Building the Brief: Final Research Project Report by Minjie Liang

A Strategic Brief and Research Report for “Blind People-Friendly Fitness Spaces”

The University of Melbourne Master of Architecture, 2020 Building the Brief: People Process Place. Minjie Liang 1010618

Contents 1. Executive Summary

2. This Document

3. Introduction

Background

Site

Context

Subject Group

4. Methodology + Approach Overview Data Collection

5. Findings

14 14 15 16

Case Studies

Equipment

Assisting Approach

Interview

6. Conclusions / Recommendations

7. References

Strategic brief / research report

Blind people-friendly fitness spaces

Executive Summary Australians love to do workout and exercise, they valued their health and wellbeing, and are conscious of the broad benefits of being physically active, apart from doing exercises outdoor, a fitness center/ gym is always a good choice. However, a survey found that 31% of blind and partially sighted people felt moderately or completely cut off from people and things around them, and 50% felt they were frequently limited in the activities they could take part in. Yet nearly two-thirds said they would like to do more physical activity. (Edwards, 2015) This strategic brief aims to establish a basic guiding principle and values that can benefit and improve a dedicated future fitness space for blind/visually impaired people. The selected site is Melbourne City Baths located at Swanston street, Melbourne Victoria. The methodology used in this strategic brief includes desk-based research, online survey, spatial analysis, and case studies, in addition, interviews and observations were also good methods but are restrcted and not viable due to the current COVID conditions.

BtB People Process Place, Assignment 3, Minjie Liang, 1010618

Strategic brief / research report

Blind people-friendly fitness spaces

This Document Blindness and vision loss

“If you design for the blind in mind, you get a city that is robust, accessible, well-connected...a more inclusive, more equitable city for all.” Chris Downey

BtB People Process Place, Assignment 3, Minjie Liang, 1010618

A person is considered legally blind if they cannot see at six metres what someone with normal vision can see at 60 metres or if their field of vision is less than 20 degrees in diameter. A person is said to have low vision when they have permanent vision loss that cannot be corrected with glasses and affects their daily functioning.(“Blindness and vision loss,” 2014). The majority (60 percent) of blindness and low vision clients are aged 65 years or older. (Gordon Duff, August 2015) However, visual impairment can still happens to anyone. Low vision can affect people of all ages and can have an impact on many aspects of a person’s life. It may cause problems with recognising faces, reading the newspaper, dialling the telephone or seeing road signs.

Purpose In Melbourne, most fitness centers are designed for people with normal vision while people with poor vision are underlooked and not well-involved. A report shows that the design of fitness equipment used in many gyms is a barrier to people with sight loss taking part in exercise. (RNIB, 9 February 2018) So there is a big space that can be improved and incorporated in the fitness center design. Therefore, the purpose of this strategic brief is to build up essential guidelines and values that can be incorporated into future fitness spaces for blind people or visually impaired people. This document’s intension is refurbished project can be conceived as a pilot project that also contributes to the possibility of more fitness center transforming development in the future.

Strategic brief / research report

Blind people-friendly fitness spaces

Introduction Background

Place Australia would have to be one of the most health-focused countries on the planet, they tend to spend more time outdoors, but also the fitness culture is popular. In Australia, the gyms and fitness centers industry has grown strongly over the past five years. According to IBIS World, the average Gyms and Fitness Centers industry growth from 2014 to 2019 was 5.7%. In addition, Membership numbers are projected to continue, increasing over the next five years, due to population growth and rising health consciousness. (“Gyms and Fitness Centres in Australia – Market Research Report,” 2019)

BtB People Process Place, Assignment 3, Minjie Liang, 1010618

People It is estimated that there are over 575,000 people who are currently blind or have vision loss living in Australia, projected to grow to over 800,000 by 2020. This rapid increase is due to the aging population and the fact that the risk of eye disease increases three fold over the age of 40. (Gordon Duff, August 2015). The client of this strategic brief is Melbourne City Baths, and the main users would be blind people from BSRV community (Blind Sports&Recreation Victoria community). The methodology conducted for this brief uses a selected site within Melbourne, Victoria for context analysis.

