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A Cambridge University research paper explores the challenges faced by architectural design practitioners in embracing inclusive design

2024-01-05T12:15:00-05:00

New research produced by the University of Cambridge has identified key strategies to better effect a widespread implementation of inclusive design beyond its current status as a nascent set of concepts that have yet to be fully adopted by practitioners in almost every sector.

The paper’s lead investigators, Dr. Matteo Zallio and Professor P John Clarkson, surveyed a total of 114 different practitioners of architecture to produce an assessment of the current perceptions and challenges inherent in designing for inclusivity. The results are a reminder of how far the industry still has to go in terms of raising awareness and dispelling misconceptions about inclusive design by identifying critical gaps in client and practitioner awareness.

For example, the paper states “only 41.6% of clients were reported to have requested guidance on regulatory and legal compliance in the pre-design process.” A post-design evaluation of occupants' usability using available tools is another key lagging ...

Foster + Partners finishes work on revamped Penn Station entrance

2023-11-20T16:49:00-05:00

A dramatic new makeover of Penn Station’s entrance at 7th Avenue and 32nd Street in Manhattan has been completed by Foster + Partners and AECOM for clients Amtrak and the Vornado Realty Trust.

The rebuilding project expands the entrance’s width by 50 percent while making it safer and fully ADA-accessible for 600,000 daily users of what is considered the nation’s busiest train station.

Image: Fernando Sandoval/MW

A new canopy and LED display were constructed at the entryway, which now features a wider staircase, new interior lighting feature, improved elevator access, and an added third escalator for enhanced circulation. Outside sidewalks and the surrounding plaza were also expanded. The project complements part of Vornado and MdeAS Architects’ redevelopment of the adjacent PENN 2 Tower while creating what Amtrak describes as a “sense of place and civic monumentality.”

Image: Fernando Sandoval/MW

In a press statement, Foster + Partners’ Head of Studio, Nigel Dancey, commented: “We h...

Trailblazing architect and inclusion advocate Beverly Willis passes away at 95

2023-10-02T20:16:00-04:00

Trailblazing architect, industrial designer, and inclusion advocate Beverly Willis passed away on October 1st in Connecticut from complications related to Parkinson’s disease, the New York Times reported on Monday. She was 95.

The founder of the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation leaves behind a legacy of wide-reaching philanthropic efforts, espousing throughout her career the position of women in the architectural and engineering trades. She pursued a prescient design agenda and building activities that served as valuable early lessons in the development of accessibility concepts, adaptive reuse, historic preservation, and sustainable design.

Willis was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1928, coming of age in a post-war America defined by “self-made people” and influenced heavily by figures such as Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright. She studied engineering at Oregon State University before transferring to the University of Hawaii to complete a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and then ...

Yale is hiring a planner to monitor building accessibility on campus

2023-09-06T11:19:00-04:00

Following last week’s look at an opening for a Program Production Fellow at MoMA PS1, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore an opportunity on Archinect Jobs for a Facilities Accessibility Planner at Yale University.

The role, based in New Haven, CT, calls for an individual who will “develop and manage reporting on accessibility projects and identify future projects for campus-wide accessibility improvements.” Among the required education and experience for the role are a Bachelor’s degree in architecture or planning and a “proven ability to develop planning solutions and participate in the resolution of planning and technical issues.”

Related on Archinect: The Hunters Point Library case highlights the ADA's failures to prevent inequality by design. Image credit: Paul Warchol

Why the role interests us

The emphasis on accessibility in the latest Yale role offers us the opportunity to examine other steps recently taken across the United States to impro...

The Hunters Point Library case highlights the ADA's failures to prevent inequality by design

2023-07-24T11:35:00-04:00

More than 30 years ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law, mandating reasonable accommodations and accessibility features for people with disabilities. Yet to this day, ADA noncompliant sidewalks, crosswalks, and public transportation stops permeate U.S. cities from coast to coast.

The plaintiff in the Hunters Point Library suit against Steven Holl — disability advocate Tanya Jackson — is another high-profile case highlighting the effects of racial health inequality in design and the failures of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for Black disabled citizens, 37% of whom are experiencing poverty.

