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Inclusive Design and Social ResponsibilityUnit 1 Project: The Nature of BarriersDue: Before the start of class, January 30st, 2020Introduction Effective way finding and transportation options are important components of any college masterplan. In this project you will make decisions about what works, what needs improvement, and what you would keep or change if you were to design a way finding system to get on to and around the University of Toronto Mississauga campus.Each student will document and analyze the way finding systems on a specified route through the UTM Campus, and will propose at least one improvement to the existing way finding system. Objectives?To refine skills in critical analysis.?To explore the meanings and interpretations of campus environments.?To examine the social and political nature of architecture and design.?To consider the ways that architecture and planning impacts issues of diversity and vice versa.?To develop design processes and proposals for inclusive physical and visual environments.?To contribute to the environment in which you are living and working.ProjectAnalyze a specific assigned circulation path on the UTM Campus using the Principles of Inclusive Design. Develop a report that discusses bothyour analysis as well as provides proposals for improvement to ensure that campus passageways and roadways serve diverse populations.Approach to the ProjectFor background information, read the posted documents and presentations found in Week 2 of your SLATE site. You might also find the following short chapters helpful from the book entitled Universal Design New York 2:?Chapter 4: Using Circulation Systems ?Chapter 5: Entering and Exiting?Chapter 6: Wayfinding. An online pdf version of this book is available in Week 2 of your SLATE site.?Everyone will be asked to select a specific path or route. A sign-up sheet in google docs for routes will be posted to SLATE by the end of this week (January 12th).?Consider all 5 senses as you explore your assigned route. ?Travel the route at different times of the day and at times when congestion is high and low to best study the circulation patterns.?Bring a notebook, writing device and a camera to document yourwork. ?Remember to bring a copy of this project and show it to any officials/security guards who might question your activities. I have notified security but it is best to be cautious.?Photographically document your travel at three scales: less than human scale (micro), human scale (meso), and larger than human scale (macro). ?Note any aspects of the route that are of particular interest and present potential barriers. You should have 10 examples of these barriers.?Consider the way disability, age, gender, race, and class impact the way people navigate the route. ?Keep the Principles of Inclusive Design in mind when travelling on the path. Use them as a guide to analyze your experience (Refer to chart on last slide of Week 1 Lecture).Part 1: Record the followingGeneral Information?Date: Month, day, year and time of day?Level of congestion: Low or high?Location: Identify the path/route to which you are assigned – include a map!Document your experience. Consider the following:?Overall impression ?Conditions of the routes?Multisensory wayfinding cues – are there any??Clarity of circulation systems: Markers, nodes, edges, and zones/districts?Conditions of walkways/roadways surfaces?Demarcation for pedestrians, bicycles, and cars/buses?Pathway accessibility?Obstructions or barriers?Edges of pathways?Steps, ramps, and curbs?Pathway widths?Crossings?Traffic signals and signage?Signage (orientation, directional, destination ID, and situation/object ID)?Views?Aesthetic conditions?Plants and greenery?Places to get something to eat or drink?Places to “people watch”?Drainage?Clarity of public access and restriction?Bus stops/outdoor shelters?Seating and rest stops?Access to public amenities (garbage cans, drinking fountains, pay phones, restrooms, ATMs, etc.)?Congestion?Cleanliness?Lighting/illumination?Temperature?Sound/noise conditions?Tactile conditions?Safety issues?Comfort issues ?Entrances/exits?Elevators?Other items/issuesAnalyze your travel experiences. Describe the most positive and negative attributes and provide critical commentary to support your observations. Use the Principles of Inclusive Design to structure your analysis.Part 2: Develop a design solution that will improve the experience of travel on your route based on your critical commentary. Remember to use the Principles of Inclusive Design for this too! In designing a solution, make sure that you consider multiple senses. For example, how would a person who is blind understand your wayfinding system? Develop a conclusion that synthesizes your observations, analyses and design solutions. Project Requirements1.Prepare a comprehensive report of your experiences. Please ensure that it is a thorough representation of your experience and includes visual documentation as well as written documentation of the route.2.Please use outside sources to augment your report. Cite all your sources in APA format.3.Submit your assignment to the course drop box before the beginning of class.EvaluationYou will be evaluated on:?The quality of the documentation (examples/images/descriptions)?The quality of the analysis?The quality of your research?The quality of your written report?The quality of your design solutions?The quality of the conclusion
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