What We Do

The DisOrdinary Architecture Project is a not-for-profit platform that starts from the experiences, expertise and creativity of disabled artists. We work through co-partnering and co-design to bring together artists and built environment specialists on an equal footing.

Our collaborations aim to generate creative and critical opportunities that open up innovative new provocations for thinking and doing disability (and ability) differently in architecture and the built environment. By learning lessons from what we do, we aim to become thought leaders in the field, and to influence attitudes and practices as well as the design of our built surroundings.


For disabled artists interested in built space

We offer training and employment opportunities.

For built environment students and educators

We would love to work with you to co-create new kinds of learning and research activities, that grow out of doing disability differently

For design and cultural professionals

For policy-makers and public engagement specialists

We can co-explore ways to open up exciting and innovative engagements with dis/ability, creativity, design and cultural spaces.

We can work with you to embed disability, access and inclusion as core elements of your mission.


This is a fantastic sounding project. I’ve spent quite a number of occasions discussing how we might teach these kind of issues in architectural education – and this seems to me one of the first projects that is really interesting
— Prof. Harry Charrington, Head of Department of Architecture, University of Westminster
Zoe, I would like to thank you again for the wonderful and very productive session you provided with Tony and Jos last week. All the participants were extremely happy and ask for continuation in the future.
— Vahan Badalyan, General Director, National Centre for Asethetics, Yerevan Armenia
I wanted to drop you a note so that you understand the huge impact your project had in Matera. […] Your work has not been forgotten, and thanks again for it.
— Ben Evans, Head of Arts & Disability, EU Region, British Council


Services for Disabled Artists

Artist David Dixon, working with Masters students at KADK, Copenhagen November 2018

Artist David Dixon, working with Masters students at KADK, Copenhagen November 2018

  • Creating more funded opportunities for artists to co-partner with built environment students, educators and practitioners in a variety of contexts and locations, underpinned by their own creative practice and experiences;

  • Providing training and mentoring support to build the capacity of artists to engage creatively and effectively across a wide range of built environment sector opportunities.

A central mission for The DisOrdinary Architecture Project is to build the capacity of disabled artists who are interested in the built environment and spatial justice, so they can work more creatively and effectively in this field. We aim to increase confidence in dealing with built environment specialists and issues; to enhance possibilities for future work; and to inform artists’ own practices. We aim to do this by:


Services for Educators and Learners 

Artist David Dixon, working with Masters students at KADK, Copenhagen November 2018
  • Building partnerships with architectural and built environment university departments, courses and individuals to develop activities that aim to do disability differently through collaborations with disabled artists; 

  • Co-designing research activities and bids in support of rethinking disability, difference, inclusion and spatial justice;

  • Developing support and opportunities for disabled students and staff to bring their own lived experiences to bear creatively on both own personal development and as a challenge to normative and excluding social and spatial practices;

  • Providing principles and resources that offer a ‘toolkit’ for different training, coaching and development contexts;

  • Creating examples of work that suggest creative and innovative directions.

We would love to work with you to co-create new kinds of learning and research activities, that grow out of doing disability differently.


Services for Professionals

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  • Offering alternative inclusive design and diversity training as Continuing Professional Development (CPD), that explores more creative alternatives and ways of thinking to conventional ‘access solutions’, including workshops and design charrettes;

  • Offering alternative kinds of access audit, built on discursive visits, crowd-sourcing and exploratory creative interventions;

  • Exploring innovative ways of enabling creative disabled people to influence attitudes and practices;

  • Enabling practice-based research and development partnerships.

We can co-explore ways to open up exciting and innovative engagements with dis/ability, creativity, design and cultural spaces.


Services for Public Bodies

Artist David Dixon, working with Masters students at KADK, Copenhagen November 2018
  •  Offering keynote speakers, workshops and other resources in support of widening informed debate:

  • Communicating and promoting activities and resources to demonstrate methods for ‘doing disability differently’ across the built environment and cultural sectors;

  • Energising debate and increasing engagement by reaching wider audiences through public events, other activities and social media;

  • Connecting to key influencers to support long-term development and growth;

  • Collaborating with organisations to redesign services and facilities towards enabling inclusion and diversity, starting from the creativity of disabled artists.

We can work with you to embed disability, access and inclusion as core elements of your mission.