In October last year I embarked upon a study with my architecture post-graduate students at University of East London. In the masters unit that I run, I am interested in the design of external spaces in housing developments, specifically in relation to play. I want to know whether particular layouts encourage play and whether we might have something to learn in new housing design.
Universal Design (UD) is an approach to design that increases the potential for developing a better quality of life for a wide range of individuals. It is a design process that enables and empowers a diverse population by improving human performance, health and wellness, and social participation (Steinfeld and Maisel, 2012). It creates products, systems, and environments to be as usable as possible by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability or situation.
