Non-Visual Landscape
Using Sensory Experience to Move Design from Function to Perception for Visually Impaired People
Hanning Zhang Rhode Island School of Design Master of Landscape Architecture Candidate 2014
Non-Visual Landscape Using Sensory Experience to Move Design from Function to Perception for Visually Impaired People. A thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Landscape Architecture degree in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence , Rhode Island. By Hanning Zhang 2014
Approved by the Master’s Examination Committee
Scheri Fultineer, Department Head, Landscape Architecture
Colgate Searle, Professor, Landscape Architecture, Primary Thesis Advisor
Nadine Gerdts, Senior Critic, Landscape Architecture, Secondary Thesis Advisor
Emily Vogler, Critic, Landscape Architecture, Secondary Thesis Advisor
Acknowledgments This work would not have been possible without: Advisors: Colgate Searle, Nadine Gerdts,Emily Vogler Teachers: Scheri Fultineer, Elizabeth Dean Hermann, Peter Carney My Friends: Jingcheng Li, Shukun Wang, Yan Wang, Chen Sun, Mujiao Lu, Xin Qi My Families: Dehui Zhang, Huijun Zhou, Xiaoxun Zhang, Hongyan Wang
Table of Contends Introduction
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Exploration One- Accessibility
7
Exploration Two- Pleasure
32
Exploration Three- Subtlety
52
Conclusion and Relection
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Non-Visual Landscape: Using Sensory Experience to Move Design from Function to Perception for Visual Impaired people Group Statement: Structure of our social environment is influenced by the cultural prejudices in us, without stopping to question or critique it. Often we either miss certain aspects of our surroundings which are not clearly visible to us or unconsciously ignore elements that are not pertinent to our immediate needs or wants. Our group is interested in exploring new strategies to increase the complexity and depth of understanding of a place. understanding the way humans navigate through life and experience it. The focus of our thesis work is to manipulate aspects of landscape design so as to change the perception or enhance the experience of certain phenomenon that we feel are important for a being as well as for his or her cognition of the environment we live in. Perception is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the environment. Hearing, smell, sound, vision, touch, memory which beyond the physical quality are tools to guide.
Introduction Background: As is well known, blindness and vision impairment are important issues in society and public health. The total number of blind people in the world is 39 million among 285 million with vision impairment. 1 Blind people have to depend on the senses like sound, touch, smell and taste to identify space. In the contemporary city, sound is the most reliable criterion for blind people,2 but overwhelming sound information not only can’t help guide blind people, it becomes noise.
Problem: Beyond functional elements, such as crosswalks with sound cues, there are very few landscapes that are designed to engage senses the way a visually impaired person might benefit from. In cities, blind people can’t independently participate in life beyond survival such as necessary working and shopping activities. Those who are visually impaired are only accommodated through function. How can we design spaces that accommodate perception and meaning as well?
Statement of Interest: I am interested in people who are visually impaired. I am curious about how they can access, negotiate, have meaningful relationships, and finally derive pleasure in the public realm (social interaction) and public space (physical place). Non-visual cues in the environment are very important for blind people to navigate and survive in the landscape. My thesis will provide access to the subtlety and meaning of place for blind people, letting them enjoy landscape in a new way.
Assertion or Stance: Landscapes that accentuate non-visual experiences can foster feelings of security both physical and psychological by creating alternative cues, allowing visually impaired users to navigate and identify a familiar space. What are the different conditions and factors that lead us to be familiar with space? When blind people go outside, they need to use a sense of space to navigate the scale of territory, use physical constructed indicators and phenomena to find locations, use echoes of sound and texture to perceive the variability of surface. The hand and foot act as eye. When blind people try to recognize people, they will use their hands to focus on the form of a face, and spend time on the mouth and eyes- knowing when people speak, moving muscles and lips at the same time sound comes out. The sound is reshaping the form and texture of face and mouth, it is building
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1. “Visual Impairment and Blindness.” WHO. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013 2. Koskina, Angelikē, and Nikolaos D. Chasanagas. Non-visual Landscape: Landscape Planning for People with vision Problems. Stuttgart: Ibidem-Verl., 2011. Print.
variables. My current research asks: How can the changing shape of the face be translated to the landscape so that the blind can experience it?
Learning Objective:
Many already have researched how people navigate and negotiate in the public realm. William Whyte has studied the transition between different zones of ownership and different levels of social interactions in public place3 Sommer Robert makes the distinction between personal space and territory.4 But their conclusions are based on the research of big social patterns, and currently most people who occupy or pass by in public are sighted. I want to find potential to equally engage blind people in public place. There already have been a lot of products and facilities practically designed for blind people, to help them navigate with outside surrounding and move between the routes they need. But these solutions don’t provide equally opportunity for blind people to discover the unexpected subtlety and meaning in the outside world. Blind people have a different sense of experience. As a designer, I want to use the built environment to create set of conditions, and find the potential in landscape design to create different but equally meaningful, equally accessible and equally welcome experiences for them. Pleasure needs the sense of familiarity, a sense of ownership, a sense of belonging. In the public realm, I want to define the degrees of familiarity, and engage blind people to negotiate the familiarity and join the familiarity. When we know something, and when we feel we have ability and right to navigate something, when we feel it become part of our world, we have the ability to be there and drive meaning from there. We own it. I want to determine the process of how blind people move into, gain access and derive meaning of ownership. As a designer, I want to make the process of gaining a sense of ownership and belonging shorter and more prevalent in public place. I usually care about the people who are visually impaired and also wonder how they can access, negotiate, have meaningful relationships, and finally derive pleasure in the public realm (social interaction) and public space (physical place). Non-visual cues in the environment are very important for blind people to navigate and survive in the landscape. My thesis will provide access to the subtlety and meaning of place for blind people, letting them enjoy landscape in a new way.
3. Whyte, William (1980) The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces. Washington, DC: Conservation Foundation 4. Sommer, Robert (1969) Personal Space: The Behavioral Basis of Design. Englewood Cliffs,Nj: Prentice-Hall.
Personal Statement:
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Can the subtlety and meaning of place be heightened to allow a new level of access to the urban landscape for blind people? My thesis engages sensory experience in city environments to create greater awareness of the subtle meaning of space for the visually impaired.
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Exploration one: Accessbility and Recognition Problem: Blind people are familiar with the locations of things in their home. The public realm, however, currently disempowers the blind. Outside the home, other people decide where the objects are, and create a lot of unpredictable and inconsistent territory. They are deprived of the information on which sight people normally rely on when they getting around. 5
Exploration: By creating simple adaptions6 and sensory compensation, blind people will be able to use the streetscape more easily and more comfortably. When they negotiate with the outside world, their hands and feet act as eyes. They use their feet to acquire surface information; they use their finger to recognize the form, texture and location; they also can use a blind cane to scan the surrounding ground surface. External environment can be altered at the same time sound comes out. The sound is reshaping the texture and distance of the outside world, it is building variables. The smell helps people localize the reference, and make judgements of the surrounding.
