Drishti School For The Blind

PORTFOLIO DRISHTI SCHOOL FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED

MUSKAAN OBEROI B.A. (HONS) INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN 2016-2020 PEARL ACADEMY

CURRICULUM VITAE

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

2.

ABSTRACT

3.

PROJECT INTRODUCTION

4.

RESEARCH FINDINGS

5.

CASE STUDIES

6.

ANALYSIS - Case Studies

7.

STANDARDS AND DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

8.

SITE - About and Why

9.

SITE ANALYSIS

10.

AREAS OF INTERVENTION

11.

PROGRAM

12.

CONCEPT - Design Intentions and Design Issues

13.

ZONING

14.

FINAL DESIGN PROPOSAL

15.

3D VISUALISATION

16. REFERENCES

01

02

03

05

09

19

20

21

23

25

27

31

33

35

43

45

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all, I would like to thank Pearl Academy, the Design School for giving me an opportunity to choose, learn and create the final design project on an institution for the visually impaired and blind. It made me explore and understand the various experiences of the user criteria and study interior design for a special needs user group.

I would like to express my sincere thanks to my project mentor, Dr. Badrinarayana Srinivasan for guiding me throughout my project.

I would also like to thank Mr. Richard Bara, Ms. Renuka Jain and other faculty members for their constructive inputs during the semester.

Finally, I would like to thank my family for their constant support and my friends for their guidance, support and opinions throughout the project.

01

ABSTRACT There has been a recent trend in the design industry of designing with systems where sustainability was a primary concern. However, it is this necessity to meet sustainability standards that has neglected the thought of complete accessibility. It is true that with each passing year, there are multiple attempts at designing highly accessibly buildings, however, there does seem to be a deficiency in attempting to accommodate design for those with a lack of vision.

The problems of everyday living which disabled individuals face are seldom appreciated by those who are able-bodied, until they are personally confronted with them. The pace of the individual’s life may be drastically reduced and they would be faced with several difficulties in moving about, both inside and outside their daily used spaces. Limited by the physical disability, the individual must have to find new ways of doing so.

The selected project ‘School for the Visually Impaired’ is an institution for the youngest and with the most capacity to learn, children between ages 5-14 years of age (classes Nursery to VIIIth) who lost their vision and are visually impaired or are born blind. The design project would allow to practice and explore the institutional space interior design in relation with design configuration for the blind and visually impaired users.

In order to accomplish the project, I gone through few stages of methodology, including the research, analysis, conceptualisation, programme design, proposition and finally design relations.

As a result, I would like to deliver a combination of good programme and design, that is believed could improve the positive psychological traits such as optimism, confidence, and independence, that are perceived as traits that drive the blind and visually impaired into a healthy, long life.

02

INTRODUCTION The selected project ‘School for the Visually Impaired’ is an institution for the youngest and with the most capacity to learn, children between ages 5-14 years of age (classes Nursery to VIIIth) who lost their vision and are visually impaired or are born blind.

The word ‘blind’ or ‘visually impaired’ creates a negative sense, a sense of loss. The sense of this ‘loss’ or ‘disability’ is capable of sticking in the minds and making them the ‘sufferers’ losing them the ability and mindset to lead a healthy, long life. The childhood years are a phase where the child goes through physical, emotional, cognitive and social development. Dealing with both, born blind or losing vision, in those primary years can be a very unpleasant, if not properly taken care of, experience.

To be independent in the predominant motive of most disabled people, and I believe that they would need all the help they can get, from any form of adaptation that can be made to their spaces of use to meet their particular needs.

As interior architects, I believe that it is up to us to adapt architecture and technology to cater those in the range of needs, and by incorporating methods and developments assisting sound, tactile, smell and hopefully even thermal recognition, we will be able to enhance the way individuals with vision impairments communicate and respond to the interiors of their domestic environments, possibly making them independent of any assistance they might otherwise need.

03

Regardless, the need to be accepted within a community of individuals with similar abilities would help increase the level of confidence and social interaction that would help aid the independent living of the primary user.

By providing the primary user with a sense of independence within their spaces, while simultaneously placing them within an equal community, there would be multiple opportunities for the primary user to develop and adapt in a more favourable setting.

SCOPE OF DESIGN 1. Variety - The problems of each blind individual are unique, and there is a great advantage in having a variety of facilities available to give a choice for individual circumstances.

