The idea of “accessibility for all” is gaining traction in countless areas of our western society. In many ways it is reshaping new buildings as much as any new trends in style.
Ronald L. Mace, an architect and program director of the Centre for Universal Design at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, reflects the thinking of many advocates of barrier-free architecture: ”Let’s design all things, all the time, for everyone. It’s where we’re headed. It makes infinite sense. And it is a much more humane design policy.”
An award-winning Canadian architectural firm agrees, and is firmly focused on developing contemporary, fully accessible, great-looking design.
Riddell Kurczaba Architecture has been supporting the creation of inspiring building infrastructure and environments since 1992. Founded in Calgary by partners John Riddell and Ron Kurczaba, the firm attracts diverse clientele in Canada and on the international stage. Their design work has won them a number of awards.
RK Access is the newest service offering from Riddell Kurczaba, and was born out of their belief that everyone should be able to enjoy well-designed spaces. The RK Access team provides design expertise for persons with disabilities beyond the bare minimum that barrier-free legislation requires. Their mandate is to design spaces that are safe and inviting for all people, especially those for whom design is often a human-made barrier when in fact it should be a human-made connector.
Erin Shilliday is the Lead for the RK Access team. He has positioned RK Access to be the first architectural consulting venture in Calgary to focus exclusively on barrier-free design. Nabeel Ramji is the team’s Accessibility Infrastructure Specialist. Nabeel’s lived experience of using a power wheelchair his entire life due to cerebral palsy has brought about a personal vision to help make accessibility in design the norm instead of the exception. Kimberly Karn brings over 15 years of experience working with provincial, national and international building codes and regulatory standards to the team, which is also supported by the entire Riddell Kurczaba firm.
Erin Shilliday, Nabeel Ramji and Kimberly Karn
RK Access recently took up the challenge to design an apartment building that had complete accessibility throughout, without looking “institutional”. Their plan is a great example of a set of design solutions that open up the world to barrier-free accessibility.
The design has a simple, light and airy residential look, with a durable, wood cladding. Three “Live/Work” accessible units and an office or concierge are situated on the main floor. The innovative “Live/Work” units face the street and offer practical solutions for those residents who operate a business from their homes.
The typical apartment floor has nine units organized around an over-sized elevator and 2m wide hallways. Ample room is provided in the common areas for multiple wheelchairs to maneuver at the same time. Areas of refuge are provided on each floor for persons with mobility challenges during an emergency evacuation.
The apartments boast the latest state-of-the-art technology to assist residents with daily tasks. Assistive devices will enable persons with sight, hearing and mobility challenges to live an independent life.
The RK Access team also want to serve as a resource for international design standards for accessible architecture. They have put together an Accessibility Checklist:
- Curb cuts near accessible parking stalls
- Power door openers at main entries
- Lever handles on all doors
- Power door openers and locks for barrier-free washrooms
- Adjustable work surfaces for different height requirements
- Roll-under counters in kitchens
- Non-slip, contrasting colour strips on stairways
- Audible signals in elevators
- Safety Plan for evacuating persons with a disability in an emergency
The team’s goal in all their efforts is to help forge paths to both greater connectivity and greater autonomy for persons with disabilities.
