3. Emergence of Design Standards and Inclusive Design

Prompted by the work of Goldsmith, who was responsible for establishing the first building design standards in the UK, from the 1960s increasing attention has been paid to incorporating the principles of inclusive design into building regulations and legislation in order to eliminate barriers and create accessible environments for all, whether or not they have disabilities. Access statements have been a requirement since 2004 and aim to achieve an inclusive environment with respect to new buildings and extensions to existing ones, as well as accessible transport and an inclusive urban environment. The principles of inclusive design involve ‘placing people at the heart of the design process’, recognising ‘diversity and difference’, ‘offering choice’, ensuring ‘flexibility of use’ and making buildings ‘convenient to use and enjoyable for all’. The University of Arizona used geospatial techniques to evaluate the accessibility of its campus, the results of which have revealed a number of aspects of the design and layout of the campus that pose problems for a range of users. There are also examples of good design: the Carrington Building at the University of Reading and the Willows School represent well-designed educational buildings; the Eden Project gardens show an example of applying inclusive design to external environments; and the Roundhouse demonstrates how an extension to an existing Grade II listed building can be constructed according to inclusive design principles.