Process Melbourne City Baths is a renowned sports center not only due to its long history but also its important location. In this sense, the high recognition and high-profile of Melbourne City Baths can show the society and its peer competition a good sample. Apart from that, since it belongs to the city of Melbourne, the local government authority, which allows it to has more collaborative opportunities with other charity organizations. This collaborative managing model can be promoted and adapted to other fitness centers in Melbourne.

Strategic brief / research report

Blind people-friendly fitness spaces

Introduction Background

“Exercise is therefore very important to me, as it is with so many of us. But it’s harder for blind and visually impaired (VI) people to walk and exercise freely; jogging in the park or cycling outdoors is impossible on your own. That’s where gyms should come in. Sadly, however, they are often woefully inaccessible and can be daunting for those with sight loss.” Amar Latif

Amar Latif is a British entrepreneur, television personality and professional traveller. His blindness is due to the incurable eye condition retinitis pigmentosa. By his late teens he had 95% sight loss. When mobile phones, TVs, and even washing machines are set up for visually impaired people to use, why isn’t exercise equipment and sports facilities? (Latif, Feb 2018) So How can we modify and improve the current fitness/sports center training environment and make it safer and more attractive for the low vision groups? How can we modify and improve the current fitness/sports center training environment and make it safer and more attractive for the low vision groups?

BtB People Process Place, Assignment 3, Minjie Liang, 1010618

( Amar Latif at the Olympic Velodrome, Glenn Swift / Channel 4)

Strategic brief / research report

Blind people-friendly fitness spaces

Introduction Background

(How demand has changed over the past year)

(Blindness, low vision and rehabilitation services delivered in 2013)

According to a survey carried out by several participating related organizations from the low vision and blindness sectors, the demands of low vision has changed over the past years, recreation and leisure activities account has increased around 78%, which reveals the significance of sports &recreation in their daily life. However, the other table illustrates how much health and blindness aids services were delivered in different sections, recreation&leisure activities are not over half with just 46%. (Gordon Duff, August 2015).

BtB People Process Place, Assignment 3, Minjie Liang, 1010618

Strategic brief / research report

Blind people-friendly fitness spaces

Introduction Site

Melbourne City Baths • 420 Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3000 • Edwardian civic architecture • One of Melbourne’s most architecturally and historically significant buildings • Has being extensively renovated and restored several times after first built in 1850 • Two swimming pools with various spa facilities • A gymnasium • Two squash courts • No on-site carparking facilities

BtB People Process Place, Assignment 3, Minjie Liang, 1010618

Strategic brief / research report

Blind people-friendly fitness spaces

Introduction Site

Ground Floor Plan

First Floor Plan

The building includes two swimming pools, a public washhouse, a family bathroom, and segregation of male and female facilities on the ground floor, and the main gymnasium, several group fitness room on the first floor, on the underground floor lies two squash courts and a small free weight room. (Victorian Heritage Database Report 2020) The spatial organization and structure basically follows its original planning as one hundred years ago. Its well-organized space allows it to transform and refurnish part of the space into a dedicated area for low vision / blind people.

BtB People Process Place, Assignment 3, Minjie Liang, 1010618

Strategic brief / research report

Blind people-friendly fitness spaces

Introduction Context

“The uniqueness of the building and the significance it holds for so many Victorians have also prompted theatre groups, television programs, and fashion magazines to use the baths as the setting for their productions, films, and photographic shoots.”

“ First opened in 1860, the Melbourne City Baths provides health and fitness services to the community. It has the largest swimming pool in the CBD, as well as a gym and a fitness studio. “

(Source: Melbourne City Baths Website)

In this sense, the high recognition and high-profile of Melbourne City Baths can show the society and its peer competition a good sample. Apart from that, since it belongs to city of Melbourne, the local government authority, which allows it to has more collaborative opportunities with other charity organizations.

