Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Accessibility
Other languages of instruction: English
Teaching staff
Enrique ROVIRA-BELETA - erovira@uic.es
Academic assistance
If students have any queries or concerns, they should send an email to the course professor.
Introduction
More and more aging society , and life expectancy increases due to advances in medicine and technology .
The architecture must be increasingly social and human , for all of us throughout our lives we have had, have or will have situations that temporarily or permanently limit our autonomy by having to push strollers our children get older , have accidents temporary , or a motor disability , cognitive or sensory .
When works projects and new construction , alteration, extension and change of use, etc. must comply with the requirements to current regulations require us accessibility and removal of architectural barriers and communication , state and in the Autonomous Communities , which will be the basic documentation of this subject , with the aim of achieving improved quality of life for all citizens to enjoy and use environments , buildings, homes , information systems and means of transport accessible to all.
This course is aimed at students of architecture ESARQ 3rd Course at UIC , and all those directly related to the art of designing , design, and construction of works , etc., where you check the benefits that brings for everyone a space , itinerary, item , service, or product ACCESSIBLE , that it is also for people with disabilities.
Currently compliance with accessibility regulations , is still seen as an obligation and a bar to make a good project or design and solved independently of the initial criteria of design. We propose to solve the accessibility from the beginning of conception projection, so unnoticed and without cost , to be integrated into the original design.
The student will discover "The capabilities of people with disabilities" , and " Accessibility is not only a necessity for people with disabilities , but a benefit for all citizens " , it is also in an improvement in the quality of their own project.
Pre-course requirements
Class attendance is an essential requirement, which will be monitored by the students’ “attendance signature”.
Objectives
- To analyse and understand the criteria for the accessibility of spaces, itineraries, elements, products and services in our surroundings, with the aim of not only learning about current legislation but also mastering all the necessary details to be able to implement Accessibility discreetly, with standardized criteria and regularly-used designs by everyone but also adapted for PMR (people with reduced mobility), often at very low or zero cost.
- To put into practice these innovative trends in order to make a critical assessment of the law on accessibility and its regulations.
- To train students so that in the near future, as architectural professionals, they will be able to apply accessibility criteria to their projects and design spaces for every citizen, whether disabled or not.
- To improve the quality of life of everyone as architects committed to accessibility. For example, a HOME should be accessible and be able to be used through a whole lifetime, including those times when, temporarily or permanently, the level of dependence of its inhabitants increases, particularly with age.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- 34-T - Ability to design, practice and develop basic and execution projects, sketches and blueprints.
- 35-T - Ability to conceive, put into practice and develop urban projects
- 36-T - Ability to plan, practice and develop construction management.
- 37 - Ability to develop functional programmes for buildings and urban spaces.
- 38-T - Ability to intervene, maintain, restore and renovate heritage buildings.
- 39-T - Ability to eliminate architectural barriers
- 40 - Ability to express architectural criticism.
- 41-T - Ability to find solutions for passive environmental conditioning, including thermal and acoustic insulation, climate control, energy performance and natural lighting.
- 42 - Ability to catalogue buildings and urban heritage and plan their protection.
- 43-T - Ability to produce safety, evacuation and protection plans for buildings.
- 44-T - Ability to produce civil works projects.
- 45-T - Ability to design and execute roads and urban development, gardening and landscaping projects
- 46 - Ability to apply urban planning ordinances and standards.
- 47-T - Ability to prepare environmental and landscaping surveys and plans to correct environmental impacts.
- 48 - To acquire adequate knowledge of the general theories of form, composition and architectural typologies
- 49 - To acquire adequate knowledge of the history of architecture.
- 50 - To acquire adequate knowledge of the study methods for the processes of symbolization, practical functions and ergonomics.
- 51 - To acquire adequate knowledge of the study methods of social needs, quality of life, habitability and basic housing programmes
- 52 - To acquire adequate knowlege of the environment, sustainability and the principles of conserving energy and environmental resources.
- 53 - To acquire adequate knowledge of architectural, urban development and landscaping traditions of Western culture, as well as their technical, climate, economic, social and ideological foundations
- 54 - To acquire adequate knowledge of the aesthetics, theory and history of Fine Arts and Applied Arts.
- 55 - To acquire adequate knowledge of the relationship between cultural patterns and the social responsibilities of the architect
- 56 - To acquire adequate knowledge of the principles of vernacular architecture
- 57 - To acquire adequate knowledge of urban sociology, theory, economy and history.
- 58 - To acquire adequate knowledge of the methodological principles of urban planning and metropolitan and regional development.