2. Independence - The objective of education, training, rehabilitation and welfare is to provide the individual with the maximum opportunities to the limit of his/her capabilities.

3. Mobility - One of the major problems that accompany blindness is to overcome the restriction of movement that blindness may impose. The individual has to adapt to the design techniques implemented to be able to move around in the space with confidence and assurance.

4. Integration - The blind often feel isolated and need to be integrated within their local communities. They do not need praise or pity for their disability, but more so acceptance as a normal member of the society.

The main idea for the ‘Drishti School for the Visually Impaired’, is to create a space and program that teaches the visually impaired to to enhance their multiple sensory perception and be able to develop knowledge and confidence to live normally in the society.

The intention isn’t to design a space which compensates the loss of vision, but a space which has its concept rooted in developing the students through their other remaining senses. Planning of spaces in a way which helps them in navigation and accommodation as well as takes them beyond their limitations which the lack of visual imposes.

04

WHAT TO BLIND PEOPLE SEE? Blindness is a somewhat elastic term to describe a wide range of visual limitations. Legal blindness is defined as a central vision acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the best possible correction, and/or a visual field of 20 degrees or less. Often people who are diagnosed with legal blindness still have some useable vision. The functionally blind, for example, cannot see well enough to get by without significantly altering their lives, such as by reading braille or listening books on tape.

The partial vision loss varies from person to person. Cataract sufferers experience cloudy or fuzzy images and struggle to see shapes, whereas someone with a macular degeneration might retain normal peripheral vision, but gradually lose central vision. A diabetic’s visual problems tend to manifest as shadows and blurring, glaucoma sufferers might live with haziness and tunnel vision.

All of these disorders permit some level of sight or light perception. Total blindness, also known as NPL (No Night perception) is reserved for those who lack even these limited abilities, in fact, they see nothing at all.

Nevertheless, recent research has revealed that, at least in some cases, even the totally blind might be able to perceive light non-visually.

The range of vision for the visually impaired is indefinite depending on the individual. “Blind” is often misunderstood as applying only to persons having zero vision. Although that holds true for the totally blind, they represent the smallest percentage (approximately 10%) of “Blind”. There are four widely accepted classifications, developed for educational purposes, each covering a wide range of visual impairment : partially sighted, low vision, legally blind, and totally blind.

05

UNDERSTANDING THE SENSES & APPLICATION IN DESIGN There has been long anecdotal evidence that blind individuals tend to compensate for their loss of vision through more efficient use of their remaining senses. They even show possible superior behavioural skills than sighted individuals, such as finer distinction between textures, materials and surfaces, as well as spatial sound localisation, in order to predict the source of a sound within a space.

In short, individuals with partial to full loss of vision are able to localise surrounding sounds, as well as finer discrimination of surfaces through material variances. By taking into consideration these skills of high tactile and auditory distinction, we would be able to construct a specific set of design guidelines that could very well aid the needs of those with vision impairments.

SENSE OF HEARING The visually impaired learn to become extremely attune to sound and use it as a means to navigate, understand space and objects and communicate with others. Within architecture, every built space can modify, position, reflect or reverberate the sounds that occur there.

An acoustic strategy using hierarchy has been used in the design. For example :-

• The main corridor has a certain type of acoustics while a double height space has a different acoustic quality.

• Noise distinguishes a movement corridor from a conventional classroom.

heights of room - ceiling drops

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SENSE OF TOUCH

SENSE OF SMELL

Touch (also known as tactile perception) is one of the five traditional senses. The impression of touch is formed from several modalities, such as pressure, sin stretch, vibration and temperature.

People who are born blind from birth are able to detect tactile information faster and more distinctly than people with normal vision. Blind individual’s use of a walking cane to find their way means that tactility is of vital importance to those with a loss of vision. It is because of this that we must realise the importance of designing with the focus of materiality in mind for the primary user.

Tactile elements are set into the flooring, paving and even walls as well as furniture elements to open larger areas of understanding mobility, as well as provide a distinction between programs, spaces and functions.

The visually impaired most heightened sense power could undoubtedly be the sense of smell.

However, the use of smell in designing for the visually impaired has been minimal and is a lost opportunity.

