Reinventing Architectural Drawing Techniques to Bring DfA into Action

Abstract

Architects and other designers draw in order to communicate their ideas both to themselves and to others. Drawing is an important mode of representation. However, as the act of drawing addresses visual perception in the first place, other sensory experiences are sometimes easily forgotten. Based on research with people born blind, we reinvented classical drawing techniques in relation to DfA. These techniques can support designers of the built environment in giving attention to haptic experiences while designing. Drawing inverted space, rooting or rest places gives designers insights in how people will actually behave and move through space. Drawing these aspects anchors the attention of people-centred instead of designer-centred design in the very act of designing. During a workshop with architects we invited architects to use these drawing techniques in relation to a design project they designed very recently—a psychiatric centre for children—and asked their feedback. Although the design was finished, using the different drawing techniques made them decide to change some parts of the interior. While the drawing techniques are not new, using them for people-centred design turns out to be a promising direction for bringing DfA into action.