Abstract:

Although Universal Design, which aims to provide a safe, accessible and inclusive environment for all, is usually taught as a specialist subject of curricula at schools of architecture, there is a need for inclusion of universal design at all levels of the program, and application of the theoretical knowledge gained into related courses. The requirement is, especially, to include universal design into the studio teaching and to teach students how to practically apply the principles of universal design into their studio works. In this paper, we bring examples of how the principles of universal design are taught in urban and landscape design studios focused on creating public exterior spaces at the Faculty of Architecture of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava. The results of the research show that the principles of universal design are applied in the bachelor urban and landscape design studios – from the first conceptual phase of the design process, with continuation to the detailed scales of technical and construction solutions.

Keywords:

Design for all, architectural education, inclusive environment, accessibility, people-friendly spaces, livability.