Breakfast with Tiffany on Design for Equality
Dear Tiffany,
Thank you for inviting me to the breakfast. You asked me if I could help you improve your office in this townhouse-look condominium complex. Before we dive into interior discussions, I want to share what I’ve found at your location.
American Disability Act
Looking around your neighbor buildings, I suspect your office was built around the 1970s, a critical moment in American history. During the 70s, women, gays, African Americans, and other marginalized people continued fighting for equality. Though the barrier-free design standard was published in 1961, and the Fair Housing Act was also passed in 1968, how we implement the idea of “equality” to all buildings was only materialized in 1990 when Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Therefore, it is not surprising that some existing conditions do not meet the current standard. For example, there is a six-inch level change at your entry door. According to sections 303 and 404, that condition is not permitted. It is not a critical concern for the entire complex since that condition only happens in the last eight units on the south end.
However, even if your office is in a condominium, a large property comprised of privately owned individual units, your unit would still be considered the “public and common use space covered by ADA” because your office is a service establishment. So, it is beneficial to modify this entrance condition to meet the current standard.
Last night, I thought about some ideas for you to consider. The first option is to replace the landscape buffer at the south end with the handicap ramp. I noticed there was a locked door on the south elevation. I speculated that the door leads to a corridor for the back of the house and serves both sides of condo units. If we could add a security system to that door and install an accessible ramp on the south side, that would be the simplest solution. According to Section 208, a minimum of six accessible parking spaces is required for a parking lot that offers 151 to 200 parking spaces.
The other idea is to gradually taper the entire sidewalk to meet the interior floor slab and add one more step at the south end. This option might require making the extended concrete area a landscape area, as there will be a level change between the extended concrete pad and the perimeter sidewalk. Furthermore, during the sidewalk modification, the eight units on the end might need to be closed till the construction is completed. That could hinder other business operations and require more coordination among unit owners.
Universal Design
Have you heard of the term “Universal Design”? The term Universal Design was coined by the architect Ronald Mace to describe the concept of designing a product or built environment suitable for everyone at any status in life. The Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University further explained that Universal Design is a design “making all elements and spaces accessible and usable by all people to the greatest extent possible.”
I want to bring up the Universal Design concept to you because their design concept is thoughtful and would help a wide range of visitors who visit your office. Many of their design suggestion focuses on the principle level. Therefore, I pulled out LEED v4’s guidelines for reference and realized there are a few areas you could quickly implement to improve your office environment’s functionality. Please refer to the table below.
Even though condo owners would not want to get LEED-ND certified in any foreseeable future, these minor alterations can instantly benefit all users inside this building.
I hope these ideas help.
Your affectionate friend,
Hepburn