The two highly scented flowers - Lavender and jasmine, which grow at a considerably faster rate than many plants, and with their wide range of uses - presented an opportunity to be grown in the back lawn as a therapeutic gardening activity for the visually impaired.

existing textures using concrete on site

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Lavender

Jasmine

MEMORY Research into the methods by which the blind use location and direction clues show that a wide variety of aural, tactile and kinaesthetic senses are used.

Many blind individuals may use route memory, in which changes in direction and function of spaces are associated with clues such as the change in flooring or the change in wall texture from room to room with the extensive mallaebility of concrete.

COLOUR AND CONTRAST Blindness exists in various ranges. A few people are completely blind whereas the rest can see with diďŹƒculties of various kinds. Various research done show that the colours from orange, red and yellow spectrum are the most easily seen for those who are visually impaired. Specific selection of colours for dierent ares help students in way finding as well as orienting themselves in a space.

The use of the colour yellow on tactile pavings on the ground, tape on the floor, handrails,

edges of stairs, etc. serve the purpose of creating contrast as well as uniformity of design for the sighted users of the site.

Non-reflective finish of a warm pinkie hue

Staircase - Railing and Stair Edge

Classroom

SHADOW

Ground floor tactile and tape layout

Shadows play a very important role as it provides a contrast with light. Patterns created by shadows on any surface changes throughout the day which makes the experience more dynamic.

However, due to the negative impact as it may create some students leaving them in orientation confusion, the element of shadow has only been used in the balcony areas of the first floor and the residential floor.

The use of the patterned brick wall with cuts is to primarily block the direct sunlight. The secondary reason is to create a visual barrier between the road and the interiors of the space as the balconies are facing the road space. The final reason is to help in the circulation of air as well as controlling the thermal temperature of the balcony as well as the immediate interior spaces.

GROUND FLOOR TACTILE AND TAPE LAYOUT

BALCONY

08

CASE STUDIES

09

Considering the nature of the research projects, understanding of program and educational models used for the education of visually impaired (specially in India) is necessary.

Captain Chandan Lal Special Middle School for the Blind, Gurgaon

Understanding of the functional components, considering the fact that they will be operated and used mostly by the visually impaired would be required. This would guide through understanding the space standards and its sequence of use.

National Association for the Blind, Delhi

Exploration of dierent models of schools, from traditional to progressive system and its architectural manifestation would be important in order to choose one for this project.

Blind Relief Association, Delhi

The following projects have been chosen to understand all the above mentioned factors in separate or one project. Understanding of movement pattern, space standards etc. would be done in all the case studies.

Adarsh Patel Institution for the Blind, Delhi

Hazelwood School for the Blind and Deaf, Glaslow

10

CAPTAIN CHANDAN LAL SPECIAL MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND Chandan Village, 4/2, Behrampur Road, Behrampur Village, Sector 71, Gurgaon,

Haryana, 122004 Residential School

Coed-Education

Haryana Board

Classes: Nursery-VIIIth

Specialities • • • • • • • •

Computer Room with Assistive Technology

Braille Library

Resource Centre cum Tactile Museum

Science lab

Special Geometry Kit

Embossed Globe

Embossed Machine

Thermofoam Machine for Braille Photocopy

Points Noted • • •

• • • •

11

Circulation and zoning is fairly easy and straight

Technologically advanced in comparison to other blind schools

Resource centre has embossed maps, stuffed animals, geometry kits and a science lab attached with braille informative posters

No free standing structural columns

Tactile paving done with bricks in some open spaces

Students follow a strict timetable

5 students per dormitory, well executed planning

Directional cues of the major circularity in the open areas.

Boundary around the playground.

From one building to another.

DINING HALL

The circulation design of the building is a single spine design where classes branch out on both sides.

TACTILE MUSEUM

A lot of sensory learning happens in the room. Life-size creatures and tactile maps, toys, puzzles etc. are placed throughout. There is a separate science corner.

The staircase is placed in the middle of the academic block and connects to the hostel block which is on the first floor.

Points noted:-

Handrail is only on one The dining room side.

follows a certain Riser is more than 150.

process of order and Both of these factors leave is designed a scope of accident. accordingly.