BtB People Process Place, Assignment 3, Minjie Liang, 1010618

Strategic brief / research report

Blind people-friendly fitness spaces

Introduction Context

According to the announcement from CoM website, they planned to upgrade and refurbish steps by steps this year in order to provide a better environment. (“City Baths refurbishment,” 2020) As a result, these own needs make this strategic brief feasible. In an attempt to upgrade their facility and interior exvironemnt, this strategic brief can be a guideline during the coming refurnishment at each stage.

BtB People Process Place, Assignment 3, Minjie Liang, 1010618

Strategic brief / research report

Blind people-friendly fitness spaces

Introduction Subject Group

(Blind Sports and Recreation Victoria - Blind Tennis Program, 2017)

“ Blind Sports and Recreation Victoria (BSRV) enhances the lives of people throughout Victoria who are blind or vision impaired through sport and recreation. Since our establishment in 1977 we have evolved into a small but thriving charity, which is setting the benchmark for blind sport and recreation in Australia. Supporting more than 1,200 members, we encourage people with no or low vision of all ages and backgrounds to lead more healthy and active lifestyles. “(Victoria, 2018)

BtB People Process Place, Assignment 3, Minjie Liang, 1010618

Strategic brief / research report

Blind people-friendly fitness spaces

Introduction Subject Group

(Client) Melbourne City Baths

Agree to convert part of the areas into a special training area (eg. swimming pool, free weight)

(User Group) Low vision/ Blind people

(Community) BSRV

Project Train under instruction

Provide workers who assist, manage this area and instruct the trainers

The client of this project is Melbourne City Baths (CoM) and Blind Sports&Recreation Victoria, this project can be conceived as a collaboration between them, in addition, this collaborative model could remain achievable between other fitness centers with other local vision-impaired people related organizations in the near future.

BtB People Process Place, Assignment 3, Minjie Liang, 1010618

Strategic brief / research report

Blind people-friendly fitness spaces

Methodology Overview

The methodology of this strategic brief will include deskbased research, online survey, spatial analysis, and the collection of quantitative and quantitive data.

Desk-based Research Making research from published academic resources, academic website.

Timeframe

Desk-based Research

2 WEEKS

Week 1-2

Online Survey

2 WEEKS

Week 3-4

Spatial Analysis

1 WEEK

Week 5

Case Studies

1 WEEK

8.1 - 8.14

Online Survey Collecting and understanding the responses from various local blind citizens care organizations, such as Blind Sports Victoria (BSV), Royal Society for the Blind (RSB), Blind Citizens Australia (BCA) and etc.

Spatial Analysis Collecting existing sports programs for blind people and analyze the basic spatial requirement or special traits that need to be considered in the design phase.

Case studies Exemplars in Blind Sports Victoria, studying what are area requirements for fitness activities and special facilities.

BtB People Process Place, Assignment 3, Minjie Liang, 1010618

8.15 - 8.29

8.30 - 9.13

Week 6 9.14 - 9.21

Strategic brief / research report

Blind people-friendly fitness spaces

Methodology Data collection

Approach

Detail

Tool

• Open questions

Online Survey

Eg.Do you like doing sports? Do you like doing sports? • Closed questions Eg. What is your training frequency, where do you mostly work out? What aspect do you consider most if you can train in a gym?

Survey Monkey Google Form

• Interview with Melbourne City Baths via Zoom

Interviews

Observations

Case Studies

BtB People Process Place, Assignment 3, Minjie Liang, 1010618

Collecting quantitive data on business vision, future strategy, etc. • Interview with RSBV working staff via Zoom Collecting quantitive data on spatial needs, special facilities requirements, volumes of addtional spaces, etc.

