Connecting humans and architecture with design
Experiment, design, and product proposal in a row
Nunota Ken
Building Research Institute｜Professor
Japan’s rapidly aging population and declining birth rate are unrivaled in the world. So, architectural ergonomics is more important in Japan than elsewhere, and its trends are followed by others.
In this laboratory, we develop awareness in students through barrier-free accessibility surveys in the community. We also help students develop effective presentations and problem-solving skills through design and experiments. We use the Universal Design Studio (Building Research Institute, Tsukuba—Part of National Research and Development Agency) for our experiments.
Also, using our collaborative programs with other research partner institutions, we promote interdisciplinary as well as industry-government-academia collaborations to apply research results to society. Findings in this research form the legal basis of our proposition to barrier-free accessibility policymaking.
In particular, we find it important to consider barrier-free accessibility in a disaster. For instance, how should the elderly and people with disabilities be evacuated in a disaster? What are the guidelines for recommending them to wait at home without evacuation, etc. We have previously developed an evacuation support system. We believe that our university can offer an ideal environment for accessibility design implementation and research.
