Alberta’s population is getting older, and by 2046 about 1 in 5 Albertans are projected to be aged 65 or older. With an older population, there will be greater demand for buildings and public spaces that are fully accessible to Albertans with disabilities and reduced mobility.
Graduates of architectural design school will play a significant role in improving the accessibility of Alberta’s built environment. Find out how you can put the skills learned in architectural design technology courses to use making buildings, towns, and cities more inclusive.
How Architectural Design is Shifting from Barrier-Free to Universal Design
An important concept in accessible design is the difference between barrier-free and universal design. In a nutshell, barrier-free design refers to design elements that are meant to accommodate people with disabilities. For example, a building may incorporate barrier-free design by having a separate entrance with a ramp for wheelchair use. While the barrier-free design is a great first step, the problem with it is that it often treats people with disabilities as requiring special accommodations. Ironically, barrier-free design can make people with reduced mobility feel even more excluded since they must use design elements that are built exclusively for them.
Universal design, on the other hand, focuses on a building design that is accessible for all people at all times. A building incorporating universal design, for example, does not have separate entrances for those using wheelchairs, but rather ensures every entrance is fully accessible.
Implementing Building Codes Learned in Architectural Design School
In Alberta, all buildings must abide by the Alberta Building Code (ABC), which includes certain requirements that buildings and public spaces in the province must meet to ensure maximum accessibility. For example, the ABC requires sidewalks to have a barrier-free pathway at least 1,100 mm wide and that washroom grab bars be designed to certain specifications. If you undertake architectural design training you will learn about the specifics of the ABC.
The Access Design Guide incorporates universal design, including more barrier-free entrances
The ABC, however, has limitations. It represents only the bare minimum standard that buildings in Alberta must meet, it largely incorporates barrier-free rather than universal design principles, and it only applies to buildings constructed after the law went into force in 2015. Because of these limitations, some municipalities have adopted their own accessibility standards that graduates of architectural design courses can follow. Edmonton, for instance, has created the Access Design Guide, which includes a series of measures that go beyond the ABC and incorporates more universal design elements. For example, while the ABC requires government buildings to have at least one barrier-free entrance, the Access Design Guide requires all entrances to City-owned buildings be barrier-free. The Access Design Guide covers many other accessibility issues, such as requiring accessible parking spaces to be located within 50 m of a barrier-free entrance and for elevator doors to remain open for at least 8 seconds before closing.
While the Access Design Guide is compulsory only for buildings owned by the City of Edmonton, anybody else building in the city is encouraged—though not required—to implement them. For that reason, the designs you work on after architectural design school could have a lasting and positive impact on your community.
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