Photo courtesy of Inpro
The use of color in wall coverings can greatly promote biophilia in healthcare environments.
Architects are in the unique position today to design interior spaces that are more welcoming, safe, functional, and accessible than ever before. The definition of well-being has shifted in recent decades, and now it includes emotional health as well as the physical health of occupants. The promotion of emotional well-being raises interesting and challenging questions for architects and designers. How can we enhance the design of interior spaces and promote biophilia to bring the warmth of nature into the built environment? Can we go beyond the basic requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to create spaces that aren’t just compliant with regulations but welcoming for all occupants? How can we incorporate the concept and guiding principles of universal design into projects to create safe, accessible, and healthy environments for everyone?
This article will explore the concept of universal design and explain the benefits to occupants when these principles are thoughtfully included in projects. Also, this article will dive into the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), providing an overview of the history, impact on the built environment, and current regulatory protections offered to people with disabilities. Specifically related to the ADA, it will provide direction on signage in commercial spaces, schools, and hospitals. Next, this article will discuss the positive aspects of specifying wall protection and murals that can calm occupants of all ages, young and old, and encourage a more meditative and peaceful space through biophilic art. Finally, we will explore some other related design elements that can create a more healthy and safe space, both emotionally and physically, for occupants. Examples such as the specification of cordless blinds to protect children; non-gender bathrooms designed to create inclusive, private, safe, secure, functional, and accessible spaces; and “emotionally safe” rooms in schools where children can express big feelings in appropriate private areas.
THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN
Universal design is a principle that aims to create environments and products that are accessible and usable by people of all abilities, ages, and backgrounds. In the realm of commercial architecture, architects play a pivotal role in ensuring that their designs adhere to universal design principles. It’s important to design around inclusivity and accessibility for both legal and ethical reasons. For example, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the United States mandates accessibility requirements for buildings around design features including ramps, handrails, elevators, parking, door width, and more. Planning for accessibility from the get-go can, at minimum, help avoid design headaches later in the process, and will prevent legal issues from arising. Ethically, a building designed in such a way that all occupants can navigate and utilize the building’s facilities independently creates a sense of belonging and empowerment.
The Guiding Principles of Universal Design
There are seven principles that guide universal design, which were developed by a team of architects, product designers, engineers, and environmental design researchers at the Center for universal design at North Carolina State University and first published in 1997.1 The Center is no longer operational, but the principles established there have influenced policy, law, international agreements, and design across the world.
The first principle is equitable use, which essentially consists of the core meaning of universal design–a design that is useful to people with diverse abilities. Entryways that utilize power doors with sensors and sports arenas that have integrated and adaptable seating are examples of design for equitable use, which provides equivalent means of use for various users when identical means aren’t possible.
Flexibility in use is the next principle, which refers to design that accommodates a range of preferences and abilities for use, and one that offers choice when applicable. Scissors designed for right- or left-handed users are an example.
A third principle is simple and intuitive use for people with varying experience, knowledge, language fluency, and concentration levels. Simplicity and consistency are key. An instruction manual that utilizes drawings instead of text is a great example, as it side-steps questions about what language or vocabulary level its reader might have.
Photo courtesy of Inpro
One of the principles of universal design refers to designs that communicate messaging effectively, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities. Here the restroom sign incorporates visual reference, language, and tactile (braille).
Perceptible information is the fourth principle. This refers to designs that communicate messaging effectively, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities. Communications become more perceptible as they are made through more avenues. For example, a thermostat that utilizes tactile, visual, and audible cues is easier for more people to use.
Universal design also prioritizes a tolerance for error by minimizing hazards and any consequences that may come from accidental actions. One way to do that is to provide fail safe features, like a car key that is double cut so that it can be inserted into a keyhole in either direction.
Designs that require low physical effort increase accessibility, as well. This may mean various things in design function, but goals include minimizing repetitive actions and sustained effort, and allowing users to maintain a neutral body position. A sink that has a lever handle, for example, takes less effort to operate than one with a knob handle.
