Reinventing the Campus: Inclusion for All Through an Understanding of Learning Disabilities

Abstract

Reinventing the campus is about making the university campus more inclusive and welcoming for everyone through better understanding and accommodating individuals with Learning Disabilities (LDs). The thesis tests this hypothesis on Dalhousie University’s Sexton Campus in Halifax, Nova Scotia, hoping that the result will not only be inclusive for everyone but will relabel the campus as a critical part of the urban domain and not function as an exclusive and separate institution. By understanding LDs and how to accommodate them, the same principles of accommodation and support apply to everyone. The thesis uses the architectural principle of Inhabited Circulation to integrate LD accommodation with the public. Using Inhabited Circulation as the primary design strategy through the scales of the city, the campus, and the individual/student experience will truly reinvent the campus for the better.