Observations in current cases may not be viable due to the Covid-19, but can based on the past personal experience and others stories.

Interpreting and analysing the pevious practices and precedents from national and international examples, take advantages of these successful cases • Photos • Diagrams • Charts

Zoom

Photos Videos Sketches

Google Deezeen Archdaily Designboom

Strategic brief / research report

Blind people-friendly fitness spaces

Findings

Case studies MOTIVE 8 Motive8 is a specialist personal training company based in the UK and grew to a global organization and established market leaders in the design & installation of residential and corporate health and fitness facilities. In 2016, they were inspired from the Paralympic team and decided to start a project, that is a gym modification for users with disabilities, especially the vision impaired users. (Shaddock, 2016)

(Motive8 gym modification, 2016)

There are many steps designers and manufacturers can take to ensure a gym and its equipment can be used by people with visual impairments such as color blindness, tunnel vision, low vision, or complete blindness. Among many methods, the easiest one is to use vivid color as a visual indicator, such as bright yellow. Using bright yellow colored strips at the edges of handles and pedals is a great way of providing visual assistance to color blind or partially-sighted users who have difficulty telling darker colors apart. In addition, ensuring a gym is well lit is also very important because it help users identify shapes and colours that much easier. (Shaddock, 2016) (Motive8 gym modification, 2016)

BtB People Process Place, Assignment 3, Minjie Liang, 1010618

Strategic brief / research report

Blind people-friendly fitness spaces

Findings

Case studies CAMPUS WU WIEN Campus WU Wien is a university campus design project in Vienna, Austria, done by BUSarchitektur. For the blind and visually impaired, a complete system with tactile braille and pyramid text and guidelines was created. The information terminal is also barrier-free: it can be accessed via a wheelchair, audio mode is adopted, and the contrast mode improves clarity by reducing colors to black and yellow.

(Campus WU Wien,2013 )

BtB People Process Place, Assignment 3, Minjie Liang, 1010618

(Campus WU Wien,2013 )

Strategic brief / research report

Blind people-friendly fitness spaces

Findings Equipment

One of the reason why vision impaired users find it very hard to participate in exercise is that the fitness equipment bring them barriers. A research report has investigated the accessibility and ease of use of the controls on fitness equipment such as treadmills, exercise bikes, cross trainers and rowing machines. This study was carried out by consumer research charity Rica with the support of Thomas Pocklington Trust and Metro Blind Sport, the study involved user experience testing of equipment by 20 blind and partially sighted people, followed by focus groups and individual interviews.(RNIB, 9 February 2018) Overall, the participants made some recommendations which could improve the experience of people with sight loss going to the gym, including:

(RNIB Report, 2015)

• • • • • • •

Much wider use of audio output and voice-over technology in fitness equipment The use of wireless technology The ability to increase font size on the screens Tactile buttons and high-contrast colours on LED consoles Lever controls and/or control buttons on handlebars Improved layout, colour use, signage and lighting in leisure centres Trained staff to assist visually impaired people in using equipment.

(RNIB Report, 2015)

BtB People Process Place, Assignment 3, Minjie Liang, 1010618

Strategic brief / research report

Blind people-friendly fitness spaces

Findings

Assisting Approach Spatial design

Appplication

This part collects some spatial designs that can help the users be able to move safely under the assisting navigation methods such as braille tact tiles, acoustic ways and indicating smell, etc. The blind and visually handicapped have the right to be able to navigate effortlessly through the built environment. Navigation through and the action of experiencing a place depends on a person’s ability to collect information through his or her senses. However, Architects most often focus only on the visual aspects of a design rather than considering other sensory aspects. Understanding of these interactions is used to develop an architecture that enhances the specific characteristics, which help the blind and visually handicapped.(Siddique, 2015)

(BlindAlive.com)