The final principle of universal design is appropriate size and space for approach and use of an implement, regardless of a user’s body size or mobility. A drinking fountain, for example, should have a front-facing control button and be at a height that both standing and sitting users can operate.
To bring together all the universal design principles, consider the elevator. An elevator is a great tool for people with varying abilities.
It’s equitable and flexible in its use–accessible to people of diverse ages and mobility levels. Most elevators are equipped with multiple ways to communicate information, such as light-up buttons, sounds and cues communicating which floor the elevator is destined for and if its doors are in motion. Elevator doors detect when something is in the way and will stop shutting if that’s the case, leaving some room for error. Automatic doors and simple buttons ensure low physical effort is needed from an elevator’s users. A well-designed elevator has ample room at its entry and exit points, has wide doors and a spacious interior, allowing space for navigation by wheelchairs, strollers, and other mobility aids.
Photo courtesy of Inpro
An elevator is a great example of a tool often used in commercial and public spaces that can be designed for universal accessibility.
An elevator is a great example of a tool often used in commercial and public spaces that can be designed for universal accessibility. Other applications in these types of communal accessed spaces include accessible entrances, ramps, and restrooms that include grab bars, lowered sinks, and wide stalls.
Indoor Signage as Universal Design
Another important avenue for hitting accessibility benchmarks in building design is specifying a universally accessible signage system, which helps people with diverse needs find and use the tools designed to enable ease in the use of the building. Additionally, signage enables any building occupant to navigate the space effortlessly, leading to increased satisfaction and positive perceptions of the building.
Those tasked with creating a signage system should consider certain qualities to meet universal design standards. High visibility and readability help make signage user-friendly for all people, including those with visual impairments. Legible fonts and appropriate sizing make signage easier to read, and tactile elements like braille can also be included to add another point of accessibility. High-contrast color schemes make signage accessible for those with low vision or color blindness. This means avoiding color combinations that are too similar and that may cause confusion. Pictograms and symbols can help communicate across language barriers. The placement of signage in a building should be appropriate for those of various heights and mobility levels. Importantly, signage in a building should follow a consistent and intuitive system. A cohesive design enhances the overall user experience for anyone navigating a building.
As with any part of a building, signage can both age physically and become dated stylistically. Regular building audits can help prevent confusion for building users by catching signs of system aging such as faded, scratched, or vandalized signs, or signs with Braille that are missing dots. The posting of make-shift signs, like ones written by hand and taped to a wall or door, should signal to designers or building managers that more or improved signage is needed. Signage also offers the opportunity for a business or space to stay on-brand through color schemes and styles.
A New Frontier of Universal Design
Other universal design features may apply to residential spaces, including zero-step entrances, roll-in showers, adjustable countertops and cabinetry, and open, reconfigurable floor plans with wide, clear pathways.
As we implement more smart technologies into our homes, public and commercial spaces, and transportation systems, these technologies represent new opportunities for universal design. Voice-activated devices and home automation systems can help streamline user effort.
Many universal design priorities can be coupled with sustainability priorities.2 Energy-efficient and water-saving technologies, sustainable materials, and ventilation and air filtration systems may help architects and designers accomplish multiple goals at once.
Universal design helps designers meet the needs of our current population, including diverse ages, experiences, and abilities. Leaning into the principles of universal design also can guide designers and architects to think ahead in new ways and ensure our built environment meets the changing needs of the people who use built spaces and their surrounding areas.
ADA COMPLIANCE: REGULATING UNIVERSAL DESIGN SECTION TITLE
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was the world’s first comprehensive civil rights law written for people living with disabilities when it was signed into law by President George W. H. Bush in 1990.3 The law prohibits discrimination based on disability, especially regarding workplaces and services provided by state and local governments. The legal definition of a person with a disability, as written in the ADA, is someone who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits major life activities, someone who has a history or record of impairment of that kind (such as someone who has had cancer but is in remission), or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment (including people with scars from severe burns).4 The ADA also established design requirements for both the construction and alteration of facilities in the private and public sectors.
