SENSORY EXPERIENCES GARDEN ENVIRONMENTS FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH DUAL-SENSORY IMPAIRMENT

Laura Herron & Professor Susanne Siepl-Coates_ Department of Architecture, Kansas State University
What if we designed for all senses? Suppose for a moment, that sound, touch, and odor were treated as the equals of sight, and that emotion was as important as cognition? (Malnar & Vodvarka).

ABSTRACT
Sight has become the primary sense with which we experience our world, to the detriment of stimulation of the four other senses (Pallasmaa, 2005). Limited sensory stimuli in our daily lives deprive us of the complete experiential awareness available to us. By engaging all five senses, all persons, but particularly individuals with vision and hearing impairments can increase their knowledge of self and place. Adolescents with impaired sight and hearing senses are apt to place stronger emphasis on those senses with which they do receive information. Holbrook (1996) refers to Inter-sensory Coordination as the sharing of information from one sense to another which ultimately helps understanding and mapping of place. Garden environments can be especially stimulating through the tactility of textural pavements or soils, taste of fresh herbs, fruits, and vegetables, and the fragrance of flowers and herbs. Even the smell of air after a rain is stimulating. Encouraging adolescents with dual sensory impairment to care for and take part in the cyclical life of nature can improve mental stimulation, psycho-social well-being as well as physical and nutritional health. Active engagement in and exposure to the outdoors exponentially increases understanding, common sense, physical aptitude, and acceptance for life processes and adversity (Louv, 2008).

PROCESS
Personal Interests
Active Creativity Outdoor experiences Person centered design Stronger landscape design

FIVE SENSES

OUTDOOR GARDEN

INDOOR GARDEN

SIGHT _image
_Color _Shadow _Contrast _Gestures _Dark / light _Distance recognition _Signing communication

SOUND _tone /pitch

Research
Literature Review and ... Experiences_ -Growing up in the garden -Horticulture Therapy Class -Big Lakes Development Center observation -Impairments of my own and those close to me

_Traffic _Wind chimes _Water feature _Texture of surface _Spoken communication _Focused by environmental form

INTRODUCTION
The architects palette of tools to engage users in the contemporary age is limited. The prevalence of our the sight focused worlds is due to both the importance we place on sight and the design of environments for humans that continue to emphasize this singular and limited sense. Only all the senses together fully develop our understanding of self and place. Specifically designed settings that support dual sensory impaired young adults are still extremely limited. This investigation focuses on exploring conservatory and exterior garden spaces that encourage interaction with nature. A variety of design proposals will be presented.

TOUCH

_texture /heat

Synthesis

_Materials _Wet / Dry _Warm / Cold _Soft / Comfort _Rough / Danger _Embrace / Repel

SMELL _fragrance
_Flowers _Cooking _Tea brewing _Aromatherapy _Refreshing citrus _Arrival of seasons _Moisture magnifies fragrance

SPECIFIC AIMS
Investigate the importance of stimulation and use of the full range of senses in the human experience. Seek to understand living with impairments and their effect on daily life and social situations. Design schemes within garden environments where the user is intimately connected to the place by sensory stimulation. Combine schemes with further techniques of Sensory Design into a comprehensive plan where users physical and emotional well-being are improved through interaction with surroundings.

Site Visit / Case studies / Inspiration

TASTE _flavor
_Herbs _Nutrition _Food / Health _Poison / Danger _Social fellowship _Sample garden produce

Schematic Design Concepts

SUMMARY
Introducing highly developed spaces within garden environments for dual sensory impaired individuals can significantly increase their quality of life. Literature review has given insight into these advantages. Through design, the application of various techniques stimulate the body and mind, connecting it more strongly with nature and natural life processes. The various techniques, tactile, visual, olfactory, or otherwise contribute to mapping of space with in the mind. For individuals with visual or hearing impairment places within the garden where they can interact on a daily basis with each other and with plants are extremely important. A large communal greenhouse workspace and gathering area are included in the scheme to facilitate the inclusion of nature and activities related to full sensory stimulation.

RESOURCES
Chapman, Elizabeth K. Visually Handicapped Children and Young People. Special Needs in Education. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, 1978. Everson, Jane M., Ph. D., ed. Supporting Young Adults Who are Deaf-Blind in Their Communities. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing, 1995. Freeberg, Ernest. The Education of Laura Bridgman. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2001. Holbrook, M. Cay, Ph. D., ed. Children with Visual Impairments: A Parents Guide. Bethesda: Woodbine House, 1996. Keller, Helen. The Story of My Life. Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1905. Louv, Richard. Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. New York: Workman Publishing, 2008. Malnar, Joy Monice, and Frank Vodvarka. Sensory Design. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2004. Pallasmaa, Juhani. The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses. 2nd ed. Great Britain: Wiley-Academy, 2005. Park, Seong-Hyun, and Richard H. Mattson. Effects of Flowering and Foliage Plants in Hospital rooms on Patients Recovering from Abdominal Surgery. HortTechnology 18 (2008): 563-68. Pierce, Barbara, ed. The World Under My Fingers. USA: National Federation of the Blind, 1995. Mattson, Richard. Prescribing Health Benefits Through Horticultural Activities. The Role of Horticulture in Human Well Being and Social Development (A National Symposium). 1992, Oregon. Ulrich, Roger S. View Through a Window May Influence Recovery from Surgery. Science 224 (1984): 420-20.

learn more at www.theglasgowstudio.org