- 60 - To acquire knowledge of civil, administrative, urban planning, building and professional regulations.
- 61 - To acquire knowledge of feasibility analysis, supervision and coordination of integrated projects.
- 62 - To acquire knowledge of property valuation.
Learning outcomes of the subject
This course provides students with the necessary knowledge to be able to plan with accessibility criteria in all their projects and to master the details to achieve buildings and surroundings that are genuinely accessible to people with major motor, cognitive and sensorial impairments, improving their quality of life and that of all the citizens who use them.
Syllabus
1st CLASS: LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS
2nd CLASS: VISUAL COMMUNICATION ACCESSIBILITY AND HEARING
3rd CLASS: INTRODUCTION TO THE ACCESSIBILITY
4th CLASS: ACCESSIBILITY AND URBAN SPACE DESIGN I
5th Class: ACCESSIBILITY AND URBAN SPACE DESIGN II
6th Class: TEST PLANNING AND BUILDING ACCESSIBILITY OF PUBLIC USE
7th CLASS: EXAMPLES OF ACCESSIBILITY OF PUBLIC USE BUILDING AND ACCESSIBILITY AND CORRECTIONS PLAN STUDENT EXERCISES
8th CLASS: EXAMPLES OF ACCESSIBILITY IN EXERCISE STUDENT HOUSING AND CORRECTIONS
9th CLASS BUILDING ACCESSIBILITY OF PRIVATE-STUDENT HOUSING AND CORRECTION EXERCISES
10th CLASS: TEST - CLASS YEARS BUILDING AND CORRECTIONS
11th CLASS ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL, AUTOMATION AND CORRECTION TECHNIQUES AND FINANCIAL AID STUDENTS
12th CLASS: PUBLIC CORRECTIONS CLASS EXERCISES
13th CLASS: PUBLIC CORRECTIONS CLASS EXERCISES
14th CLASS: PUBLIC CORRECTIONS CLASS EXERCISES
15th CLASS: FINAL DELIVERY WORK
Teaching and learning activities
In person
Classes will be held one per week with expert lecturers or presentations by different architects, technicians or users with disabilities working in the fields of accessibility, the removal of architectural barriers and communications, who will explain their experiences (through images and videos).
Students will also undertake assignments under the tuition of the professors and visit different locations to analyse their accessibility.
| TRAINING ACTIVITY | COMPETENCES | ECTS CREDITS |
|---|---|---|
| Class exhibition | 34-T 35-T 36-T 37 38-T 39-T 40 41-T 42 43-T 44-T 45-T 46 47-T 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 60 61 62 | 0,3 |
| Class participation | 34-T 35-T 36-T 37 38-T 39-T 40 41-T 42 43-T 44-T 45-T 46 47-T 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 60 61 62 | 0,3 |
| Clase practice | 34-T 35-T 36-T 37 38-T 39-T 40 41-T 42 43-T 44-T 45-T 46 47-T 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 60 61 62 | 0,33 |
| Tutorials | 34-T 35-T 36-T 37 38-T 39-T 40 41-T 42 43-T 44-T 45-T 46 47-T 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 60 61 62 | 0,33 |
| Individual or group study | 34-T 35-T 36-T 37 38-T 39-T 40 41-T 42 43-T 44-T 45-T 46 47-T 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 60 61 62 | 1,25 |
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
The final evaluation will entail a personal project by each student consisting of the adaptation of their own home and/or work centre, and the journey via a public thoroughfare to get there.
This project will also serve to raise awareness of the need for accessible housing to anticipate the possibility of getting older and more infirm, entailing special mobility and/or communicational needs; thus appreciating the importance of good accessibility design throughout students’ professional careers and the impact this has on everyone’s life, especially people with significant disabilities.
Various exercises and tests will be set either individually or in groups on the different applications of accessible design in urban planning, public and private buildings, public transport and their corresponding communication systems to round off the evaluation process.
Students will also undertake a complementary assignment on improving accessibility in the project that they are developing for the Projects assignment.
Bibliography and resources
L’accessibilitat a l’edificació i l’urbanisme:
Recomanacions tècniques per a projectes i obres. EDICIONES UPC
Catalogo ROCA de Accesibilidad de sus productos
Personas, Dependencia, Calidad de Vida y Nuevas Tecnologías. Editorial Hacer
Autor: Rovira-Beleta
Código de Accesibilidad de Cataluña. GENERALITAT DE CATALUÑA
CTE – Código Técnico de la Edificación y del Urbanismo.