Some critics have begun apologizing for hyping certain flawed aspects of its design. Recently, the LA Times’ Carolina Miranda diagnosed it as “a structure in which architectural gymnastics have elbowed out basic function” after her own timely house call.

SLAS architekci designs colorful multifunctional public park in Poland

2023-07-07T15:06:00-04:00

Polish firm SLAS architekci has injected an eye-catching multifunctional public space into a university campus in the southern Polish city of Chorzów. Called “Activity Zone,” the project was a nominee in the 2022 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award.

Image © Michał Kopaniszyn

The park was completed in 2019 for the University of Silesia. It is located at the former site of a demolished military building where there were a number of pre-existing trees.

Image © Michał Kopaniszyn

The main goal of the project was to transform this neglected, wooded area where the campus is located into a lively, leisurely location for the public to enjoy. It aimed to promote the university and establish a new green space for the city.

Image © Michał Kopaniszyn

“Activity Zone” was designed as a perforated concrete platform that hosts a diverse program, including a student leisure zone, children’s play devices, fitness areas, individually des...

New York City sues Steven Holl Architects over inaccessible Hunters Point Library design

2023-05-19T19:04:00-04:00

New York City is suing the architects behind the Hunters Point Library for tens of millions of dollars over portions of the structure not being accessible to people with handicaps, in violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act. [...] The city’s lawsuit was filed May 17 in state Supreme Court in Manhattan. The defendants are Steven Holl Architect, PC, aka Steven Holl Architects, and the individuals Steven Holl and Christopher McVoy.

The original lawsuit was brought to Federal court in November 2019 by a local disability advocate named Tanya Jackson. The project debuted just two months prior and drew the immediate ire of critics who were quick to point out the flaws in its $41.5 million non-universal design. Steven Holl Architects senior partner McVoy has defended the project as "incredibly successful" since that time and now faces a total of $10 million in potential damages alongside Holl. Another $20 million could be assessed against the firm depending on the lawsuit’s outcome.

Previously on Archinect: Class action lawsuit filed in Hunters Point Library accessibility dispute

According to the complaint: "As designed and built, the Library failed in multiple ways to comply with the design requirements set forth in the requirements contract and Task Order 1. The areas of noncompliance included several primary design elements of the building, as well as ADA standards for bathroom layout, door clearances, and the li...

'Catalysts of inclusion': Populous' stadium expert Silvia Prandelli details innovations in inclusive design

2023-05-12T13:45:00-04:00

With several high-profile projects, including the planned Etihad Stadium expansion and the $1 billion Eleven Park in Indianapolis, on its horizon, Populous senior principal Silvia Prandelli sat down with The Athletic recently to detail the firm’s approach to stadium design in an era that is more welcoming to numerous groups — women, families, wheelchair users, and more — left out by traditional approaches to the typology.

Prandelli was the architect for both the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the 2012 London Olympic Stadium projects. She spoke about several concepts the firm is applying to their designs while navigating a host of regulations from national governments and European professional soccer’s governing body UEFA. The solutions mentioned include increased pram storage and gender-neutral bathrooms together among other interventions considered foreign to the sport sector before the last decade.

Populous' TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, which won the top prize at last year's World Fo...

U.S. playgrounds are becoming more unique, accessible, and "dangerous"

2023-04-12T11:38:00-04:00

Playgrounds today are becoming more varied, more accessible, and more customized, according to playground experts. Some, surprisingly, may even be getting slightly more dangerous, at least within the limits of U.S. safety standards, giving American children more opportunity to take risks and push limits.

As reported by Fast Company, the transformation of playgrounds across the U.S. has been driven by the desire for these spaces to reflect the unique qualities of their communities or this idea of “localized play”. The term was noted by Scott Roschi, the creative director of Landscape Structures, a designer and supplier of playground equipment.

An example of this approach can be seen at a playground in Denver’s Paco Sanchez Park, which is named after the founder of the region’s first Spanish-language radio station. Its playground was designed around the theme of sound waves, featuring ramps and climbing structures that form ribbons of waves throughout. The centerpiece is a structure encased in a three-story tower resembling a 1950s radio microphone.

