This report documents a novel and innovative design studio initiative at the Melbourne School of Design at the University of Melbourne that brought together architecture students and Intellectually Disabled people in a co-design process to challenge the exclusionary norms of built environment education and practice. While existing regulations like the National Construction Code and Australian Standard AS1428 provide broad accessibility guidelines, the needs and concerns of people with ID are absent. This project addresses that gap by embedding people with lived experience into the architectural design process—not as subjects of inquiry but as equal partners and expert contributors.
Through participatory workshops, direct collaboration in studio sessions, and supported communication and engagement strategies, the project demonstrates how co-design can foster empathy, dismantle hierarchies, and produce more inclusive architectural outcomes. It also explores the institutional, pedagogical, and logistical challenges of incorporating co-design into accredited university settings, including issues of student assessment, ethics approval, and payment frameworks for design partners.
This report shares the studio's lessons and provides a practical guide for other design schools and practitioners seeking to meaningfully involve disabled people in architectural education and practice.
The findings emphasise that successful co-design requires tailored support systems, such as Design Thinking tools, pre-course training, and equitable compensation. The report concludes with a call to action: to embed co-design into education and professional practice as an ethical imperative, supported by flexible frameworks and sustained communities of practice.