Keynote Presentation by Chris Downey: Outsights from My Blind Avatar: Discoveries of an Architecture Beyond Sight

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Description

Coming out of surgery to remove a brain tumor, Chris Downey found himself facing a new reality at the age of 45 - total and unexpected sight loss. Unfazed if not intrigued by the apparent paradox of being a "blind architect," Chris returned to work one month later to start figuring it out. At the same time, his rehabilitation training for sight loss began with which he started to learn and discover new non-visual skills and strategies to engage, understand and interpret the environment around him. Through this radical juxtaposition of his visual memory with his new non-visual experience, he soon realized that he still thinks, creates and works visually in his mind and that he had developed a rather detachable relationship to his blind persona as if to be his blind avatar. To this day, his blind avatar, continually fascinates him with surprising "outsights" - special insights about architecture, the city and the world around him gained through the benefit of losing sight. Join Chris as he shares a few of these "outsights" of and designs for an architecture beyond sight - a multi-sensory architecture that's richer and more immersive for all to enjoy.

Participants will:

Learn about Chris Downey's career as an architect who faced total and unexpected sight loss.
Reflect on motivational stories to continue pushing forward in the field.

Contributors

Chris Downey

Chris Downey is an award-winning architect who, in 2008, unexpectedly lost his sight. As profiled in January 2019 by Lesley Stahl on 60 Minutes, Chris’ life was transformed, of course, but so was his practice. Today, he helps designers innovate with the disabled in mind, but also makes a strong case that designing for and with the disabled actually improves everyone’s experience. In all of his work, he endeavors to achieve greater access, not only of space and information, but also to “delight.” Chris teaches accessibility and Universal Design at the University of California, Berkeley, serves on the Board of Directors for the LightHouse for the Blind & Visually Impaired and has a gubernatorial appointment to the California Commission on Disability Access.

As one of the few practicing blind architects in the world, Chris has been featured in local, national and international media stories and speaks regularly about his many “outsights” (aka insights) since losing his sight. He’s graced the TED stage, among so many others, leaving audiences with a sense that silver linings are sometimes made of pure gold.