gulfexpress
February 26th, 2008, 08:25 PM
Read this in the peninsula yesterday,
A futuristic building: Eye-shaped
Doha • Qatar will soon get its first designer building for the visually impaired. The building, coming up at the West Bay area, is being launched by Al Noor Institute for the Blind.
“The building has been designed in a way to meet the international guidelines set for the buildings meant for the visually impaired people. The new building will give a feeling to the students and other targeted segments that 'the whole building belongs to them' and help students to have free movements,” Dr Hayat Khalil Hassan Nazar Heji, Director, Al Noor Institute, told The Peninsula.
The floors of the building will have textural changes so that the visually impaired and the blind can feel that they are leaving from one area to another. The stairs have also been designed to ensure the free movements of students.
“The ‘Eye-Shaped’ building will be capable of generating special sound effects that would help the students to get around. The stairs will have special touch marks enabling them to move up and down without the help of others,” Dr Hayat said.
The building will have dark rooms and light rooms; and the walls and floors will be painted with high contrast colours. This will help students with low vision orient themselves and get around more easily. The new centre will also have Occupational and Physiotherapy Centres.
The building is scheduled to open for the next academic year.
Launched in 1998 by H H Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned, the Al Noor Institute is a torch-bearer to the education of the visually impaired in the region. After offering a yeomen service for more than a decade, the Institute is poised for introducing innovative programmes for students, including training in horse riding and swimming. The practice in horse riding will start within a couple of weeks.
The Institute will also host a Fashion Show by the end of March 2008.
A futuristic building: Eye-shaped
Doha • Qatar will soon get its first designer building for the visually impaired. The building, coming up at the West Bay area, is being launched by Al Noor Institute for the Blind.
“The building has been designed in a way to meet the international guidelines set for the buildings meant for the visually impaired people. The new building will give a feeling to the students and other targeted segments that 'the whole building belongs to them' and help students to have free movements,” Dr Hayat Khalil Hassan Nazar Heji, Director, Al Noor Institute, told The Peninsula.
The floors of the building will have textural changes so that the visually impaired and the blind can feel that they are leaving from one area to another. The stairs have also been designed to ensure the free movements of students.
“The ‘Eye-Shaped’ building will be capable of generating special sound effects that would help the students to get around. The stairs will have special touch marks enabling them to move up and down without the help of others,” Dr Hayat said.
The building will have dark rooms and light rooms; and the walls and floors will be painted with high contrast colours. This will help students with low vision orient themselves and get around more easily. The new centre will also have Occupational and Physiotherapy Centres.
The building is scheduled to open for the next academic year.
Launched in 1998 by H H Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned, the Al Noor Institute is a torch-bearer to the education of the visually impaired in the region. After offering a yeomen service for more than a decade, the Institute is poised for introducing innovative programmes for students, including training in horse riding and swimming. The practice in horse riding will start within a couple of weeks.
The Institute will also host a Fashion Show by the end of March 2008.