The Visually Impaired Design Adaptations
Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind, Thailand.
Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind. Classroom Makeover.
Founded 1986. Pattaya, Thailand
Since the School for the Blind first opened in the mid 1980’s, it has provided blind and visually impaired children with an education that will give them the opportunity to become independent members of society.
Classroom Makeover For The Blind
The newly established facility was designed to create an innovative learning environment essential to enhancing the program that, until now, he had only envisioned. The primary objective of the program is to furnish all students with essential skills for their future livelihoods beyond the school’s boundaries. Given that the school admits pupils with diverse levels of visual impairment and abilities, the facility must be adaptable.
Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind. Classroom Makeover.
In accordance with Pre-Braille Curricula, the deteriorating library and the adjacent balcony have been redesigned into a multi-sensory facility tailored for young children. The balcony’s spatial characteristics, coupled with its proximity to a primary circulation path, guarantee its continuous accessibility. The original balustrade has been substituted with an interactive façade featuring perforations that allow for the insertion of «learning pins,» thus enhancing the educational experience.
Braille Curricula
Touch superfice. Braille Curricula.
Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind. Classroom Makeover.
library plan classroom makeover for blind pattaya, thailand.
front view of the sensorial classrom for the bind.
Paralel view of the sensorial classrom for the bind.
Application of different lights for students who are not completely blind, but have a shorter range of vision. The lights help to differentiate shadows and shapes.
Lights aplication in warm lights room.
lights aplication in pink room
lights aplication in purple room
General plan of sensorial classrom for the bind.
Interactive Surfaces
Within the educational space, all six surfaces are intentionally designed for interactive learning experiences. As children navigate the four walls, they advance through the curriculum, which fosters the development of their sensory perceptions. The curriculum commences with introducing students to fundamental shapes, subsequently expanding to include relationships of size, texture, and weight, and eventually progressing to more intricate shapes, such as those of animals. Complementing the Pre-Braille Curriculum, there is also instruction on recognizing potential hazards encountered in everyday life.
Through collaboration with a scent specialist, aromatic capsules have been developed to educate students on the odors associated with potential dangers, including fire, smoke, and gas leaks. Furthermore, a sound specialist has curated binaural recordings of diverse environments to enhance students' auditory perception of the world.
Students' wardrobes, with figures to differentiate them.
The lighting within the room is specifically designed to stimulate and exercise visual capabilities in children with low vision. Additionally, the floor is embedded with tactile Braille letters in Thai, English, and numbers, providing an introductory foundation to Braille literacy.
Recognition of animals by means of touch.
Functional wooden wall to differentiate colors, textures and weights.
Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind. Recognition of animals by means of touch.
The project intends to be a prototype for cost effective multi-sensory facilities aimed specifically at creating firm foundations from which individuals can grow and prosper. The design, as well as knowledge compiled during the project lead time, have been made available to the public. As such individual households can modify the information to their appropriate circumstances so that as many children as possible will have the opportunity to grow up without boundaries.
Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind. Interactive Surfaces
Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind. Interactive Surfaces. Functional wooden wall to differentiate colors, textures and weights.
Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind. Interactive Surfaces. Reflexion of the light.
Reflexion of the lights. Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind. Interactive Surfaces
Differentiator of shapes, sizes, textures and weights through interactive objects.
Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind. Interactive Surfaces.
School for Blind and Visually Impaired Children, India
Founded 2001. Gandhinagar, India
The School is designed for children from remote villages and towns in Gujarat and professors eager to offer them a better education and opportunities in society.
Principal entrance of School for Blind and Visually Impaired Children. Gandhinagar, India.
Architectural Design of the School
The newly constructed academic building, situated to the west of the pre-existing facility, comprises ten classrooms of five distinct designs, strategically arranged around a central courtyard. This straightforward architectural approach facilitates students in forming a mental map of the spatial layout. Corners are accentuated with either distinctive lighting or structural articulation, while the corridor encircling the central plaza displays varying widths and volumes on each side. This variation aids students in orienting themselves within the building.
The classrooms encircling the central plaza are tailored for specialized uses—such as music rooms, meeting spaces, and workshops—featuring diverse forms, volumes, and lighting characteristics based on their intended functions.
Plan — Ground Floor
Plan — Ground Floor in brille
The other classrooms resemble verandas, each opening onto a secluded courtyard that provides opportunities for outdoor learning. The integration with external spaces enhances ventilation and offers controlled lighting conditions.
Indoor garden of School for Blind and Visually Impaired Children. Gandhinagar, India.
3d printed detailed models were also part of the communication strategy. It enabled students to touch them without breaking them. They had details like furniture and people to help understand the spaces' organization and scale.
3D model of School for Blind and Visually Impaired Children. Gandhinagar, India.
3D model of School for Blind and Visually Impaired Children. Gandhinagar, India.
Sight
Numerous students experience low vision and are capable of perceiving spaces with variations in light and shadow or contrasting colors and textures. To accommodate this, specific architectural features such as skylights and openings are integrated to create areas with distinct contrasts of light and shadow. For instance, the entrance vestibule of specialized classrooms is distinguished by a high ceiling with a skylight that produces a significant illumination. Additionally, contrasting colors are utilized on doors, furniture, and switchboards to facilitate the students' ability to differentiate among elements during navigation. Given that students with low vision are sensitive to direct sunlight, classrooms are designed with indirect, diffused lighting from private courtyards and skylights to ensure a comfortable visual environment.
West side hallway with natural lighting.
West side hallway in low vision person.
Consciously designing to harness sunlight is a multifaceted approach. Similar to how the human eye detects strong contrasts between colors, it also discerns chiaroscuro contrasts. Our sensitivity to direct sunlight can be managed and incorporated into project designs using private patios and skylights. By thoughtfully considering the height, orientation, and size of doors and windows, interior elements can be accentuated with light, enhancing their visibility and improving the building’s energy efficiency.
View from inside of the building on a person with low vision/perseption.
view of the building on a person with low vision/perseption.
north side hallway with natural lighting.
north side hallway in low vision person.
Hall outside with natural lighting.
Inside hall in low vision person.
West Elevation — School for Blind and Visually Impaired Children. Gandhinagar, India.
East Elevation — School for Blind and Visually Impaired Children. Gandhinagar, India.
Touch
The material and textures of the walls and floor, featuring both smooth and rough surfaces, help guide the students through the spaces.
School for Blind and Visually Impaired Children. Gandhinagar, India.
Touch / Walls
There are five different wall plaster textures used in the building. The two longer sides of the corridor have horizontal textures, whereas the shorter side has vertical textures. This helps students identify which sides of the corridor they are navigating.
West side wall with mixed texture.
types of textures on the walls. Distributed by zones.
types of textures on the walls. Distributed by zones.
Smell
The landscape assumes a pivotal role in the architectural design. The courtyards, strategically positioned adjacent to the classrooms and linked to the corridors, are populated with aromatic plants and trees. These features not only enhance the aesthetic appeal but also facilitate orientation within the building.
Indoor garden of School for Blind and Visually Impaired Children.
Indoor garden of School for Blind and Visually Impaired Children. Gandhinagar, India.
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