I realize that going through school or, even worst, landing your first job in architecture may be quite challenging for a blind person... but maybe someone that went blind and kept working?
5 years of undergrad = $143,956.05
2 years of graduate = $88,202.10
1 Dell Computer = $899.43
2 hours of electricity = $4.29
First Post as an Office Intern = Priceless
side note
to all you blind archinecters, keep on truckin', we feel for you.
Ok... you are right... I read my post again and it does sound like something that someone that is about to collapse in front of the computer trying to complete a set that is going out for bid the following day would think (the fact that I wrote "worst" instead of "worse" didn't help), but it's a sincere question.
actually, a number of years ago i saw a documentary on a guy who had gone blind after practicing a number of years. he continued to practice and was hands on but worked more through samples and absolutely needed someone to act as his eyes to some degree (meaning, he could "read" space but couldn't "draw" it per say). a part of me is trying to think though that he was interiors...hmm, i'll have to google that.
In Texas a bill is being signed to allow blind hunters!! Apparently an incentive for Cheney to shoot some more companions after he gets older and loosing his sight!
Why not blind architects!?!?!?!
At least there would be confidence that their design...is really THEIR design and not some borrowed visual seduction!
I don't think there is legislation against someone practicing architecture simple because they are without one of the primary senses. In the end they "use" and relate to architecture as much/ if not more than we do
Some years ago I read about an experience that an architect had working with a blind client and he was able to overcome the communication problems pretty easily by actually "building" the floor plans (all he needed to do was to glue pieces of cardboard on a surface so that the client could read the floor plan with his fingers and he also used other materials for texture). It seems to me that this system (as probably many others that I haven't heard about) should work even better between two professionals (blind architect + drafter/designer) that are trained in design and share other codes and having someone to assist you in the production of CDs is a pretty common practice, certainly not limited to people that cannot see or don't have hands.
Anyway... regardless of how many hours per day lots of architects spend in front of a computer looking at an Autocad screen, I hope we will all agree that the result of an architect's work is the production of "buildings" and not "drawings" and that "thinking" and not "drafting" is our main job. I believe that being a good architect should be possible for a blind person. I just would love to have a name...
"For two days and two nights my wife read this book aloud to me. I'm blind--a blind architect. What I've never mentioned before, here or anywhere else, is that my blindness arose from the emotional trauma of seeing my earliest inspiration, the soaring summits of the Twin Towers, brought low by the perfidious evil that dwells in this world. On September 12, 2001, the lights went out for me and I've stumbled about in a world of darkness--a world of my own making!--for over three years now. Until Jonathan Safran Foer came along and wrote this rollicking, tear-coaxing, mirth-provoking, sadness-evoking, sight-restoring novel: my wife sat and read, her charming accent a delightful counterpoint to the virtuosic torrent of words Jonathan Safran Foer had lightly yet with absolute seriousness of purpose laid upon the page--perhaps one of the magical blank pages he's acquired from his literary heroes. Whatever the source of his gifts, about halfway through the book I noticed a slight glow creeping in at the edges of my perception. By three-quarters of the way through the book I could see the fuzzy, blurry outline of my patient wife, reading away. How much weight she's gained!, I thought. But why is she rocking so? As my vision sharpened I soon realized that another form moved, a direct adjunct to hers. Is she being attacked by a wild animal?, I thought. Dearest chuck! Reading to me, even as her larynx is torn out by one of the hungry wolverines who include Brooklyn in their wide-ranging migratory pattern. But then, as my recrudescent vision sharpened and allowed me to discern more, I realized that the shape was that of my best friend and former architectural partner, Tony Manhattan--millionaire and two-time winner of the Pritzker Prize--intimately massaging my wife as she read. And I'd thought she was simply moved by Jonathan Safran Foer's moving and poignant prose. Hmm. I had heard snoring coming from the bedroom closet on several occasions, but my wife always told me it was "the filter," although I didn't know what filter she could possibly mean. As my wife pronounced the last sentence of the book, she shut it with a thud and moaned. "What's that?" I asked, innocently. "Con Ed is outside," she responded. "Again?" I