At Moco, We Believe That
Inclusive Architecture Is Non
Discriminatory.
We strive to create spaces where everyone feels welcomed. For us, inclusive architecture keeps in mind different types and groups of users. Through inclusive architecture we endeavor to accommodate these users and design for their comfort and inclusion. To be authentic with inclusive architecture, we design for different demographics ranging from gender, sexual orientation to physical disabilities / capabilities, religion, beliefs etc.
Philosophy
At Moco, pursuing inclusive architecture entails celebrating and embracing any kind of differences. For us, the authentic check for this is two fold:
Firstly, as architects, thinking about inclusivity brings us joy. It is not a burden or a checklist. Instead, it is an exciting challenge and growth opportunity for us.
Secondly, we know that it is not about one size fits all. Instead, it is about designing in diverse ways to expand and embrace users. Therefore, our target audience are always the users of the project (not everyone). We call this smart empathy.
In ABZ project, we took the intent for inclusion and turned it into a medium. This medium was, using the facade as a canvas in collaboration with a local artist. This facade stood for celebrating diversity, embracing and representing the city’s people.
The Moco Method For Inclusive Architecture
1. Study guidelines and understand requirements
Over and above The UN rights of disabled person 1975, different countries have legal provisions to help achieve a more inclusive society. At Moco, we don’t just study these guidelines we go beyond, we go deep in its intent and use this knowledge to create relevant design solutions. It is important to embrace values that these guidelines are talking about and protect all stakeholders involved.
2. Audit existing design to look for blindspots and points of exclusion
This is one of the most important steps in the Moco Method. Microsoft’s inclusive design team says, “Exclusion happens when we solve problems using our own biases.”
The audit process is a rigorous process where we list out the potential points of exclusion. Points of exclusion are nonconformities that could play out. This step drives us to explore our own blindspots and biases where we confront our assumptions about certain groups of people. Our exploration paves the way for us to become more sensitized towards our users. This process needs to be objective to be impactful, for this, we involve teams of specialists who thoroughly audit with objective checklists.
3. From these findings, create internal design commitments based on inclusivity for the project designers
Every project of ours has a different set of target audience, based on which, our internal design commitments are defined. These commitments include the insights from the audit as well as making a conscious and informed decision to exclude some. We ask questions around what is relevant to this project, to its users and then design the internal design commitments to guide us.
4. Incorporate the commitments in the design solutions
As designers, this is our forte, how do we take the insights, guidelines, learnings and commitments and bring it all together into workable and innovative solutions. This is where creative thinking, design mastery, collective brainstorming come to the Studio floor.
5. Work out technicalities of the design solution
Sorting through the lens of feasibility, this stage is the “how” we make these solutions happen. We turn design solutions into reality with the help of collaborators and vendor partners.
Philosophy
At Moco, pursuing inclusive architecture entails celebrating and embracing any kind of differences. For us, the authentic check for this is two fold:
Firstly, as architects, thinking about inclusivity brings us joy. It is not a burden or a checklist. Instead, it is an exciting challenge and growth opportunity for us.
Secondly, we know that it is not about one size fits all. Instead, it is about designing in diverse ways to expand and embrace users. Therefore, our target audience are always the users of the project (not everyone). We call this smart empathy.
In ABZ project, we took the intent for inclusion and turned it into a medium. This medium was, using the facade as a canvas in collaboration with a local artist. This facade stood for celebrating diversity, embracing and representing the city’s people.
The Moco Method For Inclusive Architecture
1. Study guidelines and understand requirements
Over and above The UN rights of disabled person 1975, different countries have legal provisions to help achieve a more inclusive society. At Moco, we don’t just study these guidelines we go beyond, we go deep in its intent and use this knowledge to create relevant design solutions. It is important to embrace values that these guidelines are talking about and protect all stakeholders involved.
2. Audit existing design to look for blindspots and points of exclusion
This is one of the most important steps in the Moco Method. Microsoft’s inclusive design team says, “Exclusion happens when we solve problems using our own biases.”
The audit process is a rigorous process where we list out the potential points of exclusion. Points of exclusion are nonconformities that could play out. This step drives us to explore our own blindspots and biases where we confront our assumptions about certain groups of people. Our exploration paves the way for us to become more sensitized towards our users. This process needs to be objective to be impactful, for this, we involve teams of specialists who thoroughly audit with objective checklists.
3. From these findings, create internal design commitments based on inclusivity for the project designers
Every project of ours has a different set of target audience, based on which, our internal design commitments are defined. These commitments include the insights from the audit as well as making a conscious and informed decision to exclude some. We ask questions around what is relevant to this project, to its users and then design the internal design commitments to guide us.
4. Incorporate the commitments in the design solutions
As designers, this is our forte, how do we take the insights, guidelines, learnings and commitments and bring it all together into workable and innovative solutions. This is where creative thinking, design mastery, collective brainstorming come to the Studio floor.
5. Work out technicalities of the design solution
Sorting through the lens of feasibility, this stage is the “how” we make these solutions happen. We turn design solutions into reality with the help of collaborators and vendor partners.
“Inclusivity Is Not Just About Ticking Boxes, It Is An Authentic Part Of Design And Experience.”
- Pritika Manjrekar, Principal Architect
The Movement
“Disability is a mismatched interaction between the features of a person’s body and the features of the environment in which they live”
— World Health Organization, 2011 World Report on Disability
We look at disability differently. As architects, we look at it as the inefficiency of the environment that does not match the needs of its people. Disability, when constructed broadly, as it should, is the playing field of inclusive architecture. As architects, we strive to build environments that match the needs of its users. The movement of turning disability into accessibility has been explored extensively in AP4.
