Participatory Architectural Design with the Blind: A Case Study of Male Dormitory at Khon Kaen School for the Blind

Abstract

Involvement in the architectural design of the administrators, the staff and the students
who are the blind allows the designed production to well respond to the needs of the blind users.
The presentation of the designed production must include description, one-to-one explanation and
the designed production model using low relief, material and texture for haptic perception and the
architectural model showing the division of living space within the building. This will assist in
communicating with both visible and invisible audiences to understand and participate in giving
comments that lead to suggestions on the improvement of the architectural design. This activity
enables students to gain learning experience from participatory design with the blind users and the
blind can express opinions from the perception of the architectural design, leading to acquisition
of common experience.
The design guidelines for improving male dormitory at Khon Kaen School for the Blind,
which is a case study of this study, are based on the consideration of three important principles in
architectural design for the blind: “finding, navigating and being safe”. These are the key architectural
design principles for the blind, namely, the touching points for recognition, the navigating facilities
based on the principles of edge line (shoreline), the arrangement of the proportionate area to be
in the same level, non-slippery, and orderly for convenience and safety. Moreover, the architectural
design should take into account provision of a good natural atmosphere with recreational and
common zones for the blind residents to perceive the surrounding atmosphere, time, space and
architectural aesthetics as others.