Trace the Sound. Haus am Horn.

The project consists of an audio guide and a tactile sample for a multisensory experience at the Haus am Horn, the first model house built by the Bauhaus in 1923. The aim is to unify sighted and non-sighted visitors by providing them a unique experience of the Haus am Horn by exploring it through the senses of hearing and touch. Through these experiences, mental images formed in the minds of both visually impaired and sighted visitors, can enrich the usual walk through the spaces. In addition, the visitors train not only their imagination but also their tactile skill that was already exercised at the preliminary course of the Bauhaus.

Only by being actively involved the visitor can fully understand the key ideas of the Bauhaus manifested in this building. Indeed, the shapes of objects are relevant, but how to fully grasp their function and functionality if visitors cannot touch them or, as in the case of visually impaired visitors, cannot see them?

The sound of objects produced when being used might help. Considering for instance a chair, it is necessary to observe whether the material is soft or hard, smooth or rough, cold or warm. The different materials of the object produce diverse sounds, both individually and in combination. Materials and sounds that objects produce when performed or used are connected. Each object has its own features that make it recognizable through various senses, not only through sight. Perceiving design objects not only with the eyes is therefore fundamental yet often underrated and not offered to visitors.