“Close your eyes and walk through the School of Architecture. Explore it, listen to the sounds, feel the textures, and try to mentally reconstruct the space.” I walked several yards blindfolded, and I still remember how my hearing sharpened, picking up the murmur of the people around me.
Although I knew the building's layout like my own home, I must confess those were perhaps the longest and most unsettling steps I have ever taken.
Time stood still. I don’t remember exactly how many yards I covered, but I do remember feeling disoriented and lost. I took short steps for fear of bumping into one of those sleepwalking students running in their pajamas to a final project submission—and anyone familiar with the school knows the chances of that happening are high, even without a blindfold.
Shortly after, we returned to the classroom, and my perception of space had completely changed.
With my eyes covered, distances felt intangible and spaces immeasurable. How many more yards to the classroom? Can I turn left, or will I run into someone? I’ve been walking for several minutes now—where exactly am I?
While navigating without sight is challenging, it is far from impossible; many people do so every day. However, as our professor noted that afternoon, we have a social responsibility as both architects and citizens to help. At the time, I thought of accessibility laws designed to protect and improve the lives of those with disabilities, but it never occurred to me that a scale model could serve this purpose.
O&M stands for Orientation and Mobility. It is a sensory development tool for children with visual impairments. Through a three-dimensional model, children can gain a sense of what a space is like before actually being there. The model provides concrete details about the characteristics of the environment they will navigate, offering information on location, direction, and distance to facilitate their movement.
The system of portable, interconnecting, and modular pieces allows users to build models of various spaces, such as their own homes, their grandparents' houses, schools, and recreational areas. The pieces feature four distinct textures and colors, specifically designed for children with low vision.
Once a child has mapped the space through touch and formed a mental image of it, the model can be completely disassembled.
Argentinian designers Carolina Castagna and Daniela Bernini developed the O&M tool not only to help visually impaired children navigate spaces but also to foster integration, ensuring true inclusion in the learning process.
The scale model—the eternal ally of architects since time immemorial, loved by many, dreaded by others. Once again, at the service of everyone.
This article was written by Mariana Etulain. The translation is powered by AI.
