Every year on 3 December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities brings renewed attention to the need for inclusive, equitable environments, both socially and spatially. The 2025 theme, "Fostering disability inclusive societies for advancing social progress," highlights how persistent barriers in employment, social protection, and access to services continue to affect more than one billion people worldwide. Within this broader context, the built environment plays a decisive role: architecture can either reinforce exclusion or open pathways toward autonomy, dignity, and participation in daily life.
Collective housing remains one of the most active areas for unbuilt architectural exploration, revealing how architects are rethinking domestic life, density, and shared living across different cultural and environmental contexts. In this curated Unbuilt edition, submitted by the ArchDaily community, the selected proposals investigate new forms of dwelling that span mobile units, vertical developments, adaptive reuse, and landscape-driven residential clusters. Rather than treating housing as a purely functional container, these projects position it as a social and spatial framework that shapes everyday life, community ties, and long-term urban resilience.
Across varied geographies, from Tirana and Athens to Monterrey, Chaloos, Roatán, Bhola, and the DRC, these proposals explore multiple approaches to collective living: transforming industrial shells into residential structures, extending existing masterplans through landscape integration, reimagining verticality in dense urban centers, and developing modular prototypes that can adapt to changing climates or patterns of mobility. Some projects prioritize ecological strategies and local materials, while others test new models for accessibility, community well-being, or incremental urban growth. Together, they reflect a broad spectrum of architectural responses to contemporary housing pressures.
Public spaces remain some of the most dynamic sites for unbuilt architectural experimentation, revealing how cities and architects can imagine accessibility, gathering, and civic identity. In this curated Unbuilt edition, submitted by the ArchDaily community, the selected proposals examine parks, pedestrian corridors, cultural landscapes, and open-access urban environments that invite people to meet, move, rest, and participate in collective life. Rather than treating public space as leftover terrain, these projects position it as essential infrastructure—shaping urban health, memory, and social interaction.
Utilitarian and mass-produced, the portable toilet at the Gropius House unexpectedly echoes Bauhaus values. But it was always meant to be a stop-gap solution that is clearly inelegant and does not meet contemporary accessibility standards. It fails to adequately welcome visitors to this iconic property.
Theaters serve as cultural and social institutions, shaping society by providing spaces where stories of identity, race, and justice are brought to life. These venues foster community through shared, live experiences, sparking conversations that resonate beyond the stage. Architecturally, theaters are more than performance spaces—they are landmarks that embody both the history and future of the arts. Their design often reflects the cultural importance of storytelling, while their refurbishments ensure they remain relevant in a modern context.
In this week's AD Interior Focus, ArchDaily explores how the refurbishment of iconic theaters like the Royal Opera House in London, United Kingdom, and Sydney Opera House in Australia goes beyond modernizing comfort and accessibility. It delves into how these projects preserve the architectural integrity of these historic landmarks, ensuring their design continues to serve as a backdrop for both artistic expression and social discourse.
New Casa Sud Train Station by OUALALOU+CHOI . Image Courtesy of OUALALOU+CHOI
OUALALOU+CHOI has won the international competition for the design of the new Casa Sud Train Station in Casablanca, Morocco. Based in Paris and Casablanca, the architecture and urban design practice led by Tarik Oualalou and Linna Choi is recognized for its work exploring the relationship between architecture, infrastructure, and public life. The winning proposal envisions the new station as both an infrastructural hub and a civiclandmark, addressing the needs of a rapidly expanding metropolis while contributing to the urban and social fabric of Morocco's economic capital.
Barbie™ and HEWI have joined forces to launch a bold sanitary collection that marries timeless Bauhaus design with Barbie's unmistakable pink-hued world. Presented in 2025, the Barbie x HEWI line spans nearly 40 bathroom products, from towel holders to folding support rails, and is designed to be both functional and inclusive. With a focus on individuality and accessibility, the collaboration reimagines the bathroom as a space where design meets diversity, whether installed in boutique hotels, private homes, or healthcare facilities. Rooted in HEWI's German design legacy and Barbie's global cultural influence, the series invites users to experience 'Design with Unlimited Possibilities.'
https://www.archdaily.com/1034331/form-function-and-a-splash-of-pink-inside-the-barbie-x-hewi-collectionEirini Ilia
The noise of overlapping conversations, the flashing lights of a billboard, hurried footsteps on the sidewalk, and the constant hammering of a nearby construction site: public spaces are sometimes experienced as environments where stimuli accumulate and often overwhelm us. Each person perceives and responds to these sensory inputs differently, and recognizing neurodiversity means understanding that some individuals require more time to adapt, slower-paced journeys, or more gradual interactions with their surroundings. These encounters raise fundamental questions about contemporary public space: how can it accommodate the diversity of ways people perceive and inhabit it? How can we envision it as a space that embraces all ways of experiencing it?
