“Homes for adults with disabilities are commonly horizontal and introverted institutions,” say Lambert Lénack, the architects of the Paul Meurice Home and Day Centre in Paris. Their elegant design, knitted into the city fabric and ushering in generous light and space, is an exception. Rather than hiding the building – and its dwellers – away from the urban core, it integrates them into society.

The centre is one of the highlights of AZURE’s Creating Inclusivity issue, which focuses on people and projects around the globe making strides towards equity-based design. If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that the experiences of many groups of people have been neglected by the built environment. In this issue, we present some of the practitioners around the world who are seeking to change that.

We also delve into a library, designed by JKMM Architects, that is in tune with its community in Finland (it’s our cover story), catch up with five emerging Indigenous practitioners around the world – including Sámi artist and architect Joar Nango – and spend time with renowned landscape architect Walter Hood, whose Oakland, California, practice is currently completing the environs of the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Outdoor furnishings

The latest and greatest products for outdoors, including Landscape Forms’ Parallel 42 benching series, shown.

PEC’s serene Ell House

Two architecture firms join forces to create one stunning home that doubles as an Airbnb rental in Ontario’s Prince Edward County.

Statements in the making

From Roche Bobois’s Mah Jong (shown) to Moooi’s Hubble Bubble, an appreciation of 15 interior products that epitomize classic, everlasting design.