5 Lahav, Orly; Mioduser, David. “Exploration of Unknown Spaces by People Who Are Blind Using a Multi-sensory Virtual Environment” Journal of Special Education Technology. 19(3), Summer 2004 6. Dickman, Irving R. Making Life More Livable: Simple Adaptations for the Homes of Blind and Visually Impaired Older People. New York: American Foundation for the Blind, 1983. Print.
7. Aaron, Brad “Data-Free Times Story on Blind Pedestrians Slights All Who Walk NYC”. July 30, 2012,http://www. streetsblog.org/2012/07/30/data-free-times-story-on-blind-pedestrians-slights-all-who-walk-nyc/
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Perception of the visually impaired People have sense of sight, hearing, smelling, tasting, and somatosensory- means body surface and its interaction with
the environment, includes feeling of space and touch. Blind people are deprived sight, but most of the visually impaired have light vision, and high contrast color can help a lot of partially visually impaired people sense by the eyes. Blind people rely on other sensory to compensate the weak of the sense
of sight, it makes their ability of hearing, smelling, tasting, touching and feeling of space subtler than normal people. So, they are much more sensitive to the external environment. By stimulating body organ, the environmental elements can trigger perception, which can help blind people build up visual
imagination by the memory of stimulus.
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Frontal lobe Memory
Sound
Parietal lobe Spatial/ Attention Occipital Temporal lobe pobe Language/ Visual Smell
Perception
Sight Olfaction External Environment
Stimulus
Somatosensa(Body Surface and its interaction with the environment) 8
Taste Spatial Feeling Touch
Immediate response to stimulus
Response after Knowledge of stimulus Transform
Visual Imagination
Response based on memory by particular time and place 10
8. Eimas, Peter D., and Albert M. Galaburda. Neurobiology of Cognition. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 1990. Print.
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9. Eimas, Peter D., and Albert M. Galaburda. Neurobiology of Cognition. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 1990. Print.
10. Malnar, Joy Monice., and Frank Vodvarka. Sensory Design. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2004. Print.
Sight for the visually impaired Environmental Elements
Design Approach
Light
1. A good shaded light can illuminate a specific area.11 2. High contrast colors makes it far easier to see.12
Color
Sound Animal
Wind
1. Sound can enhance the visually impaired’s enjoyment of the landscape. 2. Sound cues can prevent blind people from danger as traffic control. 3. Sound can be used for way finding.
People
Music
4. Some unique sound can be referenced as landmark. 5. Gathering places for communication can satisfy blind people’s needs.
Traffic
Sound cue
Plant
Water 11. Dickman, Irving R. Making Life More Livable: Simple Adaptations for the Homes of Blind and Visually Impaired Older People. New York: American Foundation for the Blind, 1983. Print. 12. Dickman, Irving R. Making Life More Livable: Simple Adaptations for the Homes of Blind and Visually Impaired Older People. New York: American Foundation for the Blind, 1983. Print.
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Spatial Feeling Environmental Elements Position of body
Design Approach Light & Shadow
1. Blind people can use solar, direction of wind, layout of street to orientate themselves. 2. Designer should use the nuance of microclimate to create comfortable environment for all seasons.
Temperature
Pressure
3. Changing landform and switching between light and shadow can provide new spatial experience for the visually impaired. 4. The nuance of surrounding can help the visually impaired evaluate environment.
Wind
Touch Texture
Living material
Pavement
Leaves
Wall
Flowers
2. Comfortable horizontal surface is necessary to support people’s body and provide obstacle-free movement for the visually impaired. 3. The pattern of pavement, and the form of vertical structure can lead people to walking in certain direction.
Tree trunks Handrail Water Sign Snow
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1. Vertical structure can help blind people keep balance and enhance sense of security.
4. Changing texture can slow down the visually impaired and arouse their attention . 5. Living texture can arouse curiosity and enhance the enjoyment of the landscape for the visually impaired. 6. Special texture can be used as a landmark or tactile cue for blind people.
Olfaction Sensation Environmental Elements Food
Design Approach Soil
1. Scent can be a powerful memory trigger. 13 Designer can use scents to create memorable reference for blind people. 2. Scent can enhance enjoyment for the visually impaired because it can trigger people’s emotion.14
Temperature
Clean or not of the surrounding
3. Smell can get people’s attention, so it can be used to slow down people and change the direction of movement.15
Plant
Water
Taste Food
1. Designer can involve program like an outside cafe to increase comfort level and enjoyment. 2. Taste works with sense of smell, so it also can trigger memory, emotion and attention.16
Water
13. John B.Pierce Laboratory. Memory psychophysics for chemosensation: perceptual and mental mixtures of odor and taste. 290 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06519, USA 14. Eimas, Peter D., and Albert M. Galaburda. Neurobiology of Cognition. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 1990. Print. 15. Eimas, Peter D., and Albert M. Galaburda. Neurobiology of Cognition. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 1990. Print. 16. John B.Pierce Laboratory. Memory psychophysics for chemosensation: perceptual and mental mixtures of odor and taste. 290 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06519, USA Print.
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Criterion of Sidewalk Moving Along, means continuity and constant pedestrian travel zone
Safe Crossing drives the question about where is the beginning of the crossing, when should blind people begin to cross, how to indicate the crossing direction, where is the end of a crossing and how to control traffic.
Stopping & Orientation, means a space allows people to stay and points out the direction of destination.
Logic Routing means using environmental elements and constructed indicator to help blind people find their destinations by following some rules or references.
Turning means the visually impaired know where to turn and turning direction.
Threshold means easier movement from sidewalk to public space or to building.
Sight Sound Spatial Feeling Touch Olfaction Sensation Taste 12
17. Rose. Michael. Way finding Cues at Intersections:. A join ITEM/ Access Board Invited Workshop.City of Overland Park. October 22-23rd, 2004. 18. Accessible Sidewalks And Street Crossings. U.S. Department of Transportation, 2003 19. Barlow. Janet. Orientation and Alignment for Street Crossing: Pedestrians who are Blind or Visually Impaired. 2004
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Site analysis Public Transportation of Downtown Providence Firstly, Westminster Street is a one-way street. The single lane lets traffic slower and makes shorter distance for people to cross. Secondly, the street is close to the transportation hub, which requires the sidewalk to provide people have easy transition to other streets and much wider space for more people.
Usage of Buildings in Downtown Providence There are more people passing by the Westminster Street than other places, because banks, restaurants, cafes, craft shops, church and park are along the street. Besides, more crossings between sidewalks are necessary. Different kinds of threshold should be considered for encouraging people enter.
Bus stop
Restaurant
Traffic direction
Shop
Parking Westminster Street
School Church Public space Parking
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Diversity usage zones near Westminster Street The zones show students, consumers, office workers are the people who frequently walk to the street.
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Site analysis Street analysis- Westminster St The streetscape needs to satisfy the criteria of moving along, safe crossing, logic routing, clear turning, threshold and zones for stopping and orienting. I used my sidewalk criterion to judge Westminster Street, and enrichen my criteria based on the analysis.
