Introduction
Bee Breeders Competition Organisers is pleased to announce the results for its Home for the Blind Competition!
The Home for the Blind competition is part of a Bee Breeders Competition series focused on accessible architecture. It seeks designs for a semi-detached house for a single blind occupant, including basic amenities such, as a kitchen, bedroom, living room, and bathroom, as well as a small courtyard. The competition asked the questions: How can architecture influence the way a person moves through a home? How can it help people to feel safe, comfortable, and independent? Participants were asked to select a theoretical site from their own home country.
The fantastic international jury consisted of: Jos Boys, co-founder of UK-based The DisOrdinary Architecture Project, a platform bringing together disabled artists and built environment students, educators and practitioners, author of Doing Disability Differently: an alternative handbook on architecture, dis/ability, and designing for everyday life (Routledge 2014), and editor of Disability, Space, Architecture: A Reader (Routledge 2017); Maya Mahgoub-Desai, Chair of Environmental Design at OCAD University and a practicing urban designer and planner with Moriyama Teshima Architects, whose interdisciplinary research interests focus on public health, socio-ecological models of urban development, and decolonization of design pedagogy; Chris Downey of Architecture for the Blind, who has over 30 years of architectural experience, continuing without sight since 2008 and whose lived experience with blindness has added unique value to projects for or relevant to the blind and low vision community; Rosa Lorenzo Downey of Architecture for the Blind, who has honed her creative use of colour theory and materiality on a broad spectrum of architectural and interior projects over the past three decades; Alan Dunlop of Alan Dunlop Architects, an architect with a portfolio of award-winning buildings, including the internationally renowned Hazelwood School for children and young people who are dual sensory impaired: blind and deaf; and Rion Philbin, creative director of No So Studio and previous founder of So & So Studio, whose past projects include the Casa-mac project, a home in Italy for a blind woman.
Bee Breeders and its jury panel were pleased to receive many well-considered proposals from around the world. We congratulate the winners and thank each participant for the time and energy contributed to this event.
We sincerely thank our jury panel
for their time and expertise
Jos Boys
Co-founder of UK-based The DisOrdinary Architecture Project
UK
Chris Downey
Architecture for the Blind
USA
Rosa Lorenzo Downey
Architecture for the Blind
USA
Alan Dunlop
Architect, Alan Dunlop Architects
UK
Rion Philbin
Principal at No So
USA
Maya Mahgoub-Desai
Chair of Environmental Design, OCAD University
Canada
1st Prize Winner +
ARCHHIVE Student Award
ARCHHIVE Student Award
The Guiding Wall
To work with friends and learn from each other.
Read full interview
Jury feedback summary
The Guiding Wall was evaluated as the strongest project received for this competition. The project presents a considered and thoughtful approach to designing a space that provides security and a way-finding approach as well as an environment enhanced by sound, temperature, and contrast.
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2nd Prize Winner
Because every step counts
Jury feedback summary
Cause Every Step Counts is designed with a centripetal plan to lead an occupant through the home using the walls, which begin and end at the same location. The jury commented: “The design of this home is tremendously successful as a simple home to move through, orient within and hold in mind as a mental map or model. Additionally, the organization of the house is built around 3 distinct natural-living places that are sensory rich.
3rd Prize Winner +
BB GREEN AWARD
BB GREEN AWARD
Barn Home
Jury feedback summary
Barn Home was judged to be a design that has the essence of a terrific home for the blind, though the jury also had comments for why it fell short of achieving success. The jury writes: “The root of its restraint is in the relentless and uncompromising respect of the historic traditional stone walls of the structure.
Honorable mentions
Shortlisted projects
In-Habit
Australia Connections in Height: in between sensations
ON SOUND SOIL
a tender embrace
Because every step counts
SPACE-TIME
The Light Shift
BASIC RULES Project
Circle Orientation
The Flow
Barn Home
Home for the Blind
/ Forward \ Backward Slash House
D I U R N A L | | I N W A R D · O U T W A R D
BLUR THE EDGE
Loop Home
SENSORY HOUSE
House-I
ENFILADE
medium
HOME OF SENSES
Treading Time
SenCella
Home for the Blind
Lucid step: affordable house for the blind
The Ribbon House
The Paper Clip House
Touch House
Fence for the Blind
SEN HOUSE
8 HOUSE
Through the Tube
re-inclusiveness
Blindnest
WALLS
The Track House
HOUSE OF AUTONOMY AND JOY
The Guiding Wall
Home
A home built around senses
