Architecture For All and the UIA Year of Design for Health

by Belinda Seale (Australian UIA AFA Rep) & Allen Kong (UIA AFA Co-Director)

Belinda Seale is the Principal Architect and Access Consultant at Haptic Space, with over 20 years’ experience in the design and delivery of enabling and therapeutic environments. She chairs the Australian Institute of Architects Victorian Enabling Architecture Committee, serves on the National Enabling Architecture Committee, and represents the Institute on the International Union of Architects (UIA) Architecture for All Work Group. She is currently a PhD candidate at Deakin University, undertaking research into rehabilitation environments.

Allen Kong is the Director of Allen Kong Architect. Allen’s cultural background has influenced his conceptual framework for his holistic view of architecture. He blends evidence-based design with the inalienable understanding of the living spirit relationship AKA work has been recognised with many international awards including UN World Habitat Award and UN Scroll of Honour for Human Settlements, UIA Architecture for All; World Congress of Health and Design for Salutogenic Design. Both World Architecture News and Banksia Foundation Design for Sustainability. Allen has further roles as Co-Chair of International Union of Architecture (UIA) Architecture for All Work programme, Co-Chair and Director of Indigenous Architecture and Design Victoria (IADV), Convenor of RAIA National Enabling Architecture Committee, Member of Building Appeals Board Victoria (BAB) and Sustainable Architecture Forum Victoria.

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the role the built environment can play in both spreading and controlling disease, as well as the importance of healthy, safe environments for all. It is in this context that the International Union of Architects (UIA) has declared 2022 as the UIA Year of Design for Health, encouraging architects to use evidence-based design to promote health in buildings and cities.

The UIA is a non-government federation of national architectural organisations from 115 countries and territories worldwide. It was founded in 1948 with the aim of uniting architects around the world, providing a platform for sharing knowledge, innovation and collaborative solutions, with a particular focus on sustainable development. The UIA is made up of five regions, a governing Council, a range of work groups and commissions, and organises triennial congresses, forums and international design competitions (1).

The Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) is a member of the UIA in Region IV - Asia and Oceania, and has representatives on the Council, the Sustainable Development Goals Commission and various work groups, including the Architecture for All work group with ACAA members Allen Kong (co-Director), Belinda Seale and Eric Martin all currently representing the RAIA.

The Architecture for All Work Programme (AfA WP) aims to raise awareness of architects’ responsibilities to design accessible and inclusive environments and promote good practice in this area. The triennial UIA Friendly and Inclusive Spaces Awards is organised by the group to encourage and acknowledge exemplary building and public space design in this area.

The AfA WP also facilitates a network of architects with expertise and experience in accessible and inclusive design, compiles and disseminates best practice case studies, education and training material, participates in developing international standards and guidelines, advises governmental and non-governmental organisations and participates in conferences, exhibitions, seminars and competition juries (2).

FRIENDLY AND INCLUSIVE SPACES AWARDS

Entries in the Friendly and Inclusive Spaces Awards must demonstrate the highest standards of universal and inclusive design, contributing to the quality of life for all who use them. Award categories include New Buildings, Refurbished Existing including Historic Buildings, Public and Open Spaces and Research and entries are accepted from architect members of a UIA Member Section.

Aspects considered include architecture which enhances users experience through friendly scale, form, colour, material and light; takes account of human diversity and needs; and facilitates orientation, wayfinding and ease of understanding. Evidence based research is assessed on its contribution to improved quality of life through facilitating a better understanding of user centred design, its applicability and effectiveness for use to enhance design quality and create friendly and inclusive spaces.

The awards were first held in 2014, with the year’s research award winners including ‘Autism ASPECTSS Design Index’ by Magda Mosafa (3). It was noted as the first set of evidence-based design guidelines worldwide to address built environments for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

In 2017 amongst the fine entries were two examples of building refurbishments which meld inclusion and access with the effective and sustainable reuse of the built fabric, both demonstrating carefully considered design decisions to achieve balanced outcomes. The meticulous rehabilitation of a listed medieval palace in Barcelona for the creation of four independent living units for 48 people with physical disabilities provides quality housing in an old part of town, while breathing new life into a heritage structure. La Residencia Vigatans was completed for Associacio Civica d’Ajuda Mutua by Arquitectura i Accessibilitat, architects Carla Habif Hassid, Xavier Garcia- Mila and Jaume Cardona.

Viva Blue House in Hong Kong by Kenneth Tse at Meta4 Design Forum Ltd, consisted of a renovation of historical residential buildings built in 1920s-1950s to increase accessibility, fire safety and enhance living standards. The project also aimed to retain and strengthen community by allowing existing residents to remain in homes their families have lived in for generations and to which they have deep sentimental attachment.

