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| ONE LIFE, ONE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE ACCESSIBLE IN-BETWEEN |
I was surprised to see how many books discussed the areas of accessibility and adaptability.
Most of them were written around 1977 and contra parts were added in intervals of ten years.
Those intervals work great for me, since is it 2007 and I am investigating those once again.
For me sustainability is also about accessibility and adaptability. Accessibility needs to be a
widely agreed on standard regardless of economics or politics. When people think about
accessibility their mind tries to establish a solution based on the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The act “ADA” includes the minimum requirements for universal design focusing on people with
physical disabilities. Currently, ADA is the parameter for standard construction. This act was
signed in 1990, as a solution against discrimination. It consists of design specifications as well
as guidelines for employment, transportation, telephone accessibility, and other topics.
Before this date, Americans with disabilities did not have a legal way to protect themselves when
discriminated. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 established the bases for the act. Three other
Legislations were created before the ADA. The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, The
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Equal Education for all Handicapped Children Act of 1975
influenced the creation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Although there is a standard for
accessible design architects are not considering it as a fundamental design element because
new single family units are being developed for short term use; where terms as “first time
owners”, “empty nesters” and “retirement communities” are acquiring followers. ADA guidelines
are for commercial and public usages. At this point there is not a law or design guideline that
enforces accessibility in residential units. As express by Raymond Lifchez “the architecture
profession has followed lawmakers, complying with applicable regulations but not exhibiting a
hearty commitment to them, much less going beyond point-by-point compliance to envision new
design methods and strategies that would serve the needs of all members of our society”.
Simple things like a child with a cast are not taken into consideration by most architects.
As architect we learned about Universal Design. According to The Center of Universal design
of NC State University “The intent of universal design is to simplify life for everyone by making
products, communications, and the built environment more usable by as many people as
possible at little or no extra cost. Universal design benefits people of all ages and abilities”. The
barrier free method needs to be one standard in modern neighborhood design. We have the
responsibly of taking into their design consideration the present and future necessities for its
residents. We need to understand that Barrier free design is more than creating houses for
handicap people; it is the creation of spaces for people of all ages and with or without disability.
Most of them were written around 1977 and contra parts were added in intervals of ten years.
Those intervals work great for me, since is it 2007 and I am investigating those once again.
For me sustainability is also about accessibility and adaptability. Accessibility needs to be a
widely agreed on standard regardless of economics or politics. When people think about
accessibility their mind tries to establish a solution based on the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The act “ADA” includes the minimum requirements for universal design focusing on people with
physical disabilities. Currently, ADA is the parameter for standard construction. This act was
signed in 1990, as a solution against discrimination. It consists of design specifications as well
as guidelines for employment, transportation, telephone accessibility, and other topics.
Before this date, Americans with disabilities did not have a legal way to protect themselves when
discriminated. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 established the bases for the act. Three other
Legislations were created before the ADA. The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, The
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Equal Education for all Handicapped Children Act of 1975
influenced the creation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Although there is a standard for
accessible design architects are not considering it as a fundamental design element because
new single family units are being developed for short term use; where terms as “first time
owners”, “empty nesters” and “retirement communities” are acquiring followers. ADA guidelines
are for commercial and public usages. At this point there is not a law or design guideline that
enforces accessibility in residential units. As express by Raymond Lifchez “the architecture
profession has followed lawmakers, complying with applicable regulations but not exhibiting a
hearty commitment to them, much less going beyond point-by-point compliance to envision new
design methods and strategies that would serve the needs of all members of our society”.
Simple things like a child with a cast are not taken into consideration by most architects.
As architect we learned about Universal Design. According to The Center of Universal design
of NC State University “The intent of universal design is to simplify life for everyone by making
products, communications, and the built environment more usable by as many people as
possible at little or no extra cost. Universal design benefits people of all ages and abilities”. The
barrier free method needs to be one standard in modern neighborhood design. We have the
responsibly of taking into their design consideration the present and future necessities for its
residents. We need to understand that Barrier free design is more than creating houses for
handicap people; it is the creation of spaces for people of all ages and with or without disability.
THE INVISBLE STANDARD
In Europe we can find many examples of accessible cities. They provided areas for all the city
residents to interact and enjoy. For example, in Paris, France we find the “Le Grand Axe”. It is
a public area in the downtown area that has been redeveloped in order to serve a bigger group
of residents. The Axe has parks, buildings and civic areas in it. They used a combination of
ramps and steps to created accessible paths. The changes in texture increase functionality for
people with disabilities (blinds for example). Similar strategies were taken in Barcelona, Spain to
make their areas accessible. In 1996 Barcelona established a 10 year program to make the
whole city accessible. One of the areas affected by the changes was the pedestrian
crossings. They moved the crossing from the sidewalk corner to a centric area and increased
its width. Lastly, the Engelbrekt Church in Stockholm, Sweden presented the integration of
ramps and steps in historic areas. The designers incorporated the existing steps to a curve
ramp in order to create the illusion of time. They matched the materials and the style in order
to create an accessible area that is not evident and allows everybody to use the same entrance
and surrounding areas in the Church.
All these examples represented the effort of European architects and socialist to accomplish a
better life style for everyone. We can bring these examples to context and say that every
house should be located in an area in which its potential can be achieved. In order for
accessibility to be effective it has to be an undistinguished element. Every curb does not need
a full size ramp in order to be accessible. The curb has to fulfill its service without the need for
extra help. Sidewalks have to be safe and functional for all people and provide adequate
space and texture. Simple things create accessible intergenerational neighborhoods.
residents to interact and enjoy. For example, in Paris, France we find the “Le Grand Axe”. It is
a public area in the downtown area that has been redeveloped in order to serve a bigger group
of residents. The Axe has parks, buildings and civic areas in it. They used a combination of
ramps and steps to created accessible paths. The changes in texture increase functionality for
people with disabilities (blinds for example). Similar strategies were taken in Barcelona, Spain to
make their areas accessible. In 1996 Barcelona established a 10 year program to make the
whole city accessible. One of the areas affected by the changes was the pedestrian
crossings. They moved the crossing from the sidewalk corner to a centric area and increased
its width. Lastly, the Engelbrekt Church in Stockholm, Sweden presented the integration of
ramps and steps in historic areas. The designers incorporated the existing steps to a curve
ramp in order to create the illusion of time. They matched the materials and the style in order
to create an accessible area that is not evident and allows everybody to use the same entrance
and surrounding areas in the Church.
All these examples represented the effort of European architects and socialist to accomplish a
better life style for everyone. We can bring these examples to context and say that every
house should be located in an area in which its potential can be achieved. In order for
accessibility to be effective it has to be an undistinguished element. Every curb does not need
a full size ramp in order to be accessible. The curb has to fulfill its service without the need for
extra help. Sidewalks have to be safe and functional for all people and provide adequate
space and texture. Simple things create accessible intergenerational neighborhoods.
