DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES

DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES

N A T H A N I E L G O U G H

A DESIGN THESIS
A DESIGN THESIS
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES

A DESIGN THESIS
1 ADESIGN THESIS
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES

A Design Thesis Submitted to the

Department of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
of North Dakota State University

By

Nathaniel Gough

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of
Master of Architecture

Primary Thesis Advisor

Thesis Committee Chair

May 2010
Fargo, North Dakota
A DESIGN THESIS
A DESIGN THESIS 2
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
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PERMISSION RIGHTS
3 PERMISSION RIGHTS
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract.....................................................................5
The Problem Statement............................................6
Statement of Intent....................................................8
Narrative..................................................................11
User/Client Description..........................................13
Major Project Elements..........................................14
Site Information......................................................15
Project Emphasis.....................................................17
Plan for Proceeding................................................18
Studio Experience...................................................19
Program Document.................................................20
Theoretical Premise Research....................21
Case Studies................................................33
Historical Context.......................................48
Goals..........................................................57
Site Analysis...............................................59
Programmatic Requirements......................69
Process....................................................................70
Final Boards...........................................................74
Reference List........................................................78
Personal Identification............................................82

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS 4
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
ABSTRACT
The typology for this project will be a school for
the blind. The blind and visually handicapped have
the right to be able to navigate effortlessly through
the built environment. It is our job as designers to
ensure the health, safety, and welfare of everyone
who uses our buildings; therefore, in designing
we must consider everyone’s needs. A design that
considers all the senses through which we gather
information will undoubtedly be more holistic and
complete than one that only considers sight.

The narrative examines the importance of this

project and discusses why we as designers need to
focus on the problem. The client for this project
will be the state of Minnesota and the primary users
will be blind and visually handicapped students as
well as teachers, administrators and staff. The major
project elements of this approximately 40,000sqft
building will include: classrooms, dorms, offices,
sensory room, a gymnasium, sensory garden, and
a kitchen. This project will be located in Anoka,
Minnesota, north of Bunker Lake Blvd and just
east of the Rum River. It will emphasize designing
for all the senses and research for the project
will be done in the areas of: project typology,
historical context, site analysis, and programmatic
requirements. Lastly, the design process will be
documented and preserved in a thesis book.

ABSTRACT
5 ABSTRACT
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
PROBLEM STATEMENT

How can the built environment be made more

accessible and hospitable to the blind?

PROBLEM STATEMENT
PROBLEM STATEMENT 6
7
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES

STATMENT OF INTENT
STATMENT OF INTENT 8
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
STATMENT OF INTENT
Typology:
School for the blind

Claim:
The blind and visually handicapped have the right
to be able to navigate effortlessly through the built
environment.

Premises:
The blind compensate for their lack of sight by
relying more heavily on the other senses.

Navigation through and the action of experiencing

a place depends on a person’s ability to collect
information through his or her senses.

We as designers often focus most of our time and

energy on the visual aspects of a design.

Theoretical Premise/Unifying Idea:

This thesis will examine the different ways in
which the blind and visually handicapped navigate
through and experience the built environment.
Understanding of these interactions will be used
to develope architecture that enhances the specific
characteristics which help the blind and visually
handicapped.

Project Justification
It is our job as designers to ensure the health,
safety, and welfare of everyone who uses our
buildings; therefore, in designing we must consider
everyone’s needs. A design that considers all the
senses through which we gather information will
undoubtedly be more holistic and complete than one
that only considers sight.

STATMENT OF INTENT
9 STATMENT OF INTENT
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES

THE PROPOSAL
THE PROPOSAL10
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
NARRATIVE
All people have the right to be able to navigate
effortlessly through the built environment. It is
our job as designers to ensure the health, safety,
and welfare of everyone who uses our buildings;
therefore, in designing we must consider
everyone’s needs. A design that considers all the
senses through which we gather information will
undoubtedly be more holistic and complete than one
that only considers sight.

It is estimated that over 1.3 million Americans are

legally blind and another 21.2 million Americans
have some degree of vision impairment even when
using corrective lenses. Despite the fact that this is
a relatively small section of the population, we as
designers are still responsible for the health, safety,
and welfare of these people. The Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) has provided minimum
standards for designers to adhere to in order for
disabled people to successfully and safely navigate
through the built environment, but these are bare
minimums and can be greatly improved upon.

The ADA guidelines help the blind navigate though

the built environment but they do not help them to
experience it. Where most people use signs, maps,
and other visual cues to move through the world,
the blind use touch, auditory, and even olfactory
cues. It is these same senses that can be used to help
the blind experience, and not just move through, the
world around them.

Throughout history architects and designers have

traditionally focused most of their attention on the
visual aspects of projects. While this methodology
has produced beautiful buildings it rarely created
buildings that could be experienced using other
senses, which has alienated many visually
handicapped people and robbed them of the ability
to experience the built environment.

NARRATIVE
11 NARRATIVE
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
In this project I will explore different methods and
techniques that can be used to create a design that
appeals to all the senses, thus enabling the blind
to better experience the world around them. It
comes as no surprise that architecture is mainly a
visually based profession, but when every sense is
considered it will undoubtedly make for a superior
design and a better experience for all the users.

NARRATIVE
NARRATIVE 12
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
USER/CLIENT DESCRIPTION
The Client/ Owner:
The state of Minnesota will be the owner and client
for the project.

Users:
Students-The facility will provide services to blind
and visually handicapped students ranging in age
from newborns to 21. Roughly 80 students will
live on campus and attend school full-time nine
months out of the year, while others will come for
shorter periods of time to attend special classes and
seminars.

Teachers-There will be approximately 20 specially

trained teachers working during the academic
school year. In the summer roughly half the teachers
will continue working full-time teaching summer
programs and seminars. Teachers will use the
facility between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 4:00
p.m.

Administrators-Administrators will oversee the

operation and everyday proceedings of the school.
They will be on campus between the hours of
7:00am-4:00pm.

Support staff-A number of support staff will be

needed to both help the school run as smoothly
and efficiently as possible and maintain the
buildings and grounds. These positions will
include administrative assistants, custodians,
groundskeepers, cooks, etc. Working hours for the
support staff will vary depending on the specific
job.

USER/CLIENT DESCRIPTION
13 USER/CLIENT DESCRIPTION:
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
MAJOR PROJECT ELEMENTS
School:
Classrooms-used to conduct traditional k-12
education classes

Breakout spaces-used for one on one instruction

between students and teachers

Gymnasium-for physical education classes

Braille Library-to promote literacy in Braille and

provide sources for reports

Cafeteria-for the students living on campus

Offices-for the administration

Outdoor play area-for recreation

Resident housing:
Rooms-for students living on campus

Kitchen-for use by of students

Common area-for group gatherings and

socialization

MAJOR PROJECT ELEMENTS

MAJOR PROJECT ELEMENTS 14
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
SITE INFORMATION
Region:
Anoka is located in the midwestern United States in
the eastern part of Minnesota.

City:
Anoka is located where the Rum River meets the
Mississippi River. According to the city of Anoka
website, the town gets its name from a combination
of two Native American words; A-NO-KA-TAN-
HAN which means on both sides of the river and
ON-O-KAY which means working waters. While
Father Lewis Hennepin first explored the site in
1680 it was not settled until 1844. As stated on
citydata.com the town now has a population of
17,289 and encompasses 6.5 square miles.

Site:
The site is located directly north of Bunker
Lake Blvd and just east of the Rum River. The
topography of the site is relatively flat and gradually
slopes down to meet the river. Vegetation on the
site consists mostly of natural grasses with a line of
trees in the center.

While the site is located in an urban environment,

which can be utilized to teach students how to
navigate through and survive in a city, it also
displays elements of a more natural setting. To the
north of the site is a large wooded area with many
walking paths and a city park that runs along the
river. These areas can provide unique learning
opportunities in a natural setting that many blind
and visually handicapped people may otherwise
never experience.