50 49
54
41 42
45 48
47
46
44
43
40
39
38
37 36 35
34
32 31
2
1
20 24
22
21
23 19
16 18
17
Doesn’t mark the begining of cross Crossing No clear cross direction Slow down traffic
7
8
9
No cross direction
Tough to entry
No marked edge Surface change 16
30 2926 27 25 28
3
Markded threshold
Not enough space between frontage and walk-sapce
33
Eddy St
51
Union St
53
Clemence St
Westminster St
Exchange St- Dorrance St
Mathewson St
Snow St
Empire St 52
Where blind people cross have snow
Exchange St
Dorrance St
6
14 12 13 15
8
6
11 10
4 9
7
3
2
1
5
4
5
No mark for turning or corssing
g direction
Zones
6
Threshold Cross direction should perpendicular to the traffic Don’t mark the edge of street
cross? Clear Zone
10
Obstacle
Threshold
Uncomfotable walking experience 17
Dorrance St- Eddy St
12
11
Crossing place for Blind
13
Zone & Microclimate
Eddy St- Union St
19
20
21
Marked threshold Frontage furniture/ Pedesitrain space/ Planting
Pushbutton doesn’t have sound cue
Union St- Clemence St
27
28
Should mark
Mathewson St- Snow St
40
Marked crossing
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36
35
30
Space
Marked threshold
Incontinuty
Clemence St- Mathewson St
29
Does the street good for walk through?
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Does the street good for walk through?
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Threshold
42
Threshold
18
14
15
17
16
18
Threshold Melting Snow
Threshold
22
Not enough space infront threhold to allow people chatting and crossing
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Zone for snow
26
25
24
Zone for snow
Not place for snow
Blind people crossing area Threshold
31
32
33
Mark crossing
Threshold but where should blind people entry the building?
Water at begining of crossing
34
Mark threshold
39
Obstacle
43
45
44
46
Threshold Mark crossing
Plant zone inconstantly
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47
Snow St- Empire St
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48
50
Space infront threshold Space
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51
53
54
Threshold Mark crossing
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Sites Based on the street analysis, I pinned several points to be considered to work on certain term in my criterion. I chose the site between the Arcade and the “superman� building, and Westminster streetDorrance Street crossing to test whether my standard will work or not.
Crossing
Moving Along
Moving Along
Turning Threshold Turning Crossing
Crossing/ Turning
Crossing
Moving Moving Along Along
Crossing Turning
Threshold Crossing Moving
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Site Design Existing condition between the Arcade and the superman building 1. To encourage crossing between arched and the superman building, the street has been raised to the same level of sidewalk. 2. The planters narrow the pedestrian travel zone on the sidewalk. 3. Lack of frontage space and high steps makes building not welcome for passerby. 4. Illegal parking blocks visual field while crossing.
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Existing site plan
Movement Analysis Basic Movement
Existing Movement Observation at NOON
Car
The pedestrian travel zone need at least 6ft width, and the connection between the door way of the Arcade and the “superman” building need clear.
Car
Car
Car
Car
1. The “superman” building is closed now, so there is few people cross from each side of street. 2. Most people who enter the Arched come from the north- east side of the street. 3. Some people stop to talk or wait in front of the middle of building.
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Forecast of Future Movement
After the “superman� Building reopened, the movement of the south side of the street will be straight flip to the north side. The crossing frequency between each side of street will be significantly increased.
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Experiment of Blind Fold
Based on the understanding of the Arcade, I used blind cane to scan the surrounding surface to find the steps of the building. After I make sure it was the long step of the Arcade, I tried to climb stairs toward to the sound source.
Design Scheme Two
Design Scheme One
Frontage Moving zone
Stop
Moving zone
Outside Cafe Boundry
Extend Flash Zone
Extend Sidewalk Plant Zone Moving zone
Stop
Extend Sidewalk
Boundry Moving zone
Stop
Threshold Boundry Moving zone
Threshold
Boundry
Stop
Frontage Lead/ Threshold
1. Enlarged the space in front of building by extending the sidewalk.
1. Created enough space for passerby moving along constantly and continually.
2. Stretched crossing zone to encourage people to cross and to restraint illegal parking.
2. Built up clear zone for safe crossing.
3. Used directional planter to lead people entry the building and create gathering space.
3. Used plant zone to create gathering space and gather run-off rainwater or snow. 4. Used handrail to mark threshold of building and make the process of entering much easier for the visually impaired. 25
Design Scheme Three
Steps
Based on the scheme two, the scheme cleaned up the sidewalk at the side of Arcade to create enough space for moving along, chatting and waiting; enlarged the crossing space and replaced street trees to the line of plants for allowing more people to cross; raised part of pedestrian zone to protect trees; used block squat to mark the threshold of building.
Superman Building
12.5’
9.5’ Outside Furniture
Outside Furniture Flush
Ramp
15’
Ramp
Detectable Warnings 3’ Stone
Flush
9’ Hand Rail
Hand Rail
Hand Rail Steps
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1”=8’ The Arcade
Existing Condition of Westminster St- Dorrance St Intersection
Ramp
Existing Movement Observation
Ramp
Ramp Ramp
1. The ramp for crossing is directly toward to the center of crossing which will not be used by passerby and it might even kill the disabled. Also the ramps weaken the mark of the edge of the street.
1. People cross the street continue in their original travel zone; the ramps aren’t used by passersby and will not be used by the visually impaired because of their location.
2. The central circle of pavement cannot slow down the speed of traffic and is just used for decoration.
2. The speed of traffic on the Dorrance Street is higher than the traffic speed of Westminster Street.
3. Dorrance Street connects to the transportation hub in the city which causes a large number of people to turn and cross at this corner.
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Design Scheme
Pavement Design
Design continues pedestrian travel zone on the crossing, the clear direction lets people estimate the traffic condition by sound much earlier. Warning detections mark the beginning and end of crossing.
Smooth Smooth
Rough
Rough Smooth
Smooth
Smooth
Rough
Rough
Plant
Rough/ Colour Difference
Rough
Rough
Based on the one, the design narrows down the length of the crossing and uses plant material and block balls to prevent people from crossing in the dangerous direction.
Rough Rough
Smooth
Rough Rough
Rough Rough
Smooth
The paving marks the zone of crossing and turning, and slows down the traffic.
