This course is part of the ADA Academy

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.