Communicating Buildings: Sensorial Embraces Mending the Disconnect Between Blind People and Their Built Environment

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Communicating Buildings: Sensorial Embraces Mending the Disconnect Between Blind People and Their Built Environment

Submitted to the Department of Architecture in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture at the Wentworth Institute of Technology, April 2019

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title: Communicating Buildings: Sensorial Embraces Mending the Disconnect Between Blind People and Their Built Environment

creator: Rachel Anne Blanchette

subject: Senses and sensation in architecture; Barrier-free design for people with visual disabilities; College buildings, Designs and plans

description: Our environments are built around a growing visualparadigm that has inadvertently taken over the perceptionof our world. We have become so preoccupied designingfor this one thing (vision) that we neglect what architecturecould become. Sounds. Smells. Textures. A melody ofsensorial embraces that we can’t touch, because allwe can do is see. We are no longer interacting with ourenvironments sensorially, but instead, only topically throughour eyes. The sense of vision is so powerful it is able tooverride, muffle and avert our attention away from what isright in front of us. So I ask you, what is the users experienceif they can’t see? If the visual paradigm is muffled andthe other senses are allowed to come forward, ourenvironments can begin to join the conversation and exudeit’s full potential functionally, experientially and improve anindividuals quality of life.The expansive spectrum of the visually impaired use theirremaining sight (if applicable), sound, taste, smell and touchto piece together their world. Sensorial design becomescrucial when it engages these senses in a deliberatemanner in order to improve quality of life and overall safetyof the individual within their environment. Attention to detail,such as floor material transitions (per circulation type )or fixed furniture configurations (per spatial awareness),presents an equal and universal opportunity to experiencespaces independently and with dignity.

publisher: The Douglas D. Schumann Library and Learning Commons, Wentworth Institute of Technology

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date: 2019

type: Thesis

format: .pdf

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language: eng

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rights: https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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