Directly south of the site, across Bunker Lake

Blvd, is Anoka High School. Locating the school
close to the city high School will allow students
to experience the best of both worlds. They are
able to receive their general education from a
knowledgeable staff specifically trained to work
with the blind and, if they wish, they may take more
specialized classes, or participate in sporting events
and other extra-curricular activities at the high
school.
SITE INFORMATION
15 SITE INFORMATION
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
Bunker Lake Blvd Walking path Beach on Rum River

Panoramic looking northwest

Panoramic taken by the tree line looking northeast

ANOKA

Site map from mapofus.org

SITE INFORMATION
SITE INFORMATION 16
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
PROJECT EMPHASIS
This thesis will study different methods and
techniques designers can employ to help the blind
navigate through, interact with, and experience
built environments. Emphasis will be placed on
designing for all the senses to create a space that all
people are able to experience and enjoy regardless
of their disabilities.

PROJECT EMPHASIS
17 PROJECT EMPHASIS
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
PLAN FOR PROCEEDING

Research will be conducted in the areas of the

unifying idea, project typology, historical context,
site analysis, and programmatic requirements
using the mixed method approach. Qualitative and
quantitative data will be collected employing the
concurrent transformative strategy. This strategy
will be directed by the unifying idea.
The design process will be documented utilizing
sketches, photography, digital drawings, and
physical models. Documentation will be collected
on a biweekly basis. The final product will be
organized into a thesis book and placed in the
architectural library so that future scholars may
refer to it.

PLAN FOR PROCEEDING

PLAN FOR PROCEEDING 18
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
PREVIOUS STUDIO EXPERIENCE
Second Year Studio:
First Semester 2006-Darryl Booker
Tea House-Fargo, ND
Boat house-Minneapolis, MN
Dwelling for an ecologist CO
Second Semester 2007- Joan Vorderbruggen
Montessori School-Moorhead, MN
Dance School-Fargo, ND
Third Year Studio:
First Semester 2007-Steve Martens
Inuit School-Canada
Children’s Hospital-Moorhead, MN
Second Semester2008-Ron Ramsey
Student Housing-Fargo, ND
Architecture Library-Chicago, IL
Fourth Year Studio:
First Semester 2008 - Don Faulkner
Mixed-Use High-rise San Francisco,
CA
Second Semester 2009 - Darryl Booker
Slum redevelopment project-Santo
Domingo
Community Center-Santo Domingo
School-Africa
Fifth Year Studio:
First Semester 2009-Mark Barnhouse
Water Resource Experiment Station

PREVIOUS STUDIO EXPERIENCE

19 PREVIOUS STUDIO EXPERIENCE
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES

PROGRAM DOCUMENT
PROGRAM DOCUMENT 20
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
THEORETICAL PREMISE RESEARCH
SOUND

With the absence of sight sound can become

an invaluable resource which the blind can use to
gather information about the world around them.
According to an article in Current Science magazine
entitled “Blind People ‘See’ Sound” Franco Lepore,
a psychologist at the University of Montreal,
conducted an experiment in which he produced
a sound and then asked both blind and sighted
people to determine the direction of the sound’s
origin. Blind people were consistently better at
determining the exact origin of sound. Further
research suggested that blind people were better
able to locate the origin of a given sound because
they used portions of their brain, which normally
focus on visual cues, to enhance their ability to
process auditory stimulation (“Blind People ‘See’
Sound” 2005). In terms of architecture, the ability
to pinpoint the direction a sound is coming from can
become a useful navigational tool. A simple unique
stationary sound could immediately tell visitors
what part of the building they are in or act as a
destination point within the building. Likewise, but
on a larger scale, an overall noise heard throughout
the building, such as traffic from a nearby street,
could be used to orient people within the building to
the larger site beyond.

As Pallasmaa (2005) states in The Eyes

of the Skin “Space is understood and appreciated
through its echo as much as through its visual
shape, but the acoustic percept usually remains as
an unconscious background experience”(Pallasmaa,
50). An example of this would be experiencing
a room, first unfurnished and empty of all things
and then experiencing that same room filled with
furniture. almost everyone understands that the
unfurnished room has an echo which bounces off
the hard surfaces and adds to the sense of emptiness
that the person sees when they look at the room.
Likewise we understand that a fully furnished room
will sound softer because the noise is absorbed into

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 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
the contents of the room. Pallasmaa stated, “the
acoustic percept usually remains as an unconscious
background experience” but in the case of many
blind people this may become the primary way in
which they experience a space (Pallasmaa 49).

John Blackstone of the “Early Show” on

CBS did a report on Ben Underwood, a remarkable
young blind man who learned to experience the
world around him through echo location, the same
method that dolphins use. Ben developed cancer
in his eyes at the age of two and had to have both
of them surgically removed. He has since learned
to, in effect, see with his ears. Ben continuously
makes small clicking noises with his mouth which
bounce off objects around him and return to his
ears, helping him to develop a three-dimensional
picture of his environment in his mind. Ben’s echo-
locating abilities are so advanced that he is able
to distinguish many different objects such as cars
and trashcans. His unique ability allows him to do
everything a sighted person can do. He rollerblades,
rides a bike, participates in pillow fights and even
plays video games.

While most blind people do not possess

the ability to echo locate as Ben does, it is still a
legitimate way of experiencing space and can be
incorporated into an architectural design through
the use of a sound-creating device, such as dripping
water, which would provide an echo within a
room and help visitors to better understand their
environment.

TOUCH

For blind people the sense of touch can be

used to gather information about specific objects
around them or used as navigational cues. Simply
stated it is another way in which blind people adapt
and compensate for their lack of sight. As with
sound, studies have suggested that blind people
have a more acute sense of touch. Daniel

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DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
Goldreich, Ph.D. recently conducted a study
in which participants, both blind and sighted,
touched pieces of plastic with grooves of varying
thicknesses cut out of them. A computer controlled
device held the piece of plastic to a volunteer’s
index finger for exactly one second after, which
the volunteer was asked whether or not the piece
of plastic had groves in it. The blind participants
were able to constantly recognize smaller groves
then the sighted participants. This study proves
that, in architecture, even small material or textural
changes, such as a different flooring material or wall
texture, which most sighted people might not feel,
can be easily picked up by a blind person.

The South Dakota School for the Blind and

Visually Impaired relies heavily on tactile signs
and markers to help students move throughout
the building. Each hallway in the building has a
different texture assigned to it, and the texture
marker for that hallway is located directly across
from each doorway. Above the general textural
marker is a more specific one which is unique to
the room the doorway leads into. This hierarchical
system is similar to the address system. When trying
to find a specific house one first has to find the street
it is on. After the street is found via street signs at
the intersections one is able to read specific house
numbers to find the house he or she is looking for.
Students first find the generic tactile sign and then
read the specific marker. Upon finding the room
that they want they are taught to put their back to
the tactual sign, walk perpendicularly away from it
across the hall, and into the room.

Using a cane is also a form of touch. A

visually impaired person’s cane acts as an extension
of his or her arm. According to the National
Federation of the Blind’s website, “Using a long
white cane when you walk allows someone who
is blind to locate steps, curbs, streets, driveways,
doorways, bicycles, elevators, escalators, people,
chairs, tables, desks, or any other object or place.”
Canes come in all different sizes.