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Smooth
Smooth
Design Scheme of Westminster StDorrance St Intersection
Street Parking
Street Parking
Plant
Plant
Ramp
Ramp
Detectable Warnings
Plant Plant Ramp
Plant
Street Parking
Stone Ramp Ramp
Ramp Ramp
Plant
Street Parking
Plant
Street Parking 29
Conclusion In order to help the visually impaired use the streetscape easier and more comfortably, designers ought to set up continuous and constant rules for the visually impaired to follow. By using environmental elements, pedestrians build up visual imagination based on their memories. The Streetscape needs to satisfy the criteria of moving along, safe crossing, logic routing, clear turning, threshold and zones for stopping and orienting. In the phase one, I used the criteria to judge the existing conditions and made adaptions in two points. The adaptions took advantage of the texture, sound and microclimate on the site. I should try to bring new sound and olfactory experience in the design, and create distinguished cues to help the visually impaired to set up references. Also, I should develop more criteria about rainwater run-off and snow cover, which are serious problems for blind people on the sidewalk. For the first site, the design is effective in dealing with the issue of threshold, the change makes people enter two public buildings and travel through. The final scheme specifical works with walking along, threshold, safe crossing and stopping. What I didn’t use is more nuances of sound. The way I engage sound is superficial. Besides, I didn’t consider the several degrees of blindness and people have several degrees of familiarity of the site. If I thought about that, my design will be much richer. For the second site, I realize safe crossing, turning, and orientation is really important on the site. My investigation raises the new issue of traffic control. In my particular issue, I only use the different tactile senses and living textures on the surface to control the speed and movement of both people and traffic. When I critic about my design, I didn’t consider the blind people who use guide dog, group of people, how vertical reference like push button influences where people wait and how people cross. For the exploration one, I just began to understand the nuance of sound, threshold, orientation, which are terms of my thesis, but I really need to understand in depth. Besides, I just built up the basic idea for what blind people require by blind fold me, but I still want to talk to the visually impaired living in Providence and figure out their authentic demand. Thinking how landscape design can help blind people on the sidewalk is not just about providing a solution to help them deal with their sight problem, but an opportunity for everyone to fully engage their senses of sound, smell, and texture. This will generate a comfortable streetscape which will easily lead people to anywhere they want and create a welcoming dimension. 20
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20. Downey, Chris “ Design with the blind in mind”, TEDCity2.0 · 11:40 · Filmed Oct 2013, http://www.ted.com/talks/chris_downey_design_with_the_blind_in_mind
Dorrance St
Dorrance St
Super Man Building
Super Man Building
1”=32’
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Non-Visual Landscape: Using Sensory Experience to Move Design from Function to Perception for Visual Impaired people Statement: Can the subtlety and meaning of place be heightened to allow a new level of access to the urban landscape for blind people? My thesis will engage sensory experience in city environments to create greater functional awareness of the city through subtle perception of space for the visually impaired.
Exploration two: Pleasure Problem: In existing city conditions, extraordinary and quotidian urban ritual takes place in public. The visually impaired are eager to participate in urban programs equally with sighted people. At this point, it is important to build up a criterion to make adaptions in the existing urban condition for the visually impaired group. How is it possible to maintain existing urban programs while making a public space work well to become a heightened sensory experience for blind people?
Exploration: By using multi-sensory design and particular programs and activities in the sensory garden, blind people will be able to derive pleasure in the public realm (social interaction) and public space (physical place). The routine which can lead people to experiencing more senses will make it much easier to drive pleasure.20 The other senses that blind people rely on are more sensitive to the changing phenomena and nuance of light, sound, texture, smell and so on. But in cities, blind people can’t independently participate in life beyond survival such as necessary working and shopping activities. Those who are visually impaired are only accommodated through function, but don’t have opportunity and sense of security to participate in leisure and relax in the moment. Their need to equally communicate with other people and frequently enjoy the sensory environment is hard to be satisfied. In this phase, I decided that equally engaging with the public space is fundamental to my exploration, so making existing programs easier to engage with derives my research direction. 32
3
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Westminster street, Providence RI
Site- Westminster Street, Providence RI Crossing
Moving Along
Moving Along
Turning Threshold Turning Crossing
Crossing/ Turning
34
Crossing
Moving Moving Along Along
Crossing Turning
Threshold Crossing Moving
Grants Block, Intersection of Union Street and the Westminster Street Providence RI
Education Store & Restaurant Door
35
Microclimate Shade Analysis
Dec 21
Jun 21
Wind
9am.
9am.
Dec 21
Noon
Dec 21
17pm.
Mar 21
9am.
Mar 21
Noon
Mar 21
17pm.
Jun 21
Noon
Jun 21
17pm.
Sep 21
9am.
Sep 21
Noon
Sep 21
17pm.
Precipitation
Jan 36
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Sep
Strategies
Existing Plan
Safe Crossing
In exploration one, I categorize perception into Sight, Sound, Spatial Feeling, Touch, Olfaction Sensation and Taste. Spatial feeling like solar orientation and texture on the hands and feet are the fundamental senses which the visually impaired rely on to decide their way to move or gain access in the space. People’s sounds help the visually impaired estimate the level of safety. Scents of plants and comfort dimensions make space more welcoming. People rely closely on spatial feeling at places of crossing, threshold and wandering around. The programs integration makes existing programs work better and create equal opportunity for blind people to communicate and have daily routines with other peoples.
Slope
Door
Curb
Flat
Flat
Slope
Slope
Furniture Zone
Flat
Flat
Pedestrian Travel Zone Frontage Zone
1. Slow traffic down Raise the road to make it the same level as sidewalk. Used highly contrasting color to warn drivers. 2. Accessible for pedestrians Widen sidewalk, equip it with clear and continuous frontage zone, pedestrian travel zone, furniture zone. Both sides of the road form a whole, which not only makes it easier pedestrian traffic, but also provides opportunities for temporary event held on site. 37
Threshold
Sound Buffer
Spatial Change
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Elevation Change
Wandering Around According to spacial dimension requirements of different types of the visually impaired, as designer, an 8×8 grid is built to help people determine the direction, and the points created by landscape elements are used to establish site memory.
ng Around
4’
8
’
S
ams 39
Programs
Existing Programs
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5
8
2
11
22
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1
9 7
8 4 10
5
9 6
3
4
40
7
10
11
3
Programs Based on maintaining the current program ( lunch, play, movie night, temporary events), introducing a sensory garden, to make the visually impaired have equal communication opportunities and engage with sensory experience.
