Tongzhou SINLOON Canal Creative District / officePROJECT. Image © Zhi Xia

如何运用7条通用设计原则创造更好的建筑？
How Do the 7 Principles of Universal Design Help Us Create Better Architecture?

由专筑网Zia，小R编译

在解决建筑中的无障碍问题时，规范设定了基本准则，而设计则定义了体验上限。尽管有许多指导原则，但为每个人创造空间并不意味着只需要遵守标准。好的设计要求我们对环境有深刻的理解，并具有广阔的视角，让我们的设计满足不同身体、能力和条件的人使用，这些人群与规范定义的传统使用群体并不相同。

此外，环境设计还面临着包容性的挑战，要确保那些特殊群体，如残疾人、孕妇、使用辅助设备的人，以及不同年龄和体型的人等，不会被排除在设计体验外。由Ronald L. Mace领导的北卡罗来纳州立大学设计学院于1997年制定的通用设计原则在这方面提供了变革性的视角。这种方法影响了各个设计领域，包括建筑环境、产品和通信。当应用到建筑设计中时，它促进了创造适合每个人的空间，最大限度地减少了对后期改造或特殊设计的需求。

When addressing accessibility in architecture, codes set the baseline, while design defines the ceiling. Although numerous guidelines exist, creating spaces for everyone goes beyond mere adherence to standards. It requires a deep understanding of the environment and a broad perspective, recognizing that what we design will be used by people with diverse bodies, abilities, and conditions far beyond those traditionally considered typical users.
Furthermore, designing environments poses the challenge of inclusivity, ensuring that individuals who do not fit the standard profile—such as people with disabilities, pregnant women, those using assistive devices, and individuals of varying ages, body types, etc—are not excluded. The principles of Universal Design, established in 1997 by the NC State University College of Design and led by Ronald L. Mace, offer a transformative perspective in this context. This approach influences various design fields, including the built environment, products, and communications. When applied to architecture, it fosters the creation of spaces that work for everyone, minimizing the need for adaptations or specialized design.


Little Island Park / Heatherwick Studio + MNLA. Image © Timothy Schenck

要探讨这七项原则，首先可以思考以下问题： 如果我们将这些原则应用到所有项目中会怎样？想象一下，在这样一种情况下，无障碍设计从一开始就不是附加条件或最低要求，而是固有特征，那么如何将它融入到每个设计阶段和各种类型的项目中？


1. 使用的公平性

“设计对不同群体和特征的人都适用且好用”。

建筑的不同空间布局会导致显著的差异，并对使用产生深远的影响。例如，在某些情况下，主入口和无障碍入口不在一起，这就造成了不平等的用户体验。同时，这些设计也会造成功能上的分离，虽然有时能满足特定的需求，但对建筑环境的包容性和便捷性提出了挑战。

而设计的目标应当是确保不同人群能够平等地使用所有资源，如公区、洗手间和展厅。在可能的情况下，每个人的通道都应相同，如果做不到这一点，那么至少体验和感受应该相同。应避免区别对待，以确保所有可视、交流、隐私和保护的公平性。此外，设计应具有吸引力和一致性，体现出所有元素的真正融合。

To explore these seven principles, it is crucial to ask the following question: What if we applied them to all projects? Imagine an environment where accessibility is not an add-on or a minimum requirement but an intrinsic feature from the outset, integrated into every design phase and across various typologies.

1. Equitable Use
"The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities."
The spatial configuration of buildings can lead to significant differentiations with a profound impact. For example, in some cases, the main entrance and the accessible doorway are not the same, creating an unequal user experience. Even so, these arrangements can result in a functional separation that, while sometimes addressing specific design needs, poses challenges regarding inclusivity and flow within the built environment.
The goal is to ensure equal access to all resources, such as work areas, restrooms, and auditoriums. Wherever possible, access should be the same for everyone. If this isn't feasible, the hierarchy should be equivalent. Differentiation should be avoided to ensure that all isoptic visibility, communication, privacy, and protection are equally provided. Additionally, the design should be attractive and consistent, demonstrating a genuine integration of all elements.


