Accessibility

from Annual Report 2018-2019 | UIC Barcelona School of Architecture

Exhibitions

One of our subjects that encourages commitment to society is Accessibility. The UIC Barcelona School of Architecture is a national pioneer in terms of incorporating this subject into the curriculum of the Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture as a compulsory subject for 3rd year students, and as a working area for student’s Final Projects.

The initiative is led by renowned architect Enrique Rovira-Beleta, who also directs the Postgraduate Degree in Accessibility and Design for All (online). This course is the first formal academic initiative that looks at Accessibility from a global perspective and within a cross-disciplinary framework.

Architecture students help improve accessibility in the Barcelona district of Ciutat Vella

Third year students from the UIC Barcelona School of Architecture presented their projects to improve accessibility in businesses and public buildings to neighbourhood associations and other local organisations in the Pati Llimona Community Centre in the Ciutat Vella district in Barcelona. This initiative is part of the “Comerç Amic Sense Barreres (CASBA)” project set up by Barcelona City Council in 2013, with the aim of increasing awareness of accessibility and training future architects in this area.

This is the second year that the UIC Barcelona School of Architecture has participated in the CASBA project, at the impetus of professor Enrique Rovira Beleta, director of the Area of Accessibility. This year, 27 students made interventions in a total of 20 businesses and 3 public buildings located on the shopping streets of Carrer d’Avinyó and Carrer Sant Pere Més Alt. “Students take a guided tour of the neighbourhood, accompanied by people with functional diversity, and sit in a wheelchair to detect the needs in their assigned field of work”, explained Clara Santamaria, a representative of Barcelona City Council, at the project presentation event.

After an initial analysis, students further developed their technical proposals and sought solutions based on the criteria of efficiency and sustainability. The projects were recorded by Teresa Caja, from the Association of Traders of Avinyó and Alfòns Solà, from the Association of Neighbours and Trade of Santa Caterina. Representatives from the Sínia Occupational Centre, Vigatans Residence and APIPACAM Foundation also participated in the event. Neighbourhood representatives thanked students for their work and dedication to people in the neighbourhood with functional diversity. The event ended with the performance by the Casa Candela Flamenco company.

Since 2013, the CASBA project has contributed towards an improvement in accessibility in a number of areas in Barcelona, such as Zona Franca, Creu Coberta, Vallespir, Horta-Guinardó, Sant Andreu and Ciutat Vella.