Yes, Accessible Design is Good Design, but who decides what's "good"? Does it use the latest materials? Is it publication-worthy? This is short-sighted thinking. Is it useable, for intended purposes? Does it imbue daily living with grace and delight? These are the questions we architects need to be asking. Steve Jobs said "Design is about how it works." So is Accessible Design. It's not just for people who use wheelchairs. It's for people who have - or may one day have - a wide variety of conditions, temporary or permanent, sudden or progressive, visual/auditory/cognitive/dexterity/mobility impairments, and their friends, family, helpers, and future owners. Doesn't that really mean all of us? Thus was born the notion of Universal Design.
Basic design skills will serve architects well in seeking to design accessible places, but good designers must do more. We need to learn to listen to our clients, and ask the right questions. We need to be deft at creating value with fewer resources. We need to stay current on technologies for smart homes and knowledgeable about ubiquitous computing. We need to follow social trends - cultural and economic realities that are changing the context in which we design. We need to advise our clients regarding funding assistance. We need to teach contractors to look at buildings differently.
It's easy to think that good design is about gorgeous spaces, and that's how the public sees things. So do many architects. It's not enough. Accessible design asks us to raise the bar, and meeting the challenge lets us create places that are awesomely beautiful but also make living easier. It's an exploration that makes us better architects.
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Deborah Pierce AIA
Pierce Lamb Architects
West Newton MA
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