Beyond the Body: Rethinking the architectural module to promote social inclusion

The architectural module has long been associated with the concept of measurement, where standardisation of the human body is used to define absolute modularity. With the awareness of human diversity, this narrow view of the module’s applicability is problematic, particularly in processes of environmental accessibility and inclusion. This paper critically explores the limits of the traditional measurement module, rethinking the concept of mod-ularity to account for physical and perceptive diversity. By doing so, we aim to promote social inclusion and universal design in architectural projects for people. The paper concludes that the evolution of the concepts of the module and the human being requires a revision of their very meanings, calling for a more inclusive approach to design and planning in our contemporary world.