A tactile model of the historic Iecava Manor House, created by SOCINTEGRA, is now on display in Iecava Manor Park in the Bauska Municipality. The model allows visitors to explore the historic manor in a new, accessible and engaging way. It is complemented by an audio description and information in Braille, helping people with visual impairments better understand and experience the site.

The Iecava Manor House, which was destroyed during the First World War, has long been known mainly through historical photographs, informational materials and digital resources. Today, its architecture, scale and overall appearance can also be explored through touch.

The development of the tactile model took place in several stages. Based on historical sources and materials from Imants Lancmanis’ book “Iecavas muiža. Gross-Eckau”, detailed drawings of the manor were first prepared. This was followed by the creation of a plaster model, while the final stage involved producing a metal casting of the building.

The Iecava Manor House model is one of the most remarkable tactile cultural heritage projects implemented in Latvia in recent years, combining a tactile model, audio description and Braille information into a single accessibility solution.

The new tactile model created by SOCINTEGRA has been carefully integrated into the green hedge labyrinth located in Iecava Manor Park, which allows visitors to walk through the original floor plan of the manor and understand its spatial layout.

SOCINTEGRA Chairwoman Marija Kožarina emphasizes: “A 2D plan helps visitors understand the outline of the manor and the layout of its rooms, but a 3D model provides much more information. It allows people to explore architectural details and gain a deeper understanding of the manor’s overall appearance, offering every visitor a way to discover Iecava Manor that best suits their needs. It is also important to note that this unique model gives every visitor the opportunity not only to see history, but literally to feel it with their own hands.”

Ineta Bramane, Senior Project Manager at the Development and Planning Department of Bauska Municipality, adds: “The Iecava Manor House has symbolically returned. Until recently, it could only be explored through photographs or digital resources, but today visitors can experience it in a variety of ways. The green hedge labyrinth, created according to the manor’s exact historical coordinates, allows visitors to walk through the former layout of the building and understand its scale and spatial structure. The tactile solutions developed in cooperation with SOCINTEGRA help make this historic site accessible to all visitors.”

Today, the Iecava Manor House can be experienced in a diverse and modern way at its original historical location thanks to the projects “Green Secrets” and “Recovered History” initiated and implemented by Bauska Municipality and cofinanced by Interreg cross-border program. One element of the project is the green hedge labyrinth, which recreates the former layout of the manor and helps visitors understand its spatial structure. The tactile model created by SOCINTEGRA, in turn, allows visitors to explore the manor’s architecture, façade details and overall appearance through both sight and touch.

In addition, the “Recovered History” project has created a digital solution that enables visitors to explore the Iecava Manor House virtually. As a result, this cultural heritage site is now accessible in multiple ways and to a wide range of audiences, combining heritage preservation with modern and inclusive accessibility solutions.

SOCINTEGRA continues to collaborate with museums, cultural institutions, municipalities and businesses across Latvia to create environments that are accessible to everyone. The Iecava Manor House project is another example of how cultural heritage and historical stories can be made not only visible, but also touchable and audible.