New playgrounds are also getting taller, with more communities in the U.S. requesting climbable structures that give children an increased sense of risk. This approach is more aligned with the European model, where equipment is less cons...

New York's MTA will officially make 95% of subway stations ADA compliant by 2055

2023-04-11T15:25:00-04:00

A Manhattan federal judge on Friday approved a settlement to a class action lawsuit that locks the MTA into equipping 95% of subway and Staten Island Railway stations with elevators or ramps — with a deadline three decades away. The approval by Judge Edgardo Ramos caps one part of a long-running push by advocates for people with disabilities to improve access to a transit system where merely a quarter of the nearly 500 stations comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

As The City reported, the ruling makes the terms of last June’s landmark settlement official. Judge Ramos told plaintiffs that he knows the push would be a “very difficult thing to achieve.” MTA officials currently plan the upgrades in stages, with 81 stations affected by 2024 as part of the $50 MTA Capital Program; another 85 by 2035; 90 more by 2045; and the final 90 ready by 2055, bringing the total to 346 (or about 95% of the networks total stations).

Darin Johnstone Architects creates ‘ephemeral experience’ in Pasadena auditorium renovation

2023-04-07T11:10:00-04:00

Los Angeles-based Darin Johnstone Architects has offered an inside look at their recently-completed renovation of the Ahmanson Auditorium. Located on the ArtCenter College of Design’s Hillside campus in Pasadena, the 3,300-square-foot auditorium saw upgrades to its lobby, main theater, and projection room.

Image credit: Joshua White

Upon entering the venue, the upgraded lobby deploys simple design elements such as an historic existing feature steel stair and an original Keith Haring mural to “create a threshold” from the wider campus. Elsewhere, the 214-seat auditorium has been upgraded to achieve full ADA accessibility while sound and light components have been used as a catalyst to create a contemporary atmosphere.

Image credit: Joshua White

The side walls of the auditorium are lined with over five thousand color gradient sound-absorbing “dots.” The “dot walls” transition from orange to black as one moves through the auditorium, co...

Pensole Lewis College and PepsiCo launch partnership for design diversity with innovative student lounge project

2023-04-05T08:56:00-04:00

PepsiCo and Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design, the first and only Historically Black College or University (HBCU) dedicated to design, are marking the first step in their three-year partnership to develop Black designers and increase representation in the design industry with a program tasking students to create a new student lounge on campus.

Previously on Archinect: A formerly closed HBCU in Detroit is reopening as a design school thanks to an industry leader

Together, PepsiCo and Pensole Lewis aim to address the diversity gap in the design industry by providing students with access to mentorship, apprenticeships, and job opportunities.

Designers from the PepsiCo Design & Innovation team and MillerKnoll mentored Pensole Lewis students through the design process. The winning concept will be brought to life this summer. In addition, NBA star Russell Westbrook, who shares the partnership’s mission, will work to further amplify the effort and unveil the completed lounge whe...

Chicago will receive $185 million for long-awaited CTA station accessibility upgrades

2022-12-27T13:40:00-05:00

Chicago will receive a total of $185 million in federal funding to make several of its Chicago Transit Authority and Metra stations accessible for disabled riders, officials announced Monday as part of a new program tucked into the bipartisan infrastructure law signed by President Joe Biden last year.

The money is part of the larger $1.75 billion provision set aside for accessibility improvements in various urban transit agencies by the federal infrastructure bill from last year. New York is the only city to receive more. Per the Tribune, a total of 42 of the CTA’s 145 stations are not currently compliant with the ADA’s design standards. Nationwide, the number is thought to be around 900.

“It’s a sorry state,” disabled Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth, an Army veteran who asked for twice the amount of funding before the bill was watered down in congress, told the paper. “I don’t take the ‘L’ in Chicago because I never know if a station is going to be fully accessible for my wheelchair or not.”

