Since I started as a PhD student nearly 20 years ago, I have read numerous books on Universal Design.
While I enjoyed many of them and learned a lot, this is the one book I would recommend to every practising architect, whether new to or experienced in Universal Design:
Universal Design in Architecture: On enabling and empowering a diverse population, by Camilla Ryhl
Some of my biggest takeaways:
- The book traces the origins of Universal Design and presents it as a value-based concept.
- It goes beyond traditional views of Universal Design as mere compliance, discussing empowerment, diversity, and architectural quality.
- The book highlights sensory experiences as a key part of the interaction between architectural form and the human body.
- It introduces a three-tier framework for implementing Universal Design: mindset, process, and solution.
- The ten in-depth interviews with prominent, award-winning architects in Denmark and Norway are both fascinating and thought-provoking.
(Of course, the book covers all this in detail. But these are my main high-level takeaways.)
I particularly appreciated Ryhl’s positioning of Universal Design as a value-based concept, tracing its origins and showcasing its potential.
Universal Design has often been misunderstood, misinterpreted, or confused with related terms like accessibility and usability, including how they are practised.
Ryhl offers a refreshingly clear perspective, and writes:
“[…] disseminating universal design, direct or indirect, as a regulatory tool and agent of prescriptive requirements is against the original intent” [1, pp. 265-267].
The way I see it, there is a need to call out and present an alternative to the checklists that pass for Universal Design today. This book does that.
So, if you are at all interested in Universal Design, I highly recommend keeping a copy of “Universal Design in Architecture: On enabling and empowering a diverse population” on your desk.
What book would you add to the list?
Reference:
- Ryhl, C. (2024). Universal design in architecture: On enabling and empowering a diverse population. Danish Architectural Press. Denmark: Copenhagen.
Thanks for reading Dignity and Diversity by Design – with Per-Olof Hedvall! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.