RSBC (Royal Society for Blind Children) Life Without Limits Centre

EPR Architects is proud to support the Royal Society for Blind Children with their mission to empower young blind and partially sighted people to live independent and fulfilling lives.

The UK’s first Life Without Limits Centre is a unique space for young blind and partially sighted people to meet, play and learn essential life skills. A variety of suites give blind children an opportunity to make friends, play music, paint, take part in performance workshops, record podcasts, learn how to cook independently and learn career-building tech skills. The building also provides flexible, contemporary workspace for the charity’s staff, event spaces for fundraising and supportive spaces for families learning to cope with blindness. Colour is integral to the building; vibrant interiors create a home away from home for blind children and their families whilst embodying RSBC’s empowering mission. The building is also an exemplar of inclusive design, using a palette of high contrast, colourful and tactile materials to improve sensory navigation of the space. For each area of the building, meticulous colourway explorations were undertaken to ensure sufficient LRV contrast between any connecting surface. This approach minimised the need for specialist accessibility products, creating a ‘real world’ design aesthetic inclusive of all users with varying levels of sight loss. Large areas of colour are used to help zone the building and aid in wayfinding, and colour psychology has been incorporated to improve wellbeing, balance emotions, and maximise the impact of each room by complimenting the activities and services they are providing.