Empowering a Universal Design Course for the Built Environment: Exploring Learning Experiences Through an Interdisciplinary, Multicultural and Civic Approach

Promoting inclusion and diversity is essential for creating an inclusive built environment. Next to building knowledge and understanding on the topic, it is also crucial to foster inclusive attitudes and awareness for both personal and professional growth. In developing a new architectural course 'Designing with People', our goal was to elevate knowledge and understanding of an inclusive built environment as well as to create more awareness on inclusion and diversity, guided by the Universal Design paradigm. To achieve this, the authors established a civic approach and facilitated interdisciplinary, intercultural collaborations to create a symbiotic learning environment among international students Interior Architecture and Architecture, students Occupational Therapy, clients and user/experts. This paper explores the strategy for advancing universal design through collaboration and examines if and how a network of stakeholders can mutually benefit from shared learning experiences. To understand stakeholders' perspectives, the study utilizes reflection reports, surveys with open-ended questions, and self-assessment questionnaires. Results point to notable positive learning experiences in knowledge-sharing, way of working and thinking, a more nuanced view on people with disabilities and the synergistic combination of diverse perspectives, indicating that 1 + 1 = 3. While enhanced awareness among students on diversity and disability topics was less noticeable throughout the course, the intensive collaboration with international students from diverse geographical and cultural backgrounds seemed to increase awareness of other cultures and identities. The outcomes suggest that promoting mutual learning experiences among students from diverse disciplines together with other stakeholders, can not only enhance educational settings but also holds the potential to inform and improve universal design practices in various professional contexts. This opens up opportunities to significantly enrich the discourse on inclusion and universal design.