It’s important to note that the requirements of ADA are not synonymous with universal design. However, the legal need to comply with the ADA is also an opportunity for architects to consider the greater framework concepts of universal design. Architects striving to create a more welcoming, inclusive, and accessible built environment will benefit from thinking through universal design options from the outset of their projects.
Over the decades, the ADA has been amended to apply to designs for a wider range of structure types. The Department of Justice in 2010 adopted a set of ADA standards that are enforceable by federal law and include specific provisions for all ADA-covered facilities including assembly areas, medical care facilities, lodging places, housing at schools, correctional facilities, social service centers, and residential dwelling units. These are called the ADA Standards for Accessible Design and they lay out the scoping and technical requirements needed to implement the ADA in these spaces. Subsequent laws and amendments have furthered the goals of the ADA by implementing them in other systems and services including children’s play areas, recreation facilities, voting places, transportation hubs and systems, and medical diagnosis equipment.5 At this point, ADA requirements apply to most private and public facilities, with the exception of religious organizations, private clubs, and other facilities run by these organizations, like a daycare center run by a church.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S., approximately six million Americans live with vision loss, and one million live with blindness.6 Rates of visual impairments are harder to measure but add to those numbers as well. As the baby boomer generation continues to age, rates of impairment are expected to increase drastically. The ADA includes requirements around signage to support those with vision problems.
Americans with Disabilities Act as Applied to Signage
The public is expected to uphold ADA requirements around signage and there may be penalties for those that overlook compliance. A patron who feels their rights through ADA have not been upheld can file a federal lawsuit. The courts can award monetary damages of up to $75,000 for the first ADA violation and up to $150,000 for each subsequent violation for facilities found to be out of compliance. A violation could be as simple as using the wrong type of Braille on a sign. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has jurisdiction over state and local facilities, though a state may amend its building codes as long as it receives approval from the DOJ. Enforcement of state codes is done at a local level by building inspectors.
Violations are commonly identified within access tools like doorways, restrooms, pedestrian ramps, seating, and parking. And there are common violations involving signage: signs that misidentify or do not identify access routes, stairs, and exits. Signs, themselves, can be violations if they’re outdated, missing, incorrect, hard to find, or mounted incorrectly or at the wrong height.
Now that the stakes of poorly made signage have been identified, let’s identify the characteristics of an ADA-compliant sign. There are clear ADA guidelines for permanent room identification signs. A women’s bathroom sign falls into this category. There are three sections of guidelines for ADA regulations: sign composition, mounting, and finish and contrast.
Sign composition mandates include tactile text, or text that is raised from the face of a sign. Tactile characters have a specified minimum depth, and minimum and maximum heights. Fonts must be sans serif and not italicized. There are also requirements around the thickness of the letters and the spaces between them, as well as the spacing between the fields of a sign including any Braille or pictograms.
Mounting requirements for signs include that they must be placed on the latch side of a door and at a designated relationship with a finished floor: either 48 inches from the floor to the bottom line of text or a maximum of 60 inches to the top line of the text. The final ADA regulations for signs include that characters must be finished with an eggshell, matte, or other non-glare material. Additionally, characters must contrast with the background. The use of pictograms in signage may necessitate checking with both ADA rules as well as guidelines for international symbols around access. Sign manufacturers will have access to the needed symbols libraries.
Architects should check ADA requirements that apply to their projects early and often during the design and building processes. Following the legal mandates of the ADA is just the minimum of what architects can do to make their spaces safe and welcoming to all users. Those efforts also contribute to a user’s emotional experience of a building, which can make a structure more memorable and also make a user look forward to returning, whether that be for work, education, play, recreation, or even obligatory visits.