Selldorf will join SOM for the Hirshhorn Museum's vital third revitalization phase

2022-10-31T18:03:00-04:00

Washington, D.C.’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has announced that a joint team of SOM and Selldorf Architects will lead a major modernization of its now 48-year-old Gordon Bunshaft-designed facility in the last of a three-phase campus revitalization that will begin in 2025, according to the Washington Post.

The upgrades will cover the interior and plaza area and are being undertaken in order to help the museum adjust to a 40% rise in attendance that has been recorded since 2017.

The project will address important areas such as storage, stormwater management, accessibility, vertical transportation, and other upgrades to its galleries and public areas to correspond with the museum’s needs. In a press statement, Selldorf co-principal Chris Cooper said: “Ensuring that the building is better able to accommodate the museum’s ambitious programs, while serving a larger and more diverse audience, is of critical importance. And we need to be able to do so while making the building ...

Wayfinding as a career in improving accessibility in architecture

2022-10-12T11:59:00-04:00

Following last week’s look at an opening for a Structural Steel Specialist at the AISC, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore a role for a Wayfinding Designer at Mijksenaar USA.

The successful candidate will join the firm’s New York City office, working on “complex wayfinding systems around the world” with a particular focus on transportation facilities, cities, museums, and hospitals. The role, which requires a minimum three years’ experience in wayfinding, architecture, or information design, calls for someone with strong skills in graphic design, 3D design, technical design, and creative thinking.

Why the role interests us

The themes of graphic design and wayfinding are already familiar to our Job Highlights series. Back in March, we used a signage and wayfinding position at Pentagram to investigate the connection between environmental graphic design a...

Torontonians aren't happy with the city's planned Ontario Place overhaul

2022-08-30T17:46:00-04:00

Toronto residents are expressing their concerns over the Diamond Schmitt-designed plan for a massive new aquatic theme park at Ontario Place they say is “tone-deaf” and exclusionary of their basic needs.

Spurred on by the recent release of updated renderings and other details of Therme Group's second North American project, opponents say the city's Waterfront Toronto Design Review Panel needs to consider a full-tilt reassessment of the scheme on the basis of accessibility, environmental impact, and a distressing lack of free public amenities.

“This seems like another plan to take away space, livable space that we are already so short on demand of down here,” a concerned area resident recently told the CBC.

The proposed Therme Toronto development. Image courtesy of Therme.

The new development is scheduled to stand on the site of a 155-acre public park and entertainment venue from renowned local architects Michael Hough and Eberhard Zeigler that has sat mostly abandoned since closing i...

Congress approves AIA-recommended upgrades aimed at making the people's house more accessible and democratic

2022-07-25T19:58:00-04:00

The House Select Committee on Congressional Modernization has approved select recommendations first provided to that body by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) during a recent hearing on March 17.

A slate of proposals for updating Congressional office space was originally put forth in testimony by Quinn Evans Senior Associate Katie Irwin, AIA, who advised that “we can be good stewards of these historic spaces while sensitively integrating modern updates to facilitate the technology-fueled pace of work.”

Among the total 29 adopted proposals were the following (from Irwin):

Flex hearing space: The House should identify and develop a space that can be used to hold hearings with alternative seating formats such as a roundtable-style.
Flexible and modern member office templates: The CAO should provide a broad menu of furniture options and templates for member office space that considers modern and flexible design and function concepts.
Portal for all reservable space: The House sho...

Chicago Cubs sued by DOJ over alleged ADA violations in recent Wrigley Field renovations

2022-07-19T14:30:00-04:00

The federal government is taking the Chicago Cubs to court over the team's recent renovations at Wrigley Field, claiming the changes to the ballpark don't comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). According to a lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court by the U.S. Attorney's office in Chicago, the Cubs "failed to ensure that recent additions and alterations at Wrigley Field are readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.”

Between 2014 and 2019, Wrigley Field underwent a significant overhaul known as “The 1060 Project,” which included new seats, expanded bleachers, a new outdoor concourse, new concessions, upgraded restrooms, new team clubhouses, and more.

