Chris Downey is an architect who lost his sight and gained a new way of seeing the world.
Why you should listen
Chris Downey is an architect, planner, and consultant. Working with design teams and clients, he draws on his unique perspective as a seasoned architect without sight, helping to realize environments that offer not only greater physical accessibility, but also a dimension of delight in architecture experienced through other senses.
Downey enjoyed 20 years of distinguished practice on award-winning custom residences and cultural institutions before losing his sight. One of the few practicing blind architects in the world, Downey has been featured in many media stories and speaks regularly about issues relative to visual impairments and architectural design.
Chris Downey’s TED Talk
More news and ideas from Chris Downey
Ideas
From Madrid to Mexico City, New York to Nairobi, Shanghai to Sao Paulo: insiders pick hot spots in these hot cities
December 11, 2013
Ever wondered where you might see revolutionary graffiti* in Cairo? Or been at a loss to find a Cuban cafe con leche** in New York City? Or really needed a beer in Madrid*** but wanted off the tourist-beaten track? Wonder no more. Our recent series profiling interesting innovators who live and work in cities around […]
Continue readingGallery
San Francisco in pictures: Chris Downey on the experience of a city
December 4, 2013
It might seem strange to show a gallery of images of places the narrator can’t actually see. But as architect Chris Downey explains, he picked these locations in San Francisco because they’re meaningful to him, not because they’re photogenic (though as it happens, they’re that too). “As with any large, great city, its success is […]
Continue readingArts + Design
Chris Downey: My life as a blind architect in San Francisco
September 30, 2013
Architect Chris Downey on how he readjusted to life in San Francisco -- its streets, its sounds, its community -- after losing his sight.
Continue reading