ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
giving them a direct voice in shaping the built environment. A high-profile project like Oriel has the potential to stand as a powerful precedent for user engagement, particularly within the sight loss community. By showcasing how technology can bridge accessibility gaps and inequalities in architectural design, it highlights the importance of inclusive practices, and serves as a model for future projects. Such initiatives reinforce the idea that design ought to be a collaborative process, in which end- users, irrespective of their abilities, actively participate in the designing of their environments. This project showcases how innovative tools can redefine accessibility in ways that traditional 2D drawings, written descriptions, or verbal explanations, simply cannot do otherwise. For individuals with sight loss, touch and spatial interaction are the most effective means of perceiving and understanding an environment. The use of 3D printed models and other tools allows the visually impaired individuals to navigate on their own terms, providing an empowering experience for them, rather than relying on verbal interpretations from others.
‘Seeing’ a space through touch and feel of the 3D models The advancements in 3D modelling have allowed those who experience sight loss to ‘see’ a space through touch and feel of the 3D models; engaging in the space on their own terms. This provides user comfort, knowing that such experiences help architectural teams to establish a deeper connection into better understanding life for those they are designing for. For design teams, these patient engagement events are invaluable learning opportunities. By engaging in direct conversations with users, and carefully observing how they interact with different 3D tools, architects and designers gain a deeper and profound empathetic understanding of how spaces can be successfully designed for inclusion and accessibility. This interaction promotes a more comprehensive design approach, ensuring that accessibility is at the forefront, and not treated as an afterthought. Oriel reinforces the idea that when technology and user engagement intersect, barriers can be broken, leading to the creation of fully accessible environments that empower,
support, and enhance the lives of all individuals. Including users in the design process is an essential part of a successful outcome, and with 3D printed models, touch- sensitive floorplans, and careful consideration of material samples, this is possible. A testament to the powers of modern-day technology.
Acknowledgement n Jessica Whincop thanks Charles Stokes, a Studio
director at Arcadis, for his help and guidance in producing this article.
A CGI of the reception area at the new Oriel facility. A series of models were presented at differing scales to explain both the context and architectural detail of the new building.
April 2025 Health Estate Journal 61
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