The alleged violations to the ADA Standards for Accessible Design were first recognized by the Department of Justice in November 2019. The lawsuit claims the franchise didn’t provide wheelchair users with adequate sightlines, that are further worsened when other fans stand during games. In the general admission areas, wheelchair seating is mainly grouped in the last row of seating sections. In addition, the new premium clubs and group seating areas do not include wheelchair seating.

The lawsuit also highlights flaws with concession stands, restrooms, and walkways throughout the stadium. The Justice Department is seeking a court order requiring the Cubs to address the deficiencies noted in the lawsuit and to compensate visitors for any injuries suf...

MTA agrees to make 95% of subway stations accessible by 2055

2022-06-24T15:50:00-04:00

New York has lagged for years behind other major American cities in making its subway system accessible to people with disabilities: Just 126 of its 472 stations, or 27 percent, have elevators or ramps that make them fully accessible. But on Wednesday, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said it would add elevators and ramps to 95 percent of the subway’s stations by 2055 as part of a settlement agreement in two class-action lawsuits over the issue.

The settlement will see 81 subway and Staten Island Railway stations accessible by 2025. Another 85 stations will be made accessible by 2035, with 90 more by 2045, and an additional 90 by 2055. The subway stations selected for changes include nine that currently are partially accessible, where passengers who cannot use stairs only have access to trains traveling in one direction. The MTA will be required to allocate approximately 15 percent of the subway’s capital budget for the improvements.

Transit officials have pointed to engineering concerns, construction time, and costs as the factors behind the plan’s lengthy timeline. Even when complete, the subway will not be 100 percent accessible. However, despite this, the agreement, which still requires court approval, addresses an issue that has long prevented commuters with disabilities from accessing the city’s transit system.

Gensler and Marvel's new Brooklyn Public Library development creates 'spaces for families not just to read, but to engage'

2022-06-09T15:23:00-04:00

Some big names were on hand last week to celebrate the opening of Gensler and Marvel’s noteworthy new Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) branch in the neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights.

The upgrades now make it the second-largest in the BPL’s system and are part of a larger $52 million land-sale funded push that brings with it 114 units of off-site affordable housing at the site and a suite of upgrades and repairs to nine other branches. BPL President and CEO Linda Johnson called it “the most important rebuilding” in the 125-year history of the institution. New York Mayor Eric Adams was present to note the development’s tie-ins with his political vision of rebuilding and housing policy that will go a long way in reshaping America's largest city over the next few years.

Image © Gregg Richards/Courtesy of Brooklyn Public Library.

“With monumental windows on three sides, the double-height reading room is flooded with natural light dur...

New Yorkers can’t wait any longer for the installation of long-promised public toilets

2022-03-31T16:42:00-04:00

As public bathrooms continue to be one of the rarest commodities in the city, the Adams administration has not provided a timeline or any details for the installation of 15 automatic sidewalk toilets unused for more than a decade. But only five of the toilets have been installed and the city has struggled to find suitable new spots. For years, the others remained mothballed in a Queens warehouse but city officials declined to detail where they are currently located.

The toilets are a holdover of the Bloomberg administration, which signed a franchising agreement with Cemusa (later JC Decaux) in 2006 that was supposed to provide 20 such facilities at a cost of around $500,000 apiece. Recently, the city declared it will not force dining establishments to offer their restrooms to the public after an update to pertaining sections of its building code.

The issue has as much to do with providing what many recognize to be vital pieces of public infrastructure as it does with serving the city’s roughly 45,000-strong homeless population, which has been the target of recent Adams administration efforts to restore a sense of safety in the wake of an alarming two-year spike in crime. Critics, for their part, see it as part of a larger effort to “criminalize” homelessness, charging that the lack of facilities denies everyone a “basic human need.”

“It is not only a sanitation issue but also a public safety and civil rights issue,” Councilmember Sandy Nurse ...

Michael Graves Design teams up with CVS to create a more stylish and accessible line of home health care products

2022-02-22T13:26:00-05:00

CVS Pharmacy and Michael Graves Design are now teaming up on a direct-to-market line of home health care products that will build on the legacy of inclusive design beget by its namesake in the inspiring last decade of his life and career.