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SMELL

Smell is an amazing and often underestimated

sense. Human beings require only 80 particles of
a substance to detect a specific odor, and we are
capable of detecting over 10,000 different smells
(Pallasmaa, 2005). According to “Orientation and
Mobility Training” (www.tsbvi.edu) smells can be
used to let the blind and visually impaired know
where they are in a given environment. For example
a garage, in general, smells different from a library
or a restaurant. When one is in a kitchen he or she
may smell the food that is being prepared, but if the
meal is over he or she may smell the dishwashing
soap. In spaces such as the kitchen, that produce
different smells at different times on a consistent
basis, the smells can serve not only as locational
cues but as hints to the relative time of day.
As with the other senses the sense of smell can be
used as more than just a navigational tool, it can
also be used as a way to experience the environment
and architecture. Pallasmaa (2005) captures this
idea best when he speaks of walking down a street
in an old town:
: “What a delight to move from one realm
of odour to the next, through the narrow
streets of an old town! The scent sphere
of a candy store makes one think of
innocence and curiosity of childhood;
the dense smell of a shoemaker’s
workshop makes one imagine horses,
saddles, and harness straps and the
excitement of riding; the fragrance of
a bread shop projects images of health,
sustenance and physical strength,
whereas the perfume of a pastry shop
makes one think of bourgeois felicity.”
(Pallasmaa, 54)
Pallasmaa also states that “the nose makes
the eyes remember”(54). A specific smell can make
people remember things, places, or past events in
their lives that they have not thought about in a long
time. An odor correctly matched with the typology
of a room or space could recall forgotten images in

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DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
the minds of visually impaired people who lose
their sight later in life and help them create a mental
image of their surroundings.

SIGHT
Color
While it sounds odd that blind people could
use sight as a way of experiencing and navigating
through space, one must remember that there are
different severities of blindness. Total blindness
is the inability to distinguish light from dark, but
many visually impaired people are not totally blind.
This opens up the sense of sight as a possible useful
navigational tool.

One of the easiest things to do when

considering sight as a navigational tool is to use
colors. There are three elements to a color, the
first being hue. As stated on www.lighthouse.org,
“Hue is the perceptual attribute associated with
elementary color names.” When we see a particular
color we recognize it by its hue, i.e. green, blue,
orange, etc. When making color combinations for
the visually impaired it is best to pair darker hues
from the bottom half of the color wheel with lighter
ones from the top half. It is also a good idea to
avoid using lighter colors from the dark half of the
color wheel with darker colors from the light half.
The more the colors contrast the easier it will be for
a visually impaired person to tell them apart
(Effective Color Contrast 2009).

The second element of color is, which

“lightness corresponds to how much light appears
to be reflected from a colored surface in relation to
nearby surfaces” (Effective Color Contrast 2009). It
is relative and cannot be measured. When trying to
increase the contrast between two different colors,
lightness becomes the most important quality of
color (Effective Color Contrast 2009).

The last element of color is saturation.

According to Color Principles, “Saturation refers to
the dominance of hue in the color.(2000)” Pure hues
are
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 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
considered to be completely saturated. A gradual
desaturation of a hue is accomplished by running
the pure hue through a grayscale from white
to black. When it reaches black it is said to be
completely desaturated (Effective Color Contrast
2009).

It should be noted that it is the relationships

between colors and how they appear when they are
placed next to one another that makes them easier
or harder to differentiate. Also, colors that seem
easily discernable to a sighted person may not be
as easy to discern to a visually impaired person.
Designers can help visually impaired people more
easily distinguish different colors by creating
combinations of colors that vary widely on all three
attributes of color (Effective Color Contrast 2009).

Glare
Some visually impaired people’s eyes are
not able to modulate light. When this happens,
glare off of reflective surfaces such as snow or
water may become a problem. There are special
glasses that visually impaired people can wear
to help cut down the glare. Blue blocker glasses
eliminate some of the blue haze around bright
objects and polarized sunglasses reduce the effects
of glare on horizontal surfaces (Lighting for Low
Vision 2003). While glare is often considered a
bad thing it is nonetheless something that visually
impaired people can see and do respond to. Under
the right conditions and circumstances it may be
able to be used as a way- finding tool as well as a
means to experience a space. However, any design
incorporating glare would need to be scrutinized
very closely to ensure that it does not become
an annoyance or a hazard to visually impaired
individuals.

Seeing Eye Dogs

Some blind and visually impaired people
choose to let guide dogs see for them. Seeing eye
dogs undergo months of intensive training so that
they may become an effective tool that blind

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THEORETICAL PREMISE RESEARCH 26
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
people use for navigation. The dogs are trained to
recognize and react to curbs, stairs, streets, and
many other obstacles that are found in everyday
life. It should be noted that, while the dog acts as a
pair of eyes for a blind person, the owner is always
in charge. The dog will react to obstacles and the
owner will tell it how to respond. For instance,
a guide dog may sit when it reaches a curb and
when the owner does not hear any traffic coming,
he or she will tell the dog that it is okay to go.
Unfortunately guide dogs can only help the blind
navigate. They cannot help them experience.

Sensory Gardens

According to Melanie Radzicki McManus

(2001) sensory gardens are gardens, either public or
private, that appeal to all five senses. The gardens
are most often targeted to people with various
disabilities but they can be enjoyed by all. In
cultivating a sensory garden one must consider the
five senses and determine the best way to design
the garden so that even those with dulled senses can
enjoy it. When considering visual stimulation, it is
best to pick large, brightly colored plants and place
plants with highly contrasting hues next to each
other. If a visually impaired person is going to see a
color, it will most likely be yellow. Thus choosing
plants with yellow hues can become highly effective
(McMaus 2001).

For sound, many gardens incorporate falling

water or wind chimes, but plants can also add
sounds to the space. Many plants produce seed pods
that rattle when shaken or move on a windy day. Photo from http://www.bostonpublicschools.org
Likewise certain species of trees will rustle under
even the slightest breeze (McMaus 2001).

Touch may be the easiest sense to design

for in the garden. Different plants display a wide
variety of textures. The bark of a tree feels very
different than a plant with a fuzzy leaf or a flower

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27 THEORETICAL PREMISE RESEARCH
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
petal. Not all textures belong in a sensory garden
though; cacti, thorny plants, and grasses with razor
sharp edges could be hazardous to visitors (McMaus
2001).

Smells emitted from the garden can be of

great interest to visitors who are both blind and
deaf. It is easy to find plants with a wide variety of
smells to add to the garden. Lastly the sense of taste
can be added to a sensory garden by incorporating
plants such as blueberry bushes and fruit trees
(McMaus 2001).

Phenomenology

“In simplest terms, phenomenology is the

interpretive study of human experience”. The aim
is to examine and clarify human situations, events,
meanings, and experiences “as they spontaneously
occur in the course of daily life” (von Eckartsberg,
1998, p. 3). The goal is “a rigorous description
of human life as it is lived and reflected upon in
all of its first-person concreteness, urgency, and
ambiguity” (Pollio et al., 1997, p. 5). Designs of
the phenomenological movement in architecture
concentrate on how people interact with the
building; how they experience the various building
materials and how they come to know and
understand the building through different sensory
properties. For the most part phenomenological
designs are uncomplicated and clean. It is a design
methodology that is very personal and inward
focused.

Orientation and Mobility Training

To design a building in which the blind

and visually impaired can easily navigate and
experience one first must know how they are taught
to navigate. Many blind people receive orientation
and mobility (O & M) training. O & M training

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DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
“…helps a blind or visually impaired child know
where he is in space and where he wants to go
(orientation). It also helps him be able to carry out
a plan to get there (mobility).” (Orientation and
Mobility Training 1998).

In O & M training a child learns how to

gain information about his or her surroundings
through senses of smell, hearing, and touch. The
child is taught about special concepts such as the
fact that objects exist even when they are not heard
or felt and that relationships exist between different
objects in an environment. Lastly the child is taught
various ways to move through the environment,
such as independent movement, which can be
anything from rolling to walking, using a sighted
person to get to a destination, and using a cane to
move through an area, clear a path, or locate objects
(Orientation and Mobility Training 1998).

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 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
RESEARCH SUMMARY
In my research I studied in depth the various
senses, how the blind and visually impaired use
their senses to navigate and explore different
environments, and things we as designers can do or
incorporate into our buildings to assist the visually
impaired in both way-finding and experiencing the
built environment.

