Designing for more senses

Abstract

Design for All (DfA) is a recent design paradigm which aims at handicap elimination in the physical environment and strives for a more humanised architecture. The implementation of DfA confronts architects, i.e. designers of the built environment, with a new challenge: designing environments that are user-friendly and elegant for as many people as possible, regardless of age, ability or circumstance. This study examines the advantages of involving users/experts with visual impairments in implementing this paradigm. Their talent for experiencing environments in a multi-sensorial way is highlighted. We focus on the haptic perception system, which people with congenital blindness rely on most and which turns out to be the foundation for human spatial cognition. Haptic qualities in architecture is the subject of examination.