The initial round of products focuses on bathroom safety and mobility aids and includes a foldable cane, travel walker, shower chair, 3-in-1 commode, and raised toilet seats each based around philosophies of the Design for All movement which the architect helped create.

CVS Health Take Along Folding Cane. Image courtesy Michael Graves Design.

In order to get the best possible input and consumer feedback from users of the products and their caregivers, the firm undertook a comprehensive ethnography study along the east coast that provided extremely valuable insights into a too-often overlooked area of home product design.

CVS Health Raised Toilet Seat. Image courtesy Michael Graves Design.

“This product actually gives people the feeling that, hey, so...

Selldorf Architects reveals first round of designs for National Gallery's Sainsbury Wing redevelopment

2022-02-18T17:38:00-05:00

An important update has been issued to one of the most-watched cultural projects in the UK this afternoon after Selldorf Architects released their initial plans for the redesigned Sainsbury Wing at the National Gallery of Art in London.

The firm was tapped in July to lead a multidisciplinary design team that includes Purcell, Vogt Landscape, and Arup.

A proposed loop connection of the Sainsbury Wing. Image courtesy Selldorf Architects.

As part of a public consultation phase that was unveiled today, the firm put forth its NG200 proposal for the overhauled award-winning Venturi, Scott Brown building, which is meant to increase accessibility in advance of the museum’s upcoming bicentenary celebration.

The initial batch of renderings appears to show a more opened-up foyer that welcomes visitors from a revamped entrance and newly-created public realm leading into Trafalgar Square. Improved lighting and wayfinding are to be emphasized throughout, including a new walking path meant to conn...

Canada wants to make federally-owned heritage buildings more accessible

2021-12-24T12:07:00-05:00

Inclusive design consultancy Human Space has been commissioned by the Canadian government with the aim of making the country’s federally-owned heritage buildings more accessible. The two-and-a-half-year project will seek to improve accessibility for users with disabilities without compromising the buildings’ heritage value.

The project will begin with an environmental scan of federally-owned heritage buildings as well as an outreach program to establish dialog with disability groups, heritage professionals, and other relevant parties.

Archinect Feature: Unpacking The Spatial Implications Of Architecture's Accessibility Failures

The research will also involve the study of national and global precedents on accessibility guidelines in heritage structures, and a series of on-site workshops with focus groups, including users of mobility devices, and people with hearing or vision difficulties. The design team will then test solutions with user groups and publish a public report includin...

DIALOG's $120 million Glenbow Museum renovation project is now officially underway

2021-09-30T15:29:00-04:00

As part of an institutional pivot that will take the combination art and history museum in a new direction, Calgary’s Glenbow Museum has officially closed its doors ahead of a three-year-long renovation project meant to reinterpret the 55-year-old museum’s image and impact on the local community.

DIALOG is behind the $120 million plan to make the museum significantly more inclusive, responsive, and accessible, transforming the existing “bunker-like” structure from 1976 into a catalyst for an entirely reimagined public program that aligns more succinctly with Glenbow’s stated goals.

"This museum's mission sits squarely in between the important cultural issues of art and history, and the timing could not be better to help create a facility far more conducive to the important current conversations around cultural inclusion happening in Canada and across the globe,” lead designer Robert Claiborne said in a statement.

Interior view. Image courtesy DIALOG

The existing eight-story build...

Domus Aurea reopens with an improved ramp and entryway from an Italian maestro

2021-06-30T18:03:00-04:00

The Domus Aurea in Rome is open once again with a new feature following a 14-month hiatus after the coronavirus pandemic forced the 2,000-year-old palace’s shutdown.

Stefano Boeri Architetti helped welcome back the public with an improved ramp and new entryway featuring an exhibition titled “Raphael and the Domus Aurea: The Invention of the Grotesques.” The event will coincide with a show at the Scuderie del Quirinale observing the 500th anniversary of the death of the painter and architect.