BRINGING THE OUTSIDE IN: BIOPHILIC ART
Biophilic design is done with the biological human in focus, in consideration of mind-body systems as indicators of health and well-being and in the context of what is locally appropriate and responsive. Good biophilic design draws from influential perspectives–health conditions, socio-cultural norms and expectations, frequency and duration of the user experience, the many speeds at which it may be encountered, and user perception and processing of the experience–to create spaces that are inspirational, restorative, healthy, and accessible, all while serving the functionality of the space.7
Photo courtesy of Inpro
The use of color in wall coverings can greatly promote biophilia in healthcare environments.
Universal design features may be applicable to residential spaces, including zero-step entrances, roll-in showers, adjustable countertops and cabinetry, and open, reconfigurable floor plans with wide, clear pathways.
The History of Designing Around Nature
Throughout the history of humankind, people have been adorning their spaces with representations of the natural world, like the Egyptian sphinx and the porcelain fish bowls of ancient China. Biophilic design is not a new phenomenon. Add to that observation modern neuroscience, and we can understand that connections with nature are vital to maintaining a healthful existence as a species that has become urban.8
As the green building movement emerged in the early 1990s, improved environmental quality was linked to worker productivity, and with that, financial gains. Conversations about worker wellness and work-life balance have become more prevalent in recent years, and we are starting to understand the benefits of biophilic design on user health and wellness. The practice is now being championed as a complementary strategy for addressing workplace stress, student performance, patient recovery, community cohesiveness, and other familiar challenges to health and overall well-being.
The last decade has seen steady growth in work around and at the intersections of neuroscience and architecture, both in research and in practice; even green building standards have begun to incorporate biophilia, predominantly for its contribution to indoor environmental quality and connection to place.
Elements of Biophilic Design
There are three general groupings of biophilic designs: Nature in Space, Natural Analogues, and Nature of the Space.
Nature in Space refers to the direct, physical presence of nature in a space, offering inhabitants of that space interactions that are movement-based and multi-sensory. Potted plants, bird feeders, water fountains, aquariums, and green walls are examples. Design patterns that fall into the Nature in Space category include connections with nature that are either visual or non-visual (sounds and smells, for example), subtle changes in air flow or temperature, the presence of water, light dynamics that change over time as they do in nature, and connection with natural systems such as changing seasons.
Design features that implement colors, objects, shapes, or patterns found in nature through the use of non-living materials are considered Natural Analogues. Biophilic design patterns in this category include symbolic references to contoured, patterned, or textured arrangements that are experienced in nature, materials, and elements from nature that connect a building to that building’s local flora and foster a sense of place for users, and sensory information that spatially mimics natural areas.9
Photo courtesy of Inpro
Biophilic elements, like art in the form of murals, can help increase the emotional calm of a space and improve occupant experience, health, and wellness.
Nature of the Space incorporates humans’ desires around spatial configurations, including the desire to see beyond our immediate surroundings and our fascination with mystery. Associated design patterns include views across distances, spots of refuge from the main flow of activity, enticing mystery, and even an identifiable threat balanced by a known safeguard.
Biophilic design is shown to positively impact occupants of a space by reducing stress, enhancing cognitive performance, and improving emotion and mood. Measurable outcomes include reduced blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones, as well as positive impacts on stress responses. Improved cognitive performance can equate to increased attention, concentration, creative performance, and memory restoration, as well as reduced irritation and fatigue. Emotionally, biophilic design can increase dopamine, and feelings of tranquility, comfort, and a perceived sense of safety.10
Biophilic Design Options
Implementing biophilia into design can happen at several steps in the process, from considering the size, shape, and direction of windows; using natural materials, and utilizing protective wall coverings; to final touches like murals, colors, textures, and art.
Walls are one of the largest elements of the interior. Adding design integrated throughout wall protection gives walls an additional purpose while expanding their longevity and enhancing protection against damage. Durable wall panels can be used in high-traffic spaces prone to damage and deterioration. Specifying printed wall protection provides a protective wall covering that can be applied directly to the wall at virtually any size, and another opportunity to implement biophilia into interior design. When the graphic is back-printed onto a clear sheet, like PETG, the custom artwork or pattern remains vivid and will not get scratched over time.
