So Much More Than Building Regulations: Universal Design and the Case of Practice

The article first identifies and discusses one of the main obstacles to increase UD in the built environment; the understanding of UD as a legislative rather than architectural concept as perceived from the point of view of the practicing architect. Based on research findings it is shown how the legislative interpretation of UD often takes precedence over the architectural interpretation and is perceived as limiting to creativity and architectural quality. However architects at the same time work consistently with sensory, social and cognitive aspects of architectural quality but finds no legislative UD reference to this part of their work.
The article shows how their methods, values and architectural thinking is built on a foundation of multisensory inclusion and quality, only they do not perceive this understanding as being UD in the general and legislative manner. There seems to be an apparent gap between their values, methods and architectural thinking and the legislative framework in which UD is presented and perceived currently in Norway and Denmark.

Through an example of a cultural heritage (CH) project by the Danish architect Merete Lind Mikkelsen, the article demonstrates how it is possible to interpret UD in CH practice without compromising architectural quality or UD, but rather expand and develop the architectural understanding of the possibilities of UD.