Antonio Lauria

Tactile Pavings and Urban Places of Cultural Interest: A Study on Detectability of Contrasting Walking Surface Materials

ABSTRACT In order to foster safe and independent mobility for blind people, Tactile Walking Surface Indicators (TWSI) are used in many countries throughout the world. Unfortunately, TWSI have witnessed a rapid and often uncertain proliferation without sufficient attention on their impact on spatial contexts in general, and on cultural assets in particular. With the aim of contributing to the ongoing debate concerning accessibility to cultural heritage, this paper proposes a critical reflection on the use of TWSI and explores the communicative capacities of a tactile paving typology (Contrasting Walking Surface Materials—CWSM) based on the appropriate combination of common paving materials. Through a structured observation study conducted in a controlled environment, this paper offers a methodological design, the first quantitative data, and some food for thought regarding CWSM detectability.

On the Relationship Between 'Universal' and 'Particular' in Architecture.

In 1998 Molly Follette Story, James Mueller and Roland Mace published the book The Universal Design File; that can be considered the result of a long way, started by Mace in 1985, towards a design approach based on the principles of Universal Design. In 2010 the Centre for Active Design publishes the Active Design Guidelines: Promoting Physical Activity and Health in Design. Between these two milestones, this article offers some ideas about the evolution of the universal approach to design. Assuming that Universal Design approach can present limits, this article aims to reflect on the relationship between universal and particular in developing a theoretical approach to architecture and design, supporting the idea that the wide gray area of the population who need specific access solutions can find answers to their needs only through successive adjustments, time by time plugged on universal solutions. This implies a process of requirement-based retrofitting of existing spaces and goods, to get qualities or perfecting performances otherwise inadequate. From this perspective the project for accessibility should be seen as a never ending process, and not a fix and final product, and Universal Design should be considered as a methodological approach ideally tending towards accessibility as a goal. Having this in mind, the article explores the issues related to how to blend universal and particular in a human centred design strategy, how to combine design actions and awareness by the users to allow an effective mutual adaptation between people and their living environment. The article aims to be further food for thought regarding research to be implemented in future works.

Visual wayfinding for partially sighted pedestrians – The use of luminance contrast in outdoor pavings

An increase in the number of partially sighted people is one of the effects of population ageing. These people have great difficulties in gathering wayfinding information to move independently in an unfamiliar environment. Guide paths based on the luminance contrast between a strip and surrounding surfaces can be an effective device for mitigating these difficulties, but information provided by the scientific literature on guide paths cannot be usefully applied to the naturally coloured paving materials most commonly found in pedestrian urban spaces. This paper presents a simplified method for measuring the luminance contrast between a guide strip and its background using combinations of naturally coloured paving materials.

Il Playground come laboratorio di creatività e inclusione

In general, play areas are highly standardised place that include a set of standardised equipments alien to the reference context, poor in stimuli and incapable of triggering fruitful social relationships. Playing activities are often repetitive, boring and mechanical, contributing in a somewhat limited extent (and ever counterproductive) to the development of the child and nurturing a passive and poor approach to play. Adequate play facilities for disabled children are not common. This article highlights the strategic role of the play for the well-being of children and analyses playground in ethical, social and architectural terms. It claims that playgrounds should be genuine ‘work of architecture’ well-grounded within the reference socio-cultural, environmental and architectural context and in ‘dialogue’ with nature. They should be able to encourage encounters and mutual enrichment between children that come from different walks of life through solutions able to fun, ease tensions and stimulate creativity, expression and self-knowledge.