Built Heritage Meets Inclusive Design

Inclusive design aims to accommodate as many people as possible by considering the diversity of human abilities and conditions during design. This raises challenges in relation to built heritage: proposals to make a building more inclusive may encounter objections from conservation authorities. Our...

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Main Authors: Lene Van de Bemdt, Ann Heylighen, Negin Eisazadeh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Lublin University of Technology 2025-03-01
Series:Ochrona Dziedzictwa Kulturowego
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Online Access:https://ph.pollub.pl/index.php/odk/article/view/2965
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author Lene Van de Bemdt
Ann Heylighen
Negin Eisazadeh
author_facet Lene Van de Bemdt
Ann Heylighen
Negin Eisazadeh
author_sort Lene Van de Bemdt
collection DOAJ
description Inclusive design aims to accommodate as many people as possible by considering the diversity of human abilities and conditions during design. This raises challenges in relation to built heritage: proposals to make a building more inclusive may encounter objections from conservation authorities. Our research aims to (1) explore these tensions between the conservation of built heritage and the ambition to make the built environment more inclusive and (2) identify strategies that allow addressing them. Based on existing research, we first examined how the domains of inclusive design and built heritage conservation are related, where they conflict and strengthen each other, as well as how researchers with different backgrounds suggest to address them. Second, we studied six building projects where built heritage and inclusive design meet, all located in Flanders. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we relied mainly on desk research. We identified challenges, tensions and issues that came forward in the development of these projects as well as strategies adopted to address them. Two case studies illustrate how built heritage can be an asset to provide high-quality care. The four remaining cases illustrate how KU Leuven university deals with the challenge of rendering its rich historic building patrimony more inclusive. Confronting the six cases makes clear that built heritage can be made more inclusive, and might even contribute to inclusive design, and that this involves a time consuming process with transdisciplinary input.
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spelling doaj-art-c09ee7725f984530a215de8b477df9912025-08-20T03:39:05ZengLublin University of TechnologyOchrona Dziedzictwa Kulturowego2543-64222025-03-012210.35784/odk.2965Built Heritage Meets Inclusive DesignLene Van de Bemdt0Ann Heylighen1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6811-3464Negin Eisazadeh2DG | architectenKU Leuven, Department of Architecture, Research DesignUniversité de Liège, Faculté d’Architecture, Art, Archaeology and Heritage Research Unit (UR-AAP); DIVA Inclusive design aims to accommodate as many people as possible by considering the diversity of human abilities and conditions during design. This raises challenges in relation to built heritage: proposals to make a building more inclusive may encounter objections from conservation authorities. Our research aims to (1) explore these tensions between the conservation of built heritage and the ambition to make the built environment more inclusive and (2) identify strategies that allow addressing them. Based on existing research, we first examined how the domains of inclusive design and built heritage conservation are related, where they conflict and strengthen each other, as well as how researchers with different backgrounds suggest to address them. Second, we studied six building projects where built heritage and inclusive design meet, all located in Flanders. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we relied mainly on desk research. We identified challenges, tensions and issues that came forward in the development of these projects as well as strategies adopted to address them. Two case studies illustrate how built heritage can be an asset to provide high-quality care. The four remaining cases illustrate how KU Leuven university deals with the challenge of rendering its rich historic building patrimony more inclusive. Confronting the six cases makes clear that built heritage can be made more inclusive, and might even contribute to inclusive design, and that this involves a time consuming process with transdisciplinary input. https://ph.pollub.pl/index.php/odk/article/view/2965built heritageconservationinclusive design
spellingShingle Lene Van de Bemdt
Ann Heylighen
Negin Eisazadeh
Built Heritage Meets Inclusive Design
Ochrona Dziedzictwa Kulturowego
built heritage
conservation
inclusive design
title Built Heritage Meets Inclusive Design
title_full Built Heritage Meets Inclusive Design
title_fullStr Built Heritage Meets Inclusive Design
title_full_unstemmed Built Heritage Meets Inclusive Design
title_short Built Heritage Meets Inclusive Design
title_sort built heritage meets inclusive design
topic built heritage
conservation
inclusive design
url https://ph.pollub.pl/index.php/odk/article/view/2965
work_keys_str_mv AT lenevandebemdt builtheritagemeetsinclusivedesign
AT annheylighen builtheritagemeetsinclusivedesign
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