12

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND (NAB) Sector 5, RK Puram, New Delhi, India Semi- Integrated Model of Education

Resource Centre and Hostel Accommodation for the children

NAB consists of: • Preparatory skill school

• Integrated education

• Centre for multi-handicapped blind

• Hostel facility

• • Computer training and technology centre

• • braille, E-text and Large print services

• • Talking Book Library

•

• • •

13

Points Noted Students are guided into the site by the help of tactile paving which starts right at the entrance

Edges of the steps are also covered with tactile paving to inform the students about the level difference

Free standing structural columns poses threat to students

Circular movement pattern helps the students in smooth navigation as there are no corners, but at the same time it makes them loose a sense of orientation

The ramp acts as a great navigation tool

Enough storage area is provided for storing large braille books

Small play areas work well with the kind and scale of games these students play. It also maintains their sense of orientation and they don’t feel lost. Large open area would make them feel lost

MOVEMENT IN THE SPACE • Students are guided into the site by the help of tactile paving at the entrance.

• Once inside, there is no tactile guidance except in wet areas.

• Students are taught to navigate in space by memory.

North Block - classrooms + hostel

South Block - classrooms + administrative functions

Open Area - small play area + parking + circulation area

•

•

Ground Floor

Circular movement pattern is debatable. It does offer smooth navigation but it makes students loose sense of orientation. A conscious decision needs to be taken on whether such movement pattern should be provided in a school or not.

Free standing structures pose a major threat to the users which are multiple in number in the premises.

First Floor

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BLIND RELIEF ASSOCIATION (BRA) Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, Near Oberoi Hotel, 110003 Non-government organisation

Exclusive model of education

Current functions :• • • • • • •

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Quality school education

Training Programs to prepare teachers for the blind

Vocational training courses

Computer literacy training programs

Counselling and direct help in employment

Production of books in braille and audio format

Hostel facility

About the space:• • • • • •

School block is different from the vocational block, because of the function type. Machines in the working area can be harmful for students.

However, the entry for them is kept the same and the guard usually have to help the students to move around

Functions are divided wing-wise or floor wise. Rooms which are classrooms on the ground floor become dormitory at the first floor.

Space is tight relative to the no. of trainees.

Playgrounds are not small and the children had to adapt themselves to them.

Movement in the corridor is kept simple but its difficult to locate anything because of lack of sensory elements.

Offices and Be.D Hostel Vocational Activities Library Hall/Lobby Classrooms

The institute is constructed in a U-shape block.

Functionally it is divided amongst 2 different blocks :-

• School Block

• Vocational Block

Students are guided into the site by the help of tactile paving that starts right at the entrance.

Lack of tactile elements inside the buildings.

Existing paving

Actual pedestrian movement

Between the gate and the entry of the building, there is no separate pedestrian track. Same pathway is used by vehicles as well as visually impaired students.

It is one of the most insensitive ways of planning.

Corridors receive no direct sunlight chichis good.

The flooring is slippery which is bad.

Suggested teacher to students ratio is 1:10 for blind schools, however, the no. was higher in this school, thus cramped up spaces in classrooms.

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INSTITUTION FOR THE BLIND, ADARSH PATEL Amar Colony, Lajpat Nagar 4, New Delhi, Delhi, 110024 Residential School

Boy’s School

Classes: I-VIII

CBSE Affiliated

Accommodation for Visually Impaired students till class XII who are studying in regular schools also

Points Noted • • • • • • •

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No tactile paving at the entrance or at any other part in the school

Free standing columns pose a threat to students walking and running around

The children mostly walked from one place to another based on their memory of the space

The risers of the stairs was much more than 150mm and it poses a difficulty to the students

Most of the teaching in the computer lab was vocal and a lack of assistive technology

Some children were wearing pitch black glasses because of no filteration of the glare

8 students per dormitory; no windows or balconies in the dormitory

HAZELWOOD SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND DEAF, GLASLOW, SCOTLAND Users: Blind and Deaf

Age: 2-19 years

Points noted:• • • •

‘Trail rail’ or sensory trail wall and the curb

Cork wall trail, unpolished ceramic flooring, tactile flooring and acoustic ceiling

Indirect artificial lighting and clerestory windows

Red storage on the plain white wall partition creates contrasting colour.

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CASE STUDY ANALYSIS Lack of tactile paving was noticed in all the schools. Providing the appropriate tactile paving in any form can help in proper navigation

Circular movement pattern is debatable. It does offer smooth navigation but it makes students loose sense of orientation. A conscious decision needs to be taken on whether such movement pattern should be provided in a school or not.

