Rating the Universal Design of
Built Space: a User Focused
Approach to Evaluation
Eoghan Conor O Shea, TrinityHaus, Trinity College Dublin
Supervisors: Dr. Sara Pavia, TCD; Professor Mark Dyer, TCD.
Introduction to the Doctorate Research
In most human activities and social situations, built
spaces are central actors fundamental to successful
social participation. Universal design theory recognises
how vital it is to privilege not only access, but also use
and understanding of built space for the whole population.
Historical conceptions of average age, sex, ability, and
gender used in the profiling of people who use buildings
must be expanded to consider a much wider, aggregated
user-base.
Objectives
An evaluation system for rating the universal design of
built spaces will help promote the benefits of carefully
contrived environments that respond directly to
evidence-based conceptions of human need.
Understanding of the benefits of universal design will
promote use both by architects and other design
professionals, and through pressure from a more
informed public.
Methods
By breaking universal design into three discrete
constituents – access, use and understandability/legibility
– the instrument for evaluation will build on theory and
existing methodology from gerontology and occupational
therapy (Iwarsson, Gitlin, Wahl) environmental
psychology (Lawton, Lewin) ecological psychology
(Gibson) and architecture (Danford, Steinfeld, Sanford,
Hillier, Tversky) to generate a composite tool that can
deliver an holistic evaluation based on user experience.
UNIVERSAL
DESIGN
BUILT SPACE
ACCESSIBILITY
NORMS
STANDARDS
USABILITY
USER EVALU.
SPACE LEGIBILITY
ACTIVITY BASE
WAYFINDING
SPATIAL CONNECTION
The tool will be calibrated with a scoring system
generated through the use of questionnaires,
interviews with key stakeholders , and case-study
buildings with user-led and heuristic walkthroughs.
Results
Primary outcome: A workable tool for rating built spaces
in an Irish context. The context will include parallel
research into standards and regulation to demonstrate
how the rating system can be rolled out and applied.
Acknowledgements
Funding Partners:
Project Mentors :
UNDERSTANDABILITY
National Disability Authority & IRCSET
Neil Murphy, CEUD/NDA & Dr. Ger Craddock, CEUD/NDA