inquired. "Yes," she said, "They've invested billions in the cable television industry and now they're laying fibre-optics beneath our charming old cobblestone street." She was quick, I'll give her that. I heard sniggers--familiar sniggers, which in the past I'd been informed were "mice." "Hope they're observing the local preservation codes," I said, hopelessly. "Of course they are, dear," my wife said, "Now that New York's been attacked by rabid terrorists, who knows better than New York's hometown utilities how important it is to preserve our great city?" "Yes," I said, "But how sad that I won't be able to watch the fulfilling and creative television programming that'll be provided by my very favorite public utility," I sighed. "Yes, dear," she said, smiling secretly at Tony Manhattan. His million-dollar smile glinted brightly back at her. "Well," she said, "We'll be taking a walk then." "'We'?" I asked. I'd never noticed how habitual such "slips" had become. At this point I was silently cursing Jonathan Safran Foer--for having lifted this veil of ignorance through the mighty, sheer power of his art! All over I've been hearing stories of the lame, the deaf, the mute, the blind, the wounded, the afflicted, the dead themselves, finding succor in the words, pictures, and scratch-and-sniff portions of Jonathan Safran Foer's book. There was a story from the Bronx of a man who belonged to a cult, "The Florism." After perishing from "Sandburg-Murphy Disease" he instructed his fellow maniacs to wrap him in two hundred copies of the dustjacket and bake him in a pizza oven at 350 degrees for half an hour. This victim of the limitations of modern medicine hopped out of that oven, a rejuvenated man! Yes, the right hand of Foer and the magic of his words dispense a gift--but it is a double-edged gift. How happy I was to think my wife merely enjoyed reading to me, as opposed to looking forward to the opportunities to sit in the "Soft Chair" and have pleasure lavished upon her by a hard-driving star in the glittering world of big city architecture. Gosh, Jonathan. I curse you! But I love you, too. I am with you the way mere mortals are with their god."
the last time i went to the eye doctor he told me that i have early signs of glaucoma, i have also recently discovered that several family members (grandfather + older) had it
check back with my in 15 years and ill let you know
just kidding of course, i dont think you can go blind from glaucoma
Of all the dim-witted utterances I have ever read this has got to rank at the top.
I have been laughing along with everyone else in the office for an hour now... "blind architect"... that's great. You must have some sort of mental deficiency to even conceive the idea.
the idea of the blind and architecture has been an intrest of mine for a long time.
the idea that architecture is purely image based is becoming more and more prevelant, and experience is being relegated to purely the visual. the best architectural spaces i've ever been were where you could close your eyes and 'feel' the surroundings. the warmth of sun on you, cold of the wind/air, the acoustics of volumetric changes and nuances, and the solidity underfoot, etc, etc. you realize the seduction of the visual is really limiting to what architecture can be.
i would think a blind architect could produce much more powerfull spaces than you would think, and the 'visual' product would most likely be like none we can imagine.
thanks for bringing this up seeker, hopefully it can open some eyes. :)
I actually worked for an old architect who was probably 90% blind. He could see during the prime of his life, but as he got older, he went blind. He still had all of the know-how/capability of an architect, and a great design sense. I was one of his two interns that would do his drafting for him. He would get big sharpie markers and draw and then hold the drawing right next to his face and could make out linework, but mostly would just dictate his ideas to us. Pretty amazing actually. He worked from a home office and most of his work was pro-bono charity work, (home remodels).
Blind architect
Does anyone know of any blind architect?
I realize that going through school or, even worst, landing your first job in architecture may be quite challenging for a blind person... but maybe someone that went blind and kept working?
5 years of undergrad = $143,956.05
2 years of graduate = $88,202.10
1 Dell Computer = $899.43
2 hours of electricity = $4.29
First Post as an Office Intern = Priceless
side note
to all you blind archinecters, keep on truckin', we feel for you.
Ok... you are right... I read my post again and it does sound like something that someone that is about to collapse in front of the computer trying to complete a set that is going out for bid the following day would think (the fact that I wrote "worst" instead of "worse" didn't help), but it's a sincere question.
Is there a Beethoven among architects?
of course NO ! it's impossible, even though they can use a blind architect for concepts, otherwise it's impossible.
