Interdisciplinary Collaborations : engaging Education and Community

The School of Architecture, University of Limerick (SAUL) has been experimenting with teaching methods for merging understanding of how buildings affect people with the concept of what "good" design means. An elective module addressing Universal Design is part of a long-term multi-disciplinary project in UL involving SAUL and physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists from the Department of Health Sciences. Three participants in the module, George Daly, Sean Fleury and Jane Kissane, will describe the impact and relevance of the module to their overall architecture education experience. Merritt Bucholz and Eoghan O Shea will introduce the themes of the course and map out how Universal Design is being incorporated into the long-term educational aims within SAUL, particularly regarding its potential to facilitate interdisciplinary projects and discussions.