It is understood that in the absence of sight

people rely more on their other senses; in fact,
many blind people receive orientation and mobility
(O & M) training, which helps them learn how to
prioritize and react to the sensory information and
cues they collect. Knowledge of O & M training
methods and techniques can play a huge role in
deciding what sensory cues should be used, where
they should be placed, and how people will interact
with them.

The use of textural components as way-

finding tools in a building is the most effective
and most widely used because they are capable
of helping blind people as well as blind and deaf
people navigate through a space. Many blind
and visually impaired children today were born
premature and often have other physical or mental
problems, so it makes sense to consider people with
other disabilities when designing a building for the
blind.

Although sound cannot help people who

are both deaf and blind find their way it can still be
an excellent tool for the blind to use. Research has
shown that blind people are better able to both track
sound and pinpoint the location of a given sound.
Sound can be heard from a distance and followed to
a source, making it a great navigational tool. Sounds
that could be incorporated into a building could be
as direct as a tonal beep for a specific classroom or
as subtle as the hum of florescent lights.

The sense of smell is an experience as well

as a navigational tool. Pallasmaa (2005) talks about
walking down an old town

RESEARCH SUMMARY
RESEARCH SUMMARY 30
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
road, smelling the different odors that come out
of the shops and daydreaming about all of the
long forgotten memories they conjured up. The
same principles could be applied to walking down
a hallway in a building. People could smell old
books as they walked past the library, food being
prepared as they walk by the cafeteria, the smell
of paint as they walk by the art room, and all these
odors could produce memories of past, experiences,
which would help them know where they are and
experience the space.

It must not be forgotten that all visually

impaired people are not completely blind, so sight,
light, and color can also play a role in how the
building is dsigned. When using color in a design
intended for the visually impaired, it is best to pair
highly contrasting colors with one another because
it is the contrast between colors, and not the color
itself, that makes a hue easy or hard to see. Some
visually impaired people have problems with
glare coming off reflective surfaces so it becomes
essential to design the lighting in such a way as to
minimize glare.

Sensory gardens can be a source of

information when trying to design a building
that appeals to all the senses, because they have
been carefully designed and planned to create an
experience that forces one to interact with a space
or environment on a deeper level. They create
environments in which each sense is celebrated but
the full experience is not realized until one uses all
their senses to gather information.

All of the research has given insight as

to how the blind and visually impaired move
through their environment, as well as what types
of strategies might be employed within a building
to help them. As with any building it should be an
enjoyable and exhilarating place for its inhabitants.
With normal buildings and occupants these qualities
are easily established in the design through the use
of

RESEARCH SUMMARY
31 RESEARCH SUMMARY
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
openings to let in light, stimulating color pallets,
and other architectural elements that are meant to be
seen, but with this typology all of these aesthetically
pleasing visual elements must be designed in such
a way that the visually impaired can enjoy them as
well.

RESEARCH SUMMARY
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DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES

CASE STUDIES
33 CASE STUDIES
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
Therme Vals p33

W. Ross Macdonald School for the Blind p37

MIT Brain and Cognitive Sciences complex p41

CASE STUDIES
CASE STUDIES 34
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
THERME VALS

Photo from http://upload.wikimedia.org

Introduction

Therme Vals is a thermal bath

or hydrotherapy center located in the
small town of Vals in southeastern
Switzerland. Designed by Peter Zumthor
and completed in 1996, the building
sits in the middle of a hotel complex
built in the 1960s at the point where the
hot spring surfaces on the mountain.
The building consists of various baths
differing in shape and size, changing
and showering areas, massage spaces,
rest areas, and water treatment rooms.
This case study is distinguished by the
fact that it is not a facility specifically
designed for the visually impaired
(Hauser 2007).

Findings

The building is set into the

mountainside so that from the upper
slope one can scarcely see where the
mountainside ends and the roof begins.
Photo from www.creativeclass.com
CASE STUDIES
35 CASE STUDIES
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
Visitors must enter the building by going down to
the cellar of one of the hotels and walking through
a long underground tunnel. This entrance sequence
was undoubtedly created to make visitors feel
as if they are going down into the depths of the
mountain. To add to the feeling of being inside the
mountain the major building material used in this
project was Valser quartzite, a stone that is native to
the region. The main space in the building feels like
a large cavern divided up into many smaller areas
by large rectangular pillars that both visually and
structurally hold up the roof.

As far as other case studies dealing with the

senses, this one shares the same attention to creating
a space that is experienced on multiple levels. When
in the building one not only sees the spaces but also
hears the echoing of visitors’ voices bouncing off
the stone walls and the ever-present sounds of water
running, dripping and splashing throughout the
facility. One feels the varying temperatures of water
in the different baths, the dampness and humidity
accustomed to a building with so much water in it
and the walls of thinly cut stone stacked layer upon
layer.
What differentiates this building from other
case studies is the fact that none of the cues are used
as navigational tools and I believe with this building
that is okay. It is a spa, a place where people go to
relax, a space that is not meant to be navigated but
explored.

Analysis

The structure of the building is made up

of load bearing concrete walls. Large rectangular
masses are formed from these walls in a way that
leads one to believe the void spaces were carved
away from a single solid mass. The walls are set
up in such a way that they loosely define smaller
Photos from Helene Binet spaces within a larger whole and completely
surround even smaller spaces. Circulation is also
defined by these large masses of structural wall
though in a less formal way than most other

CASE STUDIES
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DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
buildings. When looking at the plans and sections
rigid geometry appears to be one of the common
themes which runs throughout the building.
Everything about the building, from the bearing
walls and large rectangular forms to the openings
in the façade, is tight and rigid; all straight lines
and 90 degree angles. Natural light in the building
is present but highly controlled. Depending on the
time of day spaces can be well lit with natural light
but views out of the building are kept to a minimum
because the experience is meant to be inwardly
focused.

Conclusion

This building shows how one can develop

a design that serves all the senses. It not only does
this but does it in a way that feels natural; it makes
sense that the space would seem like a cave because
it is built into a mountain, and seeing as how a
spring emerges from the spot it is only natural for
the building to be wet. Our mind accepts the fact
that the space echoes because the walls are made
of stone and we believe the stone is supposed to
be there because the building is integrated with the
earth.

plans and sections from Peter

zumthor Therme Vals

CASE STUDIES
37 CASE STUDIES
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
Main level

Lower level

CASE STUDIES
CASE STUDIES 38
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
W. ROSS MACDONALD SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND

Photos from Canadian Architect magazine

Introduction

The W. Ross Macdonald School for

the Blind, located in Brantford, Ontario,
was designed by Toronto architect Bruce
Stratton and was completed in 2004. This
30,000-square foot building acts as both
a place of residence and a primary school
for 32 blind and deaf/blind and visually
challenged children. Though the building
was designed primarily with the blind and
visually impaired in mind it also serves
as a working environment for a staff of
40 people, most of whom can see, and the
Brantford community often utilizes the
school’s facilities . Thus it was important
that the school be aesthetically pleasing to
the eyes as well (Jen 32).

The building is characterized

by large open hallways, an abundance
of indirect natural lighting, an exposed
structural system and the use of many cubic
geometric blocks which, when viewed
from outside the building, hint at the spaces
created in the interior. Spaces on the interior
include: student residences, classrooms, a
health services center, a multipurpose room,
music practice studios, an entrance atrium,
offices, meeting rooms and teaching pods.

CASE STUDIES
39 CASE STUDIES
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
Photo from Canadian Architect magazine

Findings

This case study is unique because it is the only case study that is a school for the
blind and in fact the only building that was designed specifically with the blind, blind/
deaf and visually impaired in mind. Because of this it is also the only case study that
provides sensory cues such as tactile signs to assist with navigation. Such cues include
concrete block walls surfaced in spots with smooth ceramic tiles, an elegant rail system,
and variations in floor materials at the intersections.

