AIL Research

Ensuring access to spaces while promoting comfort and human well-being for all people are essential qualities that our buildings must possess today. The goal of the laboratory of Architecture and Intelligent Living is to create empowering, enjoyable and healthy environments for all people, while integrating a low-impact approach towards the climate.

In line with these objectives, AIL's research activities focus on the accessibility of spaces, the comfort of all occupants, and the role that information can play in the usage and understanding of spaces.

Accessible

This theme focuses on the spatial experiences of people with disabilities and builds on the principles of universal design, according to which spaces designed for a wide range of abilities are safer and more livable for everyone. Under this theme, we are interested in a series of questions, for instance: How are everyday spaces used and appreciated by disabled people? What would a more accessible and enjoyable world look like if it were imagined from scratch by the people who are most affected , i.e., people with disabilities? How to enable mobility and ease navigation for all?

Comfortable

From a grounding in indoor environmental quality (IEQ) research, our ambition is to continue to explore the limits of comfort for all users as well as to advance our understanding of what can make spaces delightful and restorative. Under this theme, we are interested in a series of questions, for instance: What characteristics should places meet to provide comfortable spatial experiences for all people? Are the existing comfort criteria (e.g., visual, thermal, acoustic) applicable to people with disabilities? What characteristics should places meet to reduce stress?

Informed

Information is an important driver for a more equitable use of spaces, and for making us aware of the impact of these spaces on our health and on the climate in real time. Under this theme, we are interested in a series of questions, for instance: How can information support and facilitate a more equitable access and usage of spaces according to individual abilities and needs? What role can information play in making occupants aware of the environmental impact of their decisions regarding their spaces over time? How can information be used to support occupant’s health?