Play extends beyond its recreational dimension, unfolding as a social act that encourages children to learn, interact, be creative, and engage with their spatial context. As Johan Huizinga notes in Homo Ludens, it is a fundamental element of culture, where kids form bonds and explore ways of coexisting. When the architecture of play spaces excludes certain bodies or modes of participation, the collective experience becomes fragmented and loses part of its meaning. Designing with inclusion in mind, therefore, means recognizing that the actual value of play lies in its potential to be shared by everyone.
https://www.archdaily.com/1033205/inclusive-playgrounds-every-body-can-play-through-architectureEnrique Tovar
Studio Gang, led by Jeanne Gang, has revealed its design for the Colorado 150 PedestrianWalkway, a new civic infrastructure project commissioned by Governor Polis and the America 150-250 Commission. Spanning 11,000 square feet, the walkway is conceived as both a connective urban thread and a commemorative landscape, marking the 150th anniversary of Colorado's statehood. Strategically sited in downtown Denver, the intervention links key public spaces and monuments, enhancing pedestrianaccessibility while fostering a layered experience of art, culture, and history. Set to be completed by July 2026, various features, such as viewing platforms, monuments, new public artworks by Colorado-based artists, play areas, and interpretive elements, aim to invite users to explore, gather, and reflect along the route.
Castles and fortresses often rise from strategic, commanding positions when standing alone or integrated into urban and rural landscapes. From above, they overlook the city, bearing in their imposing structures the weight of history. With their original functions now limited to contemplation, these spaces have been undergoing revaluation and reintegration into everyday urban life. Once symbols of military or political power, they are now taking on new roles through contemporary interventions that engage with their heritage without erasing their past.
Gallaudet University was established in 1864, becoming the first American educational institution for the deaf and hard of hearing. The university is officially bilingual, with American Sign Language (ASL) and written English used throughout the educational programs. Over the years, the university has grown, adapting both its teaching methods and its spaces to the needs of its students, in turn learning from them how to counter the challenges they face and create a safer and more comfortable environment. These lessons turned into design guidelines, created to educate the architectural community about the strategies they can employ to create more accessible spaces for all.
Contemporary cities are vibrant, complex, and constantly evolving. Above all, they are ever-changing, mutable, and diverse. What transformative changes are occurring, and where are they leading us? Urbanization continues to gain momentum in many regions of the world, generating visible and structural transformations. As this unfolds, data on the evolution of its configuration and the challenges we encounter begin to emerge. According to the World Bank, the urban population will continue to trend upward, with 90% of new urban residents concentrated in Africa and Asia. This growth raises essential questions: How can we consolidate a design approach that ensures equitable access to spaces, resources, and services? How can we make emerging and consolidated metropolises more inclusive and accessible?
https://www.archdaily.com/1028012/designing-inclusive-cities-the-role-of-universal-design-in-creating-accessible-urban-atmospheresEnrique Tovar
Spain boasts a vast diversity of natural and urban landscapes, where public space plays a leading role. Its relevance has grown in recent years, solidifying it as a key axis for interaction. Beyond its architectural and landscape qualities, public space offers visitors and citizens high-quality environments that contribute to improving living conditions, whether, in an urban park, a pedestrian axis within the city, or a space simply meant for being in a natural setting and connecting with the territory.
The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) has confirmed that the Orange Line of the Riyadh Metro, also known as the Al Madinah Al Munawwarah Axis, began operations on Sunday, January 5, 2025. Spanning 41 kilometers, the Orange Line runs east to west, connecting Jeddah Road in the west to the Second Eastern Ring Road near Khashm Al Aan in the east in Saudi Arabia. This newly operational line is a key component of the city's metro system, designed to enhance urban mobility and connectivity.
The world certainly looks different through the eyes of a young child; enormous, intriguing, and somewhat overwhelming, and it has long been believed that what we encounter as children shapes our perspective of the world. When asked about his childhood memories in Switzerland, Peter Zumthor shared that the memories of his youth contain the deepest architectural experience, which has become reservoirs of the architectural atmospheres and images that he explores in his work as an architect today.
Having a complete understanding of how children change and grow physically and psychologically throughout their childhood requires an in-depth observation of different factors, such as their hereditary traits and genetics, the interactions they have with other children and adults, as well as the environment they are living, playing, and learning in. In celebration of World Children's Day on November 20th, we look at how architects and designers stimulated children's autonomy and promoted their mental and physical well-being through architecture and interior design. This initiative aligns with the theme of World Architecture Day 2024: "Mobilizing the Next Generation for Urban Transformation," emphasizing the crucial role that thoughtful design plays in shaping a sustainable and inclusive future for our cities and the communities within them.
Nowadays, diversity and inclusion stand as fundamental pillars in the design of spaces, guiding the creation of structures that adapt to the needs of all individuals. This comprehensive approach addresses the functionality of buildings aiming to transform every aspect of design, promoting accessibility from scratch. A key milestone in this matter was the establishment of legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the US. This document established a legal framework to prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities and set a precedent for promoting the design of public spaces and services that are accessible to all.
While it is undeniable that these advances have marked a turning point in the accessibility of the built environment, historically, these codes have led to the predominant aesthetics of accessible restrooms being based on conformity. This focus has gradually moved away from design, resulting in aesthetically limited proposals. Although compliance is not questioned, this situation has generated a need for new visions that can transform the aesthetics of bathrooms while adhering to these regulations. The growing need for accessible facilities has led to the development of innovative concepts, such as the Superloo cubicles. This self-contained facility maximizes usable space while highlighting the trend of merging functionality and inclusivity in an aesthetically pleasing environment.
https://www.archdaily.com/1021626/style-meets-accessibility-cutting-edge-restroom-solutions-for-everyoneEnrique Tovar
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