Imagine the most beautiful sustainable home the world has ever seen. Every known “green” technology was used in the design of this structure. However, the occupant of this home is hiking in the mountains one weekend soon after its completion and slips and falls, suffering a broken leg. While this home was totally sustainable in nearly ever sense, the one area in which it was lacking is universal design, meaning this fantastic new home may, if not now, then later, be left sitting empty while its current owner is forced to move into something less “green” but has all of the universal design necessities. Designing with universal design principles in mind means a space will be able to be used by a broader range of people over a longer span of time. “Instead, Ponce de Leon says universal design encourages architects to think about a wide range of people.”(Siegel, 2010) It is not logical to design an build a structure that someone facing disability, temporary or permanent, will have to vacate or retrofit. Buildings and the spaces within them should be equally usable for all people. Regardless of ability, the experience should be the same.
Ron Mace, the architect who coined the phrase “Universal Design,” defines it as, “The design of products and environments to the be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design” (Access to Design). Green building is defined in the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Whitepaper on Sustainability as, “The practice of 1) increasing the efficiency with which buildings and their sites use energy, water, and materials, and 2) reducing building impacts on human health and the environment, through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal - the complete building life cycle.” ("White paper on," 2003)
Both universal design and sustainable design are centered on making the environment a better place, inside and out. It is becoming more and more commonplace and crucial to think about both of these areas when designing buildings and interior environments. Adhering to both ensures a better future.
The principles of universal design. (1997, January 1). Retrieved from http://www.ncsu.edu/www/ncsu/design/sod5/cud/about_ud/udprinciplestext.htm
Access to Design Individuals. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://adaptiveenvironments.org/adp/profiles/1_mace.php
Rosetti, R. (2008, March 18). Designing sustainable homes that make life easier. Retrieved from http://www.udll.com/a/programs/handouts/2008-03-15_ASID-Handout_Rosemarie-Rossetti-PhD.pd
Lawlor, D. (2008). Sustainable design begins with universal design. Retrieved from http://www.asid.org/designknowledge/aa/inplace/active/sustainableuniversal.htm
Siegel, R. (2010, July 26). how the disabilities act has influenced architecture. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128778558
White paper on sustainability. (2003, November). Retrieved from http://www.usgbc.org/Docs/Resources/BDCWhitePaperR2.pdf
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