SENSORY EXPERIENCES GARDEN ENVIRONMENTS FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH DUAL -SENSORY IMPAIRMENT Laura Herron & Professor Susanne Siepl-Coates_ Department of , Kansas State University “What if we designed for all ? 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).

A BSTRACT P ROCESS FIVE SENSES GARDENOUTDOOR INDOOR GARDEN Sight has become the primary with which we experience our world, to the detriment Personal Interests SIGHT _image of stimulation of the four other senses (Pallasmaa, 2005). Limited sensory stimuli in our _Color daily lives deprive us of the complete experiential awareness available to us. By engaging _Shadow all five senses, all persons, but particularly individuals with vision and impairments Active Creativity Person centered _Contrast Outdoor experiences Stronger can increase their knowledge of self and place. Adolescents with impaired sight and _Gestures hearing senses are apt to place stronger emphasis on those senses with which they do _Dark / light receive information. Holbrook (1996) refers to “Inter-sensory Coordination” as the sharing _Distance recognition of information from one sense to another which ultimately helps understanding and mapping _Signing communication of place. Garden environments can be especially stimulating through the tactility of textural pavements or soils, 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 SOUND _tone /pitch dual sensory impairment to care for and take part in the cyclical life of nature can improve _Traffic mental stimulation, psycho-social well-being as well as physical and nutritional health. Research _Wind chimes Active engagement in and exposure to the outdoors exponentially increases understanding, Literature Review and ... _Water feature common sense, physical aptitude, and acceptance for life processes and adversity (Louv, Experiences_ _Texture of surface 2008). -Growing up in the garden _Spoken communication -Horticulture Therapy Class _Focused by environmental form -Big Lakes Development Center observation -Impairments of my own and those close to me INTRODUCTION TOUCH _texture /heat The architect’s palette of tools to engage users in the contemporary age is limited. _Materials The prevalence of our the sight focused worlds is due to both the importance _Wet / Dry we place on sight and the design of environments for humans that continue to _Warm / Cold _Soft / Comfort emphasize this singular and limited sense. Only all the senses together fully develop Synthesis _Rough / Danger our understanding of self and place. Specifically designed settings that support _Embrace / Repel 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. SMELL _fragrance _Flowers _Cooking SPECIFIC A IMS _Tea brewing _Aromatherapy • Investigate the importance of stimulation and use of the full Site Visit / Case studies / Inspiration _Refreshing citrus _Arrival of seasons range of senses in the human experience. _Moisture magnifies fragrance • Seek to understand living with impairments and their effect on daily life and social situations. TASTE _flavor • Design schemes within garden environments where the user is _Herbs _Nutrition intimately connected to the place by sensory stimulation. _Food / Health • Combine schemes with further techniques of ‘Sensory Design’ _Poison / Danger Schematic Design Concepts into a comprehensive plan where users’ physical and emotional _Social fellowship _Sample garden produce well-being are improved through interaction with surroundings. SUMMARY RESOURCES

Introducing highly developed spaces within garden environments for dual sensory impaired individuals can significantly increase their quality of life. Literature review Chapman, Elizabeth K. Visually Handicapped Children and Young People. Special Needs in Education. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, 1978.

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 Everson, Jane M., Ph. D., ed. Supporting Young Adults Who are Deaf-Blind in Their Communities. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing, 1995. natural life processes. The various techniques, tactile, visual, olfactory, or otherwise contribute to mapping of with in the mind. For individuals with visual or hearing Freeberg, Ernest. The Education of Laura Bridgman. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2001. 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 Holbrook, M. Cay, Ph. D., ed. Children with Visual Impairments: A Parent’s Guide. Bethesda: Woodbine House, 1996. workspace and gathering area are included in the scheme to facilitate the inclusion of nature and activities related to full sensory stimulation. 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.

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Pallasmaa, Juhani. The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses. 2nd ed. Great Britain: Wiley-Academy, 2005.

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