The paths that the young students need to follow should be clearly defined and cannot intersect with the paths of any adult/ administrative function as it poses a threat. Clear zoning while designing is an absolute must.

The students move around the campus based on memory because of lack of sensory navigation elements.

Small play areas work well with the kind and scale of games the students play. It also maintains their sense of orientation and they don’t feel lost. Large open spaces make them feel lost.

Free standing structures should be avoided. They pose threat to students and also, hinder navigation.

Movement in a few schools is kept simple but not sensory enough.

• •

•

• • • •

The multi - sensory design aspects are divided into :•

• •

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Vision sense - incorporates colour contrast to enable them to identify certain things, clerestory window, tinted glass and blinds in order to control the amount of glare from the sunlight.

Hearing sense - acoustic technology helps guidance through a space

Touching / Tactile sense - such as tactile wall, railings, braille labels and material texture allow them to distinguish and explore spaces

STANDARDS AND DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS GENERAL GUIDELINES For Visual impairments, some of the fundamental design guidelines should resolve around :

• The space being bright, glare-free and without shadows.

• Contrasting colours of the same tone being identifies to distinguish potential danger (eg. steps, thresholds, edges) and orientation systems (eg.switches, handholds)

For Blindness, some of the fundamental design considerations should revolve

around :

• Avoiding potential danger areas (eg, steps, thresholds, edges)

• Using shatter-proof glass (for glass doors)

• Creating consistent acoustics throughout the space

• Replacing optical with acoustic signals (eg. elevator with bell signals)

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS The detailed design considerations when designing a space for a person with partial to full loss of vision are :1. Avoidance of projections into circulation areas, especially above hip and below head level, where they cannot be discovered by a cane.

2. Staircases should have rails on both sides, with short guides rails to the beginning of the stairs. A change of floor finish is desirable to 3 feet from head and foot of the stairs.

3. Sufficient hardness of surfaces to provide echoes in an attempt to promote echolocation in circulation areas, to help them find their position within a space.

4. Window sills, balustrades and guard rails should not be less than waist level.

5. Floors should be non-slip and without loose covering.

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SITE Site Address : E-18, South City 1, Gurugram, Haryana - 122001 Location : Gurugram, Haryana Property Type : Residential Plot area : 9022 sq.ft Built area of Intervention : 12718 sq.ft.

Land Use : Context around the site mostly has residential

and Institutional Functions .

• The immediate surrounding residential complexes include - South City 1, Sector 29,30, 43 and 44, Sushant Lok Phase 1, etc.

• An institution ‘KR Mangalam School’ is situated approximately 500 meters from the site.

MOVEMENT AND CONNECTIVITY :Major access to the site is through the service lane of the block of South City 1, next to the main road which connects to the various metro station and bus stops, residential blocks and apartments on one hand, and to the main NH-48 highway on the other side.

21

Road connecting to highway

(bus stops) • •

K.R.Mangalam School SOUTH CITY 1

Huda City Centre Metro Station

• Residential Blocks

Fortis Hospital

•

Nearest metro station : HUDA City Centre Metro Station - 850 metres

Various Bus Stops - within the radius of 1.5 kms

Autorickshaws and E-rickshaws are easily available due to the main road

Cabs and Taxis are always available because of its prime location

WHY THE SITE? BLIND INSTITUTIONS IN GURUGRAM :Janta Rehabilitation Training Centre For Visually Handicapped PROPOSED SITE

Captain Chandan Lal Special Middle School For Blind

Old Gurgaon, also know as Gurgaon Rural

SWOT ANALYSIS :-

S

• •

O •

Strong connectivity by road and metro

Buffer created by the trees in the service lane with the main road The project will cater to the need of a blind school in this part of the city

W •

•

T

•

•

The main road has a heavy traffic movement during some hours

Lack of open spaces around the site

• •

ABOUT THE SITE:• •

Strong noise from the heavy traffic movement during some hours

• • • •

•

Outskirts of Gurgaon New Gurgaon (majority development in the last 10 years) Closest to the capital centre No existing institution for the blind Well connected on all sides

The site is well connected through public transport

The site is not difficult to locate

The site is situated in a decent locality with mostly educated population

The locality already has an educational institution and no major

problems have been risen

Clear and neat pathways around the site

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SITE ANALYSIS

Main Entry Door

Sub Service Lane

Residence Building

Main Service Lane

Site

Front View

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(Creates a BUFFER for the noises from the road)

SHADOW ANALYSIS :There are mainly 2 typology of building immediately surrounding the site :-

Residential : 3 floors

Institutional : 5 floors

Site doesn’t have any cast shadow from adjacent building throughout the day time . The only shadow bits are from the surrounding trees.

