Architecture students' awareness of universal design application in the built environment

Abstract

In the past, the foundations for building the environment were the characteristics of an average person. Those who did not fit in the average were practically unable to participate on an equal footing in the life of the community. The concept of universal design involves providing opportunities to satisfy the requirements of all users, among others, of persons with disabilities, young children and elderly persons, to participate in various areas of society. The architecture creates and shapes the environment in which human beings can live. The aim of this research was to examine the awareness of architecture students as future professionals about the existing application of the concept of universal design in the built environment by investigating the influence of prior learning, the cycle of academic studies and being in contact with people with disabilities. The study sample consisted of 129 students of the Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade (60 first-year students of undergraduate studies and 69 first-year students of master academic studies). For this purpose, a special questionnaire was designed containing 10 questions about the students' awareness of the application of universal design in the built environment. The results showed that the cycle of academic studies affected the greater awareness of architecture students, whereas the type of secondary education and acquaintance with people with disabilities did not have a significant impact.

Nekada su osnove za izgradnju okruženja bile karakteristike prosečnog čoveka. Oni koji se nisu uklapali u taj prosek bili su praktično onemogućeni da na ravnopravnim osnovama učestvuju u životu društvene zajednice. Koncept univerzalnog dizajna podrazumeva pružanje mogućnosti zadovoljenja zahteva svih korisnika, između ostalih, osoba sa invaliditetom, male dece i starih osoba za učešće u raznim oblastima društva. Arhitektura stvara i oblikuje okolinu u kojoj ljudska bića mogu živeti. Cilj ovog istraživanja je ispitivanje svesnosti studenata arhitekture, kao budućih profesionalaca, o postojećoj primeni koncepta univerzalnog dizajna u oblasti izgradnje okruženja uz ispitivanje uticaja prethodnog obrazovanja, ciklusa akademskih studija i postojanja kontakta sa osobama sa invaliditetom. Uzorak istraživanja je činilo 129 studenata Arhitektonskog fakulteta Univerziteta u Beogradu (60 studenata prve godine osnovnih akademskih studija i 69 studenata prve godine master akademskih studija). Za istraživanje je konstruisan poseban upitnik koji sadrži 10 pitanja o svesnosti studenata o primeni univerzalnog dizajna u izgrađenom okruženju. Rezultati pokazuju da na veću svesnost studenata arhitekture utiče ciklus akademskih studija, ali da značajan uticaj nema vrsta srednjoškolskog obrazovanja i poznavanje osoba sa invaliditetom.