Acknowledging and understanding the value of designing for diverse users is among today’s challenges for owners, managers, architects and builders of commercial real estate properties. This might seem daunting, but speakers at an April 19 Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW)-St. Louis program entitled “Designing with Diversity in Mind” said using universal design concepts benefits everyone who uses a building, whether they have a disability or not.
For example, redesigning access to the iconic St. Louis Arch recently by adding ramps resulted in dispensing with steps, because the new ramps are convenient for anyone and everyone, so steps were no longer needed. That innovative, inclusive approach, along with other aspects such as accessible, tactile exhibits, produced a National Parks Service Award for the project.
“Universal design means the creation of a built environment, not a natural one, that gives access so everyone can understand and use a space regardless of age or ability,” said John Mueller, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, managing partner at JEMA.
For Shyla Harton, director of diversity and inclusion at Places for People, universal design means “maximum inclusion for all, regardless of weight, height or any other aspects.” One challenge of implementing universal design that responds to diverse needs of employees, customers, clients and contractors is often that the people making design decisions for a building project or space are not the ones who will use that space, Harton said. “It’s usually board members” who don’t need accommodations in design.
“Disability does encompass all of us and how our brains work,” said Lori Becker, interim CEO at the Starkloff Disability Institute. “It’s expansive — the list of (differences) goes on and on. For the most part (70%), disabilities are non-visible.” However, universal design aims to serve everyone. “It doesn’t stigmatize disability for a space to be designed so everyone can be comfortable.”
“The barrier is getting people to understand the difference between ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance and universal design,” Harton said.
Mueller said the movement toward universal design began with the ADA but that there’s no one source of certification, which can make it harder to implement principles that mesh with the concept. He suggested that CRE professionals look at how more progressive states, such as California, are guiding the movement until there is a federal government response to follow, which he expects to see soon.
“There are codes, but no standard,” he said.
Mueller suggested not only designing with ramps instead of or in addition to stairs but also using contemporary resources such as areas that are “cane-detectable” and make it easier for people using wheelchairs, canes or crutches to navigate the space.
Other elements to consider, according to Harton, include height-adjustable chairs and desks, lighting, paint colors, furnishings, and more. Becker said sound conditions also should be considered. People with hearing impairment or discomfort with hearing loud chewing during a meal event might need quieter settings to participate in meetings and other activities.
Becker offered the University of Buffalo and State University of New York system as a resource. Her organization hosts an annual event to help colleagues learn about best practices in making buildings accessible to all.
When moderator Jenna Knatt of CI Select asked about products such as furniture that are incorporating universal design concepts, Becker credited “the advent of ergonomics to advance flexible, highly adjustable furniture. We are seeing universal design creep into products,” she said. “Knoll does a good job.”
Mueller noted that “Universal design can act as an aesthetic complement” to a building project or environment.
Spaces for workers with different needs can include quiet pods and working from home, Becker said. Mueller noted the muted colors and carpeting of the meeting space are both good choices for universal design. Harton said workspaces with windows are both healthier and more comfortable for people with some types of diverse issues.
Universal design responds to understanding people with neurodiversity as well as more visible situations such as using a wheelchair, Harton said. “People who are neurodiverse have a different way for their brain to work. They learn and respond (to environments) differently.”
The speakers agreed that the benefits of designing commercial properties to be more flexible workspaces are as universal as the concept itself: Doing so can make a building more comfortable for all, which enhances morale and productivity.
“Creating environments that are universal means giving people options and choices,” Mueller said. “People are happier. What we see translates to feelings, so we have to design so people feel better about coming into our spaces.”
The way spaces are being designed now reminds Harton of the flexibility of college, she said — and at only 24, that’s still a fresh perspective for her and one that is important for the current era in hiring and managing employees, as well as in serving customers and clients. Co-working spaces and collaboration are practical elements of universal design and meeting the needs of a variety of people, she said.
Becker suggested keeping the curb-cut principle in mind, which says that adding cuts to sidewalks helps not only wheelchair users but people with strollers, canes, crutches for temporary conditions, shopping carts, etc., navigate a landscape more safely and easily: “If you design with accessibility in mind, everyone benefits.”
Another factor in universal design can be as simple as differences between generations or responding to health emergencies, Harton said. “Younger workers are likely to need to move around rather than sit in one place for hours at a time, and the Covid pandemic showed that we need different spaces to work,” she said. “It can be hard to convince older workers that variety in where you work is needed by younger employees.”
Becker called universal design “an equity matter” and Mueller added it is “part of good design.”
Becker stated that simulating barriers faced by people with disabilities or requiring employees and designers to use a wheelchair for a day can be counterproductive as it highlights the difficulties rather than solutions, potentially discouraging changes in building design. Instead, demonstrating how people with disabilities can create or receive accommodations is a more effective way to convince designers, property owners, and managers to adopt universal design principles.
“It comes down to empathy,” Mueller concluded. “The goal is to design so it doesn’t divide people. Universal design should be integrated so no one feels excluded.”
The program was hosted by the Capes Sokol Law firm.
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FEATURE PHOTO CREDIT RUTH THALER-CARTER | MWM STL