New digital imaging and printing techniques have enabled endless possibilities when it comes to adding art to architectural products, including wall coverings. Design professionals are no longer limited to solid colors or patterned wallpaper. Any image can find a place on a project’s walls, signage, or even window treatments. Complete customization enables architects and designers to enhance feelings of safety and comfort in a space. The colors, material, textures, and impact-resistance levels of these products also offer designers and facility staff limitless options to enhance the aesthetics of a facility’s interior, while delivering much-needed protection to the edifice itself.
Adding imagery throughout the built environment brings continuity to both the building and the occupant experience. With the right materials, design professionals can craft a tranquil design imitating nature, ensuring sustainability, enhancing the user experience, and securing significant savings by stopping damage before it happens.
High-quality wall protection products make it much easier to maintain a clean, well-kept facility appearance that makes a positive impression on all users, whether they are patients, students, employees, or visitors.
Bringing Biophilia into New Spaces
Because of increasing environmental awareness, advancements in technology and materials, and continuing research on the neurological and emotional benefits of connections to the outdoors and nature, the use of biophilia in design is on the rise. Given these benefits, it makes sense for biophilic designs to be added to spaces that may evoke stress or add challenges to our lives like places of work, education, and healthcare.
Biophilia has been shown to improve recovery times and provide a positive distraction for occupants who are dealing with negative emotional triggers. In places like hospitals, where both patients and staff are often under stress, biophilic design is beneficial for all building occupants. Research suggests that patients in hospital rooms with views of nature tend to recover faster than those in rooms without such views. Being exposed to natural light and views of green spaces can positively impact patients’ mood and overall well-being, which may contribute to quicker recovery times. Plus, nature has been shown to have analgesic effects, helping to alleviate pain and discomfort. It also promotes physical activity and rehabilitation for patients.
In school settings, there are additional benefits for those who are learning. Exposure to nature and natural elements has been linked to improved cognitive function, concentration, and academic performance. Students in classrooms with views of nature or elements of nature may exhibit better focus, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Reduced stress levels, anxiety, and fatigue create a more positive and supportive learning environment for both students and educators. Socially, biophilic environments create opportunities for diverse interactions, collaborations, and community building among students and teachers.
Adding biophilia to commercial office spaces can increase productivity, reduce absenteeism, and improve morale, in addition to the benefits listed above. Thoughtful consideration of a work environment demonstrates that the organization values the well-being and happiness of its employees. Employees who work in environments that prioritize their health and comfort are more likely to feel satisfied with their jobs and remain loyal to the company, reducing turnover rates and recruitment costs. There may be bonuses for the company as well. Organizations that prioritize sustainability, well-being, and environmental stewardship by implementing biophilic design practices often enjoy a positive brand image and reputation. Clients, customers, and stakeholders perceive these organizations as socially responsible and forward-thinking, which can enhance brand loyalty and attract top talent.
For similar reasons, biophilia is a great design consideration for libraries, nursing homes and long-term care facilities, malls, waiting rooms, community centers, transportation and aviation hubs, and more.
GOING BEYOND TO PROVIDE WELLNESS
It’s clear that there are many avenues to explore designing around wellness and every new design is an opportunity to do so. As we’ve seen, wellness covers aspects of accessibility and mental, physical, and emotional health. Let’s consider three examples of how architects can positively impact the occupant experience in the built environment through thoughtful specification, from structural elements and architecture to the finishing touches of interior designs.
