Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine 2020, Special Volume 1: 238-242 ORIGINAL ARTICLE EVALUATION OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN REQUIREMENTS APPLICATION IN PUBLIC MOSQUES IN BANDUNG Rangga F, Nangkula U, Nazlina S, Sumarni I and Ratri W Interior Design Study Program, School of Creative Industries, Telkom University, Cheras, Bandung, Indonesia Research Fellow, Halal Product Research Institute, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Malaysia Faculty of Design and Architecture, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Malaysia Faculty of Design and Architecture, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Malaysia Interior Design Study Program, School of Creative Industries, Telkom University, Indonesia * Corresponding author: Rangga F Email : [email protected] ABSTRACT A Number of studies have found the cases of facilities in public buildings which are inaccessible by users & visitors with different abilities. Thus, constructing user friendly and barrier-free architecture-interior design is necessary in the built environment. This research will evaluate the requirements for ease of access in public mosques with study cases Pusdai Mosque & Grand Mosque of Bandung in accordance with the Regulation of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing of the Republic of Indonesia No.14 2017. The regulation which stipulates the provision of facilities in buildings and environments that suit the needs of all age groups, conditions of physical; mental; and intellectual; or sensory limitations based on the buildings’ function to provide user and visitor convenience in doing activities in the buildings. Both mosques, the Pusdai Mosque and Grand Mosque have not entirely fulfilled the standards of universal design in the interior in term of ease of access, safety and autonomy of space use, safety and security for all. From 7 universal design standard requirements, both mosques of study case only fulfill less than 50% of the requirements Keywords: public mosques, universal design, facilities accessibility, Bandung INTRODUCTION one. Since majority of the population is Muslim, thus mosques are a kind of religious building Based on Islamic definition1, mosques are which is most occupied at all time. There are defined as places where praying activities take several types of mosques, such as a community place while prayer is one of the worship services. mosque and a grand mosque. In fact, the latter In other definition, a mosque is a place that is is the most occupied mosques within the city devoted and has a special law other than as a context with various users coming not only from place of worship, not only as a place of worship the city residents but also from the city outskirt. but it also covers a function of social-community2 & political, public governing activities. From the METHODS Islamic perspective, providing universal design principal standard in mosque design in The study used a literature review on universal considering the need to provide for persons with design in general & referring to relevant disabilities has deliberately made mosque a government regulations in Indonesia. place of ease and convenience for all people to Furthermore, the variables which were used to come to Masjid. evaluate the application of universal design standards were obtained in two predetermined The population demography of the City is divided samples. Subsequently, in the next stage, the into several age groups. The group of 0 – 14 is study carried out preliminary observations in approximately around 500.000 people or both research sampling. Based on the results of constitutes 20% of the total population, while preliminary observations of the study associated age group over 65 is estimated around 120.000 with previous literature studies, there is one people or 4.8% of the population. Thus, based on group of age category of space users selected, the figure, it can be said that about a quarter of i.e. the elderly group. Furthermore, the space of the population is children and the elderly interest in this study is the main room, ablution people3. Considering such a fact of the room, & toilet. population, it is necessary for Bandung municipal to pay more attention to providing universal There are two important aspects for data designs to accommodate young children and the analysis to be carried out, i.e. first concluding elderly who naturally have different ability with the evaluation results of the application of the rest of the population to access and utilize universal design standards for the user category the public buildings. One of the most frequently of the elderly. Later on, the analysis on the used public building typologies is the religious findings of the elderly congregation activities Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine 2020, Special Volume 1: 238-242 (prayer patterns) and the needs of facility inconvenience other users; and the third is that related to these activities is carried out. This is it is warranted as a rule6. considered important since prayer (shalat) activities are the main worship performed in the The approach to design building that mosque and an important priority for accommodates people with functional limitations observation. has changed from narrow code compliance to meet the specialized needs of a few to a more Study cases objects were chosen for the inclusive design process for everybody. There are following reasons 1) Moslem population in four characteristics of accessible designs: Bandung, 2) the study objects are categorized perceptibility, operability, simplicity, and jamik or grand mosques, 3) building capacity is forgiveness. Perceptibility is achieved when over 1000 people and located in the city center, everyone can perceive the design regardless of therefore are relevant to be evaluated on sensory abilities. Furthermore, operability is universal design standard implementation. achieved when everyone can use the design Masjid Raya Bandung Jawa Barat (Grand Mosque regardless of physical abilities while simplicity is of West Java) previously known as Masjid Agung achieved when everyone can easily understand Bandung, was first established in 1812 which can and use the design regardless of experience, accommodate around 5,000 people in literacy, or concentration level. Forgiveness is congregation. Through the time, it had achieved when designs minimize the occurrence experienced several redesigns until the current and consequences of errors7. appearance. The mosque is located in the heart of city on the West side of alun-alun (city The issues the researchers discussed in square). As a grand mosque, Masjid Raya evaluating universal design in mosques are the Bandung has large capacity in accommodating accessibility and usability of mosques for the congregation. Meanwhile, Masjid Pusdai (Pusat people with disabilities8, accessibility & comfort Dakwah Islam Jawa Barat) or Pusdai Jabar for congregation9, accessibility of toilet and Mosque was established in 2017 as center for ablution to praying hall10, constraints of access Islamic study which can accommodate around of wheelchair to mosque11, level of accessibility 4,000 people in congregation. Currently, the of mosques12, and principal dimensions of an premises are managed by West Java Provincial accessible mosque13. All of the studies discussed government. the accessibility for people with disabilities, which in their case, people with physical RESULTS limitation. Yet, none of the study has done any observation on accessibility for children and the The implementation of universal design and its elderly, to which the study aims to fill the gap. concept gained attention in the 90’s in several The following table (Table 1) presents some European countries. The concept was initially studies which specifically focused on the introduced by Ronald L. Mace in 1980’s. evaluation of universal design standards in Referring to the UN Convention on the Rights of mosque and their findings. People with Disabilities, universal design means the design of products, environments, programs In Indonesia, universal design standard is and services to be usable by all people, to the regulated by the Regulation of Ministry of Public greatest possible extent, without the need for Works & Housing (PUPR) No.14/PRT/M/2017 adaptation or specialized design. The National concerning the Requirements of Building Organization on Disability’s Accessible Accessibility. In general, the universal design Congregations Campaign (ACC) has initiated ACC principles contained in the regulation has standard as a national effort in the USA to considered the needs and capability of groups of increase congregational inclusion of people with the disabled, children, the elderly, and pregnant disabilities. Based on data from the World Health women. It consists of the equality of utility of Organization (WHO) in 2011, there are at least space, safety and security for all, ease of access one billion people with disabilities living in the and barrier-free, ease of information access, world4. However, we often find people with autonomy of space use, user effort efficient, and disabilities less facilitated especially in public conformity with ergonomically space- buildings because of environmental barriers. dimension13. The universal design shall not exclude assistive Rahim emphasized that mosques must be devices for particular groups of persons with designed by implementing universal design disabilities where this is needed. Universal standards so that they can accommodate all design should be accepted as an approach