Lightning Bites: Universal Design in the Curriculum: At the Heart of Learning

In this talk Maroun Tabbal explores Universal Design as the foundational gateway to meaningful Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in architectural education, positioning it not as a constraint but as core to architecture's mission to serve humanity. Drawing from current challenges in architectural education and practice, the talk examines how Universal Design (UD) principles can transform curriculum development and community engagement.

We face critical challenges: our built environment remains underinclusive of human diversity, economic models widen circles of exclusion, and our aging society demands fresh inter-generational thinking. Despite disability being a normal part of the human condition affecting 20% of the population, design education often maintains an outdated focus on narrow client needs and limited site boundaries.

The talk outlines an educational response that shifts from singular client-site thinking to broader society-ecology design approaches. This includes emphasizing future life contingencies in understanding client needs to include addressing building occupants and their neighbourhood, integrating Universal Design principles across the curriculum, and developing inclusive design competencies in future architects. The approach creates inclusive spaces that reflect diverse human conditions, fosters social cohesion, and builds resilient, adaptable environments for future generations.

The talk will detail practical implementation strategies across design studio and technical modules, focusing on adaptive solutions and long-term social impact. The goal is to expand future architects' capacity to consider broader client needs and future adaptability to changing life circumstances. This educational transformation aims to produce graduates who can apply Universal Design principles across project scales, understand the social implications of design decisions, and create inclusive environments that enable all community members to flourish.

About the Speaker Maroun Tabbal serves as the Building Change (BC) Resilient Design Curricula Lead and Lecturer on Design Research and Technology in Architecture at Cork Centre for Architectural Education (CCAE). As a Build+G2ing Information Modelling (BIM) Architect and Integration specialist, he brings expertise in Regenerative Architecture plus ICT and is currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science/Information Systems. A Comprehensive Anticipatory Design Scientist (CADS), Tabbal specializes in delivering theory and practice of critical design thinking through iterative systematic environmental analysis and simulations using BIM collaborative frameworks and methodologies. His open source research extends to urban modelling and 3D printing based on Synergetic Geometry. Tabbal holds a BSc in Architecture from Southern California Institute of Architecture and a Master of Environmental Engineering from University College Cork.