Cacophony in architecture for mobility: : Designing space for people with cognitive or functional impairments

• Often described as frozen music, architecture functions as a fixation agent for contemporaneous or past thinking on appropriate space for embarking on or ending a journey. The underlying conceptualization of this space relies on study visits to exemplary models or meticulous studies of drawings of space for mobility. This type of architecture becomes visual to its essence. It interacts with the human capacity of seeing in order to be perceived correctly. The spatial design describes the progression from the immobile built environment, which surrounds the embarkation space, to the means of transportation: air planes, buses or trains.Orientational cues inside the embarkation space give indication on how to access the infrastructure. This includes colour coding, illumination and signage. Sound insulation as an orientational cues is often neglected, thus, creating a vibrant soundscape of callouts, voices and mechanical installations. In order to help people with reduced sight or visual impairments, tactile cues are integrated in the flooring. These are supposed to facilitate way-finding from various key points in the embarkation space like from the entrance to the check-in counter, or to assisted services.The present study investigates the effectiveness of tactile cues in architecture for mobility. The study is based on interviews with people with visual problems and their experiences of Swedish architecture for mobility. This group of people often associate tactile cues with ambiguous spatial interpretations. Fixed to the built environment, tactile cues are subject to conflicting interests in maintenance and use of the embarkation space, which may inhibit or promote this user group’s independent use of this type of space. The study proposes a set of conclusions that tactile cues have to respect in order to be useful for people with visual impairments. 

Ämnesord

HUMANIORA  -- Konst -- Arkitektur (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Arts -- Architecture (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Arkitektur

Architecture

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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