SCHOOL FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED,BHUBANESWAR,ODISHA
Ankita Rani Mishra Bachelor of Architecture, Piloo Mody College of Architecture, Cuttack, Odisha, India.ABSTRACT :
Blindness and visual impairment by themselves evoke a negative sense of loss. According to some, vision accounts for about 80% of all perceptions that we receive and therefore is considered the most significant of all the senses in humans. It not only ensures our involvement in daily communication, activities, sports, work, and education but also assists us in differentiating between light and dark and safeguarding us from harm For the majority of us, it may be challenging to fathom how a blind person manages to live in a society where the majority of structures and amenities are designed with sight-impaired individuals in mind.
“Living in a state of oblivion or unawareness” When a person lacks visual sense, they tend to get apprehensive They lose their ability to judge anything near them or happening to them This very thought in their mind makes them the victim of isolation and under confident to perform tasks that they are capable of doing. Reducing their performance and ultimately the fear that deteriorates the situation even more Childhood is the time when a kid develops physically, emotionally, cognitively, and socially The perception of this "loss" or "infirmity" has the power to become entrenched in the minds of those who experience it, rendering them the "sufferers" and robbing them of their self-assurance and outlook on life.Since over 85% of a human's total perception is made up of visual perception In contrast to other forms of perception, where the connection between the receptor and the object must be worked at, vision makes the connection naturally. So, what’s the main inquiry? How can we, as designers, contribute to the creation of a space that allows the 15% of other senses to flourish and forge a non-visual link with the outside world India has the unfortunate distinction of having the most blind people Out of 12 million children, 1.5 million are blind; 1.1 percent of these are Indian. The hope that children with visual impairments will receive a deserving opportunity in Bhubaneshwar, the capital city of Odisha, is unmet. There are only 2 day schools for a population of 500, with an average capacity of 200 students; the remaining 300 people have no access to any form of education This justifies the need for a proper residential school for the youngest and the most capable of learning (5 to 16 years old). Therefore,this project intends to create an architecturally programmed environment for the visually impaired by incorporating sensory, algorithm and architecture together making them capable of generating a mental map on their own to navigate and learn
“EVEN WITHOUT SIGHT THERE IS STILL VISION”
throughout to access all types of places even outside the campus . This project won't aim to create a space that makes up for the loss of vision, but rather an environment with concepts centered in helping the kids enhance their remaining senses i e,a curriculum that teaches to improve their own sensory perception, offers education, aids in discovering their passion, fosters the development of their abilities, and gives them the self-assurance of generating revenue and function normally in the society
INTRODUCTION :
The perception of a space completely depends on the senses and the level to which they have developed in we people . But it is also the responsibility of architecture to invoke and make us aware of the sense that has gone dormant
Understanding sense - Senses are divided into two majors: 1.General senses 2.Special senses .
● General senses : Senses in which receptor organs are distributed all over the body and no special organ is dedicated to them
● Special senses : Senses in which the receptor organs are household in one complex setting(head) and has a dedicated organ associated with it i.e, visual,olfactory,auditory,gustatory,tactile sense etc.
Architecture doesn't happen in isolation Architecture exists with nature and acts as an extension of nature into the man made realm Every experience of architecture, unless intentional ,is perceived by all the senses together. One receptor feeds and collaborates with the other to create a multisensory experience . All four senses act as an interface between the tactile sense which has skin as its receptor and the World It is an interface between the exterior and interior of the body
“Many people view GPS and similar interior wayfinding technologies as a way to solve the blind wayfinding challenge but architects still need to be better multisensory placemakers to design and create an effective environment for the blind and visually impaireds” -
Chris Downey,ArchitectWHAT IS VISUAL IMPAIRMENT?
The very term Visual impairment also known as “vision loss” is a state of decreased ability to see to a degree that generates problems not fixable by usual means like glasses and the condition of complete vision loss known as “blindness” People with visual impairments have specific and special difficulties and needs Blindness denotes inability of images projected from surrounding objects
WHO classifies blindness basically into four types :
1 Normal vision
2 Moderate visual impairment
CAUSES OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT IN INDIA:
3 Seve
Why children ?
The childhood years are the phase where the child goes through physical , emotional ,cognitive and social development The sense of this ‘loss ’ or disability is capable enough to get stuck in mind and make them the ‘sufferers’ losing the confidence and mindset to live a healthy normal life
Problems faced by them on a daily basis :1 Navigation 2 Orientation 3 Communication 4 Reading and writing 5 Transportation 6 Accessing public spaces like malls,cinemas,etc
PRESENT SCENARIO :
India has misfortune of having the highest number of blind persons in the world Globally 1 5 million OF 12 million children are blind, majority in developing countries like India and other low income regions.Around a half of them are from avoidable causes and such children are needlessly blind.In Odisha, it is estimated that around 0.8 per thousand children are blind. A rapid assessment study of blindness conducted by JPM Rotary Club Of Cuttack Eye Hospital and Research Institute under the National Programme of Control of Blindness has put the blindness prevalence in Orissa at 1.1 per cent. As the most affected state , it has almost equal distribution of blinds all over.
