Integrating Universal Design Standards and Building Information Modeling at the Conceptual Design Stage of Buildings

A projection of the Canadian population shows that in 2024 one in five Canadians will be over 65 years old. This shift forces designers to consider the entire lifetime of occupants during the design of new buildings. Universal Design (UD), which is a design that accommodates all people to the greatest extent possible and aging in place design that is deeply rooted in the principles of UD, aim to house people irrespective of their age, ability, and chronic health conditions. Building Information Modeling (BIM) significantly helps advance the development of the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry in a more collaborative and automated way. Integrating BIM and UD allows designers to incorporate UD standards easily and efficiently at the conceptual design stage of buildings by using the functionalities and capabilities of BIM tools. Therefore, this study presents the development of an automated computer model to facilitate the adoption of UD standards and processes. The novelty highlighted in this model resides in the creation of an automated method that employs a newly created plug-in and databases to assist designers to incorporate UD standards at the conceptual stage in a timely and cost-effective manner. Furthermore, the study introduces the methodology consisting of collecting, categorizing, and storing data from various universal design and accessible design guidelines in the developed databases and developing new plug-ins in BIM tool to link the developed databases in order to automate the process of retrieving necessary information and components to help designers and owners select optimal design alternatives based on their predefined criteria.

Design for the Elderly： Housing and Re-arrangements-- Case Studies in Istanbul

As a consequence of developing technology, various medical developments and environmental factors, the population of elderly people has been rising. Future predictions show a rising trend for designing for the elderly and. In order for seniors to be able to appear in community life, to be self-sufficient and live their lives independently, supportive environments are required. Being able to sustain seniors＇ lives has to be seen as a civic right and architectural design should be considered as a tool to get these rights. As linked to everyday living, homes should be a starting point to get these rights. Being in the core of everyday activities, the spaces in dwellings should meet life-span design criteria. Fundamental principles lying under the aspects of design, dimensions, details, colors and symbols of supportive environments should not be affected from generation gap and senium and should rather aim at this user group. These fundamentals can briefly be listed as, change as less as possible, design for self-sufficiency, communication and socialization. In the paper, the focus is on these fundamental design principles for residential spaces, together with the research of reflections of factors, affecting health, security and mobility deriving from mobility disabilities, perception and memory weakening, specifically to bathroom design.

Key Issues and Compiling Approach of Accessibility Design Standards:A Case Study of Shenzhen

Both practice and research of accessible design in China are still in the initial stage,while the regulations and standardization of accessibility is taking shape.Under the framework of engineering standards based on instrumental rationality,to present the core value of humanism and to define the limitations of universal design in the standards are the key issues worth discussing continuously.By comparing the standards of China and abroad,this paper attempts to clarify the approaches for compiling the Accessibility Design Standards for Shenzhen.At the same time,it provides materials for discussion by showing the difficulties and assumptions during the compilation.