Topic outline

  • Course description

    The Basics of User Oriented Space Design course is an elective course, open to all student in Aalto. It is targeted to Master’s level students. 

    Lectures on Mondays during the period of 10.01. 2022 – 21.02.2022 at 15.15 – 17.00.
    The recommendation on remote teaching and working will stay in force until 16 January 2022. 

    Learning outcomes: 
    The course is related to Usability and Inclusive Design. Students learn basic knowledge about user-oriented design, and inclusive and participatory approaches. They will learn to observe the built environment with respect to various user groups, looking at physical, visual, and sensory perception of the space. They learn basic terminology related to Universal Design and user-oriented space design.

    The course is a mix lecture course and small scale design task.  The lectures are by experts in user-oriented approaches. The course includes a group work on building renovation, a design detail, as well as  personal reflections. The course will include working in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams. The teamworking and communication skills are part of the learning outcomes. 

    Assignment: working in multidisciplinary teams, visit and analyses of a building focusing on the themes of the course, a detail analyses of themes related to usability. The group will document their analyses and design task in a common presentation. The assignment mode is free including drawings, or other visual presentation and text, video etc.

    Evaluation criteria: attendance to course and active participation in teamwork
    Evaluation method:  presentations and peer evaluation in the last session
    Grading: accepted/ rejected (3cr.)

    OBS! Schedule (visits on site canceled)

    10.01.2022 Introduction (online) to the course, Ira Verma, senior scientist (D.Sc. in Architecture), Department of Architecture

    17.01.2022  Yhtenäiskoulun Käpylä, City of Helsinki’s development needs for the school (online), Sari Lehtonen, architect, City of Helsinki

    24.01.2022 Lecture (online), Experiences as stories told through space design, Markus Ahola, (D.Arts in Industrial Design), Aalto University

    31.01.2022 Visit to Yhtenäiskoulu Käpylä  presentation of the first design drafts/ ideas of the team-work

    07.02.2022 Accessibility evaluation (on site, Väre building), Visit from the Finnish Association of People with Physical Disabilities,  Johanna Hätönen (Landscape architecture) and Ari Kurppa, specialist in accessibility

    14.02.2022 Lecture (online), Usable built environment – frameworks and methods, Suvi Nenonen, Senior Specialist, Learning environment, University of Helsinki

    21.02.2022 Final presentations (online), peer evaluation


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      1) Identification of :

      • public/ semi private, silent spaces / group work, space for hobbies
      • Identification of spaces for different user groups: staff members / children/other
      • Identification of people flow: Access / entrance
      • How do people move in vertical and horizontal space, stairs and lifts, etc..

      2) A design task:

      • Design ideas for improving the usability on one the themes of the course: physical accessibility, wayfinding, social accessibility etc.
      • Example of detailed improvement 

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      Final Assignment
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