ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
3D sensory tools helping the visually impaired
Jessica Whincop, an Architectural designer at Arcadis’ Architecture and Urbanism division, explains how a variety of sensory ‘tools’ – such as 3D printed models, and textured floorplans printed on large format paper using specialised raised, touch-sensitive ink, were developed to bring plans for the new Oriel facility being built for London’s Moorfields Eye Hospital to life for prospective users – including visually impaired people, during a series of patient engagement sessions.
‘At the heart of eye health innovation’, a state-of-the-art new centre for advancing eye health is taking shape – with the new building being created for Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London’s Camden. Oriel is a joint initiative – a partnership between Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, and Moorfields Eye Charity, which will see services move from current premises near Old Street, Islington, to St Pancras in Camden, London. Due to open in 2027, the new centre is an opportunity to create a world- leading centre for advancing eye health, harnessing the expertise of the partners under one roof to enable delivery of the highest quality care, research, and education. Designed with the most intricate of details, the eye care centre focuses solely on its users, and caters for everyone’s needs and abilities. Arcadis was appointed by Bouygues as the delivery architect to test and develop Oriel’s design aspirations from RIBA Stage 3. Advances in technology grant us visualisation of a space before its physical existence, and for those with sight loss, this progression allows for active participation in the design process, and for the creation of spaces to become possible. This has very much been the case on this project.
A ‘huge dependence’ on visual representation When proposing any architectural design to potential users, there is a huge dependence on visual representation. Materials such as 2D drawings, digital renders, computer- aided design models (CAD), and even virtual reality immersive experiences, are heavily relied on by architects to portray their designs. When the users have different visual accessibility requirements, this becomes a challenge, but with the capabilities of technology, the 3D models of today are more than just massing blocks of a design. Oriel has taken a forward-thinking approach and set up an Oriel advisory group, made up of patients, staff, and partners, and ran a series of engagement sessions at various points in the design journey. The Oriel team commissioned tactile materials to help Oriel advisory group members with sight loss to understand the building design so they could make valuable recommendations. The design engagement sessions became a platform for group participants where they are able to feel a space, and navigate room layout and the contours of the building through physical touch of the proposed environment. This tactile experience, facilitated through 3D printed models and textured floorplans, was hosted at the Oriel advisory group event in June 2023, and in a three-day design workshop in autumn 2023. A series of models was
April 2025 Health Estate Journal 59
presented at differing scales to explain both the context and architectural detail of the new centre. These models showcased the exterior of the building, while tactile textures demonstrated the different materials and surfaces used in the design. One of the architects and patient engagement leads at Arcadis, Charles Stokes, highlighted the June event’s success, noting that ‘representatives attending, who previously faced significant challenges understanding the building through two-dimensional drawings, emphasised how important the session was in enhancing their understanding of the new centre’s design’.
Benefits of using 3D tools The event truly emphasised the benefits of using 3D tools to assist users with sight loss in successfully comprehending a space. In the three-day Oriel advisory group design workshop engagement event later in the year, the focus
The impressive external façade.
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