HTA Podcast: Sensing Architecture, Part 1

A barely discernible window sits near the centre of an image that becomes more blurry and darker as the eye travels from the centre. The outline of a building is suggested, but nothing is seen clearly.

Seen any interesting buildings lately? What if you literally couldn’t see them? What if you could only experience buildings through your other senses? How would you navigate, understand, and enjoy architecture? This two-part podcast explores that question.

My guest is Alex Bulmer. Alex is a writer, theatre artist, voice teacher, traveler, travel writer – and she is also blind.

In Part 1, Alex discusses how she has learned to perceive architecture through every sense but sight. She also explains what makes a space work – or not work – for her, and how being ‘imagined’ by a space’s designer can make a profound difference.

Here’s my conversation with Alex:

Listen to: Sensing Architecture, Part 1

Part 2 of this conversation can be found at this link.

Peter Coffman, History & Theory of Architecture program
peter.coffman@carleton.ca
@TweetsCoffman
@petercoffman.bsky.social