CIB W116—Smart and Sustainable Built Environments - Test Input

All, or most, of the solutions can be (today) qualified as superfluous or luxurious but, based on the
experience of the last century will be normal requirements within a very brief period of time.
Nevertheless, a serious study should be taken, including professionals and users, to identify their
requirements and aspirations: answering to human needs can be the driven force to their acceptance
and general use.
3. Inclusive design – the user as the main issue
The cities’ growth during the last century followed an unsustainable model, both to their identity and
the quality of life provided to their inhabitants. The use of the car in daily life expanded the distances
between residence and workplace, families and individuals, like no other mean of transportation.
Inclusive design, a conscious and human centred way of conception, (products, environments or
communication systems) envisages the right of equal opportunity for individuals with different
(physical, sensorial or cognitive) characteristics. The last decades provided the eco for the equality
between individuals. Despite racial reasons, sex, religious or political options, several institutions
reclaimed the opportunity to participate in public and private lives, in equal conditions. Remarkably,
people with special requirements and senior citizens are still living of governmental or familiar help,
locked at home, as they cannot find in the community environmental conditions or equipments for
their requirements. If human engagement is not a strong argument anymore, or just because models
which defend the rejection of individuals who do not fit the “average” are still up to date, the
economical argument is increasing in importance as in reality.
European population is aging, and this population should be active and participative. In practice, the
big majority lives by retirement, unemployment or impairments aids, contributing to the deficit of
social security. Individuals with special requirements, specially the sensorial ones, depend on parents
and relatives support and sometimes from neighbourhood charity. To get support of official
institutions requires plenty of bureaucracy and years of expectancy and wait. The traditional European
age pyramid is changing dramatically, demonstrating that the number of individuals with more than
65 years old is more or less in the same proportion as young people (Eurostat, 2008). Although a
considerable number of individuals present some deficiencies and impairments, the most significant
are the “deficiencies” provided by contemporaneous life style. Loneliness and isolation are the
consequence and this is the model since Antiquity, defended by different philosophers and religions
alike. (Simões & Bispo, 2003).
Nowadays, residential typologies perform a conceptual model which presents aesthetical
considerations with remarkable quality, yet absolutely failing to fulfil the requirements of real life
(Gomes & Aouad, 2001). Considerations should be made to impairments during life, but mainly new
types of life style such as telework, mono-parental families, elderly / child care which need
functionality, security and a comfortable and healthy environment. The way to balance both life
cycles requires flexible environments conceived to a contemporaneous personality.
In view of the character of contemporaneous life, it is important to define the population, its
anthropometrics and ergonomics and its life style. If the percentage of people with physical or
255