Existing Programs Sensory Garden Temporary Events Circulation
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Sensory Design
Food
Flower
Shurb
Water
Falling Leaves Whisper
42
Low Speed Wehicle
Normal Conversation
Leaves in wind/ Water
Music
43
Design Experiment Scheme-one
Down Flat
Outside Eating Down
Playing Flat Ramp
Playing
Ramp
Sitting Lower middle of the site; form bleachers with seats and stairs; use the landform as threshold, the fountain provides the place for kids to play. Peripheral stairs are inconvenient for the visually impaired to access to the park. Keep site as flat as possible or only use ramp system. 44
Down
Watching
Down
Sitting
Down
0’
8’
16’
Sensory Plan
Points
Threshold
Programs & Circulation
45
Scheme two
Playing
Outside Eating
Playing
Watching
0’
Sitting Use Allée-trees as threshold, mark space with trunks, volume and shadow. In the entry of the sensory garden, flowers and shrubs are used to heighten scents, the other parts create sound in the wind. 46
8’
16’
Sensory Plan
Points
Threshold
Programs & Circulation
47
Scheme three
Flat
Playing
Down
Outside Eating Down
Playing
Down
Ramp
Watching Sitting
Stairs are use as seats and bleachers, the space is divided by planter and pool. Heighten water sound, wind sound and scents of flowers. The changes of the landform prevents access of the visually impaired. 48
Down Down
0
8’
16’
Ramp
Points
Threshold
Plants/ Pavement/ Water
Programs & Circulation
Surface Texture
Sensory Zones
49
Section
50
Conclusions To establish a standard used to serve the visually impaired in public space in any city, the strategy of my design is only maintaining the current program on site, an easier access to and engagement with the site is realized as well as a better sensory experience. Firstly, study of crossing and turning in the first phase is done at intersection. Then several different studies of internal layout are conducted based on the features of spatial feeling of threshold. Finally, sensory experience is considered for each program. I take advantage of different textures dividing the space into different
Huamn Voice
zones; different plants produce different textures, colors and scents; sound is produced by wind, water, and human. My sensory design part is superficial and doesn’t expands my first phase study. In the first phase, I analyze how environmental elements contribute to different senses, and how sound, texture, smell can be utilized as toolkit in landscape design. In this phase, I attempt to analyze landscape elements like water, plants, wind to study how these elements can influence perception in different and dramatic ways. Without paying specific attention to special sensory, I just use current features of landscape elements, which makes my sensory garden not much different from common landscape gardens. Besides, my diagram about sensory design is not performing explicitly. A deeper analysis for one or two senses is supposed to be done to make this experience standout and realize a unique overall design. Taking the experience of the visually impaired as the priority, the design should be perceived in the dark and experienced safely. I also need to use a unique representation language to represent scents abstractly, spatial position of sound instead of stationary plan.
Construct Indicator
Sound of spray
Sound of leaves
Shadow
Scent
Scent
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Subtopic three: Subtlety Opportunity: When a visually impaired person walks in public, they are having a dialogue with the city in the dark. Everything they do is related to the subtlety of space. If they don’t want to get lost in the dark, they need to focus on the voices and sounds. If they want to go straight, they follow the gap line in the pavement, curbs and other cues.
Question: What kind of sensory circumstance can lead the visually impaired to have imaginary visions in their mind? How can one build a memorable and dramatic sensory experience to evoke people’s emotions? How can senses inform movement and place to help blind people imagine the beauty of trees, water and cityscape? The senses help people perceive the world from a closer distance which can be reached by fingertips to a far distance like the sun. How can the other senses-- touch, smell, hearing, taste -- help people evoke personal memories, experience and better awareness of the environment? The senses also can evoke personal memory, result in a timeless experience. How can a designer utilize the senses in order to help blind people perceive time, space and scale of their environment?
Spatial Feeling
Intention: My intention in Exploration Three is using sensory narrative as the driver of the design process. In order to meet this intention, I first used plant materials and a water feature to quantify and strengthen the senses of smell, touch and hearing. Then I used a narrative poem to design the space as a sequence of sensory experience.
Hear Imaginary Vision
Smell Taste Touch
52
Process:
Plant materials Spatial Design Research
Water features
Sensory Narrative
Collage
Design Detail Design
Textures
53
Plant materials
Research
Water features
Smell Living Texture Sound Spatial Feeling Color Taste Sensory Narrative
Spatial Design Collage
Design Detail Design
Textures
54
Feature Trees
Salix babylonica Weeping Willow
Food for Birds
The willow branches swing in the breeze.
Betula Nigra River Birch
Twings are red thinly hairy which create spetial winter view
Viburnum dentatum Arrow wood Viburnum
Distinctive bark.
Twig is yellow, distinguished in the winter
Foliage turn from yellow to red during full. Flower color is white. Fruites for bird. Fragrance flower.
Quercus palustris Pin Oak
Leaves create sound in the wind.
Betula Papyrifera White Birch
Distinctive bark.- white color.
Leaves turn to red or yellow during fall.
Pinus strobus White pine
Pitch has a strong smell in the hot summer months.
Fall color- yellow
Ulmus Parvifolia Lacebark Elm
Colourful bark which create a distinctive winter view.
Symphoricarpos albus common snowberry
Autumn and winter food for bird
Ilex verticillata winterberry holly
Autumn and winter food for bird
Cornus florida
Autumn and winter food for bird
Fall color-yellow
Ulmus Americana American Elm
Wild spreading canopy.
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Scent Flowers Early Spring
Amelanchier arborea
Summer berries for bird. First flower blooms in spring.
chionanthus virginicus
56
Summer food for bird.
Spring
Magnolia Denudata Yulan Magnolia
Fragrant Viburnum
Prunus Cerasifera Cherry Plum
Galanthus Nivalis Snow drops
Amur Maple
Viburnum Carlesi Koreanspice Viburenum
Japanese Snowball
ligustrum Ovalifolium California Privet
Ilex Aquifolium English Holly
Korean Abelia
Japanese Pieris
Burkwood Daphne
Scent Flowers Late Spring
Dwarf Fothergilla
Trailing Arbutus
Tulip Apricot Beauty
Lavandula angustifolia English lavender
Summer
Lonicera japonica Japanese honeysuckle
Amur Maackia
Glossy Abelia
Japanese Pagodatree
Butterful- bush
Abelia mosanensis ‘Monia’
Littleleaf Linden
Summersweet Clethra
Rosemary
Low Janlanese Fleeceflower
Rhododendron
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Plant materials Spatial Design
Sound Research
Water features
Textures
Smell Texture Spatial Feeling
58
Sensory Narrative
Collage
Design Detail Design
Case Study
North End Parks GUSTAFSON GUTHRIE NICHOL
Youtube Video: http:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=G1XAe8tgSKg
Post Offic Square
Youtube Video: http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=cFkwmD_ H8xw
ShaShaSha
DaDaDa..
Some children are challenged to run through the middle of waterfall.
The sound reminds me of the scenario that I was in a heavy rain, watching rainwater on the roof running into the pipe and finally smashing on the ground. The fountain is touchable by hands and feet.
The sound mimics rainwater very well. It creates the sound of rainwater drops on the hard material with the background sound of raining far away.
http://www.ggnltd.com/projects.php Rose kennedy Greenway Play Fountain
Youtube Video: http:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=wLDhPLjl5-4
Boston Chinatown
Youtube Video: http:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Tg2aQmmYZNY
The spray is highly controlled, which is playable to let children wait and follow
Some children are challenged to run through the middle of waterfall.
The clear sound reminds me of rows of small peals covered by a curtain. There is some sound when people go through it.
The sound mimics lively streams. Sha... mimics the rush water, and when the water touches pebbles, it creates sound like “gudonggudong......”.
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Case Study
Common Park Boston
Youtube Video: http://www. http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Af9S6MzL5h4
Copley Square Mall
Strong “Shi........” and “Sha....” sound, create a sound buffer.
