tasks within their body space equally well or even
surpassing the sighted, they may perform poorly when it comes to dealing with or perceiving events at a distance from
the body. Simon Ungar proposes that the main difference between the blind and the sighted's spatial comprehension
is that vision is the primary spatial reference, and inputs from other senses are fitted to a visual map. Thus, the
manner in which visually impaired children construct cognitive maps of their environment is of high importance as it
underlines the role of sensory experience in the development of spatial cognition. Catherine Thinus-Blanc suggests
that blind people are limited to a relatively fragmentary and inflexible representation of the space, whilst Unger argues
that the representations of blind people are limited only by their experience of the environment and that they do have
the ability to form unified representations of an environment if provided with sufficient appropriate experience.
In The hidden dimension, Hall discusses that much of Frank Lloyd Wright's success as an architect was
due to his recognition of the many different ways in which people experience space. He explains that the Imperial
Hotel in Tokyo, demolished in 1968, provided the user with a constant visual, kinesthetic, and
tactile reminder that he is in a different world by means of experiencing its changing levels through the circular,
walled-in, intimate staircase. Hall recounts that Wright used texture in the surfaces of the building to personally
involve the user in experiencing this environment. He used the roughest of bricks, then separated them by smooth,
gilded mortar.
Another mean of sensorial exploration of space is echolocation, as portrayed by J. Cutter. In the exploration of
the sound space world, blind children, for example, use hearing as a spontaneous means of exploring the auditory
space. Echolocation involves the location of objects far and near, such as a building across the street or an intersection
of to hallways. It is about the understanding of this information and how it is perceived in making a plan for more
efficient movement and travel.
As one of the few blind architects in the world, Chris Downey who lost his sight in 2009, is deeply interested in
multisensory design, of high importance to the visually impaired who will rely on touch, sound or smell to navigate.
Think about architectural environments that are [visually] monotonous, like hospitals or big convention centers - try
that blind, when it all feels the same and sounds the same. He now designs with a tactile palette in mind, testing
materials with his cane to see how they feel. Instead of doing a walk-through, we create a tap-through, so you hear
what its like when you tap your cane throughout the building.
While visually impaired people may not fully understand the effect of lighting on the architectural space, light,
especially of natural source, is also a source of warmth, which can of course be detected and appreciated by the blind
as well. In her book, The Thermal Delight in Architecture, Lisa Heschong states that our thermal environment is as
rich in cultural associations as our visual, acoustic, olfactory, and tactile environments. Her book explores, therefore,
the potential for using thermal attributes as an communicative factor in building design.

References to be pursued
Joseph Cutter, Independent Movement and Travel in Blind Children: A Promotion Model, 2007
Chris Downey, Architecture for the blind, http://www.arch4blind.com/, 2009
Edward T. Hall, The hidden Dimension, 1966
Lisa Heschong, Thermal Delight in Architecture, 1979
Juhani Pallasmaa, Eyes of the Skin, 2009
Plato, The Republic, Allegory of the Cave , 514BCE
Riikka Rusi, Visually impaired children in the playground, journal article, 2002
Catherine Thinus-Blanc, Representation of Space in Blind Persons: Vision as a Spatial Sense?, journal article, 1997
Simon Ungar, Cognitive Mapping without Visual Experience, journal article, 2000
Simon Ungar, The construction of cognitive maps by children with visual impairments, journal article, 1996
Peter Zumthor, Atmospheres, 2006