Cordless Blinds and Window Coverings
As the saying goes, “Sometimes no news is good news.” Similarly, a mark of success for some design elements is their ability to go unnoticed. This is especially true of safety features. For example, smoke detectors often go unnoticed in a home until they sound an alarm. One such overlooked feature of a room is window blinds, shades, curtains, and, more specifically, the cords that may be attached to them. The shades and their cords only become noticeable when they’re a problem. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there were 200 incidents involving children up to eight years old due to strangulation from window covering cords, leading to various injuries including scars, quadriplegia, and permanent brain damage. Young children can quickly and silently suffer from strangulation on pull cords, continuous loop cords, inner cords, or any other accessible cords longer than 8 inches on window coverings. On average, about nine children under five years of age die every year from strangling in window blinds, shades, draperies, and other window coverings with cords, according to CPSC’s latest data.11
In 2022, the CPSC voted to approve a new federal safety standard for operating cords on custom window coverings. The rule deems the presence of hazardous operating cords and inner cords on stock window coverings, and hazardous inner cords on custom window coverings, to be a substantial product hazard.12
Specifying cordless window coverings is a real step towards the safety of children, as well as another avenue for designers to show thoughtful consideration of all people who may be using a space, including children.
Inclusive Bathroom Designs
While the programming and modernization of schools and curricula continue to change, school bathrooms are overlooked as places to implement positive change. However, there has been an increased interest in changing the conventional layout of a multi-stall bathroom.
Specifically, completely enclosed toilet rooms are becoming more popular in the education market versus the traditional toilet partition, prioritizing increased privacy, safety, and comfort for students. As school districts refresh their bathroom construction, they are asking a question that applies to designers and architects of many kinds of spaces: “What should a public restroom look like?”
Four design elements can help architects begin to answer that question: location, visibility, privacy doors and hardware, and communal sinks.
This new bathroom design can be cost-effective in the long term. It will generate bathrooms that not only will take up less space by having to account for only one restroom section instead of two, but fewer fixtures and fittings such as lights, sinks, toilets, and urinals would considerably decrease the amount of time and money spent cleaning and maintaining them.
The visibility of the bathrooms will vary, but the main differentiator is that individual doors will be seen, versus a single door leading into a traditional bathroom. However, wherein conventional-style bathrooms have toilet partitions with visible gaps above, below, and in between, these privately enclosed toilet rooms will not. Instead, each room ensures a significant increase in privacy with a single toilet per room, similar to a single-family, ADA restroom found in other commercial spaces. Additionally, this eliminates the need for gender-specific bathrooms.
Floor-to-ceiling walls would replace toilet partitions. That does propose a higher up-front cost, but schools can save in the long run as less frequent replacements will need to be made over the years, and damage will be decreased.
Importantly, the building materials specified for elements including signage, solid surfaces, and wall protection must be able to withstand the commercial challenges a school setting will demand. Different budgets and needs will require different material options.
Being a student can mean anything from being under the care of someone who isn’t a guardian for the first time while in kindergarten, to living out of the house for the first time in college, not to mention all the physical, social, and emotional growth that happens in-between. Updated bathroom designs afford students privacy and feelings of safety as they navigate these life changes.
Creating “Emotionally Safe” Spaces through Interior Design
Emotional safety is important for students, as well as for people receiving mental health treatment, or groups of people who may need additional psychological and emotional care, including people in recovery or veterans.
“Emotionally safe spaces” refer to environments where individuals feel secure, supported, and comfortable expressing their emotions without fear of judgment or harm. These spaces are designed to promote mental well-being, reduce stress, and provide a sense of refuge for individuals experiencing emotional distress.
Photo courtesy of Inpro
Art can serve as a powerful medium for self-expression and communication, especially for people who may be dealing with or even trying to express complex emotions and experiences.
In emotionally safe spaces, people feel supported, validated, and understood. They are free to be authentic and vulnerable without the fear of being criticized or marginalized. These spaces can exist in various settings, including classrooms, workplaces, support groups, therapy sessions, and social gatherings. The term “safe space” often refers to an emotional space created between people, but architects can help promote these social interactions through thoughtful interior design.
Some design features to consider include comfortable and soft furnishings that create a sense of comfort and relaxation, natural or biophilic elements that help reduce stress, privacy, and seclusion that offer a quiet place to process stimuli, and flexible and adaptable spaces that can meet the changing needs of individuals experiencing emotional distress is essential.