Some droplets pat on the surface of the water. It creates gentle raining sound. The smooth raining sound lets more people sit and chat around.
Small Fountain in the Public Garden Boston
Youtube Video: http:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=DJJiAq6Lw5I
It sounds like water run out the pipe.
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Public Library Countyard
Youtube Video: http:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=hFDW00Qr50g
Raining sound- “Sha............”
Case Study
Catalogue
Christian Science Center
Drop on the hard surface
Drop
Wave
Drop into water surface
Spray
Still
Fall
Flow
Drop on stairs
Splash
ShaShaSha Playable fountain. The fountain sounds like heavy rain.
DaDaDa..
Christian Science Center
Sometimes, the water drops into the drainage, touches the metal and creates clear falling sound. Sometimes, the water touches the edge of pool, backflow, and reminds me of the sound of sea. Sometimes, wind overwhelms all the sounds.
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Plant materials Spatial Design Research
Water features
Sensory Narrative
Collage
Design Detail Design
Textures
Gesture and Contact Point for the Visually Impaired
62
Detail
R=1”
3’
63
Plant materials Spatial Design Research
Water features
Sensory Narrative
Collage
Design
Textures
When I walked along the street, I smelled the scent of flowers moving with wind. I followed the scent approaching its origin; shadow fell in tessellated patterns on my face; fragrance floated around. I stopped to smell and listen, imagined that I was in the mist of the blooms peak and waited for the wind to shower petals on me. Hearing a soft drizzle, I did not realize my clothes and hair were wet by raindrops. Following the sound, I walked out of the shadow of the trees and sunshine spilled on my face. I could feel the warmth spread from the granite pavement to my feet.
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Detail Design
I walked along the fine line between the pavement. The pattering of rain became increasingly clear and strong through the dark. I felt the fresh breeze together with raindrops blowing against my face. Staying in the area where water could not dampen my clothes, I listened to droplets continuously slapping on the ground and flowing on the surface. It reminded me of a rainy day, when rainwater trickled from the eaves and mixed with the smell of earth. Flowing water washed the stone surface and dropped into the drainage, it left the petals sticking to the edges of drainages and puddles. The flowers couldn’t stand the weight of water, dropped on my shoulders, wet my clothes and left the scent on them.
I followed the subtle sound of the flow, slowly moving away from the sound of droplets. Sometimes the flow was turbulent, even water splashed on my arm; sometimes the water was chattering; I could see in my mind water running through the pebbles and fish. I sat on the edge, reaching out to the water, cool and shallow; the texture of the bottom of rivelet reminded me of a water wave.
Following the flow, I went to a much more quiet and closed area, the water sound gradually disappeared. The sunlight dripped through the leaves. The scent of flowers and the leaves filled every corner of the space moving through the air. I tried to see, but just saw the pinprick of white against a canvas of brown and black, like a starry sky. Sitting on the wooden seat, I felt the fresh atmosphere. I tried to be as quiet as possible and blend in with the background.
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Site
Westminster street, Providence RI
Site Westminster Street, Providence RI
Crossing
Moving Along
Moving Along
Turning Threshold Turning Crossing
Crossing/ Turning
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Crossing
Moving Moving Along Along
Crossing Turning
Threshold Crossing Moving
Grants Block, Intersection of Union Street and the Westminster Street Providence RI
Education Store & Restaurant Door 67
Plant materials Spatial Design Research
Water features
Sensory Narrative
Collage
Design Detail Design
Textures
Plant Design Scent Corridor
Scent Corridor
Sound of Rainfall
Bird Garden
Sound of Water Flow
Bird Garden
Scent Garden
Scent Garden
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Planting Design & Spot Grades
+0
Cherry Plum
+0
+0
+0
Down
TW +30” BW -8”
English Holly
TW +30” BW 0
-3”
TC +32” BC 29”
-12”
TW +24_” +35” BW 0”
Common snowberry
TC +2” BC 0”
TC +32” BC 27”
+4”
TW +30” +20” BW -12”
Down
TW +24” BW -8”
TW +24_” BW 0”
Snow drop
TW +24_” BW 0”
+0
+0
TW +24” BW 0”
-18
+0 +0
-18 +0
+4
TW +24” BW 0” TW +14” BW 0” +12
TW+24_” BW 0”
TW +24_” BW 0”
TW +24_” BW 0”
TW +24_” BW 0”
+35”
Down
Low Janlanese Fleeceflower
TW +24_” BW 0”
TW +24_” BW 0”
+40”
+40” +40”
Winterberry holly
English lavender
TW +24_” BW 0”
+22
TW+24_” BW 0”
White pine
+35”
TW +13” BW -4” TW +10” BW 0” +40”
ionanthus virginicus
+35”
TW +24” BW 0”
+6”
Cornus florida
Rosemary
Koreanspice Viburenum
Yulan Magnolia
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Westm in
ster Str
ing
Park
lk
wa
e Sid
t
ee
tr nS
io
Un
alk
w ide
S
70
eet
3-4’ Touch
Touch
Touch
Touch
71
Conclusion: Based on research about flower scent and the water sound, I use sensory experience as the driver in the design. The movement and the sound of water can direct people or make the area quiet by the noise of water falling. The sensation of touching water is wetness, and it can have the character of stillness or rushing movement. The scent of the cherries blooming will last for a week or two, and will be signaled from a distance. The massive light pink color of the cherry trees would appear in contrast against the dark building which helps the partially visually impaired begin to see the image of the plant.Rosemary has a scent when people get close to it. The pine trees, through are not close enough to touch, the pitch has smell during the warm summer. People will be drawn into that area in the summer because of the deep shade. The final design originates from a poetic experience in narrative. When the writing is translated to a visual collage, it expresses the memory or imaginary vision. The process is the same with a poet in a Tang Dynasty built garden. Similarly, Chinese ancient gardeners mimicked natural phenomena and paid closely attention to perception. Chinese traditional painting, classical literature and classical garden have the same foundation of culture and thought. They have close relationship and supplement each other. Wang Wei is a representative of Scenic and Pastoral Poetry Literature in the High Tang period. His poetry was inspired from the unique natural landscape he saw, and was individualized his own aesthetic tendency. A lot of private gardens carry their utopian hope returning to nature and to achieve soul’s return and spirit’s salvation. “Although done by the person, it resembles nature” is the essence of Chinese classical garden. The traditional way to pile up mountains and waters, also the layout of garden is to mimic real nature. By touching the material of rock, hearing the sound of running water, seeing through the woods, smelling the scent of earth and flower the owner feels as he is in the natural scenery. Exploration Three is successful in transforming abstract sound and smell through physical design, utilizing the feature of dynamic plants and water and built rhythmic sound which is choreographed throughout the design. The design will not only change how people perceive the outside world, but will also alter the posture of the human body. Bending, wandering, stretching out hands and raising head will occur when people try to smell, touch and hear. People will slow down when making these actions; it may trigger a memory or sense of the dimension of the space they are in. In exploration three, I started out totally from the imaginary narrative of having the senses lead me through a place, then exploring of plant material, water and textures. I let the imagination and power of the senses really begin to help me organize the space. In this phase, I finally got where the thesis wanted to go, but I would need more knowledge to use spatial design to string senses with specific experience together. Personally, I do believe I succeed, and I learned to use research and imagination and how to use the senses to make public space for all people. In this third project, I finally began to concentrate on senses, and I tested whether I can use characteristics of color, water, sense of smell and texture as primary originators in the design. I think I did it successfully, and I realize it is just the beginning of expanding my way, trying to tie of design in science and poetry together. I wish I had more time to analyze how the water sound is influenced by the yield of water, the height of drop, the surface material and the pitch of surface; also what kind of scent is produced by different plant; and what distance different scents can be spreads. These analyses will let my design be more specific.