The building is similar to others researched in that it deals with all the senses.
As mentioned before, sight was not ignored in the creation of the project. When inside
the building one not only sees the space but can feel the ceramic tiles as they guide you
through the building and hear the different sounds your footsteps make as the flooring
material changes.

The building was placed on a site defined by residential streets and bluffs that
roll gently down to the Grand River a block away. It was situated in such a way as to
complete a courtyard already mostly formed by other buildings on the campus. The
courtyard contains pine trees which emit a great aroma, and it also provides a safe place
with clearly defined boundaries for all the students to socialize and play.

CASE STUDIES
CASE STUDIES 40
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
Analysis

The structure of the building is made of

exposed steel members, which are for the most part
painted, but some steel members have a weathered
patina which adds an interesting texture for the
student to find and explore. The steel tube columns,
located throughout the building, would also produce
a very unique sound if an inquisitive child should
happen to knock on it. Elements of massing are
apparent when studying the exterior views of the
building. The building has the feeling of blocks
of rectangular forms that were pushed and pulled,
raised and lowered until it created the unique
form of the final building. The best part about the
massing is that it makes sense when looking at
the plans and sections. Rooms were bumped out
where they needed to be, and the entrance and
entrance atrium were raised up to establish the
dominance and importance of these areas. Natural
light is brought into the building with great care
and concern so as to not create bad situations for
those students who have problems with glare.
Almost all the light is indirect and filters in through
clearstory windows and other shaded openings.
Light brought into the rooms on the exterior of the
building is allowed to penetrate into the central
hallway through translucent and transparent glass.
The corridors are 10 feet wide, larger than normal
to allow quick and safe travel. They are arranged
in a simple linear layout which adds to the ease of
navigation throughout the building.

Conclusion

This case study shows ways in which

existing buildings use textural cues to help the
blind and visually impaired move throughout
the building. The way-finding elements designed
into this building can act as a starting point and
something to build off of.

CASE STUDIES
41 CASE STUDIES
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
Plan

plans and sections from Canadian Architect magazine

CASE STUDIES
CASE STUDIES 42
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
MIT BRAIN AND COGNITIVE SCIENCES COMPLEX

Photos from Architectural record

Introduction

The MIT Brain and Cognitive Sciences

complex located in Cambridge, Massachusetts
was designed by Charles Correa Associates.
This seven-story 412,000 square-foot building
is ”the world’s center for neuroscience research;
it is also an elegant example of leading-edge
laboratory design”(Architectural Record
07-06 p 138). Some of the programmatic
elements in the building include more than
40 wet and dry laboratories, and spaces for
all kinds of specialized equipment, including
autoclaves, cold rooms, hat rooms, centrifuges,
electrophysiology rings, magnetic resonance
imagers, etc. The building was also required
to have several communal areas which
would support researchers socializing and
collaborating on various projects (Levinson
138).

The most distinctive difference in these case

studies was the typologies as mentioned above.
Another uncommon characteristic was the site
locations. The Therme Vals was

CASE STUDIES
43 CASE STUDIES
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
located in a rural setting, while the school for
the blind bordered a residential or suburban
neighborhood and the cognitive center is in an
urban setting. Sites play a hugely important role in
any design project and for their specific typologies
all the buildings seem to be sited in the location
of environment that works best with them. The
one case study with the same typology as my
thesis project, the school for the blind, was located
in a suburban environment. This site location is
congruent with the one picked for my thesis project.

Findings

This case study, like the others, deals with

how we experience our surroundings but in a
completely different way. The building is home to
cognitive research laboratories where researchers
delve into and study the thought processes of human
beings. It was not designed specifically for the
visually impaired, and is not a destination point for
those seeking a multisensory experience but a place
of work, study, and learning.

As mentioned before the building sits on an

oddly shaped triangular lot which is how it received
its basic shape. The building also bridges over a set
of train tracks that run through the site. The fairly
simple façade made of limestone and green tinted
glass was kept subtle so as to not compete with
Gahry’s Stata Center across the street.

The success of this building lies not just

within the beautiful design but also in the fact that
the building truly knows its place. Its triangular
form was developed to be congenial with the sight
boundaries, the tunnel through the building was
done to accommodate train tracks which predated
the project, and the flat, non-flashy exterior was
designed to pay tribute to the more curvilinear and
flamboyant Stata Center.

CASE STUDIES
CASE STUDIES 44
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES

Analysis

When looking at the plan’s sections

and exterior views the massing of the
building quickly becomes apparent. The
building can be thought of as one large mass
with void forms, both on the exterior and
interior, cut away from it. One of the biggest
void forms is the five-story atrium space cut
out of the middle of the building. It acts as a
central hub for all of the circulation spaces
throughout the structure with hallways
radiating off of it and more hallways breaking
off from them. Even though it is a huge,
dense building the architects found ways of
getting natural light to all of the larger more
public spaces and rooms. The central atrium
is flooded with natural light that streams
down through an enormous glass roof, and
huge glass expanses punched into the exterior
walls ensure that plenty of light gets into the
building.

Conclusion

This case study speaks more to the

scientific research that is being conducted in
the areas of sensory perception. This huge
complex completely devoted to cognitive
research portrays how vast and extensive the
workings of the human mind really are and plans and sections from Architectural record
how little we currently know about it.

CASE STUDIES
45 CASE STUDIES
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
SUMMARY
In this series of case studies three buildings
were researched, Therme Vals in Vals Switzerland,
The W. Ross Macdonald School for the Blind in
Brantford, Ontario and the MIT Brain and Cognitive
Sciences complex in Cambridge, Massachusetts. All
three buildings are of different typologies, a thermal
bath house, a school for the blind, and a cognitive
research center. Yet all convey important aspects of
sensory perception. All the case studies researched
seemed to support the theoretical premise of this
thesis.

Common characteristics of all three

buildings included the use of natural light
throughout the spaces. The natural lighting was
carefully thought about in all three instances and
the three different typologies of the case studies
led to three different methods of dealing with the
natural light. Attention to the senses and designing
for them was an aspect that also showed up in
all the projects, but more so in the Therme Vals
and the school for the blind. The architects for
these projects really studied how different forms,
building materials, lighting, etc. were experienced
on multiple sensory levels and then incorporated
their findings into the final designs; the result
being buildings that we, as people, are better able
to experience and understand. These case studies
show that it is not only possible to design a building
for all the senses to enjoy, but that it has been done
before.

The most distinctive difference in these case

studies was the typologies as mentioned above.
Another uncommon characteristic was the site
locations. The Therme Vals is located in a rural
location, while the school for the blind borders
a residential or suburban neighborhood and the
cognitive center is in an urban setting. Sites play a
hugely important role in any design project and for
their specific typologies all the buildings seem to
be sited in the location of environment that works
best with them. The one case study with the same
typology as my thesis project, the school for the

CASE STUDIES
CASE STUDIES 46
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
blind, was located in a suburban environment. This
site location is congruent with the one picked for
my thesis project.

All three projects dealt with cultural and

social contexts. The thermal baths are all about
healing and rejuvenating, as well as socializing,
thus explaining the inward focus of the design.
The school for the blind brings together people
with similar disabilities to grow and learn from
one another. Likewise the cognitive center brings
together people with similar educations, skills, and
interests to conduct research. Each building offers
something different and each building attracts like-
minded people to socialize, grow, and learn from
one another.

Spatial relationships vary between case

studies. Both the cognitive center and the school
for the blind have more traditional spatial layouts
with clearly defined central double loaded corridors
leading to various spaces. In these two buildings
there is a little blurring of the line such as the large
entrance area in the school for the blind, or the huge
multilevel atrium in the cognitive building, but for
the most part visitors would know whether they
are in a circulation space or a room. The thermal
baths are a completely different story. The different
baths themselves could be considered destination
spaces and by default everything else would be a
circulation space, but as the baths are open to the
rest of the space in many areas it becomes hard to
tell where the circulation ends and the room begins.