Yoyogi Fukamachi Mini Park Toilet / Shigeru Ban Architects. Image © The Nippon Foundation


ONDIS, Oficina de No Discriminación y contra los Delitos de Odi / 7a+i. Image © Milena Villalba


2.使用的灵活性

“设计可满足不同的个人喜好和需求”。

每个人对建筑环境的体验感受都不尽相同。因此，在设计时必须考虑到灵活性，这样建筑和室内空间才能提供多种用途，满足个人喜好。此外，多样化的产品和系统也增强了我们定制这些空间的能力，使配置更加精确且个性化。

我们设计的空间应该可以让人们以适合自己需求的方式进行互动。重要的是，每个人步伐的速度、力量和高度都不同，提供有意识和适应性的设计有助于人们更舒适地与周围环境相处。从这个意义上说，好的设计空间可以增强人们的感受，改善人们的日常体验。

2. Flexibility in Use
"The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities."
Each person experiences the built environment uniquely. Therefore, designing with flexibility in mind is essential so buildings and interior spaces can offer multiple uses and accommodate individual preferences. Additionally, the diverse range of products and systems available enhances our ability to customize these spaces, enabling more precise and tailored configurations.
The spaces we design should allow people to interact in ways that suit their needs and pace. It’s important to remember that everyone has different walking speeds, strengths, and heights. This awareness and adaptability help us relate to our surroundings more comfortably. In this sense, the spaces and products we use can enhance our abilities and improve our daily experiences.


Bench Accounting Office Interiors / Perkins+Will. Image © Kim Muise


Rita Lee Park - Legacy of the Olympic Park / Ecomimesis Soluções Ecológicas. Image © Rafael Salim


3. 使用的简单性与直观性

“无论用户的经验、知识、语言能力或当下注意力集中程度如何，设计都应该易于使用与理解”。

“简单”是一个在建筑中起着重要作用的概念，但要做到这一点则需要付出巨大的努力。除了美学之外，这一原则还侧重于使环境在空间层面上易于理解。我们经常会遇到这样的建筑：其导视标识令人困惑，人们不得不通过寻求帮助才能找到方向。

要设计简单直观的环境，则减少不必要的复杂性至关重要。空间本身以及信息元素和家具都应组织清晰，并以明显的方式提示其用途。这些理念不仅有助于人们获得无障碍的体验，还能促进与环境更顺畅的互动，尤其是对特殊人群而言。

3. Simple and Intuitive Use
"The use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level."
Simplicity is a concept that plays a significant role in architecture, but achieving it requires profound effort. Beyond aesthetics, this principle focuses on making the environment easily understandable on a spatial level. How often have we encountered buildings where navigation is confusing, forcing people to seek assistance to find their way around?
To design simple and intuitive environments, it is crucial to reduce unnecessary complexity. The space itself, along with informative elements and furniture, should be organized clearly and suggest their use in an obvious way. These concepts not only facilitate a more accessible experience but also promote a smoother interaction with the environment, especially for individuals with intellectual disabilities.


Inclusive Education Center / Enrico Molteni Architecture. Image © Marco Cappelletti


Medical Care Home / K&+ Architecture Globale. Image © Pierre Pommereau


4. 信息的可感知性

“无论环境条件或用户的感官能力如何，设计都能有效地向用户传达必要的信息”。

与前一点紧密相关的是，可感知信息旨在通过感官设计的方式增强人们对空间的理解。这些信息通过声音信号、触觉铺装、图案颜色、文字缩进等方式传达，以确定方向、提供指示或提醒使用者。

这一原则提倡使用各种信息交互的方式，包括图案、声音和触觉语言，通过多感官方式冗余地呈现信息。无论环境条件或个人感官能力如何，这种方法都能最大限度地提高可读性。对比鲜明的色彩和纹理对于定位和指示至关重要，此外，空间应兼容各种辅助设备，如视听设备等，以提高可用性，并加强人们对环境的理解。

4. Perceptible Information
"The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities."
Strongly tied to the previous point, perceptible information aims to enhance the understanding of space through sensory design. This information is communicated through audible signals, tactile paving, pictograms, and colors, indenting to orient, provide instructions, or alert users.
This principle promotes using various modes of communication, including pictorial, verbal, and tactile language, to present information redundantly through the senses. This approach maximizes legibility regardless of environmental conditions or individual sensory capabilities. Contrasting colors and textures are crucial for facilitating orientation and instructions. Additionally, the space should be compatible with various assistive devices, such as hearing loops, to enhance usability and understanding of the environment.


McDonald’s HQ Workplace / Studio O+A + IA Interior Architects. Image © Garrett Rowland


Narita International Airport Terminal 3 / Nikken Sekkei + Ryohin Keikaku + PARTY. Image © Kenta Hasegawa


5. 容错性

"设计应最大限度地减少意外或非预期行动带来的危害和不利后果"。

尽管我们在设计时尽可能地创造安全的空间，但某些条件仍可能带来潜在的挑战。因此，在应用容错原则时，需要对各种元素进行组织，并将危险元素隔离开来。重要的是，人群在空间的使用过程中并不需要时刻保持警惕的行为。该原则尤其适用于电源开关、走廊和坡道等开放式流通区域、水池、或楼梯以及阳台等高空位置。

5. Tolerance for Error
"The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions."
Although we do not design to create unsafe spaces, some conditions may still present potential challenges. Therefore, applying the principle of tolerance for error involves organizing elements so that the most frequently used ones are the most accessible while dangerous ones are isolated. It is also crucial to discourage actions that require constant vigilance from others. This approach is especially relevant for light switches, open circulation areas such as corridors and ramps, swimming pools, access stairs, and high-altitude locations like balconies.