72
< 8’
Touch Touch Touch
3’
Touch
4.5’
73
Conclusion-- Enhancing urban life for visually impaired Abstract and Introduction: Statement: Can the subtlety and meaning of place be heightened to allow a new level of access to the urban landscape for the visually impaired? My thesis engages sensory experience in city environments to create greater functional awareness of the city through subtle perception of space for the visually impaired.
Frontal lobe Memory
Sound
Introduction: Blind people are familiar with the locations of things in their home. The public realm, however, currently disempowers the blind. Outside the home, other people decide where the objects are, and create a lot of unpredictable and inconsistent territory. Landscapes that accentuate non-visual experiences can foster feelings of security both physical and psychological by creating alternative cues, allowing visually impaired users to navigate and identify a familiar space. What are the different conditions and factors that lead us to be familiar with space? When blind people go outside, they need to use a sense of space to navigate the scale of territory, use physical constructed indicators and phenomena to find locations, use echoes of sound and texture to perceive the variability of surface. The hand and foot act as eye. When blind people try to recognize people, they will use their hands to focus on the form face, and spend time on the mouth and eyes- knowing when people speak, moving muscles and lips at the same time sound comes out. The sound is reshaping the form and texture of face and mouth, it is building variables. Basic on the Maslowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hierarchy of Needs-- Physiological, Safety, Belongingness and Love, Esteem, Self-Actualization and
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9
Parietal lobe Spatial/ Attention Occipital Temporal lobe pobe Language/ Visual Smell
Perception
Sight Olfaction
External Environment
Taste Spatial Feeling
Stimulus
Somatosensa(Body Surface and its interaction with the environment)
Touch
Immediate response to stimulus
Response after Knowledge of stimu11 lus Transform
Visual Imagination
Response based on memory by particular time and place
Self-Transcendence, I divided my thesis in to three phasesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; Accessibility (Safety), Pleasure (Belongingness and Love) and Subtlety (Self-Actualization). Exploration one focuses on safely moving and accessing the
urban streetscape. Exploration two is meanly to use sensory experience to move design from function to perception for visual impaired people. Exploration three is exploring new strategies to increase the complexity and depth of understanding of the place, using sensory experience is the concept for design a public place for the visually impaired.
Description, Assessment and Conclusions of Each Phase Exploration One: Exploration one explores the sense of texture, material, threshold and safe movement along the sidewalk. Blind people are deprived of the information on which sighted people normally rely on when getting around.
Process: Based on the knowledge of human perception, I utilized the senses in the development of urban street toolkits for the visually impaired. In order to help the visually impaired use the streetscape easier and more comfortably, designers ought to set up continuous and constant rules for the visually impaired to follow. I design criteria for: moving along, safe crossing, logic routing, clear turning, threshold and zones for stopping and orienting. “Moving Along” means continuous and constant pedestrian travel zone. “Safe Crossing” drives the question about where is the beginning of the crossing, when should blind people begin to cross, how to indicate the crossing direction, where is the end of crossing and how to control traffic. “Stopping & Orientation” means a space allows people to stay and points out the direction of destination. “Logic Routing” means using environmental elements and constructors to help blind people find their destinations by following some rules or references. “Turning” means the visually impaired know where to turn and turning direction. “Threshold” means easier movement from sidewalk to public space or to building. These guidelines are used to evaluate the existing street conditions and proposed design changes. In the phase one, I used the criteria to judge the existing conditions and made adaptions in two points
Next Step: In the exploration one, I just begin to understand the nuance of
Success: Exploration one develops a series of standards that can be used in any city, it is critical of the unsafe US standard of curb cut crossing into intersections.
sound, texture, the importance of threshold and orientation, I do not begin to investigate the sense of smell, material which are terms of my thesis, but I really need to understand in depth. Besides, I am just considering the group of visually impaired people who use cane. I should consider more condition like people
guided by dogs, groups of blind people. Also, by means of the powerful perception of blind people and advanced technology, I should generate a new way of accessing the urban condition for blind people, which is more safety and can free their hands by not need aids.
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Exploration Two: Those who are visually impaired are only accommodated through function, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have opportunity and sense of security to participate in leisure and relax in the moment. Their need to communicate equally with other people and frequently enjoy the sensory environment is hard to be satisfied. In this phase, I decided that equally engaging with the public space is fundamental to my exploration, so making existing programs easier to engage with drives my research direction.
Sound Buffer
Elevation Change
Spatial Change
Process: To establish a standard used to serve the visually impaired in public space in any city, the strategy of my design is only maintaining the current program on site, an easier access to, and engagement with the site is realized, as well as a better sensory experience. Firstly, study of crossing and turning in the first phase is done at intersection. Then several different studies of internal layout are conducted based on the features of spatial feeling of threshold. Finally, sensory experience is considered for each program. I take advantage 76
of different textures dividing the space into different zones; different plants produce different textures, colors and scents; sound is produced by wind, water, and humans.
Next Step: The second exploration was an attempt at building a place, unfortunately, I acted as a landscape architect, who was more interested in physical spatial making, and I did not consider the senses which is absolutely a critical part of my thesis. My sensory design part is superficial and doesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expand my first phase study. In first phase, I analyze how environmental elements contribute to different senses, and how sound, texture, smell can utilize as toolkit in landscape design. In this phase, I attempt to analyze landscape elements like water, plants, wind to study how these elements can influence perception in different and dramatic
ways. Without paying specific attention to special sensory phenomena, I just use current features of landscape elements, which makes my sensory garden not much different from common landscape gardens. Besides, my diagram about sensory design is not performing explicitly. A deeper analysis for one or two senses is supposed to be done to make this experience standout and realize a unique overall design. Taking the experience of the visually impaired as priority, the design should be perceived in the dark and experienced safely. I also need to use a unique representation language to perform abstract scents, spatial position of sound instead of plane position of stationary plan. But this second exploration has potential to answer the question: how to adapt existing urban condition to improve urban life for the visually impaired.