Each of the three case studies provides

insight into the theoretical premise. While
comparing three different typologies is not easy,
the comparison does offer an array of different
vantage points from which to study the theoretical
premise resulting in a more thorough and complete
investigation.

CASE STUDIES
47 CASE STUDIES
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES

HISTORICAL CONTEXT
HISTORICAL CONTEXT 48
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
A History of Educating the Blind

The world’s first school for the blind was the

Paris Institution for the Blind, founded in 1784 by
Valentin Hauy. One day Hauy suddenly realized that
the blind could be taught through touch after giving
a young blind beggar a coin and watching him feel
the raised markings on it to determine which coin
it was. He took the blind boy in and taught him to
read using wooden blocks with raised letters and
soon after founded the first school for the blind
where his pupils both learned and lived. During the
French Revolution Hauy gave up his position at
the school, left France and started another school
for the blind in St Petersburg. By this time his
work was quite well known and schools for the
blind were opening in countries such as Denmark,
Austria, the United Kingdom and Germany. Hauy
later returned to France and his school but soon
after died (Valentin Hauy and the Royal Institute for
Blind Youth 2009).

The most notable scholar at the Institution

of the Blind was Louis Braille, the inventor of the
Braille alphabet which is still used today. Letters in
the alphabet consist of raised dots which the blind
and visually impaired can read with their fingers
(Valentin Hauy and the Royal Institute for Blind
Youth).

In studying the history of schools for the

blind in the United States there is no better place to
start than Perkins School for the Blind, originally
called Perkins Institution for the Blind, located
in Watertown, Massachusetts, near Boston. After
visiting the Institution for the Blind in Paris,
Dr. John Fisher quickly realized the benefits of
the school as well as the need to establish an
educational center for the blind in the United States.
Upon his return to the states he applied for a charter
from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in an
effort to create a school for the blind. The school
opened its doors in 1832 with classes taught

HISTORICAL CONTEXT
49 HISTORICAL CONTEXT
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
in spare rooms of director Samual Gidly Howe’s
father’s home (Perkins School for the Blind 2009).

After only one year, the school had to

be moved to a larger facility, a home owned by
Thomas Perkins, to accommodate all the incoming
students. One of the incoming students was a young
girl named Laura Bridgman. Through persistence
and dedication Howe was able to teacher her how
to communicate using tactile signs. Bridgman is
widely regarded as the first deaf/blind child to
receive an education (Perkins School for the Blind
2009).

A short six years after the school had moved

to its second home, enrollment in the school reached
65 students and they were again looking for a larger
building. Perkins generously sold his home and
donated the money to the school so it could procure
a larger building (Perkins School for the Blind
2009).

Perkins School, South Boston 1839-1912

Photo from www.aph.org/museum/schools/start.html
Howe strongly believed that it was not
enough for the blind to just be read to, and it was
his ambition to develop a way for blind people
to read and enjoy books on the same level as
everyone else. In 1835 Howe established a printing
department within the school. The department first
printed books using embossed letters in an alphabet
developed by Howe. The letters Howe designed
were compact and thought to be simple to read by

HISTORICAL CONTEXT
HISTORICAL CONTEXT 50
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
touch. Later the department abandoned embossing
books and started printing them in Braille (Perkins
School for the Blind).

In 1880 the school founded the Samuel P.

Hayes Research Library. The library was, and still
is to this day, considered to be the most extensive
and complete collection of the nonmedically related
aspects of both blindness and deafblindness. Today
the library has over 40,000 publications including
books, journal articles, pamphlets, dissertations,
multimedia materials, newspaper clippings, and
conference reports (Perkins School for the Blind
2009).

By this point in time the school was

becoming very successful at educating visually
impaired children and, as a result, opened the
United States’ first kindergarten for the blind in
1887. The very next year the school’s most famous
student, Helen Keller, moved from Alabama with
her tutor Ann Sullivan and started attending classes
(Perkins School for the Blind 2009).

In 1910 the school once more felt the need

to expand due to an ever-growing student body. The
school bought 38 acres next to the Charles River in
Watertown, Massachusetts and began building the
campus that they still utilize today (Perkins School
for the Blind 2009).

Perkins School, Watertown, MA 1912

Photo from www.aph.org/museum/schools/start.html

HISTORICAL CONTEXT
51 HISTORICAL CONTEXT
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
In 1923 the school developed the Hayes-
Binet test which proved that blind are just as
intelligent as sighted people, and in 1931 it opened
its Braille and talking book library. It is one of
about 19 libraries located around the United States
which creates a national library network for the
visually impaired. In 1951 Perkins produced the
first Perkins Brailler, a kind of typewriter that types
in Braille. The typewriter is still in use today and, as
of 2005, the school had manufactured over 300,000
and distributed them to more than 170 countries
(Perkins School for the Blind 2009).

Perkins Brailler

In recent years the Perkins School has,

through various outreach programs, expanded
its services to cover the U.S. and more than 60
other countries throughout the world, providing
services to nearly 90,000 visually impaired
children. The Perkins School for the Blind has
been instrumental in not only the education and
development of visually impaired children but also
in the development of new technologies for the
blind and the creation of a better overall quality of
life for the visually impaired. While our methods
and areas of study may be varied our goals are the
same; I too wish to help develop a better quality
of life for the visually impaired by coming up with
new and innovative design ideas that help the blind
to navigate through and experience the buildings
they live and work in more easily and effectively
(Perkins School for the Blind).

HISTORICAL CONTEXT
HISTORICAL CONTEXT 52
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
Public Schools vs. Schools for the Blind

Before schools for the blind, few if any blind

people received formal educations. Schools for the
blind were instrumental in proving to the world
that visually impaired people could become active,
participating members of society. For well over 100
years these specialized schools were the only way
in which the blind could receive a formal education,
but with the passing of public law 94-142 in 1975
(first called Education of All Handicapped Children
Act and later renamed Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act) implementation of special education
programs has grown significantly (Simon 1998).
Today social trends lean toward mainstreaming
students with all different kinds of disabilities
into public schools, but the debate rages on as
to whether it is better to send visually impaired
children to public schools or schools specially
equipped to meet and deal with their needs (Simon
1998).

Author Michael Gandy (1992) tackles this

question by interviewing blind twin sisters who
attended both a public school and a school for
the blind from 1961 to 1972. Lina Hale, a current
graduate student at Jackson State University, and
Dinah Smith, a stay-at-home mother of two, were
both born legally blind. They attended their first
year of schooling at a public school and after
realizing that the girls were not progressing at the
same level as the rest of the class, their parents and
their principal agreed that it would be best for them
to attend a school for the blind. The women stated
that their year in public school was marred with
ridicule and teasing from the other children. Both
agreed that it was very hard on them emotionally,
and Lina stated that to this day she will not wear
thick gasses because of the teasing she received
(Gandy 1992).

At the age of seven they left home to attend

a school for the blind. Both women agreed that it
was

HISTORICAL CONTEXT
53 HISTORICAL CONTEXT
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
a difficult adjustment but, while Lina said that she
eventually adjusted and seldom felt the need to go
home, Dinah stated she never fully adapted to being
away from home. During the girls’ schooling their
parents and siblings rarely ever visited them, and
as a result they gradually grew further and further
apart. Their teachers and classmates became much
more of a family to them. Lina even stated that
there was a staff member she thought of as a second
mother and added that she would call her, even
today, before calling her own mother (Gandy 1992).