Fig1 : Education status of disabled person (%)
Fig2 : Disabled rate by type of disability (%)
Why bhubaneswar?
NUMBER OF SCHOOLS FOR SPECIALLY ABLED IN ODISHA :146
NUMBER OF SCHOOLS FOR SPECIALLY ABLED IN BHUBANESHWAR : 09
NUMBER OF SCHOOLS FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED IN BHUBANESHWAR : 02
NUMBER OF EXISTING RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED IN BHUBANESWAR : 00
Bhubaneswar being the capital city , does not meet the expectation of providing a good education system as it only has 2 schools with capacity of 200 for overall 500 magnitude with no studied measures for the user groups benefit
SITE
The site is located at the Khandagiri region of Bhubaneswar, Odisha Bhubaneswar being the capital city of odisha does not meet the requirement for providing good education for the visually impaireds According to the population census only 40% of visually impaired children in bhubaneswar receive education upto standard 10 provided there are no basic amenities or any skill set development or awareness for improving their efficiency and confidence Therefore, a set of parameters need to be studied, adopted and implemented in their daily lives which this project aims to provide .
Site location : kalinga nagar,bhubaneswar,odisha
Site area : 34400square meters(8 5acers)
Topography : No terrain,almost flat land
Soil type : Red soil.
Site selection criteria :The site should be away from city chaos for the school to develop a quiet and calm environment for students to work on their senses properly and should have basic amenities available nearby like public transport facilities, healthcare etc.
SWOT analysis :
Strength-Free from city chaos.Place has a learning environment as it is surrounded by no.of education centers.The road network is strong enough to accomodate transport facilities like cars, city buses etc
Weakness-The playground adjacent to the site is active throughout the day which may cause unwanted noise disturbances during the school hours.
Opportunity-Comes under developing sector.Keeping the current scenario in mind,the school with optimum facilities, latest technologies and compatible design for the visually impaireds could be the 1st of its kind in the entire city of Bhubaneswar.
Threat-The playground is active during the same hours as that of the proposed school which increases the chances of sports related accidents with the user group within the site area.
SITE VISIBILITY:
To the site:
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS:
What do blind people see ?
Low vision people - In a building they use their partial ability to see (colors).Blind people - In the building they use their senses that are touch, hearing and smell.Deaf-Blind-Rely on tactile senses for mobility.
UNDERSTANDING ROLE OF SENSES IN ARCHITECTURE:
VISION:Vision has a strong connection to architecture.Since, visually challenged children has no or very less vision so the spaces designed has to be elaborate in sense of vision
COLORS : Contrast color scheme could be seen as an essential key issue in a school for visually impaired children. Colors could play a key role to help pupils orient themselves whether in the corridor or playground. A different primary color could accentuate different learning and activities ,areas, entrances, window blinds or other architectural features.A color contrast of 70% is generally accepted in many countries as the preferred amount to define items. Limit use of color and keep color scheme simple and avoid large scale patterns Keeping in mind too many colors used in design can actually create confusion
LIGHTING : daylight is important for all schools However ,as a number of visually impaired children are sensitive to light optimum lighting study needs to be done before designing
The 3 principle light sources are: 1.Natural 2.Incandescent 3.Fluorescent Design lighting must avoid glare,shadows or any other interference which can cause vital conflicts/discomfort. Reflections often caused by shiny or glossy surfaces -using curtains & blinds are recommended to control sunlight , privacy Alternative to daylight access is skylight and clerestory.
ACOUSTIC ( AUDITORY SENSE):
Hearing is a very incorporating sense . It is omni-directional and not focused like vision.Children with visual impairment rely on hearing sense mainly for their learning process.
A view at the building will not show the person watching it but a building will return the sound of a person walking on it yet acoustics remains an unconscious background experience but in the right places it can create the right atmosphere Therefore,sound can assist in providing orientation clues about a space Key factor for designing: Providing different reverberation especially for floors so visually Impaired can obtain a feel of the space and Providing acoustically well defined position items such as escalators, fountains,elevators to create useful sounds
SMELL ( OLFACTORY SENSES ):
Humans need only a little number of molecules of substance to trigger an impulse of smell in a nerve end,and one can smell more than ten thousand different scents If it is a new scent it is possible to remember and identify it again later
These associates could be used in architecture To stimulate emotions ,to guide, or to distract A specific odor can determine people to remember things , places, paths etc Smell can assist in defining a space for the visually impaired Smell may be natural or artificial Within the building by using a variety of materials and plants Separating spaces through fragrance and creating a pleasant mood through the most powerful smells This acts as a space indicator and divider
TOUCH (TACTILE SENSE):
The eye is an organ of distance whereas touch is the sense of nearness, intimacy and physical experience The eye observes and investigates whereas the touch approaches and feels
1.using different materials easily identified in terms of texture.