Photo: Lorenzo Masotto

Originally the replacement home of 1st-century ruler, Emperor Nero, the Domus came back into prominence during the High Renaissance in large part due to its display of ancient grottos filled with grotesques. The Roman paintings were noteworthy enough to attract visits from influential figures throughout Europe including luminaries like Michelangelo and the Marquis de Sade.

Now, with help from Boeri, the curious can once again be transported through the maze of frescoed gall...

Atelier RZLBD proposes 35-mile-long, hovering megastructure above Toronto's Yonge Street in love letter

2021-06-25T18:03:00-04:00

Through a series of postcards and a love letter, Toronto-based practice Atelier RZLBD has proposed a conceptual project that would add a 35-mile long tower above Toronto’s Yonge Street, the longest street in the world.

Titled #YongeCity, the megastructure would be composed of space frame and shipping containers. But most importantly, it would accommodate 134,000 inhabitants, aiming to reduce the housing market gap in Toronto. According to the firm, this elevated “line” above Yonge Street symbolizes equality and diversity as it is accessible and occupiable to everyone regardless of financial standing or cultural background.

Illustrating the concept is a collection of postcards, concept diagrams, and a love letter to Toronto, which can be viewed below.

Dear Toronto,

Toronto, you are one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world, proudly referred to as “Canadian Mosaic.” However, despite all the optimism, you have also become one of the least affordable cities in the world,...

Accessibility at the new U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum reviewed

2020-10-26T14:44:00-04:00

The museum’s other notable attribute is its high level of accessibility. The architects borrowed inspiration from the Guggenheim Museum, which invites visitors to take an elevator to the top floor and then descend along ramps as they explore galleries. There are no steps up or down, and the goal is to eliminate any differences in the museum experience among people with varying physical abilities.

For the NYT, Ray Mark Rinaldi reviews the DS+R-designed United States Olympic and Paralympic Museum with a special focus on accessibility. "Accommodations are the norm," Rinaldi writes. "Ramps are low-grade and extra wide to fit two wheelchairs at the same time. Sign language interpreters appear in the corner of videos. Cane guards double as benches in the building’s spacious atrium."

Previously on Archinect: Twisting forms and ramped galleries define DS+R's US Olympics and Paralympics Museum in Colorado

The 60,000-square-foot museum complex in Colorado Springs, Colorado opened to the public in July.

Berkeley CED Professor Emeritus Raymond Lifchez donates $2.5 million for Universal Design-focused endowed professorship

2020-05-21T18:57:00-04:00

University of California, Berkeley College of Environmental Design (CED) Professor Emeritus Raymond Lifchez has donated $2.5 million to the college in order to create a new endowed teaching position focused on universal design.

Previously on Archinect: "Unpacking The Spatial Implications Of Architecture's Accessibility Failures." Image courtesy of Murmurs and Josh Schaedel.

The new Lifchez Professor of Practice in Universal Design position will help bring additional design and pedagogical energies to the topics of accessibility and universal design, two areas that Professor Lifchez has pursued over his 50-year-long career at CED.

According to a news post published by the school, the Professor of Practice in Universal Design will rotate between departments within CED, which include Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, and City and Regional Planning.

'Lego Grandma' constructs wheelchair ramps out of Lego

2020-02-24T16:45:00-05:00

Ms. [Rita] Ebel, who has been in a wheelchair herself since a car accident 25 years ago, said the idea was born after a friend of hers, who is also in a wheelchair, said she could not get out of a shop with steps and had to enlist the help of four people to carry her chair down. Ms Ebel then saw a picture in a medical journal for paraplegics, of a woman in an electric wheelchair going over a Lego ramp.

Earning the nickname 'Lego Grandma,' Rita and her husband work together on the ramps, often spending two to three hours a day building them, reports RTE News. While wood or aluminum ramps would provide a proper solution, Rita says that the bright Lego "makes her message stand out and highlights the day-to-day problems faced by people with disabilities." These playful bricks have become a form of advocacy.

"For me it is just about trying to sensitive the world a little bit to barrier-free travel, I mean it could happen to anyone that they suddenly end up in a situation that puts them in a wheelchair, like it did [to] me," Rita expressed, according to RTE News.