Title

FOSTERING BLIND PEOPLE'S WE LL BEING: Multisensory Sun Shelters in Green and Blue Spaces

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Acronym

SHADE

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Date

2026/2030

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Summary

Worldwide, around 40 million people are blind and 250 million have visual impairments, according to the World Health Organization. As populations age, conditions such as glaucoma and diabetes are increasing these numbers. While green and blue spaces provide significant physical, mental, and emotional benefits, blind and partially sighted people (BPSP) often face barriers to enjoying them, including risks associated with sun exposure and heat-related illness.

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SHADE addresses this challenge by exploring how non-visual sensory experiences can be integrated into architectural design. Focusing on inclusive, comfortable, and sustainable sun shelters for parks, gardens, waterfronts, and public pools, the project aims to improve the well-being of BPSP while benefiting all users.

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As a practice-based research initiative, SHADE combines design-based, participatory, action, and narrative research methods. Through co-creation workshops, field research, and collaborative design studios, it brings together researchers, students, blind participants, municipalities, and experts to develop innovative architectural solutions. This approach challenges the traditionally visual focus of architecture by promoting multisensory and user-centered design.

The project is supported by three Portuguese municipalities, Mirandela, Freixo de Espada à Cinta, and Sines, and three consultants whose expertise is relevant to the development of the project – Bruno Miranda (Assistant Professor at Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa), Ann Heylighen (design researcher at KU Leuven), and the participation of APEC (Associação Promotora do Ensino dos Cegos).

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Key outcomes include a dedicated glossary, a theoretical and methodological framework for sensory-informed design, a review of best practices and case studies, accessible design guidelines, and tools such as tactile models, 3D-printed architectural elements, and virtual models. Partnerships with Lisbon’s FABLAB and IST laboratories support the development of these resources.

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SHADE also emphasizes education and dissemination through architectural design studios and an online collaborative platform, ensuring that research findings reach both academic and public audiences. By fostering inclusive and sustainable design practices, SHADE seeks to establish a new reference framework for human-centered architecture.

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