Øjenåbnere og erfaring i universelt design

Traditionally, universal design hasn´t been addressed in architectural competitions. This paper analyses the factors that were important for the development of a mind-set about equality and thus the organising principles of the winning entry of an architectural competition. Hence, an insight is established into how knowledge about the users enters the design process. Empirically, the paper is based on a post-occupancy evaluation, POE of Vandhalla – a sports centre at the Egmont folk high school. Interviews and walkthroughs were conducted with the winning team, the client, the teachers and the students. The concept of "experience" and "eye-opener" is introduced and used as an analytical framework. Both of the concepts are characterised by a relation to the episodic memory and the concept of context-dependent knowledge. During the competition, knowledge about the users is integrated in the design process when the knowledge appears as experience and eye-openers. It is characteristic that experience and eye-openers inspires and contribute to the winning team´s interpretation of the brief and the development of a mind-set and the design. Because of this effect, experience and eye-openers serve as drivers for the architecture from a universal design perspective.