Mel Scott, the founder of BlindAlive, who is blind, brought together a team of fitness instructors, musicians, and audio editors in order to provide a variety of exercise programs for people who need or prefer non-visual cues while exercising. This is complete set of the Eyes-Free Fitness® audio exercise programs allow the users to exercise, stretch, strengthen, condition their bodies.(Kendrick, June 2017) “People with sight will use the Eyes-Free Fitness workouts, too, all workouts have been developed with keen focus on being entirely accessible and user friendly for people with visual impairments. Workouts convey, in clear, direct language, the posture and movements required for maximum effect. While the workouts are completely audio and verbal, they are delivered with loads of energy and positive reinforcement, conveyed both by the voices of the workout directors and the underlying music.” said Mel Scott. This programs can be very helpful services for the visual users who are beginners into fitness, and under the instructor of BSRV staff they would quickly get used to train in the new environment.

BtB People Process Place, Assignment 3, Minjie Liang, 1010618

Strategic brief / research report

Blind people-friendly fitness spaces

Findings Interview

(Accessible Fitness For Visually Impaired Clients, 2017)

Due to the current lockdown condition, a face to face interview with related working staff in City Baths or BSRV is not viable. However, an interview was done by Fitpro (one of the largest global fitness company) focusing on how to improve accessible fitness for visually impaired clients, this report partially quoted and collected of this interview as an alternative because its topic is relevant and the key information core idea is valuable and response to the main subject of this report. This interview is between Olivia Hubbard (From Fitpro) and Michelle Felix, who mainly introduces the stories of her career and experience as a registered blind and fitness professional. (HUBBARD, 2017)

BtB People Process Place, Assignment 3, Minjie Liang, 1010618

Strategic brief / research report

Blind people-friendly fitness spaces

Findings Interview

Interviwer: FP (Fitpro, the largest professional fitness development companyin the world) Interviewee: MF (Michelle Felix is a fitness professional who is registered blind and provides audio-described exercise for clients who are blind or have poor eyesight)

FP: “Can you tell us more about your personal story and when you first began devising fitness classes for visually impaired individuals?”

FP: “ What are clients most surprised by? What has their feedback been? Has there been a bigger uptake for one class in particular?”

MF: “I am registered blind and have some residual vision. The diagnosis is macular degeneration, which is loss of central vision but that allows us to see details. My company is Michelle Felix Group and I specialise in optimising fitness and well-being for clients with disabilities. My key focus is providing audio-described exercise for clients who are blind or have low vision and it’s been a real joy providing this service since 2015.”

MF: “Clients have been most surprised by discovering their ability to enjoy and successfully take part in group exercise, which I have made possible by using audio description. My clients have been amazed at their personal fitness progress and improved sense of well-being.” FP: “How did people react to Michelle’s classes?”

FP: “What training have you undergone to work in the fitness industry?” James Cook from Chingford: “I had taken part in group exercise in the past but not successfully and I did not enjoy them. Before Michelle’s chair-based exercise classes I was stiff but I found Michelle’s classes quite useful and I would recommend her classes to friends.’’

MF: “Through InstructAbility I gained my Level 2 Gym Instructor qualification and Level 3 Exercise and Disability qualifications. Following my completion of the InstructAbility programme, I continued my professional development within the fitness industry to include my Exercise to Music qualification, and dance fitness training. I am also trained to deliver core stability, suspension fitness and indoor cycling.” FP: “What did you find particularly beneficial about the InstructAbility course?” MF: “It was lovely to be in the InstructAbility learning environment where disability is not an issue. Adjustments were happily made for each of our individual needs as students, inside the classroom, in the gym environment and also in terms of accessible home study course material. Our InstructAbility tutors fostered a comfortable learning environment in which we were relaxed and felt free to ask questions and they always treated us with respect.”