Thoughtful wall art can instill a sense of emotional safety in a space. Wall art can transform a sterile and clinical space into a warm and inviting atmosphere. By carefully selecting art pieces that resonate with the experiences, emotions, and cultural backgrounds of the users, designers can create an environment that feels welcoming and supportive. The presence of art, especially in terms of color palettes and sensory designs, can help alleviate feelings of anxiety, stress, and isolation, fostering a sense of comfort and connection.
Art can serve as a powerful medium for self-expression and communication, especially for people who may be dealing with or even trying to express complex emotions and experiences. By displaying various forms of art such as paintings, sculptures, or photography, students and others are encouraged to express their thoughts and emotions in a non-verbal manner. This creative expression can facilitate personal reflection, promote emotional healing, and encourage communication.
Art can also offer a positive distraction from any discomfort a person may be feeling. Engaging with art stimulates the mind, shifting the focus away from distressing thoughts and experiences. On the flip side of that coin, art also has the power to evoke a range of emotions and promote mindfulness. Strategically placed art pieces in common areas or quiet spaces provide moments of mindful observation and reflection for occupants.
The inclusion of wall art can enhance the therapeutic environment and create emotionally safe spaces. Through its ability to create a welcoming atmosphere, facilitate emotional expression, stimulate positive distractions, encourage mindfulness, and foster social connection, art becomes a valuable tool in promoting wellness.
CONCLUSION
People in the U.S. and Europe spend about 90% of their time indoors13. The outdoors offers an escape from stressful moments in a world that is becoming increasingly urban and digital, and that is vying for our limited attention in different ways. As this trend continues, spaces that create a sense of wellness will become more popular, and it’s up to architects to design them.
Wellness comes in many forms via many avenues. A full picture of wellness includes physical, mental, and emotional health for people with various physical and mental abilities and across all ages. Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, a civil rights law, ensures that structures allow equal access to buildings, as well as equal access to the information needed to navigate them.
The concept of universal design goes beyond ADA mandates to offer a bigger perspective on guidelines for creating spaces accessible to everyone. Architects and designers can lean into those guidelines to think futuristically about the ways access might change in the future, based on a changing population with modern needs utilizing the interior of a building, as well as an environment that may be changing and affecting the exterior of a structure.
Moving beyond the physical demands of a space, several strategies can help hit the emotional tone a space requires, depending on its use. Biophilic designs, which can be perceived visually, auditorily, or tactilely, offer both emotional benefits as well as measurable mental and physical health benefits to occupants. These designs can be implemented into both the structural elements and the interior design of a building.
Architects can benefit from learning about new safety legislation–as with the move toward cordless window coverings introduced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission–and current wellness trends among potential building occupants, understanding new trends as they arise, and possibly predicting new ones. Designing around these various dimensions of wellness shows both clients and occupants that the architects care about the spaces they’re creating and the experiences people will have in them.
No matter the function of a building, if a person leaving feels happy to return later, the designers and architects have succeeded.
SOURCES
1 https://dac.berkeley.edu/services/campus-building-accessibility/universal-design-principles
2 https://ugreen.io/what-is-universal-design-a-guide-for-architects-and-designers/
3 https://www.archives.gov/calendar/ada25
4 https://www.ada.gov/topics/intro-to-ada/
5 https://www.wbdg.org/design-objectives/accessible/history-accessible-facility-design
6 https://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/vehss/estimates/vision-loss-prevalence
7 https://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/reports/14-patterns/
8 https://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/reports/14-patterns/
9 https://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/reports/14-patterns/
10 https://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/reports/14-patterns/
11 https://www.cpsc.gov/gocordless
12 https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2023/PSC
13 https://www.fastcompany.com/90506856
Andrew A Hunt is Vice President of Confluence Communications and specializes in writing, design, and production of articles and presentations related to sustainable design in the built environment. In addition to instructional design, writing, and project management, Andrew is an accomplished musician and voice over actor, providing score and narration in both the entertainment and education arena. www.confluencec.com, LinkedIn
