THE ROLE OF EXPERIENCE-BASED LEARNING: A CASE STUDY OF AN INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE UNDERGRADUATE STUDIO

In the undergraduate pedagogy of architecture and interior design, Universal Design plays a key role. Universal Design, also called Inclusive Design, ensures that all users including those with certain disability conditions, have equitable spatial experiences in both outside and inside buildings. It is essential that undergraduate students gain a deep knowledge base and a thorough understanding of all aspects of Universal Design. This paper discusses in detail a recent pedagogical approach taken to teach first year undergraduate interior architecture students about the importance of designing inclusively. In the past curricula, the subject of universal design was discussed as a set of codes, primarily because accessibility is linked with building codes. They were taught only within a theoretical stance as a list of guidelines to follow with very few, if at all, practicum applications. Additionally, the relevant building codes - specifically the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) - focuses mainly on wheelchair accessibility thus overlooking important considerations of other types of disabilities. Therefore, the existing pedagogical approach in design curricula has serious limitations. Breaking away from this narrow method, the new approach focused on teaching the hidden nuances of truly inclusive design, including designing for the blind, deaf, and other disabilities, while also creating practicum class exercises through which students gain the essential knowledge about spatial experiences of those with a range if such disabilities. Students conducted several simulations of space use by incorporating wheelchair-bound spatial navigation, wearing digital glasses with video capabilities that record real-time experiences, and digital mapping. The inclusion of the range of disability conditions led students to not only understand the shortcomings of existing building codes but also gain an in-depth first-person experiences of designing for all types of users, including that visual-centric designs essentially do not provide wholesome experiences for those who cannot see. The paper describes the pedagogical methodology in detail and showcase examples of student learning where the above mentioned limitations have been eliminated. The oral presentation will include videos which shows the criticality of learning deeply about Universal Design and how the exercises have deeply influenced the students’ design thinking towards their future design professions.