West Lafayette Wellness Center / Perkins&Will. Image © James Steinkamp


Digi-Tech Factory / Coffey Architects. Image © Coffey Architects


6. 低体力消耗

“这种设计可以高效、舒适地使用，并将使用者的疲劳感降至最低”。

我们与环境互动的方式在很大程度上取决于我们的体能。因此，难以使用的设计会成为障碍。为了促进更顺畅的交互，设计应支持中立的身体姿势，最小的操作力，尽量减少重复动作，并减少持续的体力消耗。这种原则可确保在进行活动时将影响降至最低，从而促进用户的健康并提升使用感受。

在设计空间时，应尽量减少水平变化和缓坡，使用符合人体工程学的家具，在出入口和阀门处安装杠杆把手，使用非接触式照明开关，并采用电梯和自动扶梯等机械支持，从而最大限度地减少体力消耗。

6. Low Physical Effort
"The design can be used efficiently, comfortably, and with minimum fatigue."
The way we interact with our environment depends significantly on our physical capabilities. Consequently, a design that is difficult to use can become a barrier. To facilitate smoother interactions, the design should support a neutral body posture, require minimal operating forces, minimize repetitive actions, and reduce sustained physical exertion. This approach ensures that activities are performed with minimal impact, promoting the health and well-being of the user.
Minimizing physical effort can be achieved by designing spaces with minimal level changes and gentle slopes, using ergonomic furniture, installing lever handles on doors and faucets, installing contactless switches for lighting, and incorporating mechanical circulation elements such as elevators and escalators.


Light Rail Tunnel Karlsruhe / allmannwappner. Image © Brigida Gonzalez


West Lafayette Wellness Center / Perkins&Will. Image © James Steinkamp


7. 大小与尺度

“无论使用者的体型、姿势或活动能力如何，都要为其操作和使用提供适当的大小和空间”。

由于每个人都有自己的身型特点和需求，因此对伸展和移动能力的要求也大相径庭。Neufert 在建筑尺寸标准化方面的探索就是一个例子，因为它提供了重要的人体测量参考，尤其是为使用轮椅的人提供了参考，为我们扩展方法以适应更广泛的条件、体型和身高奠定了基础。

为了确保有效的互动，必须考虑以下几个方面，包括为坐着和站着的不同用户提供清晰视线，以及方便用户在两种姿势下使用所有功能。此外，小尺度设计必须适应手的大小和握力的变化，并为辅助设备提供足够的条件。考虑到这些因素后，所有用户都能以舒适、无障碍的方式与环境互动。

7. Size and Space for Approach and Use
"Appropriate size and space are provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of the user's body size, posture, or mobility."
Since each person has unique characteristics and needs, our demands for reach and mobility vary considerably. Neufert's work in standardizing architectural dimensions serves as an example in this context, as it provided crucial anthropometric references, particularly for people using wheelchairs. This research laid the groundwork for expanding our approach to accommodate broader conditions, body types, and heights.
To ensure an effective interaction, it is essential to consider several aspects, including providing a clear line of sight to relevant elements for both seated and standing users and facilitating access to all components in both positions. Additionally, the small-scale design must accommodate variations in hand size and grip and provide adequate conditions for assistive devices. These considerations enable all users to interact with the environment in a comfortable and accessible way.


Casavera / gon architects. Image © Imagen Subliminal (Miguel de Guzmán + Rocío Romero)


Bronx Children's Museum / O'Neill McVoy Architects. Image © Paul Warchol

虽然通用设计的每项原则本身都很有说服力，也很有必要，但建筑师面临的真正挑战是如何将这些原则同时无缝地融入整体设计中。在这种情况下，“最好的无障碍设计是无感的无障碍设计”，这句话总结的很好。另外，既然好的建筑体现了包容性，那么重视无障碍环境对这种包容性至关重要。如果我们渴望创造具有普遍开放包容的社会和建筑环境，那么为什么不为每个人创造基本平等的建筑呢？

While each of the principles of universal design is compelling and necessary in its own right, the real challenge for architects is to integrate them seamlessly and simultaneously into the overall design. The maxim that "the best accessibility is the one that goes unnoticed" resonates strongly in this context. Furthermore, since good architecture embodies inclusivity, it is crucial to acknowledge that accessibility is essential to this inclusiveness. If we aspire to create a society and built environment that are universally welcoming and inclusive, why not recognize that designing for everyone is a fundamental aspect of architecture?