SUNPATH ANALYSIS :The back lawn receives the maximum direct sunlight in the mornings, and is appropriate for gardening practices.

A lot of sunlight is coming into the building throughout the day through a skylight that is covered from the top and lets the sunlight leap in through the sides to avoid extreme heat and direct sunlight causing clare.

skylight

Built Area Vegetation Service Core Entry into premises

Main

Entry

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SITE PLANS - AREAS OF INTERVENTION

Built Area Vegetation Service Core Open to Sky

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

BASEMENT FLOOR PLAN

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FIRST FLOOR PLAN

AREAS OF INTERVENTION:-

• Basement Floor

• Ground Floor

• First Floor

AREAS OF INTERVENTION:-

Covered Area : 4980 sq.ft + 4278 sq.ft + 3550 sq.ft

(Basement + Ground + First)

PROPOSED :-

• Third Floor - DORMITORIES

= 12718 sq.ft

DORMITORIES

SCHOOL BUILDING

SCHOOL BUILDING

SCHOOL BUILDING

BUILDING SECTION

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PROGRAM

The area is divided among three floors, with functions specific to each one:-

USER GROUP

KINDERGARTEN

STUDENTS

MIDDLE SCHOOL

STUDENTS RESIDENTS

TEACHERS

OTHER STAFF

Educational Model : A school for the visually impaired or blind children including primary school.

CLASSES : Nursery, Kindergarten

: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII

Students of classes Ist to VIIIth stay on the building premises in the dormitory proposed.

Students of Nursery and Kindergarten do not stay on the school premises till they are promoted to the senior classes.

The residential (dormitory) block is placed on top of the academic block. It introduces lifts and staircases as vertical circulations. This prepares the students for the general public building typology. The whole school is treated as a ground for day to day mobility training.

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• Classrooms (divided throughout)

• Kindergarten Play Room and Dining Hall

• Dining Hall and Kitchen (closest to dormitory)

• Library and Computer Lab

• Multi-Purpose Hall (for all activities regarding • • • • • • • •

collection of groups, assemblies, exercising, yoga, etc)

Tactile Museum and SUPW Room (tactile and workshop learning)

Staff Rooms and Lounge

Office Space (consisting of the Reception, Waiting area, Principal Head Office, Meeting Space, a pantry and a staff washroom)

Medical Room

Washrooms evenly spread through the plans for easy accessibility

A pool area (for water aerobics and supervised swimming)

Gardening as an activity placed in the back lawn accessible through the ground floor. Gardens divided into two sections - Jasmine and Lavender

Workshop Area (in the back lawn for any activities exploring the growing plants or any other outsourced workshop activity)

LIGHTING LEVELS

ROOMS &

SERVICES

(based on necessity of natural light within the space ) NONE

MINIMAL

MODERATE

HIGH

TACTILE MUSEUM

CLASSROOMS

DINING ROOM

STAIRCASE

KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOMS, PLAY AREA & DINING

LIBRARY

CORRIDORS

COMPUTER LAB

STAFF ROOMS

MULTI PURPOSE HALL OFFICE SPACE

ACOUSTIC LEVELS (based on level of acoustic intensity required in space) MODERATE

LOW

DINING ROOM

CLASSROOMS

ROOMS &

SERVICES

TIMES OF USE

LIBRARY

OFFICE SPACE

TACTILE MUSEUM

STAFF ROOMS

COMPUTER LAB

POOL AREA

KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOMS, PLAY AREA & DINING

CORRIDORS MULTI PURPOSE HALL STAIRCASE

(based on the time used during the span of the day) DAY ONLY

ROOMS &

SERVICES

HIGH

TACTILE MUSEUM

CLASSROOMS

KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOMS, PLAY AREA & DINING

LIBRARY COMPUTER LAB

DAY/NIGHT MULTI PURPOSE HALL OFFICE SPACE

DINING ROOM CORRIDORS

STAIRCASE WASHROOMS

DORMITORY

STAFF ROOMS

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PROXIMITY DIAGRAM ENTRY - STUDENTS ENTRY - STAFF

STAIRCASE/ ELEVATOR

OFFICE AREA WASHROOMS

CLASSROOMS MULTI-PURPOSE HALL

COMPUTER ROOM LIBRARY TACTILE MUSEUM SUPW ROOM PLAY ROOM AND AREA (KINDERGARTEN)

