Vandhalla - A Sport Centre and a Successful Example of First-Generation Universal Design

The research project 'Evaluation of Vandhalla' is a study of the perceived quality of the new building as well as the design competition and design process leading to the final design. The evaluation focuses on the mindset of the winning entry, the design process, the design solution and the value of Vandhalla. Vandhalla is a sport centre including an indoor swimming pool at the Danish folk high school, Egmont. Empirically, the evaluation is based on qualitative interviews and walkthroughs on site with the architects, the client, personnel and students. The evaluation shows that Vandhalla is a successful example of an inclusive building in Denmark. The paper points at two factors having an impact on the result: the client as a key driver and the understanding of the users. The general use of knowledge as well as the winning design team's use of knowledge in the work with the design is problematized. It is suggested that Vandhalla should be regarded as a contribution to the first generation of Universal Design (UD) in Denmark. The Evaluation was conducted by the authors at SBi Aalborg University and financed by Realdania.