The women stated that they received many

positives from attending the school for the blind,
including their values and beliefs, structure, and
an education more suited to their needs, but there
were also negatives. For Dinah the biggest negative
was the lack of physical bonding, and Lina believes
that the biggest negative was the lack of social
interaction with people outside the school. Despite
the negatives both women would send their kids to
a school for the blind if they were visually impaired.
Dinah added that, unlike her parents, she would
move to the same city so she could see them on
a daily basis. Lina said that she would have her
children receive their elementary education at a
school for the blind “…so that they could get the
basic adaptive skills” after which she would place
them in a public school for grades seven through
twelve (Gandy 1992).

Schools for the blind are continuously

evolving and improving; since Lina and Dinah
attended school in the 1960s many improvements
have been made. One of the main problems the
girls had, Dinah in particular, was never seeing
their family. Today, at the School for the Blind
and Visually Impaired in Aberdeen, South Dakota,
family visitation is not only encouraged but
mandatory. Some of the students have parents who
live in the same town and see them every day.
Students whose parents do not live in town often go
home every weekend or every other weekend and

HISTORICAL CONTEXT
HISTORICAL CONTEXT 54
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
the school requires that at least once a month the
students take a long weekend to go home and see
their family. As for the lack of socialization with
people outside the school, that has improved as
well.

Today schools for the blind go to great

lengths to organize class trips and create community
programs which give the students a chance to
interact with the community, as well as educate
the community about the visually impaired. For
example, the school in Aberdeen hosts an event
called dinner in the dark in which members of the
community are invited into the school blindfolded
and served a meal prepared by the students. It
helps the students interact with the community
and teaches the community a little something
about being blind. Interaction with peers and the
community is also something I considered when
choosing the site.

The site I chose for my project is located just

across the street from a high school. This provides
a unique opportunity for the older kids attending
the school. If they so desire, they can go to the
high school to attend more specialized classes not
offered at the school for the blind while still taking
their core classes and receiving specialized help
from experts at the school for the blind. The debate
over public schooling vs. schools for the blind will
continue but I believe that this idea combines some
of the best aspects of both.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT
55 HISTORICAL CONTEXT
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
History of Anoka, MN

According to the city of Anoka’s website

the first explorer to visit the site where the city of
Anoka now stands was Father Lewis Hennepin
in 1680. However, the site was not settled until
the mid 1800’s. Prior to the arrival of settlers in
1844, the area was claimed by both the Dakota and
Ojibwa tribes. Joseph Belanger became the area’s
first settler when he built a log cabin near the mouth
of the Rum River and used it as a trading post with
the Native Americans. A few years later the area’s
first logging operation was started. The Rum River
was utilized to transport logs to the Mississippi
River and down to a sawmill located in St. Anthony.
In 1853 a dam was constructed on the Rum River
and the area’s first sawmill opened just a year later.
Many more mills, cooper shops, barrel makers,
and wood working plants quickly followed using
the flowing water of the Rum River as a source
of power. For the next two decades milling was
a central part of the Anoka economy. Later other
businesses such as a potato starch factory, and a
shoe factory would fill the void left by the decline
of the saw mills (city of Anoka web site 2009).

Anoka’s history and development has been

marred by several fires. It experienced five large
fires between 1855 and 1884. The fire in 1884 was
by far the worst, destroying over 80 buildings in
the small community. The town pulled together
and rebuilt the area but devastation came to the
community once more in 1939; this time in the form
of a tornado. Again, the town pulled together and
rebuilt (city of Anoka website 2009).

Anoka’s claim to fame is being the first

community to celebrate Halloween. In 1920 citizens
of the town decided to throw a big Halloween party
with free candy for all of the children in an effort to
stop Halloween pranks. Except for two years during
WWII the party has been thrown every year since
(city of Anoka website 2009).

HISTORICAL CONTEXT
HISTORICAL CONTEXT 56
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
GOALS
Academic
An Insightful Theoretical Premise
The theoretical premise is the catalyst for the
entire thesis project. It provides a problem to
be researched and solved through the course of
designing a building.

A Thorough Thesis Proposal

The development of a well thought-out, well
researched proposal is crucial to the success of the
entire project. Completing this portion of the thesis
on time will provide a collection of invaluable
knowledge to look back on when in the design
phase.

A Design that Fits the Theoretical Premise

In order for the project to be considered a success
it has to come full circle. It is imperative that the
final design provide answers and solutions to
the questions and problems developed from the
Theoretical Premise.

A Professional Quality Presentation

Drawings, renderings, and board layouts should
all be of the highest quality possible. In addition
to the boards, a well prepared and organized oral
presentation is essential.

A Thesis Book of the Highest Quality

The thesis book is the only publicly available source
documentation for the project and may be used by
future students as a research tool, so it is imperative
that it be of the highest quality.

Professional
Improve Upon Computer Skills
When searching for a job every advantage one can
obtain will help immensely. More and more firms
are looking to recent graduates to help them make
the transition from CAD to Revit. Improving my
knowledge and understanding of this program can
only help when looking for employment.

GOALS
57 GOALS
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
Increase Understanding of Building
Construction
Building construction methods, mechanical
systems, electrical systems, plumbing, etc. are
all aspects of architecture that cannot be ignored.
Understanding these systems, implementing them
into the project and documenting them in the final
presentation conveys to potential employers an
understanding of these building elements.

Develop a High Quality Design

Architecture is, after all, an artistic profession. A
portfolio of work is one of the first things architects
look at when they want to hire a recent graduate,
so it stands to reason that having aesthetically
pleasing design work will increase one’s chances
of employment or at the very least getting an
interview.

Personal
Design a Meaningful Building
One of my most important goals in doing this
project is to design a building that could actually
help people and improve their quality of life. I hope
to explore new ideas and implement new strategies
into the project which both help the blind navigate
through the building and enjoy it. It should be a
place where all people, whether they are blind, deaf,
disabled in any other way or completely healthy can
go and fully experience a building and its individual
spaces with whatever senses they have available to
them.

Produce a Project I am Proud of

As my academic career draws to an end I realize
that this could be the last project I design in which
I have complete and utter control over all of its
parameters. Never in the professional environment
will I have so much freedom on a project and I
fully understand how great a gift this freedom is.
I intend to embrace it, reach into the depths of my
imagination and produce a design uninhibited by
present limitations of construction, the economy,
etc.

GOALS
GOALS 58
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
SITE ANALYSIS
Narrative

Even though it sits directly north of county

highway 116, a fairly busy road, and one can hear
the ever-present sounds of cars and trucks passing
by, the site still conveys a sense of calmness and
solitude. This is due in part to the fact that the site
sits about 15 to 20 feet higher than the road. The
site itself, while relatively flat with a few small
rolling hills, drops off dramatically at its southern
edge to meet the road below. This rather abrupt
change in elevation, coupled with the fact that there
are very few trees on this side of the site, creates
great southern exposure with vibrant and intense
natural light and the potential to utilize the sun for
both light and energy.

While in an urban area the site itself shows

relatively little evidence of human intervention. A
few birdhouses mounted on poles on the eastern
edge of the site, a narrow dirt path meandering
along the length of the north edge, and a fire hydrant
in the center of the southern edge are the only
indicators of human existence.

A variety of different types of tall grass grow

abundantly throughout the site. Some species grow
in large clumps dominating a specific area, while in
other areas a variety of grasses grow interspersed
with one another. Walking through this grass one
experiences the sound of the long blades brushing
past his or her body and the sound of dried grass
crunching under his or her feet. It is these close and
present sounds that remind you that you are visiting
a natural site while the more distant sounds of cars
let you know that you are mere moments away from
civilization.

Aside from the grasses, the only other

plant life on the site consists of a slender row of
evergreen trees which starts at the center of the
southern edge, of the site and runs about halfway to
the north edge effectively splitting the site into two
distinct parts.

SITE ANALYSIS
59 SITE ANALYSIS
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
This division of the large site really helps to define
the two different areas and brings the site down to
a more intimate and comfortable scale. They are
the one feature of the site that can help to block the
harsh Minnesota winds. These trees also produce
the only shadows visible on the site; in the morning
casting a shadow on the space directly to the west
of them and in the afternoon casting a shadow to the
east.