STAFF ROOM AND LOUNGE

DINING (SENIOR) DINING (KINDERGARTEN)

KITCHEN POOL SHOWERS AND CHANGING ROOMS

MEDICAL ROOM

GARDENING BALCONIES DORMITORIES

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ADJACENT

AREA STATEMENT COMPUTER

ROOM

KITCHEN DINING HALL

CLASSROOMS

LIBRARY

OFFICE SPACE

STAIRCASE

& ELEVATOR

MULTI PURPOSE

HALL STAFF

ROOM

TACTILE

MUSEUM

MEDICAL

ROOM

SUPW

ROOM

POOL AREA

KINDERGARTEN

CLASSROOMS, DINING HALL

&

PLAY AREA

Total area : 12718 sq.ft.

SPACE

NUMBER

AREA

% OF TOTAL AREA

Toilets

8

836 sq.ft.

6.5%

Staircase & Lifts

3

850 sq.ft.

6.6%

Dining Halls

2

1190 sq.ft.

9.3%

Kitchen

1

275 sq.ft.

2.1%

Pantries

2

113 sq.ft.

1%

Entry Area

1

154 sq.ft.

1.2%

Office Area

1

639 sq.ft.

5%

Classrooms

10

2200 sq.ft.

17.3%

Computer room

1

380 sq.ft.

3%

Library

1

700 sq.ft

5.5%

Staff Rooms

2

381 sq.ft.

3%

Pool Area

1

871 sq.ft.

6.8%

Multi-Purpose Hall Tactile Museum

1

675 sq.ft.

5.3%

1

312 sq.ft.

5.3%

SUPW Room

1

200 sq.ft.

1.6%

Medical Room

1

155 sq.ft.

1.2%

Play Area

1

641 sq.ft.

5%

Circulation

-

2144 sq.ft.

16.8%

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CONCEPTS - DESIGN INTENTIONS AND DESIGN ISSUES MOBILITY The biggest challenge for the visually impaired is mobility, thus hindered their sense of confidence and making them more dependable. Being able to learn to overcome this challenge, they would have much more opportunities further in life.

It is because of this that we must realise the importance of designing with the focus of materiality in mind for the primary user.

FLOOORING By clearly dierentiating the movement flooring from the rest of the flooring, easy movement for the visually impaired can be achieved. It has been done in 2 ways :-

1. Tactile Paving done throughout the main circulation of the floor, even in the interiors of the space, unlike the general practice of limiting the tactics surfaces till the exteriors.

2. Yellow duct tape through the interiors of the confined spaces to create the colour contrast between floorings.

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GROUND FLOOR TACTILE AND TAPE LAYOUT

CORRIDOR - FIRST FLOOR

WALLS A tactile element has been introduced to the walls of major circulation areas like the corridors using the malleability of concrete. They are directional and warning of an obstacle in nature.

STAIRCASE

CIRCULATION •

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One of the most important aspects of design for people with vision loss is the circulation of their primary space.

As observed during the case studies, different circulations are currently used in different institutions.

Circular movement pattern is debatable. It does offer smooth navigation but it makes students loose sense of orientation. A conscious decision needs to be taken on whether such movement pattern should be provided in a school or not.

The most preferred with the least cons on comparing is undoubtedly - a central spine circulation with functions spreading across both sides. It has been used while designing the 3 floors.

DINING ROOM

Tactile Paving • Tactile paving warning the beginning of steps placed 12” before the first riser.

• Tactile edging of the tip of each stair to indicate level change.

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Handrails Double handrails for convenience placed at 32” and 40” height from finished step floor

The use of a contrasting colour, yellow, to that of the surface to help in distinguishing the handrails

One of the examples of design created specifically around the circulation of busy room, the dining hall, is an inspiration from a system currently being followed in an existing blind institution for children.