Uh, I've seen some things that looked like a blind architect had a hand in them, does that count?
this thread:
http://www.archinect.com/forum/threads.php?id=36511_0_42_0_C
may be a help
a blind person could design with models-
it would be interesting to hear their thoughts on circulation for the blind
my last boss was color blind... and his wife (partners) used that against him as to why she should make all the design decisions...
actually, a number of years ago i saw a documentary on a guy who had gone blind after practicing a number of years. he continued to practice and was hands on but worked more through samples and absolutely needed someone to act as his eyes to some degree (meaning, he could "read" space but couldn't "draw" it per say). a part of me is trying to think though that he was interiors...hmm, i'll have to google that.
In Texas a bill is being signed to allow blind hunters!! Apparently an incentive for Cheney to shoot some more companions after he gets older and loosing his sight!
Why not blind architects!?!?!?!
At least there would be confidence that their design...is really THEIR design and not some borrowed visual seduction!
I don't think there is legislation against someone practicing architecture simple because they are without one of the primary senses. In the end they "use" and relate to architecture as much/ if not more than we do
Thank you all for your comments.
Some years ago I read about an experience that an architect had working with a blind client and he was able to overcome the communication problems pretty easily by actually "building" the floor plans (all he needed to do was to glue pieces of cardboard on a surface so that the client could read the floor plan with his fingers and he also used other materials for texture). It seems to me that this system (as probably many others that I haven't heard about) should work even better between two professionals (blind architect + drafter/designer) that are trained in design and share other codes and having someone to assist you in the production of CDs is a pretty common practice, certainly not limited to people that cannot see or don't have hands.
Anyway... regardless of how many hours per day lots of architects spend in front of a computer looking at an Autocad screen, I hope we will all agree that the result of an architect's work is the production of "buildings" and not "drawings" and that "thinking" and not "drafting" is our main job. I believe that being a good architect should be possible for a blind person. I just would love to have a name...
Alice Wingwall is a blind artist who designed a major fountain installation on the UO campus:
link
The fountain focuses on the sounds of water.
"For two days and two nights my wife read this book aloud to me. I'm blind--a blind architect. What I've never mentioned before, here or anywhere else, is that my blindness arose from the emotional trauma of seeing my earliest inspiration, the soaring summits of the Twin Towers, brought low by the perfidious evil that dwells in this world. On September 12, 2001, the lights went out for me and I've stumbled about in a world of darkness--a world of my own making!--for over three years now. Until Jonathan Safran Foer came along and wrote this rollicking, tear-coaxing, mirth-provoking, sadness-evoking, sight-restoring novel: my wife sat and read, her charming accent a delightful counterpoint to the virtuosic torrent of words Jonathan Safran Foer had lightly yet with absolute seriousness of purpose laid upon the page--perhaps one of the magical blank pages he's acquired from his literary heroes. Whatever the source of his gifts, about halfway through the book I noticed a slight glow creeping in at the edges of my perception. By three-quarters of the way through the book I could see the fuzzy, blurry outline of my patient wife, reading away. How much weight she's gained!, I thought. But why is she rocking so? As my vision sharpened I soon realized that another form moved, a direct adjunct to hers. Is she being attacked by a wild animal?, I thought. Dearest chuck! Reading to me, even as her larynx is torn out by one of the hungry wolverines who include Brooklyn in their wide-ranging migratory pattern. But then, as my recrudescent vision sharpened and allowed me to discern more, I realized that the shape was that of my best friend and former architectural partner, Tony Manhattan--millionaire and two-time winner of the Pritzker Prize--intimately massaging my wife as she read. And I'd thought she was simply moved by Jonathan Safran Foer's moving and poignant prose. Hmm. I had heard snoring coming from the bedroom closet on several occasions, but my wife always told me it was "the filter," although I didn't know what filter she could possibly mean. As my wife pronounced the last sentence of the book, she shut it with a thud and moaned. "What's that?" I asked, innocently. "Con Ed is outside," she responded. "Again?" I inquired. "Yes," she said, "They've invested billions in the cable television industry and now they're laying fibre-optics beneath our charming old cobblestone street." She was quick, I'll give her that. I heard sniggers--familiar sniggers, which in the past I'd been informed were "mice." "Hope they're observing the local preservation codes," I said, hopelessly. "Of course they