2.Textural difference in the circulation, activity and raising spaces.
NON VISUAL LANGUAGE OF COMMUNICATION:Braille is a system of reading and writing via touch for the blind persons in which raised dots represent the letters of the alphabet .It also contains equivalents for punctuation marks and provides symbols to show Letter grouping.Braille is read by moving the hand or hands from left to right along each line.The reading process involves both hands and the index fingers generally do the reading.
"Braille tends to be small and invisible but with Braille neue,it has the possibility to expand spatially into public signage in new ways".-kosuke Takahashi.
DESIGN INTENTION:
PROBLEM : The blind may adapt into the space that is especially designed for them but when going out, they might feel troubled and lost
SOLUTION: Promoting multisensorial and organized way-finding design for blind and visuallyimpaired to be confident , strong ,independent to navigate and recognize substances, area and surroundings . By Creating a space programmed architecturally giving them information of their locality and culture by their four responsive sensory i.e, hearing,smell,touch and taste.
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT :
DESIGN STAGE 1: The idea was to Utilize different material and natural(fragranted vegetation or water element)or man made elements(architectural perception like arches,stairs,ramps,ceiling height,voids,etc)as a way finder or indicator to the space as its identity element keeping it real and true to one's property and nature
tion of soft play zone.
ard to stay off the floor to avoid accidents.
ns and partitions.
y finders,contrasting color with texture difference
6.Placing tangible objects,braille labels on door/doorways,desk/cupboards for toilet training which helps them identify easily.
DESIGN STAGE 3 : Implementation of inferences and collective study to design the school.
GRADE 1 : THE KINDERGARTEN BLOCK
Grade 1 is a dayschool wing comprising standard LKG and UKG It is a completely supervised environment For vertical access, i e , the plinth level, only ramps are offered The programme includes instruction on using the restroom and stairways Planning has been done to train their motor, neurological, and cognitive capacities in accordance with the results of their activity analysis
GRADE 2 : THE PRIMARY WING
Grade 2 is a horizontally dispersed academic boarding wing for kids in standards one to four. Two arches, which symbolize grade 2 numerically, serve as the principal zone entrance's identifying component and metal balls are used throughout the block as an acoustic element for the neurobic exercise of navigation and wayfinding. The introduction of stairs along with ramps has been done for vertical access to the plinth level here.
Way of approach to grade 2 and 3 :
GRADE 3 : THE SECONDARY WING
Grade 3 is a ground plus one academic boarding wing for students from standard 5 to 8.The grade has been positioned in the site's core because this user group has the most potential for learning and participation in activities shared by both other grades, such as labs, libraries, mess halls, canteens, etc There are just single-way staircases with concrete ramps for first-floor accessibility and ramps with perforated concrete railing for ground level access A pocket of a certain type of fragranced plant serves as the grade 3 identity element The user's mobility and wind direction have both been taken into consideration during internal planning The use of a particular material for the running corridor and different materials for each zone of the hostel and classrooms results in a comparable floor plan with evident architectural additions or subtraction, such as railings, windows, materials, etc The first floor level of the building features a bridge that connects grades 3 and 4; the bridge has pergolas for shade, and bells added to the pergolas serve as an acoustically triggering element for the user group's navigation of the space The presence of mess block in the middle of grades 2 and 3 serves as a self governing olfactory identity feature
GRADE 4 : THE SENIOR SECONDARY WING
GRADE 4 is the final period in which students of standard 9th and 10th are introduced to a typical school atmosphere built utilizing natural phenomenology. On the back end, it is surrounded by vegetation, allowing the user to learn more thoroughly while using and analyzing their senses. In order for students to graduate from this grade feeling confident that they would be able to regularly access the outside world, this grade strives to allow students the freedom to create their own mental maps for navigating without the use of braille or tactile cues.Retaining the pre-existing vegetation to convert it into a MEDITATION ZONE helps user relate to nature
CONCLUSION :
“Not being able to see the stars does not mean you can’t reach for them”
The goal of this thesis was to create an environment where children who are blind or visually impaired can develop, discover their passions, and acquire the skills they need to live comfortably. promoting the creation of multimodal and methodical way-finding methodologies to give blind and visually impaired persons the confidence, strength, and independence they need to navigate and recognise items, locations, and their surroundings. By designing an environment with architecture that is set up to provide individuals with knowledge about their surroundings and culture that is true to their nature through their four responsive senses hearing, smell, touch, and taste. in particular on independent mental mapping, communication, and navigation without the aid of braille or tactiles. Using the design methodology and concepts under consideration, this thesis project can be seen as a prototype for schools serving blind or visually impaired pupils wherever in the city, state, or country.
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