It has two doors with a barrier in the The doors have been pushed back middle to avoid confusion and 10” from the main circulation path chaos. It follows an entire path of to avoid accidents. circulation that is almost fixed.

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BASEMENT FLOOR •

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KINDERGARTEN :-

Entry from ground ground, completely secluded from staff entry or any activities on the floor

Straight flight of stairs down

All functions for them are restricted in Basement Floor - Classrooms, Dining Room & Play Area.

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Tactile Museum is the room with exclusive tactile learning and thus, kept away from elements that might create any type of unwanted noise.

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Medical Room has been placed on the same floor as the youngest children and also, in close proximity to the pool area.

GROUND FLOOR •

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The floor has an entire office space including head office, meeting room, admin working area, a pantry and a washroom. It is situated at the entrance of the staff and is secluded from the central circulation of the floor.

The main staff room and lounge for the teachers is situated in the middle of the floor space as the classrooms are divided between the three floors, along with the access to pantry in the office space.

The library is placed on this floor with the purpose to make it centrally available between the 3 total floors and activities.

FIRST FLOOR •

Dining and kitchen : With the floor above first being the residential floor (dormitories), the dining and kitchen need to be placed in closest proximity, as the rooms would be used throughout the day, several times, after the academic block shuts in the afternoon. The dining hall is attached to a balcony as it is a busy room seating approximately 50 people at a time, which can become congested if the pressure is not relieved. Also, right below the balcony of the dining hall is located the jasmine and lavender gardens, which would help maintain the olfactory sense of the room.

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It is also the floor that consists of most of the classrooms, segregated from the activity rooms which are placed throughout the floors.

BASEMENT TOILETS

SERVICE CORE :-

STAICASE & ELEVATOR

DINING HALL CLASSROOM CLASSROOM CLASSROOMS COMPUTER LAB

GROUND STAFF ENTRY CLASSROOMS BACK

LAWN -

GARDENING

OFFICE

AREA FRONT

LAWN

TOILETS

STAFF ROOM & LOUNGE

LIBRARY STUDENT ENTRY

MAIN ENTRY

FIRST DINING HALL (KINDERGARTEN)

TACTILE MUSEUM

PLAY REA (KINDERGARTEN)

SUPW ROOM MEDICAL

ROOM TOILETS

CLASSROOMS

OPEN TO SKY

GARDEN - PLAY AREA DB/HT.

MULTI-PURPOSE

HALL

POOL AREA

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FINAL DESIGN PROPOSAL

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3Ds

BALCONY

MAIN CORRIDOR - FIRST FLOOR STAIRCASE

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DINING ROOM C L A S S R O O M

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REFERENCES •

https://www.tsbvi.edu/light-and-low-vision

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https://blindrelief.org/vocational-training/

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https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.nibs.org/resource/resmgr/LVDC/LVDP_Guidelines_052815.pdf

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https://www.perkins.org/stories/please-touch-perkins-tactile-museum-embraces-an-unusual-mandate

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https://www.tsbvi.edu/tb-ecc

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https://www.thoughtco.com/what-do-blind-people-see-4153577

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https://issuu.com/syedhamdanhussainmaqbool/docs/architecture_thesis_2014_-_report/58?ff

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https://intypes.cornell.edu/intypesub.cfm?inTypeID=36

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https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299696699_Participatory_Design_with_Blind_Users_A_Scenario-Based_Approach

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https://www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/early-childhood.html#

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https://www.vmsb.org/overview/

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https://www.slideshare.net/stuti31/neufert-and-timesaver-standards

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https://archnet.org/archive/message_289042

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https://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10413/5126/Walden_Kate_2008.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y

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http://ud2014.se/wp-content/uploads/submissions/ud2014_submission_127.pdf

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https://www.architecturaldigest.in/content/vicenza-berlin-based-architects-unique-vision-blind-client/#s-cust3

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https://www.time4learning.com/homeschool-curriculum/kindergarten.html

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https://issuu.com/snaray03/docs/final_thesis_proposal

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https://www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/adjust-lighting.html

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https://www.researchgate.net/publication/ 316280863_The_use_of_smell_and_taste_as_an_alternative_perspective_for_teaching_the_blind_and_deafblind_students

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https://www.zoomax.com/low-vision-information/Interior-Design-and-Decorating-for-People-Living-With-Low-Vision.html

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THANKYOU 46