Part 5 from the “Disability and social inclusion” training course
Part 5 of the “Disability and social inclusion” training course aims to continue the topic of exclusion and inclusion of people with disabilities introducing the aspect of architectural and spatial dimensions of accessibility. The event is organized as a series of two interconnected seminars that will take part one after another.
Seminar 1: Multisensoriality for Accessibility in Architecture
The seminar deals with some theoretical aspects concerning the role of multisensory perception of an architectural space. The involvement of the body in the process of interaction between a person and the environment is considered fundamental, as it allows one to overcome certain limits still determined by a strictly visual architectural conception. The stimulation of the senses is, therefore, a factor capable of enriching perception for everyone and assumes a determining value, especially in the field of disability. This topic will be developed, for example, through a perceptive comparison between sighted and blind people. The seminar aims to highlight the role of the multisensoriality of space and how communication through all the senses can promote accessibility and inclusion of architecture to a wider audience.
Lecturer: Alessandro Meloni, University of Genoa, Department of Architecture and Design (Italy)
Alessandro Meloni is a Ph.D. in Architecture at the University of Genoa, Department of Architecture and Design. He holds a degree in Architecture (2018). He is an adjunct professor in the course “Fundamentals of Representation 1” and teaching support in the course “Representation Methodologies for Design” at the University of Genoa. His research fields concern Drawing, Descriptive Geometry, and Visual Perception. His Ph.D. research was about Perception and Drawing in Architecture. He is taking part in European Research Projects: GenderEX (Gender for Excellence in Research), Milieu (Women, Disability, and Inclusion – Scientific Excellence in Bulgaria), “Compass. Leading Ulysseus to become a European university excellence” (2021-…), working on perception and accessibility of space. He also works in the field of accessibility for cultural heritage and collaborates with the Italian Union of blind and visually impaired people (UICI) and with other local associations and institutions. He was a member of the organizing and scientific committees of the international conference DAI – Drawing for Accessibility and Inclusion (2022). He presented 20 contributions at conferences and he’s the author of 20 publications on geometric foundations and perception of architectural representation.
Seminar 2: Architecture to be seen, heard and touched
The seminar deepens the themes of multisensoriality through some didactic proposals developed during last year’s courses for the Master’s Degree in Architecture at the Department of Architecture and Design in Genoa. The activity of teaching plays a fundamental role in encouraging the training of professionals who are aware of people’s needs and who ensure that everyone can access and understand a space independently. The topics dealt with focus on the communication possibilities useful for transmitting architectural features through the stimulation of senses alternative to sight. The aim is to show how, through teaching, it is possible to transmit values and knowledge useful for the training of the architects of the future, who are more attentive to the theme of accessibility and inclusion.
Lecturer: Cristina Càndito, University of Genoa, Department of Architecture and Design (Italy)
Cristina Càndito is an Associate Professor in Drawing and a member of the teaching body of the Ph.D. program at the Department of Architecture and Design, University of Genoa. She holds degrees in Architecture (1991) and Modern Literature (1998) and she obtained her PhD in Drawing and Surveying in 1999. Her teaching and research activities include Drawing, particularly Descriptive Geometry, History of Representation, using traditional and digital-based applications. She is engaged in teaching and research about gender and disabilities. She participates in European Research Projects: GenderEX (Gender for Excellence in Research), Milieu (Women, Disability, and Inclusion – Scientific Excellence in Bulgaria), “Compass. Leading Ulysseus to become a European university excellence” (2021-…), working on the history of architectural representation and accessible and inclusive cultural heritage. She has carried out research projects in France and England as well as in Italian research centers and she has been responsible for several University of Genoa Research Projects. She has been a member of Research Projects of National Interest in the field of Modelling and Architectural Perspectives. She was chair of the international conference DAI – Drawing for Accessibility and Inclusion (2022). She presented contributions at 50 conferences and has authored over 100 publications, including 8 books.
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Date: 05 July 2023
Start: 11:00 (Eastern European Time) / 10:00 (Central European Time)
End: 12:30 (Eastern European Time) / 11:30 (Central European Time)
Format: Online session via Zoom
Registration: You may register by clicking the button on the right
Language: Bulgarian
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More about the ‘Social Inclusion and Disability’ course you can find here.