Exploration Three: Exploration three is driven by the questions: What kind of sensory circumstance can lead the visually impaired to having imaginary visions in their minds? How to build a memorable and dramatic sensory experience to evoke people’s emotions? How can senses inform movement and place to help blind people imagine the beauty of trees, water and cityscape? The senses help people perceive the world, from a closer distance which can be reached by fingertips to a far distance like the sun. How can the other senses-- touch, smell, hear, taste -- help people evoke personal memories, experience and better awareness of the environment? The senses also can evoke personal memory, result in a timeless experience. How can a designer utilize the senses in order to help blind people perceive time, space and scale of their environment? My intention in Exploration Three is using sensory narrative as the driver of the design process. In order to meet this intention, I first used plant materials and a water feature to quantify and strengthen the senses of smell, touch and hearing. Then I used a narrative poem to design the space as a sequence of sensory experience.
Process: Based on research about flower scent and water sound, I use sensory experience as the driver in the design. The final design originates from a poetic experience in narrative. When the writing is translated to a visual collage, it expresses the memory or imaginary vision. The process is the same with a poet in a Tang Dynasty built garden. Similarly, Chinese ancient gardeners mimicked natural phenomena and paid closely attention to perception. Chinese traditional painting, classical literature and classical garden have the same foundation of culture and thought. They have close relationship and supplement each other. Wang Wei is a representative of Scenic and Pastoral Poetry Literature in the High Tang period. His poetry was inspired from the unique natural landscape he saw, and was individualized his own aesthetic tendency. A lot of private gardens carry their utopian hope returning to nature and to achieve soul’s return and spirit’s salvation. “Although done by the person, it resembles nature” is the essence of Chinese classical garden. The traditional way to pile up mountains
and waters, also the layout of garden is to mimic real nature. By touching the material of rock, hearing the sound of running water, seeing through the woods, smelling the scent of earth and flower the owner feels as he is in the natural scenery.
specific experience together. Personally, I do believe I succeed, and I learned to use research and imagination and how to use the senses to make public space for all people.
Next Step: Success: Exploration Three is successful in transforming abstract sound and smell through physical design, utilizing the feature of dynamic plants and water, and built rhythmic sound which is choreographed throughout the design. The design will not only change how people perceive the outside world, but will also alter the posture of the human body. Bending, wandering, stretching out hands and raising head will occur when people try to smell, touch and hear. People will slow down when making these actions; it may trigger a memory or sense of the dimension of the space they are in. In exploration three, I started out totally from the imaginary narrative of having the senses lead me through a place, then exploring of plant material, water and textures. I let the imagination and power of the senses really begin to help me organize the space. In this phase, I finally got where the thesis wanted to go, but I would need more knowledge to use spatial design to string senses with
In this third project, I finally began to concentrate on senses, and I tested whether I can use characteristics of color, water, sense of smell and texture as primary originators in the design. I think I did it successfully, and I realize it is just the beginning of expanding my way, trying to tie of designin science and poetry together. I wish I had more time to analyze how the water sound is influenced by the yield of water, the height of drop, the surface material and the pitch of surface; also what kind of scent is produced by different plant; and what distance different scents can be spreads. These analyses will let my design be more specific and scientific. Spatial Feeling
Hear
Imaginary Vision
Smell Taste Touch
77
Conclusions and Reflection My thesis aims to enhance urban life for the visually impaired. I have used two approaches in the research: one is driven from the basic needs of the visually impaired, that public space needs to be safe and equitable; the other one aims to create greater functional awareness, by enhancing the sensory environment.
Basic Needs I have developed a series of standards that can help the visually impaired to move and to access in public space more safely and comfortably. I believe my standards can be used in any city; the work has been critical of US standards for crossing intersection, moving along, logical routing, turning on sidewalk. This approach has a deep connection with sense of touch, spatial feeling and hearing about human and traffic. These senses can help the visually impaired estimate the outside environment and enhance their sense of safety.
Sensory Design For the sensory design section, the thesis investigates the senses in reaction to elements in landscape: water, plant and ground materials, which are the most important. In this process, the work focuses on the touching by hands and feet, smelling, hearing and sensation of microclimate. These senses are more subtle, they force people to stop and seek what triggers the reaction of senses. In the process of sensory design, I develop a narrative and collage process to explore the creation fantasy place made and described by the senses. I used water and plant as tools to specify the sound and smell. It is my hope that the visually impaired can have a poetic vision in their mind by using sensory cues to trigger their memory. However, I always question: Can the audiences feel and appreciate artist or designer’s intend when they see an abstract painting or walk in a park? At first glance, the pubic normally will evaluate a painting or a park by contemporary aesthetical standard. Then their assessment will be based on the accessibility and if the park has
been used widely. But for the sensory experience design, how can the visually impaired evaluate this experience? As a sighted person, I assume my design is success in bring about the scene by sound, smell and texture, but I cannot predict how the visually impaired can react to it even I tried to listen different sounds created by water feature by closing my eye. Will they appreciate the sound of falling water or just regard the sound as noise? No matter what, I think as a designer my design give the visually impaired an opportunity to appreciate “beautiful painting” in urban condition.
Personal Memory Two approaches have close relationship with personal memory. I believe the memory of shifting space, changing material, location of constructed indicators and alternative phenomena cues can help the visually impaired set up their own navigation and access system in public places. Like sighted people will stop when they see red light, the visually impaired also can determine stop, pass and access under conditioned reflex built up by memory training. For sensory experience design, the reason that my research concentrate on plant materials and water feature is because scent can be a powerful memory trigger and people can easily have imaginary vision when they around water feature. I try to use sound and scent to evoke people’s memory about raining and blooming. But my knowledge of memory is very shallow. What kind of sensory parameter or what kind of circumstance can evoke memory? How dense of sensory experience can trigger memory? What kind of posture is comfortable for people to have imaginary vision? These questions will lead my design to be more specific and more successful.
sensory experience to whole street even whole city. Sound, smell, texture can become invisible city infrastructure. For the visually impaired, the new infrastructure might replace the streetlight, traffic signal, sign and so on. It will be uniform, like color for sighted people. The organic sensory elements also can represent seasonal shift, time passing and historical changes, subtleties that everyone can appreciate.
Technology Considering existing urban condition, how can we add a layer of sense in order to help blind people to appreciate the public space in the city? Musician Ryan Holladay creates site-specific sound installations with his brother, which includes interactive concerts and GPS- based compositions for National Mall in Washington. They alter the visual experience to a personal and movable concert by adding a layer of sound onto a physical experience. It’s a customized sensory experience. 21 Smartphone, wifi and GPS are all so convenient nowadays. I believe there should have a more efficient and easier way to combine landscape and technology together, which really can make up the defects of vision and help the visually impaired access the public space without barriers.
Next Step
Sensory Design To explore my promise that the visually impaired should be access any public space in the city without limits, I chose a busy city street in Providence with a variety of crossing and open space opportunities. In this way, I hope I have added another layer of
21.Holladay, Ryan “ To hear this music you have to be there. Literally” TED@BCG San Francisco · 6:29 · Filmed Oct 2013 , http://www.ted.com/talks/ryan_holladay_to_hear_this_music_you_have_to_be_there_literally
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