“Universal Design:17 ways of thinking and teaching”

1.4. ‘If anything, call it Ergonomics

– in search for a word in a world called science’

Maarten Wijk, Holland

Introduction

1996 : Academic chair called ‘Accessibility’ Departement of Architecture of the Delft University of Technology

Mission: - to improve accessibility awareness in architectural training

- to search for a word in a culture heading for science

Golden Opportunity

- traditionally neglected issue

- recognised by means of an Academic Chair

- ‘Top design’

- ‘Scientific approach’

- teaching: finding the right keyword

- ‘Accessibility’ stigmatised

A Stigma

- ‘Accessibility’: a good word ?- Efforts of accessibility are incidental acts of

charity- Dutch definition :

feature of built facilities which enable peoples to reach and use those facilities

= nature of Architecture, not additional quality

Architectural Design as a Science

- What is science ?

capacity to constantly improve the outputs- beginning 20th century: CIAM

- nowadays:

public buildings: a product of science

houses: perform better than old ones??

THE BUILDING- technical values - technical performance

- Bugdet - costs

- Situational values and restrictions - situational consequence- Functional values - functional performance

Validation Evaluation

THE BOX

Validation Evaluation

Functional values

۷X۷Flexibility

X۷XHealth

۷X۷Safety

۷X۷Use

X۷۷Image

IndividualOrganisationSociety

A mismatch

Liberary of France,Paris

Kunsthal, Rotterdam Bridge, Balbao

Exceptional design

A typical Dutch ladder A doorbell out of reach

Middle of the road Architecture

Schouwburgplein,Rotterdam

AZL Head Office, Heerlen

In search of a match

- no solved mismatches

Architecture isn’t a science

- Mismatch between man and environment needs of

the people

performance of

the building

Designing for the Disabled

- proper input for a good ( scientifically correct) design : design for the Disabled

specific needs- no design science

Integral approach

- people are all diverse: not standard- strategy to combine the special needs of categories

universal design benefits for everybody

- still a mismatch

Ergonomic diversity

1. Designers Only : appearance

2. Traditional Accessibility Promoters :

specific needs of groups

strategy: dividing human needs into seperate aspects

of functioning, search for the proper values to cover

the extremes

Epilogue

“Ergonomics of the build environment”

Enables people to function effectively in the enviromnent comfortably

safely

healthy

Recognising the common needs of people

individual

People are diverse but with common needs