To the north of the site, in stark contrast

to the open treeless site is a large wooded area
complete with loosely defined walking paths.
Walking into the woods from the site one becomes
conscious of the trees and space closing in. You can
no longer see for long distances as you were able
to do back on the site just moments ago. The dense
vegetation of shrubs and large trees force you to
focus on your more immediate surroundings.

Following one of the smaller trails will

lead down to the Rum River bank and a small but
nicely secluded beach where one can wade in and
feel the cool water slowly flowing down river. Just
south of the beach one can follow the Rum River
downstream on a wide paved bike path. Walking
for a little while on the path will bring one to the
northwest corner of the site and moving down the
western edge of the site one can still catch glimpses
of the river through the trees that grow on its banks.

Overall, the site seems vary pristine with no

largely visible signs of distress. When on the site,
one is struck by a feeling of solitude in the midst
of a larger whole. The site is an island of nature
surrounded by a sea of urban sprawl. It provides a
temporary escape from the seemingly never-ending
city. The most challenging thing about working with
this site will be the struggle to keep its integrity.

SITE ANALYSIS
SITE ANALYSIS 60
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
Soil
According to a soil survey conducted by the USDA
the site contains two types of soil: nymore loamy
sand at slopes of both 2 to 12 percent, as well as
hubbard coarse sand at slopes of 2 to 6 percent. The
survey states that both of these soils are well suited
to urban development.

Utilities
Besides a fire hydrant in the center of the southern
edge of the site there are no visible utilities to speak
of. However, the Anoka Public Library is located on
the lot directly to the west of the site so tying into
existing utilities should not be a problem.

Vehicular Traffic
There are no roads on the site and the only road
that borders the site is county highway 116, a four
lane road that maintains a steady flow of traffic
throughout the day.

Pedestrian Traffic
There is a paved bike path running the length of the
site’s western boundary and a small, loosely-defined
dirt path runs along the north end and connects to
the bike path. Is seems that the few pedestrians that
would walk on the site would stick to the path as
there is really no reason or benefit to be gained by
cutting across the site, and the tall grass is more
difficult to walk in.

Topography
The soils survey of the site indicates that, aside
from the steeper slope on the south side, slopes on
the site range from 2 percent to 12 percent. Most of
the site, however, seems relatively flat with slopes
in the 2 to 6 percent range.

Site Character
There are no blatant signs of change on the site.
There are no signs of erosion, muddy water, and
only a dead tree in the tree line on the site.

SITE ANALYSIS
61 SITE ANALYSIS
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES

SITE ANALYSIS
SITE ANALYSIS 62
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
CLIMATE DATA

Average Temperature
100
90
F
a 80
D
h 70
e
r 60
g
e Daily High
r 50
n Average
e 40
h
e Daily Low
e 30
s
i 20
t
10
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Humidity
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50% Morning
40% Afternoon
30%
20%
10%
0%
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

SITE ANALYSIS
63 SITE ANALYSIS
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES

SITE ANALYSIS
SITE ANALYSIS 64
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES

Wind Speed (mph)
14

F 12
a
D 10
h
e
r
g 8
e
r
n 6
e
h
e
e 4
s
i
t 2

0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Sunshine
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

SITE ANALYSIS
65 SITE ANALYSIS
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
SUN PATH AND SHADOW DIAGRAMS
Morning Noon Night

March

June

September

December

SITE ANALYSIS
SITE ANALYSIS 66
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
SITE PHOTOS

6 7

5
1
4

2
8

SITE ANALYSIS
67 SITE ANALYSIS
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
4

6 7

8 9

SITE ANALYSIS
SITE ANALYSIS 68
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
PROGRAMMATIC REQUIREMENTS
Administration
Waiting room 400sf
Reception 200sf
Principal 150sf
Assistant principal 150sf
Conformance room 250sf
Work room 500sf

Classrooms
Typical classroom 6 at 600sf
Multipurpose room 2,000sf
Music room 500sf
Library 2,000sf
Gymnasium 8,000sf

Living space
Dorm rooms 18 at 200sf
Living area 6 at 400sf
Kitchen 6 at150sf

Other
Kitchen 1,000sf
Storage 500sf
Outdoor learning space 5 at 600sf
Sensory garden 1,500sf

PROGRAMMATIC REQUIREMENTS
69 PROGRAMMATIC REQUIREMENTS
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES

70
PROCESS
PROCESS
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES

71
PROCESS
PROCESS
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES

72
PROCESS
PROCESS
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES

73
PROCESS
PROCESS
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES

FINAL BOARDS
FINAL BOARDS 74
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES

FINAL BOARDS
75 FINAL BOARDS
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES

FINAL BOARDS
FINAL BOARDS 76
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES

FINAL BOARDS
77 FINAL BOARDS
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES

REFERENCE LIST
REFERENCE LIST 78
DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
REFERENCE LIST:
“Anoka, Minnesota.” City-Data. (2009). Onboard informatics. 11 October 2009 <http://
www.city-data.com/city/Anoka-Minnesota.html>

“Blind People ‘See’ Sound.” Current Science May 6, 2005, Vol. 90, Issue 16, p12-13.

City of Anoka Web Site. (2009). GovOffice. 11 October 2009. <http://www.ci.anoka.mn.us/>

Color Principles - Hue, Saturation, and Value. May 2000. 3 Dec 2009 <http://www.ncsu.
edu/scivis/lessons/colormodels/color_models2.html#saturation>

“Effective Color Contrast.” Lighthouse International. 2009 Lighthouse International 7 Dec

2009. <http://www.lighthouse.org/accessibility/effective-color-contrast/>

Gandy, M (1992). “Two perspectives on residential education for the blind.” Re:View Spring:
Vol. 24 Issue 1, P33-36

Hauser S. (2007). Peter zumthor therme vals. Verlag Scheidegger and Spiess.

jen L. (2003). “Uncommon sense: W. Ross MacDonald School for the Blind” Canadian
Architect; Vol. 50, p32-35

Levinson, N (2006). “MIT Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex, Cambridge,

Massachusetts” Architectural record, vol. 194, n.7, p.138-142

Lighting for Low Vision. Dan Roberts. Sep 2003. 4 Dec 2009. <http://www.mdsupport.org/
library/lighting.html>

McMaus, M. (2001). “Creating a Garden of Sensory Delights.” National Wildlife; Vol. 39

Issue 5, p14-15

National Federation of the Blind. (2009). 2 Dec 2009 < http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Default.asp>

“Orientation and Mobility Training: The Way to Go.” See/Hear. Fall 1998 3 Dec 2009
<http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/fall98/waytogo.htm>

Pallasmaa, J. (2005). The Eyes of the skin: Architecture for the Senses. Great Britain: Wiley,
2005

Perkins School for the Blind, 4 Dec 2009

< http://www.perkins.org/>

“Phenomenology, Place, Environment, and Architecture: a review of the literature.”

Phenomenology Online. Ed. Max van Manen. 2002. 2 Dec 2009 <http://www.

REFERENCE LIST
79 REFERENCE LIST
 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service. Soil Survey of Anoka
County, Minnesota. National Cooperative Soil Survey, 1977

“The boy who can see through sound” Early Show. John Blackstone CBS

“Valentin Hauy and the Royal Institute for Bind Youth” Places in France 4 Dec 2009
< http://www.placesinfrance.com/valentin_hauy_institute_blind.html>

REFERENCE LIST
REFERENCE LIST 80
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 DESIGNING FOR THE SENSES
PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION

Address 1122 Lakewood drive

Pierre, SD 57501

Phone (605)-224-9346

Home Town Pierre, SD

E-mail [email protected]

Quote about NDSU

I have enjoyed my experience and
time here immensely.

PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION
PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION
82