More recently for the third edition of the awards in 2021, 91 entries were considered from 35 countries, with a wide variation in social, cultural, economic and political contexts. In the new buildings category, the Medal of Excellence was awarded to The Wits Rural Facility by Kate Otten Architects. The facility is a training and research centre working with rural communities located in Limpopo, South Africa. The project demonstrated an underlying respect for people and place. ‘What results is a symbiotic and universal relationship between the architectural spaces created and the natural world into which they insert themselves effortlessly, respectfully, beautifully.’ (4)

The modernisation, preservation and digitalisation of the historic headquarters of the Museum of Warsaw in Poland by Ewa Wowczak and Jerzy Wowczak won the Medal of Excellence for the Rehabilitation of Existing and Historic Buildings category. The jury noted the project demonstrated ‘An extremely complex reconstruction of a group of medieval buildings destroyed by war in which the physical difficulties of providing access whilst dealing with specific conservation constraints are overcome through inclusive interventions in the historic fabric.’ (5)

The Wits Rural Facility by Kate Otten Architects, Photo by Graham de Lacy

Bamboo Playscape: An inclusive playspace as part of a cycle of care project in Bangladesh by Kazi Arefin was awarded the Public & Open Spaces Medal of Excellence. The playspace was designed collaboratively by architectural students working with children with a range of abilities and housed by a charity. The project was noted as a ‘spectacular structure that joyfully caters for children of all ages and abilities. The project is rooted in the process of learning about access to land, materials, environments and the ethics and politics of creating socially just space.' (6)

Bamboo Playscape by Kazi Arefin, Photo by Tarannum Ali.

The research category award went to a ‘Support Ageing through Design’ by the Architectural Services Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, demonstrating comprehensive research in order to develop ‘detailed user-friendly Guidelines to assist designers and decisions makers to improve the quality of the built environment, taking into consideration the physical, mental and social wellbeing of elderly people.’ (7)

YEAR OF DESIGN FOR HEALTH 2022

In the Year of Design for Health, the AfA WP is setting out to remind us to be inclusive and supportive of the people and communities that architecture serves. A survey of members has been conducted in relation to affordable and accessible housing around the globe, in preparation for an international forum on Affordable Housing in Madrid later this year. (8)

Results are currently being collated, however some issues identified include a lack of affordable and accessible housing in all regions, a need to adapt existing building stock and a lack of code requirements in some regions.

In one submission, a study conducted in Argentina by Saez et al (9) analysed the costs of accessible and non-accessible housing against the costs of falls among elderly people, by investigating a examples of social interest housing and the costs to make these accessible. These costs were compared with that for treatment, rehabilitation and ongoing care for people who have had a fall and suffered a hip or ankle fracture. The study found the cost of accessible features was far lower than the additional care costs. It also looked at issues of healthy life expectancy and quality of life for the ageing population of Argentina.

Through fostering of international co-operation and knowledge sharing in this vital area, the forum aims to identify good practice, realistic and viable solutions and define long term actions.

INTERNATIONAL ACCESSIBILITY SYMBOL DESIGN COMPETITION

In one of the first activities of 2022, the AfA WP in conjunction with Rehabilitation International (RI) recently launched a design competition for the International Accessibility Symbol. For some time there has been debate about how people with disabilities are represented by the existing ISO Standard 7001 symbol, with many feeling the symbol needs to change. The competition aims to challenge designers ‘to develop a new symbol of accessibility that better represents the diversity of people who use buildings and other types of built environments. The brief for the competition can be found at:

https://www.uia-architectes.org/en/competition/ international-accessibility-symbol-designcompetition/

Entries will be received from individuals and teams, with the submission deadline in March. So pick up a pencil, get the creative juices flowing and have a go!

Contact the article author:

Allen Kong Director, Allen Kong Architect Pty Ltd Email: allen@allenkongarchitect.com.au

1 UIA website https://www.uia-architectes.org/webApi/en/about

2 AfA website http://uiawpafa.hkia.net/3 https://www.autism.archi/aspectss

4 2021 Friendly and Inclusive Spaces Awards announcement

5 2021 Friendly and Inclusive Spaces Awards announcement

6 2021 Friendly and Inclusive Spaces Awards announcement

7 2021 Friendly and Inclusive Spaces Awards announcement

8 Affordable Housing forum, Madrid https://www.uia-architectes.org/webApi/en/news/uia-international-forum-in-madrid.html

9 Viviana Saez, Gisela Bogado, Silvina Vera, Eduardo Schmunis & Ricardo Blanco, Cost analysis between accessible and non-accessible housing and its relation with the cost of falls among Elderly People in Argentina.