LOW BARRIERS IN HOUSING Housing associations and investors are very often hard-pressed to provide economical housing at an affordable price for a broad section of society. Accessibility, many believe, is often one of the first areas where cost savings can be made. As a result, attempts to reduce existing barriers are all too often abandoned entirely, although a number of measures towards this aim would still be possible.

This is where the term low-barrier can contribute. It defines a collection of measures aimed at reducing barriers in existing dwellings with a view to improving their usability. If it is not possible - or feasible - to adapt housing to fully conform with accessibility norms, then it is nevertheless sensible to remove or avoid as many barriers as possible during adaptation, rather than to ignore the issue entirely.

For many residents with special needs, to live independently, even a partial reduction of barriers can substantially improve the usability of their home and their ability to carry out everyday activities. Lifts, levelled access to balconies, handrails and door width are some of the many small and cost-effective examples. Operating modules like thermostats or light switches can be positioned to be used in a seating position, and bath tubs can allow helpers to stand close to the bath.

UNIVERSAL DESIGN
ISBN 978-3-7643-8718-1 ENG
ISBN 978-3-7643-8717-4 DE


WICKED! is about blood, violence, and weapons, about sex and genitals, bowels, bodily fluids, and decay. And yes, it is about design. It volatilely teases with physical and intense attractions and anxieties thrown onto everyday objects. One wonders: Who could I give it to?! From a distance we know how disgusting things can get, and usually we feel superiour to the wicked - or the bad taste. But it is thinkable for the observer to actually be revolting - to use objects and living beings in a way close to destruction, supression and decay. Just thinkable. For a moment. And then flip the page.

The leap it actually takes to realize what destruction and degradation are and how many other forms they take in our everyday lives needs quite a while. Our fascination with them is enjoyable from a distance. But right in the middle of the horror - of the waste of our energies - most of us would simply fold. In a hopeless, immobile situation that confronts us with our own destruction we do not know any answers.

WICKED! Design on the Edge of Bad Taste
ISBN 978-3-0346-0722-3


The BMW GUGGENHEIM LAB will be open in New York City from August 3 to October 16 before traveling to Berlin and 6 other cities. Part urban think tank, part community center and public gathering space, the Lab is conceived to inspire public discourse in cities around the world and through the BMW Guggenheim Lab website and online social communities.

BMW GUGGEBHEIM LAB
http://www.bmwguggenheimlab.org


TRANSFORMATION
Reading this book is like learning a 3D language!In over 1300 color pictures and drawings this bookoffers an access to the principles of designing 3D forms and surfaces. The basis of this hugecollection of forms is an analysis and structuring of the various types of forms and their interfaces. These form types with their many variations and possibilities to connect to each other can be beautifully memorized while flipping through the book and used later on in any kind of design process.

TRANSFORMATION
Basic Principles and Methodology of Design
ISBN 978-3-7643-0255-6