BtB People Process Place, Assignment 3, Minjie Liang, 1010618

Strategic brief / research report

Blind people-friendly fitness spaces

Conclusions / Recommendations

Our cities are diverse places, home to a rich spectrum of people and lifestyles. (Downey) Like what Chris Downy said, there are only two types of people, those with disabilities and those that haven’t quite found theirs yet. Visual impaired group is the minority in our home society and they are more dependent on sensory. Architects are gradually adapting to the need for more multisensory design. “Space has always been the spiritual dimension of architecture. It is not the physical statement of the structure so much as what it contains that moves us “ (Arthur Erickson) In conclusion, this strategic brief sets up a basic frame for how to improve the current fitness space and make them more friendly and viable for blind group, the findings included in this report are based on desk-based research, and it gives the useful suggestions for a establishing a better exercise environment from the both asepects of hardware and software, such as spatial designs and audio programs. In addition, based on this findings this brief also gives a series recommendations of how to improve the experience of people with sight loss going to the gym, they are: • • • • • • •

BtB People Process Place, Assignment 3, Minjie Liang, 1010618

Strategic brief / research report

Blind people-friendly fitness spaces

References Blindness and vision loss. (2014). Retrieved from https://www.visionaustralia.org/information/newly-diagnosed/blindness-and-vision-loss City Baths refurbishment. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/community/sports-recreation/melbourne-city-baths/about-mcb/Pages/city-baths-refurbishment.aspx Downey, C. (Producer). Design with the blind in MIND. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/chris_downey_design_with_the_blind_in_mind?utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_content=talk_of_the_week_button&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2013-11-16 Edwards, J. S. a. R. (2015). My Voice 2015: The views and experiences of blind and partially sighted people in the UK. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub-research-reports-general-research/my-voice Gordon Duff, K. B., Brandon Ah Tong, Jennifer Grimwade. (August 2015). A SNAPSHOT OF BLINDNESS AND LOW VISION SERVICES IN AUSTRALIA. Retrieved from https://www.vision2020australia.org.au/resources/a-snapshot-of-blindness-and-low-vision-services-in-australia/ Gyms and Fitness Centres in Australia – Market Research Report. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.physicalactivityaustralia.org.au/gyms-and-fitness-centres-in-australia-market-research-report/#:~:text=Fitness%20and%20Lifestyle%20Group%20TopCo,with%2014.8%25%20of%20industry%20revenue. HUBBARD, O. (2017). Accessible fitness for vision impaired clients. Retrieved from https://www.fitpro.com/blog/index.php/fitness-visually-impaired-clients/ Kendrick, D. (June 2017). Introducing Blind Alive and Eyes-Free Fitness: Fitness Is More Than Meets the Eye. Retrieved from https://www.afb.org/aw/18/6/15205 Latif, A. (Feb 2018). Why do gyms make things so difficult for blind people? Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/feb/26/why-do-gyms-make-things-so-difficult-for-blindpeople RNIB. ( 9 February 2018). Fitness equipment isn’t fit for us, say visually impaired gym users. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/rnibconnect/fitness-equipment-is-not-fit-for-visually-impaired Shaddock, J. (2016). GYM MODIFICATIONS FOR USERS WITH DISABILITIES. Retrieved from https://m8group.co.uk/blog/gym-modifications-for-users-with-disabilities/#:~:text=Visual%20impairment%20in%20gym%20design&text=%E2%80%9CUsing%20bright%20yellow%20coloured%20strips,difficulty%20telling%20darker%20colours%20apart.%E2%80%9D Siddique, S. (2015). Centre for Blind Children | NSU. Retrieved from https://contextbd.com/centre-for-blind-children-nsu/ Victoria, B. S. R. (2018). Who We Are. Retrieved from https://www.blindsports.org.au/who-we-are Victorian Heritage Database Report (2020). Retrieved from https://planning-schemes.delwp.vic.gov.au/ BtB People Process Place, Assignment 3, Minjie Liang, 1010618

Building the Brief: Final Research Project Report

Articles inside

References

Introduction

This Document

Executive Summary

Data Collection