Vision ability Workshop:

My observations after the vision workshop made me realize just how frustrating it would be to have a visual impairment and people who do have these deficiencies are therefore very patient. Things were very blurry and hard to make out clearly such as reading the newspaper seemed impossible with the glasses on. bright lights and signs were more visible but not necessarily defined. People were shadows far away and even when they were closer they still seemed blurry and it was hard to tell when people were looking at you and such. Contrasting colors such as red really stood out against a neutral flooring to me on my walk. Overall light and contrast were the biggest factors that guided me throughout different spaces. I remember at the elevator I had to get really close to the buttons to even make out what was up from down. The whole experience during this workshop made me feel a little a dizzy and even at times nauseous. At the WSECU ATM it was very hard to see the buttons 1-3 because they were hidden by a cover that cast a dark shadow over the key pad. There was no Braille to help identify anything but there was red, green, and black markings for the cancel, enter and OK buttons. The sketch above shows the library stairs that include tactile black markings to help the visually impaired feel and see the contrast between the neutral step coloring and the edge of each step.

Habitat for Humanity:

Above is the proposed floor plan for a 3 bedroom 2 bath Habitat for Humanity Home that my partner and I created around the essence of family. Throughout our design we wanted to provide comfort for the residents by dealing with public space first and then private spaces later. This resulted in an open entryway into the great room and then more private bedrooms off of hallways towards the back. This allows for the family to come together easily but also makes having independent free-time available to everyone in the family. This house is just over 1,000 sq ft, not including the garage or covered porch area. Within this space we were able to accommodate a fully accessible guest bathroom and add a second functional bath off the master. Also hallways are 4' wide allowing for wheelchair access throughout the space with 5' turning radius in rooms and in the kitchen.

Our color scheme derived from the warm hues in wheat stocks found locally here on the Palouse, which ties our houses interior in with the natural exterior terrain found on site. Overall this house gives off a warm glow that resembles the love and comfort found within a family.

This floor plan worked well for a small house design especially by opening up the living areas into a great room space which allowed this home to expand. For other projects like this I might think about providing a more family orientated living room furniture layout that has side tables and more seating available to a family. Also providing bar stools off the island kitchen counter would help bring the family together a bit more in the public spaces of this house.