are, dear," my wife said, "Now that New York's been attacked by rabid terrorists, who knows better than New York's hometown utilities how important it is to preserve our great city?" "Yes," I said, "But how sad that I won't be able to watch the fulfilling and creative television programming that'll be provided by my very favorite public utility," I sighed. "Yes, dear," she said, smiling secretly at Tony Manhattan. His million-dollar smile glinted brightly back at her. "Well," she said, "We'll be taking a walk then." "'We'?" I asked. I'd never noticed how habitual such "slips" had become. At this point I was silently cursing Jonathan Safran Foer--for having lifted this veil of ignorance through the mighty, sheer power of his art! All over I've been hearing stories of the lame, the deaf, the mute, the blind, the wounded, the afflicted, the dead themselves, finding succor in the words, pictures, and scratch-and-sniff portions of Jonathan Safran Foer's book. There was a story from the Bronx of a man who belonged to a cult, "The Florism." After perishing from "Sandburg-Murphy Disease" he instructed his fellow maniacs to wrap him in two hundred copies of the dustjacket and bake him in a pizza oven at 350 degrees for half an hour. This victim of the limitations of modern medicine hopped out of that oven, a rejuvenated man! Yes, the right hand of Foer and the magic of his words dispense a gift--but it is a double-edged gift. How happy I was to think my wife merely enjoyed reading to me, as opposed to looking forward to the opportunities to sit in the "Soft Chair" and have pleasure lavished upon her by a hard-driving star in the glittering world of big city architecture. Gosh, Jonathan. I curse you! But I love you, too. I am with you the way mere mortals are with their god."
found at: http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/AS7W7DRSAGLQF/ref=cm_pdp_profile_reviews/104-2085318-7843946?ie=UTF8&sort%5Fby=MostRecentReview
look around. its pretty obvious.
the last time i went to the eye doctor he told me that i have early signs of glaucoma, i have also recently discovered that several family members (grandfather + older) had it
check back with my in 15 years and ill let you know
just kidding of course, i dont think you can go blind from glaucoma
Of all the dim-witted utterances I have ever read this has got to rank at the top.
I have been laughing along with everyone else in the office for an hour now... "blind architect"... that's great. You must have some sort of mental deficiency to even conceive the idea.
...”blind”... wow!
Excellent find there on amazon, ChAOS!
the idea of the blind and architecture has been an intrest of mine for a long time.
the idea that architecture is purely image based is becoming more and more prevelant, and experience is being relegated to purely the visual. the best architectural spaces i've ever been were where you could close your eyes and 'feel' the surroundings. the warmth of sun on you, cold of the wind/air, the acoustics of volumetric changes and nuances, and the solidity underfoot, etc, etc. you realize the seduction of the visual is really limiting to what architecture can be.
i would think a blind architect could produce much more powerfull spaces than you would think, and the 'visual' product would most likely be like none we can imagine.
thanks for bringing this up seeker, hopefully it can open some eyes. :)
environmental engineering = blind architecture?
I actually worked for an old architect who was probably 90% blind. He could see during the prime of his life, but as he got older, he went blind. He still had all of the know-how/capability of an architect, and a great design sense. I was one of his two interns that would do his drafting for him. He would get big sharpie markers and draw and then hold the drawing right next to his face and could make out linework, but mostly would just dictate his ideas to us. Pretty amazing actually. He worked from a home office and most of his work was pro-bono charity work, (home remodels).
face ronjon
I quote...
"I was one of his two interns that would do his drafting for him."
and...
"...but mostly would just dictate his ideas to us."
Yes, you really showed me. (sarcasm)
Do you not read what you write? (rhetorical)
so to be an "Architect", you have to have the ability to draft, draw, build, present your ideas, etc. without the help of others? (rhetorical?)
All I am saying is that he was an architect and he was blind. Wasn't that the original question?
I'm not sure what the argument is here.
"...you have to have the ability to draft, draw, build, present your ideas, etc. without the help of others?"
You are killing me man. Listen to what you are saying.
And by the way, you said, "...probably 90% blind ...and could make out line work (sp.)."
If he could see the line work then he's not blind. So, you did not work for a blind architect.
This is nuts, let's cease talking about it and I'll go about my merry way. I'm sorry I even resurrected this thread.
im sorry too, Im done. Its way too negative in here.
legally blind doesn't mean can't see a damn thing. most blind people can see shapes and colors to varying degrees.
ronjon, I got to admit you beat per correll as the most annoying one on this forum yet. get a life.
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