Universal design practice in Malaysia: Architect's perceptions of its terminology

Universal Design is a concept that embraces and covers issues of accessibility in the built and natural environments. The concept has progressively been introduced into the Malaysian built environment and architecture practice. However, its implementation in Malaysia is still considerably deficient. This paper investigates the contemporary perceptions of Malaysian architects towards the implementation of Universal Design in Malaysian built environment practice with an emphasis on their understanding of the terminology of Universal Design by means of face-to-face interviews. Findings indicate misconceptions towards the terminology of Universal Design exist in Malaysian practice due to a lack of understanding of the terminology that is negating its implementation in built environment practice. © 2014 The authors and IOS Press.

Universal design and professional practice obligations in Malaysian domestic housing.

Improving accessibility, usability and safety in the field of Malaysian housing and, more broadly the Malaysian built environment.

Towards universal accessibility : including users with a disability in the design process

While increased awareness of disability issues has resulted in the development of guidelines for developing accessible software, such guidelines do not guarantee that the end product will be optimal for users with a disability. We present an overview of a user-centred approach to the needs analysis and ultimate design of a disability aware email client (Multimail). We discuss the process we used to work with participants in developing the software and reflect on the benefits and challenges of the process.

Design, fabrication and evaluation of universal polymerase chain reaction devices

Novel and low cost PCR devices were developed to perform rapid polymerase chain reaction based diagnostics for infectious diseases. The main advantages of using these devices are that it can perform multi sample and also multiplexing of DNA samples woth low sample volume compared to the conventional PCR devices.

The application of universal design legislation and standards in Malaysia and Australia

Legislation and standards are alleged to be one of the key solutions for improving accessibility and Universal Design implementation in Malaysia including its implementation in housing design. In response to this concern, the government of Malaysia has taken considerable steps in articulating professional practice obligations as demonstrated in continual improvements in relevant new laws and standards (Malaysian Standard (MS)). The findings from a preliminary study have however evidenced a clear gap between having laws and standards and ensuring their implementation in the construction industry. This paper reviews the issues faced by the existing Malaysian enforcement and practices to Universal Design. The findings emphasise awareness, understanding and practice implications for the legislation and its standards in Malaysia, and problems and assumptions perceived. Findings indicate that there is lack of understanding and awareness of the current legislation and standards in the construction industry, in addition to the insufficiency of comprehensive guidelines to regulate Universal Design in Malaysia.

Working with policy and regulatory factors to implement universal design in the built environment: the Australian experience

Built environments that are usable by all provide opportunities for engagement in meaningful occupations. However, enabling them in day to day design processes and practice is problematic for relevant professions. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain greater understanding of the policy and regulatory influences that promote or hinder the uptake of universal design in built environments, to inform better future design. Focus groups or telephone interviews were undertaken with 28 key building industry and disability stakeholders in Australia. Four themes were identified: the difficulties of definition; the push or pull of regulations and policy; the role of formal standards; and, shifting the focus of design thinking. The findings highlight the complexity of working within policy and regulatory contexts when implementing universal design. Occupational therapists working with colleagues from other professions must be aware of these influences, and develop the skills to work with them for successful practice.

Promoting participation through the universal design of built environments: making it happen

Environmental design is a determinant of social inclusion and people’s participation in life roles. Design that does not cater for a diverse range of ages, abilities and cultures restricts people’s access to, and use of, domestic or public premises. Universal design is an approach that acknowledges diversity of populations and encourages designers to create objects and places that are usable by the greatest majority of users. Although there are potential benefits to the widest application of universal design within society, such application is not mandatory within Australia. This paper presents findings from an Australian qualitative study that explored universal design as a means of facilitating greater environmental access for all. The views of experts working within the field of architecture and environmental access were explored regarding factors that restrict or facilitate application of universal design to the design of built environments. Study findings revealed a number of themes relating to factors that may restrain, ‘what’s holding us back?’ and factors that may facilitate application of universal design, ‘making it happen’. These findings have direct relevance to those involved in the planning and design of built environments, policy developers and educators.

Truth is God harm minimization through the practice of ecologically sustainable design and buddhism

The emergence of the global ecological crisis is presenting unique opportunities for the coordination of ethical thinking across cultural boundaries. Harm minimization as an ethical imperative operates as the ‘modus operandi’ behind both Ecologically Sustainable Design (ESD) and Buddhist practice. The architectural response to ESD is founded upon the ‘Declaration of Interdependence for a Sustainable Future’ adopted in 1993 by the International Union of Architects, of which the RAIA is a member.

Buddhism is a response to existential concerns universal to humanity. It developed as a set of principles for personal transformation known as the Four Noble Truths elucidated two and a half thousand years ago. Buddhist meditation practise ‘interrupts automatic patterns of conditioned behaviour’ recognised as the major obstacle to be overcome in any programme for change. Unsustainable egocentric behaviour is considered fundamental to our global ecological crisis and calls for radical behavioural change are increasingly being heard at the professional as well as the personal level. Emerging synergies between the Western cognitive sciences and Buddhist study of the mind increasingly validate the Tibetan Buddhist mind development phenomenon. Buddhists argue that their programme for enhancing ethical behaviour through mind development is a step-by step process of observation and analysis built upon empirical observation – a fundamental pre-requisite of any ‘scientific’ enquiry. Collaborative research programmes currently underway are an attempt to re-interpret Buddhist meditation techniques within a framework acceptable to Western scientific understanding. A truly holistic approach to harm minimization requires its consideration.

Towards a universal and integrated digital representation of physical phenomena: a model to investigate comfort and energy efficiency in future environments

This thesis describes the exploration and the development of computational means to investigate the behaviour of design objects before they are available for investigation in the physical world. The motivation is to inform the design process about the design object's performance in order to achieve better--more performance-oriented--design outcomes in the sense of energy efficiency and comfort performance than can be achieved by conventional design techniques.

Universal housing : Malaysian architect's perception on its implementation

Implementation of Universal Design (UD) in Malaysian built and natural environments is facing some barriers especially in housing. Irrespective of any age and ability, UD is a concept that seeks to positively respond to the needs of access to the physical environment which includes the right to live contentedly in one's house. The aim of this paper is to investigate the perceptions of Malaysian architects toward UD with an emphasis upon housing as a means in identifying the barriers of its implementation. The interview questions focus on perceptions, knowledge and understanding of architects in terms of terminology, legislation and standards, government and professional institute's initiatives and policies on UD. Findings show that among the barriers are confusion in terminology, biased knowledge, and misconceptions of the concept. The ongoing results of the study are presented in the paper together with suggestions for improvements and other implications.